Miss a day and it takes forever! LOL. But I wanted to comment on the Louisiana firemen setting fires....this really blows me away. I have a nephew who is a fireman in So-Cal and the last go-round with the fires and looting and beatings in the Watts area, he was a part of the crews trying to put fires out while dodging bullets!
Of all people, firemen, even volunteer firemen, know more than the average joe about how fires can get away....I say throw the book at them.
And as for the 'woman forester' in Colorado, she needs prison for life, no parole. Its time to quit molly-coddling these losers.
That article on the Bible and the Apocalypse was a good read--at least interesting information....you were quite right to tell the guy to discuss instead of being a jerk. Yesterday I heard some interesting information regarding religion on America today. Seems as though a Denver seminary professor told a reporter that 'churches are not consumer oriented enough', was one thing---wonder if that was a hint for Microsoft to get to work trying to 'out God God'?
There was a poll of some type done that showed that 1 in 7 churchgoers change denominations yearly. Another stat said 1 in 6 rotates regularly through any number of congregations.
From the article you linked, I thought it was notable that in NY, I believe it was, that lawyers and other professionals were talking to the minister or rabbi about if the end was near--makes one wonder if this is based on their believing they can live a life serving Satan, rather than God, and at the last possible moment, tell God he's acceptable to them?
What is your opinion regarding Jews being God's chosen people? While I'm certainly no expert by any stretch, I've come to see them as being the 'chosen ones' to be used by him as a vehicle to show all his powers, desires, etc.
There was one other thing from that story....that is the concept that mankind can destroy his world without God. I find that to be arrogant on the writers' part --without God, man would not exist; without God, man would not have the brain they do; without those two things, 'we' wouldn't be here to try to screw his Creation up! IMO.
I was gonna ask who the fella was in your Post 75--sure reminds me of pictures we've seen of Hank Williams, Jr., when he'd hang out in Montana.....he has a big spread in the Big Hole Valley. Apparently, it is the "T" man!!!
As far as the Jews, yes I do believe that they are still God's chosen people who will eventually find redemption and accept Christ as their Messiah. Many already have and the Messianic movement is growing all the time. When God said to Abraham "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you" I believe that was a promise for all generations. God knew that His people would reject Him, but that made provision for the "grafting in" of the Gentiles. I believe that Romans 11:24 speaks of the restoration of Israel.
"For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree ?"