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essentialsaltes · 2025-11-18T17:46:15-0600

Fervent said:
Churches file W-4s and I-9s, so pay is documented.

This is not public information, as it is for charities.

essentialsaltes · 2025-11-18T17:42:23-0600

probinson said:
This raises an interesting question. If Texas is prohibited from using their new gerrymandered map, will California opt to stay with their original map also, since it was ostensibly only "in response to" what Texas did?

Enquiring minds...

Alas, the text of the proposition is what it is.

TRUMP "MISSED THE DEADLINE" TO CALL OFF TX GERRYMANDERING; CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE “BEAUTIFUL MAPS”

Douggg · 2025-11-18T17:36:20-0600

sovereigngrace said:
And?

I beg to disagree. You are just teaching what you have been taught.

Show us any Scripture that teaches a rapture of the Church, followed by a tribulation period of any length, followed by a third coming of the Lord?

The scripture references are on this chart I made...

PTW · 2025-11-18T17:30:43-0600

American Dragon: Jake Long

MotoToTheMax · 2025-11-18T17:30:02-0600

Vambram said:
Trump never abused any laws.

Donald J. Trump Foundation

Pommer · 2025-11-18T17:26:34-0600

CBP seems to be performing operations well beyond its operational jurisdiction, as Charlotte is about 125 miles from the nearest border.

Konnie King · 2025-11-18T17:26:27-0600

JuliiaW · 2025-11-18T17:25:09-0600

Delvianna said:
I hope I'm posting in the right spot, if I'm not, my apologies and please move it to where it needs to be.

I want to talk about video games, table top games, etc and look at it from a place of Christian moral ethics. To give an example, I play the game Medieval Dynasty, which is mostly just building a city and managing it with all the resources. But due to it being close to Halloween, they've updated it to give the main towns halloween decorations. This isn't standard decorations... This looks purely pagan witchcraft to me.

View attachment 371968

So when you run across instances like this, what do you do? I'm not required to engage with it. Like, there isn't quests or anything but how do you handle video games and following Christian ethical standards? (This is just an example as I mean this discussion to be more broad than just the example I'm showing).

On a related note, similar questions arise with other types of games, like online casino or slot games, where themes or visuals can be intense. I like such games, and I play them from time to time, especially pokies. A few days ago, I came across this link https://pokiesman1.net/free-pokies/dragon-link/ where I managed to try a free online pokie called Dragon Link. I liked that there is a free version, which helped me to understand more about the game. To be honest, I don't know if something like this is acceptable, but I know the limits, and I play for fun

If it doesn’t affect gameplay and you’re not being forced to take part in anything you’re uncomfortable with, I think it really comes down to your own comfort level. Some players just ignore the decorations and keep playing, some turn off seasonal events if the game allows it, and some skip the game for a bit until the update passes. I’ve had moments in other games where something didn’t sit right with me, and I just asked myself: “Is this actually affecting me, or is it just background art I can walk past?” Most of the time it’s the latter. So I’d say do what works for you. If it bothers you, take a break or switch the game off until the event ends. If it doesn’t impact your experience, just keep building your town and enjoying the game. No one handles these things the same way, and that’s fine.

PTW · 2025-11-18T17:25:07-0600

Yogi’s Space Race

Always in His Presence · 2025-11-18T17:17:21-0600

chevyontheriver said:
What's your explanation of why we Catholics and Orthodox and Jews pray for our dead?

You would have to ask them - I absolutely cannot speak definitely for over 1 billion people and why they believe what they believe.

The thread has answered my question - thanks to all who answered.

Always in His Presence · 2025-11-18T17:13:03-0600

narnia59 said:
So I stand by the statement -- Just because we do not have a preserved writing that directly speaks to a teaching prior to a certain point in time, that is not evidence that the belief was not in place prior to that.

and you are more than free to do so - It very adequately demonstrates the teaching is extra biblical.

Konnie King · 2025-11-18T17:12:09-0600

X=Men

PTW · 2025-11-18T17:11:16-0600

Wally Gator

Always in His Presence · 2025-11-18T17:10:38-0600

chevyontheriver said:
That's your WHOLE response? As if this is infallible teaching or something? Am I understanding you correctly here?

