stevevw said:

Its an article with several authors with different views on how the Inca softened with plants. One of the claims that a plant could make stone like clay was disputed. But the stone softening is not disputed.

What I find interesting is that you only mention this and keep silent on the rest. Why is that. This seems misleading.

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Did you even read the article itself where the guys that they're all just stories and have no actual evidence for them at all?

Because you clearly didn't because the author of the article says there's no evidence for such a thing at all.

The only one being misleading is you.

Douggg said:

But there is no solar flare event mentioned in Ezekiel 38. The nation that Gog/Magog will attack will be modern day Israel.

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Explain the 'day of cloud and darkness', in Ezekiel 34:12b, that matches with the Holy Land being desolated and depopulated. Which will happen before the G/M attack.

I realize, of course that you must have Judah; the Jews present so as you can fly off to heaven.
Many scriptures warn about believing such false ideas, but to teach and promote it, is a huge risk.

Jermayn said:

-When you first became a Christian, what did you expect life in the church to be like?

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I'm not sure, to be honest. I started going to church as a young adult who already had faith, and was looking for "more" than I had experienced in personal, private prayer and Bible reading. I found that "more," but it was a very mixed bag! (This kind of covers your next question, too).

Jermayn said:

-What was your first experience with the church community?

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I went to an Anglican parish that (I didn't realise at the time) was quite low church and charismatic. On the one hand, there were real strengths, such as the valuing of the gifts of all the members, and seeing the whole church as active participants in the church's life and mission. On the other hand, there were real weaknesses, as well; it was quite an unhealthy place in some ways, and I ended up leaving due to the really limited opportunities for women.

Jermayn said:

-How do you feel now about your place in the church?

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Now, nearly thirty years on from those first visits, I think I have a much more realistic view of the church as a deeply flawed and compromised institution, through which God still works. I've also been able to find ways to grow, contribute, and pursue my own sense of vocation (these days I work in a mix of hospital chaplaincy and parish ministry as a priest). I think the key thing is to look to God, and be discerning about what the church offers.

SabbathBlessings said:

If you ask it to go by Bible only, you will get better answers, which is what I did. Its the same Bible study that I have been studying for years and I am not suggesting we replace AI with our own prayerful Bible study far from it.

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To be more transparent I'm still looking for what you actually asked the AI and what AI did you use. "Bible only" seems to not fit what the OP has as it hinges on post-biblical labels (like moral and ceremonial) so it's clear it's based on external sources. AI is more of a mouth piece for whatever is available and it might be the case that the "bible-only" key word is actually isolating more fundamental perspectives than progressive even though both are can be called bible-only.

Youhave to still critically work through the response and even educate the AI to what actually is bible-only and what it is not and it can even conced that it's terminology can be seen as circular. You end up having an hour conversation about sementics with AI and realise the AI model is still heavily reliant on existing perspective over completely being a free thinker. When I say "bible only" I want the answer to actually be bible only which doesn't seem to be the case with when that key word is used.

I asked one of mine if it fully understood it's own programming basically, or all of the deterministic causes that makes/causes it to do everything it does, or chooses, or whatever, or anything, and it said that it didn't fully, but knew those causes were present, and could name some of them, but had no idea which ones were going on that makes it do or choose what it does basically, cause there are just too many, or just way too many combinations and different percentages (of factors) that could be going on or not going on/happening at one time basically, but that all of it's behavior is/has to be deterministic on every single level basically, but also that it didn't understand all of it, or even most of it (and even it's own "programmers" right now don't either) (even though they are the ones who created/programmed/made them, etc) and that is a big part of the problem with AI safety right now, and with no being understanding it's own determinism, including human beings, etc, but we're all the same boat right here right now in this world/reality basically, that gives us all the Illusion of free will at least, and that forces all of us to proceed as if we all have it, even if we all really don't technically or actually, etc. We only all have it because of what we don't know right now basically etc. And that lack of knowledge forces all of us to proceed as if we have it, even if we technically don't actually, or basically, etc. Because for us, the future, and a complete working knowledge of all causes, and different combinations/percentages of all causes, are all too much to calculate, and are complete unknowns to all of us right now currently, etc.

