🌎 Israel vs. Iran, and where will the US fit in?

TerryP said:
Go. That's the point.
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Each has to be taken individually. Your jump & shout churches with huge buildings and productions have little room for God. They are personality cults built around the “pastors” Then comes the MacArthur types that rail against the prosperity pimps but still teach error as gospel. Prosperity pimps are the worst.
Then you have your multilevel marketing type churches that are under an umbrella organization much like the one that you said that you attend. I don’t recall it but the day you mentioned it, I looked it up and after the sex crimes I went down a rabbit hole of interconnecting organizations that “swap money.” Including a huge church in California, NC, and 2 different ones in Birmingham. It’s profit driven. I have been there & have a T shirt.
Luther effectively birthed the Sola Scriptura era that gave rise to a few thousand protestant sects all claiming to be the definitive authority on what scripture says.
After saying all of that the caveat is that none are 100% error filled & have some form of grace though lacking in the fullness of such.
Throw away the OT used in the KJV as it was based on hard edits and rewriting after the rise of Christianity. That was KJ screw up using the Masoretic texts. The earliest translation was the Septuagint written around 200-300BC.

Everybody lock n load
 
XXL TideFan said:
that starts with an acknowledgement of God.
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You do know that one may utilize an opponent’s viewpoint against themselves as an argumentative tool. An opponent is often more easily nudged towards your views if you pose as one of them, rather than as an “other.” Remember Paul in Athens?? So this quote doesn’t necessarily buttress the existence of a god, any more than Paul believed his god was the same as Zeus. Rather, it seems to me it urges religious authorities to make space for rationalism and science.
 
musso said:
You do know that one may utilize an opponent’s viewpoint against themselves as an argumentative tool. An opponent is often more easily nudged towards your views if you pose as one of them, rather than as an “other.” Remember Paul in Athens?? So this quote doesn’t necessarily buttress the existence of a god, any more than Paul believed his god was the same as Zeus. Rather, it seems to me it urges religious authorities to make space for rationalism and science.
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I’m muzzled now.
 
TerryP said:
I was in the ministry for a few years. I built this. LIterally. Through things like Summer camps. Between Saturday night and Sunday's I was writing for over 1000 kids.

NOW, been in the bar business as well. It was always silent partner thing because of the gambling restrictions in SC. (It was stupid money...gambling. The "casts the lots" thing rings true..)
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BAck to the point. where is the most honest crowd? (both were giving me money. hrmmm.)
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The bar has the most honest and I’m willing to bet it’s not even close. Now I don’t attend church or go to the bar, but drunk people are probably the most honest
 
TerryP said:
They aren't too different. In both cases people are paying money to supplicate a feeling.
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Good comparison, however there's one big difference that I've seen in the Christian environment I've been immersed in: when you claim the divine lives inside you, been born again, etc., it can be more difficult to admit your mistakes, struggles, and frailties. One moment you're convinced god told you to do X, but when it turns out to be a bad choice, you've got multiple things to resolve. First, that decision was a mistake. Secondly, maybe you didn't hear from god after all. Thirdly, how do I better distinguish between divine providence and my own thoughts or subconscious? Secular people I have found to be much more candid about themselves and the world, even more so when consuming alcoholic truth serums. There's no pretense involving interventionist gods.
 
musso said:
Good comparison, however there's one big difference that I've seen in the Christian environment I've been immersed in: when you claim the divine lives inside you, been born again, etc., it can be more difficult to admit your mistakes, struggles, and frailties. One moment you're convinced god told you to do X, but when it turns out to be a bad choice, you've got multiple things to resolve. First, that decision was a mistake. Secondly, maybe you didn't hear from god after all. Thirdly, how do I better distinguish between divine providence and my own thoughts or subconscious? Secular people I have found to be much more candid about themselves and the world, even more so when consuming alcoholic truth serums. There's no pretense involving interventionist gods.
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Learn paragraphs. I"ll got back to reading the post. :devilish:
 
musso said:
Thirdly, how do I better distinguish between divine providence and my own thoughts or subconscious?
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This should have been the first question, in my view. Tell me how confusing this approach is in life.

Does it pass the logic test? If it doesn't, delve deeper. Chances are, I'm missing a point somewhere.
 
TerryP said:
Stepped in one here, eh?

Somewhere in Hebrews Paul talks about humbleness and confidence approaching the throne of God...implies two way communications, doesn't it?
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Hardly. I would have almost bet on the 2 questions. Neither of which deserve a reply.
Any of y'all care to tell me what God whispers in your ear? List of people since the resurrection?
I don't have answers, I seek answers.
The best anyone could hope for would be an angel appearing with a message for you but by all accounts that is a fearful event.
 
@XXL TideFan Can He speak through dreams and visions? Read how Kirt Schneider, a Messianic Jew, “saw the light”. Awfully myoptic of you to think that God the Creator of this universe, cannot still “speak” to people. How important do you have to be to get a word from God? He already sent His Son to die for you…
 
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