Reluctant Theologian said:

As this thread is titled 'Not a lot of respect for men' I think it's wise to never cite this requirement for husbands from Ephesians 5 without also citing the requirement for wives from the same section: 'to submit to their husbands as to Christ' and 'to fear/reverence their husbands'.

And as husbands should love their wives even when their wives don't properly submit or fear/reverence them, in the same way the wives should still submit and fear/reverence their husbands even when they don't properly love them.

Of course I'm not talking about a situation where a husband literally beats his wife up, but these days the definition of 'abuse' gets stretched so much that any (verbal) correction or setting boundaries setting by a husband may already be construed as emotional abuse (this is not a joke).

Be blessed sisters .. !

Click to expand...

I was not rebellious and was faithful to my husband for almost 43 years when he passed away of cancer..

Bradskii said:

You're confused. It was your argument. It's what you want. All you could do was offer some pseudo satirical acceptance of it. Now you have no options except deflection. It's your only recourse. Which, in case you weren't aware, simply confirms the observation.

Well, I say It's your only recourse. But you could of course actually tell us that you'd be happy for all these dealers to be killed with no due process whether on the high seas or your local neighbourhood. In fact, I suspect that you'd be more convinced that they should be executed if they were in your suburb.

Click to expand...

Deflection? I think i have been pretty clear whwre I stand. Yes. I want to see all these murdering rapist dead. The world would be a much better place if they all just had a heart attack. Whether by bomb in international waters, or by an executioner after months of trials and legal processes. The end is still the same, but the former is much quicker and cheaper. What I don't get is why you are trying to play "gotcha" when I am saying, "Darn right! Blow the trash into fish chum. Give them the same compassion, empathy, and consideration that they give to their customers who die from their product. Then let God figure out the rest." Now I hope you are done doing whoever it was you are trying to do. But from my perspective, it appeard to be a lot of nonsensical and emotional rantings about things you do not understand. Have I made myself clear, or do you wish to continue your creepy rants?

Larniavc said:

Functionally

it is on a population level.

Is this site running slow for anyone else?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is slow.

Landon Caeli said:

Make no mistake, America's government is well aware that the EU loves getting into the mind of, and infiltrating American politics, which is exactly what Russia and China do. Everyone's playing the same game, so let's not pretend like our common democratic policies hold us bonded together, because that's only how it looks at face value, while behind the back, people are all making maneuvers against one another as competing nations/entities.

Aside from all those elitist power-plays, us civilians can still be friendly, as long as we're all enlightened enough to see through the political nonsense. An example friendliness, would be entertaining a debate, that centered on *you* and not me for once.

Click to expand...

Sure, what is it you want to discuss?

I'd recommend they read the whole New Testament. It's only about 250-300 pages long depending on the size of the text.

Apple Sky said:

Did you know that Ice melts at 33 degrees, all's I can say 'lets hope we don't have a heat wave in Antarctica'.

Click to expand...

Whatever has the melting point of ice got to do with the shape of the earth?

Apple Sky said:

So what are you saying, that God doesn't do enough of a good job ?

Click to expand...

That is very disingenuous of you.
Of course he isn't saying that. He is saying if that is the moon's job then the moon isn't managing to do it's job. Do you think God is responsible for Adam and Eve's failure?

The

samaus123456789 said:

I asked chat GPT to give the etymology of these words only from the bible, and only before 70 AD.

Here is the etymology of “Jew,” “Jewish,” “Judaism,” and “Gentile” using ONLY evidence from the Bible written before 70 AD:

✔ Hebrew Bible (Tanakh / LXX)
✔ Septuagint Greek (before 70 AD)
✔ New Testament books written before 70 AD (Paul, Mark, early Matthew sections, etc.)

No later sources, no post-70 AD history, no archaeology, no rabbinic texts, nothing after 70 AD.

---

⭐ 1. JEW​

Hebrew Bible evidence (before 70 AD)​

(A) Hebrew word: יְהוּדִי (Yehudi)​

Meaning: “Judean,” a person of the tribe/territory of Judah.

