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  1. (as copied from a trusted friend on facebook ) OPEN LETTER TO AL-BAGHDADI FROM THE WORLD'S LEADING MUSLIM LEADERS AND SCHOLARS Executive Summary 1- It is forbidden in Islam to issue fatwas without all the necessary learning requirements. Even then fatwas must follow Islamic legal theory as defined in the Classical texts. It is also forbidden to cite a portion of a verse from the Qur’an—or part of a verse—to derive a ruling without looking at everything that the Qur’an and Hadith teach related to that matter. In other words, there are strict subjective and objective prerequisites for fatwas, and one cannot ‘cherry-pick’ Qur’anic verses for legal arguments without considering the entire Qur’an and Hadith. 2- It is forbidden in Islam to issue legal rulings about anything without mastery of the Arabic language. 3- It is forbidden in Islam to oversimplify Shari’ah matters and ignore established Islamic sciences. 4- It is permissible in Islam [for scholars] to differ on any matter, except those fundamentals of religion that all Muslims must know. 5- It is forbidden in Islam to ignore the reality of contemporary times when deriving legal rulings. 6- It is forbidden in Islam to kill the innocent. 7- It is forbidden in Islam to kill emissaries, ambassadors, and diplomats; hence it is forbidden to kill journalists and aid workers. 8- Jihad in Islam is defensive war. It is not permissible without the right cause, the right purpose and without the right rules of conduct. 9- It is forbidden in Islam to declare people non-Muslim unless he (or she) openly declares disbelief. 10- It is forbidden in Islam to harm or mistreat—in any way—Christians or any ‘People of the Scripture’. 11- It is obligatory to consider Yazidis as People of the Scripture. 12- The re-introduction of slavery is forbidden in Islam. It was abolished by universal consensus. 13- It is forbidden in Islam to force people to convert. 14- It is forbidden in Islam to deny women their rights. 15- It is forbidden in Islam to deny children their rights. 16- It is forbidden in Islam to enact legal punishments (hudud) without following the correct procedures that ensure justice and mercy. 17- It is forbidden in Islam to torture people. 18- It is forbidden in Islam to disfigure the dead. 19- It is forbidden in Islam to attribute evil acts to God . 20- It is forbidden in Islam to destroy the graves and shrines of Prophets and Companions. 21- Armed insurrection is forbidden in Islam for any reason other than clear disbelief by the ruler and not allowing people to pray. 22- It is forbidden in Islam to declare a caliphate without consensus from all Muslims. 23- Loyalty to one’s nation is permissible in Islam. 24- After the death of the Prophet , Islam does not require anyone to emigrate anywhere.
    4 points
  2. Bravus

    My Wife Is Not The Same WomanThat I Married

    Heading for 27 years over here, and with the same commitment: forever is the plan. Sure, she's not the same woman I married - and it would be harder, not easier, if she was. Who wants to be with someone who doesn't change *at all* in a quarter century? We all learn and grow. How could it be otherwise? I'm also not the same man she married, for the same reasons. We've grown together, and still are, and will. And it's a joy and a pleasure.
    3 points
  3. Gregory Matthews

    6,000 Years and Ellen White

    Writing in Appendix B, in a section labeled "Chronology," on page 448, in SELECTED MESSAGES, VOL. 3, W.C. White said: Perhaps present arguments over creation dates are not as important as some would make them to be.
    2 points
  4. fccool

