Always keep in mind that the Bible is your most important textbook. It is the final authority of truth. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10) Make sure that you are looking at the world through Biblical glasses!
Watch out for professors who teach otherwise. Many will proactively seek to destroy your faith.
The Apostle Peter warns us: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) But sometimes the attacks are subtle. You'll be tempted to put a question mark where God put a period (or an exclamation point!). Know what you believe! Prepare yourself for defense. If you don't know what doctrines you're standing up for, you'll fall for anything - for whatever is dispensed to you by some cunning and clever professors who have no personal relationship with the Author of Truth. Know and believe that the Bible is true, and you will never go wrong. (Caution: Test answer keys in academia may be wrong.;-) Learn the lies (Darwin, Freud, Marx, etc.) for exams; know the truth for life.)
Postpone sexual activity until marriage; sexual intimacy is a gift that is reserved for your future wife (or preserved untouched in celibacy). The Apostle Paul gives some great advice, which is very applicable to the college life: "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT)
Try to pick a fellow Christian for a roommate. Choose friends who will support you and encourage you to do what is right; people who won't pressure you to do things that are immoral, foolish, and dangerous (e.g. so-called "safe sex"). Get involved in on-campus Christian ministries, fellowships, and Bible studies. The education you get will be far more valuable than anything taught in your classes. We have no greater need than to know Christ better. To live without Christ is not life, but a breathing death.
Now, here is a simple, yet, profound piece of practical advice. Write it down, or print it out. Tape it on your bathroom mirror. Stick it on your monitor. Frame it and put it on the wall. Memorize it.
Sow an act, reap a habit,
Sow a habit, reap a character,
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
- Reade
Be bold in your faith. Live the life of a disciple of Christ in this spiritually dead and hopeless world. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14)
Ha! Cowles may have unwittingly provided yet another addition to his rap sheet. It sounds like he is recording phone conversations and probably doing so without first getting permission from the other party. This practice is illegal in most or all states. Remember Linda Tripp from the Clinton-Lewinsky scandals?
I say we let this guy keep rambling on in front of the media. Let's see what other incriminating evidence he blurts out.
You are effectivly trying to fight a trojan in the operating system.
Ad-Aware might be able to remove it if they add MS Automatic Update to their list of malware.;-) (As I'm previewing this comment, it now occurs to me that that would probably violate the Windows EULA.)
This really isn't necessary though. Look at the EULA again.
You acknowledge and agree that Microsoft may automatically check the version of the OS Product and/or its components that you are utilizing and may provide upgrades or fixes to the OS Product that will be automatically
downloaded to your computer.
The automatic update feature in Win XP can be figured to download updates automatically and optionally install updates automatically. I've seen it in action. It downloads updates in the background while you're web browsing or doing whatever online. When the downloads are complete, the Update icon in the system tray starts blinking. When you click on that, a window pops up showing you all the updates that have been downloaded and then it asks you: do you want to install these now? You can cancel it. It is in Microsoft's best interest to inform the user before the installation begins if for no other reason than that the user might be doing something that would disrupt or prevent the installation process (i.e. components to be "fixed" might be in use).
So while the downloading may be automatic, the installing is not.
According to Bob Long, the engineer technician for Civil Mining Environmental Engineering Inc. in Somerset, PA who helped to rescue the nine trapped coal miners in Quecreek, PA, "It's accurate within less than a centimeter."
He used military-grade GPS, but this is apparently available also for civilian use.
This whole controversy is stupid. Why must the menu labels be limited to one word? Why the excessive brevity?
SUPER EASY SIMPLE SOLUTION:
Close this window
Close whole program
or
Close [current Gecko app]
Close Mozilla
No more ambiguity! Let's stop splitting hairs over the meaning of "close" "exit" and "quit". As far as users are concerned, they mean the same thing. Users are not steeped in the history of GUI engineering methodology. For some people, Win XP is their very first OS. These are not just gray-haired old-timers or luddites, but young, bright children just coming into the tech world. For many people in the upcoming generation, Mozilla 1.x will be their very first browsing experience. They have no frame of reference to know how "close" and "exit" were used in apps in Win 3.1 and Win 9x.
So ditch the one-word menu labels already. Saving a few bytes in an 11 MB browser shouldn't warrant all this fuss. IMHO, other goals shouldn't be advanced at the expense of clear communication.
Somebody should archive LWN's Penguin Gallery. These Tux pictures may be old hat to some of you, but I had never seen most of them. Note that there are 16 pages. Some of the pics are stupid, but others are really interesting or funny. It's neat to see how Tux himself can assume a new cultural identity as various people groups embrace him as an icon.
Some of my favorites: Indian chief Tux (page 4), Tux playing on a Lexmark "sliding board" (page 5), Beowulf cluster Tux (page 6), Argentine Cowboy Tux (page 9).
This is perhaps the most insightful post I've ever seen on/. Fantastic post by Fantastic Lad.:-)
You say things that most Slashdotters don't want to hear. I see that you were modded down by somebody (-1 Too_Insightful).
People who get too successful in convincing the world of phenomenon outside the accepted realm of science are ridiculed, tormented, punished and murdered. Or nailed to crosses.
I agree. Science, as usually practiced today, is prejudicial. That is, it pre-judges what is real and what is not real. From the outset - before any hypotheses or experiments are even conceived - most scientists make a philosophical judgment about the bounds of reality - that these bounds are subject to the creeds of materialism and naturalism. Every experiment is designed and every observation is interpreted through the lenses of these narrow-minded philosophies. Consequently, scientific conclusions are confined to a minimal part of reality. Any possible conclusions that fall outside of the naturalistic bounds are summarily discarded without any thoughtful consideration. I call this practice "Occam's Carpet Bombing."
Note: I do not attribute crop circles to supernatural, paranormal, or extra-terrestrial causes. I am open-minded about this, but I tend to think that humans are the most likely cause.
One very large exception is the growth of technology's effect of the environment.
