jesusissavior--2020-03-19--Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds

Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds

The economist J.K. Galbraith once wrote , “ Faced with a choice between changing one ’ s mind and proving there is no need to do so , almost everyone gets busy with the proof.
” Leo Tolstoy was even bolder : “ The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already ; but the simplest thing can not be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already , without a shadow of doubt , what is laid before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Why do n't facts change our minds ?
And why would someone continue to believe a false or inaccurate idea anyway ?
How do such behaviors serve us ?
Humans need a reasonably accurate view of the world in order to survive .
If your model of reality is wildly different from the actual world , then you struggle to take effective actions each day .
1 However , truth and accuracy are not the only things that matter to the human mind .
Humans also seem to have a deep desire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wrote , “ Humans are herd animals .
We want to fit in , to bond with others , and to earn the respect and approval of our peers .
Such inclinations are essential to our survival .
For most of our evolutionary history , our ancestors lived in tribes .
Becoming separated from the tribe—or worse , being cast out—was a death sentence.
” Understanding the truth of a situation is important , but so is remaining part of a tribe .
While these two desires often work well together , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many circumstances , social connection is actually more helpful to your daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea .
The Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker put it this way , “ People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs , so one function of the mind may be to hold beliefs that bring the belief-holder the greatest number of allies , protectors , or disciples , rather than beliefs that are most likely to be true.
” 2 We do n't always believe things because they are correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make us look good to the people we care about .
I thought Kevin Simler put it well when he wrote , “ If a brain anticipates that it will be rewarded for adopting a particular belief , it 's perfectly happy to do so , and does n't much care where the reward comes from — whether it 's pragmatic ( better outcomes resulting from better decisions ) , social ( better treatment from one 's peers ) , or some mix of the two.
” 3 False beliefs can be useful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not useful in a factual sense .
For lack of a better phrase , we might call this approach “ factually false , but socially accurate.
” 4 When we have to choose between the two , people often select friends and family over facts .
This insight not only explains why we might hold our tongue at a dinner party or look the other way when our parents say something offensive , but also reveals a better way to change the minds of others .
Convincing someone to change their mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change their tribe .
If they abandon their beliefs , they run the risk of losing social ties .
You can ’ t expect someone to change their mind if you take away their community too .
You have to give them somewhere to go .
Nobody wants their worldview torn apart if loneliness is the outcome .
The way to change people ’ s minds is to become friends with them , to integrate them into your tribe , to bring them into your circle .
Now , they can change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoned socially .
The British philosopher Alain de Botton suggests that we simply share meals with those who disagree with us : “ Sitting down at a table with a group of strangers has the incomparable and odd benefit of making it a little more difficult to hate them with impunity .
Prejudice and ethnic strife feed off abstraction .
However , the proximity required by a meal – something about handing dishes around , unfurling napkins at the same moment , even asking a stranger to pass the salt – disrupts our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outsiders who wear unusual clothes and speak in distinctive accents deserve to be sent home or assaulted .
For all the large-scale political solutions which have been proposed to salve ethnic conflict , there are few more effective ways to promote tolerance between suspicious neighbours than to force them to eat supper together.
” 5 Perhaps it is not difference , but distance that breeds tribalism and hostility .
As proximity increases , so does understanding .
I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln 's quote , “ I do n't like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him better.
” Years ago , Ben Casnocha mentioned an idea to me that I have n't been able to shake : The people who are most likely to change our minds are the ones we agree with on 98 percent of topics .
If someone you know , like , and trust believes a radical idea , you are more likely to give it merit , weight , or consideration .
You already agree with them in most areas of life .
Maybe you should change your mind on this one too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you proposes the same radical idea , well , it 's easy to dismiss them as a crackpot .
One way to visualize this distinction is by mapping beliefs on a spectrum .
If you divide this spectrum into 10 units and you find yourself at Position 7 , then there is little sense in trying to convince someone at Position 1 .
The gap is too wide .
When you 're at Position 7 , your time is better spent connecting with people who are at Positions 6 and 8 , gradually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most heated arguments often occur between people on opposite ends of the spectrum , but the most frequent learning occurs from people who are nearby .
The closer you are to someone , the more likely it becomes that the one or two beliefs you do n't share will bleed over into your own mind and shape your thinking .
The further away an idea is from your current position , the more likely you are to reject it outright .
