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Sunday Sermonette: God and Las Vegas by Rev. Donald Sensing

Out of the whirlwind:

Some people have been asking how, in a world they say is governed wholly by me, Stephen Paddock was able to shoot hundreds of people this week, killing dozens. They seem to think I was AWOL.
Some accused me of actual dereliction of duty, saying that yes, I was present, but simply didn’t bother to intervene. I saw everything that happened as it happened, they say. In fact, I knew what would happen even before it happened. When Paddock bought the first rifle out of forty-seven, I already knew what he would do with them.

And yet I did nothing but watch, uninterested.

This is far from the first time such accusations have been made against me. You sing in praise of me that I sit on the throne of heaven, yet you seem to call me to the dock more often than you approach me on the throne. I get indicted every day. I have known church people who accused me in their hearts of unfaithfulness to them because I didn’t fix the Powerball lottery so they’d win tens of millions of dollars. I have had high school seniors accuse me of uncaring dereliction when they didn’t get accepted to their first college choice. Or grown men when they get fired from their job or even when they don’t get a coveted promotion.

Let me get something straight with you: I am not your fixer. Yes, I want to have a personal relationship with you but I want it to go both ways. I already have such a relationship with you on my end, but believe me, I know what being kept at arm’s length is like. You need to understand something: I am not your buddy, I am not your pal. I am your God, your Creator, your redeemer, your savior and your judge. As I have said before, my ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts.

Let me put this bluntly: I operate on a different level than you do. I have a longer view of the horizon than you. I have been around a lot longer than you. So: what have I done to you? How exactly, have I wearied you? I would like an answer.

I don’t recall that you were around when I big-banged the universe into existence. Nor were you there to advise me when I set the earth on its course, set the limits of the sea and the moon in your sky. I gave the hawks and eagles their flight. I gave the lion his power and invented how nature renews and reproduces itself. The seasons come, the seasons go because that is the way I set it up. Where were you when I did that? Your world supports your life and the lives of innumerable creatures. Do you think I had nothing to do with that? I set up life itself. It is in me that you live and breathe and have your very being.

But you tell me that I do not know what I am doing.

Very well, let us reason together. Get a backbone and listen. You want to know why I did not intervene in Las Vegas. And my answer is: I did. I did intervene, countless times and in countless years…..

READ THE ENTIRE SERMON AT Sense of Events: God and Las Vegas

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Howard Nelson October 8, 2017, 2:48 PM

    This reply from god is worse than useful and dodges the question of why the innocent are allowed to cruelly die or be maimed by the hand of man as god looks on.
    Job was given a similar bs reply in a grandiose piece of Bible babble.
    If I was god I would have arranged the consequential pain of a planned deliberate act of criminality to be felt by the potential perp, producing instant remorse and and aborting of the criminal act.
    Is that too much to ask of an omnipotent, wise, kind god?
    Free Will is fine until it is applied harmfully to the innocent.

  • Christina October 8, 2017, 2:59 PM

    Job is my favorite Old Testament book, not because I understand it, but because the Old Testament writer knew something about God that I did not: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;…” 13:15. That was the only thing that kept me going through some very dark times

  • Denny October 8, 2017, 3:25 PM

    Howard Nelson, “If I was god…” and “Bible babble”

    Who defines “criminality”? That’s exactly what that fat little commie rat Kim says also.

  • Rob De Witt October 8, 2017, 3:54 PM

    If I was god I would have …

    And if you were Eve you would have eaten that apple in a heartbeat. You’re the perfect illustration of the gullibility of humans in the face of temptation, did you ever think about that? Your arrogance is breathtaking.

  • indyjonesouthere October 8, 2017, 4:02 PM

    The only capable central planner of all time. How true…it seems the human central planners screw it up after a few token years. From the signing of the Constitution to “you can keep your doctor if you like your doctor” it is evident OUR central planning sucks. But yea, our intentions were good.

