• 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.

The Truth About Texas

Can you clarify specifically what "movements to push for fairness in redistricting" you are referring to?
There exist a variety of efforts around the country to eliminate, or at least reduce, the amount of partisanship that gets factored into the redistricting process. Usually, this means changing the makeup of the entities who draw and authorize the maps - for example, taking the authority from the majority party in the state legislature and handing it to something like a bipartisan or independent redistricting commission.

Eric Holder has been working on this for a while, but there are plenty of other groups:

I also remember some efforts to apply standards to the characteristics of the districts, trying to limit how convoluted the shapes were. I forget the precise terminology, but there were some mathematical ways of describing the shapes that made them more or less sensible. I don't remember if those efforts went anywhere.
Upvote 0

Multiple immigration sweeps reported across Los Angeles, with a tense standoff/protest downtown; SEIU union leader arrested

Agents detain student at gunpoint near school; safe zones to be expanded around LAUSD campuses

Los Angeles school district police, staff and community volunteers will form protective perimeters around at least 100 schools when classes begin Thursday to help ensure the safe passage of children — an announcement that came on a day that immigration agents reportedly handcuffed, detained and drew their guns on a student outside Arleta High School in a case of mistaken identity.

The 15-year-old boy, a student with disabilities, was at Arleta High School on Monday with family members — he attends a different district school — when federal agents detained him, L.A. Unified School District officials said. Family members intervened and, after a few tense moments, the agents released the boy. The school’s principal also came out to assess the situation. Agents left behind some bullets on the sidewalk, apparently by mistake, which were collected by school police.

Geniuses at work.

Although local police are not legally allowed to stop or interfere with federal law enforcement actions, authorities will alert parents along walking routes if agents are in the area. Also, they will trigger a communication chain to alert all nearby campuses of raids so that schools can be locked down as necessary.

The public commitment was intended to reassure families that school will be a safe place and that officials also will do what they can to protect families on their way to and from campuses.
Upvote 0

AI is not the problem. We are

I was also thinking of Hegel’s “Art as the Embodiment of Spirit (Geist)”. In his idea, a spirit is embodied into the work of art through the artist. Can the “spirits” of the thousands of people working on AI be embodied? This would go together with the idea of giving AI a body expressed above.
Upvote 0

If God can replace Israel, He can replace the Church, too

Sorry, one teaches from biblical prophecy. Prophetic Scriptures are authoritative and can be taught.
Prophecy can be interpreted in more than one way, the only rule being correct interpretation will be in agreement with NT didactics, for God does not contradict himself in his word.
  • Agree
Reactions: The Liturgist
Upvote 0

Trump Threatens Federal Takeover of Washington After Member of DOGE Is Assaulted

I can see that we’re in danger of talking past one-another, so I shan’t directly answer you queries except to say that warehousing “undesirables“ isn’t an “emergency."
Your opinion again. . .like your nose.
  • Haha
Reactions: Hentenza
Upvote 0

What are you listening to right now? (24)

Login to view embedded media
I like this.

"Thy Word is a light unto my feet & a lamp unto my path."

It comes from Psalm 119, which is the longest chapter in the Bible & is a confession that God's Word is best.

Sounds easy, right? Wait till the struggles come. Wait till the people who don't care for God's Word come. I am working thru Psalm 119
Upvote 0

Ghislaine Maxwell’s move to ‘country club’ prison smacks of special treatment, experts say

Yes. What evidence do you have that shows Trump was involved in any illegal activity involving Jeffery Epstine?
When we hear about "wonderful secrets" re J Ep, its understandable if people think Trump meant certain not so innocent activities.

Not direct evidence he was a participant. But it does sound like someone talking from an insider perspective.
Upvote 0

Another look at the moon landing.

I don't believe this for one instance, if the moon landings were harder to fake why did they do it ? And succeeded in doing so.
The moon landing was not a fake. It actually happened six times and a near miss.
Upvote 0

He that IS coming shall arrive and NOT DELAY...

Peace in Christ.

The MANY false prophets come to us in His name….in the name of “Jesus”…and say that the Jesus that they are preaching is THE Christ. And they deceive many.

They claim to be preaching the true Christ…that they are anointed with His Spirit and are speaking His words of life and spirit. But they come preaching “another jesus” with “another spirit”…the spirit of error. MANY are deceived by them.

2Co 11:3-4 KJV
(3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

(4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

They are preaching the words of the antichrist instead of the true Christ.

