Bob8102 said:

I have been struggling with OCD and struggling with the gospel for decades. I ask the question because of what I read in a book on Christians with OCD. The book is called Strivings Within by Mitsy VanCleeve. The author talks about how the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan, centuries ago, apparently had OCD. I have read about him and how he kept doubting his salvation and having other struggles. VanCLeeve said that he eventually gave up trying to seek assurance. He decided that come heaven, come hell, he was for ‘venturing all for the name of Christ.’ She said that only by making this decision was he able to continue ‘serving His Lord.’ This jives with other advice I’ve read which says that OCD people must learn to live with the OCD and its uncertainty.

If all of the above is true, then OCD people can never get assurance of salvation, right?. Yet one author I read said that your spiritual life will never really take off until you have assurance.

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No one needs absolute assurance, with or without OCD, hyperscrupulosity, perfectionism, et al. Related to this, we don't need to be perfectly sinless. We only need to know that God is infinitely trustworthy, true, merciful, and good and has our best and highest interest at heart and that to the extent that we remain in Him with faith, hope, and love we have the Holy Spirit, by and through whom we're able to live out His will. Good fruit will be in evidence-and that faith, hope, and love will grow even stronger yet.

Neostarwcc said:

He just passed away. My wife might take tomorrow off of work and we might head to church to meet with our pastor.

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I’m so sorry. I just prayed.

CLEEB said:

Isn’t repentance needed . Unless we repent we will likewise perish, Jesus came preaching the gospel saying repent and believe the gospel. Immersion in water , as I understand is to be washed from our sins, to symbolically be buried with Christ and coming up out of the water as a living sacrifice looking forward to the resurrection, but the Holy Spirit is given by the laying on of hands. GOD is the one who grants repentance. GODLY sorrow produces repentance. Peter said to the crowd on Pentecost, repent and be baptized or have sins washed away, then by the laying on of hands receive the holy spirit . Seems to be a process; GODLY sorrow, repentance, baptism, Holy Spirit. From what I have read and studied this process was always used with only one exception, Cornelius and his household. What do you think ?

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If you look at Acts 2, the 120 had the same thing happen that happened to Cornelius's household, they were born again then immediately filled with The Spirit. Cornelius's house was water immersed afterwards.

The process in scripture is as follows: repentance, immersion into The Holy Spirit where He applies the blood of Jesus to be born anew spiritually, water immersion in the name of Jesus, the filing of The Holy Spirit, and then one that many never reach for, the Spiritual anointing upon our head, ie the crown of life from The Father.

Thank you Mari17. I have listened to him some. I do things on this journey that is textbook scrupulosity. I try to say the opposite of my thought, I research constantly, I seek reassurance, I pretty much stay away from triggers but every once in a while I will approach them to see if I have the same response. “Do I still feel this anger and cynicism toward God”? I know all of that is foolish but I am desperate. I read passages like Hebrews 10:26-29 And I just know it’s talking about me. I am ashamed of all my willful sin. I wish I could back 40+ years and do the right things this time. I am angry at the person I have become because of it. I am learning more about myself though. Turns out I am a narcissist. I sought peoples approval and praise because of growing up so poor. I always wanted to be known as intelligent and good at what I do. I never saw how selfish I was. Well, that’s enough of that. Sorry for the long reply.

keras said:

Conventional teaching is that the sun and stars obtain their energy by nuclear reaction, that is: atoms splitting to become less complex elements, thereby releasing energy.

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No, just the opposite. Stars are powered by nuclear fusion, where hydrogen atoms ared fused together. Here's the drill:

• In the first stage two protons combine and one of them converts into a neutron to form a nucleus of the heavy isotope of hydrogen known as deuterium.
• Next, the deuterium nucleus combines with another proton to form the light helium isotope known as helium-3.
• Finally, two helium-3 nuclei combine to form helium-4, releasing two protons.

Tada!

#2

The Wastelands by Stephen King

Dan1988 said:

Thank you for expressing your private opinion of all the above

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De nada. amigo. We've all noted your interesting opinions as well. Dang, even Islam is closer to Christianity than the claptrap you're peddling.