When it comes to changing people 's minds , it is very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another .
You ca n't jump down the spectrum .
You have to slide down it .
Any idea that is sufficiently different from your current worldview will feel threatening .
And the best place to ponder a threatening idea is in a non-threatening environment .
As a result , books are often a better vehicle for transforming beliefs than conversations or debates .
In conversation , people have to carefully consider their status and appearance .
They want to save face and avoid looking stupid .
When confronted with an uncomfortable set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to double down on their current position rather than publicly admit to being wrong .
Books resolve this tension .
With a book , the conversation takes place inside someone 's head and without the risk of being judged by others .
It 's easier to be open-minded when you are n't feeling defensive .
Arguments are like a full frontal attack on a person 's identity .
Reading a book is like slipping the seed of an idea into a person 's brain and letting it grow on their own terms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone 's head when they are overcoming a pre-existing belief .
They do n't need to wrestle with you too .
There is another reason bad ideas continue to live on , which is that people continue to talk about them .
Silence is death for any idea .
An idea that is never spoken or written down dies with the person who conceived it .
Ideas can only be remembered when they are repeated .
They can only be believed when they are repeated .
I have already pointed out that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same social group .
But here 's a crucial point most people miss : People also repeat bad ideas when they complain about them .
Before you can criticize an idea , you have to reference that idea .
You end up repeating the ideas you ’ re hoping people will forget—but , of course , people can ’ t forget them because you keep talking about them .
The more you repeat a bad idea , the more likely people are to believe it .
6 Let 's call this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The number of people who believe an idea is directly proportional to the number of times it has been repeated during the last year—even if the idea is false .
7 Each time you attack a bad idea , you are feeding the very monster you are trying to destroy .
As one Twitter employee wrote , “ Every time you retweet or quote tweet someone you ’ re angry with , it helps them .
It disseminates their BS .
Hell for the ideas you deplore is silence .
Have the discipline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Your time is better spent championing good ideas than tearing down bad ones .
Do n't waste time explaining why bad ideas are bad .
You are simply fanning the flame of ignorance and stupidity .
The best thing that can happen to a bad idea is that it is forgotten .
The best thing that can happen to a good idea is that it is shared .
It makes me think of Tyler Cowen 's quote , “ Spend as little time as possible talking about how other people are wrong.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas die of starvation .
I know what you might be thinking .
“ James , are you serious right now ?
I 'm just supposed to let these idiots get away with this ?
” Let me be clear .
I 'm not saying it 's never useful to point out an error or criticize a bad idea .
But you have to ask yourself , “ What is the goal ?
” Why do you want to criticize bad ideas in the first place ?
Presumably , you want to criticize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be better off if fewer people believed them .
In other words , you think the world would improve if people changed their minds on a few important topics .
If the goal is to actually change minds , then I do n't believe criticizing the other side is the best approach .
Most people argue to win , not to learn .
As Julia Galef so aptly puts it : people often act like soldiers rather than scouts .
Soldiers are on the intellectual attack , looking to defeat the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the operative emotion .
Scouts , meanwhile , are like intellectual explorers , slowly trying to map the terrain with others .
Curiosity is the driving force .
9 If you want people to adopt your beliefs , you need to act more like a scout and less like a soldier .
At the center of this approach is a question Tiago Forte poses beautifully , “ Are you willing to not win in order to keep the conversation going ?
” Be Kind First , Be Right Later The brilliant Japanese writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember that to argue , and win , is to break down the reality of the person you are arguing against .
It is painful to lose your reality , so be kind , even if you are right.
” 10 When we are in the moment , we can easily forget that the goal is to connect with the other side , collaborate with them , befriend them , and integrate them into our tribe .
We are so caught up in winning that we forget about connecting .
It 's easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than working with them .
The word “ kind ” originated from the word “ kin.
” When you are kind to someone it means you are treating them like family .
This , I think , is a good method for actually changing someone 's mind .
Develop a friendship .
Share a meal .
Gift a book .
Be kind first , be right later .
11

The economist J.K. Galbraith once wrote, “Faced with a choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy with the proof.”
Leo Tolstoy was even bolder: “The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him.”
What’s going on here? Why don’t facts change our minds? And why would someone continue to believe a false or inaccurate idea anyway? How do such behaviors serve us?
