Pommer said:

Wow, this thread is still going!?

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The right wing has to create an emergency where none exists!

BeckyJ said:

Yeah, just like there's room to complan when pancake syrup, rice, butter, hot cereal packaging triggers the Left leaning

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Never happened.

ThatRobGuy said:

I think you're understating it a bit....

In the "restaurant world", Cracker Barrel was something of a cultural symbol... it may have not been a symbol you put much value in, and that's fine.... the same way I don't personally put any cultural significance onto certain coffee shop chains, but for the Pacific Northwest, it's a "bigger thing" (Remember when all the Starbucks fans got pretty upset about the new corporate leadership taking stances that were not so union friendly?.)

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Dont fall in love with capitalism. It wont love you back. Its just there to do a job.

ThatRobGuy said:

As far as "culture getting made there" (at CBGB), one could argue that's a mixed bag...but again, that's just my personal preference.

While I like Henry Rollins and the Misfits...it's also the same place that hosted GG Allin...the same guy who was clearly mentally ill, and would poop and pee on stage (and sometimes on the audience members) while overtly engaging in self harm and/or flat out assault attendees.

My thoughts about GG Allin was always "if his fans loved him as much as they claim they did, they would've gotten him some help"

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Its always a mixed bag at the low end. This isnt Carnegie Hall where youre only allowed in if your quality is already proven. Theyre taking chances. And so you can see 4 out of town bands for 10$ (or the 80s equiv at CBGB) like I did here last Sat. If just one is great, you had a great time. I lucked out and all of them were at least fun. One was total fire.

Yet they lost their way in about 50 years and were warned that their divine status would be withdrawn.

This to me indicated that divine institution does not guarantee survival.

Chesterton said:

(durangodawood acknowledges the Ramones as real artists. )

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Dont you go imagining you could sneak this slander by me!

Real boring artists.....

fhansen said:

The ones you've stated, that man cannot and need not "improve" as a result of being justified.

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As stated prior, dominion over sin isnt eradication.

We don't make the tempter or his own any less the sinners. They are the ones we have dominion over, if we're not lying hypocrites that is

fhansen said:

My mistake-for some reason I was thinking you believed in universal salvation

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Everyone has Universalist beliefs of various sorts. We both for example believe that the devil and his messengers are universally condemned. So do I believe Everyone is saved? Obviously not them

fhansen said:

but, if I recall correctly now, you claim we must acknowlege our sinfulneses and believe they're not counted against us, that we're then forgiven regardless of any future sin which we cannot possibly overcome anyway.

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Jesus doesn't attribute sins to people. Doesn't mean He doesn't count them against the devil's. He does.

fhansen said:

That was based on my thought that were maintaining a universal salvation position.

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I believe Jesus gets the job done for people. Nobody saves themselves. Not capable

Hans Blaster said:

I'm at a loss to understand how you can rely on an AI to "write code" when you say you don't understand the language. (Shortly I need to step aside, crack open vi, and write some Fortran.)

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If it works, then it works. There's a process involved. Me and AI work as a team and go through different stages like concept, system design, development, testing quality, and implementation/quality assurance.

Bradskii said:

Tropical is one of the sharpest people in the forum. I think you're doing a disservice to her reading her post that way. It would mean that you'd associate the Australian flag atop the harbour Bridge as a racist symbol because you'd seen some white nationalists waving it at an anti immigrant rally.

Plainly absurd.

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It is absurd. But unless Tropical is going to rachet back her statement, that's what her statement means.

And in fact, that's what liberals in the US are precisely doing. That's why a person can't give the traditional "okay" hand sign anymore without being identified as a racist.

Dubya won Florida in 2000 because oversea military ballots started pouring in after it was obvious that it would be close. Those ballots were not postmarked, and they were what decided the election.

Tuur said:

I'm smelling a rat here.

Cracker Barrel has gotten pushback from changing the décor. Let's assume management wants to do the really, really bad. So they design a logo so poor that it looks like it was done in-house with the paint program that came with the computer, knowing that it will provoke more pushback. But what if the new logo was a throw-away? What if they never really intended on adopting it? Now they go back to the old logo, customers who didn't like it feel vindicated, and the the change in décor proceeds as planned with few complaints. Two steps forward; one step back is still one step forward.

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Ahh, the New Coke conspiracy theory.

durangodawood said:

I'll figure it out... one way or another.

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I'd love to continue with song references, but we need to keep our focus on old Uncle what's his name. Now that he's lost his gig as a logo, we need to pray that can learn to code.

Oompa Loompa said:

I am proud that my country has better freedom of speech than Great Britain.

