God always gets the best press.

People love to credit him with saving them from near death despite it clearly being extreme efforts by skilled doctors that did, but never blame God when it was pure chance and bad luck that caused their mortal wounds.

To me, if God deserves credit, it's for the chance happening, the bad luck out of anyone's control, not the Herculean human efforts to repair the damage. If people really believed God intervenes, all Christians would be Christian Scientists or Jehovah's witnesses and refuse human medical treatments.

It's a sad thing that many Americans' first introduction to Europe is Charles de Gaulle airport, which serves the same purpose in European transportation as Hell does in Christian theology. CDG is how France punishes Americans for telling World War 2 jokes.

When you're landing at CDG, the pilot says "We are now arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Please prepare to weep tears of blood and rage." That's when you realize the scenes below of people running in circles and screaming in panic is just the line for passport control. It gets worse from there and differs from Dante's Inferno only in that Dante' got out within a single human lifetime.

(Story: I got lost in that place once -- and by 'once', I mean 'every single fucking time' -- and couldn't figure out how to get to the taxi stand. Since no one will give you help at CDG like no one will give you ice water in Hell, I approached this French military guy toting what looked a lot like a MP-5.

"Bonjour, Monsieur," I began, "je ne parle pas français; parlez-vous Anglais?" and I'm trying to scrape together enough of the infantile French I know into some semblance of "how the fuck do I get out of this failure of architectural design and vacancy of God's mercy to get a taxi?", which came out as "Taxi, S'il vous plaît?", probably much to my advantage.

The dude with the MP-5 gives me the Gallic stink-eye, shakes his head slowly, and then points directly up.

"Taxi -->" said the giant sign directly above his head.

"Ah, merci!" I said brightly while he, my mortified wife and pretty much the entire nation of France rolled their eyes.

I so fucking love France!)

RTJ | Walking In The Snow lyrics...

Get a dose a dirty code to go, been cold since Co-Flow
I got wire or two unlodgin', I'll set a fire down below
I'll hang it up when you say, "Sorry, I didn't know"
Prolly got a year or ten to go so let's go
I don't really know how to go slow
Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker's cold (Ayy)
You in the wrong mode, you open and closin' your hole, it's a no go
This whole world's a shit moat, filled to the brim like GitMo
When you think it don't get mo' low it limbo 'til the sticks on flo'
All oppression's born of lies, I don't make the rules, I'm just one guy
All due respect, if getting spit on's how respect is now defined
Hungry for truth but you got screwed and drank the Kool-Aid, there's a line
It end directly at the edge of a mass grave, that's their design
Funny fact about a cage, they're never built for just one group
So when that cage is done with them and you're still poor, it come for you
The newest lowest on the totem, well golly gee, you have been used
You helped to fuel the death machine that down the line will kill you too (Oops)
Pseudo-Christians, y'all indifferent
Kids in prisons ain't a sin? Shit
If even one scrap a what Jesus taught connected, you'd feel different
What a disingenuous way to piss away existence, I don't get it
I'd say you lost your goddamn minds if y'all possessed one to begin with

Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold
Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold
Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold
Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold (Cold, cold)

Yeah, ho, Gangsta Boo, Run the Jewels
We back on our shit, and it's cold as fuck

The way I see it you're probably freest from the ages one to four
Around the age of five you're shipped away for your body to be stored
They promise education, but really they give you tests and scores
And they predictin' prison population by who scoring the lowest
And usually the lowest scores the poorest and they look like me
And every day on evening news they feed you fear for free
And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me
And 'til my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, "I can't breathe"
And you sit there in the house on couch and watch it on TV
The most you give's a Twitter rant and call it a tragedy
But truly the travesty, you've been robbed of your empathy
Replaced it with apathy, I wish I could magically
Fast forward the future so then you can face it
And see how fucked up it'll be
I promise I'm honest, they coming for you
The day after they comin' for me
I'm readin' Chomsky, I read Bukowski
I'm layin' low for a week
I said somethin' on behalf of my people
And I popped up in Wikileaks
Thank God that I'm covered, the devil is smothered
And you know the evil don't sleep
Dick Gregory told me a couple of secrets before he laid down in his grave
All of us serve the same masters, all of us nothin' but slaves
Never forget in the story of Jesus, the hero was killed by the state

Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold
Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold
Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold
Just got done walkin' in the snow
Goddamn, that motherfucker cold (Cold, cold)

