9Rock9 said:

So, I want to explore political philosophy and how it relates to Christianity.

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A Christian in politics or lawmaking should submit to however Jesus guides the person.

9Rock9 said:

Ideally, our faith should inform our politics, but not the other way around.

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I would say so. And we need to submit to how Jesus informs and guides us, personally. And He is Lord of all, to judge, and to manage things the way He can; trust Jesus first, then, with anything > He is already ruling.

9Rock9 said:

Yet, this unfortunately not the case in reality. I don't intend to turn this into a finger pointing game between the left and the right, I just want to explore options here.

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It is not only "left" people and "right" people who are all alike in each group. In every group there are unique people.

9Rock9 said:

Should the government enact policies that reflect Christian policies?

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Yes. But I mean what is really Christian, not only self-righteous people trying to control others. I see how there can be ones favoring "Christian" things, but only so they can maintain the culture which has been around for some time, so their children won't get hit with some totally different political thing. But such ones are not going to be so caring about ones of other countries. And Jesus wants us to love others as ourselves, not favoring ourselves over others.

9Rock9 said:

One could argue yes, since a Christian government could provide a moral foundation for an otherwise secular society and arguably improves everyone's lives.

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Well, already > we have various items that are a match with Christian values. And easy example is, "do not murder". Of course, then we have conflict about what is included in murder . . . day-after embryos? older unborn children? convicted psychopaths?

Jesus says hate is murder. So, do we need a Christian a law that no one may fight in the armed forces unless the person does not hate whoever they will be killing in combat????

9Rock9 said:

On the other hand, one can say that the government would just bastardize Christianity and use it as a weapon for social control.

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Well, there are evil people who can use anything in a bad way. So, the fact that someone "could" use something the wrong way is not a reason not to have it. People can use food as a weapon and a means to control, but we still have food.

9Rock9 said:

What about libertarianism?

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The definition I read is that libertarianism means having minimal government involvement in people's lives. Well, Jesus in His government wants to rule all . . . at every moment, how we are guided personally by Him in His own peace. How can this be bad?

Christian libertarianism might mean minimal human government, then, so that we are free to be ruled better by Jesus, than how any human, including our own selves, can guide us.

9Rock9 said:

The Bible says to help the poor and needy.

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Yes, and in the earlier scriptures we see how God had humans taking care of ruling the people. And this included how resources were used to help the poor and needy. Tithe management is one example of this > Deuteronomy 14:22-29 shows how rules told the Jews to use their tithes for the tithers and for the widow and orphan and stranger and Levite.

And we might note how God's rules of government did affect various personal details of people's lives. The rules are not "minimal" in their involvement.

Also, in the New Testament we have >

"Do all things without complaining and disputing," (Philippians 2:14)

So, arguing and complaining are forbidden, according to Christian rules. So, if government were really Christian . . . . .

9Rock9 said:

Yet, does that mean we should petition the government to do it, or is charity a personal responsibility for us as Christians, and thus we should not outsource it to the state?

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I would say, do what works the best. Help people personally, and donate privately and pay taxes so others have the means to help people you can't reach. This is more or less how the Law of Moses had things set up. Plus, our Apostle Paul and ones laboring with him did hold collections so they could bring assistance to ones out of the reach of the givers; of course, this was done by Christians . . . not involving the Roman government!!

9Rock9 said:

Should there be a government? There are verses that seem to advocate for submitting to earthly authorities. Then again, many of these earthly authorities have, and sometimes still do, put innocent people to death. It can also be argued that the government has a monopoly on force and violence.

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Well . . . this world's rulers have some pretty dirty and dangerous people to deal with. I would not wish this job on a Christian. And yes, again, what can be good can be done in a bad way . . . therefore the killing of innocent people. But this does not automatically mean the death penalty is bad. The Law of Moses has various crimes that get the death penalty, including lying that you are a virgin in order to fool a guy into marrying you > yes > Deuteronomy 22:13-20.

9Rock9 said:

What are your thoughts?

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I have offered you a few

9Rock9 said:

I'm personally undecided, but that's why I made this thread. I want to see what others think to help me find out where I stand.