  • Hale Adams October 8, 2017, 4:49 PM

    To everyone:

    Reverend Sensing writes:

    “But when necessary to drive a point home, remember this, too: The severest judgment I ever lay upon you is simply to let you have what you want. That never works out well for you.”

    Or, as the old-timers said, “Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.”

    To Indy, specifically:

    Actually, things went reasonably well up to about the turn of the century, as we had people in charge who were close enough to the Founders, and well-educated enough in the facts of human nature, to keep the spirit of the Constitution even if they didn’t obey it to the letter. It was after the turn of the century, when eggheads like Woodrow Wilson took charge (eggheads who believed in the perfectibility of human nature), that we got this “living Constitution” baloney, and it’s been mostly downhill since.

    *grumpgrumpgrump*

    My two cent’s worth, as usual.

    Hale Adams
    Pikesville, People’s still-mostly-Democratic Republic of Maryland

  • Howard Nelson October 8, 2017, 5:37 PM

    Denny, I would define criminality as committing intentional serious harm to any innocent other.
    We can argue exactly how ‘serious’ is defined, but I think you get the idea. The courts of men wrestle with this question all the time.

    Rob, if you will not suggest better or other improvements in God’s stewardship, don’t blame me or ignore my suggestions.
    God and Eve are men enough to take my serious ribbing without apple polishing for favors.
    We were not created in God’s image to serve as inadequate examples of decency — First Responders are the proof.

  • Denny October 8, 2017, 7:06 PM

    Howard,
    “I would define criminality as committing intentional serious harm to any innocent other.”
    I didn’t ask for your definition but asked who gets to set the rules and laws as to what criminality is. My point still is that Kim (as well as every tyrant since time began) justifies himself and uses your same definition and will also agree word for word with all the rest of your first post. Of course, Kim and communism being the innocent and all others criminals. If there is no righteous God of judgment above all, there is no way men will ever have peace on this earth – or anywhere else.

    If there is no God, nothing matters, if there is a God, nothing else matters. – HG Wells

  • Rob De Witt October 8, 2017, 7:13 PM

    Howie,

    Like I said, your arrogance is breathtaking – including your effortless projection that everybody else is just as venal as you are. You’re either still a teenager or you’ve never faced any ugly reality without help.

  • Casey Klahn October 8, 2017, 8:13 PM

    Job, who is accused by Satan, and by his own cohort, and yet he is as pious a man as you can find, ever. If you want to read sufferings, please go read Job. I recall even Neil Simon wrote a play about Job, and this story is ancient enough that you’d do well to read it, for that reason alone. Neil Simon? You bet! Job is full of humor, and God is worthy as a comedian. Job is certainly one of my favorite books.

    God, to Job: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” In that light, I have no idea what God wants, thinks, or wills when mass murders occur. His ways are so far above mine.

    Rev. Don is a sage. When it comes to personal tragedy, I find it impossible to place God “in the dock.” What is very interesting is my own unending ability to sin. If I wake up tomorrow with the spark of God in me, I will be as rich as the richest man ever, including Job in his salad days.

    Oh, I forgot. You are one who doesn’t “deserve” killing by mass murder. P-shye-yeah, you don’t.

    For those still shaking their heads, I put this to you: what is good? Half the world thinks it’s Marxism. Think very hard about this. Good is consistency with God. No logical argument can prove otherwise.

  • Casey Klahn October 8, 2017, 8:17 PM

    Sorry @ grammar!

  • CharlesPhato October 8, 2017, 11:23 PM

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  • arcs October 9, 2017, 4:38 AM

    Like fleas on a dog.

  • ghostsniper October 9, 2017, 4:58 AM

    “….who gets to set the rules and laws as to what criminality is.”

    How do people get this way?
    I get to *set the rules* for anyone that interacts with me.
    How could it be any other way?
    Clearly the current way, where anybody and everybody gets to set rules for me (and you), and the horrendous results have been more than obvious from the beginning.

    If you don’t like my rules, then get the hell out of my sight.
    Look, you get to set the rules inside your house, right?
    Then why not your entire body, everywhere you go?
    Yes, that includes everything you own too.
    Jeez, do I have to spell it out?
    And no, I won’t play that silly “19 Ninja’s” game.