And just what is that effect? Global warming? There's no evidence that the actions of humans have had a significant effect on climate. The Greenhouse Effect? Evidence indicates that the increased amount of CO2 in the air is stimulating the growth of trees, and thus, the production of O2. Oil spills? Sorry, we're no match against nature. Large amounts of oil gush into the ocean every day through naturally occurring cracks in the ocean floor. Not to worry, though. Certain bacteria happen to think that petro tastes yummy, so they eat it up! Yeah, a few birds and fish will get a nasty oil bath from top-surface spills, but they'll restore their numbers within a generation.
Technology giveth trouble, and technology taketh it away.*
At the end of the 19th century, an English journalist wrote that the number of horses needed to provide transport in London was increasing so fast that the city would be engulfed in horse manure in less than twenty years! This raw sewage was left in streets or dumped in rivers polluting both water and air. Cities became havens for disease-carrying insects. And how many helpless trees had to be axed to make way for grazing pastures for all those horses? *jabs at the tree huggers*;-) Fortunately, the automobile came along just in time to disprove this prediction and save the city from catastrophe.
The New Bad: Automotive technology created toxic emissions. The New Good: Automotive technology significantly reduced toxic emissions by giving us the catalytic converter. The Better New Good: And those water-emitting hydrogen fuel cell cars will come any day.. err decade now.
So you're worried about landfills? We'll find a solution. Think about this. Technology has not yet been harnessed in an attempt to solve this problem. To quote some famous words, We have not yet begun to fight! We will win when we fight. It looks scary now, but it'll be defeated once we devote our attention and resources to the problem.
Not that any of this matters anyway, because the earth will expire in 2050. (I saw it in the Science section of/.)
*This is a proverb, not a mathematical law of absoluteness in which all negatives of technology are completely cancelled out by positives of technology alone (nature helps, too). This also says nothing about the time frame of resolution to problems, but I believe that the pressures of humanity to survive and live happily will keep such problems in check before they get out of hand. After all these millennia, humanity's still batting 1.000.
Re:What are these people's problems?
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Piers Anthony Unbound
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· Score: 2, Informative
The important facts are that there is NO proof that condoms provide any protection from gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, chancroid, syphilis, genital herpes, or human papillomavirus.
Here's a simple chart with important details.
10,000 physicians agree. Read more.
Condoms protect against HIV/AIDS only 85% of the time.
In contrast, abstinence has a 100% success rate in preventing every STD that exists. It works every time it's applied! (I no more need a "study" to prove this figure than I need a "study" to prove that unplugging my CAT 5 cable/phone line prevents my computer from acquiring viruses via the Internet.) Abstinence is totally free and available to all, regardless of socio-economic status.
Abstinence is "self denial" in the same way that seat belts, traffic lights, guard rails, and stop signs are forms of self denial. They are there to give you guidance; they exist to benefit you, not to oppress you. If you "liberate" yourself from wisdom and sage advice, you are running full speed over a cliff. Your pride tells you that you are being suppressed and limited from things that are good. In reality, you are being liberated from destructive acts so that you will be free to live to your full potential with prosperity and sound mind and body.
Reproductive RIGHTS, as in the right not to reproduce.
You maintain your right not to reproduce by maintaining your responsibility to keep your pants up. It's an issue of self-control. To women: don't get drunk and go to wild parties where sexual predators are waiting to impregnate you at your most vulnerable moment. Sexual intercourse sets in motion the process of reproduction. (duh) You choose not to reproduce by choosing not to fornicate. When you choose to have sex, you are choosing to be a mother for the rest of your life -- to carry out the responsibilities, duties, and sacrifices of motherhood and possibly grandmotherhood. You may or may not conceive, but you are fully aware that the likelihood exists.
Condoms don't work all the time, and only stop about 98% of sexually transmitted diseases
98%? Where do you get that figure?
That's not a good enough reason to demonize contraceptives
The important facts are that there is no proof that condoms provide any protection from gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, chancroid, syphilis, genital herpes, or human papillomavirus.
Here's a simple chart with important details.
10,000 physicians agree. Read more.
Condoms protect against HIV/AIDS only 85% of the time. If you knew that you had 15% chance of winning the lottery, wouldn't you enter every time? If you have 15% chance of dying, why do you play the game? It's funny how optimism is oblivious to statistics.
China claims (or, claimed) to allow freedom of religion, freedom of speech, etc. But if you can't do it publically (publicly), one can hardly consider it freedom.
I disagree with the first part of your post, but it looks like we'll just have to agree to disagree on that matter.
Jesus even admonished against public prayer.
Jesus was admonishing people who were hypocrites. They went out on their balconies above the streets and shouted their prayers and beat on their chest to impress others with their spirituality. Jesus was making a point that the audience of prayer is God, not men. He certainly did not tell his disciples to be undercover believers. Jesus preached to large crowds of people on mountain tops, in temples, and by the Sea of Galilee. It was common practice among the apostles to publicly preach, teach, instruct, and rebuke.
The word "church" comes from the Greek word ecclesia, which means "called out ones." The Church (the body of believers) has been called out into the world to proclaim that God has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
I always wonder why Christians feel so compelled to espouse their belief in God/Jesus in public.
A major doctrine of Christianity is called the Great Commission.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Luke 4:42-43
At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
Acts 1:7-8
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Revelation 7:9-10
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
Psalm 67:1-7
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Isaiah 49:6
[The Lord] says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
Malachi 1:11
My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord Almighty.
It's ironic you should bring up Saddam Hussein. If he had been indoctrinated to believe in liberty and justice for all, he might not have been the ruthless dictator he is today.
Is it better to indoctrinate kids with the belief that their country should strive for liberty and justice for all OR let them be "free-thinkers" and gamble that they will come to the right conclusion on their own? Do you want to indoctrinate them with the "answer key," which was discovered and formulated out of great human experience (many eyeballs) and endured centuries of trials and testing (LifeBugzilla), or let them flounder on their own, relying on naïve, youthful logic, untried objectives, and alpha-quality (as in code) ideas, and risk failure?
<sarcasm>Yes, let's follow in the footsteps of Johnny Walker's parents. They refused to give any of that eeeevil, totalitarian-esque indoctrination; they wanted little Johnny to find his own way in life. And what a successful parenting strategy that was!</sarcasm>
But what if you're not sure that your truth is the right truth? IMHO, a survival-of-the-fittest theory applies to "truths." It basically says, "Will the real Truth please stand up?" And it does. And it perseveres, because it is "fittest."
Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels based all of his strategy on the maxim, "Whoever says the first word to the world is always right." This is indoctrination. Did it work? No. The real truth bubbled to the top over time. It was fittest -- most conforming to the historical record preserved in the space-time continuum. Truth cannot be hidden forever. Reality is: Whoever says the last word to the world is always right.
Because implicitly, that says, "One nation under no god, indivisible."
Although
var isGod == null,
in many cases in reality, null is indistinguishable from a value of false.
Ever notice how sportscasters report game scores? I remember in 1996 when Clemson lost the Gator Bowl, 40-0. (sorry to bring it up) They said the score was "forty to nothing." I said, "Hey! It's not like there's no score at all. We do have a score! It's just.. umm.. nothing. alright"
The Bible says, "The fool says in his heart, "'There is no God.'" Translated literally from the Hebrew, that last part is only two words: "no God." The words "There is" were added to form a complete sentence in English. Contrary to popular interpretation (and my own until recently), this verse is not referring to atheists. (At least, not exclusively.) It refers to anyone who lives as if (who says in his heart, but not with his mouth, necessarily) there were no God.
The absence of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance endorses an agnostic mode of living (humanism - a secular, materialistic religion - I dare say). It says, "We do not acknowledge a power greater than ourselves to which our living and governing are accountable."
I had no idea that the "Family Values" crowd had a monopoly in Congress. "Congress took swift action to denounce a federal court decision ruling the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, with the Senate voting 99-0 to condemn the court's decision. Immediately following the recitation of the pledge, members broke out into a chorus of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America."
Note the picture. That picture is not from September 11, 2001, but from June 26, 2002. The third day of infamy.
I never claimed that the forefathers were Christian (although some of them certainly were). I just said that they believed in God, which is what deists do.
I fail to understand how my use of the ellipses is "dishonest." The part I omitted was "all Men are created equal, that they". I suppose I should have left that part in; it would have only bolstered my claim that they believed in God!
The [empty-headed] fool says in his heart, "There is no God." This is quoted from the Amplified Bible. The statement appears in Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1. The additional text is clearly marked so that the reader will not confuse it with the actual translated text. "Empty-headed" is simply a clarification of what the original Hebrew word means. If you read the rest of the verses I linked to, you'll see what is meant by "fool," as well. Here's an explanation of the AB that I copied from here:
It attempts to take both word meaning and context into account in order to accurately translate the original text from one language into another. The Amplified Bible does this through the use of explanatory alternate readings and amplifications to assist the reader in understanding what Scripture really says. Multiple English word equivalents to each key Hebrew and Greek word clarify and amplify meanings that may otherwise have been concealed by the traditional translation method.
Now, why do you laugh so derisively? God has given us a free gift of salvation. The God of the universe humbled himself to become one of us - a lowly man on this little planet - and took the punishment that was marked for us because of our sin. Yet many people reject and scoff at it.
Ann, God loves you more than you could imagine. Here you are thumbing your nose at him, but he still loves you so much that he would take you up in his arms and embrace you and be with you for all eternity. You (and I and everyone else) are guilty in God's court, but he came and sacrificed himself on the cross to pay the price for your freedom. He was separated from the Father so you wouldn't have to be. But you must accept the gift and believe. And follow Jesus as Lord.
There's nothing in your past that can hinder your acceptance. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool," (Isaiah 1:18) says the Lord.
I am praying that you will come to know who Jesus is... really.
The Bible never gives arguments for the existence of God. It's only recently that such a large number of people claim not to believe in some kind of supernatural god. Throughout the ages, it's been seen as an axiomatic truth. Genesis states, "In the beginning, God..." No explanation. It's just always been obvious. The US forefathers reiterated this: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident that all Men... are endowed by their Creator..." The Bible states: The [empty-headed] fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
no claim could be more extraordinary that the claim that there is an all-powerful being that can turn people into salt
Christians don't know how to scientifically explain the conversion of Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, AFAIK. This is, by definition, a miracle. However, many have a strong feeling that it has something to do with the fact that it occurred very close to the Dead Sea, which is the saltiest body of water in the world - much saltier than oceans. Perhaps a "dirt devil" (sand storm) came about and caked her with the salt that was in the air.
impregnate virgins
Just one virgin. It was a one-time miracle for God's one Son. This truly must be taken on faith. However, it seems to me that a new living being growing within another and coming forth into the world is really the greater wonder. (I'm not sure if we can call birth a miracle since it doesn't violate natural norms, although IMHO there is obviously a supernatural element.)
control the weather over the entire earth
Again, the far greater wonder is that there is weather or an earth at all. To question God's abilities is to question God's existence. If God made the earth, why would it be hard for Him to manipulate it? Can't a potter remold his sculpture? Can't a programmer rewrite his code? If a developer can skin his program, why can't God "skin" his planet's weather?
Written histories by ancient peoples are, at best, suspect.
One of the most interesting things that jumps out at me as I study the Bible is how human nature is strikingly consistent, universal, and timeless. Mankind is the same in all places and in all times. Technology, science, and education really have not changed our nature at all. I wouldn't criticize the ancients lest I bash modernity equally. The fact is that the historicity of the Bible is unparalleled by any other ancient work. For 700 pages of extraordinary proof, I suggest that you read The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.
There are a million and seven excuses by Christians about why God is so elusive.
In the beginning, God was not elusive. Genesis 3:8 says, "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." Regardless of how literally or figuratively you want to interpret that, God was definitely not elusive.
Notice this! It was not God who began to hide from people; it was people who began to hide from God! And why? Because the man and woman had sinned and were ashamed.
A major theme of the Bible as a whole is that our sin (rebellion against God - this includes disbelief) is an impenetrable wall that separates us from God. Evil and holiness/perfect goodness cannot coexist in the same place at the same time. It's like mixing oil and water. They always stay separate no matter how vigorously you try to stir them together.
If God seems elusive it is because your sin has blinded you.
