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RandyPNW · Monday at 11:01 AM

Jan001 said:
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.

When Jesus returns to earth, it will be the end of time. The dead bodies in the graves and the bodies who still live on earth will receive their immortal bodies, and then everyone (body, spirit, and soul) will accompany Jesus to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there he will sit to judge all the nations.

Do you believe that heaven will be brought to earth?

Again, this was not relevant to the conversation we were having. We were talking about whether the Kingdom is already here or not, as I understood it. We were not discussing whether the Kingdom will come at all! All Christians believe there will be a New Earth, and that Christ's Kingdom will come to dominate it.

Jan001 said:
Jesus does not return to earth until all his enemies have been put under his feet.

Yes, that's what Paul taught. And we know that like Noah's Flood a final judgment by fire will purge the earth of Christ's enemies. That will happen simultaneously with the 2nd Coming. In other words, Christ cannot reign on earth until his enemies have been judged and removed.

Jan001 said:
Hebrews 2:8
putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

Yes, that is my point. Christ's enemies are still in power, and they are not gradually being destroyed, but simply are being judged until final judgment falls.

To be honest, you're just sharing a bunch of Scripture verses with me that all Christians agree on. I don't have a clue what you're arguing with respect to what I thought we were arguing?

Say it aint so · Monday at 10:58 AM

In one email, a Trump appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development described decades of housing discrimination cases as “artificial, arbitrary and unnecessary.” In another, a career supervisor in the department’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity objected to lawyers being reassigned to other offices; the supervisor was fired six days later for insubordination. In a third, the office’s director of enforcement warned that Trump appointees were using gag orders and intimidation to block discrimination cases from moving forward. The urgent message was sent to a U.S. senator, who is referring it to the department’s acting inspector general for investigation.

The emails are among dozens of pages of internal communications, memos and other documents reviewed by The New York Times that show efforts by the Trump administration to limit enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law that has prohibited discrimination in housing for nearly six decades.

In interviews, half a dozen current and former employees of HUD’s fair housing office said that the Trump political appointees had made it nearly impossible for them to do their jobs, which involve investigating and prosecuting landlords, real estate agents, lenders and others who discriminate based on race, religion, gender, family status or disability. --NYT.

More retribution?
Trump got sued early on for racial housing discrimination when the org was marking black applicants with a "C" for "colored" then throwing them in the trash can.

probinson · Monday at 10:58 AM

Say it aint so said:
empathy
Updated on 11/15/2023

n. understanding a person from their frame of reference rather than one’s own, or vicariously experiencing that person’s feelings, perceptions, and thoughts. Empathy does not, of itself, entail motivation to be of assistance, although it may turn into sympathy or personal distress, which may result in action. In psychotherapy, therapist empathy for the client can be a path to comprehension of the client’s cognitions, affects, motivations, or behaviors. See also perspective taking. —empathic or —empathetic adj. —empathize vb.

I can't help it if Kirk dismisses it as being made up simply because he fully didn't understand what it meant.

Why didn't you point out that Kirk said he preferred the word sympathy? I peronsally prefer the word sympathy too. I think that one can inadvertently do damage by implying that they can understand how another person feels, even if it is vicariously. One can inadvertently marginalize another's feelings by stating that they can understand it. Worse, they can make another feel bad for not feeling the way the "empathetic" person thinks they should.

Compassion. Sympathy. These are the traits I hope to exhibit when I am providing support to someone who is dealing with someone. But I'll never pretend to understand how another person is feeling nor tell others how they should feel about something.

BungalowBel · Monday at 10:57 AM

BungalowBel said:
Hi, that is quite difficult, it came upon me quite slowly as I have said in my testimony.

If you could tell me a bit about yourself it might help. Are you a believer? A churchgoer? If not, what are your thoughts about God?

I will try to help you if I am able. I may not be able to though. But I am sure there are plenty of people on this forum who could, if I can't.

Remember though that God loves you and that Jesus, the Son of God, is your Saviour.

Wolseley · Monday at 10:57 AM

I just can't get into "O Come, O Come Emmanuel".

It depresses me every time. I know it's supposed to be a plaintive cry for the coming of the Messiah, as experienced by the Jewish people, but it just drags me down when I hear it.

