For those who say this was part of God's plan, they are very wrong. To imply that such things are God's plan is a Calvinistic point of theology which is the opposite of the whole free will theology, many Calvinists believe that God is basically a puppet master and their teachings (although mostly well intentioned) actually make God out to be a pretty darn mean guy who controls every move that everyone makes and arbitrarily with no basis on merits will choose each person's fate for both this life and afterward. What I'm trying to say is that God is not to blame, the slaughter of these innocent children and others at the school was because of one evil person and had nothing to do with God.

  As for the Westboro thugs, I will hope that everyone realizes that they are not affiliated with any other Baptist congregation or association, I consider it a slap in the face that they call themselves a Baptist Church but there is nothing that anyone can do about it because no one has exclusive rights to the word Baptist, one could even open a liquor store, strip club, etc and call it a Baptist Church and there is nothing that anyone could do to stop it. 

Many years ago in Dallas a Christian yellow pages was published.  (They may still have one.)  The most ludicrous ad was the one for the Christian Kosher Deli!

Why was the ad ludicrous?

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I wondered why too. Could the people that owned it not have the last name of Christian?

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Nah, I'm pretty smart & comprehend things really well, most of the time anyway.

Christian Kosher Deli in a phone book which consists of listings for Chrisiian owned businesses with a foreword that Christians are urged to frequent them only is an oxymoron.  I doubt that too many persons with a real Kosher Deli would be named Christian.  Nit-picking Wednesday, complete with lack of cultural knowledge, everybody.  I was also referring to  RobC's  post. Mark Twain had such good advice.

Kosher foods are better for you, produced under stricter "laws" than "regular" meats, and very carefully chosen. Calling it a christian kosher deli would, imo, be only to clarify that kosher is for anyone that wants it, and there is no reason in the world that anyone named anything couldn't own and operate a kosher deli.

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Irving Gold's deli in Westport, CT.

Man, even the air in that place was kosher.

*Suddenly I have a craving for a pastrami and swiss on rye with one of those half-sour garlic dills.........* OY VEY!

It could be that the owner is a Messianic Christian.  There is an organization, Jews For Jesus, which has been invited to our church several times to teach us about the Seder and other Jewish customs.

And, very likely, those Messianic Christians would still prefer kosher foods, while now worshiping Jesus Christ.   Also, this would be a good way to witness to those Jews still in Judaism.  So, I can see very good reasons for their store to be named Christian Kosher Deli.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Ahhhhhhh Look Rammy Boy made another funny!  Keep those giggles coming for us Rammy Whammy

Thanks for clarifying all this for a person whose mother was rasied Kosher and became a Southern Baptist!  As I said, it is the day for nit picking!  It IS is a relief to speculate on a more pleasant subject than the news lately.  I reiterate that I considered it an oxymoron -  each to his own taste!  I love lox and bagels for breakfast but will go make a BLT for lunch!

Hi Momma,

You are welcome!   But, just maybe, there were others who did not grow up in a kosher family.   Now we all know.  God is awesome!

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

No one is nit picking. I honestly don't see what being raised "kosher" and then becoming a southern baptist has to do with anything. Anyone can keep "kosher" when it comes to the food they eat, and there are jewish people who don't "keep kosher" when it pertains to their diet. Since you mentioned the restaurant, these points were brought up.  How it would be an "oxymoron" for a christian restaurant to claim to be kosher, (meaning in the food they serve) escapes me. Does that mean that jewish people can't own restaurants and serve non-kosher foods? How would they advertise? Surely in some way to let the public know what they serve.

BW, it concerns empirical knowledge.  Please find another person  to pick on this afternoon.  I am well versed in Judasm and its customs as well as Christianity.  If you do not see the connection between changing from an Orthodox Jew to a Christian you do have a problem  Thank God, we do not think alike.  I will say, vplee, wait until you taste "ice cream" made out of God knows what!

So now it's "picking on" to say anyone can keep kosher in their diets? I don't care about the difference in what religion people choose to follow. I just wonder why you think it's so odd for a christian to own and operate a kosher deli when all it has to do with is the way the food is prepared, and it's dietary, nothing to do with religion. You don't have to be any "religion" or denomination, you can be a believer or a non-believer, any race, any age, and still choose to eat kosher foods. Given the chance, I might even try a kosher restaurant.

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My point. Has nothing to do with religion at all. 

Yes, man made Gods, but they are false Gods. "You shall have no other God before me."

We have two miracles that God allows us to participate in, those are the miracle of birth and the miracle of death.  God say's " I am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me even tho they die will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." God describes death as sleeping and he waits for those that are his. Birth and death is part of Gods plan for us and all that believe will never die.  

Yes, man made Gods, but they are false Gods. "You shall have no other God before me."

And who "made" your god? Men. There is as much, or more, proof of other man made gods existing as there are of yours. What's the difference?

