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Massachusetts police arrest six women in alleged multi-state burglary gang, 3 taken into ICE custody


We will see how many court hearings are demanded before the three get deported.
Shouldn't there be at least one to determine their guilt or innocence first?
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10 Misconceptions About Evolution

I thought I'd throw this out there because it's been a little dry around here.

10 Misconceptions About Evolution
A theory is an explanatory paradigm that has stood the test of theoretical coherence and—most important—empirical validation.
Yeah, that's a claim that widely repeated and is empirically false. There is no universal usage for the word 'theory' in science. Common usage would probably include the first part of the claim, about coherence (both internal coherence and coherence with existing data), but there is no requirement that a proposed theory be empirically validated. That's why the Steady State and the Big Bang theories were competing theories to explain the same data.

Other than that, the statements about the 10 misconceptions seem pretty solid.
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No person can come to Christ by their own freewill !

If it were present, you'd be able to explain where it was. Not just lamely go on about how I just can't see it. There's no asterisks on the "all" in my Bible.
Explaining cant help you, Ive been explaining since the Op and you cant see anything
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The man with the legion?

I'm going to try to give you some insight into the activity of most demons, and what they are actually out to try and do with most of us, etc, but that sometimes doesn't go exactly according to plan. Let's take the man with the legion, and why Jesus sent them (those demons inhabiting that man) into the pigs, and why the pigs immediately rushed over the precipice to die for a minute, and why it was actually an act of compassion upon those demons by Jesus? Jesus sought this man out, the man with the legion, and he didn't do this with hardly anyone else, and made quite the journey/trip out of his way to do it, etc. When a demon, or a group of demons, first makes a decision to target somebody, the first thing they do is get inside the person for what they think is going to be for them (at first) somebody that is going to provide them with a lot of very great fun, and much entertainment, at first anyway, etc, but, when the fun stops being fun or entertaining anymore, then they usually try to get that person to off themselves or die so they can then get released from that person, and go elsewhere to do it with or to somebody else again, etc. Most of the time they are successful with most people and it's not a problem for them, etc. But, every once in a while, they can get stuck there with somebody for a while and then it becomes a torment for them until that person dies, etc, and this is what had happened with the man with the legion, these demons desperately wanted a release from this man by that point, because they couldn't get him to kill himself, and couldn't kill him, etc. Well, Jesus seeks this man out, knowing full well what was going on with; both that man, and the demons in him by that point, etc. Well, when these demons saw Jesus coming they knew exactly who Jesus was, and that he had full authority to send them all into oblivion if he wanted to, etc, and this is why they entreated him, and practically begged Jesus to send them into the pigs instead, and is why the pigs immediately rushed over the precipice and died, so that these could finally be released and were free to go elsewhere now after that, etc, finallyget there long sought release from this man that they originally targeted (but greatly underestimated, etc). They knew Jesus wasn't going to kill the man, or let them kill the man (something they had been trying to do with the man, or get that man to do for a very, very long time now, but couldn't) so, anyway, that's why they practically begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs nearby, and Jesus allowed them to do that instead of "something else Jesus could have done to them", etc, and it was actually Jesus having compassion on both them (those demon) and the man that those demons were inhabiting, since it was the man that Jesus was after, etc. Anyway, this is the activity/purposes of most demons with most of us, but it can backfire for them if their attempts to make the person dead after it is no longer fun anymore doesn't succeed fully for them, because once they get in a person, they don't have the power to get released from that person until that person dies, etc, which doesn't always happen always, after which they are the ones that are in torment for a while until that person dies, or until someone like Jesus comes along, and they are able to get released another way, etc, which is what happened with this man with the legion.

God Bless.
This is a very interesting message.

You have covered some aspects of this story that I have never read previously.

Do you personally have a "Deliverance Ministry" to some degree?
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Oklahoma’s MAGA superintendent who demanded Bibles in class faces investigation after TV in his office shows naked women

Yeah there might be some obscure law regarding being in the possession of 1960s pinups. Wasn't there a guy who got 5 to 10 for his Betty Grable collection?
Are you mistaking actress Betty Grable (known for her legs) for model Bettie Page (known for her nudes)?
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Flat or round earth -The final experiment.

