So aliens come to earth and they're Sooo nice. There's a huge televised event with all the world leaders in attendance. The Pope asks, "Do you know of Jesus Christ?" The aliens say, "Do we Ever? Awesome guy!! Swings by the planet every couple of years to say Hi!" The Pope exclaims, "Every couple of years?? What!!?? We're still waiting for his second coming!" The alien replies, "Maybe he didn't like your chocolate?" The Pope is flabbergasted, "What does chocolate have to do with anything?" The alien says, "Well when he came the first time, we gave him a huge box of chocolates! Why? What did you guys give him?
You're right. I also qualified righteousness with the term love. How do we do that? Is that a dichotomy? The Bible talks about truth in love and that the truth will set you free. There are many seeming paradoxes in the Bible. It will never be fully undersood this side of heaven. (1 Corinthians 13:12). All in all, I'll continue to study the Scriptures and work out my faith, while also knowing full well that work, in and of itself, is not the basis of my salvation. That comes thru faith. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ~Ephesians 2:8-9
Texas state supreme Court ruled state can investigate parents of transgender children for child abuse. Not because of evidence the children are abused. But because having a trans child is considered a crime. Texas governor also want immigrant children to starve. But he is so pro life.
Just found out this morning, at the wilderness camp Alex has been part of, it's been diagnosed that he has Autism. Not certain what their next steps will yield.
A Christian school in Kentucky had kids write letters persuading a friend to stop being gay | Hemant: "The overall goal is turn these kids into future bigots like the adults running this school...schools like this use religion as cover to indoctrinate children with hateful, evidence-free beliefs"
It's a very high level camp, including trained clinicians (and the like). It's a 6-week commitment. Not cheap. Costing them $600/day. I had gone over it a bit, earlier in this thread.
I guess I missed it. Autism and gender identity are not an uncommon theme, with people on the spectrum.
Correct. Nazi Germany outlawed birth control and abortions and banned books about sexuality. Sound familiar?
Love and righteousness? No, I don't really see it as a dichotomy. People spend so much time trying to find contrast between things, like religion and science when there is just as much if not more connection to find. We live in a universe where everything is connected in some form. If you look at love and righteousness from your standpoint, a religious one, the answer to your question, "how do you do that?" is love thy enemy. "You have heard that it was said, Love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.But I tell you, love thy enemies too.Pray for those who treat you badly.” - Matthew 5: 43-44 Yes, there are alot of paradoxes in that book. I think the point is you aren't supposed to understand them all, and that's ok. That's the point.
Oh, absolutely. And Jesus pointed that out many times - especially to the religious scholars and such. There are many parables, including the good Samaritan which show unconditional love. There are also stories such as the woman at the well and also the adulteroius woman where Jesus loves, while also calling out sin: 8 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” ~John 8:1-11 He did forgave her, but also told her to turn her life around.