  • ghostsniper October 9, 2017, 5:00 AM

    “If there is no God, nothing matters, if there is a God, nothing else matters.”
    =========================

    One of the most pathetic, and wrong, things ever written.

    “My imaginary superhero can whip your imaginary superhero’s ass.”
    –gs, 2099

  • Jaynie October 9, 2017, 5:01 AM

    May I just say, and I am truly sorry to be a noodge, but “if I was god” should be “if I were God.”
    “If” usually takes the subjunctive.
    There, fixed.
    Now, pardon me I must go rustle up me Old Testament and read the Book of a job. Thanks, all.

  • Denny October 9, 2017, 6:03 AM

    ghost,
    “I get to *set the rules* for anyone that interacts with me.”

    Try not paying your property taxes and you’ll quickly find out what “interact” means.

  • Donna October 9, 2017, 6:06 AM

    The most precious gift God gave us is free will. What we as individuals choose to do with that gift…use it for good or evil…is on us, not God. Earth is not Heaven, we already blew that. Heaven comes after our trials and tribulations…if we deserve it. What others choose to believe about miracles is up to them, but he does grant miracles…I know that for a fact.

  • Casey Klahn October 9, 2017, 8:36 AM

    I am flattened by the number here who were there when God laid the foundation of the earth! Such wisdom…
    I suppose life came to Earth, piggybacked on an asteroid. Let’s look at the odds.

  • Bunny October 9, 2017, 8:54 AM

    Ghost, I am surprised that with as much time you seem to have spent alone in wild places and with as much affinity as you seem to display for critters, you have never apprehended the numinous or spontaneously praised creation, and hence its creator. How can this be? I am flummoxed.

  • Denny October 9, 2017, 10:05 AM

    Dear innocent ghost,

    “My imaginary superhero can whip your imaginary superhero’s ass.”
    It’s shameful just to repeat this disgusting blasphemy.

    Here he is again the man who claimed in another spiritually centered post that “I don’t care” and ”people can believe what they want”. Why is a faith in God so threatening to you ghost and why is it so important to you to spread your gospel of atheism if you don’t care?

    Only a fool believes that he is an island and he can be completely autonomous. Only a fool believes his free will is not limited by those around him, his own government or by the God who created him.

    “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.” Psalm 53-1

    Grow up, open your eyes for a change and realize that this world has already been judged with a death penalty. Most people live their short lives without hope and in misery here. That is except for ghost who is his own deity and has his own omniscient playboy philosophy of self. By the way, how many of your great grandfathers have you seen lately ghost?

    Finally ghost, I really don’t hate anyone, but especially those who deserve nothing but pity. However, you’re certainly right about one thing you said, “How do people get this way”.

  • ghostsniper October 9, 2017, 12:15 PM

    “Why is a faith in God so threatening to you ghost…”
    ====================================

    If you’re going to make shit up out of the blue, Denny, I’ll just ignore you.
    I didn’t say anything even remotely like that and you know it.
    How in the world can something that resides in your childish mind be in any way threatening to me?
    Never mind, forget that, I don’t want to encourage you to make up more nonsense.

  • ghostsniper October 9, 2017, 12:24 PM

    @Bunny, as I’ve said here before, several times, it’s not the bible and the things it proclaims – it has a lot of good in it – but rather the whole weird notion of a supernatural being that I detest. The first 11 years of my life were spent heavily involved in the baptist religion, and the past 11 years I have edited and/or worked on (requiring reading and understanding) at least 40 very intense scholarly text books about the bible. Much of my life is based in the serious things of the bible and other things I have learned but I’ll never believe (or have *faith* in) the supernatural stuff.

