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Last night one of the greatest men in my life passed away. He was a proud father, grandfather and recently a great grandfather. He taught at Lima Linda university and Andrews university with pride and then pastored in the Portland, Oregon area. He was proud to be an adventist. I lived him very much. When I married into the family it was truly a blessing. It was a blessing to know him as a man and a man of God. He lived his family and he loved his friends. He blessed everyone he came in contact with. He wrote several books and had even more in the making of which one of his grandaughters is going to publish them. May this man reat in peace knowing how much he was loved and how much he loved others.

There's a link in the OP to the whole syllabus. Worth reading all of it in context, not just cherry-picking to create an impression.

It's not a college, it's one course. Using the creativity to replace swear words with other words is something we'd applaud. You don't think that, just perhaps, using the creativity to find different words for some of our commonplaces might challenge our thinking? Which, by the way, is the main goal of higher education. If the details on the assessment were accurate it seems a heavy-handed way to do the experiment, but I'm not sure I trust the source. Easy outrage is easy... and typically misses the point.

Thanku for saying that.

me too Heaven is all about the other selfs. The law in the hearts is all about giving and looking at things from their perspectives. Paul calls it esteeming others higher than ourselves. Phil 2:3

I am continually reminded how much "self" there is in both my thoughts and in my reactions to others' words.

Not banned, though: better alternatives recommended. No penalties, just a suggestion. I call my wife my partner, because that's who she is. Trying to find ways to include others rather than exclude them is a good thing. And it's not censorship of language or diminution of language to *increase* our vocabulary, and choose our words for our purposes. And, again, a credible cause can be supported with truth, not distortion and misleading claims.

As I suspected, the presentation in the OP was not honest. Those ellipses (...) suggest that the penalties for conduct apply to the inclusive language guidelines. They're from completely different parts of the syllabus, and what the conduct guidelines *do* apply to is clearly outlined. Read the whole document here: http://arts.ufl.edu/site/assets/files/75698/ids1353_lee_1601.pdf Then decide whether you think the OP describes it honestly.

I am. Ask me if you are.

Only in Jesus can we form one right thought. God's loving and forgiving kindness has been generously made available to every human being, mercy upon mercy grace upon grace. Where sin abounds grace much more abounds. all are sinners and all produce self centered thinking. The heart is deceitful above all things who can know it. there is none that arouseth themselves to seek after thee. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. God invites, Look unto me and be ye saved all ends of the earth. of ourselves we can do nothing, but i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. what a wonderful Saviour, what a wonderful redemption.

