It’s not wrong to call out the Catholic Church for the sex crimes, but they also get the worst of it from the media. The stats for abuse in the public school system are much higher, and also the autonomous churchs like southern Baptist have a huge problem with it. Their autonomy makes it harder to pin down than the bigger system that is the Catholic Church.

“We have no choice left to us but to submit to absolute slavery and despotism, or as freemen to stand in our own defense and endeavor a noble resistance. Matters are at last brought to this deplorable extremity. Every reasonable method of reconciliation has been tried in vain.” - Rev. David Jones, July 20 1775

A great quote from a sermon during the rise of the American Revolution.

Guys

Come on

You have the luxury of a laptop or a phone, you have the ability to talk freely, you have the TIME to talk freely. Nobody it going to enslave you, those brave men who fought during the American Revolution, could be caught, hanged, burned, disowned, and much more. These people actually had it rough, they couldn't talk freely, they were pretty much actually slaves, being subject to the quartering acts (having your house taken from you) they were subject to unfree speech, they were subject to heavy taxes and unfair treatment. You guys need to think about the fact that you have the luxury of technology. Think about the Amish for a moment. They work 12 hours a day in the fields, they are punished harshly, and they have no luxuries, but you don't see them openly complaining about it. And if Biden is going to make the US a slaveryship, then so be it. Complaining only makes things worse, @Benjamin.

ok, I stand corrected. Still, I think there are far more righteous people than that, even in NOVA where I live. And yes, our country is perhaps too far gone for us, but not for God. Nothing ever is for him. If we can get our country praying again, get our fellow country-men to start living for Him again, God can, and I believe will redeem us.

I can't lie, I think any hope we have is bleek, but its something

as long as there is a chance, I don't think its right for us to give up.

I would leave this, brother

leave what?

Mercy's opinions on God

He doesn't want to be convinced

He told me

yes. I have also taken communion, but I am struggling to understand it all right not.

now*

none of us do <:KEK:795742276549607456> we get stuck in our ways, tend to think we are right about everything, if if we know we may not be.

Here it is

ok.

I will respect that then.

He still serves God though

fair enough.

That is the important part, I guess

But I do have a question though

So I do realize that the only way to get into Heaven is to believe that God died for everybody's sins, and that He is the only God, but if that is true, then why are there whole booksfull of laws in the Bible, regarding what to do what not to do?

I think the laws God gives us are to provide us with a framework by which we can live a disciplined and righteous life. In violating His commandments though, we fall short of His glory, not that we ever could match it, but in failing to honor Him, we tarnish our selves and I guess His name too. For that reason, there must be a price for our sin, which only Christ could pay if we are to be redeemed. Otherwise, our only other option is to spend the rest of eternity in separation from God's glory.

I suppose that makes sense

I will say this though: some people tell me that even if we except the gift of Christ's sacrifice, we will go to hell if we don't live a righteous life after accepting His gift. I personally can't subscribe to this notion, as I believe it contradicts the word of God, however, I agree that we are at least entitled to live as morally as possible and repent when we do wrong.

hope this helps. I really dont understand all that much

im also trying to understand a lot of these commandments bro.

Yeah, thank you

"7 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!"

Just that first bit seems really difficult to unpack. maybe you help me compartmentalize some of this?

maybe even understand it?

The quote was for historical purposes. I didn’t say anything to insinuate otherwise. People have read and quoted pastors from the Revolution for decades. What makes it so wrong to do so now?

It's irrelevant

you're saying you have to submit to slavery

Someone I know thinks that Adam and Eve can't be real because they inbred and that we would all be retarded if are species came from inbreeding. I asked him where he thinks people came from and he says a bunch of primates living in Africa that were survivors of a space nuke that wiped out that dinosaurs. I'vebeen heavily implying it, but I'm really tempted to just straight up say "do you really think that a bunch of primates happen to evolve all separately from one another and be compatible to the point where the human race could be created without any incest?"

I'm not saying that quoting the bible is bad

but when you use it in that term

Are you talking to me?

When there is only one family is in existence, that is the only way