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...which just reveals that you know only the lies you have been told by Western media. That is *nothing* like what Islam is actually about. Some unbiased study and reading, and some conversations with some actual Muslims, would transform your perspective, if you let it. Frankly, Gail, in response to the question in the OP, based on what people *do* in the world - which, Jesus says in Matthew 25, is what distinguishes between the sheep and the goats - converting from Islam to Christianity is likely not a forward step. Count either lives snuffed out or 'persons helped', and Christianity and Islam are difficult to distinguish from one another (once you realise that bombed and droned and sniped people are just as dead as IEDed and beheaded people). I know the intentions are good, but the level of xenophobia and ignorance is frankly horrifying. Human beings are human beings. Religions need to be judged by the *net* impact of their believers on the world: and with open eyes, not massive in-group/out-group prejudice that makes people like us the 'good guys' by default.

He's still gonna flame out well before the end of the primaries.

I have believed for a long time that God would have to do something big to help His people who are in lands of Islam. Could the exodus of refugees be the start of a help that will save those people for Him? They are fleeing to lands where freedom to convert will be given them.

Here's a few verses to start with: 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" "If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." (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) John 17:23 "I in them, and You [Father] in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (NKJ) Colossians 1:27 "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (NKJ) John 4:24 "God is spirit" (NKJ) Genesis 41:38 [speaking of Joseph] "And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?'" (NKJ) Exodus 31:3 "And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (NKJ) Numbers 11:17 [The LORD said to Moses] "Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone." (NKJ) After the spirit was "put upon" these 70 men, they prophesied. Numbers 24:2 "And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him." (NKJ) The LORD did not allow Balaam to resist, and so Balaam spoke blessings for Israel, and prophesied good things for Israel - against his will. Judges 3:10 "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel." (NKJ) 2 Samuel 23:2 [David's last words] "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." MY QUESTION: What does it mean to "be filled" with the spirit? It is definitely described as a power from outside of ones self. Notice it never says, filled BY the spirit of God. Always WITH. I don't have an agenda here. I just would like to hear other folks ideas about what it means to be indwelt by the spirit of God. Only one time has a force by-passed my conscious mind, to speak something. It was during a Bible study, when a woman asked a question. I started to answer her, but then I heard myself say other words. They were the perfect answer to her question.

I have in the last week, started studying Theology at Avondale in Australia- by distance. I am very scared about doing the essays, and getting the referencing right, but I know God will help me through it. After all, i had so many signs and confirmations within a 10 minute period the morning after i asked, what else can it be?? My major is Biblical Studies.

I must confess that I hold a suspicion that Welsh spelling is done out of spite for the Roman alphabet.

Yes, my thought, too. After the Soviet Union collapsed and opened up I was convinced that God's hand could and would do big things for His people still. I thought that not all Muslims are terrorists, that many in their hearts desire peace just as we do.

Could this be the equivalent of the Berlin Wall falling for the Middle East?

When children are born to starve to death i think abortion would have been merciful. When children are born to be raped from the time they are infants i see abortion as merciful. When children are born to die in an orphanage untouched, and born to a home that is emotionally, mentally, and economically unable to provide the basic needs for that child i see abortion as merciful. We deny this dark side of humanity or ignore it, or choose not to think about it.... it is very awful. Suicide, mental illness, and prison, and all the suffering that follows these spring from deprivation of needs. And the sufferings of the next generations from the families that suffer from these events deepens the cycle. Poverty and lack of education are recognized as social markers of the disadvantaged. Some struggle deeply with bringing a deeply and profoundly disadvantaged child into the world. Unless you are in this position you cannot imagine the burdens that may come on your life, and lead you to utterly despair of life..

