Merrill said:

I say "apparently" because I do not have firm confirmation on that yet. It is being discussed in various locations of the Internet

do you have proof he went to his editor first?

If you do, please provide it

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Noted.
I was not making a claim.

trophy33 said:

But no third party can decide or even attack some country and start killing. It is against international law.

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I agree, but don't cross America's redline, or you'll get killed, and unfortunately, we crossed Russia's.

Douggg said:

No, you are putting words in my mouth.

Look at the start of the next chapter, Matthew 11.

Matthew 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

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I recon that would make the Pharisees and Sadducees who beat the christians in the synagogues during the tribulation in the Olivet discourse at least 2000 years old.

They sure have long lives

The Liturgist said:

That’s what I believe God desires us, to take up our Cross and follow Christ, but not, for example, to convert to Judaism.

Indeed the requirements of the Jewish faith were expressly declared inapplicable to Gentile converts to Christianity at the Council of Jerusalem, the ecunemincal proto-synod narrated in Acts ch. 15.

This council issued an Epistle, delivered to the Christians in Antioch, that was written by St. James the Just, that is recorded in Acts in contrast to the other surviving Epistle of St. James, which is its own separate book:

“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” (Acts 15:24-29)

Thus, as long as Christians do not fornicate, drink blood and consume meat strangled or offered to idols, or as per St. Paul commit murder, sodomy, and certain other moral offenses, some of which are explicitly mentioned in the Ten Commandments but some of which, such as the prohibition on fornication and homosexuality, which is expressed as a primary moral issue by St. Paul, are not mentioned by the Decalogue but rather by the Torah.

This is further evidence, along with the fact that there is no instruction from Jerusalem that Gentile converts observe the Sabbath, that the Decalogue is not of primary importance to Christians, contra Adventism and early Anglicanism.

I suspect the extreme focus on the Decalogue we see among some Restorationist denominations like the SDA is actually the result of the over-emphasis of the Decalogue in the older (in America, obsolete, the content having been removed for multiple iterations) editions of the Anglican BCP such as the 1662 BCP, which was followed in this respect by the Methodists for a time, in quoting the Decalogue at the start of Holy Communion and also including the very unpleasant Commination liturgy. Prior to the Anglican Holy Communion service, no church had quoted the Decalogue as part of the ordinary of their Eucharistic liturgy, and indeed most churches did not even include it in the lectionary used at the Eucharist, but rather read all Old Testament prophecies at Vespers (this being the norm in the Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Byzantine and most Western liturgical rites, except for those of Gallican origin, except on a few occasions where the Roman Rite read an Old Testament lesson instead of an Epistle before the Gospel at Mass; besides the Gallican family of liturgies, of which only the Ambrosian remains in widespread use, with the Mozarabic preserved only in a dedicated chapel of the cathedral in Toledo, Spain, only the East Syriac Rite includes at least one, and usually two, Old Testament lessons before the Epistle and Gospel in their Eucharistic liturgy.

And indeed, the Anglicans continued this practice, of only reading the Old Testament at the Divine Office for most Sundays and Holy Days, but they did preface their Holy Communion with the Decalogue, although this practice has now fallen out of use even in many parishes that still use the 1662 BCP, in favor of reading the Summary of the Law or instead following the Lutheran practice of retaining the litany Kyrie Eleison, Christie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison, which has musical advantages.

Rather, the list of dangerous sins provided by St. Paul in his various epistles, such as to the Romans, can be considered as the basis for Christian morality and is consistent with what was said by Christ our True God, as are all Pauline epistles.

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The passage you're referring to;
"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:" (Acts 15:28, NKJV)

Context:​

in the proper context, This verse comes from the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), where the early church leaders (including the apostles and elders) gathered to discuss whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to follow the Mosaic Law, particularly the requirement of circumcision. Some Jewish believers in the church argued that Gentiles must be circumcised and follow the law of Moses to be saved, while others, like the Apostle Paul and Barnabas, contended that Gentiles should not be burdened with this.

After much debate, the council decided to send a letter to the Gentile believers, advising them of certain requirements but making it clear that they were not required to fully observe the Jewish law, particularly circumcision.

The "Necessary Things":​

In Acts 15:29 (just after the verse you mentioned), the "necessary things" are outlined:

"that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:29, NKJV)


These "necessary things" refer to:

1. Abstaining from things offered to idols: This relates to avoiding idolatry or the consumption of food sacrificed to idols, which was a common practice in the Gentile world.
2. Abstaining from blood: This refers to the prohibition against consuming blood, which is consistent with Old Testament dietary laws (Leviticus 17:10-14).
3. Abstaining from things strangled: This is related to the requirement for animals to be slaughtered in a specific way (not strangled) to ensure that their blood was properly drained, as outlined in the Old Testament.
4. Abstaining from sexual immorality: This is a moral command that was emphasized throughout Scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments.