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)
What happens when you are content with sin in your life?
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. (2 Chronicles 7:13-15)
...why God does not intervene to stop genocide, torture, murder, rape, suffering, etc
The question is not, "Why does God allow some people to suffer?" The question we should be asking is, "Why doesn't God cause us all to suffer?" God is loving, but He is also just. In God's court, we are all criminals and deserving of the (eternal) death penalty. The reason anybody ever has any comfort or happiness at all is because of God's grace (unmerited favor). If God were to give us what we deserve, we would all have Ebola from birth and suffer even greater horrors in hell forever.
Are AIDS and Ebola really the worst kind of things that can happen to someone? I say No for two reasons. First of all, the longest span of time any disease can continue to afflict a person is his mortal life. From start to finish a person usually doesn't have a disease more than 80 years. That may seem like a long time unless you acknowledge the full timeline of your existence. The condition of our being's wellness in this life isn't worthy to be compared with the condition of our being in the afterlife. How long do you draw a segment of 80 years on a timeline that includes eternity? It's an invisible speck. Perspective! (I realize that it requires faith to even believe in an afterlife. I'm just giving you what I fervently believe to be God's world view, which is what I think you were wanting.)
It's much more important to be concerned about what your wellness will be in the infinite afterlife than in this short physical life. So what calamity exists in the afterlife that we should be concerned about? You're probably already somewhat familiar with the concept of heaven and hell so I won't go into it, except to say that they are real, literal places, and you'll be in one or the other for all time. The thing to remember is that your choice MUST be made during this short, mortal life. When your body dies, your eternal destination is set for all time. No second chances. As the band Rush used to sing, "If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."
You would have me believe that he loves all of us.
Yes, I would. He has provided a way to save us from the only tribulation that we really need to worry about. As soon as we (man) messed up, God cleaned up. In Genesis 3:23, He provided a way to save us from the punishment for our sin. God "placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." Jesus Christ came and brought this salvation to us by taking all of the punishment that man deserves and heaping it upon Himself, the one who had no sin of His own. Is this not love?
Compared to hell, everything else is "small stuff." Even death, disease, and disasters. It's sad, but it's all man's fault. Such things didn't happen before man allowed the Devil to bring sin into the world. It's not true that "bad things happen to good people." Bad things happen, true, but is anyone good by God's standards? The Bible says No.
priests are sexually molesting young children
The Bible says that you reap what you sow. If you sow evil then you will reap evil. The Catholic Church has accepted doctrines and practices that are unbiblical and/or pagan. Most notably, in recent years, the Catholic Church has become accepting of homosexual men being priests. Now, the Bible excludes (from God's plan) or condemns homosexuality from Genesis to Revelation. (References upon request. It would require another post.) Whenever the subject comes up in the Bible, the word "abomination" usually comes close behind.
Now that the gate to the Catholic priesthood has been thrown wide open, many gay men have been attracted to it and are welcomed in. It turns out that the Church's tolerance for gay priests combined with the time-honored, traditional vows of celibacy are a tragic combination. Let me explain. In the relatively small population of men who don't mind abstaining from sexual relations with women, you can see that homosexual men would make up a large percentage of candidates for the priesthood.
So, here again, mankind has reaped what he has sown. The Catholic Church disobeyed God's commandments, and "innocent" (remember previous discussion) children suffered as a result. Granted, not all of the perverted priests are gay, but gay people certainly never had a monopoly on sin. The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Thankfully, the Bible also says that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)
We are not cowards. We are rational, logical, thinking, modern men and women who do not believe in things simply because the beliefs are comforting.
I was just skimming over this part of the thread and was excited to see somebody boldly standing up for Christians, because I saw myself in that description. But then you disappointed me.;-) It's sad, but some Christians do have nothing more than a blind faith. I believe that is a sin based many verses of Scripture. The writer of Ecclesiastes says in 1:13, "I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!" Most Jewish children in Israel to this day memorize the entire Tanakh (Old Testament) early in life.
Our faith is founded on facts, which were recorded as any other history is recorded but with far more numerable and trustworthy records. Our faith is founded on the literal, living, interacting God (Y-H-W-H) who manifested himself as a literal, historical Man (Yeshua) to restore mankind from its fall from righteousness dating back to another literal, historical man (Adam) in the literal Garden of Eden. There is much to be learned and studied. You want details, I know, I know... So Go read a book. Or a website
The greatest commandment demands intellect:
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
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. This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:36-38)
The Talmud is Jewish, but it is not holy Scripture. It is a collection of Scriptural interpretations and tradition written by rabbis over the centuries. It is somewhat analogous to papal encyclicals and such of the Catholic Church.
The Jewish holy Scripture is the Tanakh, which is essentially the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Messianic Jews (Jews who believe that Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in the Tanakh), as opposed to "Orthodox" Jews, embrace the New Testament as holy Scripture, also.
Historical note: The word Tanakh is an acronym made from the first letters of the three main divisions of the Hebrew Bible:
Torah (the "Law", Pentateuch)
Nevi'im (Prophets)
K'tuvim (Writings).
The pronunciation of TNK sounds like Tanakh. It is appropriate that the acronym has only consonants, because the Tanakh itself was written solely with consonants (in Hebrew).
As for being against technology, I don't know of any Jew or Christian who is against it. My Southern Baptist church is high tech and contemporary in style (rock music in the sanctuary, oh my!) but would be considered "fundamentalist" by most people.
From the article: "It took 4.5 billion years for Earth to generate and evolve a life form that could think, reason, and finally fly off the planet.... Life is tough, these theorists all recognize. But it is not impossible. At least one planet has proved that."
The planet proved evolution! Nothing is impossible for the Almighty Evolution!
When Darwin heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, <style="font:red"> Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Iowa.</style>
Re:Something interesting about Moz on Windows XP
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Mozilla RC3 Released
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· Score: 1
You can get rid of the splash screen by adding a flag to your shortcut like this:
MS's setup is the best OS setup I have ever used, period.
I'm glad that Windows sets up easily on your system, but I must point out that Windows installs are not the unquestionably rosy experiences you might have us believe.
