Yes, Australia has the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). America's current electoral system desperately needs updating and reform, but will they get it? "The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is responsible for providing the Australian people with an independent electoral service..."
Frankly, the continuing bad-mouthing of the sitting US president by far-flung non-US-citizens seems ill-mannered to me at the least, and worse still it seems un-Christian and foolish to be so mean-spirited and critical of someone else's duly elected leader and the one president who has done more to defend and assist Christianity and the lives of the unborn than the previous 3 presidents combined. Plus, the other candidate, even if his mannerisms are more likeable, would move the country in a decidedly more wicked direction. It really makes me wonder a bit about the love walk of certain parties when they don't seem to perceive the spiritual aspect of this matchup and only focus on the carnal, visible differences. I am thoroughly disgusted, dismayed and fed up! May I suggest that some parties might want to get down on their knees and beg forgiveness of Almighty God for their carnality and judgmental gossip, and seek His will! Try praying for the man instead of hating on him.
Precisely. Here is the thing: can anyone deny that Joe Biden will move the country further away from the gospel and away from natural law? And conversely can anyone deny that Trump has moved the country closer back to the church, the gospel, and to natural law? Some of you non-Americans seem to think that being nice is the gospel. The Church of "nice". You will find at the final judgment, that the two have almost in common, and that you will have to make a decision about whether the gospel, or being faux-nice is what you value more. Soon they will imprison anyone who objects to sodomy, or does not abet their children being taught about "two dads" or the he-boy she-girl classmates. And then you will have to choose: whether you should be nice, or a soldier of Christ unto the end. And guess who will make you make that choice? Joe Biden who has already promised to unleash the forces of Critical Race Theory upon America on his first day in office.
Stalwart, Pls calm down also. You are also making some serious allegations against other Christians. The only nation that was a Theocracy under God was ancient Israel during the Old Testament period. You also have no grounds to call our salvation into question based on our negative views of America and President Trump. You are certainly entitled to disagree strongly but pls argue your case without asserting we are not saved or need repentance because we view things differently. Let's Agree to Disagree in Love. Cheers.....Curious "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less." -- C.S. Lewis
Would everyone pls calm down. Every Christian has the right to call out behaviour they consider ungodly. American Christians have every right to call out behaviour they consider wrong in our countries just as we have in theirs. Pls consider what you are writing. Cheers.....Curious "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less." -- C.S. Lewis
PS my (first) cousin - an Australian- was badly shot up in Afghanistan and had to be evacuated to Germany and underwent 3 major operations in a short time before returning to Australia. He was Captain of his Unit in the Australian Army and was (from memory) shot up leading a fire fight against the Taliban near Kabul. He, as an Australian, was fighting in concert with American and British soldiers to Defend America after 9/11. Australia was not attacked on the Evil Day that was 9/11 but we fought to Defend America as we love you guys! I normally wouldn't bring this up as it was a decade ago now but Australians have shed blood fighting alongside Americans. Most Australians love America and consider it an Older Brother and as Christians you are our brothers and sisters in the faith. Considering you an Older Brother means we criticise you reluctantly but reserve the right to do so if we feel it necessary. You, as Americans, have the right to criticize us as Australians if you feel that we need to hear something....even if you think we will not appreciate it. Cheers.....Curious "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less." -- C.S. Lewis
I will certainly pray for the man. I feel very sorry for him, he must feel devastated and very lonely. All his supporters will provide him no solace unless significant evidence of voting fraud on an industrial scale can be proven conclusively. Meanwhile he intends whipping up support among his sheeple to extents which may be prosecutably seditious. I would not like to see him reduced to such shameful conduct just because he is incapable of accepting the reality of a political rebuff by the American electorate, which he inevitably has taken very personally, relying as he does so heavily on personal approbation and the adulation of 'followings'. I pray that he patiently awaits the outcomes of the legal challenges that have rightly been issued by his team, while avoiding the tempter's voice within, who we know tried to get even Jesus Christ himself to take 'right handed' power and rule by edict, popularity, division, lies and Tweets, (had tweets been possible back then), instead of "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". Matt.4:4. .
