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  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Why we are not supposed to keep the Sabbath

I truly apologize for my manner, And should have been more careful in my selection of words, and will take extra caution in any further engagement, to pick my words more carefully.
I'm sorry, I see this too consistent of behaviour from you to continue dialogue. I'm wish you the best.
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Porneia, sexual immorality and romantic love, committed love in marriage.

More detailed quote:

The same holds true for the maidservant who is under the yoke of slavery; she too is in another's power, that is, her master's. But if she is a believer, let her regard herself as belonging to God, not to her master, and let her keep her body pure for the Lord who bought her with his own blood. [...] But if her master is an unbeliever, let the believing maidservant bear up, knowing that she is serving the Lord Christ. Let her not maltreat her flesh but rather adorn it chastely, keeping it pure and undefiled for the Lord. For it is not permitted her to fornicate or to surrender her body to anyone but her own husband. But if she is forced by her master, let her pray to be given strength to endure and not to sin against the Lord. For the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and must be kept in holiness.

Upon reading better I agree it's more likely he was referring with 'endure' to persist in refusal than to let her master have his way with a sinful plan. Under Torah law though the master could have married her still himself but any believing master would never be allowed to force his slaves to commit sin - including prostitution.

PS: later theologians do seem to provide this exoneration in case of force/coercion - e.g Augustine (The city of God - +/- 420 AD):

And this seems a rhetorical question.

While slaves did not enjoy the rights of a trial, it doesn’t stop anyone from viewing this as a shameful act.
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Elijah Comes First

And no one to debate with!!!

Indeed, but, believe it or not, I actually prefer interesting discussions on the liturgy. Any time someone wishes to get into the weeds with me on exploring the history of the Anaphora of St. James, or St. Mark, or the Twelve Apostles, or help me write festal services for St. Abanoub the Martyr, who is sadly only liturgically commemorated in the Coptic church, being a Coptic youth who received a crown of martyrdom during the DIocletian Persecution, but who absolutely deserves a feast day in the Western, Byzantine and Syriac Rites, and for that matter, a few other translations of saints; also surprisingly, a lot of Eastern Orthodox saints only have Troparia and Kontakia, not full canons or propers for vespers; setting these up is relatively easy since the General Menaion like the Common for different kinds of saints in the Roman Rite provides a template (most liturgical rites have a default form for different types of feast days which can be used in the absence of a dedicated service or used as the basis for composing such a service)
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Lost tribes of Israel

He will spread His messianic kingdom of peace throughout the whole world. Then the nations will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles together with Israel (Zec 14:16). Israel and the nations will praise the G-d of Israel together. What a prospect!
Agreed, but is it not that God's people now will be those who come from all nations to the Kingdom, the new chosen. There will be no leaders like before however, except Jesus, who plays no favourites. Everybody had their chance before Him and blew it. The Father's Kingdom will have come, and His Will will be done in earth, not ours.
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Suspect in DC Ambush of 2 National Guardsmen Is Afghan National Who Entered US During Biden Admin

I wonder if we as a culture should reconsider allowing mentally ill folk such easy access to deadly weapons.
True, liberals, especially of the transgender type, should probably be banned from owning guns
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Chat Thread - Millennials Edition

Has anyone else been struggling with the "aging" part of their 30s?

For example, on the Oldies station now, they're playing 90s music. That makes me feel old.
It’s been so crazy getting closer and closer to 40! I think what I struggle with most is watching my parents age and getting closer to that point where their age makes you question how much longer you have left with them. My parents are older and had kids not much younger than I did. It’s hard to imagine them not being here someday.
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There’s a Giant Flaw in Human History

Yes but the scientific method does not use those experiences to measure and know that reality. The scientists has to step back and detached themselves from the experiences to then measure things objectively. All feelings and experiences have to be cast aside.
Cast aside? What hogwash. Experiences are observations. How would a physicist study the spectra of light without an experience of color?
Like the experience of colors such as a golden sunset or a fire red sports car. Science can measure the brain activity related to vision and the light wave spectrum to know all the technical data.
Sure. So what?
But the actual experience cannot be measured in quantities. Its a experience that can only be measured, known and verified directly by the experiencer.
Sure. So what?
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Beware of Catholic AI

Hallucination-Free AI?

