The enemy Chevy? Since when is a sister in Christ the enemy? Is Jesus the enemy? He is the one who outlined the conflict resolution method commanded in Matthew 18 which I have pasted below in case you are unfamiliar. It does indeed tell us to first seek to resolve our disputes privately and for good reason!
If Pixy wanted to continue these disputes in the public forum she wouldn't be insisting on resolving the dispute privately. The main issues that pixy has addressed in the public forum have been those issues which have been call into question in the public forum. If you really want to end this mess on the forums then message pixy privately and come to a mutual understanding. We are all apart of the same body of Christ!
Matthew 18: 15 �Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that �by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.� 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
I think Kaynine23's reflects most of my thoughts on this matter. I will only add this scripture passage on forgiveness . . .
Matthew 18:32-35 ESV Then his master summoned him and said to him, �You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?� And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.�
This verse applies to me as much as it applies to anyone else. As Christians we are like the servant in the above parable who have been forgiven of a great debt (our sin) by Christ. And when we refuse to forgive our fellow servants Christ becomes angry with a righteous anger against us.
Did the servant who refused to forgive have every right to have the debt repaid to him in full? Yes!
Still as this illustration shows forgiveness is not about who is in the right or who is in the wrong. It is about forgiving others of all the little (in comparison to the vast debt Christ has forgiven us) wrongs done to us just as Christ has forgiven us of our many, many wrongs all of which have made us deserving of death and eternal separation from God!
I encourage all of the parties involved to stop arguing about who was in the right and about who was in the wrong. Forgive each other as Christ forgave you! Because while we were yet sinners Christ forgave us!
As a guy I am not the greatest fan of musicals especially some of the more modern ones (I think its safer not to name names with all the girls on here :laugh:), but there are those rare gems that I absolutely love!
My personal all time favorite is Man of La Mancha, which is a broadway adaption of the novel Don Quixote. I listen to original broadway soundtrack quite often haha. It explores powerful themes in a very real and moving way.
I haven't had the opportunity to see it live as of yet. I wish I had been around to see the original broadway cast back in 1965! I believe it is one of the most popular plays ever produced on broadway and it has been brought back several times over the years with new cast members . . . hopefully one day! lol
Has anyone else listened to the soundtrack or has seen it performed live?
If a girl was not willing to take my last name that would definitely be a red flag for me as well. The wife taking her husband's last name is a sign of submission, respect, and unity in the marriage. How can husband and wife become one flesh if the wife refuses to take her husbands own last name?
If it were a case of a writer, celebrity, etc. needing to keep her last name for publicity purposes I would be more understanding, but I would still want her to take my last name. If keeping her last to help her career is more important to her than her marriage then that still definitely a red flag for me.
Besides . . . what girl wouldn't want an awesome last name like Hernandez? :peace: lol
That's cold man. I was never into playing games in relationships. Sure it might help in the short term but in the long run I think it does way more harm than good. If I have to play these "relationship games" to get a relationship with a girl then I'll have to be doing that the whole course of the relationship. How you get them is how you are going to keep them.
I certainly would never date a girl just to make another one jealous. If I am not in a relationship I will sometimes see more than one girl but only if it is perfectly clear that it is only casual dating and not a serious exclusive relationship. Honesty and transparency are key in the casual dating "getting to know you" phase for me. I am not a player, I don't play the games. I am looking for a good Christian woman and I won't find her by acting like that!
Bcpianogal,
Thanks for the input. I really do think she was genuinely busy. I talked to her again today and she seemed generally receptive to the idea of rescheduling sometime next week. I guess I will just have to wait and see how next week plays out I suppose (after that she is going out of town for a week). And find something to occupy my time during my non-working hours lol
I thought overall it was a good illustration though I had some small scruples about it . . .
1. "This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy."
This sentence implies a conflict between justice and mercy. Implying if we give mercy then we do not give justice and vice versa. A unrepentant sinful man going to hell is justice. However, while a repentant man receives mercy by not having to bare the punishment (eternal death and separation from God in hell) justice is still done because Jesus took the punishment for us. If Jesus had given us mercy without having the penalty for sin carried out then that would be injustice not justice. If God were unjust then He would not be God.
I think the illustration could have done a better job in making this important distinction.
2. If Jesus were the defense counsel and God were the judge (Dad), the judge would have to recuse himself for conflict of interest! :laugh:
Have any of you seen the music video to Ray Boltz' song "One Drop of Blood"? I think it represents a much better courtroom type illustration . . . check it out on youtube, it is powerful!
Educating Your Future Children: Public, Private, or Home (Cont.)
Posted : 2 Jun, 2011 07:53 PM
Yeah I think we definitely agree on a lot more than on what we disagree on.
