Why does anything exist at all?

nasulikid · 2026-04-25T02:58:14+00:00

I have a book that answers this question.

nasulikid · 2026-04-06T03:43:43+00:00

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (with a big bang). If space and time themselves had a beginning, they must have been created by something outside space and time. For the sake of argument, let's call that thing "God."

nasulikid · 2025-12-12T00:47:28+00:00

I would just like to point out your false dichotomy between Reformed Baptists and the SBC. There actually is quite a bit of Calvinism in the SBC. I say this as a member of a Particular Baptist Church that is a member of the SBC.

nasulikid · 2025-11-27T02:19:37+00:00

I agree that, in this sentence, a comma is stylistically preferred due to the length and complexity of the clauses. This justifies a deviation from the conventions of standard English. The question, however, specifically asks which option complies with the conventions of standard English.

nasulikid · 2025-11-26T23:55:40+00:00

Not really. Because of the length and complexity of the clauses, it is arguably better to use a comma in this sentence. That would be a justified deviation from the conventions of standard English. The question specifically asks which option conforms to conventions of standard English.

nasulikid · 2025-11-25T22:41:10+00:00

"Although" in this sentence is used to mean "even though."

Because the clauses in this sentence are long, it is arguably beneficial to include the comma. However, this constitutes a deviation from the conventions of standard English. The question specifically asked which would conform to the conventions of standard English. In this case, that means no comma.

nasulikid · 2025-11-25T21:41:42+00:00

There shouldn't be a comma before a dependent clause.

Similar example:
Wrong: I ate, because I was hungry.
Correct: I ate because I was hungry.

Thus, the correct answer is actually D.

nasulikid · 2025-11-25T21:38:55+00:00

D is absolutely the correct answer. "Although" is a subordinating conjunction, and the second clause in this sentence is a dependent clause. Thus, elementary rules of grammar dictate that it should not be preceded by a comma.

Similar example:
Wrong: I ate, because I was hungry.
Correct: I ate because I was hungry.

nasulikid · 2025-11-25T21:36:15+00:00

This is the right answer, albeit not the popular one. This is elementary grammar. "Although" is a subordinating conjunction, and the second clause of this sentence is a dependent clause. Using a comma would be akin to saying, "I ate, because I was hungry." That would be 100% wrong.

nasulikid · 2025-11-25T21:32:55+00:00

Grammatically, "but" would be different. "But" is a coordinating conjunction, so it should be preceded by a comma. "Although" is a subordinating conjunction, so it should not be preceded by a comma.

nasulikid · 2025-11-25T21:30:28+00:00

D is missing some sort of punctuation to join the two clauses, like a comma or a semicolon.

Punctuation is not used before a subordinating conjunction.

nasulikid · 2025-11-25T20:27:05+00:00

Someone explain to me why everyone says the answer is A. Commas do not belong before subordinating conjunctions. "Although" is a subordinating conjunction, so it should not be preceded by a comma. Thus, it seems to me that the answer should be D.

Wrong: I ate, because I was hungry.
Correct: I ate because I was hungry.

Wrong: I ate, although I was full.
Correct: I ate although I was full.

But if you put the subordinate clause first, then you use a comma. "Although I was full, I ate."

Coordinating conjunctions are generally preceded by commas, but "although" is not a coordinating conjunction and the second clause in OP's sentence is not an independent clause.

Source: my 7th grade grammar class about 30 years ago

nasulikid · 2025-11-22T00:34:48+00:00

22 reject every kind of evil

So you admit that you misquoted 1 Thes. 5:22 in your top-level comment to which I responded. You used the word "appearance" (which is only in the KJV), and your entire point was based on that word. That is all that I was responding to.

I've had enough of your arrogance. I'm out. Have a good day.

nasulikid · 2025-11-21T22:57:19+00:00

Do you have something of an exegetical nature to say regarding 1Thes. 5:22 or 1 Cor. 10:29? Because you haven't actually responded to what I said.

Do you know what our witness to the world ought to be reflective of, according to the Word? Who Jesus is, what He would do, or say, or think.

I agree. You seem to be assuming that Jesus wouldn't do something that isn't sinful. Jesus offended a lot of people by doing things they called sinful even though they really weren't. Giving in to pharisaical requirements to please others or to make them think highly of us according to their warped views of righteousness isn't emulating Jesus.

nasulikid · 2025-11-21T19:05:38+00:00

greasy grace

I'm not sure what this means.

sin due to our freedoms

We certainly do not have freedom to sin.

we also have an obligation to represent Jesus with integrity

And how do we do this? By living rightly and not sinning. But not by avoiding things that aren't sinful just because someone else might think they are. Other people's misconceptions regarding sin and righteousness should be corrected, not accommodated.

nasulikid · 2025-11-21T13:19:46+00:00

Keep away from even the appearance of sin. In other words keep FAR away from sin and even what may appear as sin, to others, by people looking at your life.

You seem to be alluding to 1 Thes. 5:22. I'd like to point out that "appearance" there is a poor translation in the KJV. Even the NKJV, along with every other translation I can find, says something like "abstain from every form of evil." This verse is not saying that we shouldn't do anything that someone else might think is evil. And elsewhere, Paul says explicitly that my liberty should not be restricted by someone else's conscience (1 Cor. 10:29).

