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Brick-and-mortar bookstores are failing, brick-and-mortar "big-box" stores are failing. If you want to, you can do all your shopping (including groceries) and never leave your computer or smart phone. If people are spending more time on the internet and social media than they do at work, maybe the church needs to focus on "virtual" church. In a way, ClubAdventist is "virtual" church. I spend more time here; and have more intimate discussions here than I do at my 'bricks-and-mortar" church. In a way, ClubAdventist is my home church. Just because they aren't in church doesn't mean millenials are turning their backs on God. More than half of the participants in my weekly "Book Club" (fka Bible Study) at work are millennials.

Bonnie has directed us to an article by Fernando Canale. He is a conservative member of the teaching faculty of the Andrews University Seminary. While one may disagree with his conclusions, his scholarship must be acknowledged. When he speaks, or writes, his arguments must be considered. Is he perfect and always 100% correct? No. No human is ever fully correct. In the above cited article, Dr. Canale says: I find the above to be of value on this subject. There are other good points that Dr. Canale makes. He correctly points out that the so-called "emerging church" consists of many aspects of belief and practice and that probably no part of it consists of all aspects. I might not agree with every point that he makes. But, I clearly agree with his focus on the Bible as the foundation for our belief and practice. I agree with his conclusion that God's people to day must find a way to reach a post modern culture in a Biblically acceptable manner. I agree with his conclusion that elements of the so-called emerging church may be appropriate and others may be inappropriate. Pick and chose carefully.

I have no idea. I just wondered if there had been some sort of necessity for the church to make a formal statement.

If I've just been talking to Sally on the phone, and then my husband says, "Who called?" I would say, "Sally". Right? But WAS it really Sally herself? No - it was an electronic transmission of Sally's voice. We were created with a receiver in our brains, that can "hear" Christ speaking to each one of us. He is NOT physically present in a human body. No. But He IS present - by His Spirit - to speak with us.

You did it again Samie. "Allowing my emotion to hold sway" .... really. I'm very level headed Samie. I performed anesthetics for 34 years. I've just decided NOT to allow you to speak disrespectfully, without calling you on it.

Samie, When you quote me, and then say that something I said is "absurd" - THAT is disrespectful.

A person has 3 friends. Referring to the two of them a thousand times without mentioning the other one does not necessarily mean the third one does not exist. In Acts, Luke mentioned the Holy Spirit alone 26 times, and the Holy Spirit and Jesus 7 times without mentioning the Father. It is absurd to say that Luke forgot the Father 33 times.

It IS the responsibility of the reporter to report stories accurately, and if they're relaying a story with such a misleading headline, they're a very poor journalist. The headline plays right into the whole "American values are going the way of the dodo" narrative, by implying that the man was fired for literally no reason other than being a hard worker. If I were to look at the comments on most of the websites responding this story with this headline, I expect that they're all very far to the right, and that the majority of the comments will be just taking the headline and running with it, using it as an excuse to complain about Obama and bemoan the fall of America. I suspect that higher quality sources aren't reporting on this incident at all, because there's no real story here. Man disobeys regulations repeatedly and gets arrested. Yay.

We are in a rather disturbing climate of distrust. I will be blunt. Lack of trustworthiness fosters an attitude of distrust in an ever increasing downward spiral. Nobody beleives or trusts anyone else because it has become so common and regular to lie about everything. Truthfulness and forthrightness has become rare. Sadly, it spills over into every area of life. Showing distrust to others does nothing to make them more trustworthy either. In fact evidence would suggest it only makes it more likely that people become less trustworthy in a climate of distrust. They live up to the highest expectation placed on them. If you expect someone to be a liar, they are more apt to at least bend the truth to protect themselves. People who lie are much more likely to expect that others are also lying, and suspect them of not being truthful or forthcoming. On the point in question, that there was a perceived need to even start up a conservative news source was born of a serious level of distrust born of a belief that anyone not conservative was lying. Hmmmm.... See where this goes?

Try these Joeb. Jesus said the spirit to come would "not speak of himself" (on his own authority). He said the same about himself. John 12:49 "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." (NKJ) John 12:50 "And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (NKJ) John 14:10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." (NKJ) In His prayer to His Father, Christ prayed "I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one" (John 17:23). So - according to John 17:23, the Father dwelt in His Son, and the Son dwells in us. "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). No mention of a THIRD Divine being.

Doubting the media is very popluar due in part to all of the sources 'supposedly' reporting the 'real news'. Because some/many are openly biased, it is assumed that eveyone else is. If Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were writing about Christ today, they would all be under suspicion because they wrote from a different view point or didn't tell the exactly same story.....very bad....must be a plot...what are they hiding....etc....etc. One person a lier, two people or maybe 3 or 4....then everyone must be!!