Hallucination-free religious leaders doesn't exist either.

They embellish the teachings of the Lord as if God would reward them for doing such thing.

If I play the piano so horribly and I know it but listeners say I play fantastically because they they either want something from me so badly or fear me. If I only care about shallow praises of people, I'm probably going to be pleased but if I value the truth far above shallow praises, I'd have nothing but anger. I wouldn't want to be around such people.

AI gets a lot of attention because it's new but they're not really any worse than people.

I've closely studied the entire Bible plus other Christian religious texts in various translations without AI for 15 years. And then using and testing AI. I found they're not really worse than people on religious matters.

If AI hallucinate, people too. And people can be worse on hallucination with religious matters for both adherents and skeptics.

In the absence of human advice, you can use AI and they're getting better with improving safety protocols.
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The Mamdani Model: More Socialist Mayors to ComeBeware! The DSA will attempt to repeat Mamdani’s success in other Democrat strongholds.

I assume the side that complains about being told what to do by religion
Not by "religion."
are the secular progressives or those who are not religious or believe in God.
Or you can just define them out of existence.
I wasn't necessarily meaning just religion as opposed to non religion.
Good.
The divide and polarisation where each side sees the other as a threat and bad for society can also happen in politics and there can be more than two opposing sides like Left and Right or Conservative and Progressives.

There can be a number of groups like tribes where each thinks the other is wrong. Like at the culture wars where we have different identity and ideological groups pitted against each other.

Its interesting that you keep targeting certain groups as the only bad ones like men and religion. Its never other identity groups like women, non religion or political ideology groups like Marxist, Communists, Feminists, Humanist, Wokist ect.
Because I don't consider them a threat to Constitutional government.
Why is it only these groups you single out as the bad one. I thought all were sinners. It sounds like this is acting more like the Pharisees wanting to throw stones at certain groups. When they have a beam in their own eyes.
Not at the groups, only at their public policy agenda.
Most progressives are not even religious.
Not a chance. You'll just have to define them as non religious because they are progressives. :)
Do it what way. I am talking about how under a pluralistic society we have to allow all beliefs and political views even if they conflict. Its the only way under a free society.

Well in reality they are and I think everyone knows that and acts like they are moral precepts. A State cannot detach itself from the moral aspects of the policies and the laws they implement.
They mave have started out as moral precepts but the state has no power to make a moral judgement, only a legal one.
Why do you think people protest and get angry and lobby the State. Why do you think all these social groups have rising like Me Too and BLM or the Environmental activists or proests against Isreal and rallying for Palestine. Of course its all based on morals.
They were all protesting the actions of the state, not its ideology.
When the State chnages Marriage laws, abortion law, alcohol and gambling laws, family laws, welfare policies, workplace laws re descrimination, Identity policy and law protections, policies on what is taught in education ect ect ect.
You think all of that is anti-Christian?
Look at all the chaos over immigration policy and laws. People are willing to use violence to stop what they think is unjust and immoral laws.
Injustice is what they are protesting. The immorality of it is for the clergy who also oppose it to consider..
What does this mean for Christians living within a sinful world. The bible says they cannot be of this world and live by its ideology. We have to live Gods will on earth as it is in heaven. Which often contradicts with the world.

Yes we must be on Gods side but what does that entail. That we live Gods will and not sin. Christ forgave the adulterous women but said sin no more. So we try to live like Christ. Help the poor and disadvantaged and proclaiming the gospel.

Christ said the world will hate Christians for standing with Him.
And somebody later added, "Be careful they don't hate Him because of Christians."
So if we are truely living as Christ then Christ church will be hated by the world. But it will also be a light in the darkness for those searching and open to God.

It doesn't matter. My point was there is a significant polarisation and culture war going on. Which is primarily divided along Left and Right, and Conservate/Christian and Progressive/secular.