The Logic of False Beliefs
Humans need a reasonably accurate view of the world in order to survive. If your model of reality is wildly different from the actual world, then you struggle to take effective actions each day. 1
However, truth and accuracy are not the only things that matter to the human mind. Humans also seem to have a deep desire to belong.
In Atomic Habits, I wrote, “Humans are herd animals. We want to fit in, to bond with others, and to earn the respect and approval of our peers. Such inclinations are essential to our survival. For most of our evolutionary history, our ancestors lived in tribes. Becoming separated from the tribe—or worse, being cast out—was a death sentence.”
Understanding the truth of a situation is important, but so is remaining part of a tribe. While these two desires often work well together, they occasionally come into conflict.
In many circumstances, social connection is actually more helpful to your daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea. The Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker put it this way, “People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs, so one function of the mind may be to hold beliefs that bring the belief-holder the greatest number of allies, protectors, or disciples, rather than beliefs that are most likely to be true.” 2
We don’t always believe things because they are correct. Sometimes we believe things because they make us look good to the people we care about.
I thought Kevin Simler put it well when he wrote, “If a brain anticipates that it will be rewarded for adopting a particular belief, it’s perfectly happy to do so, and doesn’t much care where the reward comes from — whether it’s pragmatic (better outcomes resulting from better decisions), social (better treatment from one’s peers), or some mix of the two.” 3
False beliefs can be useful in a social sense even if they are not useful in a factual sense. For lack of a better phrase, we might call this approach “factually false, but socially accurate.” 4 When we have to choose between the two, people often select friends and family over facts.
This insight not only explains why we might hold our tongue at a dinner party or look the other way when our parents say something offensive, but also reveals a better way to change the minds of others.
Facts Don’t Change Our Minds. Friendship Does.
Convincing someone to change their mind is really the process of convincing them to change their tribe. If they abandon their beliefs, they run the risk of losing social ties. You can’t expect someone to change their mind if you take away their community too. You have to give them somewhere to go. Nobody wants their worldview torn apart if loneliness is the outcome.
The way to change people’s minds is to become friends with them, to integrate them into your tribe, to bring them into your circle. Now, they can change their beliefs without the risk of being abandoned socially.
The British philosopher Alain de Botton suggests that we simply share meals with those who disagree with us:
“Sitting down at a table with a group of strangers has the incomparable and odd benefit of making it a little more difficult to hate them with impunity. Prejudice and ethnic strife feed off abstraction. However, the proximity required by a meal – something about handing dishes around, unfurling napkins at the same moment, even asking a stranger to pass the salt – disrupts our ability to cling to the belief that the outsiders who wear unusual clothes and speak in distinctive accents deserve to be sent home or assaulted. For all the large-scale political solutions which have been proposed to salve ethnic conflict, there are few more effective ways to promote tolerance between suspicious neighbours than to force them to eat supper together.” 5
Perhaps it is not difference, but distance that breeds tribalism and hostility. As proximity increases, so does understanding. I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s quote, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”
Facts don’t change our minds. Friendship does.
The Spectrum of Beliefs
Years ago, Ben Casnocha mentioned an idea to me that I haven’t been able to shake: The people who are most likely to change our minds are the ones we agree with on 98 percent of topics.
If someone you know, like, and trust believes a radical idea, you are more likely to give it merit, weight, or consideration. You already agree with them in most areas of life. Maybe you should change your mind on this one too. But if someone wildly different than you proposes the same radical idea, well, it’s easy to dismiss them as a crackpot.
One way to visualize this distinction is by mapping beliefs on a spectrum. If you divide this spectrum into 10 units and you find yourself at Position 7, then there is little sense in trying to convince someone at Position 1. The gap is too wide. When you’re at Position 7, your time is better spent connecting with people who are at Positions 6 and 8, gradually pulling them in your direction.
The most heated arguments often occur between people on opposite ends of the spectrum, but the most frequent learning occurs from people who are nearby. The closer you are to someone, the more likely it becomes that the one or two beliefs you don’t share will bleed over into your own mind and shape your thinking. The further away an idea is from your current position, the more likely you are to reject it outright.
When it comes to changing people’s minds, it is very difficult to jump from one side to another. You can’t jump down the spectrum. You have to slide down it.
Any idea that is sufficiently different from your current worldview will feel threatening. And the best place to ponder a threatening idea is in a non-threatening environment. As a result, books are often a better vehicle for transforming beliefs than conversations or debates.