"God will protect us" in the time of trouble." God will not (in general) protect us from the wrath of man; but I believe He will protect us from the wrath of God (i.e., 7 bowls of wrath). Scriture tells us of unrestrained persecution in the last days by other humans (so much so that it will wear out the saints - Dan.7:25) The Bible even tells us with certainty that persecution WILL come. (Matt. 24:10; John 15:18-21; 16:1-3) But the Bible also says that God's people will be protected from the wrath of God. (See Romans5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10 and 5:9; for example).

I don't think the news we get on mainstream media is either accurate, complete, or relevant. Most of it is politically biased to either the right or the left; and most of the stuff we need to know about the world (outside of the latest psssing contest between Dems and Repubs) is either censored or so far back in the website that it is impossible to find. To get an accurate perspective, one must visit several domestic and foriegn news sites. No one is telling the truth. Just my jaded opinion...

Just research how the 12 disciples died. That should tell you about "special protection" in this world. Each of us experiences "pain" in this world. Maybe we loose someone, or something precious. Maybe we are betrayed or disappointed by a "friend". Maybe we have chronic pain from a physical condition, and the LORD does not heal or lessen that pain. Maybe we have financial woes. Yes - The pain IS a test, of whether we will continue to trust in HIM - regardless. Are there miracles? YES!!! I can testify to several. So - how does God determine who should benefit from a miracle, and who should be tested more severely? I don't know. We will have to ask Him, when we get "home". We are supposed to ASK. But we are also to say "Thy will be done." And we are to accept His will. I was recently (3 months ago) delivered from 47 years of chronic migraines. I had a procedure called a "Sphenopalatine Ganglion Radio-frequency Ablation". It was outpatient, with just some sedation. No pain to speak of afterwards. But from THAT DAY, I have not experienced another migraine. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!! My life is definitely changed! So WHY did the LORD not heal me 36 years ago, when I began my walk with Him?? Maybe He knew that I needed to "cling to Him" more tightly. Maybe He knew that I needed to empathize with other people who suffer chronic pain. Maybe Maybe Maybe I'll ask HIM, when I get "home".

am waiting for them to blame the white house, or Obama or the Pope.

This is why so many of these stories scraped up from the bottom of the media barrel are annoying. Just the title alone leads one astray from the real story. It is like most National Enquirer type headlines set up to be sensationalistic. The inaccuracy is the problem. Yes, the story might convey a more accurate version, but reading the title alone is deceptive. It is how false stories get circulated. Someone just reads the headline, reacts and tells a friend. Numerous times here a poster reacts to the title of a topic without actually reading the story connected to it. And then people get their knickers in a knot over being misunderstood or missing the point or whatever. The reason he was prosecuted was not for starting work early. It was for disturbing the peace in a residential neighborhood during hourshe wasn't supposed to be engaging in commercial/service activity.

Jeannie, I think the whole point of Fox is to create a distinct view of the news that appeals to people on the right. It's like the golf channel. The golf channel wants to make money from golfers. Fox News seeks to make money from right wingers and they need to cater to the their tastes. To suggest that the NY times cropped the photo is precisely what a conservative is apt to believe. Of course Fox won't tell its viewers that the separation that they create is not substantive but just sensational nonsense.

Oh for pity's sake. It's places like Fox News which engender and foment the mistrust and lack of collegiality between the Republicans and the Democrats, in Congress and at the state levels. Listening to Fox News just helps this antagonism grow. Why, oh why must everyone argue so much! Finding common ground would be so much more sophisticated and proper -- but the radical Right has taken over, it seems. It's not a sign of weakness to negotiate! And to come to a consensus on items of disagreement. But some don't seem to get it.

If you never step out of a church, you'll only find yourself surrounded by generally like-minded individuals. In order to spread the gospel, folks need to be willing to take a walk beyond the borders of the church - into the "wilderness" where the general populace lives. That means to live among them (as Jesus did), to talk to them (as Jesus did), to eat with them (as Jesus did), and to be their friend (as Jesus did). Since this thread involves the SDA denomination, I'll be more blunt: Too many members of the SDA faith have built barriers, usually unwittingly, in reaching non-Christians or those of other faiths. Such barriers can include the view that whoever doesn't believe "our way" is somehow inferior, "dirty," "untouchable," or "lost".... those views, while generally not overtly spoken, are very apparent to others. Such mindsets have a tendency to push people away from Christ, rather than bring them closer. Such views also involve comparing one's own spiritual life to someone else's.... and finding someone else's is "lacking"... Much better to focus on individuals as "God's children"... show them you care. Be a friend. Find commonalities rather than differences. Be someone who shines a light, rather than someone who goes about with a moral candle-snuffer...

I appreciate the balanced approach that assumes the intelligence of our people to exercise discernment. Some critics of anything untraditional, progressive, innovative, or any other new method or perspective tend to take an allow nothing approach that reject the whole if one flaw or error can be found. They end up throwing the baby out with the bath water. The end result is fearful confusion for our people and plays into the hands of the fear mongering label meisters. "Help" by disabling thinking...