Windows XP's setup is the worst OS setup I have ever used, period. I could write ten pages on the horror stories of my WEEK-long ordeal trying to install XP. I was doing a clean install from a legally purchased shrink-wrapped WinXP Pro CD on a relatively new Western Digital HD, and I had reset my BIOS to default settings for good measure. I really can't explain how I finally got it working. It seems to have required the magic combination of a special boot disk plus a precise pattern of hard/soft reboots when particular BSODs occurred.
I had to reboot 5 times, and spent an hour getting the [OS] to actually install.
Awww, one whole hour? (plays violin, minor key) My first attempt with XP wasted more time than that. I endured scores of crashes, hangs, BSODs, and cryptic error messages of every kind. I'm sure I rebooted no fewer than 100 times - absolutely no exaggeration. This is partly due to XP's new innovative feature, Microsoft IntelliCrash TM;-), which amounts to automatic rebooting when BSODs occur.
The Mandrake 7.1 installation, in my experience, was both easier and faster than the installation of Win 95 (I think), 98, or XP. IIRC, the StormLinux install was also superior to Win XX installs, with the exception of dialup config.
Although this is all based on my personal experience, even XP's own installation screen says "39 minutes remaining" when it first begins copying files (which is already about 10 minutes into the pre-install procedure), and that is still longer than most Linux installations, unless you opt to include a ton of programs.
Slashdot Mirror
Watch out for professors who teach otherwise. Many will proactively seek to destroy your faith. The Apostle Peter warns us: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) But sometimes the attacks are subtle. You'll be tempted to put a question mark where God put a period (or an exclamation point!). Know what you believe! Prepare yourself for defense. If you don't know what doctrines you're standing up for, you'll fall for anything - for whatever is dispensed to you by some cunning and clever professors who have no personal relationship with the Author of Truth. Know and believe that the Bible is true, and you will never go wrong. (Caution: Test answer keys in academia may be wrong. ;-) Learn the lies (Darwin, Freud, Marx, etc.) for exams; know the truth for life.)
Postpone sexual activity until marriage; sexual intimacy is a gift that is reserved for your future wife (or preserved untouched in celibacy). The Apostle Paul gives some great advice, which is very applicable to the college life: "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT)
Try to pick a fellow Christian for a roommate. Choose friends who will support you and encourage you to do what is right; people who won't pressure you to do things that are immoral, foolish, and dangerous (e.g. so-called "safe sex"). Get involved in on-campus Christian ministries, fellowships, and Bible studies. The education you get will be far more valuable than anything taught in your classes. We have no greater need than to know Christ better. To live without Christ is not life, but a breathing death.
Now, here is a simple, yet, profound piece of practical advice. Write it down, or print it out. Tape it on your bathroom mirror. Stick it on your monitor. Frame it and put it on the wall. Memorize it.
Be bold in your faith. Live the life of a disciple of Christ in this spiritually dead and hopeless world. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14)Ha! Cowles may have unwittingly provided yet another addition to his rap sheet. It sounds like he is recording phone conversations and probably doing so without first getting permission from the other party. This practice is illegal in most or all states. Remember Linda Tripp from the Clinton-Lewinsky scandals?
I say we let this guy keep rambling on in front of the media. Let's see what other incriminating evidence he blurts out.
Ad-Aware might be able to remove it if they add MS Automatic Update to their list of malware. ;-) (As I'm previewing this comment, it now occurs to me that that would probably violate the Windows EULA.)
This really isn't necessary though. Look at the EULA again.
The automatic update feature in Win XP can be figured to download updates automatically and optionally install updates automatically. I've seen it in action. It downloads updates in the background while you're web browsing or doing whatever online. When the downloads are complete, the Update icon in the system tray starts blinking. When you click on that, a window pops up showing you all the updates that have been downloaded and then it asks you: do you want to install these now? You can cancel it. It is in Microsoft's best interest to inform the user before the installation begins if for no other reason than that the user might be doing something that would disrupt or prevent the installation process (i.e. components to be "fixed" might be in use).So while the downloading may be automatic, the installing is not.
According to Bob Long, the engineer technician for Civil Mining Environmental Engineering Inc. in Somerset, PA who helped to rescue the nine trapped coal miners in Quecreek, PA, "It's accurate within less than a centimeter."
He used military-grade GPS, but this is apparently available also for civilian use.
SUPER EASY SIMPLE SOLUTION:
- Close this window
- Close whole program
or- Close [current Gecko app]
- Close Mozilla
No more ambiguity! Let's stop splitting hairs over the meaning of "close" "exit" and "quit". As far as users are concerned, they mean the same thing. Users are not steeped in the history of GUI engineering methodology. For some people, Win XP is their very first OS. These are not just gray-haired old-timers or luddites, but young, bright children just coming into the tech world. For many people in the upcoming generation, Mozilla 1.x will be their very first browsing experience. They have no frame of reference to know how "close" and "exit" were used in apps in Win 3.1 and Win 9x.So ditch the one-word menu labels already. Saving a few bytes in an 11 MB browser shouldn't warrant all this fuss. IMHO, other goals shouldn't be advanced at the expense of clear communication.
Some of my favorites: Indian chief Tux (page 4), Tux playing on a Lexmark "sliding board" (page 5), Beowulf cluster Tux (page 6), Argentine Cowboy Tux (page 9).
You say things that most Slashdotters don't want to hear. I see that you were modded down by somebody (-1 Too_Insightful).
People who get too successful in convincing the world of phenomenon outside the accepted realm of science are ridiculed, tormented, punished and murdered. Or nailed to crosses.
I agree. Science, as usually practiced today, is prejudicial. That is, it pre-judges what is real and what is not real. From the outset - before any hypotheses or experiments are even conceived - most scientists make a philosophical judgment about the bounds of reality - that these bounds are subject to the creeds of materialism and naturalism. Every experiment is designed and every observation is interpreted through the lenses of these narrow-minded philosophies. Consequently, scientific conclusions are confined to a minimal part of reality. Any possible conclusions that fall outside of the naturalistic bounds are summarily discarded without any thoughtful consideration. I call this practice "Occam's Carpet Bombing."
