Anika

Interesting... I personally thought we were partially Marxists, but the clip does make some good points about fascism. Listen, who controls all the land in this country? The American people do not actually own 1 sq. in., but our government does. They own all of it. Try not paying taxes on land you bought. Let's go further and say you have been dutifully paying your taxes, but a shopping center or a pro ball team petitions the govt for your land. The govt will take it away from you, and you don't have a choice. Sorry folks, the fascist angle is intriguing, but we live in a sugar-coated Marxist country. Here is an excerpt from The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx an Friedrich Engels, in this it is speaking of what happened after the battle of Waterloo: Private property along with civil equality and constitutional government as the basis of modern civilization formed the mainstay of the case made by defenders of the July monarchy between 1830 and 1848. In a similar spirit, in the Philosophy of Right Hegel had also put forward an emphatic philosiphical case for private property as an imposition of the subjective will upon nature, and hence the foundation of individuality. Once, therefore, he became to believe that 'law has just as little an indipendent history as religion', Marx could begin to appreciate the importance of the researches of the Historical School as one of the starting points of his own attempt to construct a theoryof a society beyond private property and the division of labour. The historical record, which this school had revealed, did not suggest that there was any reason to assume that the history of forms of property would necessarily come to an end with commercial society or the establishment of private property as a universal natural right.... But unlike Niebuhr or Hugo, who regarded these different types of property primarily as forms of political or military organization, Marx connected them with progressive stages in the development of the division of labour. Or, as he was to continue to maintain fourteen years later in his famous 1859 Preface to the Critique of Political Economy, as 'progressive epochs in the economic formation of society'.

I didn't go, yesterday althoughI wanted to. It was Father's Day, and some friends of ours made homemade cinnamon rolls, so we had breakfast with them and stayed till dinner for a wonderful bar-b-que. For 8 weeks, I didn't go because my husband and I were doing fencing demonstrations at a ren faire for his sword and armour business, but about 20 feet from the shop was the faire's market cross and services were held there every Sunday. I was so thankful that I was able to participate even though I had to be away from my own church, but at least for a short while I was among other believers.

I'm glad you explained what it was I don't understand so that I may understand it. Isn't satan the head of all that is wicked? So when you turn to the dark arts or anything evil, satan is involved.

Interesting note: I have been reading The Chronicles of Narnia to my daughter, and what you have said started in the 70's, C.S. Lewis mentioned in The Last Battle back in 1956. For those who haven't read it, or haven't read it since childhood, an ape (false prophet) has a donkey (false messiah) put on the skin of a lion and pretend to be Aslan (real Messiah). The ape then gets in league with the Calormene (Muslims) and convinces much of Narnia that Aslan and the Calormene god Tash are the same. Good post Irish.

Sorry, never watched the movie.

Good for you. I'm glad you don't understand. Somehow, I think if my daughter was given half a chance, she might have some inkling of understanding. BTW, I didn't mention Satan. You did.

Bob, it has more to do with being drawn to spiritual darkness than it does with children literally thinking they can do the things Harry and his friends do. Many people probably do not understand this, and if you are one of them, good for you, but you do not always know what emotions and desires lurk inside your children, so just be careful.

Sterling, are you a partial-preterist?

let us know how it went, Jeff.

Careful, Ronald. You just might lose your "dude" card with that statement.

Red, let's look at more than just a verse taken out of a passage, but let's include it into the passage. I think Colossians is the more difficult one to understand, so I will use that one: v 19 For it was the Father's good pleasure (meaning will) for all the fullness to dwell in Him, v20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. v21 And although you were formerly alienated (Paul is talking to a Greek church, so here he mentions the alienation of the Gentiles, but they are no longer alienated) and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, v22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death (Because of God's work on the cross, He revealed His plan of salvation to all, not just Jews) , in order to present you before Him holy and blameless beyond reproach- v23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard... (There is that "if" that shows we must believe and accept the gospel, which is Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, in order for any of us to be reconciled to Him.) If at any point it sounded like I was talking down to you, I wasn't. I know you're not dumb, I just found it vital to point out some key points of that scripture along with any Jew/Gentile history that was alluded to.

The verses in Eph and Colossians you included in your list, which are the two I am addressing because they do sound inclusive of all of humanity, are actually speaking about the will of God. It is His will that all will come to Him, but sadly not all will. The reason there is so much significance in what Paul was saying is because at one time, it was thought that salvation was only for the Jews. Paul was pointing out that it is God's will that salvation be for all people.

Just go, but don't participate in any of the rituals or prayers.

That same baby (toddler) just picked my phone and dialed 66666666666666 I'm not making that up. I just find it hilarious that right after my last post, he actually dialed a bunch of 6's on my phone. It's an omen