I told a former pastor that if it had a different tune, it would be easier to take. He asked what I would suggest, and I began to sing it to the tune of the Air Force Song ("Off we go, into the wild blue yonder....") He laughed and shook his head.

rusmeister · Monday at 10:57 AM

FireDragon76 said:
I've known about Charlie Kirk longer than many people here defending him have, and listened to more of his sophistry than I should have.

The thing is, you’re going to come up with opinions that you don’t like - which doesn’t make them sophistry, but only opinions that you don’t like. these are mainly going to be things like his former stance on Israel, perhaps, which was undergoing change in recent months anyway, and maybe the idea that we should bring back public executions, or something political.

Any “phobia“ charge can be immediately challenged, since leftists confuse reasonable objections to the insertion of alien and hostile religions, or of immigrants that do not wish to assimilate with our society, or of the promotion of sexual anarchy, with irrational fear, not based on anything, which is what “phobia“ means. any clips you bring can almost certainly be shown to be either edited to avoid showing the context of what he said, or of an opinion you don’t like that can be debated in the political arena. but they’re not going to add up to is a genuinely racist attitude, or hatred of all immigrants, or of people who have fallen into sexual perversion. You are simply going to be unable to actually prove the charges as you claim them. It’s going to be shown that he had rational objections, not irrational fear, which puts an end to your “phobia“ charges. That’s why you should withdraw them, because you don’t have a leg to stand on. WE all, for example, rationally object to sexual perversion, under whatever name, because both God and the natural law He created tell us to flee them. Furthermore, it is sexual health that our civilization stands on. To the extent to which we reject God’s order, it has become diseased and is rotting. That’s not unreasoning fear. It is a legitimate concern for Western civilization.

In all cases, none of these differences justify his murder, which is a far more horrific thing than anyone losing their job for a plotting that murder. If you think differently, then you’re on the wrong forum. That’s not a political opinion, but about the Christian attitude towards murder.

tranquil · Monday at 10:56 AM

Douggg said:
Ezekiel 28:2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

So we have in Ezekiel 28:2 the prince of Tyrus (Tyre) and in Ezekiel 28:12 the king of Tyrus (Tyre).

The prince refers to revealed man of sin who will go into the temple, sit, claim to have achieved God-hood.

The king refers to Satan.

Tyrus, Tyre, is just a coastal city north of Israel in modern day Lebanon. Satan is not Tyre, but figuratively, code named, the king of Tyre.

The prince of Tyre and king of Tyre are not 2 different entities. They are one and the same.

Before a king is a king, he is a prince. The prince of Tyre is an angel who becomes a king.

Dan 9:26: And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Itsf end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

After the 'people of the prince to come' destroy the city & sanctuary (Dan 9:26=1st Trumpet through Rev 9:21), then the 'prince'/ 'king' will confirm the covenant (Dan 9:27) (the Rev 10 mighty angel is the Dan 10 & 12 man in linen and is the Dan 7 Little Horn). Then the 2 witnesses have 1260 days for the 1st half of the week (fulfilling Dan 7:25's time, times, half time), then the 'prince' / 'king' will call himself god at the 7th Trumpet.

It isn't clear exactly where the 'prince' turns into a 'king' - at the start of the covenant or the middle of it.

Then the 'king' of Tyre (who is the dragon who is Satan who is Tyre) gives his throne to the beast from the sea.

Rev 13 2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

This event is this from Dan 7:11-12

11“I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Who are the 'rest of the beasts'? The lion, bear, leopard.

Rev 13 2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.

Since the 'dragon' has a 'throne' to give away that means he was a king- the prince/ king of Tyre was the 7th head / 7th crown from Rev 12:3.

Chesterton · Monday at 10:51 AM

I would donate to a one-armed farmer. A farmer with one arm would probably be having a rough time of it.

Indentured Servant · Monday at 10:50 AM

"...but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus, is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." -1 John 4: 3

Wolseley · Monday at 10:47 AM

Thanks, Michie! The same to you!

essentialsaltes · Monday at 10:46 AM

Maria Billingsley said:
My I derail this for a moment and point out that " hate" really means just that!