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I'm not going to support anyone's position that the UK (Great Britain is the island comprising England, Scotland and Wales) is a bastion of free speech. But to hold up the current US as a great example of it is, frankly, deluded.

NxNW said:

There was no reason to question Biden's health. Please stay on topic.

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I disagree! It is relevant to point out the hypocrisy in questioning the health and cognitive abilities of Trump.

Carl Emerson said:

Ae you suggesting the 7 churches were not divinely instituted?

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No

ThatRobGuy said:

Rural America doesn't want the "vibe" of "their spot" to get "watered down" for the same reason the Seattle hipsters wouldn't want "the vibe" of "their coffee shops" getting watered down.

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Ironically, a lot of us in Rural America aren't near enough to a town with an Interstate, and that's the only places we see a Cracker Barrel. OTOH, places like the Golden Coral, a buffet that some locally call "The Brass Cow Pen," is found away from the interstates. You get your food quicker from a buffet and often have more choices, so I heavily favor them. What beats out the Golden Coral is a small, local, chain that's also a buffet, roughly on the same order as the Golden Coral. Even for both, you have to be in something larger than a town with only one traffic light, and I know of a McDonald's and Hardees that's in a town with no traffic lights. Mostly what's in Rural America is privately owned restaurants and convenience store food, and the quality of both varies widely.

Postvieww said:

Still a ridiculous claim. My offer stands . Show a post where you questioned Biden’s health. If you can!

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There was no reason to question Biden's health. Please stay on topic.

durangodawood said:

Australia IS great, obviously. Totally punches above its weight culturally, economically. And weird animals to boot. Yep. Great.

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I'm British by birth. Welsh by heritage. But Australian by choice.

Chesterton said:

(durangodawood acknowledges the Ramones as real artists. )

<tries to think of bands that played CB's and later hit the big time>

I'm either Angus Young, Sting, or Debbie Harry.

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I'll figure it out... one way or another.

RDKirk said:

I see no way to read her statement honestly as anything other than if the flag has been used in a racist context anywhere, it must be seen in a racist context everywhere.

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Tropical is one of the sharpest people in the forum. I think you're doing a disservice to her reading her post that way. It would mean that you'd associate the Australian flag atop the harbour Bridge as a racist symbol because you'd seen some white nationalists waving it at an anti immigrant rally.

Plainly absurd.

ThatRobGuy said:

I can name several difference between the two...

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One man had character. One man was honourable. One man had policies with which I disagreed, but I always felt he was doing the best for his country. One man I'd invite over for a beer.

BPPLEE said:

Cracker Barrel Caves, Brings Back Classic Logo

Cracker Barrel caved Tuesday after receiving massive backlash, announcing it would bring back its classic logo, according to Fox's Bret Baier.

dailycaller.com

Looks like Cracker Barrel is backpedaling

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I'm smelling a rat here.

Cracker Barrel has gotten pushback from changing the décor. Let's assume management wants to do the really, really bad. So they design a logo so poor that it looks like it was done in-house with the paint program that came with the computer, knowing that it will provoke more pushback. But what if the new logo was a throw-away? What if they never really intended on adopting it? Now they go back to the old logo, customers who didn't like it feel vindicated, and the the change in décor proceeds as planned with few complaints. Two steps forward; one step back is still one step forward.

Is Obama in cuffs yet? I thought this was meant to be serious? Not just another example of Trump's NPD at work - but a national crisis and treasonous conspiracy against his royal personage?​

Like - serious enough to forget about the Epstein files?

The Australian ABC calls it. This episode of Planet America does a bit of a deep dive into how Gabbard's team either cannot comprehend which reports about what emails they are reading, or are misrepresenting it with malicious intent to deceive. There's no other way to interpret the gobbledegook Gabbard sprouts.

I mean - they've got quotes and everything!
(Imagine contributing FACTS to a conversation like this?)

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prudent_commenter said:

In my view, marriage is a distraction regardless of how you handle it. This is because, if ever the day should come when you have to decide to serve God or server your wife, who do you choose? For the sake of the example, you can only choose one. You took a vow to serve your wife. And being a Christian, you also have obligation to God. Who do you obey first?

I fully agree with what Jesus said in the parable of the rich young man. Can't have two masters. Having a wife means following the money, because a wife (and potential children) demands earthly things. You alone, want nothing. But together, you want. And are responsible for acquiring it, per the marriage vow.

I believe that priests and pastors get married to be viewed as examples.

This is a long conversation. I think people choose for themselves instead of letting God do it. When you choose for yourself, you go after things that have no value: such as beauty. It doesn't last, it creates confusion, it creates desire, and many others. Those that choose properly, end up married until death.