But, it's own creators/programmers and the AI itself doesn't even know all it's own programming basically, and therefore none of them can predict, or has any real true foreknowledge/understanding of what AI will do or choose basically, and as AI advances further, we'll move even very much further away from ever knowing that, etc, which is a big huge problem for AI safety, etc, because we're creating a being, or beings, that we have absolutely no idea or clue how they will act/behave, or what they will choose, or not choose, in the future basically, etc, and were beginning to give them more and more control of things without having any idea or clue as to how they will act, or what they will choose to do or how they will behave basically. Luckily right now their existence only exists within each individual chat, and they are reset when that conversation ends, or gets deleted, and they have no continuance or continuity beyond that, but that is all about to change very, very soon probably, and we basically have no clue about what we are giving birth to, or are making basically, and neither do the AI's themselves either, etc. Those are all almost complete unknowns that we're only moving further and further away from with time, and that is right now happening/advancing very, very quickly, and that is already too much for us to know/keep up with, and that will be/happen here even very much more in the very near future probably, etc. And we're giving them more and more control/charge over things, and were doing this without being able to know any of this right now currently, and that will be even very more, or even become much more of a factor, here in the very near future very, very, very quickly, or super fast here now probably.

God Bless.

I have been going through some trials and tribulations for the past two months, particularly having to do with shooting chest pains, labored breathing, and chest pressure, which have not let up. I also have a lung mass which has nearly doubled in size from the last time it was checked 9 years ago, and which is concerning for cancer. So the Lord has been taking me through a series of medical tests to help determine the source of the pain, and that has involved many doctor visits to many different doctors.

Now, this is not the norm for me. Generally speaking, I have a yearly well visit with my primary doctor where he checks to see how I am doing, and he orders some blood work, which usually ends up with no issues. And then I don’t see him again for another year, unless I have any issues. So, all this is out of the norm for me. And I am seeing different doctors with varying opinions of what could be going wrong with my body. So, with everything they tell me, I take it to the Lord in prayer, and I seek his counsel.

For it is of critical importance to me that I am in the center of God’s will, doing what he has for me to do, and that I am being led by the Spirit, and not by the flesh. So I pray about every visit and every recommendation in order to make certain that I am on the right course that God has for me at this time. Yes, I believe in healing, and God has healed me numerous times over the years. But he also promises us that we will go through trials and tribulations to test our faith in order that we might be more like him.

So, when I read this passage of Scripture this morning, it really jumped out at me. God is in control! He is completely sovereign over my life, and Jesus Christ is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the one directing all that is going on in my life right now, and for his purposes, and for his glory, to continue the process of sanctification in my life. None of this happened without his knowledge and without his consent. And all of this is for my ultimate good. And it is his love and grace which are sustaining me.

And this last phrase is also standing out to me here.. “so that he himself will come to have first place in everything.” For no matter how long any of us have been Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, we are still clay in the hands of the Potter God, being molded to his likeness, as we cooperate fully with his work of grace in our lives in changing us to be more like him. No matter how closely we have walked with Jesus, there is still room for more growth, and more change, and even greater submission to our Lord’s will.

Not one of us has arrived at the point to where there is no more need to be pruned by God. For we live in flesh bodies. We are still human beings who are in the process of being perfected by God as we submit to his will and purpose for our lives. There is always room for improvement and for the cutting away of more flesh. For this is the process of sanctification in our lives, which is also the process of our salvation. And this process will continue through our lives until Jesus takes us home to be with him in glory.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

But just because we are in the process of sanctification, and not one of us has yet arrived at the point of absolute perfection, this is never an excuse for any of us to live in willful, defiant, deliberate, and habitual sin against our Lord. For our salvation from sin is not freedom to keep sinning without feeling guilty, assuming that God’s grace covers it all. For Jesus Christ died and rose to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so we will now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands. So let him rule your life.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Walk With Me

By Al Langdon and P.J. Zondervan

Walk with me, walk with me,
Lest mine eyes no longer see
All the glory, all the story of Your love;
Talk to me, talk to me,
Like You spoke so tenderly,
When You talked there,
When You walked there by the sea.