Earliest appearance:

2 Kings 16:6​

This is the first time in the Bible the word “Jew” appears.

Other uses:

• Jeremiah 34:9 – “a free Jew” (Yehudi)
• Esther 2:5 – “a certain Jew named Mordecai”

In the Hebrew Bible, Yehudi always means:

• a person from Judah,
• or by extension, someone belonging to the southern kingdom (Judah).

(B) Greek Septuagint (before 70 AD)​

Hebrew Yehudi is translated as:

Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios)​

Meaning: “Judean”.

Examples:

• Esther 2:5 LXX — And there was a man, a Judean (Ioudaios)…
• 2 Kings 16:6 LXX — Ioudaioi (“Judeans”)

⭐ What “Jew” meant before 70 AD (biblically):​

• A person from Judah
• or a southern Israelite (after the split monarchy)
• By NT times it could also mean a follower of the Judean religion

BUT the word always comes from “Judah.”

---

⭐ 2. JEWISH​

The Hebrew Bible does not use an adjectival form (like “Jewish”).
Instead:

• “the Judean people,”
• “the people of Judah,”
• “the customs of the Judeans.”

Examples (before 70 AD):​

2 Kings 18:26 (Hebrew)​

Here “Jewish language” = Yehudit = “the language of Judah.”

This is the only Hebrew Bible term resembling “Jewish.”

LXX term (before 70 AD)​

Greek uses:

Ἰουδαϊκός (Ioudaikos) – “Judean / pertaining to Judeans”​

Examples:

• 2 Maccabees 2:21 (pre-70 AD text)
  “The battles… for the Jewish (Ioudaikos) customs.”
• Mark 7:3 (NT written before 70 AD)
  “The Jewish (Ioudaioi) traditions.”

---

⭐ 3. JUDAISM​

This is actually a biblical word and it appears before 70 AD.

Original biblical term: Ἰουδαϊσμός (Ioudaismos)​

Meaning:

• “The way of the Judeans”
• “The Judean religion / practices”

First appearance: 2 Maccabees 2:21​

Other appearance: 2 Maccabees 8:1

New Testament (before 70 AD):​

Galatians 1:13–14​

Paul uses the same Greek word:

⭐ What “Judaism” meant before 70 AD:​

• The religion of the Judeans
• The customs of the post-exilic people of Judah
• Not yet a global or modern system, but the pre-70 AD Judean faith

---

⭐ 4. GENTILE​

This word comes from the Bible but through translation, not Hebrew etymology.

Hebrew Bible words (before 70 AD)​

גּוֹי (goy) / גּוֹיִם (goyim)​

Meaning:

• “Nation”
• “Peoples”
• “Ethnic groups other than Israel”

Most famous examples:

• Genesis 12:2 — Israel will be a great nation
• Psalm 2:1 — “Why do the nations (goyim) rage?”

The Hebrew word does NOT mean “non-Jew.”
It simply means “nation.”

Greek Septuagint word (before 70 AD):​

ἔθνη (ethnē)​

Meaning:

• “Nations,” “peoples,”
• in Israel’s context: “the other nations”

NT Example:

• Matthew 28:19 — “Make disciples of all nations (ethnē).”

Where “Gentile” comes from in the Bible:​

When Jerome translated the LXX/NT into Latin (pre-70 AD usage preserved):

Latin Vulgate: gentes = nations​

From this Latin word, English Bibles later used Gentile.

⭐ Meaning before 70 AD:​

• Goyim / ethnē = nations
• Often meaning non-Israelite nations
  But not originally a derogatory term.