the term "love the Sinner,hate the sin" is used alot but how can one love someone when one thinks of others sins every time they see them? ..................................... Kdogae86, And anyone else interested You asked a very good question of why would a gay person who is now a christian would still call himself gay. Well I will share a few reasons that you may not agree with or understand and that is ok. What I am expressing are very personal and tender so consider this an honour It has to do with COMMUNITY 1. We are liars when we say we have no sin. 1 John 1:10 It's very important in real connecting fellowship to tell the truth of ourselves and with each other. It is up to ourselves what to share and what not to share with others. It cannot and should not be dictated by another. In that sharing we constantly focus on JESUS loving where we are now and loving us all to completion as The Day Approaches. 2. To find safety in fellowship. A Body of Christ is called to be a safe place for trust to build and connection to be formed and to find encouragement (Heb 10:25) and accountability. this very Fellowship brings growth and healing and in this process even a closer walk with each other and GOD. Are you safe to share a struggle in your Church? Are you safe to hear a struggle without condemning or showing self-righteousness? It is spiritual abuse and controlling to tell others what to share and not to share. We adults among adults decide what to share and decide not to share in the proper context. Can we be given advice on candor and timing?...Of Course, but only if it precludes trust and safety in that particular relationship or connecting support system. 3. Why do I tell others I'm gay? It is not a sin to be gay. The sin is lust in the mind and acting on it, just like with heterosexuals. It is a great way to share my Testimony. After all it relates directly to How Jesus Saved Me! A Sinner! And between you and me and all who see this, telling people in some circles that we are Christians evokes 2000 years of violence, fraud, scandals, abuse, misogyny and hatemongering. And even today some churches do that. Some are very aware of all that baggage and avoid us Christians at all costs. 4. To go back to the God's Word in 1 John 1:8-10: It does great damage to struggling gays to assert oneself as being completely healed of homosexuality by calling myself "straight" or "ex-gay." If it is true, by all means sound the trumpet, let the pigeons loose! ...But in most cases, even ex-gays who marry an opposite sex partner and sire children, still struggle with attraction to the same sex. And that attraction may never go away until the other side of eternity. To say that same-sex attraction just goes away gives a a false impression. It is an excruciatingly soul destroying life to be gay and seeking the elusive 'sainthood' of heterosexuality and not finding it but comparing your walk with ex-gays who announce they are TADA! I'M STRAIGHT while it is not true. Speaking particularly of ex-gay ministries: Many have killed themselves because of no hope and others have cut or tried to cut off their genitalia in desperation. My gay brothers and sister deserve the TRUTH of SANCTIFICATION. It's not overnight or necessarily complete at sudden death. 4. There is healing when you share the inner parts of yourself, when you look into another's eyes and see JESUS (non-condemnation) IN THE FLESH upon their faces. There is freedom in that and JESUS IS GLORIFIED! There are other reasons outside of these 4 entirely on another level, but I chose to share these because it strikes at the heart of how GOD deals with us in relationship and calls us to do and be the same towards others. I am sure I gave you enough to chew on. On a even more personal note of my long hard walk -- it's nice to stop the busybodies from wondering why I am not married yet or the dreaded awkward ringing of the bell, "I've got a nice girl I want you to meet!" ugh I will get even more deep with you, my friend and Brother/Sister in Christ. I can't tell you how many times I got to know good people in the past and formed bonds and rejoiced in the LORD together to only be suddenly avoided because they got wind of the fact that I AM GAY (and therefore demon possessed? ...as some say). I find it best to be upfront early on to avoid such devastating disappointment of being rejected by someone I though to be my soul Brother or Sister. ...If I'm upfront and thought to be a castaway by them by their actions or a harsh denunciation, it is is better for both parties emotionally and spiritually. ...................................................................................... And on a preachy side note... Gossiping/backbiting would stop or greatly be lessened in Church if we all told the talebearer (every time) how disgusted and repulsed we are by their backbiting and character-assassinating sins( Ellen White calls it cannibalism, which sounds pretty evil to me) . But so many people will do that to gays in the congregation or out. Quoting scriptures but say nothing of others blatant sins cause they are more entertained or comfortable with.. The QUEERS see this hypocrisy and shake their heads understanding church is NOT for them no matter where they are on in their walk with GOD. ..hence the much needed thread specific to the LGBTIQQAAP staying in our Churches. OK off my soapbox God bless you all and be with you as you reflect and pray where your sin is in this (if applies). IF JESUS be lifted up in His People, HE will draw all gay men and women. wooo hooo on a side note which i may share more in another post if requested There are untold numbers out there of QUEERS who don't have sex and are even virgins ..and attractions are not lust and Temptation is not a sin So please, God Fearing Christians ... obey GOD in this and cast down your sexual imaginations of others geeesh . May the Joy of the LORD be your Strength and pass that Joy to others

I see no one that is anti-Catholic! When I say that I mean our leaders, pastors, evangelists, etc. Oh there might some of the people in our church that are like that, but otherwise I don't see it As they have said for many years, its the system not the people. Every single thing about this system fits the RCC to a tee. They think of changing times, laws, etc. There's nothing about marauding legions of any kind killing people! As we get closer and closer to "Sunday" laws, it wont be Islam changing the day all must worship, since there day is Friday. No one considers Friday as a Sabbath, not even Islam. Its just a day they took because they didn't want anything to do with the Jews. But yet the RCC did change that day from the Sabbath of the Bible to there day of Sunday, and they talk about it in all there writings. They even call the Protestants out on that!!

“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so.” [Pope Francis] You know the Pope's arrogance angers me to no end. Who is he to dismiss the creation account, not only as it is found in Genesis, but throughout the whole of the Bible? And the Pope dismisses creation by stating that it's not within God's power to create. Really? How arrogant! Well, if God can't call life into existence then He can't call believers from their dusty graves. Again, how arrogant!

