The brutal winter storm that hit Texas has left millions without power and killed 20+ people. With the power grid failing to keep the heat on in millions of homes and a population generally unequipped to deal with freezing temperatures, the results have absolutely devastated the Lone Star State and left official scrambling to provide aid.
One Texas mayor’s response during these trying times? “I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout!”
‘No Handouts’ to Handing-in a Resignation
A since-deleted Facebook post by mayor Tim Boyd of Colorado City, Texas drew widespread criticism from city residents.
In the post, Boyd suggests that the federal government owes residents nothing, those without power are lazy, and that God provides all the tools people need to survive on their own.
The post made national headlines, with widespread outrage at its callousness across the board, particularly the suggestion that Texans without power and water were somehow lazy or in any way responsible for the state’s power grid failure, and that those unable to get water and power deserved to die.
Boyd was forced to resign his position as mayor following the intense social media backlash, and offered a half-hearted apology:
"I would never want to hurt the elderly or anyone that is in true need of help to be left to fend for themselves… I was only making the statement that those folks that are too lazy to get up and fend for themselves but are capable should not be dealt a handout. I apologize for the wording and some of the phrases that were used!"
Biblical Values
One part of Boyd’s message caught a lot of attention: his argument that because God provides, nobody should look for a handout.
Many were quick to point out that the Bible is full of commands to help the poor or less fortunate in times of need.
There are in fact dozens of Bible verses about lending a helping hand, and one of the most famous passages of the New Testament is Matthew 22:39 which states to ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’.
Most Texans are emphatically living those values right now. Throughout Texas, communities are in fact coming together to assist one another in incredibly inspiring ways: gathering groceries and other needed supplies like blankets for vulnerable populations like the poor and elderly, sharing water from private wells, and shoveling neighbors’ driveways.
Local news in Texas is full of similarly inspiring stories of strangers lending helping hands. Restaurants are offering free or seriously discounted meals to individuals in need. Stranded drivers are being towed to safety by strangers. Plumbers are offering to fix burst pipes. Churches, synagogues, and mosques are leaving their doors open to all.
So which is it? Does God provide tools for survival with the expectation that everyone should just look out for themselves? Or do we have an obligation to take those tools and use them to help others?
72 comments
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John D. Partin
"We all know nothing will happen if we don't show up and do it for ourselves, unlike the imaginary deities people love to worship that won't lift a finger". Excuse me, but it isn't human beings' doing it for themselves when doctors have done everything that they can do for their patients and it isn't working, and prayers to God, finally, deliver these people out of their medical problems. That is certainly God's doing much more than lifting a finger to help us!! It wasn't people delivering themselves out of their own problems in Austria when the Communists had no intention of or reason for leaving, but people's praying the Rosary made them leave or people's delivering themselves when demons or spirits are driven out of people or houses by prayers. Only you atheists unthinkingly refuse to see any obvious correlation between people's praying and their receiving what they prayed for, which you don't, consistently, refuse to see in any other asking for anything from someone and their receiving it. Your not accepting obvious correlations and what you can see right in front of you is why you keep saying that "there is no proof of spirits or a spirit world or the power of prayer", which is totally illogical, unscientific, and unreasonable!! Hiroshima was bombed by a nuclear weapon and yet a Catholic church there survived the general devastation of the rest of the city and there are other examples of people's surviving natural disasters when they shouldn't, only naturally speaking, have done so and wouldn't have done so if there weren't any loving God protecting them, in a totally mindless and indifferent world and universe. Why doesn't God save everyone from death in disasters or just not allow any disasters at all? Because He won't protect us from all the consequences of our own and nature's corruption and because there is a bigger picture involved that we can't see that requires some people to die in these disasters and because it is more merciful to let some people die from cancer or die in disasters than continue to suffer. Also, general devastation makes us appreciate the exceptions that much more, the same as gold, silver, and diamonds are precious and valuable precisely because they are rare and aren't lying all over the ground or happening all the time, but take a lot of work to get them. The same as we appreciate the stars in the darkness of the night sky. God isn't going to jump through your or anyone else's hoops or do tricks for you on command, as Herod Antipas wanted Jesus to do when He was brought before him, which Jesus wouldn't do, but His not jumping through hoops doesn't mean that He doesn't ever do anything. God is interested in us and loves us, as His interconnection of the natural laws to allow life to even exist on this planet proves. We aren't on our own here, but we have to go along with His will and do as He wishes, and not keep expecting His help while continuing to go our own way and not listen to Him, anymore than we could always defy our parents and never listen to them and still expect them to pay any attention to us, always, either.
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Lionheart
Are you just catching up John Partin. It looks as though you have been busy typing lots of things that are getting to you. Whatever you have said I'm sure its very healthy therapy to just get it all out.
