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With the news glut as it is, it is easy to miss an important fact in a story. Several years ago when a rookie white policeman (an SDA and son of my co worker) killed a black man (son of another coworker) in Collegedale TN, it tore me up. Our church prayed for mercy while the grieving mother prayed for justice. The continuing needless deaths of black men and boys is a wake-up call for the saints to point folks to a better land were such things will never happen. Should the call be to community activism or for enhances Christian Service?

When the men would not stand up the women stepped and grew this Church.

Line of Duty Deaths: 108 in 2014 Assault: 2 Automobile accident: 24 Drowned: 1 Fire: 1 Gunfire: 43 Gunfire (Accidental): 2 Heart attack: 15 Motorcycle accident: 3 Struck by vehicle: 3 Vehicle pursuit: 4 Vehicular assault: 10 Read more: http://www.odmp.org/search/year#ixzz3Ltd8MN4c Line of Duty Deaths: 108 in 2013 Assault: 2 Automobile accident: 24 Drowned: 1 Fire: 1 Gunfire: 43 Gunfire (Accidental): 2 Heart attack: 15 Motorcycle accident: 3 Struck by vehicle: 3 Vehicle pursuit: 4 Vehicular assault: 10 Read more: http://www.odmp.org/search/year#ixzz3Ltd8MN4c Line of Duty Deaths: 126 in 2012 9/11 related illness: 4 Aircraft accident: 3 Assault: 1 Automobile accident: 22 Duty related illness: 3 Fall: 2 Gunfire: 48 Gunfire (Accidental): 2 Heart attack: 7 Heat exhaustion: 1 Motorcycle accident: 5 Stabbed: 5 Struck by vehicle: 6 Training accident: 1 Vehicle pursuit: 5 Vehicular assault: 11 Read more: http://www.odmp.org/search/year/2012#ixzz3Ltf0DqTd As everyone can see, policemen live dangerous lives and need justice too. When a citizen shoots at a policeman, is it with intent to kill a law officer? When a policeman shoots at a citizen, is it with intent to kill an innocent person?

You do realize that our pioneers, plus a couple more generations are also dead, don't you? Many see the Adventist Church as now at a similar developmental stage of a denomination either theologically frozen or in serious danger of being so already. The response we get just on these forums suggest a great deal of frozenness in theological thinking, or in other words an complete unwillingness to consider any examination of the foundations of our faith or even the possibility of new light on anything.Are you satisfied that there is nothing new to learn? Note carefully the degree of skepticism with the FB beliefs updates. Significant resistance. Many perceive that the Adventist Church is becoming more set in concrete, unwilling to change or progress. Think of WO. At the local level, try changing the order of service and see how open to change many of our people are.

I am not disputing Barry Black's right to protest nor the fact that American history is replete with injustices to blacks AND other minorities. (I am a minority also and have felt the sting of indignity from Jim crow.) What is disgusting to me is Barry's choice to perpetuate a gesture that was/is based on a lie. That is totally unbecoming of an Adventist Christian Chaplain, imo. As McWhorter pointed out in his Time magazine article, "Ferguson is the wrong tragedy. The facts are too muddy to rally Americans - but the underlying problem is crystal clear." He is an associate professor at Columbia U who looks to be part black to me. The South AND the America that I saw in the late 50's to the 60's are VERY different than the South and America that I see today as far as race relations are concerned. I spent two years in the deep South while I was in the US Navy, and then also went to college there. I live in NC now, and I am amazed at the number of Black/White couples that I see. But my perception is that, and correct me if I'm wrong, too many blacks SEEM to be stuck in the 50's and 60's. Viewing every police department around the country as a Bull Connor is no less profiling of the worst kind. If you want to be treated with dignity, then treat others with dignity, including the policeman who is out to protect people and property, whose family may be on edge everyday not knowing whether he comes home dead or alive. And viewing every white officer/black man encounter as a racial issue is as stupid as it can get. As has been reported, there are far more white people killed by white officers than blacks. There are also instances where black officers have killed white people. Are these about issues of race? But those don't make the news. Why is that? And please, help me understand this - other minorities - Asians of different nationalities, Africans, Blacks from the Caribbean, seem to move on and become fully integrated into American society, but why is it that there is such a significant segment of the American black population that feel like they are out of the loop of the American dream? (The Hispanics and Muslims present another problem, too many of them seem to want to integrate American society to them instead of the other way around.) As for changes for reform, what do the protesters, rioters, and arsonists want? Is there any right that is not protected by law except the right to destroy property, steal, or to inconvenience other people by blocking the streets and businesses? Until the human heart is reformed, no amount of laws will change how people interact. The law may protect my right to live anywhere I can afford, but there is no law that can force my neighbor to like me or treat me fairly. And there will be a lot less deaths when people start showing respect for the law and the authorities that enforce that law.