They do not preach the teaching of THE Christ: that Jesus Christ IS COMING NOW in our mortal flesh.

This revealing of His life in the mortal flesh (the revealing of the Son of man to the world so that it could be saved) gives us an age-lasting life (aka “eternal life”.)

This is the “test” of whether they are of God or not. Are they teaching this doctrine of THE Christ to you or not? All man-based churches are not preaching it. Instead, they are preaching their covenant with death and their agreement with the grave. You have to "die and go to heaven" when He is resurrected NOW so that we might have His life now in this mortal body.

1Jn 4:1-3 KJV
(1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

(2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

Their “teaching” is that their “another jesus” SHALL COME (another gospel)….that He delays His coming. Yet, their versions of “another jesus” are already here being preached in the spirit of the antichrist.

(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

They are preaching that their prince “shall come”… and not coming now in our mortal flesh.

Jesus delays His coming according to their preaching. Their prince “shall come” (delaying his coming) and is not coming now in our mortal flesh.

Through their deception, they destroy us by cutting off the manifest life of Christ that IS COMING in our mortal flesh.

Dan 9:26 KJV
(26) And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

They destroy the “sanctuary”…the temple of His body (of which we are.) This is not about the literal temple….but about His people who are the “temple of His body.” Not one stone has been left upon another because of false prophets who supposedly come in His name. We are supposed to be the "living stones" of His temple.

Joh 2:19-21 KJV
(19) Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
(20) Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

(21) But he spake of the temple of his body.

They destroy the “city.” The root of the Hebrew word for city, עיר (ir) means "awake.”

Multitudes are “asleep” because of false prophets. That is why we must “awake” and arise from among them who are “dead” and be separate from them.

Eph 5:14
(14) Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise OUT of the dead (ones), and Christ shall give thee light.

KNOW THE TIME: NOW it is high time to “awake” out of “sleep.” Our salvation is NOW….not later.

We have been lulled to sleep by false prophets who have been preaching that Jesus delays His coming when He is not. Our salvation is nearer than when we believed because the false prophets sought to change the time of salvation on us in their deception. Daniel 7:25 .

Rom 13:11 KJV
(11) And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

NOW is the day of salvation....and not later (delayed.)

2Co 6:2 KJV
(2) (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

The age-lasting (“eternal”) life is NOW. Don’t listen to the false prophets who “seduce” us with their empty, deceptive words.

1Jn 2:25-26 KJV
(25) And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

(26) These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

They…the people of the prince that SHALL COME (delays His coming)…come forth to seduce us with their flattering words….their good words and fair (elegant ) speeches….and MANY receive them.

Rom 16:17-18 KJV
(17) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

(18) For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

The hearts of the simple are being seduced by the false prophets…like the young man void of understanding in Proverbs 7 who is deceived into going to the house of the harlot. We must not go there or we become one body and one flesh with them....and are mortally destroyed with them.

Pro 7:7-10 KJV
(7) And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
(8) Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
(9) In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

(10) And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

The “Goodman” is not at home (according to those who seduce us) as He will come home at the day appointed. They are not looking for Him to come in the flesh…our mortal flesh. They are not preaching that He IS COMING now.

Pro 7:19-25 KJV
(19) For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

(20) He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

They flatter us with their lips…and the simple-hearted go straightaway to their “churches” where there is no life of Jesus being made manifest in the flesh. They seek our lives….cutting off the manifest life of Jesus from ever appearing in our mortal bodies.

(21) With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
(22) He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
(23) Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
(24) Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

(25) Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

The unbelievers of the man-based churches will continue to believe that the Lord delays His coming and will begin to beat on those who do believe it.

Mat 24:48-49 KJV
(48) But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

(49) And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

They will persecute us…but we must have patience so that we might receive the promise….the promise of an age-lasting life that can only be had by the manifestation of the life of Jesus in our mortal flesh.

Heb 10:36-39 KJV
(36) For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

For yet a little while, He that IS COMNG will ARRIVE and will NOT TARRY…that is, not delay. (Berean Literal Bible
For "Yet in a very while little, the One coming will come, and will not delay.)

He WILL NOT TARRY...that is, DELAY. This is in contrast to what the false prophets are all preaching to us.

(37) For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Let us not “draw back” to the man-based churches when our souls will be troubled by their persecutions of us.

(38) Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Let us not draw back unto destruction in the man-based churches who will not believe in what they will hear. We are to have faith in the gospel of Truth so that we might receive the promise of an age-lasting life when His life appears in our mortal flesh. Our souls shall be saved as we shall then rejoice immensely after it had been put through tribulation by our very own church families we once were a part of.