AI Generated:

At a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump stated, "That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don't want the best for them, I'm sorry." This was a break from his prepared remarks, which included a statement that Kirk "did not hate his opponents."

Just wanted to confirm this was not some AI hallucination.

“He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them,” Trump said, before breaking from his prepared remarks to add: “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them, I’m sorry.”

Trump’s speech was an awkward mix of eulogy and campaign speech, during which he frequently veered away from reading somber remarks about Kirk’s life and violent death to make offhand comments and jokes.

rambot · Monday at 10:44 AM

Please consider:

Nonchristians will watch you FAR more intently than they will listen to you.

Say it aint so · Monday at 10:43 AM

probinson said:
It was pretty vile.

There's another reel making the rounds on social media where a mother is talking with her two daughters, who are probably no more than 8 and 5, and she tells them she has the best news ever. Their first guess is that Trump died. Then the mother laughs and says, no, the second best news ever. So then they guess that Vance died. And then she says, no, it's the third best news ever, and the girls guess that perhaps Elon Musk died. Then finally, she tells them, no, the best news ever is that her "best friend" is getting married, and her "best friend" is Taylor Swift.

Isn't it sad that there are people out there teaching their young children that the "best news ever" is that people are dead?

On that, we agree.

Have you ever had a family member assassinated right in front of you? No? Then by definition, you CANNOT empathize with the Kirk family, because you have absolutely no idea how that feels. According to Miriam Webster, yhe word empathy means:

the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another

This is what I believe Charlie Kirk meant when he said empathy had done much damage. For reference, here is the context of that statement.

So the new communications strategy for Democrats, now that their polling advantage is collapsing in every single state… collapsing in Ohio. It's collapsing even in Arizona. It is now a race where Blake Masters is in striking distance. Kari Lake is doing very, very well. The new communications strategy is not to do what Bill Clinton used to do, where he would say, "I feel your pain." Instead, it is to say, "You're actually not in pain." So let's just, little, very short clip. Bill Clinton in the 1990s. It was all about empathy and sympathy. I can't stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that — it does a lot of damage. But, it is very effective when it comes to politics. Sympathy, I prefer more than empathy. That's a separate topic for a different time.

Charlie Kirk once said empathy was 'made-up, new age term'

The authentic quote from the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA circulated online following his fatal shooting on Sept. 10, 2025.

www.snopes.com

What Kirk is saying here is that in many (probably most) cases, it is impossible for you to empathize with someone, because you couldn't possibly know how another person is feeling. None of the married women on this forum can empathize with Charlie Kirk's wife, because they've not had their husband gruesomely murdered right in front of them, For another woman to say that she "empathizes" with Erika Kirk is indeed damaging, because how could you possibly even pretend to know how that feels? They can sympathize with her, but the word empathy implies that you know how she feels. Few, if any, of us can claim to understand how she feels.

empathy

Updated on 11/15/2023

n. understanding a person from their frame of reference rather than one’s own, or vicariously experiencing that person’s feelings, perceptions, and thoughts. Empathy does not, of itself, entail motivation to be of assistance, although it may turn into sympathy or personal distress, which may result in action. In psychotherapy, therapist empathy for the client can be a path to comprehension of the client’s cognitions, affects, motivations, or behaviors. See also perspective taking. —empathic or —empathetic adj. —empathize vb.

I can't help it if Kirk dismisses it as being made up simply because he fully didn't understand what it meant.

Wolseley · Monday at 10:43 AM

Michie said:
Jimmy Kimmel plans return after suspension over Charlie Kirk comments

ABC and Disney are in talks to bring back Jimmy Kimmel's show after it was suspended indefinitely amid backlash to the host's comments on the murder of Charlie Kirk.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I didn't watch him before; if they bring him back, I won't watch him now. Frankly, he annoys me slightly less than the harpies on "The View".

Aryeh Jay · Monday at 10:43 AM

essentialsaltes said:
UK, Canada, Australia formally recognize Palestinian state; Netanyahu vows ‘it will not happen’
The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia on Sunday announced the recognition of the Palestinian state, in the hope that a two-state solution will bring peace with Israel despite protests from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move is intended "to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis."

