RonD1120

I dont claim to be any certain type of Christian. I dont understand where alot of the denominations get their "separation", but they are there nonetheless. I am simply a beleiver in what I heard. No offense at all, but I dont think that it is absolutely necessary to sift through all lies to find a truth. Quote In my life's journey, I studied several different spiritual philosophies. Then I met Jesus Christ of Nazareth and I knew that my spiritual quest for truth had reached the end. Everything fell into place, the pieces came together and the search was over. No one was with me at the time. It was a life changing experience that opened the door to blessings that could not even be imagined prior to meeting Jesus. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

This difference needed to be stated, thank you. So many become entangled in the rules for right living they miss the truth of the Gospel. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

I tend to agree with you, but there are indeed facts about Jesus that continually get overlooked in these forums, and since many non-believers are people of purely fact, it seems appropriate to at least set the facts straight as they apply to the Gospel. I still contend that I am not the ones starting theses threads, however, I seem to enjoy them a great deal... aparently. Plus, it does help time go by at work! I think people just like discussing matters of spirituality vs non-spirituality. And given a forum like this one, they should be able to right? I dont think any of us decided to go on Dz.com and implant ourselves into the spirituality threads, but, in researching skydiving, we found this little community, and, a place in the community as well. I think people in these forums like to think alot, and, like to write, alot... so if anything, regardless what the discussion is, at least it can be theraputic for those who do like to think and write. Anytime someone doesnt see things your way it can be quite frustrating, nevertheless, connections and common ground can often be found deep in that frustration... whether your attempting to connect with someone or not. Few of us have actually met (speaking for myself) and I think given the opprotunity to meet, we would see that we are indeed very similar in our uniqueness. I dont think anyone is trying to belittle, in fact I think most of the "shots" that are taken are taken out of frustration more than an implied "malice"... but thats one of the great things about this forum... venting about what is not understood is a good thing, at least it is closer to the truth than trying to "win" an argument. Good job and your words certainly fit me as well. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Here's where the problem starts. Basically every known religion would say that everyone else is "cult", "sect" or simply "wrong" - everyone but them of course. And of course they define the words the way to fit everyone but them. It is not a problem for Christians. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (edited to add Scripture) Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Nor do I need to in order to know that a person's subjective perception has nothing to do with objective reality. Just because a person is high on drugs and thinks the walls are moving doesn't mean they are. You missed the point but, as Andy 9o8 says, that's my fault. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

I think you have made an astute observation. But, it is what it is. The definition of "soap box" is pretty open ended. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

The naysayers seem to repeat the same concept. One, is that they know all there is to know and they know God does not exist. Or, they admit they don't know everything but there absolutely no possibility that God could exist in what they don't know. We don't know where the wind comes from or where it goes but while it is here we experience the effects of it and it becomes real. The Greek word for air and/or spirit is pneuma. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Thanks for the help but, it is based on an error. Christians live in love not fear. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. Or put another way, the opposite of faith is fear. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

From the Christian perspective cults have one or more of the following characteristics: 1. The deity of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is denied. 2. The atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross is not accepted. 3. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is denied. 4. The Holy Bible is not accepted as the complete Word of God to mankind. 5. The Holy Bible requires current supplemental works for modern interpretation. (not to be confused with study guides or translations) 6. The Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is not accepted. 7. Membership requires a dedicated submissive worship of the leader instead of Jesus Christ. (worship the messenger instead of the message) 8. Overall faith is based on Scripture taken out of context. (snake handlers) 9. The concept of sin is not accepted. 10. Mankind can achieve oneness with God through good works. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Our moderator operates with the belief that his opinion is the final word. It's like a mother saying, "Because I said so." Jesus instructed us to become as little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. You and I understand that to mean we must see the world in a state of awe and wonder. To this moderator it is the basis of his belief that the Christian faith is bunk. Remember the words of the great pontif, "Illigetimi non carburondom." Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Hogwash. Objective reality exists with or without the "mind of the beholder". Your personal SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTION of reality may exist in the "mind of the beholder" (you), but that doesn't mean squat about how reality is perceived by anyone else or what reality actually is. If it did, it would mean that whatever YOU believe is real and whatever I believe is real is real . . . that's demonstrably incorrect. If one person believes Jesus is the physical manifestation and actual "Son of God" and another doesn't, there's no possible way they can both be right. Obviously, you have never worked in the field of mental health or substance use disorder. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Your right. And some cant tell the difference between life and death either. So much room for wonder stolen by the "reality" that has been passed down to us. Life is for dreaming, or its not. But I would hardly begin to imply that neither the non-dreamer nor the dreamer have not had a purposeful impact in the worlds' perceived realities. That is, there is room for the innocent child dreamer and the one who sheds his innocence on this earth. We can learn alot from a child can we not? I wonder what "reality" they live in? Probably closer to the reality that is perceived as fantasy to those living in the "real reality" I presume. Nevertheless, what is it that makes something real? I would like to hear some opinions on that. I fall back on an Eastern spiritual concept of "maya" or the illusion of reality. Reality like beauty exists in the mind of the beholder. When our mental illusions overlap we can easily discuss shared characteristics or concepts. When they do not, we can say the other person's perspective makes no sense or we can take a pejorative view and say it is nonsense. A got ahead of myself, first we must have an understanding of the difference between feelings, beliefs and fantasies. Feelings are spontaneous and emotional, neither good or bad, right or wrong. Feelings are what they are. Beliefs are our values, learned and modified over the span of years lived. Social mores, folkways, traditions, customs, etc. play a part in their formation along with experience. Fantasies are any mental activity. They are not necessarily good or bad but can only be truly evaluated by observing the behavior or action produced from acting on the fantasy. For the purposes of this posting, fantasy and illusion are synonymous. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