BW, if you ever go to NYC, do not miss Katz's or 2nd Ave Deli.  There was a dairy restaurant which did not serve any type of flesh.  I skipped it .  Veselka, a Ukrainian restaurant is the place to go for blintzes.  Then I get hungry for my cornbread dressing and turnip greens.  ( also run out of money!  LOL!  Merry Christmas!

puppy it does sound good.

HG-All that posting and still no answer.

No, the answer is not there. The question is why you think your god was real, when there is more proof that other gods existed. You said "faith". Faith does not make your god any more real than any of the other gods. It's you that refuses to "see".

The Greek Gods, Goddesses and Greek Myths / Mythology are ancient stories which were written down in classical Greece around 500 B.C. but thought to of existed orally in various forms much earlier.
The ancient texts tell beautiful, wise and amusing stories of love, lust, family, power, war, hatred, revenge and nature. Many of the Greek Gods and Myths have been depicted in Art over history, such as Botticelli's Venus on a sea shell (Aphrodite) and the Venus de Milo. Many people would greatly benefit from reading these ancient texts, as we can learn a lot about how we are to live now from the wise minds (and lessons) of the past. There is wisdom to be found in the emotional / psychological / moral aspects of the Greek Gods and Myths which can help us to understand ourselves more deeply and our relationships with others. The Greek Gods and Goddesses can be seen to symbolize different aspects of the human condition.

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/...Greek-Gods-Myths.htm

See, no different than the stories told about your god.

Before Jesus all of man's conception of God was based on the only thing he (she) knew, and that was himself.  Observe the concept of God in the Old Testament.  Wrathful, vengful, angry.  The people of 10 thousand years ago thought nothing of the idea that their concept of what God was (IE the tribal gods) would be delighted in the slaughter of their enemies. 

But like all things religion evolved.  By the times of Jesus, a religion had finally evolved to the point where the concept of a single God was the central concept.  How else could the Son of that very same God live a life which revealed the Father to all mankind? 

Unfortunatly evolution is a slow and messy process.  The relgious leaders of the Jews had evolved a fixed and crystalized creed which was unable to grow into the radical revolution of Jesus' teachings, so they killed him.

Today so many of the followers of the religion which bears his name are so like those Scribes who have become followers of a religion of fixed and dead truth.  Jesus never intended his religion, the religion of personal experience in sonship with God, should be trapped by the same web of dogma and creedal doctrine which enslaved the reigious leaders of his day.

And that is the reason the the human concept of God still so much resembles the human condition,

do not blame God for mankind's failure to recognize him for what He is.

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His great love? Ugh!  If your god had existed he would have been a monster. No, there is no afterlife, this is it, and it's plenty. Instead of moaning and groaning about 'this old world' it would be better for believers to actually start to live and enjoy this life, and try to make happy memories for the ones they'll "leave behind" instead of day dreaming about those mansions in the sky and those streets of gold. Again, just saying your god existed because you take it on "faith" that he did isn't proof, it's wishful thinking at best. There was a time when others took it on faith that their gods were real too, and to this day there are people that believe their gods exist. Their "heaven" might be different than yours, but they think they're gonna go there when they "shuffle off this mortal coil".

Pray all you want, it's your time to waste. I think I'll pass on that so called love you think you have from your mythical monster. As for your post below, it speaks for itself. I don't know how many of them have other children, but some do, and I'm pretty sure they all have other family. You have the nerve to say if they aren't believers they have nothing more to live for? 

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i do hope the families of those murdered children/teachers are Believers. how bleak to think that their loved ones are just gone, they'd have nothing more to live for....

Jenn, pay no attention. HP is like Billy, perfect & has all the answers. You can't reason with them or have a reasonable discussion.

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*HG

Rather than getting into a discussion about God or God's part in this horrific event I will but say, in respect to Westboro Baptist Church and it's members, that many honest and devout Christians do not hold to their actions.  What they are doing is wrong and not according to Christ directions.  The Westboro Baptist is one of the best examples, I can think of, of a congregation putting more faith in their minister and Church leadership than the Scriptures.  It's people taking man's word over God's word and seeking man's direction rather than God's direction and following the Holy Spirit.  I don't see these people as godless and not saying that they are not Christians but I am saying I fully believe they are wrong in what they are doing.  They are ruining their chance to witness and represent Christ.  Many Christians do this also, and not just Westboro.  Trouble is many of us do not self-evaluate ourselves and our own actions as to if they accurately represent Christ and His message.   It is for each Christian to evaluate their own ministry and own life.

To associate, though, Westboro Baptist with all other Baptist or with other Christians and stereotype all Christians according their narrow and misguided actions is wrong and unjust. 

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I don't think all Christians are like the Westboro group. Just like I don't think all Muslims want to kill anyone that is not Muslim.

I do think that they have similarities to each other though. Christians of all flavors believe in the same God and holy book. Some just follow different parts more strictly than others. Same as the Muslims.

So true and spoken very well. Amen!