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While the US was embarrassed by revelations that it had been electronically spying on its European Allies for decades, even moreso embarrassing was the fact that European leaders had no idea it was going on. Merkel's plan is less about providing EU citizens security from 'spying' by the US of their cell phones, internet usage, cable tv viewing habits, e-mail messaging and so forth....as it is about how Germany, France and other EU nations can play 'catch up' in the spy-games and start electronically eavesdropping themselves! The genie is out of the bottle. And he is not about to go back in!

Thief on the Cross. Many use the "Thief" on the Cross as 'proof' that Baptism is not necessary for Salvation.... But we know NOTHING about whether or not the "Thief" was ever Baptized or not....Just that he was crucified next to Jesus...admitted his guilt...and that his own crucifixtion was justified. Did this man partake in John's Baptism?...We do not know... Was this man a practicing Jew?...we do not know... Was this man a Gentile Christian?...we do not know... Was he baptized as a believing Christian?....we simply do not know. The FACT is no sound doctrine regarding 'baptism' and it's effect on Salvation can be gleaned from the story of the Thief who was crucified next to Jesus! We do not know if he was or wasn't baptized! What we DO KNOW, however, is that Jesus, Himself, was Baptized...to fulfill the Law and God's command... And that Jesus COMMANDED any who claimed to 'follow' Him to submit to Baptism in the same manner that He submitted to baptism.

"They know who they are giving arms to. They're giving arms to fellow Sunnis." ------------- It's not that simple. First: not all rebels in Syria are Sunni Muslims. Second: Assad is not a Shi'ite Muslim. Assad is an Alawite....a Muslim 'cult' that is about as close to Shi'ite Islam in theology as is Jehovah's Witness or Mormon theology to Orthodox Christianity. Third: Christians in Syria support Assad because Christians have fared best under the secular Assad than they could under any other religious Muslim option. ------------------- That said, are the Saudis simply supply funneling arms from their US and other NATO/EU handlers? It's a safe bet since Saudi Arabia (like Israel) does little to act independently of their mutual puppet masters.

Without understanding 'baptism' as did the Jewish Jesus, the Jewish Apostles, and Jews in Palestine at the time the New (and Old) Testament was written...it is not possible to understand that there are indeed multiple 'baptisms' indicated in Scripture...and that multiple 'baptism' is the 'Norm'...not the exception... for any believer in Christ...Jew or Gentile. See the Jewish Encyclopedia entry for 'Baptism' here: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2456-baptism See also "Ablutions" here: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/338-ablution

So if less than 2% of the US workforce makes less than Federal Minimum wage, then how can raising Federal minimum wage harm the economy? Short answer: It CANNOT! So WHAT ARGUMENT then can be made AGAINST helping these few get out of POVERTY?

The article states that the entire Iranian Naval 'force' sent near US waters was 1 destroyer and 1 Helicopter Carrier. How is that any threat?

"North Korea is godless, as all religious activity is discouraged there." I don't follow your logic. North Korea may be "officially" atheistic, as are all other Communist nations...but that is not to say the society nor its citizens are 'godless'. Far from it. Christianity thrives in North Korea (underground as that may be) and in other communist nations (like China). In fact. some of the fastest growing Churches in the world...the nations producing the most Christian converts every year are in Communist/atheist nations -------------------- "England was still subject to the Church of Rome under Henry the VIII...." Again, I'm not following your logic. The Catholic Church did not instruct or demand of Henry VIII to murder his father's ministers any more than did the Church instruct or authorize him to murder St Thomas Moor.....or execute his wives __________________________ The point here is that England was not made any more 'godly' by the personal evil actions of Henry VIII than is North Korea today made 'ungodly' by the personal actions of Kim. Nor could the righteousness of Christian believers in common English society be the cause of Henry's evil anymore than can Kim's evil be the result of North Korean society or culture alone. Each did their own evil on their own accord. Regardless of their societies, religions, cultures, or political affiliations....Kim, like, Henry and all men...commit assassination and murder simply because they personally want to....and LIKE it.