---

⭐ SUMMARY (Only Using Pre-70 AD Bible Evidence)​

English Term	Pre-70 AD Hebrew Term	Pre-70 AD Greek Term	Biblical Meaning Before 70 AD
Jew	Yehudi = Judean	Ioudaios = Judean	Person from Judah (later the whole Judean people)
Jewish	Yehudit = Judean language	Ioudaikos = Judean	Pertaining to Judeans (language, customs)
Judaism	—	Ioudaismos	Judean religion/customs (2 Macc 2:21; Gal 1:13–14)
Gentile	Goy / Goyim = nations	Ethnos / Ethnē = nations	Any nation (often non-Israelite)

---

⭐ If you want, I can also show:​

✔ Every OT verse containing Yehudi, Yehudit, goy, or goyim.
✔ Every LXX verse containing Ioudaios, Ioudaikos, ethnos.
✔ How “Ioudaios” changed meaning between 200 BC and 70 AD.
✔ The difference between Hebrew, Israelite, Judean, and Jew.

Just tell me!
it is amazing. You could then ask it how these words changed meaning after 70 AD. Christians are Judeans (Romans 2 28 29) meaning of the religion of Abraham.

Click to expand...

This is a long discussion/explanation and requires academic readings. But in short Chat GPT is correct; The term "yehudi/Jew" comes from the Southern kingdom of "Judah" vs The Northern kingdom of "Israel".

It becomes way more complicated when using the term "JUDAISM" and Chat GPT doesn't do a good job explaining the development of that term because pre-70 AD it was not used as a term for a religious system. A better translation back then would be "the way of the Judeans" and not Judaism.

stevevw said:

It doesn't matter. The claim was there was no evidence of vitrified rocks. Here we have evidence using heat. It was claimed there was no evidence.
I have presented evidence from 1,000s of years earlier of stone softening, melting and casting.

Click to expand...

Everyone knows stone can melt. Just saying stones can melt, is not proof that some ancient culture used it purposefully. What stones in Egypt show vitrification? It happens naturally time to time from lightning strikes or accidental fires.

Always in His Presence said:

Zohran Mamdani taps ex-con rapper who served 7 years for armed robbery as criminal justice adviser on transition team:​

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has picked a controversial rapper who did seven years in state prison for armed robbery to advise him on the criminal justice system, The Post has learned.

Mysonne Linen, 49, a Bronx convict-turned-activist who was found guilty of two felony heists in the late 1990s, was appointed by the democratic socialist to sit on his mayoral transition’s “criminal legal system” committee — just one of many questionable picks.

Click to expand...

Plank. Eye.

Apocrypha means hidden, and God hides things God hides things especially from Christians that are wise in their own eyes eg the ones at universities that have degrees, and in my experience when it comes to the bible in plain English have no clue what they are talking about or worse teach false doctrine.
There are books that are outside the protestant canon that are inspired only for the wise that seek them out.

Jesus talking to the Sadducees who asked about resurrection.

Mathew 22 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

God talking to the fallen angels pre flood in 1 Enoch that left heaven, came down to earth, and married women

1 Enoch 15
But you originally existed as spirits, living forever,
and not dying for all the generations of eternity;
7 therefore I did not make women among you.’
The spirits of heaven, in heaven is their dwelling;

He calls 1 Enoch scripture, and Jude says "Enoch 7th from Adam" so Jude believed what he was quoting was written before Noahs flood, and not pseudepigrapha first written 300 BC, and backdated. Jude, and 1 Enoch
The Sadducees stuff up a story from Tobit about the woman being married then demons killing her 7 husbands each night before the marriage too. They forgot to add she married successfully the 8th time. So Jesus is calling Tobit scripture too. That was written in the 700s, and 600s BC, 1 Enoch was written 4400-4000 BC after creation 5500 BC but before Noahs flood 3300 BC. There are a lot of other texts inspired apocrypha that are not pseudepigrapha for the wise only too. My summary list of the most important ones are 1 Enoch, Life of Adam, and Eve, Assumption of Moses, 1/2 Maccabees. For the NT Gospel of Nicodemus, History of Joseph the Carpenter, Proto James. All on audiobook on youtube or annas archive and internet archive are two free e book websites.
There are 2 canons of the bible.

Luke 24:44-53 He said to them, “Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen—everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.” Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

This canon list excludes 1 Enoch, and other OT texts (Jubilees, Test of the 12 patriarchs, Tobit, 1/2 Maccabees, and others). Josephus gave the same canon list around 100 AD, and it was Genesis to Malachi. This is the primary canon.