Spoiler Alert: We have all moved on now from these posts earlier in the year. Try and stay up with recent blogs, you might get someone to respond that reads them.
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John D. Partin
Your "voting for the policies, not the man" is why, I suppose, that you said Joe Biden "had no chance of beating Trumpelstiltskin in the election and becoming President" and "anyone who said that he would was crazy", and never admitted that your guy ever did or said anything wrong, like all Trumpophiles do! Which you are now trying to pass off as "supporting the policies, not the man", in order to distance yourself from your former (or still actual) support of him. How is your guy's driving protesters out of a park so that he could have a photo op in front of a church, whose pastor didn't want him there, and hold a Bible upside down and your supporting his doing that, at the time, even if you condemn it now, for your public relations here, not supporting the man, not his policies?! Except his general policy of being an overbearing and obnoxious creep?!! How is your going along with him when he said that he could shoot someone right on main street and all of his supporters would still vote for him not your support of the man, not his policies?! As for not responding at press conferences and reading teleprompters and answering questions, at least Joe Biden shows up for them and doesn't walk out on them and insult reporters, as Trumpelstiltskin did!! Nobody can answer questions or respond less to reporters than someone who walks out of press conferences and insults reporters!! Even if, according to you, there weren't "too much money involved" for someone not "to bend the data to support global warming", would you just come up with another cynical reason to say that "global warming isn't happening", due to your and other conservatives' and Republicans' being controlled by and in the hip pocket of the gas and automotive industries and the NRA, too?!! No President will ever be perfect, and so Joe Biden won't be, either, but they won't, usually, be as incompetent, unfit, irresponsible, and immature as your guy was in office!!
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L. Marie Wise
God does provide. Sometimes the provisions are other people or government assistance. That’s why we pay taxes. Kind of simplistic thinking, I know.
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Eric D Peck
Something bad happened. We don't have to make that an excuse to attack people with different worldviews. Take a deep breath and find peace. Then show some leadership in spreading it.
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Richard Lee Cornell
Being one of those weak creature myself I know the feeling about the city has forgotten me. With a foot of snow on the street. Not a plow in sight. But on the bright side where I live I do have my wood burner and a cord of wood. My 5k generator, 10 gallons of gas.. The panty has food in it for two months. More than a few blankets. Poor is me. Think of the wild life that has never seen snow or the biting cold that came with it.
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Marius Gabriel Burja
ULC, seek and you shall find the truth. It is all provided for you in my previous comment post. If I am wrong cast me out.
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Marius Gabriel Burja
Come to Suspicious 0bservers channel on YouTube. I will see you in the cloud.
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JustJames73
One line of Mayor Boyd's statement stood out to me "We have lost sight of those in need an those that take advantage of the system and meshed them in to one group!!" He's not wrong on that account. From where I sit I've been seeing our [nations] moral compas swinging away from compassion and towards distrust. Like a scarecrow we're pointing blindly at an "other" and blaming them for something... why? Is being marganilzed only a crime when it happens to me, but it's ok when it happens to someone else? How can we point the finger at politicians (whom we have elected) and blame them for leading us into socialism with "social welfare" programs, and then be outraged when they don't just "hand out" the help when we need it? Sure, America has some social wellfare programs, but in my experience they are FAR FROM being handouts, and they often require more effort than truly lazy people are willing to make... Just because you have food stamps does not mean you are eating well... it just means that you're eating. Try it some time if you ever have the opportunity. I think you'll be glad for the help when you need it, and you'll be even happier when you don't.
As fellow ministers... If you've got an issue with people who you think are abusing the system, find them, talk to them, share some of the love and compassion that your chosen belief system has taught you. You may find, as I have, that whiel there are some bad people out there... most of them are just trying to get through life one day at a time.
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Marius Gabriel Burja
God made each believer a tool for his bidding. If you deny a person help you denied the holy spirit. You are spit out of the mouth of Christ. You can deny the father and you can deny the son Jesus Christ but if you deny the holy spirit you are dead. Don't call yourself a believer or Christian because you are posessed by the antichrist. Thus hell is already burning inside you.