(39) But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Mar 4:17 KJV
(17) And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.


Satan’s ministers come forth to deceive you and lead you astray from the Way the leads to His life being made manifest in our mortal flesh. This misinformation campaign has deceived MULTITUDES into going down the broad way to their mortal destruction.

They have been successful so far in the cutting off of the manifestation of the life of Jesus from ever appearing in the mortal flesh (the revealing of the Son of man) of anyone in this earth. The Son of man “goes away”..sinks out of sight…as written about Him.

Mat 24:4-5
(4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am THE Christ (Anointed one); and shall deceive many.

They…the false prophets…deliver us up to be afflicted….that is, put in TRIBULATION (pressure.) They “kill” us because they are cutting off the keeping of His daily sacrifice out of our lives so that His life is never made manifest in our mortal flesh which would render our mortal death idle. They are cutting off the life of Jesus from this earth....the Messiah is being cut off from the land of the living.

And because of them, we are hated of all nations for His name’s sake when they should be praising God through us.

They are using …or rather, misusing… His name in their deception to lead many astray….and the outside world hates us during this time of tribulation that His people are currently enduring.

Mat 24:9-11 KJV
(9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
(10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

(11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Trump Foster’s yet another peace deal

Anything that distracts from seven historic events that is saving lives and promoting peace globally.

What do you expect Americans to do—sing "Kumbaya" every morning and salute their leaders?

President Trump negotiated seven peace deals. This is a notable diplomatic achievement. Thank you Mr. President.

Or if I chose to say these are not significant and don’t want to thank him. So what !
  • Like
Reactions: GoldenBoy89
Upvote 0

No, Israel is not starving poor Gazan children. Don't buy the fake news lies

The media can be used to highlight one side over the other. Compare the fake picture used to cast Isreal in a bad light and the one of Israeli hostage Evyatar David looking like a human skeleton trapped in a tunnel digging his own grave.

We hear little about the plight of the hostages or the real evil that has been committed. Thats because it doesn't suit the narrative of painting Isreal as the bad guys. Its not even handed reporting.

Think about it. Its in Hamas's interest to do everything possible to stop the Palestinians getting help. The more they can make them suffer the more they know they can win a proporganda war and continue their radicalism.
  • Winner
Reactions: Hentenza
Upvote 0

Trump federalizing DC police, deploying National Guard in capital crime crackdown


Are we confident that it's actually at a 30 year low?



“When our members respond to the scene of a felony offense where there is a victim reporting that a felony occurred, inevitably there will be a lieutenant or a captain that will show up on that scene and direct those members to take a report for a lesser offense,” Fraternal Order of Police Chairman Gregg Pemberton said. “So, instead of taking a report for a shooting or a stabbing or a carjacking, they will order that officer to take a report for a theft or an injured person to the hospital or a felony assault, which is not the same type of classification.”

The police department's command staff is focusing on two categories in order to get the numbers to fall, Pemberton said: armed with a dangerous weapon and injured person to the hospital.

“When management officials are directing officers to take reports for felony assault, or if they're going back into police databases and changing offenses to felony assault, felony assault is not a category of crime that's listed on the department's daily crime stats,” Pemberton said. “It's also not something that's a requirement of the FBI's uniform crime reporting program. So, by changing criminal offenses from, for example, ADW bat or ADW gun to felony assault, that would avoid both the MPD and the FBI from reporting that as a part one or a felony offense.”

Anecdote from one highly biased source (a member of the FOP). But good try at muddying the waters.
Upvote 0

Does man have a freewill ?

I just posted most of this on another thread.

It occurs to me though that we have different levels of awareness. At the superficial conscious level I seem to have a choice about whether I will be an accountant or a salesman. But what is the core the human person? Is it a place of freedom or determinism?

At a deeper lever there of psychologic factors at play. Introvert, extrovert, of example. Deeper memories of experiences shape out superficial conscious choices. I might reject church because of abuse, for example. And there is a difference between determinism and influence. We maybe influenced by our genetics and our experiences but there is a spark of the soul (image and likeness of God} that is capable of freedom. "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free John 8:32.

If it is raining outside and I need to get out I have a choice to use an umbrella or not. If I am in my right mind and I will naturally choose to use on. I am still free but the choice seems obvious. Same with faith and coming to Christ. It is natural to be drawn and to say yes. What stops us is all the inner stuff that gets in the way.
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry N.
Upvote 0

No person can come to Christ by their own freewill !