We have ALREADY done that! After the Great Disappointment of 1844, our pioneers examined the doctrines popularly taught among Christians in their day. They were bitterly stung and disappointed because of the popular notion that the earth was the sanctuary that Jesus was coming to cleanse. That prompted them to compare every doctrine with Scripture. From the Baptists, they accepted baptism by immersion. From the Lutherans, justification by faith. From the Methodists, sanctified living and, I believe, also church structure. The Sabbath from the 7th-day Baptists, etc. etc. In their search for truth, they discovered OTHER truths such as the state of the dead, the heavenly sanctuary, and healthful living. The problem with the other Christian churches is that when their pioneers died, they became frozen theologically. They refused to go farther. Not only that, some have abandoned truths they used to believe and are now cuddling up to Mama. And of course, the RCC is completely set in concrete. That is what prompted the Reformation. They set up a creed that could not be changed. That is quite a contrast to the SDAC. The Adventist Church is not also known as a Movement for nothing. We may have a set of fundamental beliefs, but they are not set in stone. We are willing to modify them as more light is revealed. This was also true among the other Protestant in their formative years, but that spirit died with their founders. So, can you give us an example of a Biblical truth taught by some other denomination that we aught to adopt?

I think that the problem is that these very extreme scenarios that we can *imagine*, but that as far as I know have never happened in real life, only in fiction and imagination, are used to justify torture in situations that are *not* these extreme scenarios. None of the instances in the CIA report were these kinds of scenarios. Given that, I still think that the *policy* should be 'never, ever'. If, perchance, a very extreme and improbable situation ever did occur in the real world, the person involved would have a very difficult decision to make. But that's kind of the point: the decision to torture *should* be an extremely difficult decision! Making up fictional scenarios for philosophical debates is one thing, but when it's used to justify torture in other situations, it's very dangerous sophistry.

LHC, you have given us a great example as to how you distort what people say. Thanks for doing so.

i like being aware. Aware of danger, aware of what's going on in the world. I like being aware of spiritual stuff. Often times I am groggy because of insomnia. I've been dealing with insomia since i was 12. I inherited the problem. I could tell some horror stories of what my Mom had to deal with. My biological dad was an alcoholic. So I stay away from alcohol, from 'smoke' as well. I hate being pimped by convenience stores. I hate the smell of tobacco. Don't have to worry about me stealing cigarillos. They're a waste of time, health and money. Also, I have this defiant, independent streak going. I like keeping the sabbath, when the world goes the other way. I also like not drinking when 'they' say I should. So, I don't drink.

unless one is over 144 years old, Christmas has always been a holiday during one's lifetime, and most probably was enjoyed as a holiday by the majority of people, including those opposing Christmas ... Sojourner's point is well-taken.

I'm glad you found it useful. So true the eye of reason cannot comprehend the things of God. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. We need to follow the guidance of the Lord, and while at times this may be similar in some ways to wisdom known on Earth as in the book of Proverbs, often it is not. We need the love compassion and mercy of God, His faith trust and power.

Thanks Joe, I personally think the ONE best reason to believe that the earth is "the uninhabited place" during the upcoming 7th millennium (not where we - with Christ will be ruling) is just our own personal condition - spiritually speaking. Don't know 'bout you, but I'm not ready to "rule the nations". I can barely rule myself consistently. I believe we will need 1000 years of rehabilitation and training at the New Jerusalem university, before we will be ready to "govern" as priests under Christ. The first priests - Aaron and his sons - did NOT BEGIN to minister as priests UNTIL "the eighth day". If you can think of the redeemed collectively as the priesthood of the coming Kingdom of Messiah's reign, then our consecration should take 7 "days". "With the LORD a thousand years is as a day, and a day as a thousand years" (Peter). The LORD told Adam, "for in the day you eat of it, you will surely die". Adam died at 930 years, just short of "the day". Even Methuselah died at 969 years. No human - post fall - lived more than a 1000 year day. Blessings, Rachel Cory Prophecy Viewpoint

Ther is nothing in the Bible to my knowledge that forbids Christmas trees. Does the public at large overcommercialize Christmas? Many do. Do some lose sight of Christ in all the hubbub? Yes but we do not have to.