A number of points about this video.

1) The lower parts of the buildings in his first photo cannot be seen. This is because they are below the horizon. That’s very obvious.

2) You are never going to see the curve of the earth in that photo. If you did, the earth would have to be tiny. Flat earthers don’t have any concept of the size of the globe earth, none whatsoever.

3) Notice that when he starts to talk about vanishing point, objects become smaller as the move away. This does not happen the sun at sunset.

4) The sun does light up the whole sky during the day, proving its light is not localised. Which in turn means that it must be much further away than what this guy claims.

At sunset, the angle of the sun’s rays is shallower from an observer’s point of view than it is during the day, so making its light weaker and seem more localised.

5) It is very obvious, even from his own video, that the sun is not reducing in size to a point of light, which it would have to do if the sun is moving as he claims. It’s dropping below the horizon, as expected with a globe earth.

6) Claiming the clouds are behind the moon is just ridiculous. Sorry, but it is! The reason clouds seem to be behind the moon is because the clouds are not dense & are hidden in front of the moon by the moon’s glare. You can ask any amateur astronomer on that one!

7) The “A” in Space is NOT the “illuminati pyramid”! Conspiracy theorist join dots where there are no dots!

8) Planets are not stars. They look like stars to the naked eye. But in a telescope, they are obviously spheres which are much closer than stars. They also follow paths consistent with planets orbiting the sun.

The ignorance in this video is very strong. Again, ask any amateur astronomer about planets and their movements in the sky. They match precisely as expected of objects orbiting the sun.

9) The Bible does not say that the moon has its own light. It says it is a luminary. A luminary can be an object reflecting light. Look up the meaning of the original Hebrew word for that one.

10) The moon has phases, shadows of craters are seen depending on the direction from where the external light source (the sun) is coming from.

11) The photo of the moon during the day proves it has phases. He hasn’t shown where the sun is in relation to the moon. You will never see a full moon during the day except at a sunrise or at a sunset, with the sun directly opposite the moon. Really, this video is tiresome in its stupidity!!

12) Making statements such as footage from the ISS being CGI does not prove anything.

At least three Christian astronauts, who are God’s own, testify to the earth being spherical as viewed from the ISS. Again to claim it is all CGI is to call these Christian’s liars. I’m calling that guy out on bearing false witness to these beloved people of God.

13) No, 500 years ago people did not believe the earth was flat. You would not have been ridiculed for saying it’s a globe. Detailed globes were being made over 600 years ago. Nobody ridiculed it. The earth had been known to be a globe for thousands of years.


This whole video is disgraceful misdirection and downright deception. None if his points hold any truth.

Sorry, but you have been seriously deceived…very seriously deceived.
Kudos for having the patience to watch the whole of that mind numbing stupidity. I didn't go past the first photo he showed, since it immediately debunked his claims. I figured the rest would be more of he same.
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In Defense of Mary, Maiden-Mother of God

"So, who is this extraordinary creature—the daughter no less of her own son (“O figlia del tuo figlio”)!—that anyone who seeks God but does not first seek her will, warns Dante, “have his wish fly upward without wings”? Yet, whose charity will often enough arrive in advance even of our asking for it?"

That's interesting, what would that even mean in practice? How would you seek Mary?
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Oklahoma’s MAGA superintendent who demanded Bibles in class faces investigation after TV in his office shows naked women

Are you suggesting that viewing, collecting, possessing nude picture is acceptable as long as it does not involve lust or gratification? Are you implying that it would be appropriate for young boys and girls to view or own images featuring nudity as long as lust is not involve because similar nudity existing in Sistine Chaple?
If he ain't, I am, even if it does. There is a time and place for nudity.

