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Guest, Join Papa Zoom today for some uplifting biblical encouragement! --> Daily Verses
C
Choir Loft
Guest
Consensus of opinion isn't that far apart. Motivation to act is dependent upon leadership which does not care.
Christian definition of the gospel is remarkably similar even among geographically diverse sections. American Protestant Christians accept the basic tenants of the gospel as to Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Egyptian Coptics and Roman Catholics. We all agree that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins. We all agree that He was born of a virgin and the resurrection. We all agree in the existence and personality of God. The basic difference is how we CELEBRATE these facts and who will influence the congregation. The latter is a control issue, a political issue and therein lies the great difference.
There is no difference between the core beliefs of one Christian group from another. The real difference is how they govern themselves. Wars have been fought over control issues - not the basic beliefs. Shall a Catholic King determine our laws and fates, shall a Protestant King do so or do men have a right to self-governance? The Protestant Reformation was born out of this question and the answer was modern democracy.
All religious philosophy has layers like an onion. All of them, not just Christians.
I stated the basic core beliefs above. Other beliefs that are not necessary to salvation are held or rejected by various denominations.
Motivation and resultant political action is determined by the leadership.
Today's Christian leadership either reiterates the salvation message endlessly or it speaks of nonsense matters; situation ethics, motivational language or heresies such as the prosperity gospel or name-it-and-claim-it. None preach the cross (at least none that I've heard in the past two decades). None preach morality. None preach against personal violence and the national obsession with war mongering. None preach against murdering innocent lives. None preach about who is groping who (politically or sexually). None preach about God's standards. NONE PREACH REPENTANCE. All preach 'happy talk' to fill seats.
Dark heavy words are needed today, but such words 'bring down the room' as show folks say - (to crash emotions, to make sad, to cause fear and anguish, to cause depression or anxiety, etc.). Such things do not inspire donations. Donations make the choir sing and put a smile on the pastor's face, but donations do not save individuals or the nation. But that is not important. We must have singing and a fat happy pastor and to hell with the country.
I've been to seminary. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. In those days I was surrounded by nice people. All nice. Every one of them was nice, but none of them were worth squat as far as being people of inspiring character. I would not follow any of them to the grocery store to buy cereal. But after a stretch in the military I did meet a man or two who would inspire me into battle. Why don't we have such inspirational people like Ghandi in the church today? Because they are all about themselves and their ministries. They are all nice.
And they all make men twice as fit for hell as they are themselves.
and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...
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Edward
2024 Supporter
Yeah when I tried again and concentrated real hard..I did too,
We really need the paragraphs lol.
Bankers have caused too much inflation in education. People should vote away the bank, and eliminate inflation. Then regular people could better afford things like Christian schools.
What is the meaning of 'the way he should go'?
That is not the case. My local theologically liberal Uniting Church and Anglican Church are a country mile from proclaiming the Gospel as articulated in, say, John 3:16 (ESV): 'For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life'.
Haven't you heard of J I Packer, R C Sproul, Albert Mohler Jr, Ravi Zacharias, William Lane Craig, Peter Jensen, Gordon Fee, C H Spurgeon, John Wesley, Martin Luther, Jim Elliot, Richard Wurmbrand, Justin Martyr, Augustine of Hippo, John Calvin, etc?
Could myopia be affecting your vision of 'inspirational people'?
Oz
So what are you planning to do with your hard-earned cash?
Obey the Lord. Teach your children to obey the Lord.
I can't see that in the text. What does the text state?
That's not addressing the content of Prov 22:6 (ESV).
Giving another verse from Deuteronomy is cherry picking verses, but it still doesn't address what Prov 22:6 (ESV) is driving at. However, the Book of Proverbs addresses two primary ways that a child can follow:
- The way of the wise and righteous: 'Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm' Prov 13:20 (ESV)., and
- The way of the fool and wicked: 'Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself' (Prov 26:4 ESV).
'Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it' (Prov 22:6 NLT).
I'd be interested in hearing from Christian parents who directed their children into the wise and righteous path when they were children and teens and whose children are now practising ungodliness - what Proverbs calls foolishness.
Oz
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10 NIV
Of course you are to teach your children wisdom. Wisdom starts with respect for the Lord, and His ways. Teach your children to respect the Lord.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. Psalm 111:10a NIV
Those who understand obey the Lord. Teach your children to obey the Lord.
Of course you are to teach your children wisdom. Wisdom starts with respect for the Lord, and His ways. Teach your children to respect the Lord.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. Psalm 111:10a NIV
Those who understand obey the Lord. Teach your children to obey the Lord.
I would be wary of using the all-inclusive language of 'NONE' and 'All' because I know of many evangelical Presbyterian churches here in Australia, including the one I attend, who DO PREACH repentance and DO NOT preach 'happy talk' to fill seats. They are concerned with preaching the Gospel of repentance and that's what they do.
Amen. That's good to know.
Your right, as we just don't know how the Spirit is being obeyed everywhere.