"Hamas is a brutal terror organization," Starmer said, adding that Hamas will have "no future, no role in government, no role in security," in a Palestinian state.

These so called nations should be put on the list of global supporters of terrorism. How dare they ~~defy the will of our Jewish overlords~~ go against an important ally, democracy, important partner in the war on terror, and global stabilizing nation.

BungalowBel · Monday at 10:38 AM

mar_mar said:
Hello. I'm also new here. So, welcome! Interesting story you have! It overwhelmed me. Could you please elaborate this thought?
I decided for myself that you have faith if people looking at you and your life remember God. So your friend really believes.
I just doubt about myself. I cry, reading your story. I don't understand what is it with me. Maybe because I talked to atheists for several years, and my friends don't believe in God.
A year ago I read the Bible, ironically an atheist suggested me this, and it definitely changed my thoughts.
So, can you please explain your thought?

Hi, that is quite difficult, it came upon me quite slowly as I have said in my testimony.

If you could tell me a bit about yourself it might help. Are you a believer? A churchgoer? If not, what are your thoughts about God?

I will try to help you if I am able. I may not be able to though. But I am sure there are plenty of people on this forum who could, if I can't.

Say it aint so · Monday at 10:37 AM

probinson said:

childeye 2 · Monday at 10:35 AM

FAITH-IN-HIM said:
This issue is not only moral but also legal, economic, and ideological. There is no simple solution. As a Christian, I believe those who have lived here for years and contributed to society deserve a second chance, even if they broke the law once. Since we are saved by grace, offering others grace should come naturally.

Even without considering morality, there are important economic implications. Removing 25% of immigrants from the workforce would significantly impact the economy—food and home prices would rise, and Americans could lose jobs. Losing 2-4 million people from the economy can stall growth and hinder new job creation.

Removing undocumented immigrants or implementing stricter immigration policies could significantly impact the long-term U.S. economy. If 25% of undocumented immigrants are deported and more restrictive immigration laws are enforced, projections indicate that by 2031—just five years from now—the number of deaths per year in America would surpass the number of births. This trend could result in the U.S. having over five million fewer people by 2050 compared to today, with a larger portion of the population being older and out of the workforce than those who are working.

Last Friday, President Trump signed new H-1B visa requirements which will make harder for company to bring new worker from outside the country. Currently, there are over 1.2 million vacant positions for high-skilled technical jobs. This shortage of technical job openings has persisted for the past 15 years. The main reason is that there are not enough Americans who have enrolled in universities and earned degrees in fields such as engineering, mathematics, finance, computer programming, or genetic engineering. This issue is significant, and attitudes toward higher education have changed. In the late 1990s, over 70% of Americans believed college was important; today, only 49% agree. College enrollment has also declined compared to 25 years ago.

The Trump administration and its supporters focus on American interests and workers. However, questions arise about sustaining the country’s growth without crops available for harvest, doctors in hospitals, or mathematicians in laboratories. There are also considerations regarding how to maintain national progress if the proportion of retirees exceeds that of the younger workforce, or if the population continues to decline over time.

Supporters of President Trump’s immigration policy avoid these questions, insisting only that those who broke the law should be deported.

I agree with you; there are economic problems that are exacerbated by bad immigration policy. Despite the complexity of the issues I think that there are solutions to be found. My concern is that the problems are exacerbated and exploited. Like a technological cage is being crafted to make everyone dependent on being connected. The mark of the beast comes to mind, and AI is probably how the image of the beast is given a voice to speak.

Maria Billingsley · Monday at 10:33 AM

ThatRobGuy said:
That's not what I said, clearly you're not understanding the tone of my post.

I'm saying that people who prop those signs up are suggesting that "Hate" = "Not going along with the political advocacy attached to these causes", and then disingenuously acting all aloof "gee, I'm just saying I'm against hate, what's wrong with that???"

May I derail this for a moment and point out that " hate" really means just that!

AI Generated:

At a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump stated, "That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don't want the best for them, I'm sorry." This was a break from his prepared remarks, which included a statement that Kirk "did not hate his opponents."

davetaff · Monday at 10:32 AM

o_mlly said:
The very first of the First Principles of philosophy (which are self-evident) simply put is that a being cannot give that which it does not already possess. (The principle of Sufficient Reason).

