Fantine said:

There has been a huge effort by the right to turn college into a "trade school." I think it's because they don't want a citizenry that actively engages with the information (and sometimes disinformation) they provide. An uneducated citizenry is more gullible, less critical.

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I think people are genuinely concerned that young people (and their parents) are being hoodwinked into buying very expensive/useless degrees that lead to no job. Then, there is a move to ask taxpayers to pay off these unemployed college graduates' loans. The gullibility comes when students are taught nonsense, falsities, and outright lies and go out into the world pushing the same. I went to a trade school (community college) for 2 years and got a degree in computer programming. I had a job before graduating, quadrupling my pay before retiring 20 years later as a systems engineer. So, there are practical benefits to "trade schools" because they have a very high percentage of job placement in areas that benefit culture and the nation. I have 3 sons and a daughter who were home-schooled, attended community college, and are all into 6-figure careers in the high-tech industry. They all had their education paid for before they even graduated. I have a daughter-in-law who got a 4-year degree from a university. While employed, she never made close to 6 figures, and is currently unemployed. Last I heard, she is still paying for her degree, years later.
So this is not some right-wing conspiracy against higher education. Education is evolving, and perhaps the days of four- and six-year degrees are coming to an end. They no longer serve a purpose in a changing world. The left is resisting this change and does not want to move forward. Some careers may require extensive education. But your average person does not benefit from a 200 thousand dollar education. Yes, give me a trade school any day.

trophy33 said:

If we do not care what was in the originals, because it depends on what text has been useful for the church throughout centuries, then it is not bizarre at all to ask whether we can change the Scriptures as is useful for us today.

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You're misrepresenting what I've said, perhaps you don't understand what I mean by its role in the church because it is not simply usefulness. The canonization process was an organic process where the church formed around the texts and a clear set of texts came to be the primary sources for various church functions. The authority of the Biblical texts in Orthodoxy comes from its history, not its pragmatic value. This is one of the reasons that venerating tradition is important, because failure to do so leaves us spinning in the wind or trying to reify texts that are far less solid than we might want to pretend. The Orthodox text is far more stable, which you took as a defect earlier, so why do you now object that the underlying viewpoints that produces such stability is too malleable?

Clare73 said:

"World" (all people) has two meanings in the NT:
1) all without exception (all mankind),
2) all without distinction (both Jew and Gentile).

In the context of the rest of the NT, the meaning of 2 Co 5:19 is the second one; i.e., all who believe, both Jew and Gentile.

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Please show me that cosmos, which is the true word used not world, has two meaning. The only people that say that are Calvinists trying to rewrite scripture to fit a false narrative.
Go online and look up the Greek word cosmos and show me one scholar that thinks that cosmos has two definitions, if you can't do that, its just your opinion.

Studyman said:

That is fascinating. You would rather close your eyes, plug your ears, and promote a lie, than answer honest questions about what Paul is actually teaching.

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Non responsive to the question. . .duplicitous. . .no basis for discussion.

Maria Billingsley said:

First of all, Augustine is not the authority on the final view of hell. This is purely his
"opinion " . Additionally, there is no absolute clear teachings found in scripture. What we do find are three possible views of hell and of course the eternal torment is extremely uncomfortable for all of us. That being said, why focus on this issue and use it as a possible way to prove we have a hypocritical God?

Thanks for sharing!

Be blessed.

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Because God is not hypocritical if you believe the teachings of scripture that say he will reconcile all to himself, but if you believe that he either eternally tortures or annihilates those who do not understand him he would be hypocritical.
The latter is not love no matter how you try to justify it.

trophy33 said:

In that case we can change Scriptures at our will in time if it is useful for Christians. Or even rewrite it?

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Nope, because we have fairly secure texts for the canonical versions. The differences in canon across the churches is on inclusion of additional books like 3 & 4 Maccabees. In fact, your objection seems rather bizarre for someone championing text criticism that places scholars as the judges of what should and shouldn't be in the Bible especially given the subjective nature of most text critical criteria.

BelieveItOarKnot said:

IF Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for all people and IF sins are not counted against people, 2 Cor. 5:19,

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"World" (all people) has two meanings in the NT:
1) all without exception (all mankind),
2) all without distinction (both Jew and Gentile).

In the context of the rest of the NT, the meaning of 2 Co 5:19 is the second one; i.e., all who believe, both Jew and Gentile.

Larniavc said:

I ALWAYS carry my Bat Fludd Repellant EVERYWHERE I go (even to the toilet). Frankly anyone who doesn't deserves everything they get get.

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Love your custom title!

Jeff Saunders said:

God has said,1 Cor 12:5-8 love keeps no record of wrongs, Jesus, who is the exact representation of the Father says-Matt 4:44 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,love tolerates all things,has faith in all things,hopes in all things, endures all things,Love never fails -Jam 2:8 Love your neighbor as yourself-2 Cor 5:19 not counting peoples trespasses against them.
I in scripture this is what we are told to do to others and what God is like and doing.
According to Western Augustin Christianity, once your leave your temporary mortal body, if you miss understand what God has done or you outright reject humans ideas of God, He will burn you eternally or annihilate you.
How is this view of God not make him into a God who says do as I say not as I do?
Please no answers of Gods ways are higher than ours, that's a copout.

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First of all, Augustine is not the authority on the final view of hell. This is purely his
"opinion " . Additionally, there is no absolute clear teachings found in scripture. What we do find are three possible views of hell and of course the eternal torment is extremely uncomfortable for all of us. That being said, why focus on this issue and use it as a possible way to prove we have a hypocritical God?

Thanks for sharing!

Be blessed.

Clare73 said:

Non responsive to the question. . .duplicitous. . .no basis for discussion.

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That is fascinating. You would rather close your eyes, plug your ears, and promote a lie, than answer honest questions about what Paul is actually teaching.

How duplicitous.

trophy33 said:

The "perfect" was about my effort, not about the Orthodox effort.

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I understand, though I put quotes around perfect and autographs because those are distinctly modern ideas.

trophy33 said:

I am not sure if I understand your point, but if you are saying that Orthodox Christians are not interested in the original text, but in the church text (they do not care too much if it is original or not), then I agree. This is not attractive to me, though. I have more "scientific" mind in this regard.

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It's a matter of belief about what gives the text its authority, rather than simple disinterest. The Orthodox see the authority of the text coming not from some magical theory of original inspiration and impeccableness, but because of its role in the church and the canonical versions of the text. As a consequence, what was in the originals is only of marginal interest to Orthodox because the authoritative versions of the texts are the ones that managed to achieve canonical status. Though the Orthodox tend to have a broader view of canon as well, which is why they accept a variety of canons depending on which Orthodox church we're speaking of.

BCP1928 said:

Perhaps you should offer him or her one and discuss it. If you want a person to work for you you have to make it worth his while.

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Why is it that we are responsible for their choices? When is their life their own?

trophy33 said:

Working poverty is worse. You have neither money nor time.

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So lazy is the answer for you then.