pajarito

Was Clinton responsible for the deaths of the troops in Somalia?

Maybe he signed it...then didn't? Maybe it all depends on what his definition of "signed" is?

This is primarily for those of you out there who proclaim to be Atheists (i.e. deny the existence of any God outright). It seems to me that even some of the greatest minds in ancient and recent history couldn’t get around the possibility of there being a universal creator or God. It seem that with all of this scientific theory above (none of which I’d ever claim to be able to explain in detail) even thinkers of this caliber do not totally discount the possibility of his existence and his role in the creation and control of the universe. It seems that, even if Hawking didn’t buy the concept completely, he didn’t discount it as a possibility either. This makes me wonder why most of you don’t at least consider yourselves Agnostic rather than Atheist in light of this reason. That is, unless you consider yourselves to be brighter than someone like Stephen Hawking and have insight that he might not have. Just curious.

How would a mistranslation like that affect basic Christian doctrine? Basic Christian Doctrine I don’t doubt that translation is subject to interpretation. That’s why I feel more comfortable going with what the “majority” of the experts say instead of those on the fringe. There’s also the New World Translation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses that makes the case against the Trinity. I wouldn’t put much clout in that either. You’re guessing at their motive by saying they wouldn’t accept something because it would undermine their established faith. You don’t know that. I also don’t believe it. This has got to be the most scrutinized thing in history. Everybody is watching everybody else to make sure that it is kept accurate. I dare say it’s always been that way. I never said that my New International Version (NIV) is the one and only or the most correct. As a matter of fact, I think there are other ones that more accurately depict the intended “flavor” of what is trying to be said. Mine is just a bit easier for me to understand. It all goes back to the “roadmap” thing. If one doesn’t work for you, put it down and get another one. Again, you’re guessing on motive. Conspiracy theory stuff. Gotta go for a while. Later.

Abortion thread? OUCH!!! That would hurt...

I never said that there weren't inaccuracies that have crept into the text over the years or during the translations. However, I'd challenge you to compare them and find any discrepancies that challenge the core teachings of the Christian faith in any way.

If the percentages in this article are correct and I'm not declaring that they are, Evangelical Christians make up 46% of all Americans (at least what they associate themselves to be). That would be an extremely high percentage of poor and uneducated folks. God in the Newsroom

Got anything to back up this? Sounds like the same crap the liberals push in reference to their supposed intellectual superiority and the republican's general ignorance.

No. You're right. I just threw that out there. There are ethics even in war. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if we were right in those instances and keep trying to make the best decisions we can in regard to what's Biblically sound. Motive is the key, IMO in reference to whether it is considered "murder" or not.

Do your homework and you'll see. Seriously.

You’re right. It is pretty clear cut in that “murder” is wrong and unacceptable under any circumstances.

You mean the same type of carpet bombing that proved effective in defeating the Nazis and saving your country's ass?

Well, this particular brand of anointing oil was declared holy by God and he set some rules concerning it. As a child, you’d probably get really mad at me for sending you away to your room if I told you not to give your not do something and you did it anyway. Come on. It’s pretty straightforward. It sounds like the guy who wrote this top 10 list was getting tired and was stretching towards the end just to get the numbers. It was entertaining, though.

Again, this is yet another law from “The Book of the Covenant.” Your quoted law is applicable only to the nation of Israel. Of course, God does consider this an abomination just like other acts of sexual impurity. However, your (or the person who actually wrote the top 10 list) example is a bad one in reference to God.

Wars basically, where civilians end up dying due to the carelessness of military forces. There's Christian ROE (Rules of Engagement) which are outlined in the article that I posted.

Please refer to my response to Nightingale. Of course, we don't always get it right and may think we're justified when we really aren't. That goes along with being human and imperfect.

What does the Bible say about War

In what circumstance, specifically are you referring in reference to justified killing?

It’s just a lot more complicated a situation than what the title to the question above presents. You get that when you read the entire passage. Again, it’s really good that we’ve got it a WHOLE lot easier than those prior to Jesus. The same discipline is required, however.

Again, this is yet another example of a law within “The Book of the Covenant” or the laws that governed the nation of Israel. They are specifically applicable only to Israel and the conditions and environment existing in that period. Your quoted verse above is not a commandment from God. That’s why you need to know a little bit about what you’re going to post before you post it and to read stuff in context. If you pick and chose, you could make just about anything say anything. If you just copy and paste something off the internet without first verifying it for accuracy, you’re typically treading on dangerous ground. CBS doesn’t seem to mind, though.

How about in a "cage match" instead?

What good is it to gain lots of friends, money, and power at the expense of your own soul? How important are material things and shallow acquaintances in the long term? If he/she is going to be a true friend, he/she will accept you for who you are and will be tolerant of what you believe. My Dad told me when I was young that, when I grew up, I should be able to count the number of "true friends" that I had on one hand. Of course, I didn't believe him at the time but he was right!

In New Testament times, the punishment for sexual immorality (i.e. adultery) was just as severe (i.e. death by stoning). An example, as in John 8, would be with the woman caught in adultery who was brought before Jesus. Jesus told them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then, when no one stepped forward and it was apparent that no one could condemn her, Jesus said, “Then neither do I condemn you,” “Go now and leave your life of sin.” While he was alive, he forgave her sin which only God can do. Through his death, resurrection, and promise of forgiveness, your sins are also already forgiven in principle. You just have to appropriate that gift of forgiveness. We’ve got it a lot easier than the people’s of the Old Testament times.

In reference to the title of your question, I would question the assumption that they had no knowledge of God. I believe that they did as does everyone in their hearts. They just rejected the one true god for pagan false ones. Again, however, this illustrates the harsh judgments of God against sin in the Old Testament which are no longer needed now because of the sacrificial atonement of Jesus. You have to keep in mind that everything has a purpose. As explained above, Samaritans eventually became followers of Christ due to this long sequence of events.

Only 3 days into their journey out of Egypt, the people began to complain because their situation wasn’t ideal. They had forgotten quickly their deliverance from slavery and God’s acts on their behalf. They wouldn’t trust God and commit their lives and future to him which brought about God’s judgment on them. In those primitive times, the judgments of God were very harsh and severe. I think it illustrated the seriousness of God’s law and the penalty for sin. For New Testament believers, provisions have been made for us by God in the sacrificial death of his son Jesus. In those primitive times and during those terrible judgments, however, there was always “an out.” Faith, trust, and obedience were all that were needed.