In fact there are a number of divides. On the world scale its become more polarised between democratic and free nations as opposed to the rising anti democratic powers.
Which Trump is trying to turn the US into, at the behest of his Christian Nationalist base.
But this anti democratic influence is infiltrating western nations to compound the already growing polarisations between Left and Right. Hense we see the rising of socialist and Marxist leaning politicians like OAC and now a socialist Mayor.
AOC is a devout Christian and Mandami is a Shia Muslim with a version of the Ten Commandments tougher and more specific than yours.
Its a mess.
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Washed and clothed in Christ: The beauty of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism

g908
βάπτισμα βάπτισμα baptisma
The text then says "NOT the washing away of dirt from the flesh" (the waters of baptism) but rather the appeal to God for a clean conscience )such as is the case with a believing adult.

The fact that it is contrasting the washing with water and the appeal to God, shows the image being used is literal baptism
And just where does the Greek WASHING appear. in 1 Peter 3:21 as I cad see the Greek with less than 2 minutes !!

And where do you see ( the waters of bap[tism ). in. the Greek text. ?????

And you JUST ADDED LITERAL BAPTISM , WHY. ??

dan p
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Swatting Trolls v. Encouraging Saints—Who Wins When Threads Go Sideways?

We’ve all seen it: you ask for testimonies of grace and within five posts someone’s waving Psalm 137:9 or Hitler to prove a point.
The food-fight starts, the original question sinks, and the encouragers log off.
  • Do we engage the detour in hopes of gospel witness, or gracefully bow out and let the algorithm bury the mess?
  • Any practical filters you use before hitting “reply”?
Share one sentence rule you follow when the trolls arrive.
Grace,
bob121 – Tokyo
The ignore button is your best friend.
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More Americans are now reading the Bible but fewer believe it’s 100% accurate: study

How do you determine which parts of the Bible are factual? Is it possible to believe that Jesus is God—born of a virgin, crucified, and resurrected after three days—but doubt stories like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walking through fire because it seems physically impossible?
Does scripture tell you that you have to believe in the latter? Believe in Jesus, trust in the blood and you'll be okay.
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Noah way?

I was just trying to work out why Kangaroos are only restricted to certain areas like other animals. Like Australia is similar to Africa in places but does not have elephants for example. Britain does not have koalas.

Geographic isolation due to natural barriers.

In the case of Australia, it's due to the break-up of Gondawana which started about 150 million years ago and the movement of the continent away from Antarctica and South America.

Australia is biogeographically isolated from most of the rest of the world thanks to the 'Wallace Line'.
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University of Minnesota on Whiteness Pandemic

Lol a little too late to be using Trump as a threat. He’s president now and this is still happening. Seems ineffective.
It is still happening because liberals double down on woke identity politics instead of learning their lesson. Democrats would do well to listen to James Carville. But keep it up and the DNC will be less popular than Bud Lite.
  • Haha
Reactions: BPPLEE
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Are there still Apostles today?

When did Jesus appear to Barnabus?

He might have (1 Cor 15:6-7).

But by that answer, you are saying No, Jesus was not seen by those 2.

Alright then, they definitely did not see the risen Christ since Paul said he was the final one who did (1 Cor 15:8).

Good to make that clear.
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Are the Jews Israel, or is the church Israel? Or does it depend on the context of the passage?

You could have just replied with a "Yes, that was my answer to your question."

I would have replied with a thanks, and we can finally move on. ;)
My brother I don’t like to play games. I have engaged you argument but you have not responded other than to demand a yes or no answer. I have explained multiple times that the question is not a yes or no answer but you continue to demand that. It’s just not going to happen so yes, let’s just move on.
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What is a moderate?

Well, I would say I am conservative in the sense strive to uphold basic Nicene orthodoxy and the plain teaching of Scripture, but I also want to maintain an open and see nuance on secondary matters.

Well sure, those of us who, like you, are grounded in Traditional Nicene sensibility might be inclined to identify as being conservative.

Even if that is the case, I think that all your current changes in viewpoint amount to, really, is the realization that biblical faith and the critical issues of the Bible we can all discuss has more to do with critical acumen and an awareness that the Bible is a complex set of writings than it does with identifying a specific point on a continuum between Liberal on one side and Conservative on the other.

But if you like the term, 'moderate,' then by all means feel free to use it. I'm not going to challenge it. I'm too moderate to do so. ;)
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