Should prostitution be legal?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Wasa, that wasn't very nice.

What exactly are your questions??? I know one is 'would we approve of prayers offered at public places to Satan.' NO! I would not approve. Why? Because Satan is the enemy! Take a look around you. The majority rules in this country. Our president is chosen by the majority of votes, decisions are made by who is in favor, not opposed. When our forefathers came here from Europe, it was because they wanted to get away from the catholic church, who insisted EVERYONE follow their traditions. Then came the protestant movement when people protested to this. In other words, religious freedom. At the time, NOT meaning freedom to worship Satan or Allah or Mary, but Jesus. The high majority of christians that came to America wanted to be able to have a bible in their own home and live according to IT. Read the stories of the pioneers as they headed west, or of Abraham Lincoln and his beliefs or the Pilgrims when they kissed the rock and offered a prayer of thanks to JESUS for this land of the free. Christopher Columbus had a faith in God, and in his diaries are many accounts of his offering thanks to Jesus for guiding his paths. This country was founded on this belief. Benjamin Franklin was the one who insisted that if these men (writing the constitution) and meeting together to form this union did not pray to "our God in Heaven" before each assembly they would be meeting in vain. Thus why it is a custom to pray before the assemblies. (They're not talking to Satan there!) God is in our national anthem, on our money, in our pledge, our new president swore his oath on Lincoln's bible, we swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth 'so help me GOD' in our courts of law, Our Pres. says "and may GOD Bless America" after every speech, There is a christian church in just about EVERY town across this nation, most times even more than one, (no doubt there are many different denominations of churches due to minor disagreements on small issues, but all believing in JESUS as the Savior) This country is predominantly Christian. Yes, we allow anyone to enter this country and believe any way they choose, even if it is to worhip or pray to Satan or in your case, to not believe in God at all. But, I say we were here first and if you don't want to conform to the christian faith, That's your right. But don't turn things around and make the majority of us accomodate you. You need to accomodate us! I feel the same way about foreigners who come to America who can't speak english. This country is ENGLISH speaking, and if you want to come here, don't expect us to accomodate you and have to learn your language, YOU need to speak english. My point is, believe anything you wish or nothing at all, but Christianity is here to stay! Atheists are constantly angered over what they feel is a push by christians to conform them, but I say if christians didn't have such a great love for the souls of all men, they wouldn't give two craps about trying to help others to see what they see. Instead of being angry at us, why not try to understand our motives for what we do? And if you choose not to embrace it, well, that's your choice.

I wrote that I would and I am. I am blocking you. Please realize that I won't be able to see more of your sermons.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Living in a border town to the largest Navajo Indian Reservation, I am not so sure they survived any better off than yours.

Many of the issues they deal with today are left over issues from years ago. A HUGE percentage are alcoholics. They do not sell alcohol on the reservation, so they come off and then attempt to drive home, leaving the reservation as well as our state with astronomical DWI rates.

Their diets are so poor, that the diabetes and obesity rates are seriously over 70%!

It is a difficult situation for ALL involved. And anyone thinking that racism is going away, only need to visit a reservation border town.....sad but true.

The Navajos are a religious people now, what the beliefs were originally besides a worship of Mother Earth, I do not know------it is not something they share willingly.

There is a high percentage of LDS among the Navajo.

I KNOW their ancestors were mistreated----many of our ancestors were......

How to "fix" that now? I have no idea----living where I do, seeing how things are, I know the way it is it isn't working!!

Kat

Regarding the diabetes issues with Native Americans... there was a study done I believe at the Phoenix Indian Hospital (Might be wrong but I think they are the folks that did the study) that shows the biggest reason for diabetes in NAs is that many many years ago it was feast or famine for them. In the summers they would gain a great deal of weight while food was available and in the winters they would often starve thus, losing a great deal of weight. Doing this year after year caused many problems and the folks doing the study felt this is the reason that NAs in general have much higher rates of diabetes.

Together that with poor diets is a double whammy for them.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hey, did we run WASA off? It was just getting good!!

Nope, it's pretty hard to run Wasa off. ;o) I have been working many hours lately.

You are the one that was stomping those feeties saying you wouldn't discuss the issue anymore. Remember? When I was turning your own questions back to you and asking about those special rights and all then you suddenly decided I was discussing religion and you wouldn't continue. When I asked you things such as.... if those with religions you disagree with wanted equal time before a football game you told Beth it was time to blow dust off your feeties and run like hell.

How quickly we forget.

