Amigo42

Good point! I'd still say it's the gift of tongues even if the speaker spoke one language and the audience heard multiple languages through their ears. Still the gift of tongues. It's also possible that people miraculously spoke in languages they did not know.

Yes, it is somewhat, but reasons that are valid for divorce are sometimes ambiguous. I believe that God judges circumstances, and only he truly knows what is going on in someone's soul. If spouses are constantly arguing in front of children, I'd say this is an unhealthy relationship. Our relationship with God is most important, so if an earthly relationship is impacting that, it needs to be evaluated regardless of whether there was infidelity. There are various common sense reasons for divorce that are not necessarily outlined in the Bible, but again God gave us common sense to use our wisdom and judgment. On the flip side, on the extreme spectrum, a person may get divorced for no valid reason at all or just because he or she wants to be with a younger person or is getting bored. I think this is unacceptable to God, but even in this circumstance, people should repent and then ask God for guidance in future relationships. I do not believe even in that scenario that God expects one to live in solitude and loneliness for life.

I agree with this, and I would even take it a step further. I believe there are scriptures in the Bible that fall into one of three categories (1. Literal, 2. symbolic, 3. somewhere in between literal and symbolic). I do not believe the Bible is inerrant in the strictest sense. I do not believe God wants us to feel that way either because even the written word can be made an idol. Only God is perfect. Nothing on this planet that humans have touched is perfect. Now, how does this fit into this discussion. Do I believe that God created the world in a literal seven days or a slow evolutionary seven days? I believe the truth is closer to a literal seven days. The former just doesn't make sense. Why would an all-powerful God take his time like humans who procrastinate to finish the long-time home improvement project? Evolution in a macro sense implies that God couldn't make up his mind and took millions of years to decide what to do with cosmic mix of biomass that was on this earth. From a common sense perspective it just doesn't make sense. Now, for all I know, it wasn't a literal seven days. Maybe it was seven hours, maybe it was an instant. I don't know, and to a degree, we all have to admit that there are some things we'll never know fully in this life. However, I do believe that God has given us everything we need to know in this life, and the rest we'll find out when the Lord returns. Amen!

I believe it was Jesse Jackson, who coined the new term, African American. It makes sense, if you look at it from a subconscious level. When one thinks of the word "black" negative images come to mind like darkness, halloween, scary, etc. So, I believe in the minds of the Europeans, it was the same principal. I believe that the sight of dark-skinned Africans who were tall and some but not all warrior-like, was enough to make them feel somewhat apprehensive. Subjugating the Africans was in a sense overcompensating for the this fear of these dark-skinned people from another continent. So, the term African American is more technically accurate. In reality, black is not even a race, it's just a color. An Indian person or middle easterner could be black but not necessarily of African descent. The term African American more clearly distinguishes someone's cultural ancestry.

Geez! Tell it like you mean it, why don't ya!

Is it possible that we have the entire view of tongues wrong? If you read the passage, it shows that everyone heard the gospel in their own tongue. So, for example, an apostle may have been preaching in Aramaic to a crowd of 20 nationalities, but with each hearing their languages. In other words, was the gift of tongues in the part of those who heard. This would mean that the apostles may not have actually spoken any language except their own.

One can't unscramble scrambled eggs. I think Christians put too much emphasis on whether it's a sin. I believe that God does not prefer spouses to divorce unless it becomes unhealthy. However, after a divorce I don't believe God expects one to live in solitude and loneliness for life. God gave us all common sense, so we can't overread into specific statements in scripture.

So, these are your original points from the OP. 1. God is creator of ALL things. I believe that the original audience for these chapters was a group of people that had just escaped 400 years immersed in a culture teeming with false gods. This was an important reminder for them. 2. God made humans special - in His likeness. We possess something that is unique among living creatures. This is quite likely something more than just bigger brains and the ability to talk. I believe our Imago Dei is spiritual, not physical. 3. Humans tragically chose their own way, rather than following God's specific instructions. This not only affected Adam and Eve (which I believe to be real people, and not just literary archetypes), but the rest of humanity. We are doomed to sin and its consequences. 4. God promised a way of deliverance. This was not spelled out in detail in Genesis 3, but it foretold of the coming Messiah. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is His choice to take on human form and limitations, lead a perfect and sinless life, die in order to overcome the power of sin and death, and come back to life to offer a new, spiritual life to all those that would receive Him. I agree 100 % with these points, and I believe most Christians would. You just leave open the idea of God evolved evolution, however, you seem to love God completely and appear to have given your life to him. I don't judge for differences of opinion in areas that are not salvational. Christians overall have a lot things right and a lot wrong. Some Christians believe in eternal hell fire suffering, and some preachers are almost joyful to tell people about hell. However, the idea of everlasting fire is a Hellenistic and pagan concept. Common sense would tell us no loving God would do something so sadistic. In addition, it makes no sense and doesn't dispense fair justice. A true reading of the Bible would correct such a viewpoint. The doctrine of speaking in tongues is another area where I believe Christians today have deciphered incorrectly. I believe that some Christians have it all wrong. It's possible the gift of tongues was actually on the part of the listener not the speaker. Anyway, that's a bit off topic.