    If modern Christianity was football

    So… Tom, what do you do, do you play any sports…? Well, yeah! I’m a football player! Wow! That’s impressive. Yep, it’s one of the toughest games to play, but it’s the only man’s sport! All of other sports are for sissies. I’m a football player and I’m proud of it. A tough guy! Nice! So, when can I see you play? Well, you see… football is a lifestyle. It’s not just about the game. I’m playing football right now. Really? That’s interesting. Well, do you practice, or have a team? Of course I do. We come and practice every Saturday morning. First we come and discuss the rules of football. Then, we sing about the guy who invented the game. Then we hear a lecture on football… and then we go home and read more about football, while we watch other people talk about past football players on TV, and the lessons we should all learn about how to be better football players. So, when do you guys play? Didn’t I just tell you? Football is a lifestyle, it’s not something that you just do here and there, or have a game that everyone writes about in papers. It’s about being a football player by knowing the rules, and discussing them, and living the football player's lifestyle. So, what’s different between you and people who don’t play football? Now, come on now. We know the game better than these people. We know the rules better than these people. We pay our football league fees. We know the names and stats of the famous players in history. And we occasionally throw a pass or two when people really ask for it, or need it. But, other people throw football too on occasion, does it make them football players? Now, you are just frustrating me with your lack of understanding. Football is about understanding of the rules, the history of the game, and the lifestyle of football. But, isn’t football is a game that you play. If you don’t actually play it, how can you call yourself a football player? Well, we gather and treat injuries, and we pass out Gatorade to people who are thirsty, like a good football friend will do. But non-football doctors and charities already do that. Yes, but they are not players, they are not on the football team, they don’t know football rules, and they don’t get a trophy and Pro football player salary and mansion once they retire. We do. Why is it so hard to understand? Hmm. Interesting. So… I was going to ask you, would you like to be a football player like me?
    2 points
  5. Sojourner

    Kids attached to mats with duct tape?

    There have been similiar incidences here in Australia as well, its a good reason why we need to have extra capacity built into our jails so that some of these clowns get the message that child abuse is not going to be accepted irrespective of how stupid you are.
    2 points
  6. Aliensanctuary

    America with No Christians

    What would the USA be like with no Christians and no Christian religions, ever? Would the people of this nation suffer under atheistic communist dictatorships, being fed a steady diet of lies by a government greased with bribes? Would there be no concept of individual freedom of choice, but rather, total subjugation by the bureaucratic machine? I suspect this nation owes much to the Christian ethic of honesty, compassion, and respect for others, their property, and their lives.
    1 point
  7. Sojourner

    What terrifies ISIS.

    How sad and pathetic is it that this meme is actually factual..?
    1 point
  8. bonnie

