Oh, the ways this could go wrong!

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So apparently, China is starting a new program - a social scorecard , a rating system for all its citizens where your score determines what kind of things you have access to.  

 Yeah ... I don't see how this could go wrong at all, do you!?! 

Most Popular Posts of the Week:

The Very Most, by Renee A. Betancourt

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This is a poem my friend wrote which she read to me over the phone the other day.  And it was so beautiful that I asked her if I could publish it on my blog.  Enjoy.  (I will publish it just as she sent it.)    The Very Most   Good morning, Father, Son and Holy Ghost I love you all the very most With my life layed down, I don’t want my own crown   Lead me, guide me, show me the way Thank you, Lord for this brand new day I Thank you Lord  for giving us your son  thank you Jesus for being the only one Who could save me  deliver me and raise me up Because you lifted your own cup.   Thank you, Jesus for the garden  For it led to my full pardon The road from there was fully destructive And from that walk my pain was abducted And at the end upon that cross You gave Your life so none would be lost   And when you rose on that third day With Your new life you made the way So on your journey with no thought for yourself you lived an...
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"Are Calvinists Saved?"

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(I added some new notes to the end of this post, August 23, 2020.) Here's a video from  Beyond the Fundamentals  that's well-worth watching:   Are Calvinists Saved? The most thought-provoking part (for me) was when he asks (paraphrased) "How do Calvinists know they're saved, that Jesus died for them?" You see, I would say that I trust in the truths of the Bible.  I trust that when God says He loves all people and wants all people to be saved, He means He loves  all  people and wants  all  people to be saved.  I trust that when He says Jesus died for all people and all sins, He means that Jesus died for  all  people and  all  sins.  I trust that when He says that we will find Him if we seek Him with all our hearts, He means that we can seek Him and find Him.  I trust that when He commands us to choose whom we will serve, He means that we have to choose whom we will serve.  I trust that when He ...
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#2 IN the World, Not OF the World (shortened)

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(This is a shortened version of my Bible study.  For full version, click here .)             Philippians 3:18-20 :   “. . . many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.   Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.   Their mind is on earthly things.   But our citizenship is in heaven. . . .”             As Christians, we are citizens of two different worlds – the world (including our own country and society) and God’s Kingdom.   And o ftentimes, these worlds are in conflict.  So ... how can we as Christians best live out this verse about being in the world but not of it?                   Let’s break down some of the challenges and differences we face.
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Calvinist Hogwash #4 (hell and justice)

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I think that Calvinists who deny double predestination are fooling themselves.  To not choose someone for heaven is to choose them for hell, especially if those are the only two options and if God created them to be exactly who they are for certain reasons (which He didn't, except in Calvinism).   Instead of just admitting that Calvi-god predestines people for hell, Calvinists soften or obscure it as much as possible to make it seem less harsh, less deliberate, than it is: "God passes over people... He just lets them be the sinners they already are... He leaves them to themselves... He doesn't force them to reject Him, He just doesn't give them saving faith..."  (I wonder if they'd try so much to soften it if they thought themselves one of the non-elect.)   It's  really just haggling over terminology because it all amounts to the same thing: I n Calvinism, God predetermined that the non-elect would be who they are and do what they do, and He made sure ...
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Updated: Alana L. 5P (conflations: natural vs moral)

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[I redid Point #5 and #6 in the Alana L. series on my other blog (and re-lettered the posts).  But instead of going back and changing the already-posted points on this blog, I'll just add the posts in their own little "series."]  Point #5 still :   P:  "Sovereign, sovereign, sovereign, sovereign."   Natural vs Moral On a slightly different track:  If you listen closely when Calvinists talk about God's "sovereign control" over things, they'll often emphasize His control over nature, even bringing up verses about it.  And since we agree that God caused/controlled something like a storm or famine or illness at some point in biblical history, Calvinists will then make us think that we must also agree that He causes/controls human decisions and moral evils too.  That if we accept one, we must accept the other. Vincent Cheung  ( The Problem of Evil ):  " God controls not only  natural events , but he also controls  all human aff...
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Truly Shameful - Protecting Sex Offenders Over Children!

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Read this article by The Activist Mommy.  Go ahead; I'll wait. Wichita Library Board Debates Whether to Ban Sex Offender's from Children's Events So ... as taxpayers ... isn't it awesome to think that your local library would be unwilling to take the steps necessary to protect your children at public children's events from registered sex offenders, simply because it might offend some people in the LGBTQ-community!?!   And look at what that Thomas Witt said, shaming people for taking steps to protect kids, accusing them of having "offensive" ulterior motives, as if parents shouldn't be allowed to take steps to protect their children.   I don't care what someone's motive is or if they have some sort of secret ulterior motive ... We should all be taking steps to protect children.  Period! But apparently the library board would rather allow registered sex offenders to mingle, up close and personal, with your children than risk hurting ...
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Greeting Card Headaches

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Finding the right greeting card can be so frustrating.   Like, where is the "I'm sorry you got arrested and will probably spend the rest of your life in prison ... but even though this terribly affected our family and friends forever, I love you anyway and hope you have as merry of a Christmas as you can, under these circumstances" kind of card? Oh, the headaches of trying to find the perfect card! (And, no, I'm not joking.  I mean, yes I am, to a degree.  But in a "if I don't laugh about it, then I'll cry" kind of way.)
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"The Last Goodbye" - A song for us Hobbits

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(a post from my other blog , from March 28, 2022) There's a song at the end of  The Battle of the Five Armies  (from the Hobbit trilogy) that's become one of my favorite songs.  I feel this song, especially the line about "Many places I have been, many sorrows I have seen..."  That's kinda been my last several years: many sorrows I have seen.   Many trials.  Many heartbreaks.  (Everyone who lives long enough will have many of these.) Most recently, I had the awful experience of being on the witness stand for three hours, giving testimony against my mom.  And after nearly a week of trial, she was found guilty of ... well, of something really bad.  (She insists she didn't do it, but we think otherwise.  It's not exactly like the prosecution says, but close enough.)  And now she will spend her life in prison.   Many sorrows I have seen. I don't know if I'll ever see her again.  The last memory I have of her cou...
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Napoleon's Comment about Jesus

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  I love this quote from Napoleon: "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires.  But on what did we rest the creations of our genius?  Upon force.  Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him."  Sadly, I think many Christians are more willing to die for Him than to really  live  for Him.  Dying for Him is usually theoretical, but living for Him would require a lot of actual, real-life changes. Will you be counted among the faithful ones?  The ones willing to die for Him  and  live for Him? I know I share these songs often, but they're worth it:   Oh, What Love  and  Sweetly Broken .    And how about one more: Fearless . (repost)
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Help for Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts

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It's so sad to hear about all the celebrities who have recently committed suicide (or about anyone who has committed suicide, for that matter).  My heart breaks for them, for the pain they went through, and for the ones who love them, for the pain they are now going through.  It is truly a tragedy. To anyone who is hurting really badly, who is struggling with overwhelming anxiety or depression, who is considering taking their own lives ... I dedicate this post.  Please, take some time to look through some of the links here.  This is a round-up of some on-line resources or posts about dealing with anxiety or depression, particularly as a Christian. But first: Quick tips for help: If you are desperate for some immediate help and don't want to look through the links I have below, try some of these (or if it's really bad and you think you might hurt yourself, call 911 or go to the emergency room): 1.   Put on a worship song right now.  Or sin...
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