So, what is your definition of evolution? Are we talking apes to humans, ants to pigs, or the endosymbiotic theory? I was a Biology major too and saw no evidence of real "evolution.". However, if you mean micro evolution, then yes there is evidence for this. Evolution technically means slow change over time. Look at Corona and its various variants and mutations in just one year.

I'm sorry, but what your point exactly? Are you saying that the European settlers and the emerging country had no responsibility for 200 + years of slavery and maltreatment of Africans in the US. We know there were African collaborators, but again, it doesn't mean much.

Thank you for this information. That's very interesting. I didn't realize that there was history there prior to the British.

This is true but quite irrelevant. By the time the slaves arrived on the Virginia shores, it was the slaveowners and not Africans who were involved in treatment of the slaves.

Hmm. I don't think that's the goal. I think the goal is educate everyone concerning the true history of the US and the world for that matter. This needs to be done because some people seem to forget why conditions are the way they are for minorities, in particular, African Americans in this country. The truth will set you free is what Jesus said. The truth is that the Europeans dominated what they considered to be inferior races in history (i.e. Africans, Indians, Asians, Native Americans). This history has had real-world impacts that still reverberate today. Look at India today. The entire caste system of view lighter-skinned Indians as being higher in society and darker-skinned as being lesser is a racist system with roots probably left over by the British colonial system. Look at the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda. That entire system of division was created by the colonialists which had real-world impacts on the people of that country including genocide. However, the division of Hutus and Tutsis is entirely made up and fake. It was a distinction set up by the colonists. Does that mean people should hate Europeans? No, people should not hate anyone on the basis of race. However, the truth is the truth. History is necessary for people not to repeat the mistakes of the past (i.e. two world wars in less than 50 years started by the same country essentially).

Apparently, judges who are conservative and republican are in cahoots with the Dems then because they threw out all those because there was no evidence.

Actually, I did watch some state hearing with Giuliani and the lady with the strong Midwest accent. Her recounting of the so called fraud including democrats "stuffing ballots in vans" was so pathetic it earned her an snl skit.

Please do share these "real facts."

I don't mean any offense, but you do realize that according to Trump's own Cyber Security administrator that this election was the most secure in US history? In addition, conservative judges threw out about 60 or so cases about fake fraud in the 2020 election. All I can say is what the judges said in those cases "Do you have proof?" The FBI and attorney general barr, a major supplicant of Trump, also said, the election was secure or that there wasn't any fraud to the extent of changing election results. It's more of the Big Lie. There is no proof, and it was sad that the traitors on January 6th fell for the Big Lie and a lot of them are now paying the price. People have to think for themselves and not be hoodwinked by snake oil salesmen with an agenda.

This is a generic and broad statement by Paul in what is a common sense concept. However, lol, our country, the USA, which most Christians believe the creation of which is ordained by God was created by people resisting authorities.

Just curious. Did you have a concern about mail-in voting during the 2016 Presidential election, or is it only when democrats win. I'm not making any assumptions or anything. Just curious.

I don't believe this. Sometimes the enemy puts people in power. For example, people like Hitler, Stalin, and other evil leaders in world history. So, no God does not always choose leaders. In reality, he wants to be the leader as shown by the Israelites when choosing a king. God wants to be the leaders in peoples lives, but he doesn't pick every leader of all of the countries of the world, but at times he does have a special mission appointed even for ungodly leaders like Cyrus the Great or Nebuchadnezzar.

Last time I checked BLM didn't try to storm the US capitol to overturn the work of democracy.

My friend, unfortunately the opposite is true. The "audit" in and of itself is the REAL fraud just like Trump's phone call to Georgia governor to "find" those 11,000 votes to win the State. In addition, the so called "cyber ninjas" are doing an unsanctioned audit with no real safeguards in term of ballot security. No one's going to believe anything they say regardless of the results of their fake audit.

That's kind of funny actually. Lol

I love it.

Well, the point of the new laws is to stop democrats from LEGALLY voting period. In Georgia, no food and water can be provided to people waiting in line for hours. Hmm. Where in Georgia are there long voting lines? Primarily in the cities which are mostly minority and democrat.