    My Wife Is Not The Same WomanThat I Married

    My wife is not the same woman that I married A reader emailed me last night saying she was recently invited to her friend’s ‘divorce party.’ She wanted my opinion on the new trend. Divorce party: a celebration of a broken vow. “Hooray! We quit on ourselves and each other! Now let’s dance!” I’d heard of these things before, but I almost hesitated to believe the emailer’s story. I know this sort of nonsense might exist amongst the ‘consciously uncoupled’ types in Hollywood, but I refuse to accept it among normal Americans. This is wishful thinking, of course. I’m well aware that many normal Americans are just as sad and pretentious as Hollywood elites, only missing the money and fame that’s supposed to come in the package. So I sat down, wrote a few paragraphs, and resolved to finish it today. Then, this morning at the grocery store I ran into a guy who reads my blog. We got to talking. After an exchange of pleasantries, the conversation veered into less pleasant territory: Guy: So, what topic are you working on next? Me: Well, I got this email about divorce parties, so I think I’m going to write about that. Guy: OK, what about them? Me: Well, just that it demonstrates this cavalier, celebratory attitude towards divorce. I think it’s really harmful, and it only perpetuates the problem. Guy: You’ve been married for… what… a year? Me: Going on three. Guy: Going on three. Alright, take it from a guy who’s been married to his current wife for eleven, and went through two divorces before that: you never know what will happen. Nobody plans on getting divorced, but it happens. People can change. Some day you might wake up and find that your wife isn’t the same person you married. It happens. I never thought I’d get divorced, but it happened twice. You never know. Nothing is permanent; people sometimes change. Me: Yeah. I don’t know much about the future, but I know I’ll be with my wife until one of us dies. Everyone makes their own choices, but that’s ours. Guy: [laughs] I said the same thing at your age. You think of divorce as this scary thing, but sometimes it’s the only way to be happy. You shouldn’t stay in a marriage if you’re miserable. Things change. You wake up and suddenly she’s not the same person you married. It happens. Trust me. Me: But that’s not a reason to get divorced, in my opinion. Guy: I know. But check back in ten years [laughs]. Me: In ten years I’ll be either dead or celebrating my thirteenth wedding anniversary. Who knows, maybe you’ll be celebrating your fourth first wedding anniversary. That was basically the end of our friendly exchange. I left angry. This. This right here. This illustrates the worst thing about our culture. I’m not talking simply about his views on divorce; I’m talking about this bizarre bit of Divorce Evangelism. This is what we do in our culture. Not just with divorce, but with so many other brands of bad decisions. We first justify them, then we advertise and sell them, then we celebrate them, then we insist that everyone else celebrate along with us. In the case of divorce, it is now a literal celebration. With balloons and invitations and cake. But, for some reason, when I hear about divorce I don’t feel like popping the champagne bottle or sprinkling the confetti. Is that because I’m “too young to understand”? I don’t think so. Look, I know I’m not a marriage expert. I know I’m not in any position to dole out advice — though I’m probably better suited than a guy who has been married three times and still refers to divorce as something that “happens to you,” as if it falls out of the sky like a space rock from the Divorce Belt. I know that we are young and relatively naïve. Still, we’ve been through a few things together. We’ve been married for almost three years. We’ve had two kids. We’ve moved twice. We’ve driven across Maryland, West Virginia, and Kentucky with two screaming babies — five times. We’ve worried about money. We’ve struggled to pay the bills. We’ve had our laughs, our joys, our fights, our failures, our triumphs. We’ve weathered our share of storms. We’ve dealt with family drama. We’ve had a flooded house. We’ve had two kids sick in the emergency room. We’ve been angry, we’ve been happy, we’ve been tired. We’ve made mistakes. We’ve come to understandings. We’ve failed to come to understandings. We’ve been on Cloud Nine and we’ve been at our wit’s end. We’ve cried. We’ve lost. We’ve won. We’re still young and we’re still growing, and our experiences might very well pale in comparison to yours, but I have learned at least one thing from all of this: that guy was right — my wife isn’t the same person that I married. When I met her she was a 22-year-old college student. Now she’s a 27-year-old mother of two. Sure she still has the same DNA, the same biological identity, and she’s still the kind of girl who can appreciate a good beer and a fart joke. But she’s not the same. That’s because I married a human being, not a mannequin. I said my vows to a person, not a computer program. “People sometimes change,” says the wise sage. No, people always change. They never stop changing. Life is change. Everything is moving, everything is transforming. Everything