Does this Mean the Moral Law is No Longer in Effect?​

The decision of the Jerusalem Council was specific to the issue of Gentile believers and their relationship to the Mosaic Law. The apostles and elders were not suggesting that the moral law (i.e., the commandments related to ethical living) was no longer in effect. In fact, the command to abstain from sexual immorality points to the ongoing relevance of moral law.

In the broader context of the New Testament, we see that moral laws, like the Ten Commandments (e.g., prohibitions against lying, stealing, and adultery), continue to be relevant for Christian living. Jesus himself emphasized the moral law in His teachings (e.g., Matthew 5:17-20). The Apostle Paul also makes clear that moral imperatives still apply to Christians (e.g., Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

The "necessary things" outlined in Acts 15 were specific to the Gentiles' new life in Christ and were meant to promote unity in the early church by avoiding practices that were particularly offensive to Jewish Christians (such as idol worship and consuming blood). These were not intended to replace or nullify the moral law. The decision of the Jerusalem Council was not about negating the need for ethical living but rather addressing specific issues that might cause division between Jewish and Gentile believers. Therefore, the moral law (such as commandments about honesty, purity, and justice) remains in effect for all Christians.

essentialsaltes said:

Maybe your gut was wrong after all.

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Haha, maybe. But the best thing about my gut, is that it changes as the information changes, or as circumstances change.

Michie said:

U.S. authorities have captured the MS-13 top leader for the U.S. East Coast, the FBI announced on Thursday.

Officials captured the 24-year-old suspect in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C. Authorities have yet to release the suspect's name, but they say he is one of the top three leaders of the MS-13 gang in the U.S.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel watched the arrest unfold from a nearby tactical operations center. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and senior DOJ official Emil Bove were also present.

"They executed a clean, safe operation and the bad guys in custody. And thanks to the FBI, we got one of the worst of the worst of the MS-13 off the streets this morning. Virginia and the country is a lot safer today," Bondi told Fox News following the arrest.

Continued below.

Top MS-13 leader arrested in Virginia

The FBI says it arrested one of the top three leaders of the MS-13 gang in the U.S. on Thursday.

www.foxnews.com

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Wonderful. Lives are being saved!

sanderabeer said:

The author might want to read the Old Testament.

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do you think we still live under the old Hebrew covenant?

Strong in Him said:

You're not listening.
You said the earth is a circle - another name for which is "sphere".

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Discs, clocks, wheels, etc., are a few examples of a circle, whereas football, oranges, eyeballs, etc. are a few examples of a sphere.

Login to view embedded media

Tax cuts = more money in the consumers hand - which results in more spending - more spending = more taxes (revenue)

DHS Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in an X post Wednesday that Ozturk’s visa “is a privilege not a right,” adding that “glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated.”
Progress.

iluvatar5150 said:

Did the money go to OSF or merely through them? OSF - Macedonia is listed as the implementer, along with four other local orgs:

CIVIL SOCIETY PROJECT (CSP)

Start date: February 27, 2012 End Date: August 31, 2016Project budget (Life of Project): $4,819,125Implementer: Foundation Open Society – Macedonia (FOSM), in partnership with four local civil society organizations (CSOs): the Youth Educational Forum; Forum – Center for Strategic...

web.archive.org

What did the documents that JW sued for say about the funding?


A better example would be if you hand Elon Musk $20 to buy you groceries, and he comes back with exactly $20 worth of groceries, did you give him $20?

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thanks for reporting me to the mods for disagreeing with you

word of warning to the others here before they engage with you --how many times have you reported me and others now

in a channel that is supposed to be for Christians only?

Belk said:

Indeed. I can think of few clearer messages that you do not care about due process.

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An incorrect conclusion. There are those who have great concern for the due process of the victims of terrorism. Understand that the Biden administration turned down settlements for Gitmo prisoners who are still awaiting trial, saying no to life in prison with no solitary confinement. So there are terrorists after over two decades who have not received a trial. The difference is it is now Trump detaining terrorists, not Joe, and the left goes crazy when it is Trump, telling all that Trump can can't do the same things Democrats have done. This double standard is going to stop, if some judges and Democrat criminals have to do some jail time so be it.