I don't think that being downright nasty is an option for any disciple of Christ though, do you? Some of what Trump has said has been downright nasty. He whips up the crowds by 'dog whistling', thus rousing their nastiest instincts. Jesus Christ said some very hard things to those who openly opposed him, but he didn't just get nasty with them. Trump's just experiencing a common 2020 sequence of events: caught coronavirus then lost job then evicted from home. .
The contemporary political landscape in the West has been marked and marred by the politics of derision and division. This in my view is not in our best interest. There is a distinction between having a voice and having it all my own way. That sometimes gets forgotten or confused.
I get that you are involved in the process, and you voice carries more weight in the situation than mine. I would and have willingly acknowledged a number of things that have been accomplished by DJT. His handling of the North Korea Issue was to a large extent masterful, and whilst I wonder if he didn't get played on the last round, he certainly achieved things not achieved by others, not even remotely close. His handling of the Middle East has been 'firm but fair', and despite huge criticism it seems moving the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been a good move and DJT has accomplished more in terms of Middle Eastern Peace than those who have travelled before him. His dealings with China are not over, and those who come after will have to take that wherever it goes, yet his leadership in this area has been strong, though China may well be becoming a worrying influence in our region. It seems the Chinese are retaliating by attacking Australia (as America's friend and Ally) rather than the US where they may not win. As far as I can tell from afar his economic management of the US has been above par. His handling of the pandemic perhaps not so good. His handling of the media has been another problem area. The great shame I feel is that in many ways the respect that we all once had for the office of the President of the United States has diminished, in part because it looks much more like a reality TV show. Some time back in this thread I posted this, And I think it is a shame that America has lost some of the prestige it once had, and I believe that despite all he has accomplished on the foreign stage, this area has suffered. If there is a problem with the Electoral system in the USA, and its fairness has in some way been compromised, then I believe that Americans should address the systemic problem. The loyalty of Americans should be to the office, and not so much to the man/woman, and the playing out of personality politics which has brought us to this point, and should call us to reassess how we address these things. Whilst I see a suggestion that Joe Biden will lead the country in wicked ways, I also note that broadcast speeches have been calm, considered, and calling for unity, and one of his first acts was to go to Mass.
Begging your pardon, but do two wrongs make a 'right'? You want to accuse Trump of being nasty, after posting some of the tweets and stuff you've posted? Like that one depicting Trump in a daycare, throwing a tantrum like one of the children.... that wasn't cruel and nasty? Belittling a head of state in gross absurdity is not nasty? Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Some of the stuff I've seen posted in this thread has given me the impression of an adolescent practice of walking into a crowded room and releasing gas just to irritate the crowd.
Unfortunately, I am not terribly optimistic that the rot and corruption in our country can be reversed. As John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Our nation deleted prayer and mention of God from public schools in the early 1960s, and this began a serious deterioration of our society. By now, nearly every person in state and US government positions (elected or appointed) grew up in a time when moral relativity was taking hold; too many people now view the Bible, God, and the Ten Commandments as antiquated, superstitious notions of a bygone era. Nearly anyone who reaches a useful or influential position is, I suspect, either handsomely bribed or else blackmailed into submission to the grand master plan of the global elites. Senators and representatives are busy enriching themselves while spouting insincere platitudes to assuage the voters. I doubt that we can ever return this country to its former level of freedom, fairness and justice. This election has been an attempt to stave off the inevitable decline and downfall rather than a restoration, IMO.
So you're saying that it would have been nasty of him for Jesus to poke fun at the Pharisees or Herod? He should have shown respect for 'authorities' who behaved badly? Surely a person who egged on police to not be so nice to the people they arrest should not complain at merely being portrayed as a figure of fun. Now if he were a South American tin pot dictator who arrested and disapeared people from the steets at night, that would be an entirely different matter. Freedom of speech and all that ya know. Obama, when he was President had a lot more nastyness and insults from Republican supporters than Trump deserves now, much of it from Trump himself. .
