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It takes some looking but the image being presented here by those that support her is quite a bit different than the image she portrays. But far easier to blast the church as unchristian without knowing both sides of this story. I will give her credit she presented a nice view for atoday. promoting marijuana as a "cure-all" for Cancer, Lupus, Arthritis, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Aides, Ebola, Seizures, Tumors, and other medical conditions is exactly the concern my family physician has for what he calls this manic rush for medical use.He is not opposed BTW to a common sense approach. He is opposed to self styled experts and their blanket promotion and self medication. A little researching this woman will show just that

If the church based this on being 'illegal', I wonder if they monitor speeding tickets that members of the congregation may get...1st one a warning, 2nd one you're out???

Thanks for posting this, pk. From the looks of the comments under the article, many others were dismayed at disfellowshipping this woman. I thank God for her Christ-like spirit and attitude; and how she knows that her name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life regardless of what a local congregation (or denomination) might do or say.

Really? It appears to me that salvation came to a repentant tax collector for only giving half of his stuff away. See Luke 19:1-10. Why was twice as much required of the rich young ruler than of Zacchaeus (I have an answer that I might share later)? Or maybe your version of agape isn't the standard for eternal life? If I gave all my stuff to my neighbor, that wouldn't speak very well of the divine stewardship responsibility I have for my family.

Now, why would anyone want to consume on a regular basis something that also has bad side-effects? When I'm driving, I occasionally drink Coke for the caffeine (I don't like the taste of coffee) to keep me awake. I consider the consequences of falling asleep at the wheel more dangerous than the caffeine.

7 Cheshvan Historical Dating: Jewish versus Secular In learning through your excellent “Crash Course in Jewish History” (www.aish.com/jl/h/cc/), I notice that in referencing some historical dates, the Jewish dating system and the Christian dating system vary by as much as 150 years - but by the time we get to the Roman period (i.e. the Christian year 1) the discrepancy disappears. Why? The Aish Rabbi Replies: The Jewish dating system is taken primarily from a book called "Seder Olam Rabba," dating back to the 2nd century CE and attributed to Rabbi Yosef ben Halafta. The sources for the dates in Halafta's book come from rabbinic traditions recorded in the Talmud as well as numerous chronologies written in the Hebrew Bible. It is also essential to remember that traditional Jewish chronologies (since the beginning of the Jewish calendar almost 6,000 years ago) are based on the highly accurate astronomical phenomenon of the moon orbiting the earth (months) and the earth around the sun (years). This gives traditional Jewish chronology a high degree of accuracy, especially when it comes to the major events of Jewish history. Actually, the "secular" calendar has experienced many difficulties in trying to properly "align itself with the stars." Back in 46 BCE, the calendar had become hopelessly confused. Julius Caesar was forced to abandon the previous lunar system, replacing it with a tropical year of 365.25 days. Further, to correct the accumulation of previous errors, a total of 90 intercalary days had to be added to 46 BCE, meaning that January 1, 45 BCE, occurred in what would have been the middle of March. Over the next 1,600 years, the disagreement between the Julian year of 365.25 days and the tropical year of 365.242199 gradually produced significant errors. The discrepancy mounted at a rate of 11 minutes 14 seconds per year - until it reached a full 10 days. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII proclaimed that 10 days should be skipped in order to bring the calendar back into line. This was accomplished by designating that October 5 become October 15. In other words, the dates October 5-14, 1582 were simply eliminated. So how do we get the chronology that historians use today? Historians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries worked backward and pieced it together. This was done primarily through comparing what little historical records survived from ancient Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt, together with archaeological finds and radio carbon dating. Because there are margins of error in all of these methods and much is open to interpretation, significant debates erupted between different scholars which continue to this day. Therefore, the chronologies used by modern historian can best be described as well-educated guesses. Jewish chronology makes a stronger case for historical accuracy, and that's why we have chosen to use the traditional Jewish dates. Today there are a number of renowned scholars also challenging the modern chronology and even attempting to reconcile it with the Jewish chronology. Amongst them is British scholar Peter James who writes: "By redating the beginning of the Iron Age in Palestine from the early 12th century BCE to the late 10th, a completely new interpretation of the archaeology of Israel can be offered: One which is in perfect harmony with the biblical record." ("Centuries in Darkness" by Peter James; Rutgers University Press, 1993, p. 318.)