Bob Crowley said:

Some MRI and medical jokes - Michie might be able to relate to the first.​

I'm getting an MRI tomorrow...the doctor wants to find out if I'm claustrophobic or not.​

Michael Jordan is wheeled into the hospital for emergency surgery.

He’s brought into the operation room and meets his doctors, but he notices something strange. In the corner, there’s a stage being set up. An anesthesiologist is repeating jokes to herself and wiping her brow. The MRI techs are handling a soundboard in the back. The head surgeon is tuning a guitar by his bed. “Hey doc, what’s exactly going on here?” The basketball player asks.

The doctor smiles. “Open Mike Night.”

Which makes a better Doctor? A cat or a dog?​

of course its Cats! Dog's can't even run an MRI. But Cat's can!

My doctor told me I needed a brain MRI.​

My wife assured me they wouldn't find anything.



My wife had an MRI a week or so ago. The only comment she made was "It was NOISY!". She complained that even with ear muffs on it was still loud. I had one myself about 6 or so years ago. I remember the noise but with my hearing loss I had an advantage for once.

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Yes, they’re VERY noisy. And yet my husband who can sleep through anything fell asleep in his MRI.

Aryeh Jay said:

They would pin it on Hunter Biden anyway. You know, because he was an unelected member of the government.

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That is the sad thing. Rather than conducting the needed investigation this quagmire requires, after at least four different Hunter Biden investigations, Jim Jordan announced they still aren't done and a separate investigation is being conducted to once again investigate the investigators.

eclipsenow said:

we were about to buy over $350 bn in nuclear powered submarines

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We have yet to actually deliver a single submarine to your country, and it has been decades since we sold a newly built nuclear vessel (we did on the other hand sell the Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, used, however; in retrospect given the trainwreck that was the LCS project we should have kept them, as decrepit and obsolete as they were, and perhaps bought some of those rather nice stealthy frigates in use in some European navies.

However, until an submarine sets sail from Groton or Newport News flying your naval ensign, I cannot truthfully say we export them. Merely that it has been agreed to export them, but that deal might not now happen.

Australia should buy our submarines, to be clear, it would be a better deal than the diesel electric submarines you were going to purchase in terms of endurance and defensive capabilities, but it hasn’t happened yet.

The UK builds its own submarines, although they really need to get moving on replacements for the V boats.

I like her. She also had a great name for MTG that I wont be repeating here.

Welcome to politics in the age of Trumpism!

Koberstein said:

New

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châdash, khaw-dash'; a primitive root; to be new; causatively, to rebuild:—renew, repair.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon

STRONGS H2318:
† [חָדַשׁ] verb only Pi. (and Hithp.) renew, repair (in poetry and late) (Late Hebrew id., Phoenician חדש; noun חדש new moon, also in קרתחדשת new-city£½Carthage; Aramaic Tedfo and חַדֵּשׁ; Arabic حَدَثَ be new, Ethiopic ሐደለ፡ I. 2. renew; Sabean החדתֿ, see Os (Levy): ZMG 1865, 204 MordtZMG 1876, 30; Assyrian [adâڑu], uddiڑ, renew, eڑڑu, new, etc. DlW 199 ff.) —
Pi. Perfect וְחִדְּשׁוּ consecutive Isaiah 61:4; Imperfect וַיְחַדֵּשׁ 2 Chronicles 15:8; 2nd person masculine singular תְּחַדֵּשׁ Job 10:17; Psalm 104:30; וּנְחַדֵּשׁ 1 Samuel 11:14; Imperative חַדֵּשׁ Psalm 51:21; Infinitive לְחַדֵּשׁ 2 Chronicles 24:4, 12; —
1. renew, make anew הַמְּלוּכָה 1 Samuel 11:14 (editorial); פני אדמה Psalm 104:30, רוּחַ Psalm 51:12 (|| בּרא); = bring back יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם Lamentations 5:21; עדיך ח׳ Job 10:17 i.e. bringest fresh (new) witnesses

Larniavc said:

The post you are responding to I cannot see as I’ve ‘ignored’ that user. Does it show a lack or misunderstanding of empathy?

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I'm sorry, you've lost me. (Not hard to do) Or I've lost myself. (Not hard to do either) Could you dumb that down for me? There's a question in there but I'm not exactly sure what it is.

trophy33 said:

It is too complicated. Why not to simply say that they are "nasty, very nasty, bad people".

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That's a given and my relatives in Mississauga will agree.

Hans Blaster said:

I've never felt this "spiritual nature" you speak of.