"This is what happens in Godless societies". That is an interesting statement since many of the Kings of England practiced execution in the same way as Kim to consolidate their own political power. Of particular note is Henry the VIII...founder and religious head of the Church of England. One of his earliest actions as king was to charge 2 of his father's ministers with treason, and have them killed.. I don't think it could be properly argued that England was a 'godless society' simply because some of its monarchs were murderers anymore than can one argue that Kim's actions are the result of Korean society or its people at large.

Good start in the right direction! Let's see how the lunatics at the NRA try to spin this one!

And by doing so will guarantee another Democratic victory in 2014 and 2016. When will these Republican 'men' (males) get it? If you want to prevent divorce as a Christian, then do not practice adultery: http://zplonk.tripod.com/cheating_republicans.html If you want to prevent abortion as a Christian, then do not practice adultery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Terry If you want to stop drug abuse, then don't snort coke: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-trey-radel-to-return-to-congress-after-cocaine-arrest/ ---------------------------- The bottom line is that the Gospel, as well as the Law, is aimed at each of us personally. We cannot condemn the homosexual if we live in adultery... We cannot condemn the adulterer if we abort our children conceived in marriage... We cannot condemn abortion if we live together without the benefit of marriage... We cannot condemn the jobless if we do nothing to give him a job... We cannot condemn those who use drugs if we are alcoholic... -------------------------- Christ's Gospel is aimed at OURSELVES to conform and to comply and to obey... Not to FORCE others to do so! So to the Republicans and Democrats and Tea-Partiers, and Independents, and everyone else I say: Show us your stuff by showing us Christ in YOUR lives by doing as He said! Otherwise PROVE yourselves the LIARS you ARE!

Looks like AFlameOfFire is the one missing the point about 'chia beards'... http://www.examiner.com/article/duck-dynasty-s-uncle-si-and-willie-chia-pets-a-hot-item-for-2013-holiday-gifts Chia Pet is actually marketing 'chia beards' to make more money for these Duck Dynasty weirdos! And my beard looks just fine all neat and trimmed as it is!...Thank you very much! PS: 4% of the population does NOT represent "Middle America" or its values! 4% of the population following Duck Dynasty realty stars is why the Republican Party is in big trouble when it thinks it represents 'America'...and why Evangelicals are in even bigger trouble when they look to Duck Dynasty stars as examples of role model 'Christians' and protectors of speech freedom.... What did Jesus say about the hypocrites who wanted to be seen of men acting all holy in public on the street corners? Sheesh! PPS: I support the right of anyone to say anything within reason and their Constitutional rights....But NO ONE has the right to say what they want on their EMPLOYERS time and in their EMPLOY without suffering the consequences for it. SI wants to lose his contract with A+E and go on the road at his own expense as a 'preacher' against gays, then he should GO FOR IT!... He just shouldn't expect A+E or anyone else he works for...and DISAGREES...to have to accept his 'free speech' views or be forced to be swallow his misguided 'opinions'. --------------- Sorry.

Look. Anything is possible. The entire Royal Family and lineage could be wiped out by an asteroid.... England can be wiped of the face of the map by Nuclear war.... The Royal Family can repent and finally swear allegiance to Louis the 16th of France as their rightful monarch.... But by all sensible observations, actions and indications, Charles intends to ascend the throne and serve as King...and has never suggested anything to the contrary. To claim otherwise is spurious speculation and more than just common codswollop!