Yes the secondary canon is hidden but hidden does not mean myth/ pseudepigrapha/ fake/forgery/ lie it just means it is for people that choose to believe the bible wherever it may lead otherwise maybe God thought it would be throwing pearl before swine to reference it in very obvious ways.

This concept of 2 canons in the NT goes back to 2 Esdras (internal date 557-457 BC consistent with 1 Ezra, and same genealogies as 1 Ezra which go back to Aaron son of Levi) where Ezra, and some others rewrite the bible because it was destroyed by the Babylonians

2 Esdras 14
44 So in forty days, ninety-four books were written. 45 It came to pass, when the forty days were fulfilled, that the Most High spoke to me, saying, “The first books that you have written, publish openly, and let the worthy and unworthy read them; 46but keep the last seventy,that you may deliver them to those who are wise among your people; 47 for in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the stream of knowledge.” 48 I did so.

The 24 was for the worthy, and unworthy aka everyone- this would of been the now protestant canon from Genesis to Ezra (Malachi, and Nehemiah may not of been written at that time as they came a bit later on in the 400s BC), and the other 70 was 1 Enoch, Jubilees, Test of the 12, Life of Adam, and Eve, Assumption of Moses, Testament of Job, Tobit, Baruch, other ones that still exist today, and some others that would be lost works today. For the NT it would be proto James, pseudo Mathew, gospel of Nicodemus, Didache, History of Joseph the carpenter, and some others. The expanded canon is only for the wise.

2, and 3 Enoch, and book of Jasher are all myths not inspired written after 70 AD (inspired scripture stopped 70 AD based on Daniel 9). 3 Enoch, and Jasher are Jewish fables (1 Titus 14), and 2 Enoch is either Jewish or Samaritan fables.

Jasher says Shem is Melchizadek like the Talmud does in an attempt to discredit Jesus from being a priest in the order of Melchizadek. 2 Enoch mentions the 532 year great cycle which was not discovered until 400s AD. 3 Enoch says It was written by 'rabbi' Ishmael which the Talmud says was 130 AD however the synagogue of satan actually believe it is pseudepigrapha written much later.


Jubilees internally is written by Moses 1400 BC same time as the torah is internally which was after they came out of Egypt but before they came into Canaan. The Israelites had a choice at this time- follow God or idol worship- they chose idol worship - Moses comes back down from the mountain with the law on tablets, they are worshipping a golden calf, he breaks the tablets thinking why should I even bother. Had they stayed faithful to God they would of seen the 364 day calendar in Jubilees (and 1 Enoch) is the one that God wanted them to follow, and they would of done that but because of their apostasy they just followed the torah one which was luni-solar (ask chat GPT for the details). The Qumran dead sea scroll sect 150 BC-68 AD started to go back to those old books, and thinking this is what God intended for us originally lets follow it. Hebrew roots movement lol. There are a couple of prophecies about Jesus in Jubilees.



1 Enoch internally is written by Enoch 7th from Adam pre flood- it contains I Enoch, and I saw statements many time. Also one section is written by Noah as he says my great grandfather Enoch; Noah was Enochs great grandson, and Lamech or Methusaleh wrote a section too; it mentions my father or grandfather. Not a single part of 1 Enoch claims to be written after the flood, and there is nothing in it that is evidence that any part of it was written after the flood. There is nothing in the dead sea scrolls saying "we wrote this text at this time, and backdated it". It has a lot of prophecies about Jesus in it. Ask chat GPT to show all the prophecies of Jesus in 1 Enoch. All Israelites BC that had read it believed it was written pre flood, same as all Christians pre 70 AD believed the same. By 400 AD Christians started to believe it was pseudepigrapha. Likely the synagogue of satan started attacking 1 Enoch after 70 AD saying it was not written pre flood, it can't be, it is too old, Noah did not take it aboard the ark, the flood was a myth anyway, etc etc because of the son of man prophecies it contains - the high priest went ballistic when Jesus called himself the son of man LOL. Sadly early Christians believed satans lies like Adam, and Eve believed the devils lies. The lie continues today taught at all universities around the world, in all studies, and in all textbooks.


