RonD1120

Nice one Ron. At least you still have a sense of humour. But I will point out that you seem fine with watching the dotard do his best to destroy huge parts of the American National Fantasy. I don't see that but, I am not a progressive liberal. I am remaining cautiously optimistic regarding the MAGA ideology. All of us in our collective nation and particularly my tribe expected massive resistance from the progressive left. We are neither surprised nor discouraged by it. We are holding to hope and if you will belief that America will be secure and so strong economically and militarily that 2020 will be a shoo-in for President Trump. Our goal, at least locally, is to take Pentecostalism from the back street to the main street. As people begin to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in practical ways in their own lives we as a nation will soar to new heights. We will have God's blessings manifest once again to uphold the Constitution of the United States in the manner in which it was originally intended. It would only take 20-25% of the total population to accomplish the change. We have had two major outpourings of the Holy Spirit in America. The first was in 1903 and the second in 1906-15. It is time for another. The intellectual elite will still try attack but it will be difficult to overrule prosperity and a personal sense of well being. Of course, over time the pendulum will swing back the other way. That is simply man's sinful nature. If MAGA is not successful then I believe we will descend into the final stages of a civil/cultural war. The end times will accelerate and Biblical prophecy will more rapidly be fulfilled. MAGA does not replace SHTF. Hopefully, it will postpone it a couple of generations. Look to Jesus and allow Christ and the Holy Spirit to become the rightful guide on your path in eternity. Well, that is not a political POV, but a largely religious one. If you really believe all of that I would call it a personal or as you say, tribal fantasy and not in line with what most would regard as the standard American Fantasy. The End Times Fantasy is not reflected in the American Constitution. And for good reason. God in Her wisdom did not want it there. My path to eternity is already assured. I am one with all of the universe and I am at peace. Edit to add- God and the US Constitution hold that all people are equal. Trump and MAGA hold that some people are vermin. As if somehow God made an error of some kind with them. Only my first paragraph was political opinion. However, I do believe that politics and God's will are intertwined. As to your last, ETA, I do not believe that. 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.

Nice one Ron. At least you still have a sense of humour. But I will point out that you seem fine with watching the dotard do his best to destroy huge parts of the American National Fantasy. I don't see that but, I am not a progressive liberal. I am remaining cautiously optimistic regarding the MAGA ideology. All of us in our collective nation and particularly my tribe expected massive resistance from the progressive left. We are neither surprised nor discouraged by it. We are holding to hope and if you will belief that America will be secure and so strong economically and militarily that 2020 will be a shoo-in for President Trump. Our goal, at least locally, is to take Pentecostalism from the back street to the main street. As people begin to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in practical ways in their own lives we as a nation will soar to new heights. We will have God's blessings manifest once again to uphold the Constitution of the United States in the manner in which it was originally intended. It would only take 20-25% of the total population to accomplish the change. We have had two major outpourings of the Holy Spirit in America. The first was in 1903 and the second in 1906-15. It is time for another. The intellectual elite will still try attack but it will be difficult to overrule prosperity and a personal sense of well being. Of course, over time the pendulum will swing back the other way. That is simply man's sinful nature. If MAGA is not successful then I believe we will descend into the final stages of a civil/cultural war. The end times will accelerate and Biblical prophecy will more rapidly be fulfilled. MAGA does not replace SHTF. Hopefully, it will postpone it a couple of generations. Look to Jesus and allow Christ and the Holy Spirit to become the rightful guide on your path in eternity. 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.

Shhh … You'll interfere with our Great American Fantasy. The American fantasy is the greatest most magnificent national fantasy in the history of the world. What do you have to gain by seeking to destroy it? 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.

It's amazing that you think that's a put-down. Is that what you think? 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.

Just out of idle curiosity - what has 'the military' done exactly to enable you to go fishing? Who have they defended you against? Being forced to learn to speak German, in my lifetime. Oh, please. Hitler never planned on invading or conquering the US. Neither did Japan. Germany wanted to rule Europe, most of Africa and western Asia. Japan wanted eastern Asia, Australia and the western Pacific. The US would have been left alone, with Mexico, Canada, Central America & South America. No US soldiers have died defending "our" freedom (the freedom of US citizens and soil) since the 19th century. Since WW 1, all of our wars have been defending (or attacking) other places and peoples. Yes, you can argue that the Japanese invaded and occupied part of Alaska. But the Aleutian Islands are hardly "homeland" for the US. Before "The Deadliest Catch" came on TV, I highly doubt more than a tiny fraction could have found them on a map. You have earned your place in the Order of the Young Lords of Flawless Logic. 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.