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Marius Gabriel Burja
Psalms 23-27. KJV Psalm 27 is for the mayor. What are the gifts of the holy spirit and what is the fruit of the holy spirit? God doesn't want anyone to perish. Thus we believers are responsible for saving others. Why is our nation a superpower? 🇺🇸Glory to God in the highest. God allowed us to be on the moon. Now on Mars. Where is Gods glory? IN THE HIGHEST OF PLACES. AMERICA GOD SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE. REMEMBER THAT AMERICA. REMEMBER WHY GOD MADE YOU. WE ARE ALL GODS CHILDREN. REGARDLESS WHAT YOU BELIEVE. OR EVEN IF YOU BELIEVE. SHAME ON YOU. MAY GOD SHOW YOU HIS GRACE THAT IS IN ME. LET HIS LIGHT SHINE ON YOU AND THROUGH YOU. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BLESS ONE ANOTHER. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO BLESS. GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO BLESS. CURSED ARE THOSE WHO CURSE. SCOFFING IS NOT BLESSING. THOSE WHO DENY ME WILL BE DENIED BEFORE MY HEAVENLY FATHER. ARE YOU A TOOL OR A WEAPON? A SERVANT OR A SERPENT? SHAME SHAME SHAME.
CONGREGATION PRAY FOR THIS MAN. PRAY FOR ME. PRAY FOR ALL. TIME IS SHORT.THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE. DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT COMING? WATCH SUSPICIOUS 0BSERVERS CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE. SEE YOU IN THE CLOUDS WHERE I WILL RAISE YOU AND CHANGE YOU. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT I SAY AND PRAY SO THAT YOU MAY BE SAVED. I AM REVELATION. I AM THE APOCALYPSE. THE END IS NEAR AND THERE WILL BE A NEW BEGINNING. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? WAKE UP YOU WHO ARE THE DEAD IN CHRIST. IT'S TIME TO PREPARE TO SURVIVE OTHERWISE PERISH. TEST TEST TEST. YOU WILL BE TRIED THROUGH FIRE. THE FIRE COMES FROM THE SUN. STUDY PLASMA COSMOLOGY. THE SUN IS PLASMA AS THE EARTH CORE AS YOUR BONE MARROW HOLDS PLASMA. THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE ARE THE FOUR STAGES OR SEASON OF THE SUN. THE 12K YEARS CYCLES OF THE SUN WHICH WILL RAIN FIRE UPON PLANET EARTH. A MINI ICE AGE. A MICRONOVA. THE EARTH TILTS 90° AND BACK AGAIN. THE EARTH SPEAKS. THE CRUST BREAKS LOSE AND SHIFTS. THE OCEANS SPLASH OUT OF THEIR BOWLS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. INVESTIGATE. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER. BROTHER AND SISTER DO NOT GET CAUGHT UNPREPARED. MANY WILL AND THEY WILL BE LIFTED OFF THE PLANET. THE SHIELD FAILS AND BODIES WILL GO UP AND SEPARATE THE FLESH FROM THE SPIRIT. THE BLOOD WILL COVER THE EARTH. RAINS SNOW FIRE ALL WILL HAPEN. SOONER THAN YOU THINK. I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU THERE AT SUSPICIOUS 0BSERVERS CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE. GOD LOVES US ALL. ONLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE WILL SEE HIS GLORY. AMIN.✌💖🐾👣🙏🏼
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Paul J. Fumero
That republican fool dies and goes before Jesus.... He is groveling and singing the praises, etc. Jesus asks him Why did you not help my people in need? He gives his speak. Jesus then says, I so do reject you. Go to the other place and find your people.
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Michelle Marie Cook
The Mayor was not wrong in what he was saying. PPL need to prepare for emergencies such as this. At the onset of the Pandemic it should have been a wakeup call. There are Federal Web site dedicated to being prepared...you would never think how much you need to put away to be prepared for a simple 3 days..... We here in Michigan had a Black Out about 10 years ago. If you are prepared you can help others but ppl have to put forth half the effort!
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L. Marie Wise
Have you ever lived in a warm southern state? No one, as you can see, could have been prepared for what Texas got. Their state government let the people down. Two governors knew the grid needed updating and did nothing. It’s easy for individuals in colder climates to be prepared. They know what could be. I’ve down south and up north. That mayor is totally wrong!
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Charles Thomas Norkus
The mayor is right about one thing: there are lots of people living on the dole that are not interested in getting off the dole. There are obviously lots of people who genuinely need help, and they don't have anyone or anywhere else to turn, and both groups have been taken as a whole when it comes to providing for people's needs. I get his frustration, but maybe his energy would have been better spent coming up with creative ideas (e.g., churches and delivery companies pitching in to provide plumbing supplies) rather than ranting. An almost totally different subject, but somewhat related, is the stimulus bill that Congress is considering. It will provide checks - as did the last one - to people whose incomes have not been affected by the virus, e.g., retired state and federal employees now living on government pensions and Social Security. Why? Millions of dollars that could instead be applied to the problem. It does seem that a "gimme gimme" mindset has infected our society.
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BJ
God prvides food for the birds, but does not throw the food into the nests.
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Linda weeks
I do believe that each person who is capable should do all they can to help themselves and their family. I also know that we pay taxes and have set up agencies and plans as safety precautions against catastrophes. Those government officials responsible have a legal and moral obligation to see that those monies and safeties are put into play for all citizens.
