:001_huh: :grouphug:

:iagree: Thank you.

It was theirs, before it was confiscated from them. It can't be a gift if it's confiscated. Christ was talking about voluntary charity as a fruit of the spirit.

The verses you quoted (or more precisely responded to), are clearly written to His followers. Not to a state or government.

The Huffington Post...<snort> another paragon of non-partisan, objective journalism :lol: Yet Foxnews is to be eschewed? :001_huh:...:lol::lol:

FWIW eliminating high fructose corn syrup was the key, and has given me complete control over my habits now...I am at an ideal weight for my height and frame, after 10 yrs or so of battling. HFCS is like a drug, at least for me.

Don't you know that FOXNEWS links aren't credible here? Are you asking for das BAN-HAMMER?!? :lol::lol::lol:

:cheers2: OUTSTANDING POST! AMEN!

Well, it might be cheaper! :tongue_smilie: I really love this idea...it's how people have learned for hundreds of years, perhaps thousands (those who could read, anyway:tongue_smilie:). Go for it!

You have great points. IMHO, the under 40 or so crowd, since birth, has been incessantly bombarded with advertising and marketing of all sorts (in the U.S. that is...) I believe that as adults it has made many cynical and suspicious of marketing techniques and as a result the strategy to target this crowd for churchs is completely counter-productive (and non-biblical as well). I'm no longer convinced that the 'corporate' church model so many of us are familiar with is even biblical...and I'm not anti-group worship or anti-fellowship......but that's another thread.

:iagree: but you know how it is here...there are those whe see it as their duty to caution us about deciding things for ourselves, even in a thread that did NOT ask, "what's your opinion of Ayn Rand?" but instead basically said, "I've decided to read some of Ayn Rand's writings...any recommendations where to start?" Alas, it's gotten so predictable. They just can't help themselves ;).

:iagree: I for one am looking forward to the reaction of the advocates of this sort of social policy being forced to actually live under it. It will be very entertaining.

IMHO because many churches are more about marketing and growth than about truth and discipleship. Many of the seminaries are putting more energy into coursework concerning business school concepts. As a result, more and more churches resemble corporations rather than houses of worship.

A.K.A. the NO SODA WITH FOOD STAMPS thread...

Jesus Among Other Gods, by Ravi Zacharias? I just finished it, and I'm considering using it as a framework for a multiple-week Bible study for Teen-age homeschoolers...I'm curious if anyone has thoughts on the book...

I would only add that men (in general, not all men) don't see a need for 'feminized' fellowship, the way it's too often done these days...but if we men are given a job to do (build a widow a wheelchair ramp or clean out someone's gutters), or have some ducks to shoot, or a volleyball game or bowling, we're typically 'all in!' :) BTW feminized is not meant to be derogatory...men relate to each other in a different style than women relate to each other (not better or worse, just different). So we tend to flock when someone recognizes that.

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand hyper-libertarian? is that like, "too free?" or like "too good-looking" or "too delicious?" Or maybe an over-excited librarian?

:iagree: And the last time I simply asked the question whether or not our Federal Government is/should be the best and only mandated source for this entitlement support, and whether it is within the responsibility of our federal government to do so, I was called a d*******g by a member here...so fire away, cause I'm asking again.

There's one in every crowd :D:D:D

And thank you as well. Sounds as if the hard work and struggle has paid off for you, though (if my memory serves from other threads :))

1 c. milk 1/4 c. molasses 1 tbsp. butter 1/2c. warm water, 105-115 degrees 4 c. sifted all purpose flour 2 tbsp. milk for glaze 1 1/2 c. cold water 2 tbsp. light brown sugar 1 tbsp. salt 2 pkgs. active dry yeast 5 c. unsifted whole wheat flour Bring milk and cold water to a boil in a small saucepan. Off heat, mix in molasses, sugar, butter and salt; cool to lukewarm. Place lukewarm water in a warm large mixing bowl and sprinkle in yeast. Stir cooled mixture into yeast, then beat in all purpose flour, 1 cup at a time. mix in whole wheat flour, 1 cup at a time. Place dough in a buttered large bowl, cover with cloth and let rise about 1 hour in a warm draft free place until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and stir briefly (it will be stiff). Divide dough in half and pat firmly into 2 well greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pans, rounding tops a little; brush tops with milk to glaze. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes until almost doubled in bulk. When loaves are risen, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 20 minutes, reduce oven to 375 degrees and bake 45 to 50 minutes longer or until richly browned and hollow sounding when tapped. Turn loaves out immediately and cool on wire racks. Any more problems I need to solve?

(Thanks for saying that...almost everyone here has me on IGNORE :lol:)

You made my point for me, thank you.

we bake our own bread for about $0.90/loaf...lost 8 unwanted pounds just by making that switch alone...just sayin'.