You are welcome, though my service was not very heroic. I taught analog computer electronics in Illinois for a couple of years and then spent two years at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. The only time I had a weapon was during some alert - they posted me out in the desert all night with an empty rifle. I ‘stood my post in a military manner’, but I wasn’t sure which way to face.
I’m in IT, teaching analog computer electronics to people sounds intimidating, and being in Vegas during the Spring/Summer? You were a hero. 
Meanwhile back on topic, the most dangerous prayer a politician can utter is ‘Thy will be done’. If he is subsequently elected then it is Gods’ will.
The founders were careful to protect our right to religious belief. Did they provide us any protection from religious belief?
There is hope. My 20 month old grandson walked past a woman doing a religious rant - and put his fingers in his ears.
I’ve known Christians who insisted that it was God’s will that Trump was elected. When I pointed out that this meant it was God’s will that Obama be elected, too, they fiercely denied it and said it somehow happened against God’s will.
Obama overpowered God?
That is so cool.
Christians have assured me that the devil is powerful. I find that a strange concept for monotheists.
I don’t think these are necessarily contradictory.
“Satan is strong. God is stronger yet.”
It’s a bit like saying that meningitis is a deadly disease, but a (certain type of) antibiotic is a wonder drug for treating it.
If God was omnipotent, he could erase Satan out of existence with a mere thought, or a snap of his fingers, if he wanted to be a bit more dramatic.
I think He keeps him around so people can choose who to follow. I don’t know, who knows how God thinks?
Contradicts another omni, omni-benevolence. Why does God let Satan torture us?
Hell if i know.
Sapir and Murphy taught me that 89 years is old for a head of lettuce, young for a mountain, and just about right for a man.
I will also thank you for fearlessly protecting our desert with your empty rifle.
But I really want to know what Vegas was like in 1960? It couldn’t have still been a sleepy cow town, but it was significantly smaller than it is now. Was it just five casinos on the strip? Was there a downtown? (I know that big cowboy wasn’t there then because I saw it everyday in front of the Round-Up Drive in on Thomas Road and 68th Street in South Scottsdale where I saw Bambi in my footie pajamas.) Would you see the Rat Pack on the streets, or at least Dino at the golf course? In 1960 was it already full of lights and “glamour”?
In order to not sidetrack this thread, would you be willing to discuss the matter in another forum (which one is right for that kind of stuff?)
I am told that is why Romans Chapter 9 was written which has a lot of those where were you when the world was created type scriptures. Speaking of which, Job 38 covers similar ground. If I understand correctly, God very much takes a “who are you to question me” approach to these kinds of questions, God will do as He wills and you may rest assured these are good decisions. He doesn’t end with “so there”, but I always infer it anyway.
But the question remains- Good for who?
Well it only took one comment for me to get out of my depth!
I assume good for God which – I don’t know, might be good for mankind too? I keep hearing we were modeled after God himself so maybe?
I think the thing about divine proclamations is that no one is supposed to question them.
This is contradicted by 2000 years of the practice of Christian theology.
2000 years of justifying the written word and/or making those words fit what is convenient to believe.
Yes, mostly. But also a thousand little in-fights about the sometimes most obscure pieces of scripture.
I am realizing I am getting close to ridiculing the faith of others. My answer, while somewhat tongue in cheek, is a legitimate answer given by apologists for the Christian faith. Because I know there are believers in this thread I will bow out before I go too far and become offensive.
I just recently debated this with a local Pastor and told him that the faith changes constantly so any claims of God being the same yesterday, today, and forever is misguided at best. Jewish scholars embrace changes and have different rules for different periods of time (I am assured they write down the losing arguments too when these things are decided because things may change again in the future. Christians (in my experience) tend to bask in the unchanging nature of the One True God, and when asked about scripture that is no longer adhered to, they tend to say those were written for a different dispensation or a specific place.
Now if you guys want to debate how many angels can dance on the point of a very sharp needle, at the same time - - - I will tag back in because that is the kind of meaningless minutia I love to wade into. I can become quite pedantic on those types of discussions, but I don’t want to mess around with issues that affect the genuine faith of another. (I have hurt enough people by denying the faith I once had and don’t want to swim in those waters any longer.)