This does not mean, however, that I would be "fine" if, as someone suggested, he were to come over to my house and wave his "junk" in my face. Nor do I find it appropriate for the workplace - most workplaces, anyhoo, as there are obviously acceptions.
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Flat or round earth -The final experiment.

@Phil G This is what I understand about the sun

Russianvids - Flat Earth The Sun & The Vanishing Point - Hoax Planets They Don't Exist - ISS Footage​


1000030179.jpg

If the earth was flat, the entire city would be visible, right down to the shore (which is closer to the viewer than the towers). It isn't visible due to the curvature of the earth. It is partly visible due to atmospheric refraction.
So right off the bat, this photo he puts up falsifies the flat earth model. It is also obvious that the sun is not what he describes as due to perspective. With his line of telegraph poles, they get smaller and smaller but remain exactly the same shape. If the flat earth claims were true then the sun would appear as a tiny circle. Instead, what you see in the photo is the top of a large circle, the rest of which is hidden by the horizon. Once again this photo falsifies the flat earth model and is completely consistent with the globe.
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I believe that ALL who ever lived will be in God’s Kingdom

What is it in your opinion that we have changed from/repented of?
In my opinion I feel that I even have to ask for Jesus to give me the Holy Spirit so that even my thoughts and intentions can be cleansed.

I do ask for Jesus to show me what my sins are errors are and help me to truly change.
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Watch: CNN Cuts Tulsi Gabbard Off as She Lays Out the Inconvenient Facts of the Russia Hoax

syntax is king

It is about censorship - cutting off a live broadcast so their low information listeners believer their propaganda and not hear the whole story.

Do you agree with CCN's decision to censure?
It's about the same ol nonsensical claim of a Russian hoax.
All news orgs make decisions to move from one press conference or another. Like this one:
Fox News quickly changed segments as members of the House Intelligence Committee began tearing into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following the US military breach scandal, cutting away from the hearing before Democrats could call for the Trump ally's resignation.
That doesn't mean censorship.

CNN cut it off and fact checked the bogus claims by noting every other bipartisanship report, special counsel report, IG report, contradicts the claims Gabbard made using the partisan, no Democrat,s GOP house report written to downplay Putin's desire to help Trump.
All news orgs should have done the same less this canard would be put to bed without threads like this.
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Pastor Rick Joyner on the state of the Bride of Messiah back in 1995?

We like to make it about us but Jesus did what He did for the Father and His plan to overcome all adversity, both elohim and human
But in order for us to approach an appropriate level of gratefulness and thankfulness we do have to recognize that Jesus had all of us in mind as he was going through the crucifixion and His time in hell.

Jesus bought His Bride and paid the price of Her freedom in full.
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Human evolution question?

If human evolution is still happening (and I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be), wouldn’t it be very difficult to detect over only a thousand years?
In the strictest sense, it's trivial to detect ongoing evolution in humans. Look at recent dramatic population increases in some parts of the world even as populations have started to shrink in other parts.: every allele that has a higher frequency in the former areas than in the latter (and there are lot of them) is currently increasing in frequency in the human population as a whole, which means we're evolving as a species.

Now, if you mean specifically adaptive evolution, I would say that's a lot harder to detect but not impossible, at least in principle. For example, you can look for an association between reproductive success and genotype in large datasets, e.g. the UK Biobank. You will certainly find associations, e.g. alleles associated with higher intelligence or higher educational attainment are negatively correlated with reproductive success. The tricky part is demonstrating causality; in particular, demonstrating that it's not differential success of cryptic subpopulations within the dataset rather than differential success of specific genotypes that is driving the observation.
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The Sabbath. Stunning admissions?(I have no idea where things goes otherwise)

I have no idea who David C Pack is or what he teaches but it doesn't matter if God is our Authority.

God wrote and God spoke His Ten Commandments, it is His personal Testimony written by the finger of God, Exo 31;18 which is the Holy Spirit. For me there is no greater Authority than He, even if its not the popular path to follow.