Note: I do not attribute crop circles to supernatural, paranormal, or extra-terrestrial causes. I am open-minded about this, but I tend to think that humans are the most likely cause.
And just what is that effect? Global warming? There's no evidence that the actions of humans have had a significant effect on climate. The Greenhouse Effect? Evidence indicates that the increased amount of CO2 in the air is stimulating the growth of trees, and thus, the production of O2. Oil spills? Sorry, we're no match against nature. Large amounts of oil gush into the ocean every day through naturally occurring cracks in the ocean floor. Not to worry, though. Certain bacteria happen to think that petro tastes yummy, so they eat it up! Yeah, a few birds and fish will get a nasty oil bath from top-surface spills, but they'll restore their numbers within a generation.
Technology giveth trouble, and technology taketh it away.*
At the end of the 19th century, an English journalist wrote that the number of horses needed to provide transport in London was increasing so fast that the city would be engulfed in horse manure in less than twenty years! This raw sewage was left in streets or dumped in rivers polluting both water and air. Cities became havens for disease-carrying insects. And how many helpless trees had to be axed to make way for grazing pastures for all those horses? *jabs at the tree huggers* ;-) Fortunately, the automobile came along just in time to disprove this prediction and save the city from catastrophe.
The New Bad: Automotive technology created toxic emissions.
The New Good: Automotive technology significantly reduced toxic emissions by giving us the catalytic converter.
The Better New Good: And those water-emitting hydrogen fuel cell cars will come any day.. err decade now.
So you're worried about landfills? We'll find a solution. Think about this. Technology has not yet been harnessed in an attempt to solve this problem. To quote some famous words, We have not yet begun to fight! We will win when we fight. It looks scary now, but it'll be defeated once we devote our attention and resources to the problem.
Not that any of this matters anyway, because the earth will expire in 2050. (I saw it in the Science section of /.)
*This is a proverb, not a mathematical law of absoluteness in which all negatives of technology are completely cancelled out by positives of technology alone (nature helps, too). This also says nothing about the time frame of resolution to problems, but I believe that the pressures of humanity to survive and live happily will keep such problems in check before they get out of hand. After all these millennia, humanity's still batting 1.000.
Not according to a study done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (PDF format). Scientific Evidence on Condom [ In ]Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention
The important facts are that there is NO proof that condoms provide any protection from gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, chancroid, syphilis, genital herpes, or human papillomavirus. Here's a simple chart with important details. 10,000 physicians agree. Read more.
Condoms protect against HIV/AIDS only 85% of the time.
In contrast, abstinence has a 100% success rate in preventing every STD that exists. It works every time it's applied! (I no more need a "study" to prove this figure than I need a "study" to prove that unplugging my CAT 5 cable/phone line prevents my computer from acquiring viruses via the Internet.) Abstinence is totally free and available to all, regardless of socio-economic status.
Abstinence is "self denial" in the same way that seat belts, traffic lights, guard rails, and stop signs are forms of self denial. They are there to give you guidance; they exist to benefit you, not to oppress you. If you "liberate" yourself from wisdom and sage advice, you are running full speed over a cliff. Your pride tells you that you are being suppressed and limited from things that are good. In reality, you are being liberated from destructive acts so that you will be free to live to your full potential with prosperity and sound mind and body.
You maintain your right not to reproduce by maintaining your responsibility to keep your pants up. It's an issue of self-control. To women: don't get drunk and go to wild parties where sexual predators are waiting to impregnate you at your most vulnerable moment. Sexual intercourse sets in motion the process of reproduction. (duh) You choose not to reproduce by choosing not to fornicate. When you choose to have sex, you are choosing to be a mother for the rest of your life -- to carry out the responsibilities, duties, and sacrifices of motherhood and possibly grandmotherhood. You may or may not conceive, but you are fully aware that the likelihood exists.
Condoms don't work all the time, and only stop about 98% of sexually transmitted diseases
98%? Where do you get that figure?
That's not a good enough reason to demonize contraceptives
I got your reason to demonize right here! It's a study done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (PDF format). Scientific Evidence on Condom [ In ]Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention
The important facts are that there is no proof that condoms provide any protection from gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, chancroid, syphilis, genital herpes, or human papillomavirus. Here's a simple chart with important details. 10,000 physicians agree. Read more.
Condoms protect against HIV/AIDS only 85% of the time. If you knew that you had 15% chance of winning the lottery, wouldn't you enter every time? If you have 15% chance of dying, why do you play the game? It's funny how optimism is oblivious to statistics.
Good advice for U.S. courts.
Jesus even admonished against public prayer.
Jesus was admonishing people who were hypocrites. They went out on their balconies above the streets and shouted their prayers and beat on their chest to impress others with their spirituality. Jesus was making a point that the audience of prayer is God, not men. He certainly did not tell his disciples to be undercover believers. Jesus preached to large crowds of people on mountain tops, in temples, and by the Sea of Galilee. It was common practice among the apostles to publicly preach, teach, instruct, and rebuke.
The word "church" comes from the Greek word ecclesia, which means "called out ones." The Church (the body of believers) has been called out into the world to proclaim that God has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
I always wonder why Christians feel so compelled to espouse their belief in God/Jesus in public.
A major doctrine of Christianity is called the Great Commission.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Luke 4:42-43
At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
Acts 1:7-8
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Revelation 7:9-10
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
Psalm 67:1-7
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Isaiah 49:6
[The Lord] says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
Malachi 1:11
My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord Almighty.
Wonder no more.
Is it better to indoctrinate kids with the belief that their country should strive for liberty and justice for all OR let them be "free-thinkers" and gamble that they will come to the right conclusion on their own? Do you want to indoctrinate them with the "answer key," which was discovered and formulated out of great human experience (many eyeballs) and endured centuries of trials and testing (LifeBugzilla), or let them flounder on their own, relying on naïve, youthful logic, untried objectives, and alpha-quality (as in code) ideas, and risk failure?