Testament of the 12 patriarchs internally is written by the 12 patriarchs 1700s-1800s BC. In one part it says "so it is written in the law of Mose" but by the time the 12 are dead Moses was not even born yet so has been edited a bit later, and someone added that. That part does not claim to be said or written by one of the 12 so there is no problem there. Has some very specific prophecies about Jesus, and warnings about alcohol, greed, lust.


Assumption of Moses internally written by Moses, Joshua, and maybe someone else. Is Moses dying words to Joshua. Has a paraphrased version of 1 Enoch 1:1-9 about the first century AD, also prophecy about Jesus Assyrian, and Babylonian judgment on the Israelites. Says to store the books of their fathers in earthenware Jars; the dead sea scrolls which are the books going back to Moses fathers shown above were found in earthenware jars. So Moses told them to do that 1400 BC but they didn't do it until 300 BC in the DSS. Probably had the part Jude says about the devil, and Michael the angel disputing over Moses body which is in the Assumption of Moses but was restored from early Christian writings as it is not in the Assumption of Moses manuscripts from 600 BC

Some NT ones
Gospel of Nicodemus
History of Joseph the carpenter
Proto James all internally written before 70 AD therefore inspired scripture (Daniel 9 said vision and prophecy would stop 70 AD aka inspired scripture). All explain Joseph was widowed from a prior marriage, was forced to marry 12-14 yo Mary (Roman marriage was 12 for women 14 for men ), and Jesus 4 brothers, and 2 sisters were his step siblings. Joseph never had sex with Mary. Mary was a virgin her whole life; Catholics are right even though they view those texts as pseudepigrapha.

All those and more are free audiobook on youtube or annas archive internet archive are e book websites. Or google the name of the book with PDF after it.

Jesus healing the Leper.

The Liturgist said:

That, sir, is a beautiful answer.

By the way, we have not had the pleasure; I thought I knew all the active Anglican members of the forum. I am however distraught about the direction in which the Church of England has been going, both liturgically and doctrinally. The disappearance of the boys choirs, most recently those of St. Paul’s and the Temple Church, the bishop shutting down the volunteer children’s choir at Sheffield Cathedral because he thought it wasn’t sufficiently racially diverse, the intense pressure to join other Anglican Communion bodies in making a departure from Biblical norms of human sexuality, and so on.

Click to expand...

Thankyou, yes I am Anglican but this is the part where I say I'm from the Reformed camp and because of my denomination's poor state I attend a 'particular Baptist church'

Up 110% in 1 year.

stevevw said:

Yes and thats part of the problem. You assume certain demographiscs with certain beliefs and positions. Classic IP.

Click to expand...

Internet protocol? Intellectual property? Intelligent person?

stevevw said:

What exactly about what I said was dogmatic.

Click to expand...

Good grief. What wasn't?

stevevw said:

What exactly was said that was not in line with the expert opinion. See this is where my lack of knowing what sources are stereotyped themselves. I just go by the content of what was said. If that happens to be a source you don't like thats not my problem.

The content is in line with the experts and that why I linked it. Purely on what was said and not where it came from. I don't care where it came from because the whole idea of certain sources being good or bad is itself a subject and often biased opinion.

No not the other posters but the experts. That is where I am getting my information. Its not the worse or any subjective qualification. Its the facts.

Click to expand...

Your US politics, culture, history, and law sources are as bad as your Egyptology sources. If your sources were any good your posts wouldn't be so dependably wrong. (Or is it that you don't understand them? I don't know.)

stevevw said:

The point is you don't have to be an American to know American politics. You can know American politics from Americans who know American politics and then you use your senses to take that info in.

Click to expand...

It is possible, but it we ain't talking about you, then.

stevevw said:

I do understand english and what words mean lol.

