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Posts Made By: Doug Matulis

March 21, 2012 08:11 PM Forum: Religion

Guess who

Posted By Doug Matulis

Jim Brown said:

Guess what famous living American recently answered the following questions in the following (IMHO) exceptionally refreshing and very open manner. No fair using Google, unless of course you are stumped and give up. But don't post a Googled-guess please.

Jim

Q. A lot of people point to the Bible for reasons why gay people should not be in the church, or accepted in any way.

A. Homosexuality was well known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things -– he never said that gay people should be condemned. I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.

[COLOR="Blue"]Just because Jesus did not mention homosexuality in his earthly ministry, does not mean he approved it or now it is no longer sin. Actually, Jesus did reiterate the proper role of male and female and that marriage is between one man and one women from the time of creation of man and woman. Further, people are not condemned because of any one particular sin, people are condemned because they are sinners. Unrepentent sinners condemn themselves in thier rebellion and unbelief. Homosexual sex is a sin according to Jesus and anyone who does not repent and belive in Christ as Lord and Savior will pay the penalty of sin, which is death, eternal death. Carter is completely wrong in this unbiblical answer.[/COLOR]

Q. Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). How can you remain true to an exclusivist faith claim while respecting other faith traditions?

A. Jesus also taught that we should not judge other people (Matthew 7:1), and that it is God who judges people, so I am willing to let God make those judgments, in the ultimate time whenever it might come. I think 'judge not that you be not judged' is the best advice that I will follow. Maybe it is a rationalization, but it creates a lack of tension in my mind about that potential conflict.

There are many verses in the Bible that you could interpret very rigidly and that makes you ultimately into a fundamentalist. When you think you are better than anybody else -- that you are closer to God than other people, and therefore they are inferior to you and subhuman -- that leads to conflict and hatred and dissonance among people when we should be working for peace.

[COLOR="Blue"]The question is flawed to begin with since it is a partial quote out of context. Had the rest of the context been included, the question could be answered in context. As such, Carter did not even attempt to answer and instead went off on some rant about judging other which does not even relate to the question in anyway or the verse quoted. What a hoot![/COLOR]

Q. Should we approach the Bible literally, or metaphorically?

A. When we go to the Bible we should keep in mind that the basic principles of the Bible are taught by God, but written down by human beings deprived of modern day knowledge. So there is some fallibility in the writings of the Bible. But the basic principles are applicable to my life and I don't find any conflict among them.

[COLOR="Blue"]While Carter's 'approach' to the bible may be acceptable, his view that it is fallible is clearly wrong. The fact that the writers did not have modern knowledge in no way makes the words fallible or in error. Rather, there is just more work for the modern reader to understand the author, his audience, and the culture at the time of writing. Most are lazy in there attempt to understand the bible in context and therefore often put themselves in error, not the other way around.[/COLOR]


March 23, 2012 01:57 PM Forum: Politics

More transparency?

Posted By Doug Matulis

Rob Wiederrich said:

Obama is slowly eroding our rights.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reagancoalition.com%2Farticles%2F2012%2F20120322010-obama-protest-bill.html&h=UAQFviinEAQFqA8RD9s-acSY_XKefmz_7LlNho6sbuxeSag

You mean O'bama is rapidly eroding our rights don't you? He has done more damage to this nation in his term as prez than any other president.

March 27, 2012 04:07 PM Forum: Politics

America's Number 1 Foe?

Posted By Doug Matulis

Rod Kaufman said:

Who's America's public enemy number one?
Iran? Nope?
OPEC Countries? Oh, they love us.
China? You're getting warm.
The top honor goes to, as per Mitt Romney, RUSSIA!
That's right, time to reignite the cold war and rebuild America by rebuilding its bomb shelters!
Your top guy at work identifying America's number one foe:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/26/romney-not-worried-about-santorum-labels-russia-no-1-foe/?hpt=hp_bn5

America's No. 1 foe is the American Left!

March 28, 2012 04:06 PM Forum: Politics

Exempt...really?

Posted By Doug Matulis

Rob Wiederrich said:

How can you have universal healthcare..when it isn't universal..since you can easily exempt SPECIAL people?

Because they are *elite*, above the rest of us. Besides, they wrote the bill, they know it won't work and care will be rationed and denied to millions more that it is now. Oh we'll have coverage, just no benefits from that coverage. You wouldn't create and system like that and then subject yourself to it would you? I would not!

March 29, 2012 02:45 PM Forum: Religion

Most Religious American State?

Posted By Doug Matulis

Rod Kaufman said:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53811534-78/percent-religious-utah-state.html.csp
Hmm, where does your state rank?