The one I had in mind is 2 Thessalonians 3;6 But we command you brethren,in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly........... Apparently there are times that we are to withdraw from someone. No one knows what has gone before and all issues that may be involved in this. It could very well be the media was so interested in this woman they wanted her religious affiliation and to know if she was disfellowshipped ,but I doubt it. Maybe she has what she thought was a good reason to use this to hold the church up for public ridicule,knowing they would be reluctant to respond. Maybe she is innocent of any wrong doing or motive. But on the flip side the church may be the one innocent of any wrong dong or motive. But the do not judge membership is willing to jump in with both feet and judge

Gerry, Who says coffee drinking destroys or defiles God's temple? Again I ask - who says it's a sin? EGW? Both SDA churches I attend serve coffee between Sabbath School and Worship. Plenty of people walk in with Starbuck's. Nobody has a problem with it. Maybe it's just us folk in Colorado. We've legalized both coffee and weed. No one has come to church yet with a joint.

First of all, I don't see anyone here "endorsing" a gay (or alcoholic or addicted or adulterous) life style. Nor is it another man's job to "change" them - it is the job of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, you can indeed walk away from God - to your own peril; but you can also walk back into His loving and waiting arms - any time, no questions asked. See the story of the prodigal son. And, if we backslide into a pet/besetting sin, it's not over. As long as we get up every time we fall, we have not lost our salvation. (IMHO) James 1:13-14 says "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." Add opportunity to desire, and you have a recipe for sin. We may be able to modify our behavior by avoiding an opportunity to feed our desire; but sometimes opportunity finds us. If we fall, we have an Advocate with the Father in the person of Jesus. He understands our temptations and desires, because He was tempted just as we are; but never sinned. I wish I had that kind of willpower. In contrast to James 1:13-14, James 1:16-18 says: "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[d] 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. That "perfect gift" in this case is taking away the "desire". Sometimes He does this and sometimes He doesn't - I have no idea why He chooses to do that for some and not others. I'm talking undesirable behavior of any sort here. If and when God takes away our desire for any allged sin, that is the beginning of victory. However, besetting "sins" are habits that have a history; and old habits are hard to break. God understands that. I wish more people did.

This should work

Canadians are just better people, and I think that's why US tends to poke fun at them . They are more socially aware, and more communal. In US there tends to be "what's mine is mine" mentality, hence the 24hr news cycle thrives on sensationalizing and pushing the envelope to keep the ratings going. What's ironic is that they cover latest celebrity updates with similar type of "breaking news" frenzy.

A person might string electric fence wire between post extensions, then hang small, lightweight sparkly danglers from it, or even short strips of caution tape.

We have dozens of deer around here, and people will fence a small garden, maybe 10x20 feet, with a six-foot high fence and keep the deer out successfully. However, if the space is bigger, the deer do jump over the fence. I have seen some extend the visual height of their six foot fence by attaching yellow caution tape to three foot extensions above the fence. It's ugly, but it must work, because they haven't taken it down.

I think some here have missed your point. I did not understand you to be saying that all you need is sincerity. But rather that the problem is the suspicion of the other side as not having proper Chrisitan motives, for example hat the other side is not sincere in their POV. And I also read your comment to say that you are not questioning the motives, or sincerity, of anyone and by doing so one can reasonable conclude that there is room for differences of interpretation and on this because the evidence does not support a firm conclusion one way or the other. That really was the outcome of the TOSC. No consensus could be reached. No clearly prevailing right or wrong conclusion could be reached that could be agreed upon by all. The objective at this point is how do we move forward. The growing sense is that we must respect these differences as valid and allowable. That this is not something that should divide us. Just as the NT church recognized that they could all move forward together in unity, allowing a divergence of practice between the Jewish and Gentile believers on a number of key points, most significantly the Jewish practice of circumcision. It was well founded and established by Jewish history, culture and Scripture, but not essential for the faith and should not be imposed on the Gentiles.

There is definitely a truth and definitely a right side. However the unassuming nature of God does not force us to the correct side. It is by discussion, disagreement leading us to deeper Bible Study that will lead to conclusions so that we are blessed in that flesh and blood does not tell us but the Holy Spirit. The problem here is that one group tends to have a picture that they are defending the Bible and the other side is just trying to be liberals and explain the "Proof" texts as "cultural biased" and thus not to be followed. What they fail to recognize is that both groups are trying to be fair to the Bible. This is different than being "Sincere." The not willing to accept this keeps the two sides from really listening to each other, from blinding themselves to Biblical arguments for the other view and from examining their view in light of this other information.