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To see great old house like that go is heart breaking. A way too little of the old homes remain. Three stories, slate roof, copper gutters and a tower? What would it cost to build that today?

boondoggle

Daniel’s canine pet, a boondoggle.

According to Gal. 2:1 it appears that Paul confronted Peter some 14 years after the events in Acts which occurred soon after Saul became Paul.

To keep General Lee on his side of the Great Wall made from China.

Which means they won’t be transported by truck or rail. More pipelines, please

You mean the little single landing on the water? I didn't love it. I didn't like it. SuperMan has become Soupy Sales without the giggles.

I tried to watch part of Superman Returns. Couldn’t do it. Bad color, too much dramatic symbolism, Superman is turning a deep blue from the older pleasant blue....it was just impossible to enjoy and that’s the only reason to watch... to enjoy, no deeper messages or social commentary.

No problem. Toss the garbage in the alley and let it rot.

If you give to the ME foundation I guarantee 100% of the funds will go to ME.

Continuing post 41:

The Church founded upon the cornerstone, Jesus, was soon intermixed with weeds according his parable in Matt. 13 and it is only in the harvest at the conclusion of the system or world that both wheat and darnel produce fruit and thus become distinguishable one from the other.

So claims of antiquity and unbroken lines are all as useless today as it was for Jerusalem of old. The question is wheat or weeds. Are we displaying that chief feature Jesus said would mark his followers?

In Matthew (21:33) Jesus gave a parable of a vineyard owner that sent his slaves to collect his due from the cultivators, who in turn murdered the slaves or attempted to. Finally the owner sent his son whom the cultivators killed with some idea of getting his inheritance.

The chief priests and Pharisees listened and knew Jesus was speaking about them when he said the kingdom would be taken from them and given to a nation (1 Peter 2:9) producing its fruits.

Jerusalem stands a a prophetic example. Despite her long history, having God's temple with it's priesthood, laws and holy writings, none of that mattered when she became corrupt.
The only salvation was to obey Jesus’ words and get out of her while opportunity existed.

What about the religious organization we associate with? Does it produce the fruitage Jesus spoke of? If not Jerusalem should serve as an example.
How many people in Jerusalem thought they were leading good lives and that surely God would never allow His temple to be destroyed?

Thank you.

Good! I dislike that also.

I am amazed your instructors did not teach you these things! From whom was the kingdom taken, to whom was it given and why? Why was Jerusalem destroyed?

Go to the Gospels, go to Acts.

“So, are you saying that by analogy, the City of Rome is going to be destroyed, and the Roman populace should high-tail it out of there and go someplace else?”

Of course not.

Vlady, if I wanted a tap dance I would watch an old musical.

Catholic historians note what a sink hole of clergy sexual immorality (hetero and homo) Rome was in Luther's day.

Defend it, explain it, ignore it, rationalize it, but there it is for all the world to see.

Hang up them dancin’ shoes.

Greed? Hmmmm.

From Catholic Historian Ludwig von Pastor:

“But it is a mistake to suppose that the corruption of the clergy was worse in Rome than elsewhere; there is documentary evidence of the immorality of the priests in almost every town in the Italian peninsula. In many places–Venice, for instance–matters were far worse than in Rome. No wonder, as contemporary writers sadly testify, the influence of the clergy had declined, and that in many places hardly any respect was shown for the priesthood. Their immorality was so gross that suggestions in favor of allowing priests to marry began to be heard... The three essential vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience were in some convents almost entirely disregarded.”

What does Luther's hypocrisy or whether conservatives march have to do the point at hand? Nothing. And the question goes unanswered:

“The immorality of many of the Roman clergy and the tolerance of it...is it any different from what Martin Luther saw?”

As the fence nears completion vaulting pole sales have increased. That guy you see flying over the fence may be The Man of Steal.

That might be a question better put to the shrinks that examined the lives of some offenders.

The whole city was destroyed and what sort of life a priest was living or thought he was living was totally irrelevant.

To be in association, to be any part of the city or just in the city was to be counted as guilty, chaste or not. Those who were striving to lead holy lives had already left per Jesus’ instructions.

Who would buy them and at what price?

The meanings in everyday conversation are overlapping. A person who engages in homosexual acts would, we assume, have a sexual attraction to men also.

Biblically having evil desires in the heart makes one guilty so a person cannot be chaste and holy while being a homosexual no matter how it is defined.

If you were an alcoholic who wished to be free of the desire to drink and thus live a sober life would you keep a job as bartender? Or continue working in any situation that put you in constant contact with that which is forbidden? Would you not do your very utmost to avoid situations that might cause relapse?

Jesus said looking at woman with lust in the heart was adultery, what could be said of one man looking at another with the sort of desire.

Chasteness involves more than overt acts as Jesus’ words indicate.

As Paul said, Bad associations spoil useful habits, and one cannot ignore Paul's admonishment.

“.....not part of the rot.”

I suppose in 70 A.D. Jerusalem had a number of priests who were striving to live chaste, holy lives too. What happened to them? Did the Romans give them a pass?

I think your translation is wrong. What that phrase means is “My dog Wolfie bit my ex-wife, she bit him back, Wolfie died a horrible death.”

I remember the Kardashians as those weird aliens on the old Star Trek series. They looked like a Glad bag full of base ball bats.

I assume you're familiar with Damian's Book of Gomorrah?

The immorality of many of the Roman clergy and the tolerance of it...is it any different from what Martin Luther saw?

I can only imagine what an albatross these clergymen are around the neck of the collective Catholic church and thus makes me wonder why the laity are not marching with torches and pitch forks so to speak.