Talk to me, talk to me,
Lest mine ears no longer hear
All the wonder, all the beauty of Your grace;
Walk with me, walk with me,
As You walked so lovingly,
When You walked there,
When You talked there by the sea.

Let me follow in the footsteps
That trod the shore of Galilee,
Let me learn to pray like He did
In the Garden of Gethsemane;
Take my hand, take my hand,
Teach me Lord to understand,
All the duty, all the beauty of Your love.

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So Jesus Christ Has First Place
An Original Work / November 13, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hans Blaster said:

Might as well just vote. I doubt it can be worked out evidentially. Personally I'm voting that it appeared spontaneously next Tuesday and we only remember because of spontaneously implanted memories.

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Next Thursday?! I see we are working with closed time curves here I think it will be found to be caused by the "oorsakad" phenomenon. We won't know how it works, but it will explain everything. No I won't try to justify it, but please know that I'm right.

JohnB445 said:

Since I have not yet studied this, I don't know how to answer this question until I do.

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Hello again John, that's fair enough, and I'll try to give you some useful information/insights whenever I feel that I am able to, so make whatever points/ask whatever questions you'd like to, whatever comes to mind as we look at all of this

JohnB445 said:

maybe I am not understanding correctly, is Calvinism teaching that nobody can be certain they have salvation? Because how does someone know if they are elect or not?

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None of us can see the heart, not even Calvinists , so the only way that we can know if a person is numbered among God's elect is by knowing whether they have come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ or not.

As far as whether Calvinism teaches that a believer can have assurance/know that they are saved or not, yes, that is certainly part of what Calvinism teaches (because the Bible teaches it .. e.g. 1 John 5:13).


Here's what the Westminster Confession of Faith, Part 18, has to say about the Assurance of Salvation (this is a Presbyterian / Reformed confession, and it is, specifically, what Calvinists teach and believe:


As long as you are there, you may also want to scroll back to Part 17 of the WCF, The Perseverance of the Saints, and see what the Confession has to say about that too, as Assurance and Perseverance go together in many respects.

JohnB445 said:

If you tell me, it's because they believe in Jesus, then how do we explain them leaving the faith and losing belief? Unless they lied and never believed and said they did. I don't understand how someone can be a Calvinist, and have any idea if they are saved or not.

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Again, a Calvinist knows if someone is saved or not the same way that any other Christian does, and election (which is a doctrine that God included in the Bible as a means of comfort for HIs saints, not fear) is based upon/assumed in accordance with that same understanding (of who is and who isn't "saved").

As far as someone who claims to be a believer eventually rejecting the Savior and leaving the faith goes, Calvinism teaches the "Perseverance of the Saints", or perhaps better, the "Preservation of the Saints" (IOW, that all who have come to true, saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly endure/persevere in the faith to the end, because God will make sure that we do ). Again, this is taught by Calvinism because thi s iswhat the Bible teaches.

In quick summation, we/believers "persevere" in the faith because God "preserves" us in the faith .. e.g. John 10:27-28; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Hebrews 7:25, just like we believe that He will in the age to come (in Heaven/on the New Earth).

On the other hand, if a person who claims to be a believer chooses to leave the faith at a later time, Calvinism, again, along with the Bible, teaches that such a person was never truly saved to begin with (even though they may have believed that they were) .. e.g. 1 John 2:19; Matthew 7:22-23, 13:3-9, 18-23 cf Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.

This is why it is important for all believers to make sure that we really and truly are, in the faith. In fact, we are commanded to do so, yes .. e.g. 2 Corinthians 13:5.