That is all very true. I would think many adventists deal with a conflict of work and their religious beliefs. Being unwilling is sometimes more of a matter of being unable to do so reasonably by the employer. What works well on paper or in theory does not always work as well in practice

No, you misunderstand. This is not about what I like or think should be done. This is about the state of the law as it is right now. That seems to be lost sight of in all the media bloviating. Willingness to cooperate with accommodation of a fellow worker is in fact a real part of the solution. Depending on the facts and circumstances that can make or break an accommodation. Unfortunately I see an increased unwillingness to play nicely in the workplace as a general rule and it seems in these situations. There is only so much an employer can do in many cases if other employees are unwilling to swap shifts, for example. If the workplace rules give employees little choice in scheduling, the employer can shift the schedule around. But that is seldom the absolute rule of the employer. There are often senority rules that give employees with senority first choice on shifts. Most often these get worked out between employees without the employer getting involved. We don't hear about those situations though. We only hear about when things break down.

In our local Christian book store one of the staff member is an ex muslim migrant to Australia, their daughter was born again in a Christian church and she and her husband gave their lives to Jesus soon after. They are not on their own, I have heard several testimonies of people that have come to Christianity after migrating away from an islamic nation, so you could very well be right Gail!

And, BTW, the Bible states that God is agape. Agape is not an attribute of God, it is who He is and will always be....

Q: What work? A: His original work of creation during the first, six days. If God started working after the Sabbath (i.e., the 8th day, or the 2 earth's Sunday) that would infer that God's work was lacking, that is to say, that it was imperfect and needed an additional touch up. God rests was not of one day, the Sabbath, rather it was perpetual, that is, until sin marred His perfect creation. When Adam sinned God ended His rest. We are not to rest because of a perfect creation, but a perfect redemption.

Even if the "first Adam" had NEVER sinned, that would not guarantee every one of his descendants would remain "sin free". Every descendant was born with "free will" and COULD have "sinned" at any time. If the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" remained in the Garden of Eden, and the Garden remained on the earth, would not Adam's descendants have access to THAT Tree? OR Had Adam passed "the test", would "the Serpent" have been banished from earth - forever. And would that guarantee eternal sinlessness? Personally, I believe it is our shared experience of the PAIN that sin has brought, along with our KNOWLEDGE of the amazing love of God, that will guarantee our eternal loyalty to God, and our love for God's own.

Will see if thou is a false prophet or not

In at least one Bible the sense of the Hebrew words are rendered not as love and hate but as chose and rejected. That meaning clears up some of the confusion.

If the baby is born on Dec 24, it will share my birthday! Please let me know Wishing your daughter and her husband all the best

I have a daughter unable to conceive, and it has caused her much pain to drive by Planned Parenthood facilities knowing that in there is where unwanted babies are killed. A couple of days ago a meth-head delivered the cutest little baby boy at our hospital. She refused to take him home, so he had to go to a foster home. It was her fifth child. My daughter and husband are adopting an as-yet unborn baby girl from a young woman who realizes she cannot raise a child on her own. The baby is due to be born on Dec 24. This should really brighten up their lives and create new responsibilities. I think that anyone who has an abortion should be subject to compulsory sterilization.

Even tough I may not agree with everything he says, I believe Dr. Ben Carson to be a man of kindness, decency, and integrity. While there are others seeking the Presidency that may have some of these attributes, there are also those who make their lack painfully evident.

Wow. I must have been living in a cave for the past 65 years (with Doug Batchellor?), including the 25 years I was a Catholic. I've investigated many interpretations of scripture; but this one is totally new to me. I can't even begin to get my head around how you can even pull this out of scripture. Suffice it to say that this is NOT what I believe. Does anyone else out these find this rather - ahhh - "original"? I've always thought (still very strongly think) that Revelation talks about a second coming where the elect are saved, the condemned are destroyed and satan bound; then the 1,000 years, then the resurrection of "the rest of the dead" and satan released from his chains, and finally the Great Day of God when all evil and death is finally and permanently destroyed. Silly me! You never quite answered my question: If the "ghosts" that torment people and haunt houses and pagan temples aren't demons, what are they?