I agree with what you have written. I do believe that a large part of the problem lies in the confusion between genuine Christianity and Christendom. There seems to be a strange view out there that an individual can tell who is and who is not a genuine Christian. However, that is to claim a knowledge that belongs to God alone. The parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-46 is a strong warning against presuming that someone can know the spiritual disposition of anyone, including themselves. The NIV Study Bible points out the genuine surprise and even shock from those who claimed that their seemingly Christian acts and ministries were evidence of their faith. Whilst Christ rejects them as not done as the outworking of a genuine faith but rather from self-delusion. Whilst I take a person's profession of faith in Christ (including my own) at face value, such a profession is no guarantee that they (or I) are genuinely saved. I will only know that for certain on Judgement Day when God will make a declarative statement on us all. Scripture warns against presumption and we would be wise to do the same.
BTW my current study commitment means that I won't have much time to post here from now on. However, just wanted to say that I wish everyone well. Stay strong in Christ.
Yes, that is what I am saying! Jesus didn't "poke fun" at them and take emotional satisfaction over their belittlement. He didn't ridicule people by mischaracterizing them or exaggerating their faults beyond reality. All of that is mean-spirited, and Jesus isn't mean-spirited. Now you are welcome to quote chapter and verse to show that Jesus criticized people's errors. But those don't show Jesus being gleeful about the 'put-downs' and He never made them out to be worse than they were by use of exaggeration. In addition, God the Son had a wealth of wisdom and knowledge that no individual on this forum possesses, so He was uniquely qualified to correctly recognize errors and to criticize errors. Some people nowadays think they know everything about Trump and think they have all the information, but they don't... especially when their sources of information are heavily biased.
Love to see a link to a credible source for these wild assertions. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."
All of course very true, and incidentally characteristically true unfortunately of Trump's public ridiculing of a disabled person for political advantage, exaggerations and many lies about his political opponents and detractors. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation". Matt.23:27-36. The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, "Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord". Luke 13:31-35. Heavy bias is not restricted only to Democrats or to everyone else except Trump for that matter. He is a frail human being like the rest of us and obviously has problems. That aside, from a theological perspective you are making some unwarranted assumptions perhaps concerning the nature and source of the undoubted wisdom and knowledge of Jesus of Nazareth when a man upon earth. Though his human and divine natures were probably inseparable, (like wine and water mixed), they were probably also paradoxically distinctive. Otherwise Jesus would not have been as all other men by nature, but unique by virtue of being a God/Man and not a true man, albeit sinless. That would have been an incarnational 'cheat'. I am convinced that Jesus laid his 'Divine Wisdom and Divine Knowledge' aside and refused to deploy them for advantage over other 'normal men'. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, (through resurrection), and given him a name which is above every name: Phil.2:7-9. .
Weird that the states that keep getting hit by natural disasters continue voting for the party that doesn’t believe in climate change.
That of course is not wholly true. California had a solid Democratic result. Florida returned a Republican result, despite the polls for some time consistently suggesting it would be a Democrat outcome. Part of this may be because Florida is not entirely urban, and whilst Miami and Tampa may have a leftward leaning, much of the state is more rural and those folks get to vote as well. I think pollsters find it easier to poll metropolitan areas which tends to skew some of their results. The Democrats need to ask themselves why they didn't fare as well with non-white voters as they might have been expected to. Climate Change is a challenging sell in many circumstances. The truth is it requires some adjustments in our own lifestyle, and frankly very often some investment. We added Solar Panels to our house this year, however the cost whilst reasonable is still a reasonable up front capital investment - ok I did the sums and considered a 24% roi did indeed make it a viable proposition, however there was an option for less where the roi would have been more like 8% and a much more expensive option were the roi was indeed negative. If the message of Climate Change is to be sold to those without financial resources then we will need to find ways of showing how it is not simply another way to disenfranchising the poor.