But its real, don't get it twisted, Adam was a figure for real Rom 5
Maybe in Paul's mind and that is ok.

It occurs to me though that we have different levels of awareness. At the superficial conscious level I seem to have a choice about whether I will be an accountant or a salesman. But what is the core the human person? Is it a place of freedom or determinism? At a deeper lever there of psychologic factors at play. Introvert, extrovert, of example. Deeper memories of experiences shape out superficial conscious choices. I might reject church because of abuse, for example. And there is a difference between determinism and influence. We maybe influenced by our genetics and our experiences but there is a spark of the soul (image and likeness of God} that is capable of freedom. "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free John 8:32.

If no one can come to Christ of their own free will, then they are prisoners.

And another though. If it is raining outside and I need to get out I have a choice to use an umbrella or not. If I am in my right mind and I will naturally choose to use on. I am still free but the choice seems obvious. Same with faith and coming to Christ. It is natural to be drawn and to say yes. What stops us is all the inner stuff that gets in the way.


Upvote 0

Trump Threatens Federal Takeover of Washington After Member of DOGE Is Assaulted

Right. That’s why crime there is at a 30 year low.
Laughable. Down from what? AI search:
“Despite recent declines from 2023 peaks, D.C. still ranks significantly higher on per capita crime—both violent and property—than many comparable U.S. cities. While progress has been made, the city’s crime levels remain consistently elevated relative to peers like Boston, Seattle, or Nashville.” More liberal bait and switch. Deception at its finest. Improved but from horrible is not impressive when DC is still worse than almost everyone else. It is the capital of the US and needs to be safe to visit it currently is not , but we shall fix that.
Upvote 0

AI is not the problem. We are

Start with an automobile that has sensors to detect out-of-tolerance conditions and has the ability to warn the driver.

Then get to the point that the automobile not only detects out-of-tolerance conditions, but sends a repair request to a mechanics shop.

Then get to the point that the automobile has means to repair out-of-tolerance conditions itself.

When it comes to software, we're already at that point.

I think a "desire" requires the ability to visualize a condition that doesn't exist...an ability that probably very few creatures have.
My wife and I have an animal hospital for wild animals. Some seem to have the attitude of “Please, help me.” Most fight with all they have not to be treated. We had one squirrel that was released that came back when it got injured and actually held out its injured paw toward us. Except for the very ill, they all fight to live. That is not the same as your “smart car” example. I can’t see AI doing any of those things animals do. Animals have a spirit of life from God. I believe that “the ghost in the machine” has very rarely occurred, but it is a spirit inhabiting a machine that the spirit doesn’t actually care about. The spirit just sort of parks itself in the machine (TVs or telephones, for example) for a while. I’m trying to determine if and when that can occur with AI and if it is a different sort of thing.
Upvote 0

Trump federalizing DC police, deploying National Guard in capital crime crackdown

So you're saying the number of shootings in schools in D.C. is satisfactory? Maybe for you but not for many of the rest of us. The REPORTED crime rate may be a bit less than last year, but way more crimes take place than should. We don't know how many of the lesser crimes go unreported because people know little if anything will be done.

What does any of that have to do with deploying 800 national guards? There is no logical connection. The troops won't be patrolling schools, but streets.
Upvote 0

What is Trump doing in Washington? Isn't crime at 30 year low?

Any time I hear relative data (i.e. lowest crime rate in 30 years) I immediately want to know the absolute data to understand its context.

The FBI data showed the total number of assaults, homicides, kidnappings, abductions and sex offenses fell in the capital from 23,914 in 2023 to 22,320 in 2024.
Separate data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) also indicates a fall in overall crime between 2023 and 2024, but shows the past five years have seen the highest number of homicides in the capital since 2008.
Compared to the most populated states like California, New York and Texas, D.C. also appears to have a higher rate of crime against persons, according to the FBI data.
Again, I do not support Trump's deployment of the National Guard, but this idea that everything is just fine in DC is simply not supported by data. Couple the fact that the DC Police Commander has been accused of manipulating crime data with the fact that the ACTUAL data STILL shows that DC has a higher crime rate than the most populated states and clearly the crime in DC is incredibly problematic, even if it is at a "30-year low".
Upvote 0

Filter

Forum statistics

Threads
5,873,074
Messages
65,327,517
Members
276,070
Latest member
Dul