To those interested in the misery index I am referring to, check this out. To get to the one I am referring to, you have to scroll down to an article written on February 22nd, 1999 titled "REAGAN VS. CLINTON: WHO'S THE ECONOMIC CHAMP" by Robert J. Barro.
http://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/barro/popular_writings_barro
Posts by Chap
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86Debunking the Reagan Myth
by nvrgnbk indebunking the reagan mythby paul krugmanpublished: january 21, 2008historical narratives matter.
thats why conservatives are still writing books denouncing f.d.r.
and the new deal; they understand that the way americans perceive bygone eras, even eras from the seemingly distant past, affects politics today.. and its also why the furor over barack obamas praise for ronald reagan is not, as some think, overblown.
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Chap
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86
Debunking the Reagan Myth
by nvrgnbk indebunking the reagan mythby paul krugmanpublished: january 21, 2008historical narratives matter.
thats why conservatives are still writing books denouncing f.d.r.
and the new deal; they understand that the way americans perceive bygone eras, even eras from the seemingly distant past, affects politics today.. and its also why the furor over barack obamas praise for ronald reagan is not, as some think, overblown.
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Chap
Reagan led us away from the morass of (Misery Index) Carter.
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Why was it blasphemy for Jesus to say he was God's Son?
by jwfacts injohn 10:30 "'you blaspheme', because i said, i am god's son?".
why did the jews feel that it was blasphemy for jesus to say he was god's son.
does this indicate the jews felt he was claiming equality with god?
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Chap
If Jesus who came to exclusively do his Father's will (be in agreement with him) jumped off the mountain at the command of Satan, he would no longer be in agreement with God the Father because he would have bowed to Satan, the Prince of this world. Satan would have then rightly claimed Jesus as his son/slave.
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...and why would God only want to create just ONE THING?!?!?!?!!?
by oompa ingive me a break!
dubs teach that jesus created everthing in the universe, except himself.
now how does that sound for a life or job.
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Chap
: Give me a break! Dubs teach that Jesus created everthing in the universe, except himself. Now how does that sound for a life or job. I thing I will make something and then just stop, and let that creation do EVERYTHING else......Just maybe...maybe you were of the impression as a raised in dub, that Jehovah created everything.....unh-unh. See:
(Colossians 1:15-16) 15 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created through him and for him.
Ya gotta lover the little added (others) and there are four in the chapter. Never mind Rev. 22: 17-19 says not to add any words........
But why would ANYBODY want to have a son or make ONE THING and then just retire, and watch someone else do everything??????????? That makes no sense to me, and does anybody know how other Religions explain the Colossians passage?..............thanks....oompa
John 1:1-5 (KJV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men. [5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:14 (KJV)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
I hope this clarifies my last post. -
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...and why would God only want to create just ONE THING?!?!?!?!!?
by oompa ingive me a break!
dubs teach that jesus created everthing in the universe, except himself.
now how does that sound for a life or job.
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Chap
John 1 refers to Jesus as "the Word". The Colossians passage refers to Jesus as the image of God. So in that sense, Jesus is the power of God coming forth. God created everything by his Word.
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John 19:14, a devastating contradiction?
by DT inmatthew, mark and luke claim that jesus died on passover (nisan 14) john, however, claims that jesus died on the day of preparation for passover (nisan 13) "now it was preparation of the passover" -john 19:14 nwt (it helps to read the context, several verses before and after.
) john also doesn't mention the lord's evening meal with his his apostles on passover.
it would have been impossible, because he was already dead, according to john.. the bible contains many contradictions that can possibly be reconciled if you have enough imagination, but this contradiction seems pretty blatant.
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Chap
I was reading somewhere about a theory that this may have been the year of Jubilee so this would be a special Passover. I haven't investigated this though. Just throwing something else out there for what it is worth.