During the VietNam war, private citizen Jane Fonda traveled to North VietNam, to protest US military involvement in SouthEast Asia. As a US citizen, Fonda had a right GUARANTEED and PROTECTED by the US Constitution, to protest against, disagree with, actively challenge, campaign against, and do whatever it took within LEGAL means to expose what she felt were wrongs done by the US in its prosecuting of the war against communism in VietNam, Laos and Cambodia. Did Fonda have the legally protected RIGHT of free speech to go to North VietNam, collaborate with our enemies, and serve as a propaganda tool against US Interests? Few today would think so, and many (if not most) US citizens consider Jane Fonda a TRAITOR to this day because of her wartime actions. ----------------------- While I, too, protested US involvement in VietNam, and was prepared as a teen to renounce my US citizenship and emigrate to Canada rather than serve against my conscience and will in a war I considered 'unjust'...and short of that...was prepared to go to jail rather than be drafted and be forced to serve... Even I considered Fonda's actions then well 'beyond the pale'...'over the top'....and too scandalous to be within the rights of 'normal' objection...and I still do today. WHY? Because there is a LIMIT to our protections under the Constitution...and a limit of what we individuals can say or do no matter how much we believe what we are doing is 'right'. Ultimately, our freedom of speech and dissent ENDS when our right to speak and dissent jeopardizes the lives of our fellow citizens. Free speech CANNOT BE CLAIMED, while aiding and abetting our national enemies in times of war, while giving national secrets to our enemies who use that information to kill our fellows and do harm against our nation. ----------------------------- It is my opinion that Jane Fonda betrayed her country by her actions in North VietNam, and should have been punished as a traitor for them. ----------------------------- It is also my opinion that Edward Snowdon is likewise a traitor to his fellow countrymen and US security and his actions inexcusable. Edward Snowden is the "Hanoi Jane" of his time. And in fact, WORSE. __________________ Did Snowdon have LEGAL means by which he could have PROTESTED against what he saw as NSA 'over-reach'? ABSOLUTELY. Did Snowdon have LEGAL means to STOP his own involvement in programs he felt violated his own conscience? ABSOLUTELY. Did Snowden have the right to take US secrets and divulge them to our enemies? ABSOLUTELY NOT. IS Snowden protecting US citizen's interests by seeking refuge in and collaborating with US enemies? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Do these facts JUSTIFY the US in its surveillance of its own citizens? Surveillance of World leaders? MAYBE YES, MAYBE NO....and whether right or wrong remains to be seen... But Snowdon acted ILLEGALLY as his own JUDGE and JURY...giving the US no CHANCE to defend itself under the same LAWS and RULES he claims!. ---------------------------------- Whether you agree with the actions of Congress during the Bush and Obama Administrations which empowered the NSA to expand surveillance on behalf of US National Security has NOTHING to do with the actions by Edward Snowdon who betrayed his oath to protect you and I. The NSA has been doing its job for longer than Edward Snowdon has been alive...and far greater minds...far more sober minds...have deemed the actions of this agency CRUCIAL to the protection of US citizens worldwide. -------------------------------------- Has the US Government...It's President...It's Congress...It's Courts violated the rights of it's citizens during times of perceived national crisis? Absolutely, and embarrassingly so. Japanese Americans lost Civil Rights in WWII in the name of 'national security' and in violation of their Constitutional rights. Did the loss of THEIR rights permit them or other American citizens to divulge war secrets and aide and abet the enemy as a form of PROTEST? NO, OF COURSE NOT! TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT! ------------------------------------ Edward Snowdon is a Criminal and a Traitor. There is NOTHING within his actions that is even remotely redeemable. There may also be little in the US Government's actions in domestic and foreign surveillance that may also be redeemable....but THAT is one to be conducted within our own LEGAL SYSTEM....one to be determined amongst our own LEGAL CITIZENS...not certainly not by our enemies or even our foreign friends ----------------------------------------- No amnesty for Snowdon.... Find him... Arrest him... Prosecute him... Bring him to the US for US Justice... or let the NSA and US special forces use all their power to find him and take him out...just as they did Bin Laden... for the TRAITOR and SOCIOPATH and ENEMY of the US he has professed himself to be. ------------------------------

Didn't say in absolutes that Charles WOULD reign... Yet in all probability, Charles WILL become King, considering his parents' advanced ages (Queen Elizabeth 87 and Prince Philip 92) and declining health...and the fact he is next in line to the throne. But, you are correct, that Charles without doubt WILL ascend the throne is certainly not a given. (After all, the Queen Mum lived to over 100 if memory serves me...Queen Elizabeth could hypothetically outlive Prince Charles...however unlikely that is...) That said, should Charles reign, chances are he will also not reign as long as his mother. His mother assumed the throne at age 25 in 1953...Prince Charles in now 65 years old... Queen Elizabeth has been on the throne for 60 years....If Charles ascended to the throne today, he would have to live to at least 125 years of age to equal the longevity of his mother's reign. _______________________________________ My guess, however: YES, we WILL see a King Charles somewhere in the near future....if only for a brief reign compared to that of his mother. ______________________________________ In the meantime, Charles remains the heir apparent...and continues to act and speak as the future King.