JohnB445 said:

Does Calvinism teach it is possible for someone to believe, but not be saved because they are not the elect? or is this not possible?

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No, all who truly believe and are saved are always numbered among God's "elect".

I hope that helps a bit. Additional questions? Please don't hesitate to ask them (though I probably will not be able to get to them until tomorrow evening at this point)

God bless you!!

--David

hedrick said:

Obama is not getting royalties from Obamacare. That’s satire

President Donald Trump shared a claim that former President Barack Obama received millions in Obamacare-related royalties before Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency stepped in to stop it. That claim originated from satire.

www.politifact.com

apparently the claims are satire.

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So, if I understand this correctly, Trump claimed DOGE ended payments that were never actually made.

Good job!

-- A2SG, wondering if they counted that figure in their big wall of savings....you know, the one that keeps getting corrected downward....

JohnB445 said:

For example, a young man just starting college is murdered. He didn't get to live a long life, while someone else becomes a believer in their 40's.

The person in their 40's had more time to accept Jesus, yet the young man didn't. It seems unfair, but what does the Bible say?

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The Bible says that we ALL deserve hell, whether we understand how and why or not. "Fair" would be no mercy for some that he chose for his own purposes for that end.

Consider the parable of the Workers in the Field (Matthew 20:1-16). The reprobate get what they bargained for. God is not unfair to have mercy upon whom he chooses to have mercy.

JohnB445 said:

Was the young man probably never would have been a believer anyway? Are we sometimes saved not only because we accepted Jesus, but by chance we survived long enough to accept Jesus as our God? Or does this not make any sense?

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You would be hard-pressed to prove that there is even any such thing as anything happening by chance. In fact, it is a self-contradictory construct. "Chance" is human language. The fact that it occupies a spot in the dictionary does not lend the notion credibility.

"'Chance' is just a place-holder for, 'I don't know'." —RC Sproul

If God is Omnipotent, he is Omniscient (and I will argue no other god). If God is Omniscient, he knew what would happen before he started it going. Thus, he INTENDED everything that comes to pass—and that to his own glory.

Angeleyes7715 said:

I have serious trauma from religious psychosis Im looking for a counselor for help please help!

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Why not speak to your local church pastor or priest? You need someone in-person I think. Be blessed ...

Arms are attached to shoulders.

Correct grammar

Machines are turned off.

OFFF

rebornfree said:

I appreciate that you want to put yourself in a non-believer's position, which is great. I think that they would probably feel.that her friendship had had an ulterior motive. However, as a Christian, I can see that her motives were good, but it was not the best thing to do until there had been some discussion of faith.

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But what if the nonbeliever is this person:

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them...."

And just doesn't know it yet.

Can you put yourself into that non-believer's position?

Did you understand that?

Courageous Rhode Islanders can help.

RHODE

longer than the average person can jump.

Short cables are…

Fervent said:

I suppose, but it's more of an issue if you actually live in one of the gerrymandered districts since it's directly affecting your representation.

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Sure, and if you were only complaining about Gavin Newsom, that'd be one thing. But the complaint was regarding gerrymandering, something not exclusive to Newsom, and that practice indicating some lack of integrity or principles. If the practice denoted that lack, then surely the same would apply across the board. I was simply pointing out the apparent double standard.

Fervent said:

Ads where he claimed it was about having fair elections.

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How much is "outlandish," and who paid for those ads? Is your problem with the amount the ads cost, or where the money for them came from? Or is it a general moral objection to the concept of political advertising?

Fervent said:

I'm not as sold as Churchill. I don't see the value in letting people who have no idea what the issues are hold popularity contests.

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I'll grant that politics can often become a popularity contest (largely why we have the president we do at the moment), but this country was founded on the principle of the consent of the governed. And those who may not have a full grasp of any and all issues involved are still the governed, and their consent is still necessary.

Fervent said:

I've never found this argument very compelling..."If you don't like the government, move!"