JLB
This morning my wife and I went to hear Dr Don (D A) Carson preach at the City Baptist Tabernacle, Brisbane. His was a brilliant expository message on Matt 5:17-20 (NIV). He is one of the finest biblically-based preachers I have ever heard. He started a movement last year in the USA and a branch is now starting in Australia of The Gospel Coalition, with a public meeting at which Dr Carson speaks this Thursday night in Brisbane.
Some of its aims are to promote the Gospel and expository preaching.
Oz
C
Choir Loft
Guest
Financing is only a part of the problem. I am an employee of a State College. Have you looked at the price of text books and digital media these days?
Publishers of text books have a great con game going. They revise their material, sometimes minutely, every year or so. The instructors and college Deans require students to be up to date on their text books and because of the modifications they cannot resell their books easily when they're done with them. Text books can cost hundreds of dollars for a single copy. The modifications and changes have reached the point of obscenity. Did you know that science publishers even revise the Periodic Table/table of elements?(1) Why? The elements have not changed, yet they do it and nobody objects to the practice of abuse.
But text books are only printed material. Trends in colleges and universities today are toward digital media including but not limited to internet lectures, assignments and work projects. Students are required to pay access fees for the digital media supplied by text book publishers. The publishers also require instructors and computer network support staff to be up to date on their changes, many of which are not compatible with standard software such as Internet Explorer or Adobe Reader/Flash/Shockwave. Pearson is the worst for this sort of thing, but not the only offender.
Loans are a trap. Students sign up for loans, which are often presented to them and their parents as grant money. A grant is free money you don't have to pay back, but the word and the term has been corrupted to represent an extended loan (repayment delayed until graduation). Parents often put their names on the line as co-signers, a thing they should NEVER do.
The Bible advises one never be a co-signer for any loan.
If and when a student fails to repay the loan, often for legitimate reasons, the parent co-signer then becomes liable for the entire loan. Retirement benefits and/or property can be seized if the parent does not repay the loan. There is no escape by means of declared bankruptcy either. Bankruptcy chapters 7 or 13 do not allow for excusal from debt or in the case of 13 even from interest bearing student loans.
All of the above is about money. Bottom line is that a college education today is very restricted in all fields. Students are trained as droids to perform certain tasks. There is little or no influence or training to develop student abilities to research, collate, reorganize and write what they have learned. They are not taught to THINK. They are not taught to debate their cogitations so as to learn by competition which ideas are valid and which ones are not. Reading and writing skills are almost nonexistent among college students. Instructors are not much better.
I was asked to help an instructor with a class in MSword. She called and asked me to come to her classroom for advice on a matter. We have a large campus, so I asked for her location. She didn't know. "Wait," she told me on the phone. "I need to ask the students." The woman did NOT know what building she was in or what room in the building. True story. This is an instructor I'm telling you about. I wonder how she managed to find her way to work or back home again.
On another occasion an instructor asked me to come to her classroom and help her logon to our network. I told her on the phone that the instructor's password was blank and that all she had to do was press [Enter]. She got very agitated and demanded I leave my office and help her, so I did. When I arrived I told her I could wait in the hallway outside the classroom while she tried again, but she wailed on me to help her. She was very loud and the class heard her rants. So I went in and simply pressed the [Enter] key. The PC in that room is connected to a projector so that every student can see what is being done on the computer. When I pressed the key the entire class erupted in laughter at their instructor. This is the level of instruction our children are getting; arrogant and stupid.
The manager of our college book store tells me that at the beginning of every term some students will inevitably come to his staff and ask what books they need to buy for their class. The book store staff does not know. When the student is told to ask his or her instructor, the student will reply, "she doesn't know either." True story and it happens EVERY term.
I've got a whole file of idiocy like this I could tell you. Arrogant and stupid, that's the attitude of college instructors today.
It isn't just the money. The entire system is corrupt. Tell your young people to get an education in the trades. They can make good money and it won't cost the family their home to pay for it.
and that's me, hollering from the choir loft...
(1) A chemistry instructor at our college told me about this one. I don't teach chemistry. I'm in the computer department. For verification I suggest you make inquiries of any chemistry instructor at your local college or university. Pearson and MacMillan are publishers who are the worst offenders. Pearson is pretty bad at the elementary level too. I've heard complaints from teachers at the grade school level about Pearson. Personally I hate having to work with them. They are very uncooperative and always blame the instructor or student for difficulties. If you press an investigation its their fault most of the time, but such activities can take weeks or months to resolve and by then a new term has arrived and you start the dance all over again. Instructors should not have to waste their time trying to debug publisher's software, but they do. Ask any teacher at any level. Odds are they'll tell you the same thing.
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Yes, too much inflation. Banks create inflation via fractional reserve and credit creation. With a well designed gold standard, there is no inflation.
Yes they are. Why allow bankers to confiscate our stuff, and lend it back to us? That's exactly what happens with the current system, and it makes people debt slaves to bankers.
Just eliminate inflation, and ordinary people will be better able to afford things.