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I would not hurry, but take your time to learn. I would not hurry to be some one way or another along with others. Don't get caught up in some fad sort of a thing. I would offer that the best way you can help is to submit to God, use prayer, and be a good example. If you do whatever God has you do, God will use this, even what is in secret < His government now already is operating through Jesus, and He will make sure that whatever you do with Him will get His results > 1 Corinthians 15:58.

In Genesis 22:18, here is what the LORD says to Abraham, after he obeyed God >

"'In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.'" (Genesis 22:18)

One historical reason, then, why all nations have been blessed is because Abraham obeyed God, by doing what he did . . . in private. He has gotten "all" nations blessed, meaning he has gotten all-loving results . . . because He obeyed God who is all-loving. So, as well as we obey God who is all-loving, even our secret activities can get His all-loving results ! ! !

This is included in how Jesus Christ's government now works . . . already.

bèlla said:

Looking to speed up building network of migrant detention centers, Trump administration turns to the US Navy

The Department of Homeland Security is funneling $10 billion through the Navy to help facilitate the construction of a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US in an arrangement aimed at getting the centers built faster, according to sources and federal contracting documents.

Construction on some of the facilities is set to begin as soon as next month, one of the sources familiar with the project told CNN.

The contracting program, which has not been previously reported, is a joint effort between DHS and the Defense Department and leans on the Navy’s Supply Systems Command as a contracting arm to hire companies for construction and maintenance of the detention facilities.

The new detention centers are likely to be primarily soft-sided tents and may or may not be built on existing Navy installations, according to the sources familiar with the initiative. DHS has often leaned on soft-sided facilities to manage influxes of migrants.

One of the sources said the goal is for the facilities to house as many as 10,000 people each, and are expected to be built in Louisiana, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Utah and Kansas. Additional details about the facilities remain unclear, as the contracting process is still ongoing.

An uptick in immigration arrests has required more detention space to hold people for processing and potentially deportation. ICE, which also uses local jails to hold people, was previously funded for around 41,000 beds to temporarily house detainees. White House border czar Tom Homan has said he wants to double that number of detention beds—and fast.

~bella

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Good, happy to see it done.

camille70 said:

At Bay Area protest, a second pastor is shot by federal agents with a pepper round

OAKLAND, Calif. (RNS) — For the second time in six weeks, a pastor was struck in the head with a pepper round fired by a US immigration agent as faith leaders protested the arrival of more than 100 US Customs and Border Patrol agents.

religionnews.com

MSN

Video:

https://x.com/Kaos_Vs_Control/status/1981821670206660907

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From the article-

the demonstrators crowded the intersection, peacefully blocking entry to the base, while singing anthems like “We Shall Not Be Moved” in English and Spanish.

They were blocking the intersection and not letting the agents pass. The agents used non-lethal force to get through. The protestors, including this pastor got what they deserved. Obstructing the officers in this way, breaking the laws of this land, trying to prevent enforcement of the law which has been in place for a very long time and has been supported as Consituational despite ones own feelings on the matter, is antithetical to the a country that relies on the rule of law and justice. Protestors are to blame for this. If they would have just stood on the sidewalks, held signs and sang they would have been fine. But blocking the street and the vehicles is deserving of the actions of the agents.

bèlla said:

What do you have in mind?

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It was the same as what you wrote earlier but parents had other plans which turned out to be a mistake and me and my sister had to absorb it. No other plan now but to get rid of debt.

I think you will and you’re showing signs in your discussion of Ai and your project. The spark is there.

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I conceived the idea in much better times and originating from a childhood ambition but motivation to do it now is much less. Circumstances have changed a lot.

Chatgpt AI strongly recommended that I use the renewable energy project if successful in secret. To leverage one of the many ways a super cheap, fully renewable, and highly scalable energy source can be used as passive income, for example, powering my own server to rent cpu/gpu cycles cheaply. Starting with small, very affordable setup with only several computers and then rapidly expanding/compounding the setup. It requires very little, very affordable capital cost upfront than trying to mass produce the product.

It said that I'll make far more revenue far easier/less risk this way than patenting, mass manufacturing, selling, including any potential profits I might gain from fame even if I managed to run a successful manufacturing company even with big partners. I'll also avoid the many problems and headaches of marketing and maintaining intellectual property of such product. Electricity dominates the cost of such server operations. If I can get electricity very cheaply, I can be quite competitive.

