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Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
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CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
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The Reality of Free Will
- By childeye 2
- Christian Scriptures
- 289 Replies
I imagine the chains are lies that lead to sin. Ignorance is therefore the void where people have the capacity to be deceived.@com7fy8 I was thinking of an illustration to demonstrate why free will is not hampered by anything, whether it be holy spirit, the spirit of the world or the spirit of Satan.
Imagine that the chains represent any one of these.
What is it that moves one to do rhis?
The Spirit of Truth exposes the lies that enslave people to sin, just like Jesus said.
In the case of holy spirit, is anyone mighty enough to break that chain, or would God need to release that one, and let them go?
Because Jesus loves others as he would want to be loved.
A rebellion against sin? Of course, any sound mind would not want to be held captive by lies.
Not sure what you mean by free will here. When a person learns the Truth that sets them free, it's not because they exercised their ability to volunteer.
Unless humans have the ability to exercise free will, none of the above are possible.
Joshua’s command to ‘incline your hearts to the LORD’ shows the people had been deceived. Scripture repeatedly affirms there are no other gods (Deut 4:35; Isa 45:5). The ‘strange gods’ were idols -> non‑entities. So, Israel was misled into deception through idolatry. Joshua saw their need to hear correction, not their autonomous free will. Their disposition was one of susceptibility to deception, requiring exhortation to turn back to the only true God.
Ignorance is the darkness where people are vulnerable to deception, which is not indicative of a will that is free. Scripture shows that idolaters ‘know not, neither do they understand’ (Isaiah 44:18), and that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Jeremiah 7:24 says they did not obey or incline their ear but followed the dictates of their evil hearts. That is ignorance leading to trusting in idols, not evidence of autonomous free will.
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What are YOU currently reading? (8)
A couple different synopses of the book from Amazon:
- "Set at a boys' boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peace is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world."
- "'A Separate Peace' is a poignant coming-of-age novel set during World War II at a New England boarding school. The story revolves around the complex friendship between two boys, Gene Forrester and Phineas (Finny). As they navigate the challenges of adolescence, themes of jealousy, rivalry, and the loss of innocence emerge. The idyllic setting contrasts sharply with the underlying tensions of the war, reflecting the internal conflicts faced by the characters as they grapple with their identities and the realities of growing up. The narrative delves deep into Gene's psyche, exploring his feelings of envy towards Finny's charisma and athleticism. This jealousy ultimately leads to a tragic incident that alters their lives forever. Knowles masterfully captures the essence of youth and the bittersweet nature of friendship, as well as the impact of war on personal relationships. The novel serves as a powerful exploration of the transition from innocence to experience, making it a timeless reflection on the complexities of human emotions and the challenges of adolescence."
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Today I learned...
Interesting! I think the most interesting food I've ever eaten was a century egg. My Developmental Psychology professor, a woman from Taiwan, offered century eggs to the whole class, but only a couple of us were willing to try them. I felt very proud of my bravery lol. But in defense of those who opted not to try, the stench was absolutely terrible.
My dad loves AC/DC. Back when he coached my travel basketball team, he always played "Thunderstruck" during practices. And oof, that does not sound pleasant. I had no idea that doctors using chisels to break crystallized earwax was a thing. Very bizarre. There are so many things that can go wrong with the human body; it's a miracle that it works as well as it does most of the time.I started a new book today. A memoir written by Brian Johnson, singer of AC/DC.
When the band was touring in 2015, Brian had developed an ear problem that would not go away. He finally saw the doctor. The doctor explained to him that the fever he had during the tour caused fluid build up in his ears. Then the untreated fluid had crystallized! The doctor told him he had to be operated on and that he had to use a chisel to get the crystals out!
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Chat Thread - Millennials Edition
- MILLENNIALS (1981 to 1998)
- 5 Replies
Indeed, I'm from 1970 in Europe - and grew up without television, telephone or internet. So brought up with Classical music mainly (and church organ music
) but then learned to appreciate any style of music. I like gripping melodies or irresistible rhythms, listen to English, Dutch, Hebrew and even Arabic (Christian songs) .. I studied/work in IT (developing AI applications now) - it's quite a contrast with my childhood.Church-wise I've seen (Dutch) Reformed churches (Calvinism), Baptist churches, Brethern churches, Anglican churches, Evangelical/Pentecostal, Messianic felllowships, Roman Catholic churches, ethnic churches. Church boundaries don't matter to me anymore although I do have my preferences of course. Understanding what I believe and why churches believe what they teach, studying the Bible, its history and Church/theology history is one of my passions. Yet knowing God and His Son Yeshua from the heart is infinitely more important than knowing about God and all those dry facts. It's my journey in life.
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Hail storms
- By Bob Crowley
I suppose I should add the big concern is whether this is going to become an increasing occurrence with climate change.
Insurance premiums have been going up steadily over the last few years, and natural disasters have a lot to do with it.
This link shows what is called "disaster activations" in Queensland since 2010.
www.qld.gov.au
The hailstorm which hit us, and most severely a suburbs called Springfield Lakes, is shown under 2020.
The insurance bill from that alone was $980 million AUD.
knowledge.aidr.org.au
Insurance premiums have been going up steadily over the last few years, and natural disasters have a lot to do with it.
This link shows what is called "disaster activations" in Queensland since 2010.
History of floods
Learn about the history of significant flood events in Queensland since the 1860s.
www.qld.gov.au
The hailstorm which hit us, and most severely a suburbs called Springfield Lakes, is shown under 2020.
The insurance bill from that alone was $980 million AUD.
Hailstorm - South-east Queensland, 2020 | Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub
Widespread thunderstorms affected central and south-east Queensland between 24‑29 October. Thunderstorms affected Brisbane on 24 and 25 October, and again on 27 and 28 October, bringing heavy rainfall to some sites, flash flooding and strong wind gusts.
knowledge.aidr.org.au
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