No - it is pointing out that the pope approved of the document - nothing to get apoplectic over. Obviously, if the good pope found error, as you have, he would not have agreed with the writing.

Fervent · 2025-11-18T17:08:55-0600

rambot said:
I kinda disagree. Even when someone developes their own source for grounding, their environment, their friend group and their parents/family/etc are still the primary influencers in creating that grounding. So it is STILL coming from an external source. It's just different than a set of religious principles.
We don't develope in a vaccuum.

I'm more thinking metaphysical grounding, rather than developmental.

rambot said:
Nope. That's exactly me too.

It only makes sense. Everything else can be at odds, but if we can agree to be peacemakers and show the love of God our allegiance will be clear.

mark46 · 2025-11-18T17:04:11-0600

DaisyDay said:
Yeah, I think that Khashoggi’s being a WaPo reporter was not an impediment to any business dealings with his murderer.

One would hope so.

Yup

Perhaps you think that Trump should have taken Biden's moral high ground and given up on peace in the Middle East, as Biden did.
============
Let's be very, very clear.

In both terms, Trump is doing more to bringing us closer to peace in Middle East than anyone since Jimmy Carter.

FIRST TERM
The Abraham Accords were a huge, huge move forward. Arab countries were finally accepting Israel's right to exist as a country. Also, as a side discussion the Arabs and Israel agreed that the enemy was Iran and the terrorists that they financed throughout the region. Trump made them see common cause. Trump also had them understand the business benefits from having peace between Israel and the Sunni Arabs.

IN BETWEEN
crickets from Biden
Hamas started a war
crickets from Biden

SECOND TERM
Trump again made peace in the Middle East his #1 priority. Trump supported all of Israel's efforts to remove the terrorist threats in the region and their efforts to greatly disable Iran. Trump then got the Arabs to look the other way as Israel continued to be aggressive in killing Arab terrorists and also so many Palestinian citizens in Gaza.

Trump finally bombed Iran! He then got Israel to agree to a peace deal and to implement the first steps.

probinson · 2025-11-18T17:04:06-0600

essentialsaltes said:
Court blocks new Texas congressional map, in severe blow to GOP
A panel of federal judges in Texas on Tuesday blocked the state’s new GOP-favored House map from being used ahead of the 2026 midterms by declaring it a likely racial gerrymander, dealing a blow to Republicans who have looked to net extra seats.

In a 2-1 vote, the panel ordered Texas Republicans to use the congressional lines they had in place before they redistricted earlier this year. The new map would have offered Republicans up to five pickup opportunities in the House in 2026.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown wrote for the majority. Appointed to the bench by President Trump, Brown was joined by U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, an appointee of former President Obama.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) quickly vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court, which is already considering wide-ranging questions about racial gerrymandering lawsuits in a long-running battle in Louisiana.

This raises an interesting question. If Texas is prohibited from using their new gerrymandered map, will California opt to stay with their original map also, since it was ostensibly only "in response to" what Texas did?

Enquiring minds...

Fervent · 2025-11-18T17:03:49-0600

essentialsaltes said:
We would then finally have some oversight over their finances. How much do they pay their officers? How much do they take in? How much do they spend on charitable programs? Just as we have Charity Navigator to help rate charities to avoid giving away to scams, we could have Church Navigator, to assess whether church donations were being spent wisely.

Churches file W-4s and I-9s, so pay is documented. Still not seeing what the benefit of requiring extra paperwork is supposed to be.

d taylor · 2025-11-18T17:01:20-0600

JohnB445 said:
this has worried me, do I need to be a Catholic to be saved, or a Protestant? Or does the denomination have nothing to do with it?

-

The only way you are saved is if you believe in Jesus for Eternal Life, God's free gift.

Gene2memE · 2025-11-18T17:01:06-0600

Meanwhile, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against Texas' new congressional maps, finding they were "racially gerrymandered".