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Alexander Clarke
We deserve the government we vote for. Texas is the way it is because the voters have voted it so. If you don't vote don't complain.
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Catherine
Petty, snide, and narrowminded comments are counterproductive and much of the reason why the U.S. evolved into the current state of chaos. I wish there were a way to turn notifications off for this discussion.
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John P Maher
TELL MAYOR BOYD to GET to THAT PHONE on the TREE in THE FOREST QUICKLY for HIS NEXT RANT !
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Daniel Gray
Still mad I see because you cant refute me or what I posted., so keep on showing your ignorance. this is better then a three stooges marathon
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Anisahoni
It is sickening to see another fake Christian, invoke God's name while denigrating humanity in their time of need. A disaster, leaving people in such dire circumstances and he forgets that people pay taxes. Evil people like him behave as if "government handouts" don't come from our taxes. Beyond that, he sounds evil to me, mean, nasty and a low life, low vibration "man" who uses foul language. He is no one who should hold public office. He needs to go. The governor is useless too and it took women to raise $5Million to help get food to the people of Texas. If anything, those women are doing the work of Jesus.
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Lionheart
Of course they are "doing the work of Jesus", whatever that really means, because we all know nothing will happen if we don't show up and do it for ourselves, unlike the imaginary deities people love to worship that won't lift a finger, and I think we all know why, they don't seem to exist, and if they did, they are obviously not interested in disasters, or anything else for that matter, and never have been during mans existence. It appears we are totally on our own, doing our own work, to save ourselves.
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Alexander Clarke
In Texas only the stupid seem to survive.
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Pamela Kay Waters
I think every state should be prepared for every element of mother nature.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
We've been known to tar and feather people for far less, down here in Texas, so I'm not surprised that mayor resigned. I bet he'll be moving to another town,too, if he hasn't already (and rightfully so).
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Anisahoni
Probably moved to Cancun, Mexico to spend the rest of his life rottng on the beaches.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I live on a little Island (approxiamately 2×32 miles) next to Texas in the Gulf of Mexico, called Galveston, Texas, in Galveston County, and am a fourth generation Galvestonian on both sides of my family. I stay constantly prepared and stocked up for hurricanes. And that can also apply to winter storms. Well, almost constantly. I've got candles, AA, AAA, and D batteries in my Amazon shopping cart, for next months' order, to replenish my supply. And other recently used storm essentials are in my Walmart.com shopping cart for next months' order. I get paid once a month, so I shop once a month. Things are back to normal in Galveston, and will probably remain so until August or September, which are the months when we almost always get hurricanes, during the years when we get them.
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Anisahoni
Good, another prepper. It does take time and resources to do what you have done. Me too. I have dehydrated foods from a company in Utah (Honeyville Farms), water in cans stored in my garage and a Global Sun Oven I have used for 25 years. Plenty of toiletries, etc. However, if a hurricane or fire hits your home, nothing will survive. My cousin was in south Fl when Andrew hit. She lost everything except the walls of her home. Everything else blew away. We can prepare, but there is no guarantee. The poor should be supported by their churches, not the other way around. Just a thought.
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Thom
So many comments and some based on hate. I am a Texan. I live in Texas and I survived the whole Snowvid-19. I prepared with plenty of food, water and other supplies for my family. I did not go overboard but, made sure we had enough for 10 days. Our power was out for about 6 hours and honestly, it was cold. The roads were bad and we could not get out and go somewhere else but we were just fine. The power came back on and the water was fine.
People have complained about politicians going other places and not handling the situation. Our state politicians handled the situation just fine for preparation and during the storm. The problem is, the request for additional energy production was turned down by the federal government due to climate change problems which would happen due to the additional production. I will let you take it from there.
Right now, we are in the 70's, some people are still without water due to pipe damage. Some foods are in short supply but many people share and just do without. No one rioted. No buildings were burned. People worked together and we all came out of it.
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Ilmenheru Terikson
LOL man you right wing looney tunes love to live in denial. the body count so far from this alone in your state is a quite real number and climbing every minute it seems. Far more substantial in terms of loss of life and property damage to common every day home owners then anything that happened in any of the so called riots your referencing.
Your state also is not part of the federal grid. You do not get to not be part of it, then ask for it in an emergency, sorry thats not how things work.
And there is a hell of a lot of reports coming in about looting stores for food stuffs etc in your state, so like in all desperate times people lash out and do as they feel they need with no care for the law.
The only issue is the cheap as hell texas corporate gods chose to put profit before life, and had not fitted their tech to deal with harsh cold weather to pinch the pennies. There is no climate change/green new deal any thing at work in texas, even its windmills are a paltry amount of the total state grid.