There is a bit of a southern trend to that list. I always liked the south. grin

March 30, 2012 08:22 PM Forum: Politics

Obama's Greatest Ally

Posted By Doug Matulis

Russ Carroll said:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/the-flexibility-doctrine/2012/03/29/gIQA9ZMtjS_story.html

"Let’s do the accounting. In addition to canceling the Polish/Czech missile-defense system, Obama gave the Russians accession to the World Trade Organization, signed a START Treaty that they need and we don’t (their weapons are obsolete and deteriorating rapidly), and turned a scandalously blind eye to their violations of human rights and dismantling of democracy. Obama even gave Putin a congratulatory call for winning his phony election.

In return? Russia consistently watered down or obstructed sanctions on Iran, completed Iran’s nuclear reactor at Bushehr, provides to this day Bashar al-Assad with huge arms shipments used to massacre his own people (while rebuilding the Soviet-era naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus), conducted a virulently anti-American presidential campaign on behalf of Putin, pressured Eastern Europe and threatened Georgia.

On which of “all these issues� — Syria, Iran, Eastern Europe, Georgia, human rights — is Obama ready to offer Putin yet more flexibility as soon as he gets past his last election? Where else will he show U.S. adversaries more flexibility? Yet more aid to North Korea? More weakening of tough Senate sanctions against Iran?

Can you imagine the kind of pressure a reelected Obama will put on Israel, the kind of anxiety he will induce from Georgia to the Persian Gulf, the nervousness among our most loyal East European friends who, having been left out on a limb by Obama once before, are now wondering what new flexibility Obama will show Putin — the man who famously proclaimed that the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe� of the 20th century was Russia’s loss of its Soviet empire?

They don’t know. We don’t know. We didn’t even know this was coming — until the mike was left open. Only Putin was to know. “I will transmit this information to Vladimir,� Medvedev assured Obama.

Added Medvedev: “I stand with you.� A nice endorsement from Putin’s puppet, enough to chill friends and allies, democrats and dissidents, all over the world."

You know what they say, "There is a sucker born every minute".

April 2, 2012 09:08 PM Forum: Politics

We don't need no stinking Supreme Court..

Posted By Doug Matulis

Herbert York said:

.... we have Obama

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/02/obama-confident-supreme-court-will-uphold-health-care-law/

Nice!

Herb

A sitting president actually said this:

"...questioned how an "unelected group of people" could overturn a law approved by Congress."

Is O'Dummer dummer than dumb. Who does he think the unelected group of people are, local garbage men?
Mr. O'bummer, its the judicial branch of the government, they are supposed to strike down laws they rule unconstitutional!!!! shocked Holy cow, doesn't he know anything about American government, the constitution, check and balances. No wonder our country is imploding, we have air heads running it!!!! Hate to be glumb, but if this baffone gets re-elected, I don't see how the nation will survive as a nation of free people.


April 3, 2012 08:53 PM Forum: Politics

We don't need no stinking Supreme Court..

Posted By Doug Matulis

Herbert York said:

.... we have Obama

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/02/obama-confident-supreme-court-will-uphold-health-care-law/

Nice!

Herb

Obama says:

"The Supreme Court is the final say on our Constitution and our laws and all of us have to respect it. But it's precisely because of that extraordinary power that the court has traditionally exercised significant restraint and deference to our duly elected legislature, our Congress," Obama said.

"The burden is on those who would overturn a law like this. Now, as I said, I expect the Supreme Court actually to recognize that and to abide by well-established precedents out there," he added.


Congress says:


"It is not unprecedented at all for the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional; they do that on a regular basis, so it's not unprecedented at all," he said. "What is unprecedented is for the president of the United States trying to intimidate the Supreme Court."

April 4, 2012 06:13 PM Forum: Politics

We don't need no stinking Supreme Court..

Posted By Doug Matulis

Herbert York said:

.... we have Obama

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/02/obama-confident-supreme-court-will-uphold-health-care-law/

Nice!

Herb


O'Dummer's team now says court, or I mean the group on un-elected individuals', has last say on laws! What a baffoon!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/04/justice-department-under-deadline-to-answer-court-over-obamas-health-law/

April 9, 2012 03:03 PM Forum: Religion

From a scientific point of view question?

Posted By Doug Matulis

John Meiners said:

By no means am I asking this question as a joke or am I trying to make light of Today's holiday Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I read after Jesus met again with His following, he then, "rose up into the clouds" my question as an astronomer is: Where did he go? I am sure there will be some explanation that will help me understand this event. JM

How can you explain the miraculous? In any event, Jesus went directly to heaven to be with God as it is recorded in the bible. That answers your question about the where? I suspect what you really want to know is the how. For your answer, you will have to answer my question above. I will say this, the dramatic nature of his departure I am sure was sone for those who where there to witness it, not because it was required by God or Jesus to be done this way.