  • Monty James October 9, 2017, 12:25 PM

    “If there is no God, everything is permitted.”
    Fyodor Dostoevsky

    What the heck, here’s one for ghost and all the other hard-bitten open-eyed self-contained materialists:

    “Realists do not fear the results of their study.”
    Fyodor Dostoevsky

    Found here:
    Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • Howard Nelson October 9, 2017, 5:24 PM

    Denny — The primary obligation of a government (local, county, state, federal) is protection of its citizenry against criminality and natural disasters. In an honest democracy, laws and rules and financial limits on government action are agreeable to the citizenry. Ideally, the citizens exert control via the ballot box and by jury nullification of what they consider unjust laws, unjust application of laws, and extenuating circumstances in the case in question.

    In essence, without pussyfooting, I accuse God of premeditated dereliction of duty/obligation to his innocent human creatures — in the USA: Las Vegas, San Bernardino, Sandy Hook Elementary School, … Knowing of the planned future massacres of innocents by the hand of free will monsters, is at best a measure of God’s inadequate quality control of human mentality.
    Deaths of innocents due to natural disasters will be taken up with the Supreme face-to-face.
    If God has a justification for His serious neglect of duty, let’s hear it.
    If not, we’ll slog on with our human nature as is.

    The above in no way detracts from my gratitude for the moral and ethical standards God has given us.

  • Hale Adams October 9, 2017, 6:07 PM

    Ghostsniper,

    So, “the first 11 years of [your] life were spent heavily involved in the baptist religion”, eh? I can understand your rejection of it — my father had an expression he would occasionally mutter: “More hidebound than a Franklin Hill Baptist!” They were even worse (if such a thing were possible) than the folks out Birchardville way.

    But that doesn’t invalidate the basic thrust of Christianity. Yes, I don’t “get” a lot of the supernatural stuff, either — I’m a pretty lousy Catholic, I must admit. I was born and raised Protestant, and drifted into Catholicism largely because so much of Protestantism has gone off the rails and into the PC weeds. So I go to Mass every Sunday, not so much because I just *love* all the rigamarole (though some of it is comforting), but because the basic message (Only God is God, and I’m not) is one I need to hear, however much it comes with stuff (like the veneration of Mary) that just Does Not Compute.

    The older I get, the more I wonder if there is more to this world than meets the eye. Yes, it seems that it runs by itself, with no divine intervention needed. And maybe it does. But is that because there is no God? Or is it because God is so supreme an Engineer (or, as the old-timers put it, an Architect) that He set the Universe in motion billions of years ago (as near as we can figure) and hasn’t interfered with it since because He hasn’t needed to?

    People say that God is “Awesome”. And I suppose He is. But (as an engineer) bearing in mind what is needed to fashion a machine that is to run unattended for months or years on end, and then to compare that to what must be needed to fashion a “machine” like the Universe and have it run according to Plan unattended for umpteen billion years, I find God terrifying.

    My two cents’ worth.

    Hale Adams
    Pikesville, People’s still-mostly-Democratic Republic of Maryland

  • Casey Klahn October 9, 2017, 7:00 PM

    The New Testament is about the death and resurrection of Christ, Ghostie. You can’t take “parts” of the NT; read the last verse in it. Where did you learn your logic, friend?

  • ghostsniper October 10, 2017, 3:50 AM

    @Casey, the bible is the sum of it’s parts, many authors, so yes you can choose what you want.

    I believe Jesus lived but the resurrection stuff, garden of eden and a whole lot more is made up, or the authors interpretations of events/circumstances.

    Yes, I am aware that the interpretations by the ancients are unfamiliar to today.

    Are all of the books on your shelf non-fiction?

    FWIW, the history of the bible is an interesting story in itself, look it up sometime, you’ll be surprised what was “left out”, and not just left out of the KJV as it is just one of many versions out there. The college level text books I work on often reference the left out parts.

    When you swallow the whole fish you also swallow the guts.

  • Ann K October 10, 2017, 5:10 AM

    So now Protestant ministers are speaking as if they are Almighty God instead of preaching the Word of God? Lord, have mercy.

  • Casey Klahn October 10, 2017, 6:49 AM

    If the bible is the sum of its parts, gentle friend, how can you take away a part and present it as counter to the whole? “Loooogic!” – said in Jon Lovitz’s voice.