Tell me did the people who died make it through and come out of it together with you? Nope didnt think so. Typical me and mine are all that matter trumpanzee.
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Rev Hannah Grace
Comment removed by user.
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Robert N Clarkson
We're over 70 however. We know and remember. E n about this reminded me when I was at Basic Training in Texas. That was another year when winter happened in the lone star while I was back up in Montana for Christmas and New Years. I was skiing on many feet of snow on my last day of leave and driving thru unplowed areas to get to the resort. The next day we left in a snowstorm, changed planes in Denver where it was still snowing and plows working round the clock to keep the runway clear. Then the plane stopped in Oklahoma City and local authorities would not allow the jet to leave with passengers because of about a 1/4 inch of loose snow on the runway with icing conditions. So they put us on a bus which nearly crashed several times on the treacherous icy roads, as apparently instead of plowing and sanding with patrols the Texas authorities merely packed the snow with rollers, turning it to thick ice back then... yes pipes froze and burst unless folks cracked open the faucets to keep a flow to heat the piping open, in southern states household plumbing was on outer walls and uninsulated. The severe freezing winter cold lasted only a couple weeks and everything was at a standstill. Apparently in 50 years nothing changed except for the millennial snowflakes being even more ignorant about nature and effects of policies that do not consider extremes. Today it is "we're saving the planet, so what if somebody dies or is uncomfortable." There is not much us older folks can do about it, those of us in our 60-70 years were mostly skipped over in between the WWII generation, who knew how to get things done and did it, and the spoiled me me radical generations that followed ours as the torch of leadership was handed down in the 20- year career retirement cycle.
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Ealdormon Piparskeggr Robinson
A person folks elected, who then figuratively kicked them when they were down. It was good he resigned.
I grew up in deep snow country, have lived in hurricane and tornado country, too. One can make reasonable preparations, but still get caught short. If there is a disaster, and I have extra, will share.
I do not need to believe as anyone else does in order to be a neighbor.
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pjm
Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed the crowd. He didn't say, "Get off your lazy asses and find your own food."
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Lionheart
What I want to know is, when he changed water into wine, was it a good Cabernet or a Merlot? Whatever it was, I’m sure it had a good body to it 🤪
🦁❤️
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Juan Carlos Alatorre
We all are children of the same flock and a good pastor takes care of his sheep Join hands in congregation as brothers and sisters with love and compassion, Watch hi sheep . take of his sheep and look after his sheep as humble servants of our Lord. In unity as as children of the same universe help on another in times of hardship. Specially during aftermath natural disasters and the Covid-19 pandemics. If our Universal Church headquarters sees our need I fell that an emergency relief funding should be a priority assistance with contribution. Every state in America could benefit our children and families with charities and relief contributions to thy pain and suffering. Remember nobody will enter the gates of heaven with earthly treasures. The good deeds you do unto others as humble servants of God ,you do these for our creator. God will reward your souls in heaven with eternal glory and salvation in paradise. The Universal Church carries a great mission upon its shoulders and that is to unify and reunite our flock all together.. We must never surrender nor divide our universal mission of participation from doing what s righteous for our brothers and sisters .We must practice what we preach, in good terms of faith, with good acts of love and compassion among ourselves. Together we can achieve and accomplish greater things in unity. Together we can transform our lives with happiness and prosperity. .Remember our oath on to the church and your universal calling. I will choose to pray for all our congregations to emerge from the ashes and become as one,. In the name of The Holy Trinity of God our universal creator , may God bless everybody. Pastor; JC Alatorre, Amen .
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Only some ULC Ministers are Christians, and ULC is not a Christian sect, or denomination. Just thought this would be a good time and place to clarify that.
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Anisahoni
Rev Juan, I had to weed through all the words to get to your point. Yes, we all should do good works for those less fortunate, no matter faith, theology or lack thereof. With the rise of megachurces and ego- tistical greedy ministers, that is often forgotten. Quite frankly, I do not believe in the "guy in the sky" nor do I believe that "heaven" is somewhere in the Cosmos that I have to worry about. Heaven is here on Earth which humans have attempted to destroy through their greed and ignorance. It is doubtful that we humans will ever 'Be One" because of racist theologly, homophobia, divisiveness, "us vs them" rampant in Christian churches. We don't need to be "religious" to be honorable, loving, empathic and giving. It is not the mission of the ULC to "unify and reunite us." The ULC does not vet ministers. Anybody can claim to be a minsiter, no matter how nasty, racist or misogynist they are. The ULC is full of crazy and dangerous people who have been "ordained" too. I think your heart is in a good place. Blessings, Rev. Catherine Ohrin-Greipp, MSW
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Ilmenheru Terikson
Well Juan good job only showing yourself to be another insular minded false christian pushing your god down our throats here. Your trinity is a large part of all the troubles in this world for the last 2 thousand years or more, so keep your specifics to yourself and learn to engage a secular community in a secular manner.