It is true that often times in public schools they don't overtly push the humanist (man is the measure of all things) worldview. However, the simply and complete absence of God in the classrooms is often far more effective because it is so much harder to notice. For example, a student would most likely notice a teacher openly the concept of God. Controversy draws attention to something and that is the last thing people teaching from a humanist perspective want. It is much more effective to silently remove all mention of God and religion/morality than it is to openly attack it. Assuming no outside knowledge, a student would never even learn or hear the concept of a God in the public schools. He would be taught that the physical world is all there is, that man is in charge of his own life and is not subject to a higher power. The absence of Biblical worldview is a humanist worldview. Of course that is a very broad distinction and there are numerous numerous varieties of a humanist worldview.
I agree that vouchers could be better than the current system because at least it gives parents some say over how/where there children will be educated. However, it still involves government in education where they do not have the authority to exercise control over. Essentially vouchers are taxpayer money given back to the taxpayers with government stipulations and regulations attached to it. Why not just spend no money on education, lower taxes, and let the parents take their own money and educate their children where they choose without all the government involvement.
So just when I thinking I am beginning to grasp a slight understanding of the female mind something comes up that never fails to prove me wrong! :rolleyes::laugh:
So ladies, I know every girl is different and responds differently but I want to see if there is some sort of general consensus on this issue . . .
1. What does it mean when a girl says she had a great time and thinks we should go out more often (in a casual dating/outing not yet relationship context) but later when you ask her out again she says she already has plans?
Of course the simplest answer is often the correct one (she actually has plans).
Still when someone suggests a general time over the weekend to go out and the girl simply says she has plans without details, explanation, or suggestions for an alternative time, I find it harder to accept she already had plans in good faith.
2. How should guys avoid getting this "already have plans" answer and being sent to dating limbo without asking weeks in advance? At least with a straight no not interested we guys can get the message and move on and of course with an enthusiastic yes we know she is probably interested!
Reading minds would probably come in handy :rolleyes: haha
3. How should guys rebound from an "already have plans" rejection (assuming that the plans were valid)?
And yes this is based on a recent situation of mine (no did not meet her on this website).
This is supposed to be my summer of love and lady luck is nowhere to be found . . . I guess this weekend for me is going to be another guys night! :buddies: lol
Educating Your Future Children: Public, Private, or Home (Cont.)
Posted : 1 Jun, 2011 08:51 AM
You are right; the Bible does not say that the family must teach absolutely everything to their children. To be clear, I am not advocating this position. As I stated in the second to last paragraph of my first post, "private religious schooling would be an acceptable alternative."
My main problems with public school education as it exists today are two fold: (1) the government has usurped the family's authority in determine what and from what perspective their children should be taught and (2) the public schools teach from a secular humanist worldview (man-centered) as opposed to a Christian worldview (God-centered).
Secular Humanist Worldview in Education:
1. Evolution -- God did not create man because God does not exist and because God does not exist man owes no duties to Him. Instead, out of nothing, the big bang occurred and life evolved from non-life. Existence is about death not life and is ultimately meaningless. This idea destroys the sanctity of human life as created in the image of God because man is nothing more than an evolved animal arisen from the primordial soup.
2. Homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle -- Teaches from a perspective that implies there are no moral absolutes. Everything is ok as long as it does not "hurt" anyone else. Teaches to reject the Word of God, which says Homosexuality is a sin. And let me be clear parents should be teaching their kids to love the person, but hate the sin. All have sinned and come short of God's glory and we are no better or worse than they.
3. Every mention of God is excerpted and taken out of the curriculum and the textbooks particularly in Literature and History. Key founding documents are abridged or ignored all together to remove references to God (Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Washington's farewell address, etc.).
4. Man-centered -- All day, five days a week it is about man's accomplishments, man's knowledge, man's superiority with no mention of God or the fact that without Him we would be nothing. If this type of education is not from a secular humanist worldview, I do not know what is!
To summarize Humanism in education here is this quote:
"Education is the most powerful ally of Humanism and every American public school is a school of Humanism. What can the theistic Sunday Schools, meeting for an hour once a week, and teaching only a fraction of the children do to steam the tide of a five day program of humanistic teaching?" - Charles Francis Potter from Humanism a New Religion (Who is himself a humanist)
While parents can still influence their children and try to correct the many errors from public school education they are fighting an uphill battle. I went to public school for several years but I was fortunate that my mom as a single parent sacrificed to send me to a private Christian school where I would be taught in a way that was honoring to God all while still being forced to pay taxes in support of a secular humanist educational system.
I am glad that your parents were so keen on teaching you things from a Biblical perspective because it is certainly an uphill battle when it comes to public school education. Unfortunately, many parents are not so determined and not so involved in their kids� lives.
While children should not be taught from a humanist perspective neither should the children be left ignorant of those ideas. We should train children not only to honor God but to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within them with meekness and fear. This duty implicitly includes being able to know and refute opposing worldviews.
When I say parents have a duty to educate their children I do not mean that parents should force their children where to attend college, what to major in etc. because the children are transitioning into adults and the parent's direct role decreases.