Who really wanna run it with the Jewel Runners?
Go hellfire hot in a new sauna
It's a cold winter baby and a cruel summer
I suicide bomb in the blue Hummer
And emerge out the side, not a bruise on 'em
Bad news come in two son, do somethin'
Treat beats like a wet thigh, chew on 'em
Got a stroke row crew on 'em, move on 'em
We be the heroes, the breakers of chains and the busters of locks (Locks, locks)
You be them suckers supportin' them snitches that talk to the cops
This the Illmatic of turning your face into fucker foie gras
I'm not so sure opportunities knocking, it's prolly the law
Word to the old school tape decks
I get Radio Raheem respect
My Nike pendant sacred, similar to the Ghostface bracelet
Fire in the hole, oh no joke
Prolly go broke just off smoke
Fuck are we gonna do, not smoke?
Get a job, play the role, be adults?
Nah, I'ma do me, arigato

First of all, they cheated (Uh-huh)
'Cause if one of them black and the other one white (Uh-huh)
So if you don't like 'em, you automatically racist (Ah, oh, well)

The restriction is about groups of people being unsafe. It is not about any one group.
The decision makes it restrict one group and not others. No Jedi conventions, but Christian, Jewish, or Muslim churches/conventions are ok?
Utter bullshit, I hope every religious nutjob gets covid and churches are held liable, maybe we can end the stone age superstition that rules and ruins lives.

Stop your divisive ignorance and join civilization.

Psychos and charlatans, all of them. How its flock don't desert these jesters are beyond my comprehension. Christianity seems so twisted (and politicized, like everything in America I guess), there're just too much I don't understand the American Christian right-wing's mentality (or mental illness).

There are always justifications, like god gave man the wisdom to make computers, but it was god that provided the raw elements! praise be to he!

Its only when the science tries to explain something that the bible is contradicted by that the scientist involved become a joke and corrupt.

My favorite though is christian scientists! lol.

for many evangelical christians, science is seen as a sad secular attempt to make sense of god's creation and is actually viewed as the antithesis of christianity. Sooo, for his base this message made perfect sense. The odd thing is they can be very intelligent and still believe this is the case. It's not bound by logic.

Funny how things "pop" up before election.

Epstein had camera everywhere. We will see.

Apparently this shit is rampant:

Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was charged with rape for allegedly paying a 15-year old girl for sex. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.

Democratic donor and billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein, ran an underage child sex brothel and was convicted of soliciting underage girls for prostitution.

Democratic New York Congressman, Anthony Weiner, plead guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor as part of a plea agreement for sexted and sending Twitter DMs to underage girls as young as 15.

Democratic donor, activist, and Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is being criminally prosecuted and civilly sued for years of sexual abuse (that was well known “secret” in Hollywood) including underage sexual activities with aspiring female actresses.

Democratic activist and #metoo proponent, Asia Argento, settled a lawsuit for sexual harassment stemming from sexual activities with an underage actor.

Democratic Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin, Gary Becker, was convicted of attempted child seduction, child pornography, and other child sex crimes.

Democratic Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigned after multiple accusations of child sexual abuse were levied against him including by family members.

Democratic activist and aid to NYC Mayor De Blasio, Jacob Schwartz was arrested on possession of 3,000+ child pornographic images.
Democratic activist and actor, Russell Simmons, was sued based on an allegation of sexual assault where he coerced an underage model for sex.

Democratic Governor of Oregon, Neil Goldschmidt, after being caught by a newspaper, publicly admitted to having a past sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl after the statute of limitations on the rape charges had expired.

Democratic Illinois Congressman, Mel Reynolds resigned from Congress after he was convicted of statutory rape of a 16-year-old campaign volunteer.
Democratic New York Congressman, Fred Richmond, was arrested in Washington D.C. for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old boy.

Democratic activist, donor, and director, Roman Polanski, fled the country after pleading guilty to statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. Democrats and Hollywood actors still defend him to this day, including, Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Scorcese, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Pedro Almodovar, Tilda Swinton and Monica Bellucci.

Democratic State Senator from Alaska, George Jacko, was found guilty of sexual harassment of an underage legislative page.
Democratic State Representative candidate for Colorado, Andrew Myers, was convicted for possession of child pornography and enticing children.

Democratic Illinois Congressman, Gus Savage was investigated by the Democrat-controlled House Committee on Ethics for attempting to rape an underage female Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire. The Committee concluded that while the events did occur his apology was sufficient and took no further action.
Democratic activist, donor, and spokesperson for Subway, Jared Fogle, was convicted of distribution and receipt of child pornography and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

Democratic State Department official, Carl Carey, under Hillary Clinton’s state department, was arrested on ten counts of child porn possession.

Democratic Maine Assistant Attorney General, James Cameron, was sentenced to just over 15 years in federal prison for seven counts of child porn possession, receipt and transmission.
Democratic State Department official, Daniel Rosen, under Hillary Clinton’s state department, was arrested and charged with allegedly soliciting sex from a minor over the internet.

Democratic State Department official, James Cafferty, pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography.

