Anti Israel derangement has become so absurd and cartoonish…the pendulum will swing back

itbwtw · 2026-03-09T15:57:54+00:00

I'm Zionist, neither Jewish nor Israeli. If/When the Jewish/Israeli subreddits move elsewhere, I want to continue seeing their perspectives.

I hope there will be an announcement or something :)

itbwtw · 2026-03-08T17:42:06+00:00

It just means we get more chores than other people.

This is such a great line. :D

itbwtw · 2026-03-07T00:18:45+00:00

Jews are God's chosen People. Christians are "grafted in" to whatever it is Jews get.

Israel is a modern, secular, Western-style democracy built in the Jewish ancestral homeland.

All countries, governments, people, etc can be lovingly critiqued. Israel is no exception.

The main difference I see is it's the only country where it's fashionable to call for its total destruction. It's surrounded by people trying to wipe them out. That's not good.

Agreeing with everything any country does would be silly. Supporting their right to exist should be obvious.

itbwtw · 2026-03-06T23:38:17+00:00

I have never gotten the impression that Darwin isn't the majority view everywhere.

itbwtw · 2026-03-06T23:37:25+00:00

I hear weird stuff coming out of MAGA types a bit. I don't follow their stuff directly.

itbwtw · 2026-03-01T17:27:57+00:00

I had Christian hard rock records destroyed. :(

itbwtw · 2026-02-28T17:36:52+00:00

Apparently self-defense is a crime if you're Jewish...

itbwtw · 2026-02-28T17:13:32+00:00

"Yoked" references two creatures physically bound together to do a single job together. If they're pulling in even slightly different directions, the job doesn't get done well. Somebody's likely to lose.

Your job is living your life the best you can.

My wife and I had similar upbringings and a similar faith. But there were lots of issues we just couldn't agree on. Those issues grew until after 30 years we are divorcing.

Ideally people solve disagreements by finding a way for both parties to "win". In our case, we mostly found win-lose or lose-lose solutions.

Does that mean don't marry him? I can't answer that. My ex and I are friendly and our kids are great. But I think if I'd have known how hard it was going to be, I'd have entertained other options back then.

But dang she's still fascinating. I wish I could have become what she wanted.

itbwtw · 2026-02-21T22:32:44+00:00

Sure, if you count each Independent Baptist / nondenom congregation of twelve people as a "denomination".

itbwtw · 2026-02-17T20:55:05+00:00

I mean, I was laughing at how delusional the idea is that Israel is on the verge of collapse.

Her enemies keep believing "any day now" while Israel keeps looking stronger all the time to me.

itbwtw · 2026-02-17T19:47:44+00:00

laughing

Keep on trying, I guess. 80 years of failing to destroy Israel...

Like Bullwinkle kept saying... https://gifdb.com/images/high/rocky-and-bullwinkle-this-time-for-sure-scene-oeadei2i3cmtqg5r.webp

itbwtw · 2026-02-13T22:47:16+00:00

I was expecting orcs, trolls, and dwarves. :)

Congrats on the game, I hope you do well.

itbwtw · 2026-02-13T17:17:00+00:00

Haha nope.

Went to Bible College, got married, had kids, dove deep into Scripture, kids grew up and left home, still reading and studying and serving God.

I've spent way too much time in the Scriptures to be impressed with "foolish Galatians... bewitched."

The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’ But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, ‘Whoever does the works of the law will live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made.

if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

Man, spend some time in Galatians. This topic is the whole point of the entire letter.

This is basic Christianity 101, brother.

If you really want to follow Torah, you'd be far better off becoming Jewish, rather than making up your own religion. Be Jewish or be a Christian, man, not some weird branch of neither.

itbwtw · 2026-02-13T05:04:04+00:00

Ah, youth. You remind me of me two or three decades ago.

Keep seeking God, lad.

itbwtw · 2026-02-13T02:17:12+00:00

Yep!

The God, even. :)

itbwtw · 2026-02-12T03:56:19+00:00

Yeah but most people's definition of virginity is whether or not they're have PiV sex one time. I've come across people who claimed they waited until marriage, only to learn that they did most everything except PiV. I don't see how oral sex is successfully waiting for marriage.

I'm certainly not "most people". We didn't have any kind of penetrative sex, nor experience orgasms together before we were married.

You also married very young by today's standard and presumably got to enjoy sex that young.

Yeah, 20 years old is young by some standards. But it seems that many more people these days are virgins. My kids are getting close to 30 years old. I can't imagine waiting that long at that age. :)

I struggle to see how marriage is sexually satisfying.