<sarcasm>Yes, let's follow in the footsteps of Johnny Walker's parents. They refused to give any of that eeeevil, totalitarian-esque indoctrination; they wanted little Johnny to find his own way in life. And what a successful parenting strategy that was!</sarcasm>
But what if you're not sure that your truth is the right truth? IMHO, a survival-of-the-fittest theory applies to "truths." It basically says, "Will the real Truth please stand up?" And it does. And it perseveres, because it is "fittest."
Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels based all of his strategy on the maxim, "Whoever says the first word to the world is always right." This is indoctrination. Did it work? No. The real truth bubbled to the top over time. It was fittest -- most conforming to the historical record preserved in the space-time continuum. Truth cannot be hidden forever. Reality is: Whoever says the last word to the world is always right.
Wonder Who gets the last word of all?
Although
var isGod == null,
in many cases in reality, null is indistinguishable from a value of false.
Ever notice how sportscasters report game scores? I remember in 1996 when Clemson lost the Gator Bowl, 40-0. (sorry to bring it up) They said the score was "forty to nothing." I said, "Hey! It's not like there's no score at all. We do have a score! It's just.. umm .. nothing. alright"
The Bible says, "The fool says in his heart, "'There is no God.'" Translated literally from the Hebrew, that last part is only two words: "no God." The words "There is" were added to form a complete sentence in English. Contrary to popular interpretation (and my own until recently), this verse is not referring to atheists. (At least, not exclusively.) It refers to anyone who lives as if (who says in his heart, but not with his mouth, necessarily) there were no God.
The absence of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance endorses an agnostic mode of living (humanism - a secular, materialistic religion - I dare say). It says, "We do not acknowledge a power greater than ourselves to which our living and governing are accountable."
Note the picture. That picture is not from September 11, 2001, but from June 26, 2002. The third day of infamy.
I fail to understand how my use of the ellipses is "dishonest." The part I omitted was "all Men are created equal, that they". I suppose I should have left that part in; it would have only bolstered my claim that they believed in God!
The [empty-headed] fool says in his heart, "There is no God." This is quoted from the Amplified Bible. The statement appears in Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1. The additional text is clearly marked so that the reader will not confuse it with the actual translated text. "Empty-headed" is simply a clarification of what the original Hebrew word means. If you read the rest of the verses I linked to, you'll see what is meant by "fool," as well. Here's an explanation of the AB that I copied from here:
Now, why do you laugh so derisively? God has given us a free gift of salvation. The God of the universe humbled himself to become one of us - a lowly man on this little planet - and took the punishment that was marked for us because of our sin. Yet many people reject and scoff at it.Ann, God loves you more than you could imagine. Here you are thumbing your nose at him, but he still loves you so much that he would take you up in his arms and embrace you and be with you for all eternity. You (and I and everyone else) are guilty in God's court, but he came and sacrificed himself on the cross to pay the price for your freedom. He was separated from the Father so you wouldn't have to be. But you must accept the gift and believe. And follow Jesus as Lord.
There's nothing in your past that can hinder your acceptance. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool," (Isaiah 1:18) says the Lord. I am praying that you will come to know who Jesus is... really.
The Bible never gives arguments for the existence of God. It's only recently that such a large number of people claim not to believe in some kind of supernatural god. Throughout the ages, it's been seen as an axiomatic truth. Genesis states, "In the beginning, God..." No explanation. It's just always been obvious. The US forefathers reiterated this: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident that all Men... are endowed by their Creator..." The Bible states: The [empty-headed] fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
no claim could be more extraordinary that the claim that there is an all-powerful being that can turn people into salt
Christians don't know how to scientifically explain the conversion of Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, AFAIK. This is, by definition, a miracle. However, many have a strong feeling that it has something to do with the fact that it occurred very close to the Dead Sea, which is the saltiest body of water in the world - much saltier than oceans. Perhaps a "dirt devil" (sand storm) came about and caked her with the salt that was in the air.
impregnate virgins
Just one virgin. It was a one-time miracle for God's one Son. This truly must be taken on faith. However, it seems to me that a new living being growing within another and coming forth into the world is really the greater wonder. (I'm not sure if we can call birth a miracle since it doesn't violate natural norms, although IMHO there is obviously a supernatural element.)
control the weather over the entire earth
Again, the far greater wonder is that there is weather or an earth at all. To question God's abilities is to question God's existence. If God made the earth, why would it be hard for Him to manipulate it? Can't a potter remold his sculpture? Can't a programmer rewrite his code? If a developer can skin his program, why can't God "skin" his planet's weather?
Written histories by ancient peoples are, at best, suspect.
One of the most interesting things that jumps out at me as I study the Bible is how human nature is strikingly consistent, universal, and timeless. Mankind is the same in all places and in all times. Technology, science, and education really have not changed our nature at all. I wouldn't criticize the ancients lest I bash modernity equally. The fact is that the historicity of the Bible is unparalleled by any other ancient work. For 700 pages of extraordinary proof, I suggest that you read The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.
There are a million and seven excuses by Christians about why God is so elusive.
In the beginning, God was not elusive. Genesis 3:8 says, "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." Regardless of how literally or figuratively you want to interpret that, God was definitely not elusive.
Notice this! It was not God who began to hide from people; it was people who began to hide from God! And why? Because the man and woman had sinned and were ashamed.
A major theme of the Bible as a whole is that our sin (rebellion against God - this includes disbelief) is an impenetrable wall that separates us from God. Evil and holiness/perfect goodness cannot coexist in the same place at the same time. It's like mixing oil and water. They always stay separate no matter how vigorously you try to stir them together.
If God seems elusive it is because your sin has blinded you.
What happens when you are content with sin in your life?The question is not, "Why does God allow some people to suffer?" The question we should be asking is, "Why doesn't God cause us all to suffer?" God is loving, but He is also just. In God's court, we are all criminals and deserving of the (eternal) death penalty. The reason anybody ever has any comfort or happiness at all is because of God's grace (unmerited favor). If God were to give us what we deserve, we would all have Ebola from birth and suffer even greater horrors in hell forever.