Federal court blocks new Texas congressional map for 2026

The decision is a major blow for Republicans, in Texas and nationally, who pushed through the mid-decade redistricting at the behest of President Donald Trump. Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would appeal.

www.texastribune.org

Fervent · 2025-11-18T17:00:28-0600

Mark Quayle said:
Mark Quayle said:
—"What more is needed"? Context is needed. It is not talking about him desiring that absolutely all sapient sentients responsible to God be saved, nor even all humans.
—"What more is needed"? Reasoning use of language is needed. It is not double-minded for God to feel outrage at disbelief and to call it desire for the opposite (I say, supposing, for the sake of argument, that the verse was stand-alone, which it is not).

That was an "as if", in case you didn't pick up on it. I'm not saying that reasoning use of language is needed, but that if one assumes what you do, they still should look into use of language, without proof-texting as though the verse was stand-alone, when plain language can mean more than just God doesn't get what he planned on and hoped for. The notion that God doesn't get what he planned on is akin to the notion that God will not complete what he began.

I notice you left the first statement completely alone. Again, read the verse in context. It is not saying that God wishes or hopes that all humanity will be saved.

What is the context that is supposed to change "who wants everyone to be saved and return to knowledge of the truth" into something other than desiring all to be saved?

Mark Quayle said:
Nor yours, lacking basis for its existence —I hope you can see that.

You presume that God cannot make free will possible, you think too little of God in your assessment.

Mark Quayle said:
Continuing your confirmation bias —not to mention a circular argument. You are using your assumptions and definitions to prove your assumptions and definitions.

It's not confirmation bias, it's reality. Nor is it "circular' since its not 2 propositions dependent on one another, simply a fact that the determinist must exercise free will to make a denial of it.

Mark Quayle said:
Yep, definitely confirmation bias. You take me saying "choice" as defined by "free will". Choice is not free will. Do dogs choose? Of course they do. So do robots. I'm not saying we are dogs nor robots, but compare our wills and our choices to God's. —It does not even compute. We don't operate on his level. Not even close.

you don't seem to know what that word means.

eclipsenow · 2025-11-18T16:59:45-0600

The "Board of peace" is vague and fluffy language so far. We don't know what it will do.
It COULD be a good strategy to keep it that way for now.
But given Netanyahu is a bit like Trump - a hard right guy avoiding jail by staying in power - he REALLY wants to keep the hard right in his coalition happy! Otherwise, jail! So when he says he does not support Palestinian statehood - the world better take notice.

What's Trump's plans for that? For Israel in the West Bank?

Are they going to spank Israel's Militant Zionists when they inevitably break this agreement because they want to steal all Palestinian land?
Are they going to expel over half a MILLION illegal Zionist settlers in the West Bank? Are they going to give territorial sovereignty to the West Bank as well as Gaza?

I'm listening to a history of this whole conflict right now, and let me let you in on a little secret. There's only one reason that Gaza was handed over to the Palestinians. Israel ran out of Jews! That's it.

Israel decided to continue their slow 'killing me softly' strategy of illegal settler colonisation in the West Bank where they could concentrate their population resources. But they ran out of foreign Jews willing to uproot from their homelands and move on mass into another country to colonise it!

If expelling over 500,000 illegal colonisers from the West Bank is not part of the Palestinian solution - there is no Palestinian solution.

They also need to build an internationally protected DMZ super-highway and fast rail between Gaza and the West Bank so that Palestine can have a functional state.

Aryeh Jay · 2025-11-18T16:58:39-0600

Resident is not citizen. President Trump and the Crown Prince is bringing stability to the middle east from the mess Barack Hussain Obama left us one piece at a time.

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TRUMP "MISSED THE DEADLINE" TO CALL OFF TX GERRYMANDERING; CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE “BEAUTIFUL MAPS”​

Donald J. Trump Foundation​

Court blocks new Texas congressional map, in severe blow to GOP​

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TRUMP "MISSED THE DEADLINE" TO CALL OFF TX GERRYMANDERING; CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE “BEAUTIFUL MAPS”

Donald J. Trump Foundation

Court blocks new Texas congressional map, in severe blow to GOP