Let me quote Pastor Sequeira again because he makes a very good point" Adventists traditionally belong to the Wesleyan Arminian school of theology.....Arminians believe that Christ only “potentially” or “provisionally” saved all of mankind on the cross. For this provisional salvation to become a reality, one must repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Only then will God place that person into Christ and the provision will become a reality. Thus, traditionally, we Adventists have limited the in Christ motif only to believers. The main argument that has often been used to prove that the in Christ motif applies only to believers is Romans 16:7. In this chapter of greetings Paul makes this statement: “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison on with me.... They were in Christ before I was” (NIV, emphasis mine). Clearly, what Paul is implying is that these two men accepted the truth as it is in Christ and were converted before Paul himself. To build a whole theology on this one text while ignoring all the other in Christtexts Paul uses (some 64 times) is very poor exegesis, to say the least. Further, this conclusion is a subtle form of legalism, salvation by works, since repentance and faith contribute towards ones salvation. Whereas, according to Paul, it is the goodness of God (the reality phase or objective facts of the gospel) that leads one to faith and repentance (Romans 2:4). Hence, faith is not allowing God or giving Him permission to put us into Christ but accepting with grateful hearts what God has already accomplished for mankind in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 1:3-4). It is here where I disagree with the teachings of the Biblical Research Institute (BRI) of the GC, as well as some of the Independent Ministries. I believe that the true everlasting gospel, which God raised the Advent Movement to proclaim to the world in its global mission, is neither the limited atonement of Calvinism nor the provisional salvation of Arminianism. Rather, it is the incredible good news that on the cross the entire human race was actually or objectively redeemed, justified, and reconciled to God by the death of His Son (John 3:17; 17:4; 19:30; Romans 5:5-10,18; Ephesians 2:5, 6, 8, 9; 2 Corinthians 5:19).

2 Thes. 2:1-4 - "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed,the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God." Isaiah 14:12-14 - "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens I will raise my throne above the stars of God I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Matt. 24:4-5, 23-25 - Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ... At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time." And that's just for starters.

When Tiffany Rubin’s 7-year-old son was abducted in 2008, she went to great lengths to bring him back home. In her case, that meant making a costly and rather risky trip to South Korea, where she discovered her boy had been taken. Stories like this are telling examples of the power of a mother’s love. Yet, picture a love that surpasses even this. In Matthew 18, we read a story of The Good Shepherd, who leaves his ninety-nine sheep, in order to save the one that was lost. (verses 12 -14). We are the lost sheep in the story. We have strayed from home, and Christ wants us back. (Isaiah 53:6, 1 Peter 2:25) He is willing to do whatever it takes at whatever cost, in order to save us. His motivation for doing all He does and more is love, and nothing less. This is the very spirit which He wanted His followers to have. Luke 9 gives us a clear understanding of this. In this passage, we find that in response to the Samaritans’ rejection of Jesus, James and John resentfully ask this question: “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and [...] View the rest of this great article

Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Woman. where are thine accusers? Doth no man accuse thee?" No man Lord! "Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more." I may be a standing sinner, but God did not create me a sinner anymore than He made Lucifer a rebellious satan and our Father won't receive me into the kingdom while practicing sinful activity. Would that we would all accept Jesus at His promise as He spoke by the Holy Spirit through His Servant Paul, as opposed to accepting our sinful propensities as inevitable. …6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing....2 Tim 4 7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith ina Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus....Phiippians 3 5Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the LifeI, no one comes to the Father but through Me. .…John 14 …8Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."" Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.....2 Corinthians 12 God is Love!~Jesus saves!

Good question. IMHO, it was fortuitous. Now Obama can appoint someone to fill that position.

I used to think that my though patterns were normal and everyone else's was weird. I realized earlier in life that that is not logical. I realize now that I am weird and others are normal. Well - maybe not weird; but at least quirky.

I suspect most of us think we think normal. How do we tell if we do not?

Nice to see you, LilStar Our grief in our loss is proportionate to the love we had. I wish you many hugs from Jesus at this sad time.

Thought I'd put a few more verses. QUESTION: Who sent Christ? ANSWER: God the Father. 1 John 4:14 “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.” John 5:30 [Christ] I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:23, John 5:37). John 5:37 [Christ] “"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 8:16). John 6:39 [Christ] “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” John 6:44 [Christ] “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:57 [Christ] “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” John 8:16 [Christ] “And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.” John 8:29 [Christ] “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” John 8:42 “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.’” John 10:36 [Christ] “Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’” 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.” John 17:21 [Jesus last prayer to His Father] “ ... that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:25 “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.” Not one time, does John say that "the Holy Spirit" sent Jesus into this world. John says "the Father sent" His own Son. We know the Father is "head of Christ" and He is also the God of Christ. This is hierarchy - not equality. Romans 15:6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 15:6 NKJ) 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, (NKJ). I won't repeat all 15 verses. I can't get a Trinity from these passages. I only see TWO divine beings. One is HEAD of the other. One is God of the other. One is the Father of the other. John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

I agree that the thoughts that evil spirits put into our minds totally aggravate distorted thinking. To make it worse, most people cannot discern the difference between self-talk, the voice of the Holy Spirit, and the voices of unholy spirits. Many (if not most) of us view all internal talk as self-talk; and if we can't believe ourselves, who can we believe?