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Ok well its essential to be born again. You could say its like a God conscience or consciousness. I think our conscience and Gods spirit are linked. Except its a particular kind of conscience and consciousness that is enlightened by Gods spirit. Like having Christ sitting on your shoulder reminding you of His teachings.

You can't get away from it. If you are tempted then theres an automatic voice bring up Gods word and a reminder of how weak you are in combating your sinful nature and temptations. So you allow Gods spirit to dwell in you which overcomes those temptations and weakness. Thats why Paul says "its no longer I that lives but Christ who lives in men". Which is the holy spirit.

Hans Blaster said:

And I don't care about that since I don't believe it.

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Yes, I was just trying to explain the difference. You will obviously have your own basis for morality be it human wellbeing, humanism, life principles, social norms or subjective preferences and feelings.

Hans Blaster said:

"Secular ideology" is that the church should stay out of government. I don't know what you think it is.

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Ok whatever you call that which is not a religious basis for morality. So I guess the metaphysical basis. Christians believe in something beyond the material world as the basis. The non religious base morality in something of this world, materialism, human wellbeing, naturalism.

Hans Blaster said:

Which is what I said, and why it doesn't make any logical sense.

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Why, I think you will find behind any moral system theres a degree of sacrifice. It would not be a moral law that we had to live up to even when we did not feel like it or preferred to act differently.

Like blokes lol. They have to control their desires and lusts. Though some don't and society allows them that right to a degree. But we know that ultimately it calls for putting aside those desires for a higher moral value that respects and is self controlled.

Anything of great value comes with sacrifice of something. It is a core principle of Christianity. Even suffering for doing good above your own desires. This brings a greater value to life. We know this without Christianity. If someone wants to be successful in something they sacrifice the parties for the study ect.

Hans Blaster said:

No I was trying to use yours, *despite* the fact I don't believe in "sin".

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Actually I think you were trying to use what you think mine is and not actually what it is.

Hans Blaster said:

That's just recasting a desire as a "thought-crime".

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Lol thats one way to look at it. But maybe your calling them thought crimes because thats how you see it. What if Christ and Christians see it differently.

I actually see it as good psychology. Any action usually begins in the hear and mind. So Christ is highlighting that you are what you make yourself within. If you are always plugging into lust them your going to act on it. Your already doing it in your heart which will inevitably make you that person whether you act on it or not.

Hans Blaster said:

Of course they do, and the rest of us can reject it equally well.

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It depends on how this is rejected. If someone for example expresses a Christian moral, say for marriage and then they lose their job over this then that is unfair. This is what is happening because modern social norms now clash with Christian morals.

Whereas in a supposed multicultural and relativistic society all beliefs and moral codes should be tolerated. Which in reality is impossible.

Hans Blaster said:

That I see *nothing* as "sin" is a "religious" view. Morality is a different category than offenses against the will of a god you don't believe in.

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When we think of morality traditionally we have always associated this with religion and the gods. The moral laws that come from this may vary and will include behaviours as sin that non religious society would not.

But thats no different to society at large. Not everyone will have the same standards or include the same behaviours as immoral or moral. They are all basically trying to get at the same thing.

Often the behaviours or thinking that you may not think is sin like lust in the heart is based on good reasons associated with the action. So its going back to the root cause, the origin of where the immoral behaviour comes from. So its not really anything that we all know that the state of the heart and mind is what usually leads to the action.

Hans Blaster said:

What you are missing is some basic set theory.

When I say "Catholicism is Christianity" I might also say "Lutheranism is Christianity", but nether imply that "Christianity is Catholicism" or "Christianity is Lutheranism".

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Yes I know they all have the same Christain core beliefs. Though I think some deny the divinity of Christ like Mormons and JW I think. But the theory if you can call it that is the New Testament. The Gospels and Christs teachings.

Fantine said:

Problem is he'll help the red states and ignore the blue states.
Being president of all the people is for losers.

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He wants a patronage system just like what they have in Russia. Nothing in Russia gets done unless hands are greased.

essentialsaltes said:

Greenland condemns planned visits by Usha Vance and Trump adviser​

Second Lady Usha Vance will make a cultural visit this week, and a separate trip is expected from Trump's National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

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In the face of opposition, the charm offensive has been scaled back.

From link in previous post: "Vance, second lady Usha Vance and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will lead the U.S. delegation to visit the Pituffik military space base in the northwest of the island, having scaled back plans for a broader and longer visit."

I love Fr. Josiah Trenham.

ArmyMatt said:

praise God!

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Indeed, I am very excited for @jas3