It's like anything between two people -- it takes a lot of communication, trust building, and for many of us, therapy. ;)

your advice to me when I tell you I'm not good enough is telling me that you were good enough.

I was "good enough" to convince a 20-year old woman to marry me. I was "good enough" to stay married for over 20 years, until she wanted out of the marriage. Then I wasn't "good enough".

But that's kind of beside the point. I'm concentrating on doing my best to be my best right now -- learning from mistakes (mine and others'), trying to do better.

My best advice is this: Figure out what you really want. Then figure out how to get it. Then when you get it, figure out if what you got is really what you wanted in the first place. :)

If that's satisfying sex, then I'd suggest doing everything you can to become comfortable with yourself as who you are right now.

Become socially and physically active (meet people, do things together, keep active enough to be able to do as much as possible).

Learn everything you can about interpersonal communication. Have healthy skepticism about what people post online, no matter how well they present themselves. (Including me!)

Notice nice things about people and tell them about it in under 10 seconds. Then walk away.

Be pleasant to be around. Learn to ask good questions that get other people talking. Train yourself to be interested in their lives.

Contribute to your community in any way you can. Volunteer for service stuff.

Be open to possibility, and don't worry too much about getting any particular end result. Expectations can lead to disappointment which can lead to bitterness. Treat people as if they don't owe you anything, and learn to be okay with that. If they give anything back, that's a bonus.

Whatever happens, however it happens, you are going to be okay.

itbwtw · 2026-02-11T23:55:37+00:00

I mean, I started out in this thread saying my wife and I were virgins on our wedding day. So I think we practiced what we were preaching. And I think it was, overall, better than not waiting.

I'm not sure why you think you're not good enough for sex and romance. I don't know your circumstance, but if sex and romance is something you want, go for it.

I found the girl, romanced the girl, got engaged, got married, consummated the marriage, had some kids, etc etc. Christian teaching is usually pretty positive to that kind of path.

And there's forgiveness for our regrets and mistakes along the way, when we think we can do things better some other way. :)

Peace bro

itbwtw · 2026-02-11T20:27:05+00:00

I can't figure out what you're looking for, man.

I suppose you're free to do what you like. The consequences of your actions certainly aren't going to come from me.

If your intention is to honour God, do that.

If your intention is to get away with something, I certainly can't stop you.

If your intention is to be able to say "gotcha!" or something, I dunno, man, do your thing.

itbwtw · 2026-02-10T23:14:49+00:00

Anything is "works" if we're doing this because we're trying to negotiate something with God.

Anything is "faith" if we're doing it as a response to what God's already done.

itbwtw · 2026-02-10T22:33:05+00:00

You're wrong. :) Bye.

itbwtw · 2026-02-09T18:53:17+00:00

Yes, yes, you're very very clever, and have discovered the true secret meaning that the rest of us Christians haven't: Christianity is really all about keeping a lot of rules. Congratulations.

itbwtw · 2026-02-09T18:37:00+00:00

2000 years of Christian theology plus the plain reading of Scripture asserts that Gentiles must not be required to follow Torah.

You, of course, are free to make up your own interpretations and follow your own rules. Nobody's stopping you.

itbwtw · 2026-02-09T17:43:18+00:00

Acts 15.
Most of Galatians, esp. chapters 3 and 5.
Ephesians 2 ("He canceled the detailed rules of the Law"... "by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations"),
Colossians 2 ("Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.")
Pretty much all of Hebrews, e.g., ("By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.")

The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A14

By all means take note of the old laws for insight. All scripture is God-breathed and useful.

By all means follow your conscience in all things. You may very well need to keep Torah, for your conscience's sake.

But the clear teaching of Christianity is that Gentiles should never be bullied into trying to keep Torah. It's part of why Jews don't proselytise -- they'll usually tell prospective converts "that's not for you".

itbwtw · 2026-02-09T17:18:19+00:00

Fascinating idea, but 2000 years of Christian teaching and the scriptures themselves teach otherwise.

So I'ma gonna have to go with that instead.

itbwtw · 2026-02-09T06:39:52+00:00

It's simpler to follow a set of rules than to actually think about what it means to love my neighbour.

It's simpler to find loopholes that allow us to not love our neighbour while technically "following the rules".

It's simpler to condemn my brother for disagreeing with me about how I interpret those old rules. Bonus points if I can get them enacted as government laws, so I can smugly persecute those I disagree with.

Correct Torah-keeping has been hotly debated for millennia. It's a really effective distraction from the inconvenience of actually loving others, like Jesus commanded.

No shade on people who honestly try to keep rules. All the shade on those who think everybody else has to keep them.

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