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Stewart
Sadly he might actually believe all that and its his right too. Buttt the entire reason churches were tax exempt was at that time most of the money went to charitable works . now it goes to Mc Mansions v mega buildings an TV studios let's not forget 1st calss travel unless they own a private jet .
Start taxing all moneys except that used for historic religious things .
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Ilmenheru Terikson
I do understand what drives your feelings on the matter Stew but to be blunt I and I suspect a great many other more modest living ULC ministers do indeed take advantage of the tricks of the trade so to speak to avoid giving up what few dollars we have to big G.
To be clear I do not think anyone with less then 7 figures in their bank account should need to be taxed in the U.S. and feel anyone with more then oh lets say 7 million, I am trying to be nice here after all, should see 100% of that extra wealth taken to help society as a whole. The same with any business, what they make in profit largely given solely to handfuls of share holders should be taken to provided for the needs of the society that generates that wealth.
The idea that the obscenely wealthy somehow deserve what they horde, and are not beholden to the society they exploited to generate that wealth, is a very real issue in our modern world that leads to the likes of Drumpf.
I do suspect the world is starting to reach a critical moment that will force change, but I do also sadly suspect it will come with a great deal of violence and loss of life as such major events often come with in history. And its not at all clear what factions would be the ones to win and lead the new era.
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Stewart
Jesus said do unto others as you want them to do to you . Love your neighbor as yourself according to all the text he went out of his way to help the sick and poor .
Its just another side effect of the trumpians all about me me my and I too greedy to think of others .
he has the right to believe everyone out for themselves I forget which hurricane it was but afterward people were loading up plywood and other materials to rush the coast not to help but gouge $20 sheet of ply @$200 $1 jug of water$10 bags of ice all basics like that 100 or more times normal cost . They tried to justify it claiming they hauled were needed .
Shortly after the law was changed outlawing price gouging .
Texans out for number 1 and screw everybody else .
Sadly its most folks today but nice to see a few still can rise up and treat others with decency Bless each an everyone of them no matter what faith they follow .
We need few selfish trump types and more I care for others types...
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Woodrow
Leave your politics out of the discussion. Your just stirring up resentment on all sides. Websters defines resentment as extreme ill will. Synonym is SIN.
Matthew 7 Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.
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Ilmenheru Terikson
Woodrow, you do grasp we are not all Christians here right? I dont think you actually are all that familiar with the 7 virtues and 7 sins, Let alone the actual tenants of the Christian faith, as otherwise you would not be daring to speak in contest nor conflict with anyone.
You are literally acting the judge you claim to condemn by even speaking up. So good job proving you have no standing any should give respect to.
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Stewart
Politics is what the whole problem is just because your one of those resentful of losing dose not give you the ablity to dictate to others .
Last I saw free speech is for everyone not just those you agree with .
And as to the questionable quotes you used most of it was not written down for close too 200 years after the fact . And then when assemble cherry picked to fit the views of those compiling it from the stuff the Vatican let them see .
Trumpians are famous for claiming their rights but wanting no such thing for others . read the debates on the constitution and bill of rights .
Read Washington's an Jefferson's comment's on it being a christian nation .
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Ilmenheru Terikson
Hey Stew bud I get its an easy mistake but you replied to me not Woody above me.
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Alan S Corr
You started off so good and than you just had to talk about the former President.
The mayor shouldn’t have said the things he said . As the elected official of the town it’s his responsibility to help his people!
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Alan S Corr
You started off so good and than you just had to talk about the former President.
The mayor shouldn’t have said the things he said . As the elected official of the town it’s his responsibility to help his people!
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Daniel Gray
Buh buh buh Climate Change is not supposed to allow this as according to these fools the earth is warming not cooling. And they have yet to explain why the earth froze solid 6 times in its history (look up snowball earth) or why in 1813 it snowed and froze in Dallas and Houston and became known as the year without summer.
Just goes to show that the second people try and claim its settled science, Mother nature comes along and shows them for the fools they really are.
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Tom
Being ignorant of how global warming affects the weather and causes both heat waves and cold snaps doesn't mean global warming isn't happening. You have to ignore thousands of pages of research on climate change and the rapid warming trends we've seen in the past 20 years to still believe it isn't real.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/feb/17/arctic-heating-winter-storms-climate-change https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/10-myths-about-climate-change https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
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Ilmenheru Terikson
I see you really are right up there with the flat earthers and creationist looney tunes arent you DG. No the Earth has never frozen solid. I dont think you can even grasp what would happen if the molten iron core of this world was to cool to that degree.