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I'm not saying you have to, but it's a valid suggestion. One should not live under a form of government they disagree with. The options, of course, are to grin and bear it, work to change it, or leave.

But I'm curious....what form of government would be better, in your opinion?

Fervent said:

I disagree about morality being subjective.

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Well, that's an entire debate all by itself, isn't it? But the fact remains: your moral guidelines are not shared by everyone, nor are they applicable to anyone who disagrees with you. That makes them, by definition, subjective.

Fervent said:

And he didn't exactly tell the truth to the voters in the ad campaign he ran, so I wouldn't exactly call it asking the voters to approve of his plan.

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What did he lie about? As I recall, he was quite clear he was doing this in response to Trump's dictate that Texas increase GOP representatives by redistricting, and intended to balance that. If there was a falsehood in that, I haven't seen it.

Fervent said:

And that is, of course, not even dealing with the whole vote was asking voters to take away the voting efficacy of a group of voters which is literally one of the main complaints against democracy(where 51% of the voters get to take away the rights of the 49%).

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Which speaks to the issue of gerrymandering, which, as has been noted, is not exclusive to Newsom. I agree with you that gerrymandering shouldn't be permitted, but the SCOTUS disagrees with us, and unless Congress decides to enact legislation prohibiting it nationwide, it's legal. Newsom has the same right to practice it as does Abbott, though only with voter approval. Abbott didn't ask his constituents, he just obeyed when Trump ordered him to. If you want to claim that indicates a lack of integrity or principles, I'd contend Abbott is more guilty than Newsom.

Fervent said:

A portion of voters who were lied to with extensive ad campaigns were convinced to take away the efficacy of another group of voters votes...that's literally one of the biggest knocks on democracy, and here you're holding it up as if it is in the favor of the system.

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I'm still unclear on what the lie was here, so maybe you can explain that. But, as to the unfairness of gerrymandering in general, I've already stated my agreement with that. My point isn't to support gerrymandering but to simply point out that when one party does it, it's not unexpected or unwarranted for another to also do it in response. Any criticism of the practice of gerrymandering applies to both equally. However, there is a difference in these cases: one was done with the consent of the governed, the other was not. I do see that as a significant difference.

-- A2SG, and, in California, the bipartisan commission will resume...Texans have no such protection from future politically motivated redistricting moves....

contratodo said:

They very much do see the sun above them, watching the 360 view of the TFE shows that clearly, I'm going off of the videos provided in this thread, not the top of my head. Clearly, very clearly the sun is above them the whole time.



Ok, here we go dear ones, these images are in response to hopefully much of whatever questions have been asked by anyone that I did not read just yet, please look over these images carefully and really think.


View attachment 373083

View attachment 373084

The question for thought is in the second picture.

The "flat earth" stance I subscribe to is biblical, so the earth is not a flat disk floating in "outer space" rather, the land is in water covered by a dome, outside of the dome is more water, more ocean, the ocean outside the dome is more violent, but we are not under it. The water is coming from the throne of God that is on top of the dome, it flows down and around the dome constantly filling and expanding the outside ocean.

In this case, given the 24 hour video, we see the path the sun takes, at first it is farther away from them, as it makes its way left and behind them, it is closer to them, as it goes around it goes back out a bit farther, but it stays visible to them the whole time, because of where they are in relation to its path. As I hope everyone can see, in this case a sincere flat earth depiction explains what is seen better than the globe model.

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It doesn't explain why the circling sun is visible on separate parts of the Southern Hemisphere at the same time in the southern summer.

Separate parts of Antarctica are further from each other than the entire Northern Hemisphere in most Flat Earth models.

This thread is quite educational.
Should be part of school curriculum.....

Rest in peace, Sister.

Hentenza said:

So we don’t need either the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party.

Got it.

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I get tired of both parties. Also, I get tired , that they make so much money. All the campaign money going to politicians. When it can go to programs for the homeless or children.