Just out of idle curiosity - what has 'the military' done exactly to enable you to go fishing? Who have they defended you against? Being forced to learn to speak German, in my lifetime. That would be the RAF in 1940, and the Red Army at Stalingrad in 1942, right? Allies at the time, you are correct. 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.

Just out of idle curiosity - what has 'the military' done exactly to enable you to go fishing? Who have they defended you against? Being forced to learn to speak German, in my lifetime. Who has forced you to speak German? Let me break it down. The question was, who have they defended you against? My response was, that in my lifetime it was Germany. Vietnam was not a particularly good war but, it was the only one we had at the time. Those of us in the military from 1959 - 1975 have a bond that others simply do not have nor do they understand. We relate well to the Korean War veterans because it was the first of the political wars, not a declared war. Vietnam was also a political war. All veterans relate to WWII veterans. 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.

Just out of idle curiosity - what has 'the military' done exactly to enable you to go fishing? Who have they defended you against? Being forced to learn to speak German, in my lifetime. 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 have been in the hospital. What are you talking about now? 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.

Hollywood has set the rules and the objectives. You stroke, enhance and develop your ego to become someone other than who you are. IOW, be a really good phony and you are rewarded with money, power, and sex. "We are caught in the Devil's bargain and we got to get ourselves back to the garden." 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.

OK, I agree with the above. Have a wonderful day. 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.

Nowhere in the thread did I take that position. I tried to explain but to no avail. 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 pleased to know you have reached a closure. An ancient saying, those who think they know do not know. Those who know they do not know do know. IOW, as soon as something is defined the secret is lost. I have no closure. I sit here simultaneously appalled and freaked the fuck out that people like you have so much influence in America today. You treat life as a virtual reality game that's all chock full of transitory moments of glee and fear and if a few unfortunates get tossed off the ride, mashed in the works or hit by the pinball along the way it's no worries mate, all Gods plan. Most confounding is how glibly you reconcile the tenets of your faith with your lack of concern for the misfortune of those not in your personal favor or sphere. That, I do not get at all. I understand your frustration. You have a high and honorable goals and ideas and it angers you that not everyone agrees with your well thought out plan. I believe that we should concern ourselves with our community and become involved elsewhere by sending missionaries to work in the other communities. When I viewed my place in the world similar to your concept I found that the anger required alcohol to find peace of mind. The more I drank the shorter the duration of peace. By turning over the problems I faced to a higher power, namely Jesus Christ, they dissipated to the point of near non-existence. The scriptures point us to and reinforce that understanding. God is on the throne. Life experience contains pain, sorrow, and suffering along with joy and happiness. Jesus is the focal point for understanding how the life energy process flows. In closing let me pose a question. Do you realize that you are disagreeing with my position that the restaurant owner had the right not to serve Sarah Sanders and therefore you are supporting who Sarah Sanders represents? 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 pleased to know you have reached a closure. An ancient saying, those who think they know do not know. Those who know they do not know do know. IOW, as soon as something is defined the secret is lost. 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.

If that really happened I'll bet there is far more to the story than you just told. If there is it was not made public, AFAIK. And no, that's not what happened either. Guy had the "Kafir" tattoo on his leg which isn't "infidel" in it's most tame translation and at it's worst is intended as a big fuck you to Muslims, General complains, manifest asks if he can do something about it but never asks him to leave, dude goes and stirs up media shit about how VETERAN WAS KICKED OUT etc. etc. Kafir means, "unbeliever." Which is the big fuck you to about every religion. Which leads me to a question. If a man showed up at a dropzone and had a tattoo that said "atheist" during a christian skydivers convention; would he be asked to do something about it? And, if he didn't do something about "it" was he told he'd have to leave? As one of the founders of the Christian Skydivers Association, I can assure you the answer is no. Back in the day, we hosted many Freefall Fellowships and everyone was welcome. 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.