In conversation, people have to carefully consider their status and appearance. They want to save face and avoid looking stupid. When confronted with an uncomfortable set of facts, the tendency is often to double down on their current position rather than publicly admit to being wrong.
Books resolve this tension. With a book, the conversation takes place inside someone’s head and without the risk of being judged by others. It’s easier to be open-minded when you aren’t feeling defensive.
Arguments are like a full frontal attack on a person’s identity. Reading a book is like slipping the seed of an idea into a person’s brain and letting it grow on their own terms. There’s enough wrestling going on in someone’s head when they are overcoming a pre-existing belief. They don’t need to wrestle with you too.
Why False Ideas Persist
There is another reason bad ideas continue to live on, which is that people continue to talk about them.
Silence is death for any idea. An idea that is never spoken or written down dies with the person who conceived it. Ideas can only be remembered when they are repeated. They can only be believed when they are repeated.
I have already pointed out that people repeat ideas to signal they are part of the same social group. But here’s a crucial point most people miss:
People also repeat bad ideas when they complain about them. Before you can criticize an idea, you have to reference that idea. You end up repeating the ideas you’re hoping people will forget—but, of course, people can’t forget them because you keep talking about them. The more you repeat a bad idea, the more likely people are to believe it. 6
Let’s call this phenomenon Clear’s Law of Recurrence: The number of people who believe an idea is directly proportional to the number of times it has been repeated during the last year—even if the idea is false. 7
Each time you attack a bad idea, you are feeding the very monster you are trying to destroy. As one Twitter employee wrote, “Every time you retweet or quote tweet someone you’re angry with, it helps them. It disseminates their BS. Hell for the ideas you deplore is silence. Have the discipline to give it to them.” 8
Your time is better spent championing good ideas than tearing down bad ones. Don’t waste time explaining why bad ideas are bad. You are simply fanning the flame of ignorance and stupidity.
The best thing that can happen to a bad idea is that it is forgotten. The best thing that can happen to a good idea is that it is shared. It makes me think of Tyler Cowen’s quote, “Spend as little time as possible talking about how other people are wrong.”
Feed the good ideas and let bad ideas die of starvation.
The Intellectual Soldier
I know what you might be thinking. “James, are you serious right now? I’m just supposed to let these idiots get away with this?”
Let me be clear. I’m not saying it’s never useful to point out an error or criticize a bad idea. But you have to ask yourself, “What is the goal?”
Why do you want to criticize bad ideas in the first place? Presumably, you want to criticize bad ideas because you think the world would be better off if fewer people believed them. In other words, you think the world would improve if people changed their minds on a few important topics.
If the goal is to actually change minds, then I don’t believe criticizing the other side is the best approach.
Most people argue to win, not to learn. As Julia Galef so aptly puts it: people often act like soldiers rather than scouts. Soldiers are on the intellectual attack, looking to defeat the people who differ from them. Victory is the operative emotion. Scouts, meanwhile, are like intellectual explorers, slowly trying to map the terrain with others. Curiosity is the driving force. 9
If you want people to adopt your beliefs, you need to act more like a scout and less like a soldier. At the center of this approach is a question Tiago Forte poses beautifully, “Are you willing to not win in order to keep the conversation going?”
Be Kind First, Be Right Later
The brilliant Japanese writer Haruki Murakami once wrote, “Always remember that to argue, and win, is to break down the reality of the person you are arguing against. It is painful to lose your reality, so be kind, even if you are right.”10
When we are in the moment, we can easily forget that the goal is to connect with the other side, collaborate with them, befriend them, and integrate them into our tribe. We are so caught up in winning that we forget about connecting. It’s easy to spend your energy labeling people rather than working with them.
The word “kind” originated from the word “kin.” When you are kind to someone it means you are treating them like family. This, I think, is a good method for actually changing someone’s mind. Develop a friendship. Share a meal. Gift a book.
Be kind first, be right later. 11


jesusissavior--2020-03-19--Mankind Hasn't Even Begun To Tap Atomic Power

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jesusissavior--2020-03-20--11,500 Nigerian Christians Murdered

11,500 Nigerian Christians Murdered

A Nigerian civil society organization claims that no fewer than 350 Christians have been killed across the West African country since the start of 2020 and estimates that about 11,500 Christians have been killed since 2015 .