That's because you've studied the subject matter to a comparatively advanced level of proficiency. Now you have to discuss it with people who have not. I have to do this all the time when I need to explain legal issues to lay clients. I have to strike a very careful balance - if I use too much technical jargon ("mumbo jumbo") or get overly-detailed, their eyes glaze over, and if I talk to them like they're clueless, they view it as condescension and (rightly) resent it; either way, I've lost my audience. The key is to be clear, concise, direct and use terms common to both speaker and audience. Like any other, it's a skill that takes practice. (You'll recall I was coaching Ryno on exactly that in that other thread a couple days ago.) I understand what you are saying and I agree with you. Many times this forum becomes egocentric for my therapy. Probably time for another break. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

I think you over-estimate the necessity of religious faith as a necessary prerequisite to seeing and deriving value out of certain religious scriptures. For but one example, a staunch atheist, but one who values personal and societal ethics, can still acknowledge many portions of the Gospel as, even if nothing else, a pretty civilized credo of ethical conduct between and among people in society. Maybe so, however, the fact remains that the Christians who post here become embroiled in discussion explaining over and over the most minute detail of a Scripture that seems clear to us but not to the opposing reader. I was simply providing an understanding support to rynodigsmusic. This supportive fellowship is the primary purpose of the CSA. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Well stated. IMO, the major factor in communication understanding between those who are anti-Christian with those of us who are is the absence or presence of the Holy Spirit. When we become believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth we received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the HS is to always guide us to a more fulfilling relationship with Jesus. Therefore, the HS is the paramount interpreter of Scripture for Christians. We are instructed and learn to compare Scriptures for personal meaning and direction in our lives. The Holy Bible is not one book but rather a collection of 66 books. The non-believer approaches the collected books comprising God's love letter to man as if it were a technical manual or a text book. It is just not written that way. With the HS, it is the greatest love letter you can ever read. Explaining that simple truth is extremely difficult. I fail in my attempts to communicate truth daily. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

I am naive in this area. In my last position I attended a workshop conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on the subject. The focus was human trafficking in FL and the primary victims were young females. The primary perpetrators were male. I don't see much about female predators in the news. When such a story surfaces it seems to be a mentally ill woman who steals a baby so that she can be a mother. That is about the extent of my understanding. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

This church seems understand the procedures necessary. http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2010/2/1/577523.html Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

They may not have been knowingly involved. Trafficker gets a group of empathetic volunteers to do his trafficking for him. They think they're doing a good thing, the kids eventually end up on the market. Wow! That would take a highly developed system of deception and conspirators. However, from what I have seen in my lifetime I believe anything is possible. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Looks like reasonable doubt exists, more evidence needed. It is unusual for females to be involved in child trafficking. News reports are saying it is a target rich environment for child predators. Organ harvesting from unwilling donors is probably another area of financial opportunity. There is a lot of evil in the world. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Good point. it sounds like they were kind of chicken protesters. Less chance of any real confrontation maybe. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Open carry is interesting... (I mean real, loaded weapon, legal open carry). There are some people in TX who want open carry laws. Some people say it will turn into the shootout at the OK corral, but I heard that about concealed carry back in the day and it never happened. So I don't buy it. I do think that open carrying an unloaded gun is stupid. But likely for different reasons than many. An unloaded weapon is as useful as a hammer. If I lived in that area, and knew of a place where this was happening, I might wear a hammer on my belt one day to go get coffee. Carrying an unloaded gun also makes the wearer used to the weapon being unloaded which is dangerous. Unloaded weapons are dangerous to the wearer. Some outlaw biker club members carry a ball-peen hammer in a sheath attached to their belt. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

You are incorrect in your thinking, sir. I like Pat Robertson and I think he is entertaining. I haven't watched him probably 25 years or more. I simply want to caution the uninformed not to place more importance on him than is due. As far as the GOP is concerned, I doubt he has much influence anymore. His day came and went. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

No, I consider myself a conservative in ideology. Closer to Libertarian in the voting booth. I am a registered Independent in FL. I was a registered Republican until around 2006. Anarchy is no government at all. I can't even imagine accusing someone of desiring that state. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

But, but, I do have a clue, and I also agree with LouDiamond. I personally would not put Bible verses on gun sights if I were producing them, but worrying about offending moslems is a bit much. ... Then why did you make a statement regarding atheists? That's not what this is about at all. You are the moderator and up to speed on all posts. I have been jumping in and out. Is there any evidence that any Muslims have actually been offended by these encrypted Bible verses on the Trijicon sights? It just keeps sounding like some people are worried about offending the intended target. This became a topic of conversation on the Vietnam Veterans of America Talklist as well. Guess the direction of majority opinion over there? That's right, many are desiring to purchase one for their .223 caliber/5.56mm hunting rifles. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

Maybe it's just me because I am weird but, I feel more comfortable around a citizen with his or her weapon openly displayed on their hip then a gang banger with his or her weapon hidden in their baggy clothes. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.