is changing, all of the time. Life is more of a river than a stagnant, mosquito-infested puddle. (Dear Lord, look at what this guy has done. He’s got me so worked up that I’m speaking in country-pop lyrics. “Life is a river.” God help me.) The fact is that you can leave the room for ten seconds, come back, and everything will be slightly different. That’s true of the furniture, the curtains, the carpet, and yes, the people. Especially the people. Divorcing someone because they change? You might as well divorce them because they breathe. I’m not making light of it. I know that sometimes people change in a painful and inconvenient manner. I know that my wife could change in ways that don’t cooperate with my projections of how she should be and feel and think. I guess that’s what people really mean when they say they want a divorce because their spouse “changed.” It’s not change itself they oppose, but changes that challenge them and make them uncomfortable. What they should say is: “I want a divorce because she changed in a way that doesn’t fit inside my comfort zone.” It’s hard, I know. Every day I’m relearning this one basic truth: my wife has her own brain, her own feelings, her own soul. We are linked now through the bond of matrimony, but she is still her and I am still me. She is a force, a hurricane, a wildfire. She is not a puppet dancing on a string. She is a self — her own self — powerful and mysterious. Sometimes she laughs at things that used to make her angry, and gets angry at things that used to make her laugh. Sometimes I can read her like a book, but sometimes she wears an expression I’ve never seen. Sometimes she smiles like the world is telling a joke that only she understands. I’m learning her, and I’ll never finish studying her book because she’s always adding new pages. She’s not the same as she was when I married her, but that’s OK because I didn’t marry “the person she was.” I married her — Alissa, the woman, the being, the body and soul. I married the totality of her, which means I married her changes, not just that one, single, momentary version of her that walked down the aisle in that church in Ocean City three years ago. Do I have a romantic idea of marriage? Sure, but marriage is a romantic idea, isn’t it? It’s not a fairy tale, but it is something supernatural and exciting. Talk to the people who’ve been in it for a long time — 30, 40, 50 years with one person — and they’ll say everything I’m saying, only with much more authority and even deeper conviction. Life is change. People are change. I’m seeing this play out all around me. As I get older I drift further apart from some of the people I used to consider my closest confidants. But I let myself drift, and so do they, because circumstances also change, and what I’m realizing is that so many of my relationships were only ever circumstantial. My relationship with my wife, however, transcends the circumstance. If we feel ourselves drift, we reach out our hands and grasp tightly, because I choose to remain at her side, and she at mine. And if I ever look over to find that we’ve somehow lost sight of each other — both now walking alone and lost in that cold night — I will grab a torch and search for her until I find her again. She is my mission, my life’s work, and I’d sooner give up my life than give up on her. This is all easy to write and easy to say, but, I realize, harder to do. That’s why those of us out here in the thick of it could always use guidance and inspiration, not defeatism and wimpy cynicism. For my part, I will ignore the people like the guy at the grocery store and the ingrates who throw divorce parties, and instead focus on my parents, who’ve been married through thirty years, six kids, and eleven grandchildren. And Alissa’s grandfather, who very recently lost his wife after over 60 years of marriage. He can’t speak hardly at all these days — mostly the result of multiple strokes — but I was there in his living room when he turned to the person next to him and tearfully said, “partner.” “She was my partner.” And she was. A great partner, from everything I’ve heard. Feisty and tough, loyal and loving. That’s what I want. One day, hopefully when we’re very old, one of us will die first — the smart money is on me (family history combined with my unhealthy affinity for bacon and red meat). Whoever is living, while stricken with grief and sadness, will be able to look back on a life of sacrifice, and compromise, and joy, and worry, and happiness, and tears, and passion, and love, and simply say, “partner.” “We were partners.” I choose that end. I don’t know when it will happen, or what awaits us in the meantime, but that will be our ending. I choose it over looking back five years from now and saying, “she was my partner — but then she changed, so never mind.” So we wake up every morning, sort of the same, but sort of new. We look at each other, we introduce ourselves again, and we choose to love who we see. We choose to love. And that’s the only thing that will never change. _______________________________________ Read more at http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/05/29/wife-person-married/2/#AtllIqoxUY7m12p8.99
    1 point
  9. phkrause