Where is the documentation for this, Kevin? If you believe that humans evolved from cave men and apes, then the idea that the pagans invented God's feasts before Abraham would be plausible. But if the Bible is true (which it is) then all humans would be descended from Adam and Eve and all their descendents would carry with them fragments of the truths that God taught at creation. We know from the story of Cain and Abel that God was particular about the details of worship. (Although there is no record of God teaching those details to Adam's family, that teaching apparently occurred because Cain was expected to know already, Cain also showed knowledge of certain requirements of the Law of Moses, which weren't recorded in Scripture until centuries later.). Genesis 1:14 tells us that God had "appointed times" (mistranslated as "seasons") in place from the beginning, marked by the sun and moon. So who are you going to believe, the Word of God, or the archeologists who often want to show that the Bible is false?

That seems to hold true of every single person here to have voiced an opinion here (including you) and everyone from their favorite "news" source that they are parroting... Rather silly to base an opinion of the depth of others' knowledge and understanding of the matters in question on them not be on the Grand Juries themselves, don't you think? Rather limits the pool of who can speak up. Maybe that is the objective...

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." 1John 2:6 "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."

I came close to getting shot by a policeman five years ago. It was all my fault. It happened like this: I had just gotten off work one Friday evening about 7pm. It was in the springtime and it wasn't dark, but like at dusk. I work at a dmv office, or what people in most states call a dmv office. I am around cops all the time. State troopers work there, officers from other agencies come in and get their licenses renewed. I was told by the troopers who ran the dmv to give other police and first responders priority. See them first so that they can get back out there and serve the public. That's what I did; I had no problem with that. The dmv office that I worked at had the bright idea to keep us at work late, until 7pm every evening, mon - fri, doing mostly nothing. So, I was really happy to be leaving the office that evening. I had the stereo on a little loud. Not extremely loud because I don't have an amp or big speakers. I was driving faster than the speed limit, but nothing unusual. I was going North on a street, then I turned at a stop sign heading East. I sort of rounded the stop. I never really stopped. There was not a car in sight, nowhere, or so I thought. Next thing I know there were flashing lights behind me. HPD was telling me to pull over. I see HPD officers all the time at the dmv office. With that in mind I had the naive idea that I could get out of my truck, go talk to the officer, whom I probably had helped in the past, and be given a warning, instead of a ticket. Instead the officer told me over his speaker to get back into my truck, which I did. By then I had snapped back to reality. I got my license & insurance out, let the window down, and place both hands on the wheel. It took to me what seemed like a long time for the officer to approach. I knew he was checking me on the radio and computer. I had nothing to hide. The truck was mine, I have no traffic warrants, or any other kind. Never been to jail a day in my life, other than to visit. Finally the cop came over, looked at my id, and asked me repeatedly why did I get out of the vehicle. i had no plausible answer. He then asked me where I was coming from. It was an asian officer, by the way. When I told him I was coming from work at the local dmv office he calmed down. He went back to his car, I guess to call off the back up, I don't know. Then he came back and wrote me a ticket. The ticket he wrote was less severe than it could of been. I paid it, took defensive driving. It never went on my record. I gained some valuable insight from that event. I realized officers are hyper concerned when they pull you over. You may see yourself as an innocent, naive sabbath keeping mostly law abiding citizen. They see you as a potential felon or whatever. Was my race a factor? Probably. Race is always a factor, like it or not. The results could of been worse. The next time I am pulled over I will not get out of the vehicle unless told to do so.

John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. The plan of salvation was laid down before the foundation of this earth. The shadows of the substance of salvation was in the God given laws of Moses. All the way up to the resurrection of Christ the Jew. Don't forget, He was the substance of the shadows taught and referred to in the old Testament. Now we are in the benefits of the new Testament. The Jewishness of the symbols have been revealed in verity of the God incarnate man Jesus Christ. Yes, Salvation is of the Jews and Jesus was a top-knotch impeccable, sinless Jew. And still is. We believers are the body of Christ and we are referred to as spiritual Israel of today.That inadvertedly makes us symbolic Jews, too.