I don't want to get too sidetracked here so I won't go into evolution and your discussion concerning the length of the days of creation etc. but if you want to create another thread then we could all discuss it there.
There are pros and cons to every position but in regards to homes schooling, I believe the pros far outweigh the cons and there are many variations of home schooling that address some of the problems you mentioned.
Again, the important thing here is that it is the family's authority and responsibility to see that their children are educated in a way that is honoring to God. Public schools as they exist today are inconsistent with seeing that children are instructed in a way that honors God and children who come out of public school with a completely Biblical worldview do so despite of public education, not because of it.
The best way to ensure this done is with the parent's as the primary educators of their children. Private Christian schooling is a less preferred but acceptable alternative and the parents must be very proactive and involved in their children's education to see that they are being rightly educated.
Educating Your Future Children: Public, Private, or Home (Cont.)
Posted : 31 May, 2011 09:03 PM
I wanted to start a new threat so that we could continue this discussion since the original topic was about to get bumped to the bottomless pit of the second page! For all those new to this discussion I encourage you to read the responses from the first thread!
When it comes to education, my basic premise is this: God created the mind free.
The civil magistrate (government) does not have the authority or jurisdiction to "educate" or tell anyone what to believe or think. Back in Genesis God established several human institutions including the family and the civil magistrate. The Bible is very clear on the parents� role in educating their children (the institution of family) (see Deut 6:6-7, Prov. 22:6, Eph 6:4, Genesis 18:19, Proverbs 1:8 etc.). From these verses, we can see that God designed the family as the primary method to teach and to educate the next generation. In other word�s educate is within the family�s jurisdiction just as the civil magistrate has jurisdiction over the sword (crime and punishment, see Romans 13:3-4).
There is a huge difference between a man or institution having the power to do a thing and having the authority to do a thing. Power is the ability to force or coerce while authority is the just use of power. God has rightly divvied authority between His institutions and one institution cannot usurp the authority of another. No where in scripture has God given the civil magistrate the responsibility or authority of educating the next generation � He left that to the family. This concept of authority and divided powers is embedded in America�s Constitutional framework.
Unfortunately, the civil magistrate has the tendency to use its power to usurp the authority from other institutions and often times with the best of intentions. Nevertheless, we all know that good intentions can produce horrible results. Back in the early years of America, Christianity was nearly universal among its citizenry and as a result had much influence in government and sometimes the institutions exerted power and influence over the other (Ex. state supported churches etc.). The First Amendment establishment of religion clause was meant to prevent the Federal government from establishing a nationally supported Church as in Europe but did not apply to the states. Eventually the states realized their mistake and abandoned the state supported Churches through notable founding fathers such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. They believed in God but they also believed that no man had the authority to force another to believe or support those beliefs (through taxation).
Public education is another perfect example. When these systems were first established with the best of intentions it seemed like a great idea. Moreover, because Christianity was so universally accepted there were no major issues such as from what perspective or worldview from which to teach. Now flash forward to modern day where Christianity is not so highly regarded in the media, government, etc. where now Christians are on the other side of the spectrum. We are forced to support ideas such as homosexuality, evolution, and other concepts based on a secular humanist worldview. This is exactly why God gave education and instruction of the next generation to the family not the civil magistrate. Education is an inherently sacred act and it is impossible not to teach from a fixed point of reference (worldview) whether it be good or bad.
The goal should not be to �tale back the schools� but to take the civil magistrate out of education all together and restore its responsibility back to the family where they can decided how and from what perspective their children shall be raised. Fortunately for parents, home schooling materials and private schools are valuable to help parents fulfill this all important role. It is true that cost is a huge factor when it comes to family and education. A lot of parents who would desire to home school their kids or send their kids to private school can not afford to do so. More reason to stop forcing citizens to pay for education they may or may not use, or may or may not support.
Of course, such a massive transition from public financed education must be handled with great effort and care but the particulars of such a transition are not the focus of this discussion.
God has entrusted parents to instruct their children in righteousness and train them in a way that is honoring to God. This truth is why I believe home school is the best method to educate children although private religious schooling would be an acceptable alternative. It is very important to be careful when it comes to private schooling because as a parent you are entrusting part of your sacred duty to educate your kids to another institution. Even if a kid is private schooled that does not negate the duty of the parents to teach their children! Far too many parents are neglecting their duty as parents . . . is it any wonder why kids these days are so lost?
Summary: For the reasons listed above I would conclude that public financed education (at least how it exists in the US today) is not a Biblically acceptable method of education. For me as a matter of conscience, if the government ever forced me as a future parent to put my kids in public school, I would leave the country. My duty to educate my children in a way that honors God is far more important than any duty I would owe to the government. To put it simply, God�s law is higher than man�s law. God intended the family to instruct the next generation, not the civil magistrate and when power is used to usurp that authority, things go horribly awry!
