Posted on 11/21/2016 11:55:01 AM PST by Enlightened1
But this whole idea of majority/minority leaders is dependent upon the idea of an oligarchy of respected parties. Of which presidential politics encourages there to be exactly two.
If the Green Party managed to get members in Congress one day, shouldn’t we then have multiple minority leaders?
That’s the 2012 map. HRC only won 6 counties in Iowa.
there needs to be two strong parties that keep each party dealing with the electret in a way that benefits the electret. at this time the democratic party is so corrupt that it must cease to exist so another party can grow.
The title was ambiguous: It did not specify if it were the official or unofficial Dem Ryan.
There have been times in history where there have been third party members of the House of Representatives. I would suppose that each of those parties had their own leader, so you might say yes, there were multiple minority leaders. But obviously, a leader of a third party with only a small number of members generally would not carry too much clout.
I think it would be helpful in the discussion on this thread if you would detail your own experiences with evangelism of Muslims. How have you approached it? What methods and arguments did you use? Did you have any success?
That one dark red county in Nevada is Churchill County, home of the largest Navy base in Nevada.
Right off I have to say I have encountered a different people group — not Muslims, but Hindus (mostly, with a number of Christians, and probably a few Muslims, among them). It is in the context of a contract I have been working alongside of a lot of H1B Indians.
They are easier than Muslims to deal with, because they are so spiritual they will consider worshiping anything. Introducing Christ is very easy in such a context. I just tell them that’s whom I worship and then talk about Him. I stress the blessings of Christ and always wish them blessings. That is generally a winning formula. Sometimes it amuses me that these people get a better idea of Christ than some churchgoers.
I’ve had discussions with missionaries who do evangelize Muslims, so I am talking about second hand experience. The classic way is to spend quite a long time making social acquaintance. Then discussions about theological matters begin. The bible advice is to give a reason for the hope that is within us, but with meekness (i.e. self-control: don’t go over the top right away) and respect.
Special crisis situations could hasten this by providing a platform for witness. Say an Islamic family finds itself in trouble — an accident, a robbery, an illness. A Christian offers prayer and there is an answer of miraculous dimensions. The Christian then explains why the prayer was granted. This could work very quickly.
When this is looked at from the standpoint that the Christian is there to sell blessings... the logic becomes almost absurdly easy. It is the patience and work involved in carrying that out, which is not so easy.
Not "Presidential politics", our election system which is called "first past the post". FPTP tends towards 2 parties because neither the right or left wants to split their vote. Look at the 1912 election, Wilson got under 42%, (less than the losing rat from 1908) of the vote but a huge electoral college landslide cause the GOP vote was split, and likewise the rats won 2/3s of Congress cause TR's Progressive also ran candidates for House and state leg.
Looking at multi party proportional representation systems like in Europe, they're a disaster in my opinion. It would be terrible if we had something like that.
There is no such thing as a “credible” left-wing party. Their ideology is evil, period, it was evil in JFK’s day.
Anyway, if you want the rats to keep failing you should be rooting for Pelosi to dispatch this challenger. A White guy from Ohio is the last person we want as a major democrat face.
Too little, too late.
Thank you for your reply which I find reasonable and helpful. It is a very complex subject which could take up book length discussion. Your response is concise but to the point.
My own experience in a mission context has led me to what might be more nuanced conclusions. I have done a fair amount of friendship evangelism among Muslims, many visits, invitations to my home, long discussions and even hours and hours of Bible studies. I also have been a member of a church where one time Muslims have come to faith and been baptized, scores of them over the last ten years or so.
At the same time I realize that Islam is in reality a totalitarian social and political system masquerading as a religion. Here is where Hinduism is not really an appropriate equivalent. From my limited experience with Hinduism I would say that it is a social and religious system that has political consequences. That is a far different situation. It is also true that Hindus do not come into a foreign country hoping to convert others to Hinduism. That would almost be absurd. Hinduism in a western country could never hope to be totalitarian and political.
From my own experience, over about twenty years, I would have to say that Christians should do whatever possible to bring the good news of Christ to Muslims, but at the same time we must resist Islam’s totalitarian ways even more vigorously than we did those of communism. Marxism is a type of religion, but it put forth first and foremost the political and social consequences. Islam is treacherously deceptive in pretending to be a religion while violently propagating totalitarian social and political control.
Zell Miller called it a decade ago.
L
Just in time for the cold of winter.
I have become more and more convinced that good witness will be accompanied by things that the intended audience will recognize as miracle, in the context of their worldview.
And I try not to be shy about the blessing aspect. Why would God want to bless some pagan who had never, or hardly ever, given Him mind? Well one reason might be that God looks forward. Today’s pagan may become tomorrow’s believer. (Side look to current events: Donald Trump might be an example of this.)
There’s a lot of oppression in the Muslim life style, and the reaction of the Muslim who is aware of it is either to get all defensive about it (it’s all Allah’s marching orders), or to confess a groan and wonder if there is something more after all. The Christian can answer the latter question with a glorious yes.
Exactly. It said "Dem Rep Ryan" - could just as easily have been Paul.
Spent a little time in Fallon, NV.
The difference between the Federalists and the modern Democrats is that in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries the majority of Americans were rural farmers. City dwellers were the minority. The situation is opposite today.
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