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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.
This is the scariest verse in the bible for believers
- By Jeff Bacon
- Christian Scriptures
- 111 Replies
You don't have to have a lot of knowledge to evangelize. Practice. Study the Romans Road. Look up the wordless book...it's a old and time-tested method that is mainly for children but I think it works fine for adults. There is also Share Jesus Without Fear. I would put as many tools in the toolbox to make you more comfortable and just go practice in the real world. Once you get comfortable with that move toward apologetics so you can answer some of the common objections.I have been doing evangelism, both online and off, since I accepted the Gospel as a child. I was that kid in public school who would confront her friends with the Gospel and the claims of Christ, and yes, I would do the science class debates and get rebuked by my teachers lol. However, God has never given me the privilege of watching someone accept the Gospel. I still do it, and pray for God to correct my errors if I’m driving people away from the truth by accident.
I think I suffer from lack of knowledge more than anything these days and so I struggle with some of the debate points that are raised against me. Most of my evangelism encounters inspire me to improve something, whether it’s my knowledge of science or knowledge of political movements or knowledge of theology. (I probably have the spiritual gift of knowledge, actually, instead of evangelism.Though I have to give the caveat that my congregation understands the spiritual gifts a bit differently than your denomination might, so I have to be careful with that talking here. I think all giftings evangelise, but they do so differently.)
These days, I think my best witness is my story, rather my lackluster apologetics. The secular prognosis for CPTSD is grim: a cycle of abusive relationships, prison, and suicide. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I have been able to subdue my body so that I don’t have any of those things anymore. Without God, I wouldn’t be alive today. I’m still thinking, but I believe that this story needs to be told in some form (as a website series and/or memoir) and pushed out there for others to see. That’s probably where I will concentrate my ineffective evangelism efforts in the near future.
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Is Wikipedia a 'reliable source' for Martin Luther?
- By Daniel9v9
- Theologia Crucis - Lutherans
- 5 Replies
Thank you for the interest!
I'm not an expert on the man and life of Luther, and I've admittedly only skimmed through the article, but it seems good to me. Maybe some question marks around the doctrine of soul sleep and his later writings.
I can also recommend the overview as found in the Christian Cyclopaedia published by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS):
Hope that helps!
God bless!
I'm not an expert on the man and life of Luther, and I've admittedly only skimmed through the article, but it seems good to me. Maybe some question marks around the doctrine of soul sleep and his later writings.
I can also recommend the overview as found in the Christian Cyclopaedia published by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS):
Hope that helps!
God bless!
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Charlie Kirk Didn’t Shy Away From Who He Was. We Shouldn’t, Either
- By DaisyDay
- American Politics
- 59 Replies
From your link (dated 2020):That people are celebrating and offering winner badges to what is basically making arguements that Kirk derserved what he got is the problem. Regardless of what you or anyone else claims there is no justification in the murder of someone expressing their beliefs.
The reality is Kirk is not the only one. There has been hateful and violent speech and even calls from Dems for the death of certain figures. Even its celebration. Polls show around a 1/4 to a 1/3 of young Dems would support political violence and even the killing of opponents who disagreed.
This thinking has been cultivated in the very universities Kirk was engaging with. We had Leftist media trying to blame Kirk and are now sacked. In fact a number of people including teachers at these universities have been dismissed for such hateful responses.
The violence and murder we see now is the result of this rhetoric full stop. That people are attacking kirk and not the violence and killing and even celebrating or remaining silent on condemining this only to want to conflate the two is gross as far as I see. It reminds me of how Hamas was justified and the Jews attacked as the bad ones and the rise of antisemetism. Comes from the same evil spirit.
Yes it comes from both sides. But right now the majority is coming from the radical Left and the evidence is coming out in how they used their power to cultivate such a culture of violence, hate and division.
Any healing requires people to look at themselves and the reactions we are seeing in trying to justify this act and even celebrate it is only making it worse. Still the ideological capture is blinding people and in fact making them double down I think. .