Click to expand...

LOL, indeed.

stevevw said:

When they say the evidence shows that massive fraud has been committed and show the evidence I can be informed. Then refer to that as counter evidence to someone who claimed that Trump was a fraudster. That they have no moral ground to stand on.

Click to expand...

What fraud? The topic is killing drug runners.

stevevw said:

Most of this is not about American or Australia or any nations politics. Its plain right and wrong. The moral truth, commonsense, reality, whatever you want to call it.

And my point was that this was a sub thread over moral hypocracy. About the same people that are morally outraged have double standards and thus bias.

Click to expand...

I am concerned that you find this immoral action to be so acceptable.

stevevw said:

From what I was seeing with people making all these extreme claims about Hegseth and TRump being murderers and commiting war crimes. That same old extreme narratives ike Kirk and Trump are Nazis ect. It was my point that these same people have been quiet happy to allow 10 times worse bad behaviour and have no moral leg to stand on.

This was also based on the fact that the language was implying guilt in doing something morally wrong without the intel. This showing a willingness to jump to the negative due to political bias and partisanship.

Click to expand...

Not politics. Unjustified and likely illegal killings. Don't need politcs to see that. I've got no idea what the politics of the Admiral who ordered the "double tap" was or that of the drone operator who pushed the button to launch the missle.

stevevw said:

This was reality. I am am merely pointing this out. I have not said anything about the right or wrongness of the situation. Just pointing out howw the usual Trump haters are quick to jump the gun (pardon the pun) lol.

I was not making a case for Trump being a Christian or that this is about Christ v non or Dems v Rep or Left v Right or anti immigration or anything.

I was simply using those examples of the hypocracy of how the Dems under Biden and Obama did all that they accuse Trump of and have no moral leg to stand on. That it was their now proven extreme bias that causes people not to trust a word they say.

Click to expand...

It sure seems like you think this is justified because millions of people could die of drug overdoses. (Or did I hallucinate that conversation?)

stevevw said:

So when people start jumping the gun again and making all these assumptions of guilt and extreme claims of war crimes its history repeating itself. So its right to point it out.

Click to expand...

We know the history of attacks on disarmed (non-)combatants and survivors. You should look into it. It has nothing to do with "hating Trump".

stevevw said:

You can't help yourself can you. Doubling down now on IP.

Click to expand...

Iambic pentameter? (clown-free) insane posse? Incan potatoes?

stevevw said:

Us Aussies must be dumb, they could not possibly know anything. That bad old Fox News.

Did you notice at I mentioned that "even the Australian experts agreed". I said they were agreeing with the American experts

Click to expand...

Nameless experts. Crikey!

stevevw said:

It does not matter because everyone will pick a side and both sides are as bad as the other lol. But usually when people are so fixated on the opposition [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] political.

Click to expand...

I've got 20,000+ posts and never had my blessing cursed by the bots. Watch your tongue.

stevevw said:

But even if its moral there are mmore than one position. So when someone starts claiming "shoulds" then we can say that they have jumped the gun because they don't have the facts. Thus exposing their bias in assuming a wrong for that particular situations when similar ones or other views are just as relevant.

Click to expand...

we actually know quite a bit. It's clear if you pay attention.

stevevw said:

If someone states that what happened is X and this "should not" have happened as its morally wrong. Then they are declaring their position. We can read a lot from the actual words that come out of peoples mouths lol. Its the most direct way of knowing what they think and believe.

Click to expand...

This is a serious topic. Your "lol"s are rather odd and unserious.

stevevw said:

Thats unless you think what people about a situation or themselves cannot be trusted.

Actually I am going to bow out. I don't see any point and I have said all I can say on the issue. It will be a continual back and forth of peoples subjective moral beliefs on the situation without the clear facts. Which are yet to come out.

Click to expand...

That you now understand morals are subjective is at least some progress.

AV1611VET said:

Please don't make the same mistake they made.

Click to expand...

Actually I'm just repeating what you already said.