    10 Things You Must Do in Seattle

    With a vibrant art scene, celebrity-chef restaurants, craft breweries, and of course iconic sites like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, Seattle is a natural vacation choice for anyone heading to the Pacific Northwest. Here are the top 10 things visitors must do while exploring the city. http://www.smartertravel.com/photo-galleries/editorial/10-things-you-must-do-in-seattle-sponsored.html?id=837&all=1
    1 point
  10. rudywoofs (Pam)

    The Will

    There are many thoughts and ideas that come to people that are neither "good" nor "bad" -- they simply "are".... I might choose to paint my house blue. Or white. Or purple. The decision I make would not be inherently "good" or "bad" (except to my neighbors, perhaps). And at the risk of stepping on toes, I further submit that dreams are neither good nor evil. They are simply manifestations of the subconscious mind. (But I withhold that judgement on the dreams of scriptural persons, which I consider to be of supernatural origin and not the result of eating a bad loaf of challah.)
    1 point
  11. joeb

    The Will

    I have one, and only one, choice in this life. That is choose to follow God or the devil. Everything around me, all the influences that affect me come from one of two sources. I don't have the wisdom or the smarts on my own to distinguish between the good and the bad. All I can do is choose to follow God's leading, and I can know God's leading because He gave us the Bible, His word. Anything that comes to me either agrees with God's word or it doesn't. If it doesn't agree with His word, then I know where it comes from because I trust God, and thus trust His word, to keep me safe and give me the wisdom and knowledge He knows I need. Thus, all good comes from God, and the rest comes from the devil. Someone here gave me an example of alchemy, making gold out of another substance as something that doesn't come from either God or devil. I think it's pretty easy to tell where something comes from by what it tends to lead to. The alchemist studies the idea of changing lead, or some other substance, to gold. Why? Because of greed. He wants to become extremely wealthy. What does the Bible tell us about that? It's harder for a rich man to get into heaven that for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, and by what happened to Solomon after he became extremely wealthy and powerful. The wisest man who ever lived was deceived through wealth and power. So where does the alchemy idea come from? God? Or does it come from a source that wants to distract me keeping my eyes on God and God alone? When we apply the above principle to everything in life we can eventually see where all ideas come from. To me it's pretty plain, but I've thought about this for many years too. I didn't come to this overnight. I would have scoffed at it for most of my life, so if someone else doesn't see it right away it doesn't bother me in the least.
    1 point
  12. joeb

    The Will

    In a way that is very true. I have to say I do not have the ability, on my own, to choose God over Satan. I have a fallen nature. All mankind is in the same boat with me. Not a one of us can recognize the truth about God without the influence(leading) of the Holy Spirit. Neither you nor I are smarter or wiser than God or the devil. Think about this. The devil has been studying human nature for thousands of years and using that knowledge in his practice of deceiving us about who God is. He was created the 3rd most powerful being in the universe and along with that came the same level of intelligence. Do you imagine that you are his equal in a test of wits? I know I'm not. I know I don't have a chance against him. I'm taking a BB gun to a machinegun fight, so to speak. My only chance of recognizing his deceptions is to trust in the word of God. If I don't the devil can, and has, led me around by the nose while I thought I was making all my own decisions and doing my own thing. He was destroying me, and I thought I was having a good time. Only God could have changed my mind as I was a total slave to the devil. Now, I'm a servant of God, and only as long as I choose to remain as such, do I have a choice in who I am and where I'm going. The Bible makes all of this pretty clear.
    1 point
  13. Gregory Matthews

    Litigation related to a tax exemption given to some clergy.

    Pam: The issue is a bit more complex than how it is commonly stated. The housing exemption only applies to some clergy persons, not all. E.G. I have not been allowed to take the clergy housing exemption in my last 40 years of clergy service. However, during 18 years of that time I met the housing exemption under other provisions of the law. The rest of the time, I did not meet any provision of the law for a housing exemption. You see the so-called clergy exemption comes only under one provision of a law which limits it applicability to some, but not all, clergy. There are other provisions of the law that provide a housing exemption for people who meet their standards. Clergy are not the only people who may have a housing exemption. As to your question: I believe that some retired clergy would be able to take a housing exemption, but I believe that many retired clergy would not be able to take such. However, I am not a clear on this aspect as I am on what I said previously. So, I could be wrong on this.
    1 point
  14. rudywoofs (Pam)

