BrotherTony

If I weren't having to use my phone, I would have gone much further in depth with my answers to both. I've had to deal with a lot of these types of people for the last 50+ years. I don't understand why they have to introduce new elements to the conversation. Straw man arguments from others was a tactic I faced in debate class in highschool.

I'm closing in on 62, but I truly feel more like I'm 80. Life seems to catch up with everyone sooner or later.

My wife and I finally believe we have the open door to visit several churches in hope of finding a new church home. The church we've been members of for the last 7 1/2 years has been taking a slow drift left. We've been patient and have tried our best to effect change in the right direction but it's been to no avail. The nepotism and cronyism is something that has always bothered me. One such case of cronyism is how three years ago the pastor talked the deacons into helping a friend of the pastor. They bought the man a new zero turn lawnmower and put him in charge of the church grounds and the mowing rotation. It went fair to middlin' the first year, but the second was a bit more disorganized. Because I am disabled and really shouldn't be mowing my own lawn, the church had some of those men in the rotation mowing it. I offered to pay these men, and even donated funds to the mens ministry. Last year this brother made us feel like we owed a lot to the church and talked down us stating the mowing of our lawn was more than a ministry. He did his best to make us feel small, which didn't happen. The pastor was on the rotation and I offered to pay him for his gas and extra for himself. He refused as well. I gave money to the men's ministry and was told it had folded. So, I donated to the maintenance of the lawn at the church, and for the mowing of the other lawns the church had the men mowing. It was diverted to the building fund and the youth. I'm not against where it went, but am against not being told or given a reason why that action was taken. At any rate I decided to not ask the church to help with the lawn. I've done it so far this year, but because of my health challenges I have not been able to get it done fully. Another thing that brought us to the decision that we needed to start looking was that during a church dinner one of the games that was played after dinner was filled with songs being sung that were filled with lyrics that were immoral, promoting getting drunk and shacking up, etc. It was not something we ever thought we'd have to do, but, we felt that the Lord would have us start this process. The church we visited is still an SBC affiliated church (Barfield Baptist Church in Murfreesboro Tennessee)but is KJV, sings mostly hymns, and when they do sing CCM songs it's appropriately toned down. The pastor is someone I've been acquainted with for over 20 yrs on the Internet. He was raised in Franklin Road Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. I know this isn't the prayer forum, but, I would like to request prayers for us as we go through this process. Blessings.

I've had my last birthday! Anything over 61 is unacceptable? LOL

Gee...now I feel old. I preached my first sermon 50 years ago. PastorMatt, that must have made you what? One or two years old? LOL

And you've done your best to hijack it. I'll be looking for your proof. I don't expect it, but I will be looking for it.

The Trinity is well established as sound doctrine. Anyone who states otherwise is treading on dangerous ground. So, you've proven again you're not a Bible believer.

Explain to us why you believe the pre-tribulation rapture to be wrong. I do not believe you can or will. Proof

The Bible passes the condemnation. We've already stated this several times. Your inability to accept that truth doesn't make it any less true. Many born again Christians have come from many of those denominations and have evidence of their corruption of the Bible and Biblical doctrine. Being Baptist has nothing to do with it. So, your "beef" isn't with Baptists at all, it's with God. And to be clear, they DON'T believe in the Biblical definition of atonement.

No credits to those statements. I find that less than credible on your part. Find something credible. The Bible tells us to earnestly contend for the faith, and millions do so every day and hate nobody.

Even with what you classify as a "serious decline," there will always be a remnant of the faithful. Remember, the gates of hell will not prevail against Christs church.

We don't condemn them... they condemn themselves by their not following Christ and the scriptures. Again you've stated clearly an antagonism towards Christians and Christianity. So, why are you even here? You knew what these forums were before you joined, did you not?

You're only here to antagonize and disrupt. By your own admission using the "666" as your age and threatening coming after someone you're proving your inability to carry on any decent conversation.

Baptists hate sin if they're true Christians. And it's not just limited to the Baptist denomination. Please, give evidence of your assertions that they hate all these things and people. It's evident from your statements towards those here that you are the one who is full of hate. Sad, really... very sad.

During the creation of the Earth, trees weren't bound by space and time. God created the Garden of Eden full and complete, trees and all. If you don't believe the Genesis account you don't believe the Bible. Again, God Almighty is not bound by space or time, especially in light of the fact that he created it all.

In my family, my maternal grandmother developed dementia and later full-blown Alzheimer's. It put enough stress on my grandfather that he eventually had a major stroke. My grandma was put into the same nursing home that her mother had spent the last years of her life in. Grandpa was shuffled between my parents and my aunt and uncle. Grandma was in Indiana and grandpa was in Indiana for a few months each year, but he was mostly in Georgia where my parents lived. My aunt and uncle were usually on the road in their RV checking on my uncles former students from Indiana State University. If there is no other choice there's not much that can be done. It's far from being a sin unless there were some way to effectively and safely take care of the parents.

WOW...foul language and faulty doctrine... who'd have thunk it?

I don't find that hard to believe. There are many who are secular Catholics, and then there are sects of evangelical Catholics, which is what my many nephews and nieces are. My father was raised as a secular Catholic but became evangelical before he got saved and became an Independent Baptist. I have well over 100 family members in the RCC, Greek Orthodox Church, Episcopal Church and the Lutheran Church. I was Greek Orthodox for several years.

Sorry... wrong again.

No JWs and Mormon's are not Christians by any stretch of the imagination. They are not followers of Christ, but rather are followers of their respective founders. If you don't know what a different gospel than what is presented in the Bible is then I can't help you, especially since you've allegedly read it more than I have.

If one is voting for a person simply because they say they're a Christian, they're not remembering President Carter's mess of an administration. Being a Christian doesn't mean someone will make a good President. It should be a consideration in part, but not the deciding factor.

This is your OPINION. Six day creationism is Biblical, though some don't agree on the length of the days since God isn't bound by space and time.

It appears that you're not very well acquainted with your Bible. I suggest you read Galatians 1. Paul says that if anybody is preaching a different gospel than the one that the apostles are presenting that they are to be accursed. This is heresy.

The Catholics I'm aware of DO believe in the rapture. I have several nieces and nephews who are RC, and my father was raised in the RCC. In reference to the AI... artificial intelligence... sounds like something I just got off of ChatGPT, which I checked after reading your response.

No... heretical teaching is quite clearly laid out by the Apostle Paul. He clearly states that if he, or an angel from Heaven, or any other creature presents a Jesus other than what Scriptures lay out, they're heretical. Heresy isn't "opinion" at all. Mormons and others may seem to have Christian likenesses and actions, but, this in no way makes them Christian any more than my living in a garage would make me a car.