Exo 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

The weekly Sabbath is meant to be a blessing Isa 56:2 because man can‘t bless or sanctify themselves Isa 66:17 we need God and God connects the Sabbath to His Creation Exo 20:11 and connects His Sabbath to His re-creation or sanctification Eze 20:12 God said the Sabbath is on the seventh day Exo 20:10 its really a sign of our loyalty Eze 20:20

Jesus condemned those who keep their own law in lieu of obeying God’s commandments quoting directly from the Ten Commandments

Mat 15:3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father [a]or mother.’ Thus you have made the [b]commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 ‘These people [c]draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Jesu said, If you love Me, keep My commandments John 14:15, the Sabbath was never a suggestion or part of multiple choices for God’s people, the Sabbath is a commandment of God,, both personally written and spoken by the God of the Universe. We keep through our faith, because we trust He knows what’s best for us. Exo 20:6 1 John 5:3

Thank you for this excellent reply to this topic. I was taught about the weekly Sabbath by the Worldwide Church of God and I do find the Sabbath to be a great blessing in my life.
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The Sabbath. Stunning admissions?(I have no idea where things goes otherwise)

David Pack Leader of the Restored Church of God, a splinter sect of the Worldwide Church of God. The Worldwide Church of God is somewhat related to the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

The whole history is a bit convoluted, but as I best understand it: The "Church of God (Seventh Day)" was formed due to a split of Sabbatarian Adventists on the issue of Ellen G. White; the ones that agreed with her founded the Seventh Day Adventist Church, while others who rejected her claims founded the "Church of God (Seventh Day)" which is unfortunately a bit of an unwieldy title. Herbert Armstrong was a minister of the Church of God (Seventh Day). He got into some conflicts with leadership and founded his own group, the Worldwide Church of God. Eventually he died, as people generally do. New leadership changed the name to Grace Communion International along with some of the doctrines, which prompted a lot of his followers to split off and form a lot of smaller denominations (most with the word "Church of God" somewhere in their title) aiming to better continue his teachings. The Restored Church of God is one of those.

Due to their connection with Seventh Day Adventism, there is notable overlap in beliefs between it and the various Church of God groups, though they also diverge considerably in some areas. More information is fairly well detailed on the Wikipedia page about the groups. The important shared belief here, however, is Saturday Sabbathkeeping.

An interesting note in all of this is that back in the 1980's the Seventh Day Adventists seemed to have a better understanding of the state of the dead than is the case lately. It seems that the massive influx of former WWCG members into the SDA church has resulted in their becoming very dogmatic in their teachings about Soul Sleep.

I would suggest to my fellow former WWCG friends to read or listen to the near death experience accounts of Kevin Zadai Th. D. or Robert Marshall of "Forty Four Hours in Heaven" and then take another look at 2 Corinthians 12 because if we do not have an accurate teaching on what happens when we die it is difficult for us to inspire anybody to give their hearts to Jesus.

2 Corinthians 12 :
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
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Governor Tim Walz calls in National Guard after huge cyberattack prompts safety concerns in major Minnesota city

This is true, but I took @ozso's comment as a joke.
I also took it as a joke, but a particularly hamfisted one for the reasons people posted above.

Well, it's not as though many appreciate my brand of humor either, so...
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Trump's Warrior Board

Trump, in another break from the norm, interviews 4-star general candidates

The New York Times, which first reported on the practice, said it had been initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

I wouldn't be greatly surprised that the SecDef interviewed 4-star candidates.

Unusual that the president wouldn't delegate that task to the SecDef.
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The 666 mark will be a tattoo

Mobile payments have never been more popular. Article shows a credit card, phone, and watch and then goes on to state... There is a problem when so many readers only accept actual credit cards. Mobile payments may become more popular than credit cards after a while. It will take a long time before anyone can figure out what will happen. - Mobile Payments vs. Credit Card Payments-The 2024 Review

hands-with-smartphone-smartwatch-127505250.webp
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I was brought up out of Atheism in 1972 by TV Evangelist Garner Ted Armstrong.

Welcome to CF!