    If modern Christianity was football

    Excellent!!! It reminded me of something I clipped a number of years ago... Benchwarmer: Show up on Sabbath/Sunday eleven o’clock sharp and leave twelve o’clock dull. They do not sing, pray, work, and apparently do nothing but take up pew space. Sidelines: where lukewarm Christians always are. Running back: one who is unafraid to meet the opponent head on by faithfully proclaiming the truth of God’s Word. Linebacker: one who defends the faith against all attacks. Back Judge: one who only criticizes and never gets in the game. Nose tackle: method the pastor's wife uses to try and keep church gossip to a minimum. Assistant coach: an associate pastor. Stiff Arm: do not lay hands on anyone quickly. Off-season: summer vacation when church attendance falls off. Overtime: sermon continues past noon. Coin toss: taking up an offering. Pigskin: smoked ham at the church potluck dinner. Punt: point in the sermon where due to lack of response from the congregation, the pastor veers off-course from his sermon in desperation to regain the attention of the people. Punt return: congregation's response to pastor's punt. Defensive holding: gripping the back of the pew in front of you when under conviction. Delay of game: method special singers employ when their performance track is not cued to correct song. Offensive guard: persons who are constantly looking for something to be offended by. Quick count: estimate of Sabbath/Sunday attendance. Dead ball: awkward silence during the sermon in which pastor is pausing for an amen, which he never receives. Roster: official list of church members whether they are currently attending or not attending. Excessive timeouts: crying babies interrupting the service numerous times. Eligible receiver: a faithful servant of the Lord who can be trusted to do the work of the ministry. Unnecessary roughness: where gossiping has become a spiritual gift. Formation: with whom we gather with in the foyer after the service has ended. Signals: silent communication between the worship leader and the guy manning the sound board. 20 Second Time Out: pastor hasn’t prepared effectively to preach the Word of God on Sabbath/Sunday. Therefore, he extends a time of corporate prayer and singing that he claims is led by the Spirit, so that only ten minutes is left in the actual service time. He then uses remaining moments for congregational testimonials as an expression of “encouraging one another.” He concludes by saying, “I guess we’re out of time today, we’ll have to pick up the text again next week… but hasn’t the fellowship been sweet this morning?” Field Goal: getting at least something out of a poorly prepared sermon. Safety: proof that no one on the elder board had your pastor's "back." Touchdown: preaching the gospel in all its truth and seeing a non-Christian come to Christ for salvation, or a believer repent of their waywardness in sanctification. Special teams: church committees and home fellowship groups. Scrimmage: informal meeting of a "special team." Extra Point: when you thought that the pastor said, “now in conclusion” at least twenty minutes ago. Fumble: when the minister mispronounces a key word or O.T. name in his message, quotes the wrong verse, or theologically misspeaks and everyone notices. Penalty Flag: when a member of the church acts like a faithful Berean in confronting the pastor(s) when something unbiblical was preached and affirmed. Game ball: the Bible. Home-field advantage: where long-time attendees think they are entitled to sit when newcomers show up. Dime back: giving a tenth of your income. Huddle: Meeting of the elders and pastoral staff. Head coach: the pastor. Reverse: a former Arminian who is now Reformed. Too many men on the field: congregational rule. Interference: when pragmatics captures the hearts of some of the members absent of sound doctrine—methods vs. message. Incompletion: John Mark. Unsportsmanlike conduct: when tolerated undisciplined sin manifests itself. Winning percentage: sanctification is daily occurring. Quarterback Sneak: when the pastor makes a move that the elders and deacons weren’t prepared for. Draw Play: what children do with the church bulletin during worship. Half-time: the period between Sabbath School/Sunday School and the main worship service where many choose to leave. Backfield-in-Motion/Man in Motion: too many restroom or water fountain runs during the service. Staying in the Pocket: what happens to a lot of money that should be given to the Lord's work. Two-minute Warning: the point at which you realize the sermon is almost over, but it somehow goes on for another half an hour. Instant Replay: the minister forgets his notes and falls back on last week's sermon. Sudden Death: what happens to a church where sin is tolerated. Trap: you're called on to pray the benediction and sleep through your cue. End Run: taking the long way around a difficult situation. Flex Defense: the ability to allow absolutely nothing said during the sermon to affect your life. Halfback Option: the decision of 75% of the congregation not to return for the evening service. Screen Play: using video and PowerPoint as part of your Sabbath/Sunday morning worship. Blitz: the rush to the parking lot to get to the restaurant first following the closing prayer.
    1 point
  15. hch

    Opposition to Women's Ordination is doomed (or Lives?)

