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Too many so-called Christians - I'm thinking especially about the fundamentalists of America - forget what Christ taught
They have a new Jesus now - he's orange and immune to the legal system is seems.
What does he preach on the matter I wonder?
The OP seems to be invoking the God of the Old Testament. Didn't Christ say that He was the New Covenant? From all that is written about the precepts that Jesus taught, any Christian should be praying for the redemption of any 'lost souls', rather than condemning them to earthly fires. Too many so-called Christians - I'm thinking especially about the fundamentalists of America - forget what Christ taught about not casting the first stone. Also, "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"; this means that, to be a true Christian, you need to forgive the sins of others, otherwise your own sins will not be forgiven. In short, condemning others for their actions goes against the teachings of Christ.
The peace deal breakdown was a bit more complicated than that. I'm sure Boris Johnson wasn't helpful because he's Boris Johnson, but to say it was 'half-signed' and Johnson talked Zelensky out of it is disingenuous.
www.theguardian.com/.../boris-johnson-ukraine-2022-peace-talks-russia
Intelligent Kids aren't allowed to shine; as the other kids 'have to catch up'.
Yes, it's called equality. Intelligent kids can shine all they like but if you're leaving everyone else behind then what kind of society are you creating?
'Cater to the Greater' is not the recipe for a healthy, cohesive society. Which is why Democracy is pointless. In fact, the least corrupt mode of governance is an Absolute Monarchy.
In one paragraph you seem to be complaining that intelligent kids aren't allowed to shine because everyone else has catch up, but then you say that catering to the greater won't work. Can you explain how that is not a contradiction?
And are you saying that you would prefer an absolute monarchy?
It feels like your points are laced with personal grievance.
But, this didn't seem to be a "god moves in mysterious ways, who are we to fathom the mind of god, post".
What bothered me about it was that it seems to be the exact opposite!
Please, please, please prove me wrong about this, because I'm feeling quite down about the existence of this post in ways that no other post on this forum in my relatively short time here has ever done before.
I think it did the exact opposite because it purported to state the reasons why (which I thought was a big no-no - "judge lest not ye be judged") - divorce, stability and, er..., market research.
I will happily be proved wrong about this. I may have misread it entirely.
I'm enjoying this thread, the input and the discussion - thanks :-) Everyone is so polarised? - maybe not 
:-)
I've often wondered about that too, Martin, along with other questions like how things would be different if Harold Godwinson had won the Battle of Hastings, what if Boudicca had managed to kick the Romans out, what if Hannibal had beaten the Romans?
I think Oswiu's descision was largely political, to quote Lucilla from Gladiator, 'Once there was an idea that was Rome', I think this idea cast a very long shadow, nearly all the rest of western Europe was part of the Roman Church and of course there would of still been lots of Roman structures, artifacts and of course roads. I think Oswiu wanted to be part of a larger Europe rather than an insular one, trade with Europe was a big thing then as it is now. Another what if, is if we'd not have had Edward the Confessor rather than another decendent of Cnut would we have turned our political attention south rather north towards Scandinavia?
I've been there myself. I like to think of this forum as a safe space where I can be authentic without needing to apologize.
Unfortunately I usually don’t realise until I notice it’s weeks since someone spoke to me
Isn't that our thing? 
Sorry if I offended anyone on this thread. Sometimes I’m too blunt.
Who, exactly, is stopping you from calling your main celebration by its proper name? What law was passed to prevent this? I'd love to know.
And let's not forget how the Christian USA under Trump tried and will try again to attend to the Muslim problem. Intolerance is the doctrine of most religions when you get down to it.
It all stems from School. Intelligent Kids aren't allowed to shine; as the other kids 'have to catch up'. Then, when children get older, cliques and niches form. Divide and conquer rules the roost. And, now, we have an entire generation of Young Men who seek vengeance on our society.
'Cater to the Greater' is not the recipe for a healthy, cohesive society. Which is why Democracy is pointless. In fact, the least corrupt mode of governance is an Absolute Monarchy.
The Salesmen of the World, USA, sold us Lemons; for as long as they could. Now, we are no longer capable of making Lemonade out of it.
More like the Men in Grey Suits.
But, yes, any future Conservative Government will be eternally undermined by the Military Industrial Complex. They got their beloved New-Labour Shapeshift; in Rishi Sunak. And it's now back to Progressive Dictatorship.
It is a political strategy to "never let a good disaster go to waste" - for some it's an opportunity to do things that they think they could not before. Most people simply want to get on with their own lives. Living in a way that respects the lives of others can be a bit of a stretch for some.
Our head of state is literally the head of the church.
I find it hard to compare what you say to the wholesale destruction of Gaza with tens of thousands of civilians murdered or to the millions of Uygurs interned and brutalised in Xinjiang or to the fate of the Rohinga in Myanmar…
I agree with, and have some understanding of, all that you say. I believe Paul had MUCH more money than James.......and that could explain a lot!
The one thing about Jesus of Nazareth that I would DEARLY like to understand (because I think it would shine a bright light on what he was really about)......is......where was he in his formative years!!? NOTHING AT ALL is written about him from infancy to the year of his death. I find this a fascinating fact.
Nope, ATM Christians across the Globe are most persecuted, hands down. Heck they won't even let us call our main celebration by it's proper name!! First thing the new regime is doing in Syria, attending to the "Christian Problem"...
I beggars my imagination that the world isn't up in arms about the Ukraine situation.
It's a huge Evil act, with many bad actors including but not limited to Mr Putin causing literally over a million broken families, extensive damage and polution to the "bread basket of Europe" not to mention all the other damaging consequences.
Not everybody knows this, but there was a viable peace deal on the table half signed before Boris Johnstone talked Zelensky out of it...