Democratic radio host, Bernie Ward, plead guilty to one count of sending child pornography over the Internet.Democratic deputy attorney general from California, Raymond Liddy, was arrested for possession of child pornography.


Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. “Republican Marty”), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.

Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.
Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.Republican anti-gay activist Earl “Butch” Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.

Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.
Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl.

Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.

Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).
Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15-year old girl.
Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.

Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.

Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl.

Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.
Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison.

Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.

Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.

Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.

Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a “good military man” and “church goer,” was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter.

Republican director of the “Young Republican Federation” Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

i understand and agree that he is unamerican in the sense of the "american ideal" but outside looking in, he is a completely typical product of american culture. he's reality TV, fame for fame's sake, wealthy without working, a hustler, the ideal jerry springer guest, the ideal wrestling guest, the son of racist nepotism, performative altruism (and then defrauds his own charities), he pathologically cannot accept being wrong/defers all fault to anyone else ("whatever, i do what i want"), he's weaponized ignorance, he's "hilariously" rapey, he's illiterate, a proud philistine, he's vapid pageantry, he's a christian who know nothing of religion/spirituality, he's 4chan, he's 8chan, he's tacky style with complete lack of substance, he's the personification of "fake it 'till you make it". these are all lessons i've seen repeated ad nauseam from american TV, films, music, podcasts, youtube stars, etc. to the point where they're past cliché that they're now entrenched americana.

i know that isn't the typical american but that is the most typical american america has sold to itself and the rest of the world.

Fucking witchcraft! It's witchcraft, I tell ya! Listen you, we ain't havin' any of that hocusy-pocusy bullshit here -- this is a decent Christian site as is evidenced by the number of atheist posters. You can't just fly in here on your broom and be all like, "Gentlemen, BEHOLD! It's a seal in a ring -- IN FUCKING JAPAN!" and expect us to believe that reason or knowledge was somehow involved. We're fucking Americans here and if there's ONE thing we know, it's not reason or knowledge. Yup, if blaming witches for pretty much every goddamn thing but the sun coming up was good enough for every Republican president since Rutherford Birchard Hayes, I suspect it beats thinking for yourself in a cogent fashion or otherwise using your brain as anything but a hat-warmer.

Same mentality and radicalism as ISIS. He even wants his own white Christian state.

"They're against drugs" while chain smoking
"The Klan ain't never lynched people"
"The Klan ain't gotta go out and kill black folks no more"

All while talking nonsense and quoting bible passages that could easily be interpreted to mean the OPPOSITE of what he claims.

What non cultist believes Trump didn't participate in the child rapes?

By his own public admission he's a pedophile who leered at and groped little girls at his events, using his position to force his way into dressing rooms for underage girls to watch them undress repeatedly, we know this from his own admission, actually his own braggadocio in interviews.
He's on camera with Epstein, who's entire life was one long pedophilic abuse session, dozens of times, often alone except for the gaggle of underage girls they tricked into coming to the events.
Everyone knew about Epstein, he was prosecuted for child abuse that happened in 2005. "He was convicted of only these two crimes as part of a controversial plea deal; federal officials had identified 36 girls, some as young as 14 years old, whom Epstein had allegedly sexually abused". This was common knowledge long before he was prosecuted and plead guilty.

Now Trump publicly wishes his co-abuser and facilitator well. Could it be he fears what she might say without a pardon waiting for her, just like Roger Stone, another of Trump's partners in crime?

If you're a Christian and you support this man, know now that you are definitely going to hell.
If you're a parent and you support this man, your children should be removed from your pro-child-rapist household.

One of the ways in which Martin Luther broke from the Catholic church was by not seeing marriage as sacramental: he wanted to be able to acknowledge marriage between non-Christians rather than just marriage between Christians. Thus, from the perspective of Protestant theology, it's not clear that the church should have much to do with marriage. (This was most succinctly summarised for me thus: have a civil wedding, and then come back to the church for potato salad and a party.)

What about the civil arrangement, then? For me, the clearest argument for a non-paternalistic state granting some people preferable treatment (e.g. untaxed inheritance, etc.) is that those people are reducing the burden on the state somehow. In the 'traditional marriage', they do this partly by providing (on average) a more stable environment in which to raise children (thus, raising somehow more productive - on average - citizens for the state), and partly by caring for each other in their old age (thus, saving the state costs). From this point of view, whether or not they have sex, on whatever basis, with each other is irrelevant: an adult son living with and caring for his elderly mother is saving the state in the same way that an wife caring for her husband is. Thus, when France introduced its 'pacte civil', I thought that they missed the opportunity to get right out of the bedroom.

Gensis 3:6 -- " "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

In Judaeo-Christian belief, this is the moment when sin entered the world.

Also, I remember watching this video on MTV and how quickly it was pulled. People'll watch 'Saw' by the million, but the second you refer to real suffering, they get real pissy about that.