I have to admit, I think you have to be taking the Mickey here. Atheists. and particularly "Satanists" like to come into groups like this to "stir the pot" as it were by posting inflammatory flapdoodle like yours just to see how big an uproar they can create. While I'm sure there are some sects like the one you claim to represent out there, i don't think you're in one of them. You're just larping. That's fine. I don't think anyone here is gonna take your rantings very seriously. You set out to wind us up, and you did for a bit, but I think you've gotten about as much mileage out of it as you're going to.

Dan1988 said:

, but may I remind you that "opinions are like noses". Everybody has their own

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And some have ones that they play at having just to see how people react. <Laugh>

Dan1988 said:

, so your private opinion is absolutely worthless to me

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Egad sir, you've cut me to the quick! (And few things hurt more than a cut quick.) 8)

Dan1988 said:

I just follow the Lord.

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This is we're supposed to react with shock/horror/outrage/ anger/indignation/ superannuation (no, I already have that)/whatever, right? OK, I'm oficially expressing all of the above.

Friendly hint, though. Don't play this game with the Muslims. Those geezers will actually come after you. Just sayin'

I liked A Separate Peace. I enjoy the prestigious-school-with-intense-friendships-and-rivalries "genre," so I'm gonna read another book in the same vein, Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. (Though, judging by the review on the cover, this one might feature more identity politics than what I prefer.)



Synopsis from Amazon:

"Lee Fiora is an intelligent, observant fourteen-year-old when her father drops her off in front of her dorm at the prestigious Ault School in Massachusetts. She leaves her animated, affectionate family in South Bend, Indiana, at least in part because of the boarding school’s glossy brochure, in which boys in sweaters chat in front of old brick buildings, girls in kilts hold lacrosse sticks on pristinely mown athletic fields, and everyone sings hymns in chapel.

As Lee soon learns, Ault is a cloistered world of jaded, attractive teenagers who spend summers on Nantucket and speak in their own clever shorthand. Both intimidated and fascinated by her classmates, Lee becomes a shrewd observer of—and, ultimately, a participant in—their rituals and mores. As a scholarship student, she constantly feels like an outsider and is both drawn to and repelled by other loners. By the time she’s a senior, Lee has created a hard-won place for herself at Ault. But when her behavior takes a self-destructive and highly public turn, her carefully crafted identity within the community is shattered.

Ultimately, Lee’s experiences–complicated relationships with teachers; intense friendships with other girls; an all-consuming preoccupation with a classmate who is less than a boyfriend and more than a crush; conflicts with her parents, from whom Lee feels increasingly distant, coalesce into a singular portrait of the painful and thrilling adolescence universal to us all."

DaisyDay said:

And:

The average SAT score is down 24 points since then; the average ACT score of 25 is the highest at New College since 2020. The state study also found New College has the lowest percentage of job placement among those with bachelor’s degrees and the lowest starting salary for graduates.​

​

Berkeley is looking good.....

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Belk said:

Huh. Who could of guessed putting anti-intellectual ideologists in charge of a system of education would lead to a poor outcome?

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Is there a control group to compare it to?



ACT scores are down across the board since the HS graduates of 2020-2022 had their learning disrupted due to the pandemic.


Also, it doesn't sound like comparing this place (which has a grand total of about 700 students from what I'm reading) to Berkeley is a apples to apples comparison.


That'd be kind of like saying "See this is why the thing I said about tech degrees being worthless is accurate, look at this results comparison between this normal college and ITT Tech"

The fact that someone can find a terrible school in Florida doesn't validate or invalidate the criticisms about Berkeley.

If you aren't a virgin or a widow/widower you should not get married.

Apple Sky said:

She

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The geocentric model was debunked a long time ago.

Dreyma said:

Uggghll, I'm irritated. So, I quickly pop into the school to grab some books I need for lesson planning. On my way out, I close my classroom door. It automatically locks. The moment I hear the lock click, I remember that my classroom and car keys are still sitting on my desk!

On Monday morning, I can ask a janitor to let me in—but until then, I can't re-enter my classroom or use my car. Now I can't go to church tomorrow I would walk, but the temperatures are below freezing and we've gotten a few inches of snow this weekend. I also considered asking for a ride, but I don't have a phone number for anyone who attends my church. I don't have any friends or family in town to give me a lift either. Isolation makes things so difficult...