    Switching gears. This morning I wake up wanting Sheriff Lomardo’s head on a pike (politically speaking). Next, the governor of Nevada is on my shit list. I’m already pissed at the FBI…

  • MMinLamesa October 10, 2017, 8:52 AM

    That was a wonderful essay. I’m a firm believer in….there’s gotta be something. Whether there is or isn’t is besides the truth Mr Sensing laid out.

  • Monty James October 10, 2017, 10:02 AM

    Ann K, Rev. Sensing wrote the essay as a first-person narrative for the purpose of laying out his points. It’s a device used to communicate a point of view. You can read it and answer for yourself whether this helps grapple with the question of why things are the way they are. I think we can assume it’s a good-faith argument that Rev. Sensing is making.

    Casey, what did Sheriff Lombardo do?

  • Casey Klahn October 10, 2017, 11:00 AM

    Monty. He’s not making the public, in fact, the world, aware of the evidence and the possible motive(s) of the Vegas killer. I’m going to make a point of holding the powers that be responsible until we get the answers on this atrocity.

    Leadership gets out in front of the rumor mill. What we have now is not leadership. The county sheriff, the state AG and the FIBI director: shit or get off the pot!

  • ghostsniper October 10, 2017, 1:47 PM

    “…counter to the whole…”
    ==================

    Dood, the is no whole.
    Unless you also call a library a whole.
    Or a book store.
    That is why it’s called “Bible” (a collaction of written works by various others) rather than “The Story of Everything From 0 To About 300 AD”.

    The last 20 or so biblical text books I have worked on the authors try to decipher precise meanings by connecting certain words or phrases that are scattered throughout the bible. By creating streams of verses that all use the same word or phrase they are hoping to “interpret” what the various authors really meant. In a way I find all of that interesting. The method, not necessarily the subject. These types of books contain 2 indexes, the regular one you are familiar with and a verse index with all of the referenced verses, ranging into the hundreds or thousands. It usually takes about (4) 12 hour days to complete both indexes. I can do AutoCAD all day forever with no problem but that indexing really trashes my eyes and takes days to get over. We have been using Sky software since about 1999.

  • Casey Klahn October 10, 2017, 3:24 PM

    Ghost, I did that stuff by hand before the computer era. The Bible hangs together for more than just the decisions at Trent. It has unity, if not literarily, then theologically. Yes, the variety of biblical literary genres makes the task of finding the messages a deeper task.

    If you flush the death and resurrection, you have nothing in the New Testament. It’s all about how we relate to God, and there is no relationship with Him except on His terms. That’s why He’s God. I. Suck. Only God, through Jesus, redeems me.

    BTW, my degree is in biblical literature. You cannot trump me on “I studied,” but I am glad you do study. Pretend the Bible is apprehended by faith, just to see why the message I’m relating is the thesis of the Scriptures. Assume otherwise, and it’s code. The Bible might as well then be The Quotations of Chairman God.

  • Denny October 10, 2017, 5:00 PM

    Howard,

    “I accuse God…”

    Don’t you think it strange how your unsolicited civics lesson immediately turns to a rant about God’s providence? The problem as I see it is we’ll never come to any agreement because you have everything upside down.

    In one of your posts you babbled on about “God’s stewardship”. This makes the horrid disrespect of the NFL players on their knees almost angelic in comparison.

    GOD IS OUR SERVANT?!, yeah, that’s what you said.

    “The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man, the roles are quite reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge; if God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty, and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that man is on the bench and God is in the dock.” – C.S. Lewis from his book God in the Dock

    Methinks you need to read and contemplate Rev Sensing’s article once again.