The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States
The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States
The United States faces a growing terrorism problem that will likely worsen in the next year, particularly around the 2020 presidential election. The most significant threat likely comes from white supremacists, though anarchists and religious extremists could also pose a threat.www.csis.org
THE ISSUE
The United States faces a growing terrorism problem that will likely worsen over the next year. Based on a CSIS data set of terrorist incidents, the most significant threat likely comes from white supremacists, though anarchists and religious extremists inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda could present a potential threat as well. Over the rest of 2020, the terrorist threat in the United States will likely rise based on several factors, including the November 2020 presidential election.
...This analysis makes several arguments. First, far-right terrorism has significantly outpaced terrorism from other types of perpetrators, including from far-left networks and individuals inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Right-wing attacks and plots account for the majority of all terrorist incidents in the United States since 1994, and the total number of right-wing attacks and plots has grown significantly during the past six years. Right-wing extremists perpetrated two thirds of the attacks and plots in the United States in 2019 and over 90 percent between January 1 and May 8, 2020. Second, terrorism in the United States will likely increase over the next year in response to several factors. One of the most concerning is the 2020 U.S. presidential election, before and after which extremists may resort to violence, depending on the outcome of the election. Far-right and far-left networks have used violence against each other at protests, raising the possibility of escalating violence during the election period.
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President Trump Files $15 Billion Defamation and Libel Lawsuit Against The New York Times
- By ThatRobGuy
- News & Current Events (Articles Required)
- 14 Replies
Actually, it doesn't sound like they can afford the amount he's going for.
Per CNN Business:
The lawsuit demands $15 billion in damages, which exceeds the entire market cap of The New York Times Company
So if there was some sort of pre-court settlement offer, it'd have to be significantly less than what he's asking for.
Defamation civil suits typically involve having to clear a pretty high bar.
If he's looking to affect change with regards to how media outlets run, a better use of time and resources would be to reinstitute this:
Fairness doctrine - Wikipedia
That would force all media outlets to devote a portion of time to controversial matters, as well as to dedicate some airtime to contrasting views.
Although, that would mean that some of the "Trump-friendly" media would have to extend the same courtesy to their opponents as well.
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Novel highlights power of art and music as a salve to troubled humanity
- By Michie
- One Bread, One Body - Catholic
- 0 Replies
Michigan-based novelist Angela Shupe’s debut work, “In the Light of the Sun,” can be seen as a testament to the power of art and music to lighten even the most extreme anguish and hardship.
Scheduled for release in October 2025, the book tells the story of two sisters who despite being worlds apart, use their musical gifts to overcome.
The story unfolds in a rural village of Floridablanco in the Pampanga province of the Philippines, and in Florence, Italy. The book highlights the struggles of Italian-Filipino “mestisas” (half-bloods) living in Italy during the Mussolini era.
In counterpoint, the novel outlines a middle-class Filipino family’s struggle to survive in the wake of Imperial Japan’s military occupation of the nation between 1941-1945.
Older sister Rosa Grassi has moved to Florence to be with her beloved grandmother Nonna, and to undergo voice training in preparation for a career in opera. Nonna is a former world-class soprano who has chosen to remain in Italy in retirement.
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
Scheduled for release in October 2025, the book tells the story of two sisters who despite being worlds apart, use their musical gifts to overcome.
The story unfolds in a rural village of Floridablanco in the Pampanga province of the Philippines, and in Florence, Italy. The book highlights the struggles of Italian-Filipino “mestisas” (half-bloods) living in Italy during the Mussolini era.
In counterpoint, the novel outlines a middle-class Filipino family’s struggle to survive in the wake of Imperial Japan’s military occupation of the nation between 1941-1945.
Older sister Rosa Grassi has moved to Florence to be with her beloved grandmother Nonna, and to undergo voice training in preparation for a career in opera. Nonna is a former world-class soprano who has chosen to remain in Italy in retirement.
Continued below.
Novel highlights power of art and music as a salve to troubled humanity
Angela Shupe’s debut novel tells the powerful story of two sisters who use art to endure war and loss in Italy and the Philippines.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