[Carrie_C 9]

Kat, I understand how you feel. It is hard to imagine how God could forgive someone like that. But if that man was acting like that in the court room, then he was not sorry for what he did and he had truely not repented. And God knows this. Someone can't just say to God "please forgive me" and expect God to do it when they are not truely sorry. And to truely repent, you have to turn away from wicked ways, and it doesn't sound like this man did that. God knows his heart and how wicked it is.

[Carrie_C 9]

Nope, it's pretty hard to run Wasa off. ;o) I have been working many hours lately.

You are the one that was stomping those feeties saying you wouldn't discuss the issue anymore. Remember? When I was turning your own questions back to you and asking about those special rights and all then you suddenly decided I was discussing religion and you wouldn't continue. When I asked you things such as.... if those with religions you disagree with wanted equal time before a football game you told Beth it was time to blow dust off your feeties and run like hell.

How quickly we forget.

I never said anything about running like hell. That statement simply meant if someone won't believe, then don't waste time on them.

[Kat817 19]

Carrie I get what you are saying, and during court no he had no remorse what so ever! He claimed to have found God later. I have serious belief it was when some big Bubba sodomized him just like he did Kara. THEN he was sorry and "found God" and just like that it goes away. BS!

I may be one of the ones left behind that Patty refers to, because I don't care to be in heaven with all that scum if they are there! They may have begged forgiveness from God, he may have granted it. They may beg forgiveness from the family....and some families may give it. Key word...some.

I don't see how any God or any human can just erase the slate and have an evil like that just be gone.

It makes it hard to believe sometimes.....so I do the best I can. I live my life in a way that I feel is the best way I can. For me, and for the world around me. I do not harm others. I do my best to help others when I can. When you do something wrong, without realizing it was a mistake, or it is something you learn from, in most cases I can move on from it.

But not all things. This man was not stupid. He held a decent job, he was obviously not sane or he never would have done that----but he had been in trouble before, so he knew better...as did his Mom know better than to have him there. He knew how to hide what he was doing---in order to know to hide it, he knew it wasn't right.

Her Mom, she says she wants to forgive him, because she wants to believe in all she was taught as she grew up. She wants to believe her little girl was taken someplace beautiful, and without pain. But all these years later, she worries that her own inability to forgive is keeping her DD from resting in peace. Her priest told her something along the lines. For a religious leader to allow someone in such pain to continue to suffer, because of her inability to forgive someone who hurt her child is beyond comprehension to me.

Those sent to supposedly teach us, are the very ones who make some of us question our beliefs.

Kat

[bambam31 168]

:thumbup:

Years ago, when living in a large city in TX -- the little girl my DD played with in our apt. complex was killed. The man raped her, sodomized her, and tortured her for 2 days before killing her---which happened before he intended but she suffocated while he was trying to muffle her screams.

I sat in court and watched her family die a thousand deaths hearing the things about their innocent 5 year old child (who I have never EVER doubted or questioned whether she would go to heaven...that is a given) being hurt over, and over and over. And all the while, the man an adult son of a woman who lived in the apt. complex--he was staying in her place for the summer, as it was too humid for her there. Did she know (Mom) that he had a record of sexually abusing children? Yep! Did she care? Nope! But she begged the court and God for leniency. And last time I spoke with my friends, they had attended his parole hearing to listen to them all go on about how he had reformed his life, and he told them he found God.

I just hope you are wrong. I hope God is smarter than that!

I lived it on the outside, and cannot imagine the rage intesified with it being your own child. I know without a doubt that would turn me against religion to think that even God would forgive a monster like that.

That is too black and white......

Kat

WTH happened to Texas Justice? I thought Texans took care of these problems so they didn't recur? The only justice is for that man to meet his maker ASAP! If we can't do our BEST to protect our children and assure them justice, then we have failed. This offender - once convicted -and having exhausted his appeals of course (grrrrr) - should be breathing our air no longer!

Brad

[Carrie_C 9]

It seems that all people who go to jail "find God". While a few might, I seriously doubt all do. I have known plenty of people who found God in prison, only to get out and do the same thing again that got them there in the first place. My brother being one of them. If they sincerely find God like they say, they wouldn't continue to commit the same crimes over once they get out.

[pattygreen 5]

Kat, do you want God to erase your slate? No one deserves to get to go to Heaven. The scum of the earth will be there. Every one of us who trusted Jesus to get us there. That man may be doing lip service to others, or maybe not, but God knows his heart. (If he is truly grieved over his wrong doing or not) Can anyone do what he did to a child and not be insane mentally?