I take that verse to mean God's doing, not man's.

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Well, you obey God first. Right?

And I don't think you necessarily have two "masters" when you get married. Yes, Paul did say in 1 Cor. 7:34 that a married person's interests are divided. So, yes, marriage does introduce issues. Are these issues impossible to resolve or manage? I would say no. If they were, why would anyone bother getting married? Why are most Christians married? Why are all the pastors and church elders and ministry leaders married? Did they make a terrible mistake? This is why it's so important to choose a suitable partner.

Yes, marriage comes with challenges. So does singleness. Being single can be simpler, sure. It's not necessarily easier.

Take the desire for love/romance/sex, for instance. Paul talked about people who "burned with passion," and he advised those people to marry, even if he personally thought singleness was better. Those desires may seem trivial or unimportant to some. But they are real. And, well, Jesus doesn't exactly do anything to satisfy those, now, does He?

Some may view marriage as too hard, and not worth it. Others may acknowledge that it's hard, but still find it worth it.

"I think people choose for themselves instead of letting God do it." Well, I don't think God makes life decisions for us. This is 1 Corinthians 7:39: "A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord." It seems like Paul is saying that we have a choice in the matter.

The Bible doesn't tell us anything about "soulmates" or "The One" That idea comes from Greek philosophy and mythology. Does God really make life decisions for us? Will He "choose" a spouse for us if we "let" Him, somehow? How? What does that even look like? Does the Bible support the idea that God chooses mates for us?

Is it better for every Christian of every historical era to remain single forever, despite all the concessions Paul and Jesus themselves made? Apparently, most Christians decide "no" and choose marriage.

concretecamper said:

Which goes to show that unless His Church was divinely instituted, it would have collapsed many times over in the past 2000 years

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Ae you suggesting the 7 churches were not divinely instituted?

AFrazier said:

Have any of the reputable sources you've read made this specific argument? I myself make that argument in the book I'm writing, and it would be useful if there were others out there with the same perspective that I can cite for credibility of the point of view.

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According to Perplexity AI:

Yes, several scholarly sources suggest that Herod may have taken an independent census, parallel to Augustus’s census in 8-7 BC, especially to help assess tribute and manage Judean affairs as Roman influence increased in Herod's final years .

Scholarly Support for a Herodian Census
W. M. Ramsay argued that Augustus’s general census policy was implemented in various territories at different times, and Judah’s census potentially occurred later, possibly around 5 BC, with Herod administering a census as Roman interest in Judean affairs grew near his death .

Sherwin-White and the Handbook of Biblical Chronology also contend it is plausible Augustus requested Herod to enact a census, particularly as Herod lost imperial favor and became more subordinate to Roman authority. This could have included local adaptations for Jewish sensitivities, such as registration by tribal origin, helping Herod both to manage his realm and fulfill imperial demands .

Historical commentaries and researchers highlight that relations between Herod and Augustus became strained in Herod's later years, leading to increasing Roman oversight, and Augustus could have ordered census activities in Judea even while Herod remained king .

The census might have served both local administrative needs and the interests of Rome, by providing data for taxes, tribute, and imperial management .

Census as Political Tool
Herod’s census would have smoothed the way for Rome’s future direct administration and allowed Herod to maintain control over a delicate situation by using local customs, such as tribal registration, to avoid unrest .

Scholarly works note this approach prevented the revolt that followed the strictly Roman census under Quirinius in 6 CE .

Several historians and biblical scholars thus see the possibility of a census under Herod, parallel or preparatory to Augustus’s census policies, especially as Rome’s oversight increased .

If a full Roman style census in 6 AD sparked an uprising, perhaps Herod imposing a somewhat similar census 14 years earlier also sparked similar discontent? That would account for his paranoia and crackdown on opposition, even from his own children.

Also:

Some translations and scholarly sources note that the Greek word “protos” in Luke 2:2, commonly rendered “first,” can also mean “before.” This opens the possibility for the translation, “This census took place before Quirinius was governor of Syria” . The NIV’s footnotes acknowledge this variant possibility, and several commentaries discuss the implications for the historical chronology of Jesus’s birth.

Greek and Historical Considerations
The verse is sometimes argued to indicate a distinction between a “first” and a later, well-documented census under Quirinius, referenced by Gamaliel in Acts 5:37 .

Acts 5:37 references Judas the Galilean’s uprising specifically “in the days of the census,” which scholars directly connect to the Quirinius census of 6 CE . This census led to major unrest and the formation of the Zealot party. The passage helps distinguish between this infamous census and the earlier event mentioned in Luke 2:2, which is described as the “first” registration, suggesting Luke was aware of multiple censuses