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Is It A Sin To Be On Welfare

Melinda, You're right about the attitude with which we give. I admit that my attitude is not always right. I have also given annonomously, without desire or hope of appreciation. I think it interesting that Christ's comment to the returning healed leper is asking about the other nine that were also healed. Nevertheless, whether we desire or get appreciation is rather irrelevent to whether governmental programs cause people to become more disconnected and thus more disrepectful and unloving. Governments, by force (or threat) take from the one in order to give to another that usually feels entitled or just lazy. The "good samaritan" is person to person giving and is the most biblical I believe.

USA Becoming Socialistic

I have two kids, both college aged. I worry most for them. I know that many young people were caught up in the Obama rhetoric, but I hope that they soon see, that it is their future that is being mortgaged by trillions upon trillions of government debt that Obama (and previous presidents have encouraged or allowed). Now in the last few weeks I have seen how Obama is floating the idea of mandatory public service for young kids. How rediculious. These kids will be saddled with their parent's and grandparent's national debt and then we are going to "heap more coals upon their heads" and require them to serve us as a part of some national public service to us who made them slaves to national debt?

How To Avoid Sinning
	Jesus also taught that "those thing which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the abundance of the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders , adulteries, fornications...."Matthew 15:18-19 Solomon wrote, "keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" Prov.5:23

How To Avoid Sinning

Definately search the scriptures diligently and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth to you. Truth is not subjective to individuals, it is absolute, and Jesus is Truth. Ask your pastor at church about a solid bible study group that you can become involved with, and seek a godly mentor. Paul wrote "follow me as I follow Christ" Never trust your heart... Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and is desperately wicked, who can know it" and Genesis 8:21 says that "the imaginations of mans heart is evil from his youth"

USA Becoming Socialistic

I see socialism and communism as just degrees along a spectrum. As to pointing to countries like France and Germany. France is hardly an ideal to look to, though it may not be outright disaster. It has typically had twice the unemployment rate of the US, and a slower economic growth rate, etc. As for Germany remember they were rebuilt after WWII at our taxpayer's expense, then were largely banned from spending money on the military, while we expended taxpayer money to protect them. In essence we gave them free national defense at the expense of our taxpayers to some extent, the same could be said of Canada. Socialism in minor amounts is like poison in minor amounts, it may harm you but probably won't kill you.

Spanking Young Teenage Girl

Shawn MT, You can attack me all you want, but the bible teachs how and why to discipline. The whole nature of Proverbs is instructional, where very little is mystical or symbolic. You seem to assume that I think "beating" itself saves the child from hell. Instead, I feel that proper disciplining helps a child learn right from wrong and to become self disciplined. This helps them avoid evil and thus helps them avoid going to hell (and prison too). I'm not a big fan of spanking, but neither am I a fan of modern parenting which has non-parented a whole generation of kids without manners, conscience or self control. Now we have millions of abortions, millions in prison, Columbia massacres, unending corporate and political corruption.

USA Becoming Socialistic

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer only if our government refuses to uphold normal laws of justice. In a free society, the rich buy services and goods from others (including the poor). There is competition, so if one rich person isn't paying enough, you can go to another rich person that will pay more. Freedom ensures that you're paid the highest you are worth. However if the rich are allowed to collude (which is usually done through a government that they can bribe and control) then they can artificially hold down the worker's wages (like in Russia). In Russia they said it was socialism run for the benefit of the proletariat, but the workers just across a border in a free country were paid several times what Russian workers were.

Is It A Sin To Be On Welfare

Sophia, Well said. I've never had a a single welfare recepient come up to me and thank me or show appreciation to me for working hard and paying my taxes. Also, unfortunately I also end up feeling poorly towards them, because I think of them as being ungrateful and wonder if they are just using me. I know my attitude is probably wrong, but I think you have the concept right. At times, when I have voluntarily sacrificed and helped others, if they happened to know that I helped them, this made the two of us friends forever. Quite a difference than the governmental way.

Obama Is Bankrupting America

I agree that Obama should not get all the blame. Bush was president. Republicans controlled congress for 6 years. Even when they didn't the could have filibustered in the senate. I don't think all politicians are the same, but I don't think many of them are really willing to stand on principle. It would be nice to get rid of most all of them and just send some "hay seed" types who know how to work, know what a dollar is worth and know not to spend more than you make.

Obama Is Bankrupting America

More stimulus money! More pressure on banks to make loans that they are scared to make! More government spending! More costly government programs! More foreign aid for Hamas and for foriegn abortion clinics. When will we once again cherish freedom more than empty promises and big government programs? Less is more when it comes to government. Government's primary role is to make and enforce laws that allow us to live free without harming others. But every time it proposes spending more, that money must come from us and that represents that much more freedom lost. When they finally tax me 100% I will be their complete slave. Right now, I'm only their slave 50% of the time.