That Prince Charles would make a statement on Advent about Christianity anywhere in the world should surprise no one. After all, when he ascends to the British Throne, he will be the Head of the Church of England, and as such the Leader of all who hold to the Anglican faith. That said, it SHOULD come as a surprise, that Prince Charles would not admit that military action by the West in recent decades...Britain included....has done MORE to drive Christians from the Middle East than perhaps Muslim extremism. The Iraq war, for example, did more to harm Christian minorities in that country and has led to a mass exodus by Christians to leave. A similar fate could face Christians in Syria should Britain side with the rebels in that civil war...since Syria's Christians back Assad and his Alawite muslim minority. --------------- Prince Charles was likely playing to his domestic Christian audience in making his statements...telling them what they'd like to hear...than promoting any policy positions he might actually take to protect Christians against Muslims when he becomes King.

Naw... Heard they will call this Orthodox I...

Nothing new here. And with an aggressive Israel leading the charge...without provocation...about Iran's supposed 'nuclear weapons' when Israel refuses to come clean about it's own nuclear weapons program? Gimme a break! Iran has the right to defend itself from religious terrorists in Israel as much as Israel has a right to protect itself from religious terrorists in Iran or elsewhere. Just be HONEST about it...

I'm not missing the point. You and everyone else who has made negative comments about gays in this thread have missed the point! The Olympics is about ACHIEVEMENT. PERSONAL ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT. If a GAY athlete wins an event he wins the event because he or she was the best athlete in the event. That's the POINT that Mr Putin and Mr Hitler both MISSED! --------------- Athletics nor Olympics have NOTHING to do with anyone's sexual orientation... Yet that is PRECISELY what MR PUTIN and most contributors to the thread have ALLEGED and FEAR! PUTIN wants to BAR homosexuals from competing in the OLYMPICS because he is AFRAID of GAYS! What kind of WORLD LEADER is that!!!? That the US and all other nations (20 plus so far) have OBJECTED to PUTIN and RUSSIA'S IDIOCY is SHAME ON PUTIN AND RUSSIA! Not shame on the US! DUH!

Let's see. A+E announced that it's 'Duck Dynasty' show has a regular viewer following of about 14,000,000 Americans. Last I counted, the US population is about 320,000,000 That means slightly over 4% of the US populations even KNOWS what "Duck Dynasty" is let alone watches them on a regular basis. I didn't know what it was and have never seen the 'Duck Dynasty' show until days ago when the 'patriarch's' comments sparked a supposed furor over homosexuality. Sounds like a contrived 'crisis' just to get people to watch the show if you ask me. Sorry, but men or women jumping into ponds to 'noodle' catfish....catch snapping turtles...shoot muskrats....talk with "Cajun" patois accents not even Bobby Jundal can understand...or make mallard sounds with a piece of wood just doesn't sound like anything most Americans (even rednecks) care about or even would watch on TV. So why should what happens on Duck Dynasty matter to 95% of Americans or why should any cast member's comments about homosexuality should affect any of our lives? It DOESN"T matter and comments by cast members on 'Duck Dynasty' are as MEANINGLESS to me most Americans as they are to most who inhabit the world. ----------------------------------- Recent comments on Duck Dynasty are just a big ploy to make more money for a struggling (and soon to be defunct) TV show franchise I suggest. But Hey! That's me. Can I get the Duck Dynasty "Chia Beards" to grow any faster if I use Miracle Grow? <shakes head sadly> Didn't think so.... --------------------------- Anyone remember "The Real McCoys"? Didn't think so either....

Ok. Let me get this straight. ObamaCare punishes those who co-habitate (live together without the benefit of marriage) by placing their co-owned property 'at risk' if they don't pay their medical bills.... And Christians and Conservatives are COMPLAINING? This is about as STUPID as the Republicans first proposing what has become OBAMACARE and then OBJECTING TO IT when Democrats embraced, adopted and voted for its approval! If OBAMACARE has a provision that FAVORS married couples over couples who are not married yet choose to co-habitate....Then how is this a BAD thing? If it promotes benefits that only MARRIAGE can bring? How is this a BAD thing? ---------------------- (I already KNOW the answer: This provision of OBAMACARE was actually PROPOSED by religious conservatives...and now that it has been embraced and adopted by LIberals....Religious conservatives have to REJECT it...just because they have to...) <bleechhhh> And they really WONDER why Republicans and religious conservatives can't get elected? :{

50% is actually very positive.... Since about 80% of US citizens claim to be Christian yet only about 15-20% actually attend church regularly. That 50% of Americans regard Christmas as a religious holiday...and know WHY...is pretty remarkable! And a Great Thing!