  • Howard Nelson October 11, 2017, 4:00 PM

    Denny,
    ‘In his most audacious statement of human moral responsibility, {Elie} Wiesel reminds us “that it is given to man to transform divine injustice into human justice and compassion.” There is an agenda for a lifetime.’
    h/t Robert McAfee Brown, Professor Emeritus of Theology and Ethics, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley CA —. In his Introduction to: The Trial of God (Elie Wiesel, playwright), Afterword by Matthew Fox

    Denny, in my arrogant opinion, I believe God and Man are locked into a covenant, contract, set of mutual responsibilities and obligations. On the Man-side we suffer punishments for our personal violations as individuals. On the God-side, God is required to justify the actions/in actions for which He’s been charged and evidence presented. In this Supreme Court, silence to prevent Self-incrimination is not permitted.

    Denny, thank you for pushing me on this topic. After all is said and done, you may be right. No matter, God blesses you and remains in your debt for keeping your part of the bargain and defending His.
    Keep well.

  • Howard Nelson October 11, 2017, 4:23 PM

    Jaynie, thank you, toe-dah, for your comment on my grammar.
    Whether you like it or not, I now consider you my St. Jude, patron of my hopeless grammatical gaucheness.

  • Howard Nelson October 11, 2017, 5:00 PM

    Rob @ 10-8-2017,
    I have no quarrel with you. If you have a quarrel with me, perhaps you need to work through it yourself. I find Philippians 4:8 great advice, though I don’t always behave accordingly.
    God holds no grudges; what say we follow God’s guideline? I think it would please God and Gerard.

  • Rob De Witt October 11, 2017, 5:18 PM

    Howard,

    Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

    That passage from Philippians kinda leaves it up to you to decide what’s right and moral, doesn’t it? Since you (and every “liberal” since the French Revolution) are proud to be the judge of all that’s true, it’s small wonder you’d choose scripture like that which justifies you to yourself. The message from the Garden of Eden is that Eve was tempted by Satan to do just that, right? “Why shouldn’t you be God yourself? Ssssss?” Humility is the opposite of what you’re seeing in the mirror. I say again, it’s apparent that you’ve never faced the inevitability of your own end – not “sometime” but now. It changes things, and causes maturity in a hurry.

    Since it pleases you to cite Elie Wiesel, here’s a little bit of Willie the Shake in reply:

    “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
    An evil soul producing holy witness
    Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
    A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
    O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!”

  • Denny October 11, 2017, 6:51 PM

    Howard,
    Thanks for your seemingly conciliatory post, However you still don’t wish to understand as I can see in what you replied. In the last line of your post you said, “God remains in your debt”. That statement is not a complement to me but a deplorable insult as my God can never, ever, – forever be in my debt. He is my Master Who perfectly provides all, and I am His servant.

    You have butchered the covenant as the New Testament (covenant) is perspicuous in its
    presentation. The Gospel is translated from the original Greek and means “good news”. The good news is that Jesus of Nazareth has fulfilled the covenant requirements of obedience on the part of both man and God as He was and is God incarnate. He did this by laying His innocent life down as a sacrifice for the sins of those who believe. The sacrifice was necessary to satisfy the requirements of Gods law. God’s law clearly states, “Without the shedding of blood their is no remission of sins” (Heb 9:22) He did for us what we could never do for ourselves as sinners and will be forever in His debt.

    Now can you see that if I, believing this perspective of Christian theology, hear someone say, “I accuse God of malfeasance and dereliction of duty”, might become at least somewhat hostile?

    You may regard this question as rhetorical because I have a feeling that I’m wasting my time once again.

  • Howard Nelson October 11, 2017, 8:01 PM

    Rob, moment to moment we all and always behave to feel as good about ourselves as the situation allows.
    We never want to betray ourselves or others. The hierarchy of values guiding our lives do a lot to define who we are and what we do. This is not rocket religion, psychology, reason, or philosophy.

    I had suggested a way God, or I, if God, could have prevented the LV massacre while simultaneously teaching a beneficial lesson in sympathy. To my mind, this was a way to respect God, to recognize that He was not a megalomaniac, but willing to consider suggestions from His students, made in his image as well.