“ Nigeria has fully become a killing field of defenseless Christians , ” the Anambra-based nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law ( Intersociety ) said this week in a new special report , titled “ Nigeria : A Killing Field Of Defenseless Christians.
” “ Available statistics have shown that between 11,500 and 12,000 Christian deaths were recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 2015 when the present central government of Nigeria came on board .
Out of this figure , Jihadist Fulani herdsmen accounted for 7,400 Christian deaths , Boko Haram 4,000 and the ‘ Highway Bandits ’ 150-200.
” The organization , which is headed by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi , has monitored violence against Christians in Nigeria since 2010 through a team of criminologists , lawyers , journalists , security , and peace and conflict studies graduates .
Nigeria has been marred by violence in the last decade-plus due to the rise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Haram and its splinter group , the Islamic State ’ s West Africa Province .
In recent years , massacres carried out by radicalized Fulani herders against predominantly Christian farming villages in Nigeria ’ s Middle Belt have also driven communities from their homes .
Additionally , bandit gangs have been responsible for carrying out kidnappings along some major highways .
The United Nations estimates that about 2 million people have been internally displaced across Nigeria and 11 million people in need of assistance .
An additional 550,000 are said to be displaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Niger .
“ While 100 percent of the victims of Jihadist Herdsmen attacks across Nigeria are Christians , the estimated 4,000 Christians killed by Boko Haram were part of the estimated 6,000 [ people in total ] massacred by the sect since June 2015 , ” the report explains .
“ Generally , many , if not most of the victims of Boko Haram/ISWAP attacks in Nigeria ’ s Northeast are Christians .
On the part of ‘ Bandits/Highway Kidnappers ’ in Northern Nigeria , most of their rural victims are Muslims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their roadside victims are Christians traveling to northern or southern parts of the country using the Birnin-Gwari Federal Road , near Kaduna , etc.
” For its monitoring and documentation , Intersociety relies on what it deems to be credible local and foreign media reports , government accounts , international rights groups , eyewitness accounts and reports from various Christian bodies in the country .
Intersociety reports that Fulani herdsmen accounted for 250 of the 350 deaths recorded in January and February 2020 while Boko Haram and highway bandit gangs are responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two months , Intersociety reports that radical Fulani militants have carried out attacks in Nasarawa , Adamawa and Edo in addition to some other locations throughout the country .
Last year , Intersociety reported that no fewer than 2,400 Christians were killed by Fulani radicals in 2018 .
In 2019 , according to the group , between 1,000 to 1,200 Christians were killed by Fulani attackers .
While reports have indicated an increase in deadly Boko Haram attacks beginning in December 2019 , Intersociety noted that Boko Haram attacks targeting Christians since January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taraba States .
“ [ The attacks are ] claiming between 50 and 70 Christian lives and loss of churches and other buildings belonging to Christians , ” the report explains , adding that Boko Haram was responsible for killing at least 1,000 citizens in 2019 .
Additionally , between 100 and 150 Christian travelers were said to have been abducted on highways since the beginning of the year .
“ The killings targeted at Christians in Nigeria have continued into the first week of March 2020 leading to hacking to death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report reads .
“ Among the worst hit in the latest round of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks are Plateau State with 70-80 deaths , Kaduna [ with ] 50 deaths , Kogi [ with ] 30 deaths , Benue [ with ] 15-20 , Delta [ with ] 16 and Taraba [ with ] 10.
” In the past 57 months , no fewer than 20 clergymen ( including eight Catholic priests and seminarians ) have been hacked to death , while no less than 50 were abducted or kidnapped , Intersociety reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kidnapped and then executed the Rev .
Lawan Andimi , chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria ’ s chapter in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa state .
Other slain religious leaders killed in Nigeria in the past 12 months include the Revs .
Clement Ugwu and Paul Offu .
Intersociety also estimated that over 2,000 churches and Christian worship centers have been burned since June 2015 , with Fulani herdsmen being responsible for about 1,500 and Boko Haram accounting for 500 .
Churches in Benue , Plateau and southern Kaduna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fulani radicals .
“ In eight years , between 2011 and 2019 , Benue State had lost 600 churches and other Christian worship centers to Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen , '' the report states .
Intersociety ’ s claim that most of the people killed by Boko Haram are Christian contradicts data given out by Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari in early February .