Obama Is Bankrupting America

Carolina, I agree that Obama did not get us into this mess. I put blame on most all of us. In our greed we voted in politicians that were greedy enough to buy our votes from us through government programs that obsolved us of personal responsibility, like endless welfare type programs (from corporate to invididual). We voted in politicians that promised us "zero down" loans and government subsidies. We voted in politicians that are without character and without the will or brains to balance a budget. This crosses party lines. However to say that it is too early to evaluate Obama, is completely wrong. He has already done and proposed dozens of things that show that he is, if anything, worse than what came before him.

Seven Year Mormon Food Storage

I think 7 years seems extreme when there are other's hungering around us. I can see storing up some extra money and food for maybe a few months worth or a year, but how do you justify storing up 7 years supply when we see millions of people starving each year. I think we have a duty to care for our own families, so I don't have a problem with feeding them first and even storing up a little, but it seems misguided or even greedy to store up 7 whole years of supplies while letting our brothers throughout the world starve.

Obama Is Bankrupting America

I am not an Obama fan, but I think we miss the real problem when we center our attacks on people rather than principles. We need to elect men of not just ability, but of integrity that stand for good principles, not just talk a good line. I'm afraid that we have few voters that can see past the speech and spin. There is no end in site to our economic problems, because no one is yet willing to make the hard and right decisions. We are literally robbing away our childrens' and grandchildrens' futures. Shame on us. I think its time to clean out all of washington and start anew.

Spanking Young Teenage Girl

I generally think that spanking is not effective or proper with most teenagers. It may be in a few cases, but in most cases, I believe it does much more harm than good. With younger children, a light slap or spanking is often effective at changing behavior and attitude for the better. With teenagers, it often tends to increase the teenager's isolation from parents and further push them towards influences that oppose the views and authority of their parents. In general, losing privledges is one of the few disciplinary tools left by the time children reach their teenage years.

USA Becoming Socialistic

Where there is the potential for power and money there will be greedy individuals. I do believe that there need to be laws and reasonble regulations. We need to also understand that neither power, nor money, nor greed go away if we then shift this towards government, it only makes the greedy more likely to corrupt and infiltrate government. Our safest refuge is by living by God's laws of righteousness, and then holding our business and political leaders accountable to reasonable laws, rather than allowing them to operate outside or above the law as has become common practice.

Spanking 15 Year Old Acceptable

Deb, I'm not encouraging whipping, but Christ did make a whip/scourge and used clearing the temple(twice?). I don't believe every offense or every child needs physical discipline, but certain kids with certain behavioral problems may benefit if dispensed properly. I wonder why some verbally abuse their kids, then I realize they never use physical discipline. Today, many parents berate others for physical discipline, but mentally abuse kids by withholding affection or putting them in solitary confinement (sending them to their room or grounding them), others deprive kids of a meal (short term starvation), others steal from them by taking away toys and playstations. Lets face, in most cases, punishment only works if the child feels discomfort.

How To Properly Spank My Kids

Shawn MT, You did ditch the bible's actual words and substituted your own interpretation which went exactly opposite to the actual words. Maybe your "ditch" is correct, but I am always hesitant to turn the bible's meaning on its head, just to get it to match my own personal bias. Here are a few biblical references on physical punishment: Heb 12:5-11 Prov. 23:13 Prov. 22:15 Prov. 13:24 Prov. 20:30 Prov. 23:14

Mormon Temples Rituals

Laurie, We know only what we are told, about what went on in the holy of holies, just as we only know what we are told about what goes on in Mormon temples. It is presumptuous to assume we have a complete record or knowledge of what went on in the secret and private areas of the old testament temple. Also, as to using oaths and scare tactics, that seems similar to saying confess Jesus or you are going to be damned. I do not care for the sound of the Mormon oaths that are claimed to occur within their temples, but they are oaths of obedience, not threat to others, as is common with the damnation type threat seen in these blogs all the time.

Why Christians Disagree

1. Ego. Men are more concerned with saying they know the truth, than saying they don't or than actually finding it. 2. Bible. The bible is not always clear on all subjects and yet we want to make it clear (use our own limited knowledge) and pretend it is clear. 3. Money and Power: Churches gain money and power by gaining loyal adherents. They cannot be loyal to something that is not different, so differences are emphasized and sometimes even created in order to create a "brand identity". 4. Biases. Biases of upbringing, life experience and more are things we bring to our bible reading and it skews what we then get from the bible.