I hope you come to some resolution about the various theologies you have taken in over many years. To be honest, I'm not sure we have a section for the Worldwide Church of God, though they seem to be related to the Seventh Day Adventists. I found this post to be informative: The Sabbath. Stunning admissions?(I have no idea where things goes otherwise)

This thread disputes the World Wide Church of God: Some teachings of Herbert W Armstrong

This poster grew up with it: The Crucifixion Not Friday

Maybe talking in those threads would help you process your history and memories a little bit.

As for Pentecostal, we do have a Congregational Subforum for that here: Pentecostal & Assemblies of God

We also have some Charismatic Catholic Information here: Charismatic Catholic Renewal That subforum is closed, but maybe you can find some information there that will help you.

Personally, I'm just glad that you accepted the Gospel and are walking with the Lord Jesus. That is, for me, the most important thing. I hope you are able to feel His presence in your life and connect with others who believe as you do.

(and finally, we have a Messianic Judaism subforum here if you want to connect with fellow Messianics as well)

This is very helpful information. Thank you immensely.

In a way I do think that my time in the WWCG has set me up to better appreciate what I have been learning lately.
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Did Jesus go to hell during the time that he was in the grave?

The realm into which Jesus descended is called Hell, in long-established English usage, but is also called Sheol or Limbo by some Christian theologians to distinguish it from the Hell of the damned.[11] In Classical mythology, Hades is the underworld inhabited by departed souls, and the god Pluto is its ruler. Some New Testament translations use the term "Hades" to refer to the abode or state of the dead to represent a neutral place where the dead awaited the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

The word "harrow" originally comes from the Old English hergian meaning "to harry or despoil", and is seen in the homilies of Aelfric, c. 1000.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrowing_of_Hell#cite_note-14 The term 'Harrowing of Hell' refers not merely to the idea that Jesus descended into Hell, as in the Creed, but to the rich tradition that developed later, asserting that he triumphed over inferos, releasing Hell's captives, particularly Adam and Eve, and the righteous men and women of the Old Testament period.

Scripture​

The Harrowing of Hell is mentioned or suggested by several verses in the New Testament:[13][c]

  • Matthew 12:40: "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth."
  • Matthew 27:50–54: "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'"
  • Acts 2:24: "But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power."
  • Acts 2:31: "Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, 'He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption'."
  • Ephesians 4:8-9: " When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people. In saying, 'he ascended', what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?"
    • Colossians 1:18: "He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything."
    • 1 Peter 3:18–19: "For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ..."
    • 1 Peter 4:6: "For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does."
  • Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar sees parallels with Mark 3:24: "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered."




The Wikipedia article on this topic gives us a good background to work with.
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Who is really responsible for Salvation?

But you are going in the wrong direction. Let me ask you something, did Jesus elect the 12 apostles or did they, of their own free will, become His disciples?
Jesus knew what was in man. When he chose David, He said:

1Sa 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Joh 6:64-65 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."

Joh 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus also knew that the disciples were believing, apart from Judas (who loved money more than God).

God assesses our hearts; He knows what we think of all things, including what we think of God. When Jesus chose the disciples He would have done exactly what He did with King David, chose people with open hearts.

God initiates; He brings His word. Man responds. Then the Father pours out His love.

Joh 14:22-24 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.

God initiates, He brings His word.
We hear of Jesus and His grace

Man responds.
Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word

Then the Father pours out His love.
and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/3486366/wyoming-rethinking-education-from-ground-up/

Wyoming already has school choice, and we are currently defending a state voucher program. These are both hot national topics, but Wyoming’s desire for excellence goes far beyond simple politics. The work is not about public vs. private schools or tradition vs. innovation. Rather, it is built from the ground up, ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education, no matter where they live or how they learn. It’s a pretty simple concept, really, that requires talent, commitment, and passion, but aren’t those the characteristics of the great teachers we have had the blessing of learning from in our own histories?

They are getting off to a great start!
I hope this works out! Wyoming, according to USNews, currently ranks 6th overall for education among states and 14th for K-12. :oldthumbsup:
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