But everything hinges on the success of the project to achieve good profitability with a very small scale, very affordable starter setup and ofc, having a stable job for added security.

True. But when I was growing up many of the popular dramas featured multi-family homes or properties and they had means. That’s the image we were shown in shows like Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest and more. We saw similar themes in soap operas as well. Perhaps that’s why it took root in me more than my relatives. I was younger and more impressionable. My aunt told me I’m a lot like our relations in the south. Watching me brings back memories of her childhood and their grandmother and aunts who did the same. When it comes to things like that I know what to do. I can’t explain it but the answer is there. Maybe it‘s ancestral.

But a few years ago they were calling Atlanta the new hollywood and going there in droves. Trump put a tariff on American films produced overseas. But the other side of that is private equity’s entrance in the market with hedge funds which reduced supply and drove up prices. They went overseas to find something cheaper.

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Good for you. I really don't see the point in buying new houses each generation either unless you're paying in cash. I think it's just vanity, keeping up with trends, no matter how foolish. Not a big fan of mortgage unless heavily subsidized by the government like in some countries.

I think the powers that run USA are doing their best to separate people from their money. I suppose to keep lots of money in circulation.

This is the problem if the focus is on money, not on the welfare of everyone. Free market economy does not work in all places and greed produces problems regardless of economic system.

And the elephant in the room is migration. They’re so focused on illegals and never considered the other. When there’s a lot of uncertainty and unrest people don’t remain if they can leave. They’re not reporting it openly. Lest they encourage citizens to follow suit but it’s happening. They can go elsewhere with less instability, a lower cost of living and their money goes further. By the time the majority realize what we’re becoming it’ll be too late.

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I think Trump could be doing these things to manipulate market volatility and attempt to profit from it.

RileyG said:

Do you have a spiritual director? Some like centering prayer AKA contemplative prayer is where you empty your mind and focus on a single word. I've known some Benedictine priests and sisters who regularly practice it.

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I used to but not anymore.

ThatRobGuy said:

Does it?

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It do.

ThatRobGuy said:

That tells me 2 things:

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One, people prefer to uphold the constitution. And two, some people don't actually know their constitution (see above).

Bradskii said:

You tell me that you don't care about people who will be affected by the problem as long as it's not you.

I'll be nonplussed by that and struggle to find a response that stays within forum rules.

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I know. I know...

FaithT said:

I sent an email to my priest who’s also the pastor of my church.

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So far I haven’t heard back from him.

Richard T said:

Yes, and that is even worse than layoffs because of low demand. The reason being is that those folks are unlikely to ever get called back. While Amazon and lots of tech investment is good at the macro level, it is not going to a large segment of the economy and the productivity gains are going to the few at the top and their investors. Sure some have small piece of Amazon stock, but nothing like those at the top. I do not begrudge them, but I that is the reality of all Ai.

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I hate to repeat this, as it's kind of depressing, but I've always believed that we're quickly accelerating in the direction of socialism, with no way to change course.

Guojing said:

Is your answer yes or no to my question?

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No true believer will ever take the mark of the beast; but I doubt you will agree. Jesus said, "not everyone who calls Me 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore we know that many people who claim to be Christian will take the mark. But they were never saved to begin with. And I still doubt you will agree.

Postvieww said:

If I were you I wouldn’t worry much about a third term. That idea is just more liberal nonsense like claiming he is a king.

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Maybe the term 'testing the water' is one that you haven't come across before.

Landon Caeli said:

Can you point me in the right direction on how to one-up your post for the win? Im stumped.

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You tell me that you don't care about people who will be affected by the problem as long as it's not you.

I'll be nonplussed by that and struggle to find a response that stays within forum rules.

Bradskii said:

Trump news at a glance: president floats a third term as Democrats vow ‘no way in hell’

President has not definitively ruled out seeking to extend time in office. Key US politics stories from Monday 27 October at a glance

www.theguardian.com

“I would love to do it: I have my best numbers ever,” the 79-year-old told reporters on Air Force One during a trip to Asia. Pressed on whether he was not ruling out a third term, he said, “Am I not ruling it out? I mean, you’ll have to tell me.”