Here's a remarkable and novel idea: Leave the drugs alone and the likelihood of arrest will drop dramatically.

“Many homosexual priests and bishops strive to live holy lives, truly”.

Another example of the moral confusion that reins amongst politically correct clergy.
The fish rots from the head down.

Is that a quote from Peter Damian?

As Jesus’ parable of the wheat and weeds makes clear it only when, in the last days, each produces its fruitage that they can be separated by the angels.

Hence no matter the claims of age and martyrs, Israel had both when the Roman armies came, it is that production of wheat-like fruitage that is the criteria.

It is noteworthy that all the individual congregations of Christians were designated by their location and not by any founding apostle. Paul's vigorous objection to elevating ones self because of who baptized them would argue against calling individual churches after a certain apostle.

“Christianity has a rule of faith. It doesn't change and it is found in Scripture” is a good sum up of it all.

The home size cold fusion reactors are just around the corner according to “Chief Scientist” and “Engineer” Rossi of LENR fame.
So there goes the oil and nuclear power industry.

If they say yes then will the archbishop ask for a phone number?

I’m shocked, sir, shocked! Homosexual priests seeking partners within the very shadow of the Vatican? Just wait til the Pope finds out or some of the bishops!

If the planet gets too warm it may freeze over. I think I understand. Makes sense......

Since the Scriptures make no mention or allowance for any so-called “apostolic succession” what can one say about the teaching that there is except such teaching is false?

Yes, I know some will quote a verse or two they say supports the idea but those quoted verses have nothing to do with any imagined “succession”.

Rome-Jerusalem, Peter-James....just details, right?

I’ve seen the new immorality coming to fruition over many years under the flag of tolerance, mind your own business, freedom, liberation , modernity, and any other self justifying term available.

If the Only Child hasn’t learned what fornication means by now it’s unlikely Mom’s opinion is going to matter. Where’s the dad?

300 million? Will you take a check?

Pseudo-genes that are not so pseudo and now new found body parts! Life is getting to be a really complicated thing.

I think I’d take Paul’s words as informative, “...Remove the wicked man from among yourselves”. (1 Cor. 5:13).

“...allowed to march as individuals”? That sounds like weasel words.

If a parishioner wouldn't be excommunicated for having a homosexual relationship why would they excommunicated for just marching in parade supporting homosexuals?

Too, Is there a requirement that the buyer live in the house for a certain length of time? There’s a reason investors are not buying up these houses in tax sales. To me it sounds like a money pit.

If you didn’t understand what was said the first time what’s the chances you will the second time around? or the third?

So I’ve no more time for you, off you go now! There’s a lad! No need for a reply as I won’t be responding to it.

Do the houses have lead paint? Asbestos? Termites? Do they need to be brought up to local building codes?

A dollar may not be a deal after all.

Of course! It’s the software! But do you know the difference ‘tween the two? yuk..yuk

I didn’t support the school principal but the principle (if you don’t know the difference I’ll explain) and thus he’s not my “boy”. What he looks like is irrelevant and petty.

Your picture is of a principal not a principle.

“Hey...Were you not the one who supported this government school principle?”

yuk yuk.

If you’re buying VP’s by the pound....obviously the latter.

Does that mean Obama ran against the wrong man?

Your questions are thoughtful ones but my thinking is slow at times so some patience may be required. And I take small bites.

“First among virtues, yes. The discussion had started over seemingly contradictory doctrines, however, not virtues or behaviors.”

But doctrines believed affect behavior. We may say we love our brothers but how do we treat them? Was that not the gist of James’ argument?

I know, James was talking about faith but Paul said love was superior to faith...and hope. (1 Cor. 13:13) Love unexpressed is just as dead as the faith without active expression or works James spoke about.

Doctrinal belief affects behavior and if it does not then what can we call it? Hypocrisy? A form of godly devotion?

“Just to make sure I don't misunderstand your beliefs, “we're saved...by our worship of God”? Is the “truth” that the disciples are sanctified by just another name for “this quality of love that is given top place among the virtues” or is it something else?”

I was a bit astounded when I first read this comment but then I decided given your familiarity with the Scriptures it must a question to further discussion.

In John 17:17 Jesus said that sanctifying “truth” was God's word, “your word is truth”. This was not “truth” in the abstract as a Roman asked Jesus, What is truth? but a whole hearted embrace of God's word that allows the person to be set off to be used for holy works. They would follow “The Way”.

Hence in vs. 19 Jesus said he was sanctifying himself that his disciples might be sanctified by means of this “truth”.

“What lies inside that circle in your belief system?”

Jesus said his disciples were no part of the world as Jesus was no part of the world, a world that John said was in the power of the wicked one. (John 17:14, 1 John 5:19)

“That is the question of the hour. Do you believe there is an “outermost circle”? What lies inside that circle in your belief system? What lies outside?”

If I understand your picture of circles correctly....yes, And I think Jesus defined it well enough for us as a guide when he said, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves”.(John 13:35)

This was not the same thing as love of neighbor, a commandment of the law, but the kind of love Jesus had showed toward his disciples, “a new commandment”.

“What lies outside?” The weeds. The pseudo-christians with their forms of godly devotion, their ministries of powerful works they claim are in Christ's name but he calls works of lawlessness. He ‘never knew them’ as his disciples doing the work he assigned in the way he assigned.

“What lies outside?”

The Catholics and Protestants of Rwanda who happily butchered each other, the Catholics and Protestants of Ireland that murdered others of their “brothers” for some political cause. And those who enabled them. Those who gave mental assent to such things. Need more?