Sounds like a GREAT idea. Just because a person can biologically conceive and bear a child does not mean that person is qualified to educate that child. And why societies have a vested interest in making sure children...ALL CHILDREN....are properly educated...by properly QUALIFIED TEACHERS. Otherwise society gets to foot the bill when the immature, uneducated, maladjusted, unqualified, misanthropic PARENT thinks it is his or her RIGHT to turn out equally immature, uneducated, maladjusted, unqualified and misanthropic CITIZENS just like them! And society ends up paying to raise their children on Welfare because they become pregnant at 15...house their offspring in our jails because the only way they know to make a living is through crime...pay for their health problems because they don't know how or that they should even try to take care of themselves....and keep them on unemployment insurance indefinitely because they have no marketable job skills or even the most basic reading and writing and arithmetic skills to even get a menial job! God forbid! The State HAS a vested interest to prevent such calamities and crimes against children...and the rest of society...and why this law is the 1st step in the right direction! PROVE you are QUALIFIED to educate your own child by first becoming educated and a productive member of society yourself....and no problem: Go educate your children and make them fine young examples of the success you have displayed in your own life. Otherwise, the State should retain its interest in removing from parental care any child whose parents are a threat to the child's future and ultimate well-being, and preventing anyone who thinks they can reproduce from thinking they can teach their children to be just as ignorant as they.

The US remains curiously silent on events in Egypt... Where the duly elected democratically and legitimately installed President (Morsi) was toppled by a Military Coup... And whose current Egyptian leaders lay such trumped up charges against him. But is it really curious, historically speaking, for the US to ignore such things?...When the US which has usually remained silent or silently supported even those dictators we can payoff to do our bidding...? Even at the expense of the citizen's of foreign nations whose freedoms and governments we corrupt?... From The Shah of Iran... To Cuba's Batista... To Panama's Norieiga... To Nicaragua's Somoza... To Iraq's Saddam Hussein.... To Egypt's Mubarek.... To The Apartheid Governments of South Africa... And VietNam's Thieu... The US has always managed to justifiy it's own two-facedness on human rights and democracy when we could get our way in the world by by-passing human rights and democracy...especially in someone else's country. No wonder we are so hated among nations....

So why should US gay Olympians (or gay Olympians from any other nation) be barred from athletic competition because of Russia's position on homosexuality? They should not. The Olympics, after all, are about international athletic competition...not political grandstanding. Unfortunately in this instance, it was the Russians who chose to make a political statement against homosexuals....just as did Hitler against races other than whites in the '36 Olympics with his also crazy rhetoric against any athletes not of the "Master Race". Thank God the US did in 1936, as the US is doing now: sending athletes of ALL sexual orientations, skin colors, sexes, ethnic origins, creeds, political views, marital statuses, education levels....based on their TALENTS WITHOUT regard to their differences...and in spite of the narrow minded bigots who would rather 'win' by reducing the competition from groups they actually FEAR. For those who do not know history: Jesse Owens, an American BLACK runner, embarrassed Hitler at the '36 Olympics in Berlin by taking the lion's share of medals in running events.... ----------------- May the US and all other nations who plan to ignore Putin's ridiculous affront to homosexuals be made just as proud by their gay athletes who are simply there to COMPETE and make no other statement except that they have excelled in their sport and wish to be judged BEST in their athletic EVENT! -------------- I'm proud of Greg Louganis, US diving champ as well as Brain Boitano...medalist in figure skating...and any other former or current US Olympian regardless of their sexual orientation. Why? Because they are my fellow AMERICANS who brought glory to our nation through their sacrifice on and off the athletic field. ------------------------ I'm also proud that Billie Jean King, Janet Napolitano, Brian Boitano, and any other gay US citizen or Olympian will represent the US in Sochi. Why? Because they represent ME, as an AMERICAN! And show the world what IS BEST about this Country.

This is good news for Syria's Christians, who have long supported Assad who has long supported them.