"In today's litigious world you have to be very careful how you behave and what you say. There is always someone with an agenda looking to trap you in some way that could be costly, even if you are innocent. As a Libertarian thinker, I believe a business owner should have to right to do business with his choice of clientele. The liberal law puts restrictions on that practice. It is what it is." You are right, I can not believe I just typed, that we live in a litigious world and care must be taken lest one slander another or self incriminate. The good news is that you won't be sued for not being a racist, a homophobe or a randomly intolerant asshole. It's being one or the other or all that gets you in trouble. That you claim fears speaks loudly. All of this is an imaginary problem to me. I have been in the restaurant business, the banking business, the motel/hotel business, the professional parachuting business, and finally in the counseling business. In short, I have always been employed in some form of the service industries. I have never encountered these issues personally. I read about them here or in the news and I think it's a minor issue that someone is trying to make major. It is largely just a waste of mental energy. As a recovering alcoholic, I know that I can only maintain control over my life. I have no control beyond that. As a born-again Christian, I know that everything is in accordance with God's will. He is not surprised or troubled by anything that occurs in the world. My purpose in life is to seek His will for my life and draw closer to Him. The rest of this stuff is just that, the stuff of life. It is like watching a movie. What I have learned is that Christ is the focal point of my light beam in a field of infinite light beams. My purpose is to stay focused on the light and not become enmeshed in the illusory problems elsewhere. New American Standard Bible Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ 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.

When I worked in the counseling profession I enjoyed clients and colleagues alike that were blacks, Hispanics, Latinos, and homosexuals. One colleague was a Sikh but no Muslims. I could not nor would not refuse service to anyone. In today's litigious world you have to be very careful how you behave and what you say. There is always someone with an agenda looking to trap you in some way that could be costly, even if you are innocent. As a Libertarian thinker, I believe a business owner should have to right to do business with his choice of clientele. The liberal law puts restrictions on that practice. It is what it is. Remember the Soup Nazi character from Seinfeld? One minor infraction of his rules and, "No soup for you." 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 do not. Is this a true happening? If it was written in Arabic how did the DZO know? Most DZO's are tools, you know, barely able in English I'm told. I have several Muslim friends outside of the US, mostly SE Asians, and I can't imagine any of them giving a rats ass. Is there a back story here? The incident was discussed here in SC at the time. DJL posted above that word was not infidel but some other term. Since I no longer jump, I only read about it here. 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're gonna luv this. https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/lexington/owner-of-bed-and-breakfast-where-sarah-huckabee-sanders-stayed-speaks-after-incident-at-the-red-hen 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.

Not by my standards - but, apparently, just fine by yours. The incident was discussed at some length here in the SC. I don't remember if I posted my opinion or not. I was conflicted because I felt that in America preference should not be given to foreign nationals over a U.S. military veteran. But, also I believe an entrepreneur has the right to run their business however they think will generate success and let competition in the marketplace determine the outcome of individual decisions. 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 is the best point in her favor I have ever seen or heard expressed. 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.

If that really happened I'll bet there is far more to the story than you just told. If there is it was not made public, AFAIK. 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.

Do you think it is right for a DZO to refuse service to a military veteran skydiver that had the word "Infidel" tattooed on his leg in Arabic because Muslim jumpers were there also? 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.

He didn't. He said that he thought that any business person has the right to refuse service to anyone. That's not the same as "condoning racism." At most it is providing others with the opportunity to be racists. You think it should be legal to own guns. Does that mean you publicly condone murder? Not publicly. If Ron believes it's cool for a business to turn someone away for no other reason than the color of their skin, how is that not condoning racism? I never said that. It is your imagination. The left, Democrats, have been making this kind of shit up for decades! I doubt you have any expectation that they're going to stop doing it now. You're right and, I don't. 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 asked Ron this: >Do you think a private business should be allowed to exclude anyone >they like regardless of reason as a fundamental prerogative? For >example African Americans, Homosexuals, Sikhs, Muslims, Liars or >anyone else that makes the business owner feel uncomfortable? He answered this: >I stated my belief regarding the rights of business owners above. It is >my belief, it is not the law. That was a reiteration of his stating this: >I believe strongly that any business person has the right to refuse >service to anyone. Now maybe you are right and I am reading too much into it but I don't think so. I think those are explicit statements condoning what he believes is a private businesses right to discriminate on the basis of skin color, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. Why not take a step back and let the old dog pee on his own bush? I'm sure he's following our back and forth with glee. Yes, I am; think Libertarian. To paraphrase from A Course In Miracles, you see what you believe is there and you believe it is there because you want it there. 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.