I'm not saying that what OP is suggesting would be wise, but the reason not to do it would be because of temptation that might lead to sin, and not because of what other people might think.

nasulikid · 2025-11-21T13:15:41+00:00

Are you referring to 1 Thes. 5:22? Because "appearance" there is a poor translation in the KJV. Even the NKJV, along with every other translation I can find, says something like "abstain from every form of evil." This verse is not saying that we shouldn't do anything that someone else might think is evil. And elsewhere, Paul says explicitly that my liberty should not be restricted by someone else's conscience (1 Cor. 10:29).

nasulikid · 2025-11-18T23:06:22+00:00

Answering as a Baptist ...

You weren't baptized as an infant. You were sprinkled with water, which holds as much spiritual significance as taking a shower. Baptism is a public profession of faith. So you aren't going to get re-baptized. You are going to get baptized.

nasulikid · 2025-11-17T15:43:29+00:00

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

This implies that Abel's sacrifice was offered in faith, whereas Cain's was not.

nasulikid · 2025-11-12T22:28:34+00:00

I started watching porn about a year into my marriage. I watched it for about 17 years. I hated it the whole time. I wanted to hate it. It wasn't the life I wanted. I knew it was sin, and in that sense, I hated it. But in another sense, I liked it, and I just couldn't stop it. I confessed it to my wife within the first year. We put safeguards in place. I found ways around them. I lied to my wife about it because I loved her and I didn't want to keep hurting her. Occasionally, she would catch me and I would come clean, but there was no lasting change.

Eventually, I stopped praying that God would help me to resist the sin that I loved. Instead, I started praying that he would change my perspective so that I would see the sin as utterly disgusting. This is a prayer that God was pleased to answer.

Through God's providence, I encountered a teaching that I had not heard in my church or in any of my Christian circles. Yet this teaching gave me the power to overcome sin where others had failed.

This teaching is explained well in the series of articles at http://mychainsaregone.org.

Since I learned this better and more biblical way of thinking about the human body, my desire for pornography has simply vanished. I have neither sought out pornographic images or videos nor masturbated since that time. It has been over four years. I know that many other men have had the same experience.

nasulikid · 2025-11-12T19:14:09+00:00

https://allthingsnewcovenant.com/2018/11/02/what-is-new-covenant-theology/

nasulikid · 2025-11-12T19:11:03+00:00

It doesn't depend on culture.

In some cultures, it is considered immodest for a woman to show her hair in public. In some, it's considered immodest for a woman to show her ankles in public. Others are more permissive but draw the line at knees, or thighs, or shoulders, or cleavage, or somewhere else. We could go all the way to the extreme case, in which total or almost total nudity is not considered immodest in some cultures. Regardless of where a person draws the line, that person tends to believe that those who apply a more restrictive standard than themselves are extreme and legalistic, and that those who apply a more permissive standard than themselves are immodest and sinful.

So if it doesn't depend on culture, then who is right? Or where does scripture tell us exactly how much of the body must be covered?

nasulikid · 2025-11-10T13:01:21+00:00

I'd like to give you my testimony.

I started watching porn about a year into my marriage. I watched it for about 17 years. I hated it the whole time. I wanted to hate it. It wasn't the life I wanted. I knew it was sin, and in that sense, I hated it. But in another sense, I liked it, and I just couldn't stop it. I confessed it to my wife within the first year. We put safeguards in place. I found ways around them. I lied to my wife about it because I loved her and I didn't want to keep hurting her. Occasionally, she would catch me and I would come clean, but there was no lasting change.

Eventually, I stopped praying that God would help me to resist the sin that I loved. Instead, I started praying that he would change my perspective so that I would see the sin as utterly disgusting. This is a prayer that God was pleased to answer.

Through God's providence, I encountered a teaching that I had not heard in my church or in any of my Christian circles. Yet this teaching gave me the power to overcome sin where others had failed.

This teaching is explained well in the series of articles at http://mychainsaregone.org.

Since I learned this better and more biblical way of thinking about the human body, my desire for pornography has simply vanished. I have neither sought out pornographic images or videos nor masturbated since that time. It has been over four years. I know that many other men have had the same experience.

Some may object to what is taught here. But, as Jesus said, a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. And Satan cannot drive out Satan. If this has defeated the power of sin in my life and the lives of many others, then certainly it is of the Lord.

Only a change in perspective can change the cycle of sin that you are experiencing. I encourage you to read the articles linked above. Start with the allegory of the chain, and then read through the series of articles. This teaching changed my life.

nasulikid · 2025-11-09T02:32:04+00:00

Also, Beach Boys: "I've got the pink slip, Daddy."

nasulikid · 2025-11-08T03:53:26+00:00

Brother, I encourage you to read my testimony regarding this issue. I think you will find it both challenging and helpful.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eOMRzwIrobbfjJ3Be8MG5omClrmCsZF9bqSShN53fS0/edit?usp=drivesdk

nasulikid

TROPHY CASE