    Applied ideas have consequences. Parties to an agreement have honorably obligated themselves to each other. I think we differ on this last point because you do not believe the superior power, God, limits Himself in His agreements with Mankind, nor even if there is a binding, just agreement for honorable behavior between He and Us, the involved parties.

    That’s OK. As long as the kingdom of heaven is within, I know where the King resides.
    And, God forbid, if there is no God, no kingdom of heaven, we’d at least have the fine fellowship available to us here, by the grace of GVdL.

  • ghostsniper October 12, 2017, 4:52 AM

    “….leaves it up to you to decide what’s right and moral, doesn’t it?”
    ==============================================

    Yes, of course, how could it be anything else?
    This goes back to something that may be in the bible, “Treat others as you’d like to be treated.”, and the way I have lived my life for the most part.
    It’s not rocket surgery but (1)some people now believe they can expand the envelope by not caring what you think and this causes friction. Because of that, my ol’ gray haired pap used to say, (2)”Son, look way ahead for trouble, then steer yourself around it.”

    Because of (1) and (2) I rarely go to places where large groups of people congregate as I have a low tolerance for friction.

  • Casey Klahn October 12, 2017, 10:38 AM

    Here’s where we hope to let bygones be bygones and I apologize for the zealousness you might think of us Christians, and of myself. I just sent the JW’s packing from the door. While my pit bull barked her head off, I dismissed them with a curt, “we’re Christians here and can’t use any Jehovah’s Witnesses today, thank you.” If you don’t distinguish me from them, I’d forgive that.

    When two-thousand years of Christian scholarship, placed on top of two-thousand more of monotheism, complete with universities, library upon library of books on orthodoxy, and 2 billion adherents, say that the faith and the Bible say “A,” but you insist that your private study reveal “not-A,” then I have to question your native ability to understand logic. That’s the tactic I choose for my apologetics.

    Next, as author Dan brown has predicted, we’ll have a faith dictated by AI and some form of universal thought. Suppose we put it all up for a world vote? What religion do we choose? Socialism? Islam? Just thinking out loud, here.

    Anyway, this is the best I can do in this forum.

  • Casey Klahn October 12, 2017, 10:40 AM

    Here’s where we hope to let bygones be bygones and I apologize for the zeal you might receive from us Christians, and of myself. I just sent the JW’s packing from the door. While my pit bull barked her head off, I dismissed them with a curt, “we’re Christians here and can’t use any Jehovah’s Witnesses today, thank you.” If you don’t distinguish me from them, I’d forgive that.

    When two-thousand years of Christian scholarship, placed on top of two-thousand more of monotheism, complete with universities, library upon library of books on orthodoxy, and 2 billion adherents, say that the faith and the Bible say “A,” but you insist that your private study reveal “not-A,” then I have to question your native ability to understand logic. That’s the tactic I choose for my apologetics.

    Next, as author Dan brown has predicted, we’ll have a faith dictated by AI and some form of universal thought. Suppose we put it all up for a world vote? What religion do we choose? Socialism? Islam? Just thinking out loud, here.

    Anyway, this is the best I can do in this forum.

  • Casey Klahn October 12, 2017, 10:41 AM

    Here’s where we hope to let bygones be bygones and I apologize for the zealousness you might think of us Christians, and of myself. I just sent the JW’s packing from the door. While my pit bull barked her head off, I dismissed them with a curt, “we’re Christians here and can’t use any Jeh ovah’s Wit nesses today, thank you.” If you don’t distinguish me from them, I’d forgive that.

    When two-thousand years of Christian scholarship, placed on top of two-thousand more of monotheism, complete with universities, library upon library of books on orthodoxy, and 2 billion adherents, say that the faith and the Bible say “A,” but you insist that your private study reveal “not-A,” then I have to question your native ability to understand logic. That’s the tactic I choose for my apologetics.

    Next, as author Dan Brown has predicted, we’ll have a faith dictated by AI and some form of universal thought. Suppose we put it all up for a world vote? What religion do we choose? Socialism? Isl am? Just thinking out loud, here.

    Anyway, this is the best I can do in this forum.

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