jaybird18c

What kind of DNA is there?

Opinions are like assholes…like the one you evolved.

I guess however you have to justify it to sit right with your conscience.

Is it generalizing to say that people who commit murder are in fact murderers?

Who says that? You? There you go, generalizing again.

Dehumanizing people makes torturing and killing them much easier, as demonstrated by the Nazis and many others.

If you want to live in a state which allows killing babies, move to Kalifornia. Problem solved...for you, that is. Not so much for the baby.

I was just using the same verbiage as Kallend in my response about representative government. He used the word imposed.

I should have worded that differently. I differentiate knowing from belief, in the context of what we're speaking. Belief implies obedience. Knowledge is just that. In that sense, I once did not believe. I have always had a sense, as I shared in my personal testimony earlier, that there must be a God. However, I was absolutely not obedient to that knowledge. As a matter of fact, I suppressed it. I did not "believe" in the biblical sense. There is "Common Grace" and "Special Grace" which exist with God. "Common Grace" allows for the rain, if you will, to fall on both non-believers and believers alike, including enjoyment of creation, restraint by God on the effect of sin, delayed judgment, general knowledge of "a god," etc.) "Special Grace" is specific, in the knowledge of the person and work of Jesus Christ described in scripture. It demands not just knowledge, but obedience.

I expanded on my thought above. Sorry about that. I believe decisions should be made democratically within our representative form of government. If you look at it the other way around, there are states in which very non-Christian principals are applied and "forced on believers," as you put it. That's America. Vote wisely!

I believe our republic should function constitutionally, as founded. "Separation of Church & State," is a principal, not in the Constitution, but that I agree with. I do not think that the church should dictate policy. That is theocratic. Separation of Church & State, however, does not mean removal of Christianity from government. Elected leaders are absolutely able to and should let their religious and moral beliefs (e.g. conscience) inform their decisions.

Do you speak for all "atheists" with your definition, because you referenced "feelings?"

"Unfathomable mystery." You don't possess all knowledge... I agree... So...you're...agnostic? I can respect that!

Is ISIS correct in their theology and do they represent all of Islam?

Well...it could have been, and I think it was, that at the time, I didn't fully understand the meaning of the word. However, the word atheist is many times thrown around kind of casually. If you insist on being strict about it in order to justify your saying I "have no basis for understanding a conversation on this topic" because of a single word you read, I'll ask you this. Do you possess all knowledge?

1st question: I've been to many countries on many different types of deployments. I've served in allied countries. I've served in what were classified as hostile fire zones. There have only been two times in my career when I was involved in actual combat situations. The first was when I was 21 years old during Desert Storm. However, the ground war ended so quickly that my team did not go. We were then deployed elsewhere. The second time was during Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. I was downrange September 2002 - March 2003. I watched the invasion of Iraq take place in a tent on TV. I remember thinking to myself that they'd better find WMD or they'd own this thing. I sincerely believed that it must have been there given what had happened during Desert Storm. That turned out not to be the case. I'm quite sure there were lies at high levels to justify action. I do not believe now that it was justified. Long story short in answer to your question. No. 2nd question: Yes. I was not deployed to Iraq. However, if I had been, I would have had to go and I would have done my duty.

I didn't read your article. I refer you to the WMW999 quote "When you look for justification for a point you can usually find it."

So your spiritual gift is sarcasm. I can appreciate that!

Would that make a difference? I'll summarize. I was not raised in a practicing Christian home. It was more of a "cultural" Christianity for us (e.g. extended family members were Christian and we'd attend church (Methodist) maybe on Easter Sunday to make the grandparents happy). I've always had a sense that God was real and that I was separated from him. However, I had very little spiritual conviction at that time. I didn't want anything to do with God. It cramped my lifestyle. I even referred to myself as atheist for much of that time. I was all about me. Until finally, after many years of ignoring him, the things I've done piled up so high that my conscience could no longer manage. Life circumstances were also vey hard. 26 years of age is when I began asking the real questions that mattered. My brother-in-law had many deep and sometimes argumentative conversations with me. I began to understand who God is, who I am, my sin, its consequences, and what my response should be in light of what he did for me. God called me through his Word to repent and believe. I placed my faith in him.

What specifically are you talking about?

Thank you for your opinion.

Who is "they?"

I was being sarcastic.

So you must be "their" Group Leader. I'll start showing more respect! And thank you for allowing me to "keep on keeping on." I appreciate that!

Yes! It is in fact referencing a legal standing! And you are correct! It is NOT the defendant's call to make! It's the Judge's call! If the word "saved" sound weird to you, I'll start using terms like "Propitiation," "Justification," Sanctification," etc.