You climate change deniers are beyond worthless to the human race, and a genuine threat to all life on this planet.
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Stanley Alan Marchand
I remember 40 year's ago when the world's top scientist said the world was to cold and they were trying to come up with a way to darken the polar ice cap's to melt them a bit! now it's of course to warm 10 years ago Al Gore standing in New York showing a water line saying remember this in 5 years that street will be under water now 10 years later the water has not resin at all ! Strange **** ha
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Ilmenheru Terikson
There are indeed now entire regions of new york that sit in standing water several feet deep for long spans of the year. The people living in these areas are ruined as they cant sell their homes, many have been condemned leaving people homeless and in ruins. Many more struggle to survive in areas fouled by toxic sewage over running the streets, and all the while climate change deniers cant fathom why the water levels increased so much over a few years.
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Lionheart
You can guarantee that someone will somehow say that the deep freeze is connected to global warming. There’s too much money involved for it to be anything else.....right?
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John D. Partin
How much money is there involved in denial of global warming to gas and car manufacturing industries, and factories in this country and around the world belching smoke into the sky and causing air pollution and unsafe breathing conditions in Manila, Philippines and New York City and elsewhere, and who don't want their profits affected by bad publicity and who have you and other Republicans and conservatives in their hip pocket? But, of course, as all you bought and paid for politicians and spokesmen for these industries mindlessly parrot "None of that could possibly produce global warming or have any effect on climate at all!", which you will continue to say when you are wearing gas masks and migrating to the Arctic for some short relief from this "non-existent global warming and greenhouse effect"", like the good little drones that you are!! You didn't mention all of them once again in your one-sided post!!
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Then there's the theory of this planet shifting on it's axis every ten thousand years (read Ruth Montgomery's Strangers Among Us), which could explain the biblical great flood, but that supposedly happened around four thousand years ago,which would give us close to another six thousand years before the start of climate change. My phone says it's one temperature, the weather service at Frost Bank claims another, and my Weather Channel app, still another. And beyond today's weather the forecasts become more and more misleading. Is it not still best to focus on and live in the present moment, since that's all we ever have. Beyond that, all I can truly say is "The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind."
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Ilmenheru Terikson
The great flood and the arc isnt half the mysterious myth the bible thumpers want it seen as. Not only has a far more accurate version of how to build a functional version been found in much older cuniform tablets, but we do know that all through that region for several thousand years there was a major flood cycle on a roughly once a century basis. Its not at all hard to grasp how in a land otherwise mostly a desert would lead to a strong oral tradition about a great flood that would roughly take just enough time between events to have no living person see the event twice.
We also know that the woven houses they made in that area and seal with a pitch based material could be flipped over and used like a raft as they made the fishing rafts they used exactly like their houses but on smaller scales. think a tar and pitch covered basket bowl that could then have a sealed mat roof rolled over the top to keep rain out.
The whole myth was basically just oral tradition Prepper stuff. Its only the bible thumpers who need it to be something bigger and grander then humans just being practical and adaptable and using story time to help teach their kids how to be ready just in case they are not around when they need to use the skills.
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Rev Hannah Grace
God does provide - He gives us each other to help each other. To think that an invisible hand is going to reconnect the power or bring foord and water is obscene, Jesus expected people to help each other - that's the whole basis for Christianity. what a horrible, selfish person that man must be. Good thing he resigned. Disaster either brings out the worst or the best in people, and I guess in his case, it was just the worst. But it's good to hear so many other Texans are responding with their best.
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Lionheart
Just wondering which god that would be, mankind has created so many? Just asking for a friend.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Regardless of a particular god or religion, the togetherness, the bonding, the helping is called community. By far most of us live in communities, and that's what it's about. Not many of us could survive without it.
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Rev Hannah Grace
It is the God you (or your friend) believes in. After all, there is no proof of the existence of God, just as there is no proof of the non-existence of God. Some people believe in a benevolent and loving force, some people a judgmental and spiteful being, some nothing at all; for each person there is a different image of God or non-God. We really do create God in our own image sometimes.
Atheists can be just as dogmatic as religious people though because they believe that they know for sure there is no God when no one knows anything for sure. I choose to believe in a force that we often refer to as love (agape) that brings out the best in us towards each other. I choose this because it makes me feel good. You choose to believe (or not) what you will, and your 'friend' can do the same.
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Lionheart
Thank you Hannah. Actually, atheists never profess to know for sure that any God doesn't exist. They also don't know for sure that Fairies, Elves, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or Unicorns don't exist. What they do say is that they will assume they don't exist until the claims of others saying they do, have been demonstrably proven/verified with unquestionable evidence. So far, no one has been able to do that.