    Bob Woman's ordination is probably doomed. The positions # 1, 2, & 3 as stated in the article "Adventists Urged to Study Women’s Ordination for Themselves" are bewildering. Romans 16:1 states "I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a deacon [margin] of the church which is at Cenchrea:" A deacon is not an elder, but is a minister. Thus for #1 to conclude "the Adventist Church has no biblical basis to ordain women" ignores the fact that a woman was ordained in Scripture. Aand Ellen White was listed among the ordained Ministers in California near the end of her ministry. And to think that we do not have "the Urim and the Thummim" to guide us and to ignore the example set by God's prophetess is illogical. Would Ellen White allow herself to be listed among the ordained Ministers in the California Conference of SDA's if it were not appropriate to ordain women? By her example, she has rightly divided the word of God and settled a matter with which the brethren needlessly struggle. In the Old Testament men priests symbolized a coming Messiah. But Jesus has fulfilled the law. So what is the need for gender distinctions in the priesthood in this dispensation? This issue looks so much like the circumcision schism that rocked the early church. Both parties had their positions staked out and it served to divide the Church. In the end the view that seemed the least likely (to those who believed in the perpetuity of circumcision based on God's command to Abraham that was to endure forever) prevailed. The good news is that God will ordain the man or woman of His choosing to do the work that ordains and He will give the Holy Spirit to them to do His will. And He is going to wrap it up soon! Christian regards
    1 point
  16. Aliensanctuary

    Reading books vs electronic media- which is smarter?

    The collection of Bibles on my computer has revolutionized my study of the scriptures. With the searches I can zip through thousands of pages without having to turn them one by one and read every page. When the computer is not with me when traveling, the book-in-hand must do, prehistorically speaking.
    1 point
  17. Aliensanctuary

    My Wife Is Not The Same WomanThat I Married

    My wife, I figure, saved me from an unhappy and lonely future. Although it was not her intent, I'm sure, little by little she has taught me how to put her, and not myself, first. I've told her that she saved my life by marrying me, and it's true.
    1 point
  18. JoeMo

    My Wife Is Not The Same WomanThat I Married

    Amen Bravus, 31 years for me and my wife; and I'd still marry her if I had it to do all over again. Thank God she has changed - I sure have! If she hadn't changed along with me, I couldn't keep up with her! I'm blessed that we are equally yoked spiritually. That is so important.
    1 point
  19. lazarus

    The Future is Here

    The police department in Santa Cruz, California, has begun an experiment that uses a mathematical algorithm to predict when and where certain crimes will be committed, and puts police on the scene before they happen. So far police have arrested five people using this technique of "predictive policing" and the rates of certain categories of crimes in the city have dropped significantly, perhaps as a result. The program has correctly predicted 40 percent of the crimes it was designed to monitor. Unlike Philip K. Dick's novel "The Minority Report" or the film inspired by the novel, the program relies on algorithms, and not mutants to predict the likelihood of something happening. The program comes from the field of applied mathematics or operations research, and the algorithm was developed by a 29-year-old mathematician at Santa Clara University. http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/201...g.php?ref=fpblg
    1 point
  20. TruthSeeker123

    Reading books vs electronic media- which is smarter?

    I prefer holding a book in my hand and annotating the text as I read. But, ebooks and ereaders have advantages as there is always a back up available and you don't have to worry about people not returning your book because you can't share it. (It's bad of me, I know, but so is stealing. ) An ereader is lightweight and compact while a book is more personal and interactive. A book is tangible. One can easily associate its contents with its cover and thus remember its thesis.
    1 point
  21. lazarus

    Has America turn their back on God?

    American turned its back on God a long time ago: Legalized abortions= 80,000 v Native American Genocide = (let's be conservative) 10 million Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed 135,000 men, women and children in a matter of seconds. CIA inspired coup's, Support of despotic regimes all over the world. When God was in schools and public places many Americans could not vote or enjoy simple human dignities. Reading the Bible in school did not bring the nation closer to God it just gave a veneer of religiosity. Sin isn't just about sex it is about injustice, mistreating the poor, lying (saying its the land of the free when people are not free), using God's name in vain, (saying God bless America as you drop bombs on innocents to further your own economic interests). Only now has American gone away from God? You're kidding right. This goes for all the other countries in the world too. Not one has clean hands.
    1 point
  22. Gail

    The Future is Here

    My word- what will they think of next?
    1 point
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