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A New Creation Myth
by DT ini'm just having some fun with genesis and the wts explanation of the issue of universal sovereignty.. one day a powerful god named jehover got lonely and created other spirit creatures.
since he was an angry bully, he made them spend all their time serving him and talking about what a great and powerful god he was.
eventually, this got kind of boring and jehover decided that if he made intelligent creatures that were even weaker and more pathetic than the angels, then he would really feel like a great and powerful god.
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Chap
If God is equal to "I am" or "is", how is it possible to exist by any other means?
Would we do well by agreeing with "is not"? -
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Free will- Divine blackmail?
by nvrgnbk indivine blackmail .
free will in the theistic worldview.
when confronted with the problem of evil - i.e., why a loving god allows pain and suffering to exist - theists of the western traditions often invoke the "free will" defense, that god wanted us to be truly free and that such freedom necessitates evil; we must have the option to either choose him or reject him.
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Chap
I hesitate to respond to this because it is late and I won't have time to come back here until at least Saturday. I will not respond to this article point by point for now but will offer a rather simplistic explanation as to what I see from the Bible.
I do not subscribe to free will doctrine firstly because Genesis 1:26-27 states that mankind was created in the image of God. How can an image not be a slave to its source? There is also what Paul wrote in Romans. (especially chapter 9) Many professing Christians seem to believe in free will because they want to in spite of what is clearly communicated in the Bible.
Adam (and Eve) were told not to eat of one tree or else they would die. When they (and us with them) believed in Satan who in essence said that we would do better by disobeying God than staying within his boundaries, mankind no longer reflected the image of God and became the slave of Satan. I believe this is the reason it seems like there is more pressure within us to do what we think will benefit ourselves than to do what we know is good and honorable. When we do this, we are in essence trying to suppress God lower than ourselves. We use words, which he gave to us to glorify him to bring him down. If we did not love ourselves more than we love the truth, would we lie? Does anyone lie to not get a perceived personal benefit?
If no one can fulfill our purpose which is to reflect God's image, we remain dead and await the final judgment. There is no choice; the only thing we earned is death. God is offering us life through the one person that truly reflected his image while on earth. -
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A Pivotal Question For Those Who Believe The Bible
by bjc2read ina pivotal question for those who believe the bible.
jehovah's witnesses and many other religions believe jesus is the "seed" of the "woman" spoken of in genesis 3:15. in addition, the jehovah's witnesses believe this "woman" pictures the heavenly organization (angels) that produced jesus.
given that premise, i pose this question:.
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Chap
I think he meant it from the perspective of Adam. Obviously, from our perspective, Christ's resurrection was in the past.
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DAMNABLE CHRISTIAN CULT HERESY OF FORSAKING FAMILY FOR THE LORD
by FormerMormon inmatthew 19 (kjv- sorry, i don't know what version jw's use).
29 and every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my names sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
i had to sit and listen to this blather on sunday.
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Chap
Hi Gopher,
If I am not mistaken, the text that FormerMormon brought up is one of the accounts of the story of the rich young ruler. This man asked what he must do to get into heaven. Jesus said basically to keep all (his) commandments to which the man replied I have already done that. This seems to be a reply out of arrogance and instead of Jesus arguing with him, he gave the man a commandment that revealed to everyone who hears about this story the condition of his heart.
Jesus was portrayed in the Bible as being in agreement with God the Father. God being the highest authority can command whatever he wishes. I think had the rich young ruler shown humility by saying something to the affect of "how can I do that?" or "I failed many times, how can I do better?", Jesus would have brought him along as one of his sheep giving him commands he can handle until he progresses to becoming more like God.
Psalm 138:6 (KJV)
Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
Doesn't doing good at times in its purest form requiring forsaking everything else. For example, if a man is on a rural road, on the way to his church to get married and sees his enemy speed by him on a motorcycle then wipes out, doesn't good require him to stop and help out where he can and take him to a hospital or wait for an ambulance. If he does not forsake his bride to be and their families to help his enemy, he has forsaken God because God requires that we "love our enemies".