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Rev Hannah Grace
Well Lionheart, you might know different atheists than I do but there are some who definitely say that God does not exist. Agnostics, on the other hand, tend to be more of the, 'I'm not sure.' variety. But whatever label they go by, none of us know anything for sure. So it's useless to fight over it.
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Ilmenheru Terikson
Correct Hannah, the main functional difference between an agnostic and an atheist is a hard line view that without hard objective data something simply is not to be recognized as other then at best a unproven hypothesis and that only if very real science has already been done to take it even that far.
Agnostic certainly is open to the idea, and even accept it might all be real, they just dont feel the need to personally accept it beyond engaging civilly with those who do believe.
The real issue is among the atheist community a very real far right faction has spread up in it, and it is seeing a very real civil war among its most well known figures, as an increasingly anti women, anti trans movement has taken root among many atheist men.
Lionheart seems to be a textbook case of this, as he frequently espouses support for Drumpf and his policies here, basically he is our resident Proud Boy here on the forums.
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Lionheart
It is true I supported the policies of the previous administration of securing our borders and putting Americans first. We have so many citizens on the streets, many of them vets. It’s my belief they need financial assistance, mental health, medical help, and education, way before thousands trying to enter the USA illegally who will be eligible for what our homeless currently need.
Remember the $2,000 stimulus checks promised as one of the first things many will receive as soon as Biden gets in? Has anyone received them yet? How are your gas prices doing? Has anyone not seen Biden lose his way yet reading from the teleprompter?
I voted for the policies, not the man. I don’t agree with all of the polices of either party, but I am all for America First, and that includes employment, security, and safety for all Americans. I just don’t see citizens being placed first by this administration. Many who voted for him, and who are now out of a job, possibly agree,
As for global warming, ask those in Texas. I’m sure someone will somehow bend the data to show the big freeze was a result of global warming, because theres too much money involved for them not to do that.
Just my two cents. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your comments.
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Donald Richard Starns
It’s climate CHANGE, obviously, not warming that’s biting us, and boy, does my blue ass, toes, and fingers know it. I went to bed in my rarely-used parka under, among other things, a pile of cats a cou-le of weeks ago in Houston.
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Robert Duff
Stimulus payments
1: March 17
2: March 24
3: April 3
4: April 7
5: April 14
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Catherine
'God provides' and DIY could be viewed as a red herring discussion.
That mayor, speaking as he did, represents the cognitive disconnect between haves who control have nots.
Too many laws restrict the majority of us from having our own gardens, or even having enough space between us to have self-supporting gardens. Creating our own electricity, salt water ponds and batteries, for example. How many of us never learned to naturally preserve foods to get through non-growing seasons, or to survive emergencies?
Other countries control utilities in heavily populated U.S. metropolitan areas.
Entrepreneurial endeavors or becoming self-sustaining appears to be managed. "You can do this or that as long as you don't threaten us", 'us' being monopolies. And if you're able to do really well as an entrepreneur, a monopoly will buy you out or otherwise prevent you from becoming their competition.
Lack of competition creates extraordinary imbalance.
Greed and gerrymandering, seeking power and status for the sake of those empty things, has caused us to live on top of each other.
There are no longer 3, 4, or 5 generations living under the same roof to share responsibilities, care, wisdoms, knowledge, and encouragement to be self-sustaining.
Freedom of speech, religion, who we vote for, are mostly controlled by monopolies who own the media. They only have their best interests at heart, then fault those who do the menial work that supports them. As long as the rest of us do their laundry, lawns, answer their phones and such, monopolies are happy. Except when monopolies are infighting like siblings with no manners to further eliminate each other as competition.
While I am not opposed to capitalism, I am opposed to what interferes with everyone leading their own life in a healthy way.
Healthy, mutual benefit has long been set aside to everyone's detriment.
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Helen Claire -Estelle Nance
Reganomic's DEREGULATION has come home to bite-you-in-the- aszz...how the heck do you think PUBLIC utilities BEING PRIVATIZED FOR PROFIT.. would have any other type of outcome!!!!!!!!!
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Ty Ford
Only the strong survive? Darwin should work harder.
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CB Cuff
As difficult as it is to believe Mayor Boyd actually said this out loud, he endorses the 'one star' status of Texas. Surprised he hasn't blamed Biden.... yet.
Spoiler Alert: It is your own "thoughts" that are behind the information that is being presented to you now and has you still talking your same old rubbish!! Your own posts are just rehashings of all your previous posts and so aren't keeping up with the conversation, while you accuse other people and myself of doing what you are actually doing!! Do try to respond to what is being presented to you now and not keep evading doing so by all of these games, if you even can. Everyone will be most appreciative!!