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My church was cancelled today due to the weather, so don't feel guilty about missing church, it was possibly cancelled anyway

Servus said:

I thought the book was pretty boring.

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I have read some boring books. I try to take my time and really engage.

Dan Perez said:

And need you if you can explain ACTS 15:1 ??

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As a help to one's memory, and to make sure we are on the same page, I shall include the verse as a quote.

Dan Perez said:

And certain ones having come down. from Judea were teaching the brethren , that you would be CIRCUMCISED after the

THE CUSTOM OF MOSES , you are NOT //. OV. IS A DISJUNCATIVE PARTICLE NEGATIVE and means you cannot EVER

BE SAVED ??

What say you. ??

dan p

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I say that the "certain individuals" were wrong.

I just came across this person, and although our philosophies differ in their details they're definitely kindred in their spirit. Now if we could just get the rest of the world to agree then Christianity may at last have found its purpose.

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None of my posts are me telling you what you need to believe. They are me giving you my perspective and the 'why' of that said perspective. This post will be different. This post is me still working out what it is I believe about Hell and the why of it. All based within the context of 'my' understanding of the Gospel. This is something I'm sure will continue to develop over time as I continue to discover more of God.

- I see in scripture two ages. The present age, and the age yet to come. The present age is understood as being only a temporary age. This is made evident by the fact that there is yet a second age to come.

- In this present, but temporary age, life is temporary. If life is temporary, then logically, death must also be temporary. Maybe this is why death is often referred to as sleep?

- The age to come is understood to be everlasting. If this age is everlasting then so must life be also. And if life is everlasting then, likewise, death must also be everlasting.

- At the end of the first age we will all be resurrected, believers and unbelievers alike. Now because I understand being created in the image of God to mean that we have three defining parts; body, soul, and spirit, I believe all three are essential for life. We cannot exist without all three. (With regards to spiritual death, I believe that our spirit has gone into a dormant state. It is not actually deceased) For this reason I am leaning towards the idea that both believers and unbelievers will receive new bodies at the time we are resurrected. And that these new bodies will be free of a sinful nature. Why?

- We will all stand before the full presence of God. Any corruption within us would likely be obliterated in the full presence of God. Just an assumption on my part. And this is only going to compound the coming judgment for an unbeliever.

- A new sinless body will most likely mean a clear understanding of one's purpose within creation. And it is for this very reason why I am coming to this particular conclusion of Hell, and what that may actually look like. (Again, this is still something I'm working out)

- Unbelievers will suddenly have full awareness of their purpose while at the same time recognizing where their rejection has led them. All the while standing in the full presence of God, the very purpose for their existence. At that moment nothing else will matter to them. All they will want and desire is standing right before them. But... with the knowledge they will never have it due to their former rejection.

- You will now have an unbeliever who's only desire is to worship and to be in the presence of God, but unable to carry it out. (there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth).

- I believe, that in the very beginning, man was created with physical death being a natural part of his existence. Hence the tree of life. As small a possibility as this may have been, a third option was always available: man could have not sinned, but also could have not eaten from the tree of life. Inevitably resulting in everlasting death. Extreme, I know, but hear me out.

- In the age to come, man again has access to the tree of life. So logically, death must still be possible, and dare I say, an option. However, highly unlikely a choice anyone would make after experiencing the full presence of God. Still, the option being there would align with God's character just as it would have in the beginning. And it's the reality of the possibility of death that now applies to unbelievers in this new age.

- If you were to stand in the full presence of God and then suddenly be taken out of His presence, any amount of time, out of His presence, would feel like hell to you.

- In the first part of Genesis, man lived upward of a thousand years. If we carry that over into the new age, you now have unbelievers with new bodies capable of living that same amount of time. This would be worse than any hell anyone could ever imagine. To an unbeliever, any amount of time is going to feel like an eternity. (the word 'Eternity' is often used as hyperbole in scripture since only God is truly eternal)

- An unbeliever will eventually face everlasting death (the second death/lake of fire). But not until after what felt like an eternity of hell for them. In this scenario, not only is God's justice served (experiencing time outside the presence of God in a sinless state where all you want is to be in His presence), but also His love and grace (He does not leave them there for the rest of eternity). I do not find any mention in scripture of man being sent to hell to spend eternity with Lucifer.