AV1611VET said:

Had God not made Adam the federal head of the entire human race, then Jesus would have to come back and die on the Cross separately for each and every human being that was ever born, alive today, or will be alive tomorrow.

But by making the "first Adam" the federal head of the human race, He made the "last Adam" a one-time sacrifice for sins.

Click to expand...

The only difference is that I'm suggesting that they're both allegorical. That Adam is representative of all of humanity, and likewise so is Christ.

Perry Mason, all seasons.

timothyu said:

That's ok. He is also taking heat for no longer believing in the Left Behind series also. He is not a traitor to God but people see him as a traitor to them, and that is where they fail.

Click to expand...

Wow, really? That's a huge unexpected 180 from the Kirk Cameron I had always known. .... In any event, good for him. The Left Behind series is utterly sociopathic (I wasted a year-and-a-half reading those awful books and allowed them to get into my head), and whether eternal torment proponents like it or not, a plain reading of Scripture far more frequently - and directly - points to a literal view of life and death/destruction, than it does the traditional damnationist view.

But of course if Kirk has changed his tune about not one but two of the biggest hot topics in Christian theology, there's no doubt in my mind that he's now got a flood of fundamentalists breathing down his neck about how he's gone apostate or some garbage.

GodDoesListen55 said:

I wish this time of year was a little easier, but it never is...

Click to expand...

No, and it's far more trouble and stress than any one day is worth.

good to evaluate . . .

"Test all things; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

"swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (in James 1:19)

"He who answers a matter before he hears it,
. It is folly and shame to him." (Proverbs 18:13)

BPPLEE said:

Some will be on government assistance as @iluvatar5150 and I were discussing. He thinks more people on government assistance creates jobs and that we need them to come here and have lots of children

Click to expand...

Every economic assessment of our situation I have seen agrees with him. More workers equals more GDP and greater revenue. That does not change that the underlying assumption that people will come and live off free handouts is biased and disproven by real world data. The vast majority that come here work hard to achieve heir dreams. That is the American dream, is it not?

Ave Maria said:

if you do, how do you go about it?

Click to expand...

There are people who provide an occasion in their churches, where their youths can stay and have clean fun and fellowship.

Also, I know a pastor who would go out, right in the middle of the activities, with his children, in order to reach people for Jesus and contact ones he already was relating with. And his children dressed in more innocent things.

I might just have some candy ready where I was staying, and later donate it lolololololol And I have gone out by myself and mixed socially, sometimes meeting other Christians and enjoying being with one another.

Ave Maria said:

Anyway, I'm Catholic and technically Halloween is All Hallows Eve for us which is the same thing as the Eve of All Saints' Day.

Click to expand...

I would say no day belongs to Satan. With God, we can use every day howsoever God pleases. So, use it for God.

So - - your son has gone from being a Seal, to Superman, to Jesus. This could be significant > starting as a soldier who can be so specialized for combat missions, then becoming Superman who can do more personal relating with people while stopping some evil and helping them. And Jesus is more obviously so powerful against evil, but also tender and compassionate and forgiving for family sharing and caring. So, he is possibly growing and developing in love as more of his interest. And, of course, you with God can discover how you develop in how you use any holiday; yes, and God uses days and any thing for His good purposes.

essentialsaltes said:

Somebody asked Grok to grade the paper.

View attachment 374269

Click to expand...

Not -3? How generous.

Any person any age can receive God's free gift of Eternal Life and become a born again child of God.

The big problem is most are not being correctly taught or told how to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life.

But if a child (or any person ) is correctly taught how to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life. By belief in Jesus for Eternal Life, they receive Eternal Life, a pernamnet gift from God, at the very moment of their belief in Jesus for Eternal Life.

So it is not the age that is the problem, but the teaching.

I would say a child who can simply believe in promises. Has a better chance in believing in Jesus for Eternal Life, than many young aged people and adults. Because an older person can get hung up in the legalist garbage of baptism, repentance of sin, confessing, obedience to the Law (ten commandments, etc..), making Jesus Lord of their life. bearing fruit, etc.......