Evolutionists necessarily deny this principle (and others) of logic in order to interpret their data any way they wish. Doing so allows unfounded imagination and speculation into their house of cards. If a thing can be anything then it is nothing.

Hi
All we need to know is

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets

Yes to love is all we need to do is to love friends and foe alike easer said than done.

Love and Peace

Dave

rambot · Monday at 10:19 AM

probinson said:
I commend you for this.

But how does classifying violent extremism into right and left wing categories help you with this?

It would assist organizations in deciding how and which resources to utilize.

tampasteve · Monday at 10:17 AM

Vanellus said:
The idea that Hamas laying down their arms will mean safety for the people of Gaza is a social media invention which is not born out by the avowed intentions of the Israeli leadership.

The reality of the situation indicates this is a laughable statement. The people of Gaza and Hamas have shown that they cannot be trusted and won't lay down their arms. Israel killed around 25K Hamas members since October 7th and Hamas has recruited that number back. The people of Gaza are the only terrorists in this scenario. Israel just wants to be left alone and free from being surrounded by hostile neighbors that seek its destruction and the death of the Jewish people.

probinson · Monday at 10:17 AM

JosephZ said:
Having witnessed acts of terrorism and the suffering that it leaves in its wake firsthand, I have developed a strong passion for countering violent extremism. The youth in the communities we work in Mindanao are often targets of recruiters for terrorist groups, especially those who live in the conflict regions, and a significant portion of the work we do is related to countering violent extremism, mainly through community engagement and education.

I commend you for this.

But how does classifying violent extremism into right and left wing categories help you with this?

FAITH-IN-HIM · Monday at 10:12 AM

childeye 2 said:
Thank you for these thoughts. I found this to be an informative post.

FWIW I think it's actually a moral/immoral issue. For example, when used as a campaign issue to get votes, I see Trump depicting immigrants as criminal elements so as to rationalize the immorality of his position. He can then claim anyone who opposes his position are for crime.

Trump speaks as if he truly believes the genes of most of these immigrants are unworthy of being an American citizen, and therefore his sentiments show a reasoning based on negative prejudice.

This issue is not only moral but also legal, economic, and ideological. There is no simple solution. As a Christian, I believe those who have lived here for years and contributed to society deserve a second chance, even if they broke the law once. Since we are saved by grace, offering others grace should come naturally.

Even without considering morality, there are important economic implications. Removing 25% of immigrants from the workforce would significantly impact the economy—food and home prices would rise, and Americans could lose jobs. Losing 2-4 million people from the economy can stall growth and hinder new job creation.

Removing undocumented immigrants or implementing stricter immigration policies could significantly impact the long-term U.S. economy. If 25% of undocumented immigrants are deported and more restrictive immigration laws are enforced, projections indicate that by 2031—just five years from now—the number of deaths per year in America would surpass the number of births. This trend could result in the U.S. having over five million fewer people by 2050 compared to today, with a larger portion of the population being older and out of the workforce than those who are working.

Last Friday, President Trump signed new H-1B visa requirements which will make harder for company to bring new worker from outside the country. Currently, there are over 1.2 million vacant positions for high-skilled technical jobs. This shortage of technical job openings has persisted for the past 15 years. The main reason is that there are not enough Americans who have enrolled in universities and earned degrees in fields such as engineering, mathematics, finance, computer programming, or genetic engineering. This issue is significant, and attitudes toward higher education have changed. In the late 1990s, over 70% of Americans believed college was important; today, only 49% agree. College enrollment has also declined compared to 25 years ago.

The Trump administration and its supporters focus on American interests and workers. However, questions arise about sustaining the country’s growth without crops available for harvest, doctors in hospitals, or mathematicians in laboratories. There are also considerations regarding how to maintain national progress if the proportion of retirees exceeds that of the younger workforce, or if the population continues to decline over time.

Supporters of President Trump’s immigration policy avoid these questions, insisting only that those who broke the law should be deported.

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UK, Canada, Australia formally recognize Palestinian state; Netanyahu vows ‘it will not happen’​

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UK, Canada, Australia formally recognize Palestinian state; Netanyahu vows ‘it will not happen’