Her inability to forgive the man isn't keeping her child from God at all. But, it may keep HER from God. We are only responsible for our own sins. And as hard as this may be to take, God says that unforgiveness toward anyone is a sin, and will keep God from forgiving you. That's why she needs to talk to God. He understands what she is going through. Only God can give her the peace she needs and the forgiveness for this man. When I need to forgive someone for anything, I try to remember their humanness, and their sinful nature and when I remember that Jesus has forgiven me, it's easier to do.

[bambam31 168]

Kat, do you want God to erase your slate? No one deserves to get to go to Heaven. The scum of the earth will be there. Every one of us who trusted Jesus to get us there. That man may be doing lip service to others, or maybe not, but God knows his heart. (If he is truly grieved over his wrong doing or not) Can anyone do what he did to a child and not be insane mentally?

Her inability to forgive the man isn't keeping her child from God at all. But, it may keep HER from God. We are only responsible for our own sins. And as hard as this may be to take, God says that unforgiveness toward anyone is a sin, and will keep God from forgiving you. That's why she needs to talk to God. He understands what she is going through. Only God can give her the peace she needs and the forgiveness for this man. When I need to forgive someone for anything, I try to remember their humanness, and their sinful nature and when I remember that Jesus has forgiven me, it's easier to do.

The only thing that matters if he's guilty of the alleged crime is that he's given the most prompt opportunity to meet God face to face! He should never ever be given an opportunity, even the slightest one, to re-offend.

Brad

[BJean 16]

Kat, I think you're the best! Thanks for what you said. I hoped someone would understand what I was trying to discuss.

Patty has said that all one must do to go to heaven is to admit that one is a sinner. She said that if we admit we are sinners, we admit that Jesus died for us, and that God figures that we now have demonstrated enough faith to be accepted into heaven.

I have always had a problem with that verbiage. When I was considering joining the Southern Baptist church in our little community, the preacher kept saying all you have to do is to accept Jesus and then you will be saved. I kept asking questions to get some clarification. It just didn't make any sense to me. And nothing that has been said here has made it clearer. It isn't that I have a problem believing in God or believing that Jesus died for my sins. It's that I have a problem with people who say that all you have to do is admit that you're a sinner and accept Jesus and you have a passport to heaven.

Like the rapist/murderer that Kat speaks of, for instance. He can say (even in his heart) that he is a sinner and that he accepts Jesus and he can even go to church and become a deacon and pay for a pew on the front row. But as soon as he gets out of prison, I guarantee he will be plotting another murder and rape of another child. He is screwed up in the head and nothing God or Jesus can promise him will make him well. A frontal lobotomy might or shock therapy or castration might, but pedophiles aren't people who are able to be rehabilitated. As Christians we are expected to love him in spite of his sins. I find that ludicrous.

I totally understand the reason that the little girl's family should forgive the man. That kind of "forgiveness" is not to excuse the man. It's so that they can let go of the hate that has their stomachs tied in knots and the blinding rage that they live with every day. It is not an easy thing to "forgive" a man like that. But it is a valuable tool that they can use keep from allowing that man to continue doing damage that family.

[pattygreen 5]

Many christians call it the ABC's. 1. Admit you sin. 2. Believe Jesus died for you. 3. Confess your sins.

[pattygreen 5]

I don't like it when preachers say "all you have to do is accept Jesus and you'll be saved." Without helping people to understand that they are in need of a Savior because their sins are keeping them out of Heaven, they rush to get people to say "Yes, I believe." The need to accept Jesus is important, but confessing your sin is just as important. If a person is truly sincere in asking God to forgive them and to save them in prayer, God will bring about a change in the persons life. The person will desire to know more of what God has to say to them and will begin to read his word, they will desire to be righteous, they will desire to worship Him, they will desire to make friends who also love God and they will enjoy prayer with God. This is why God says, "By their fruits you wll know them." (His true children) Only God knows if this man in prison we are talking

about will be saved. Some people who confess to be believers in Christ, may not be. This is what Jesus meant when he said."not everyone who calls "Lord, Lord", will enter into heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in Heaven."

[pattygreen 5]

bjean, I like what you said about the little girls parents forgiving the man for their own sake. ( Releasing the hate and the rage within them.) I think God wants us to forgive others for this very reason. Hate inside of us can release its ugly head within us by bringing on sickness, heart attacks, stress, depression, and so on.

Edited February 1, 2009 by pattygreen

[pattygreen 5]

That 'change' in a persons life that I spoke about that God will bring in a sincere christian's life after they have asked God to save them and have repented is what christians call being 'born again'. We say that because we are born once physically, and then 'born again' spiritually.