Apart from him lying yet again about his numbers (they are in the toilet), how about we get a consensus on this?

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I do recall more than one Christian prophet saying he would have two terms . That came to pass even though many thought after 2020 it would not . If I were you I wouldn’t worry much about a third term. That idea is just more liberal nonsense like claiming he is a king. Login to view embedded media

Guojing said:

So is Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32, following Jesus's instructions in Luke 12:33, still required for us today, to be like the Acts 2 church?

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The Gentile Churches were instructed to provide support for the Saints in Judea, as they were struggling under the persecution that arose after Stephen's martyrdom. The long term expectation was for those who had the means to support those without, bearing one another's burdens .
2 Co 8:
8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

Romans 15:
26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.

RileyG said:

That's....interesting....considering how inclusive the Episcopal Church has been for decades.

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I wondered about that. I don't know this particular person, or the particular situation. In principle, we intend to be inclusive across lines of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, native language, and so on. Possibly this committee isn't living up to its principles -- it's easier to talk about principles than to live them. Or possibly there are abrasive personalities on the committee who are clashing with each other. I really don't know anything about the inner workings of the committee, beyond what I read in the ENS article.

Landon Caeli said:

Isn’t Donald Trump constantly being referred to as a King on this forum? I can't imagine how calling Mamdani a communist is different than that.

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yep. Exactly !!

Bradskii said:

No. Because someone you appear to trust said:

'“...climate change will have serious consequences — particularly for people in the poorest countries...'

And said it in the very article to which you linked. But hey, the consequences to you might not be so serious, so if you're ok and it's only going to affect all those poor people then what's the problem?

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Can you point me in the right direction on how to one-up your post for the win? Im stumped.

Tuur said:

Like it or not, Trump isn't objectively unpopular.

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From The Economist:

'The president's net approval rating is -18%,
down 1.3 points since last week'.

I believe that's the lowest since...well, for ever. So what descriptive would you use to preface '....unpopular' if not 'objectively' (although the fact that he is unpopular is an objective fact)

Drastically? Overwhelmingly? Incredibly?

Me, I'd go 'Undeniably', but it's your call.

The pre-Reformation Hail Mary in the Latin West was similar to the Orthodox version, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you...". "Pray for us sinners" was added after the Reformation.

Landon Caeli said:

The Amazon layoffs are targeting corporate employees only, and it's because theyre being replaced by generative AI, not because of lack of sales, or the economy.

You can't blame Trump for technological advances.

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Yes, and that is even worse than layoffs because of low demand. The reason being is that those folks are unlikely to ever get called back. While Amazon and lots of tech investment is good at the macro level, it is not going to a large segment of the economy and the productivity gains are going to the few at the top and their investors. Sure some have small piece of Amazon stock, but nothing like those at the top. I do not begrudge them, but I that is the reality of all Ai.

stevevw said:

There has been ongoing debate about who is the best guitarist with the likes of Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan ect. Who do you think is the greatest guitarist. I think all the above are great each in their own way.

But I am also interested in other guitarist not as well known who may even be better. Even Youtubers or buskers. Whoever. I love the guitar and not just lead but also rythm, bass and all sorts of stringed instruments. The Banjo is great as well.

In recent years I came across Derek Trucks. He is actually the nephew of the late Butch Trucks, drummer for the Allman Brothers. So he grew up around the band and that era of blues and rock guitarist.

Derek plays the slide guitar which I love and think of Gilmor in classic songs like the Great Gig in the Sky. Its great because not only is the note played but all sorts of notes inbetween are bent into each other. Its almost like a violin and yet he still comes back to classic blues rock guitar.

Enjoy.

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Check out Guthrie Govan! Login to view embedded media

essentialsaltes said:

Unless you can document that 'they' claimed H. sapiens was among them, this is irrelevant to your initial claim.

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James Hansen predicted that burning all existing fossil fuels "would make most of the planet uninhabitable by humans"... I know most of the planet is not all the planet, so I guess Gates built kind of a strawman, but even then, sources say we've already burned half of earth's supply, and all we've seen so far are a couple tennis court size islands go underwater.