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John 15:10-12 states, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you"
Too much attention has been given to love and too little has been given to keeping the commandments.
I have emphasized in bold the two segments of the text that are in contradiction, namely you claiming that too much attention is being paid to the commandment which Christ gave us: "That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
I believe America began as a Christian Nation or at least a nation based very closely on Christian Principles. I know America began to forget God as soon as it was formed, just as the Bible says the Israelis began to forget God when they entered the promised land.
However, I don't believe religion was the key element of change. I believe the major change to America came when Socialism was introduced to America by the Roosevelt Administration. From the Socialism came the legalization of pornography, abortion and homosexuality that now makes America basically a Godless nation. Socialism put the rights of the people above the responsibilities of the people.
Government should not serve people but rather provide security for people by eliminating evil people. The oath of office for most government positions has the phrase "protect against domestic and foreign enemies', it does not say to prove services to the people.
I have heard that the Irish that came to America and settled in Boston, were the start of the democratic party concept of government providing services to the people.
Even the concept of the government "providing services to the people" was not really successful until the judicial system get involved and started interpreting the Constitution incorrectly. The judicial system has gotten to the point where it now overturns the vote of the people. When the judicial system can overturn the vote of the people, you don't even have a Democracy.
The second worst offender was the Atheistic Liberal News Media that provided propaganda support for the court actions and got democrats elected that appointed judges that produced the Atheistic judicial decisions.
Just going back to the Blackstone concept would erase the Atheistic advance in America. It would also affect the whole world.
I do not think the people who wrote the Constitution ever conceived that Civil Law and God's Law would ever be so different. America has got to make a choice because there is a divided house that cannot stand. Better to separate than to constantly fight. The Church is told to stop fellowship with those that will not follow the commandments/doctrines of the Bible.
I pick the Northeastern Liberal States because Boston is the heart of the homosexual activity and New York City is the home of the Atheistic Liberal News and Entertainment Industry, and the corrupt big businesses that took too much risk.
I believe most America's would choose Christian Principles over Atheistic Principles, however the American Northeastern states seem to reject Christian Principles.
I would prefer a revival, but I would accept a separation.
Doesn't the Bible divide people into Christians/believers and Atheists/non believers?
Doesn't the Bible say that Christians will go to heaven and Atheists will go to hell for eternity?
Doesn't the Bible say there is a difference between good and evil?
As for Liberal Christians, Feminist Christians, etc., I will leave it to God to judge. Each Christian needs to evaluate themselves relative to the commandments/doctrines of the Bible.
bjspurple quote
You are familiar already with my objection to your use of that phrase. To continue to claim that you can evaluate a whole person as either 'good' or 'evil' is, in my eyes, tantamount to claiming that you have a godly ability that we all lack.
Response
There are really many places where humans are called to make a Godly decision to terminate life, which I believe God considers to be sacred.
When a person is sitting in a jury trial, they may have to make a decision to execute the person. I believe the decisions to execute is as much a responsibility as a decision to show mercy.
When a person is in the military, they may have to execute a person, and that execution may be based on a millisecond of information. I believe the decisions to execute is as much a responsibility as a decision to show mercy.
Obama had to make a decision to allow the military to execute three pirates without a jury trial. I believe the decisions to execute is as much a responsibility as a decision to show mercy.
There is a cultural war in America between Christians and Atheists. This war is being fought on the battlefield of politics. The battles are in the voting booth. The prize in the cultural war is the hearts, minds and souls of the children. The Atheistic liberal news media greatly influences both domestic and foreign policy by constantly reporting only bad news about Christians, Conservatives and Republicans and only good news about atheists, liberals and democrats. The agenda of the Atheistic liberal news media is to promote evolution, extreme environmentalism, socialism, feminism, pornography, abortion, adultery, homosexuality and the Atheistic Lifestyle by having democrats in control of government.
(clirus)
Q: You also say extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain.
A: People who think of God as a vengeful, exclusive, angry at people who don't believe the way they do, that activates parts of the brain involved in negative emotions. It turns up the heart rate. You're ready for anger, ready for a fight. It turns on a whole stress cascade that actually damages the brain, makes it work less efficiently."
http://thespec.metrolandwest.com/printArticle/552551
***************************************************************************************************We the people that love Democracy, Christianity and Capitalism do hereby remove the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York We the people that love Democracy, Christianity and Capitalism do hereby remove the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York from the United States of America because they are the main supporters of Democracy, Atheism and Socialism. Other states can succeed as determined by a vote of the people.
(clirus)
I believe the Constitution was good, but the Bible is better. The higher law is God's Law. When Civil Law and God's Law are consistent, then Civil Law will be good law. That was what Blackstone was saying and which was the general thinking until 1940.
You cannot legislate God's love into existence, but you can prevent evil from being legalized. Pornography, abortion and homosexuality have been legalized.
Evolution is being legalized by being taught in schools.
And the worst thing is that the process of legalization of evil is only just beginning. It can get a lot worse. I fear the Obama Administration and the programs of Universal Health Care and Green Energy. Both programs will give the federal government total control over every American.
When good people fail to make a judgement based on the Bible, they are allowing evil people to make the judgement to lie, steal, rape and kill.
The idea of separating the sin and the sinner can be carried too far. At some point the sin and the sinner are one.
Is the Bible not a bases for defining evil?
There are two extremes. One is the John Wayne of shoot them all and let God sort them out, or the pacifist who would let evil overcome and God destroy it all.
The Latin-Americans called, they said they don't want your help anymore. Apparently, they didn't like Pinochet as much as originally predicted.do not think God will honor the pacifist who does not love his neighbor enough to prevent the evil person from doing evil to the neighbor.
You may have God on your side, but everyone says that. That will not stop 5.56mm rounds. That is, unless your wearing that shield technology from Dune. In which case, just don't start using lasers.There are two extremes. One is the John Wayne of shoot them all and let God sort them out, or the pacifist who would let evil overcome and God destroy it all.
**********************************************************..... I do not think God will honor the pacifist who does not love his neighbor enough to prevent the evil person from doing evil to the neighbor .....
***************************************************************************************************Crucifixion of Christ (Luke 23:33,34)
33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
***************************************************************************************************Stoning of Steven (Acts 7:58-60)
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.