Are AIDS and Ebola really the worst kind of things that can happen to someone? I say No for two reasons. First of all, the longest span of time any disease can continue to afflict a person is his mortal life. From start to finish a person usually doesn't have a disease more than 80 years. That may seem like a long time unless you acknowledge the full timeline of your existence. The condition of our being's wellness in this life isn't worthy to be compared with the condition of our being in the afterlife. How long do you draw a segment of 80 years on a timeline that includes eternity? It's an invisible speck. Perspective! (I realize that it requires faith to even believe in an afterlife. I'm just giving you what I fervently believe to be God's world view, which is what I think you were wanting.)
It's much more important to be concerned about what your wellness will be in the infinite afterlife than in this short physical life. So what calamity exists in the afterlife that we should be concerned about? You're probably already somewhat familiar with the concept of heaven and hell so I won't go into it, except to say that they are real, literal places, and you'll be in one or the other for all time. The thing to remember is that your choice MUST be made during this short, mortal life. When your body dies, your eternal destination is set for all time. No second chances. As the band Rush used to sing, "If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."
You would have me believe that he loves all of us.
Yes, I would. He has provided a way to save us from the only tribulation that we really need to worry about. As soon as we (man) messed up, God cleaned up. In Genesis 3:23, He provided a way to save us from the punishment for our sin. God "placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." Jesus Christ came and brought this salvation to us by taking all of the punishment that man deserves and heaping it upon Himself, the one who had no sin of His own. Is this not love?
Compared to hell, everything else is "small stuff." Even death, disease, and disasters. It's sad, but it's all man's fault. Such things didn't happen before man allowed the Devil to bring sin into the world. It's not true that "bad things happen to good people." Bad things happen, true, but is anyone good by God's standards? The Bible says No.
priests are sexually molesting young children
The Bible says that you reap what you sow. If you sow evil then you will reap evil. The Catholic Church has accepted doctrines and practices that are unbiblical and/or pagan. Most notably, in recent years, the Catholic Church has become accepting of homosexual men being priests. Now, the Bible excludes (from God's plan) or condemns homosexuality from Genesis to Revelation. (References upon request. It would require another post.) Whenever the subject comes up in the Bible, the word "abomination" usually comes close behind.
Now that the gate to the Catholic priesthood has been thrown wide open, many gay men have been attracted to it and are welcomed in. It turns out that the Church's tolerance for gay priests combined with the time-honored, traditional vows of celibacy are a tragic combination. Let me explain. In the relatively small population of men who don't mind abstaining from sexual relations with women, you can see that homosexual men would make up a large percentage of candidates for the priesthood.
So, here again, mankind has reaped what he has sown. The Catholic Church disobeyed God's commandments, and "innocent" (remember previous discussion) children suffered as a result. Granted, not all of the perverted priests are gay, but gay people certainly never had a monopoly on sin. The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Thankfully, the Bible also says that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)
I was just skimming over this part of the thread and was excited to see somebody boldly standing up for Christians, because I saw myself in that description. But then you disappointed me. ;-) It's sad, but some Christians do have nothing more than a blind faith. I believe that is a sin based many verses of Scripture. The writer of Ecclesiastes says in 1:13, "I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!" Most Jewish children in Israel to this day memorize the entire Tanakh (Old Testament) early in life.
"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. (Isaiah 1:18)
Our faith is founded on facts, which were recorded as any other history is recorded but with far more numerable and trustworthy records. Our faith is founded on the literal, living, interacting God (Y-H-W-H) who manifested himself as a literal, historical Man (Yeshua) to restore mankind from its fall from righteousness dating back to another literal, historical man (Adam) in the literal Garden of Eden. There is much to be learned and studied. You want details, I know, I know... So Go read a book. Or a website
The greatest commandment demands intellect:
The Jewish holy Scripture is the Tanakh, which is essentially the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Messianic Jews (Jews who believe that Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in the Tanakh), as opposed to "Orthodox" Jews, embrace the New Testament as holy Scripture, also.
Historical note: The word Tanakh is an acronym made from the first letters of the three main divisions of the Hebrew Bible:
- Torah (the "Law", Pentateuch)
- Nevi'im (Prophets)
- K'tuvim (Writings).
The pronunciation of TNK sounds like Tanakh. It is appropriate that the acronym has only consonants, because the Tanakh itself was written solely with consonants (in Hebrew).As for being against technology, I don't know of any Jew or Christian who is against it. My Southern Baptist church is high tech and contemporary in style (rock music in the sanctuary, oh my!) but would be considered "fundamentalist" by most people.
The planet proved evolution! Nothing is impossible for the Almighty Evolution!
When Darwin heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, <style="font:red"> Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Iowa.</style>
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla\bin\mozilla.exe" -nosplash
I think -quiet also works.
Tux vs. "Yosemite" Bill
Bill: This drive ain't big enuf fer tha two of us! Draw!
I'm glad that Windows sets up easily on your system, but I must point out that Windows installs are not the unquestionably rosy experiences you might have us believe.
Windows XP's setup is the worst OS setup I have ever used, period. I could write ten pages on the horror stories of my WEEK-long ordeal trying to install XP. I was doing a clean install from a legally purchased shrink-wrapped WinXP Pro CD on a relatively new Western Digital HD, and I had reset my BIOS to default settings for good measure. I really can't explain how I finally got it working. It seems to have required the magic combination of a special boot disk plus a precise pattern of hard/soft reboots when particular BSODs occurred.
I had to reboot 5 times, and spent an hour getting the [OS] to actually install.
Awww, one whole hour? (plays violin, minor key) My first attempt with XP wasted more time than that. I endured scores of crashes, hangs, BSODs, and cryptic error messages of every kind. I'm sure I rebooted no fewer than 100 times - absolutely no exaggeration. This is partly due to XP's new innovative feature, Microsoft IntelliCrash TM ;-), which amounts to automatic rebooting when BSODs occur.
The Mandrake 7.1 installation, in my experience, was both easier and faster than the installation of Win 95 (I think), 98, or XP. IIRC, the StormLinux install was also superior to Win XX installs, with the exception of dialup config.
Although this is all based on my personal experience, even XP's own installation screen says "39 minutes remaining" when it first begins copying files (which is already about 10 minutes into the pre-install procedure), and that is still longer than most Linux installations, unless you opt to include a ton of programs.