As I said, this understanding is something I am currently working out. So I do not hold dogmatically to it. If you do not agree but feel it necessary that I know you don't agree, then do me the respect of explaining why you don't agree, as it may help me in my understanding.

In the end does it matter if I/we understand what exactly Hell is? Not at all. But, everyone is different and being able to answer an unbelievers concerns or questions more confidently may be the defining point of whether they choose to believe or not.

I finished reading A Separate Peace today. While reading it, I learned about something called a "Section Eight discharge." Here's what the character in the book says about it:

A Section Eight discharge is for the nuts in the service, the psychos, the Funny Farm candidates. Now do you know what I'm talking about? They give you a Section Eight discharge, like a dishonorable discharge only worse. You can't get a job after that. Everybody wants to see your discharge, and when they see a Section Eight they look at you kind of funny—the kind of expression you've got on your face, like you were looking at someone with their nose blown off but don't want them to know you're disgusted—they look at you that way and then they say, 'Well, there doesn't seem to be an opening here at present.' You're screwed for life, that's what a Section Eight discharge means.

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Sounds awful. Thankfully, it's no longer used. Here's some information from Wikipedia:

Section 8 was a category of military discharge employed by the United States Armed Forces which was used for service members judged mentally unfit for service. The term "Section 8" eventually came to mean any service member given such a discharge, or behaving as if deserving such a discharge, as in the expression, "he's a Section 8".

This type of discharge could be granted for a wide variety of perceived problems, including low intelligence, incompatibility with core military expectations or responsibilities, alcoholism or other chronic addictions, pathological lying, psychopathy, personality disorders, enuresis (then believed to be a mental disorder), psychosis, or antisocial behavior. A variety of sexual conduct could result in a Section 8 discharge, including cross-dressing, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism; along with necrophilia, bestiality and pederasty.

Discharge under Section 8 is no longer practiced, as medical discharges for psychological or psychiatric reasons are now covered by a number of regulations. In the Army, such discharges are handled under the provisions of AR 635–200, Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations. Chapter 5, paragraph 13 governs the separation of personnel medically diagnosed with a personality disorder.

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The Wikipedia page even mentions the character from A Separate Peace in its pop culture section:

In the 1959 war novel A Separate Peace, the character Elwin "Leper" Lepellier gets a Section 8 discharge from the ski troops because he was hallucinating due to sleep deprivation.

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Apple Sky said:

@David Lamb @Strong in Him @prodromos & to who ever it may concern.

It was really nice getting to know you guys, you are really all so great but I am really ill (+ no it's not dementia) so I've decided to quit this thread and the forum for a while.

I may be back if I get any better so bye for now

May God bless you all

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Rest, and get well. Don't waste time on foolish pursuits.

DamianWarS said:

ChatGPT usually agrees with me often praising my focus. AI is very agreeable and if you frame a question that presupposes an idea AI will happily be your echo chamber. It's there to trigger happy responses so you keep coming back.

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This is true - to get more objective results you have to specify you want objectivity and ask an objective question where the answer is not A vs B but rather a distribution of probabilities, such as A = 0.3, B = 0.7, and also explicitly exclude data you don’t want it to consider. The question posed by the OP might seem straightforward to a human but to an LLM it is spectacularly ambiguous.

People need to understand AIs are computers using very beautiful neural networks to perform generative predictive transformations based on training data in response to human language, not a magical fusion of the best of von Neumann-type Turing-complete computers with human-like cognition and creativity. We are not yet at the level of Mr. Data or even HAL-9000.

For example, at present, AIs don’t literally understand in the human sense of the word, because they lack qualia, although some models are capable of reasoning (most operate by simple pattern matching, because its faster).

Douggg said:

verse 9 - not appointed to wrath
verse 10 - avoidance of God' wrath poured out during the great tribulation by the resurrection/rapture event.

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The insertion of a 'resurrection/rapture event', is entirely an addition to scripture. Perhaps one interpretation, if only there was other scriptural support for it. But there isn't.
Matthew 28:19-20 is the definitive scriptural proof of how we must remain on earth until Jesus Returns.