In an op-ed , Buhari stated that “ 90 percent of all Boko Haram ’ s victims have been Muslims.
” Buhari claimed that the “ now-failing terrorists have targeted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the young and the old without discrimination.
” However , weeks later , a member of the Nigerian government , Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed , acknowledged that terrorists are focusing their attacks on Christians , noting that in the past , that was not the case .
`` They have started targeting Christians and Christian villages for a specific reason , which is to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos , '' he said while distancing the perpetrators from Muslims and noting that Muslims have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nigeria can vary depending on which organization is providing them because of the lack of adequate government record-keeping , International Committee on Nigeria co-founder Stephen Enada previously told The Christian Post .
Enada , who fled to the United States in 2016 after his cousin was killed by Fulani radicals , believes that reported death tolls should be construed as nothing more than estimations .
“ When you talk about data mining statistics , Nigeria doesn ’ t even have a national data record to even say [ what is ] our population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ So sometimes , if somebody is killed , you don ’ t even have a way to trace a person to his family outside his community because we don ’ t have data.
” “ Because we don ’ t have such data , it is very complicated .
Sometimes , when people are killed , they will just do a mass burial where there is no autopsy , post mortem , no record .
If you go to these communities , you will see that they don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is what we are working with.
” Last November , the U.K.-based NGO Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust estimated after a fact-finding mission that at least 1,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria from January 2019 until November 2019 .
HART , founded by Parliament member Baroness Caroline Cox , estimated that at least 6,000 Christians were killed since 2015 .
A HART spokesperson clarified to CP that the 1,000-deaths estimation counts “ predominantly people killed in Plateau , Southern Kaduna and Taraba states by Fulani Herdsmen ” but also includes some killings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The HART spokesperson added that the estimation was partly based on reports from the Kaduna state government and reports from the Plateau state .
HART 's estimations also include Boko Haram ’ s killing of security officers and soldiers believed to be Christians .

350 Nigerian Christians killed in first 2 months of 2020: NGO report Group estimates at least 11,500 Nigerian Christians killed since June 2015
A Nigerian civil society organization claims that no fewer than 350 Christians have been killed across the West African country since the start of 2020 and estimates that about 11,500 Christians have been killed since 2015.
“Nigeria has fully become a killing field of defenseless Christians,” the Anambra-based nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) said this week in a new special report, titled “Nigeria: A Killing Field Of Defenseless Christians.”
“Available statistics have shown that between 11,500 and 12,000 Christian deaths were recorded in the past 57 months or since June 2015 when the present central government of Nigeria came on board. Out of this figure, Jihadist Fulani herdsmen accounted for 7,400 Christian deaths, Boko Haram 4,000 and the ‘Highway Bandits’ 150-200.”
The organization, which is headed by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi, has monitored violence against Christians in Nigeria since 2010 through a team of criminologists, lawyers, journalists, security, and peace and conflict studies graduates.
Nigeria has been marred by violence in the last decade-plus due to the rise of extremist organizations in the northeast like Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province.
In recent years, massacres carried out by radicalized Fulani herders against predominantly Christian farming villages in Nigeria’s Middle Belt have also driven communities from their homes.
Additionally, bandit gangs have been responsible for carrying out kidnappings along some major highways.
The United Nations estimates that about 2 million people have been internally displaced across Nigeria and 11 million people in need of assistance. An additional 550,000 are said to be displaced in neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
“While 100 percent of the victims of Jihadist Herdsmen attacks across Nigeria are Christians, the estimated 4,000 Christians killed by Boko Haram were part of the estimated 6,000 [people in total] massacred by the sect since June 2015,” the report explains.
“Generally, many, if not most of the victims of Boko Haram/ISWAP attacks in Nigeria’s Northeast are Christians. On the part of ‘Bandits/Highway Kidnappers’ in Northern Nigeria, most of their rural victims are Muslims while many, if not most, of their roadside victims are Christians traveling to northern or southern parts of the country using the Birnin-Gwari Federal Road, near Kaduna, etc.”
For its monitoring and documentation, Intersociety relies on what it deems to be credible local and foreign media reports, government accounts, international rights groups, eyewitness accounts and reports from various Christian bodies in the country.
Intersociety reports that Fulani herdsmen accounted for 250 of the 350 deaths recorded in January and February 2020 while Boko Haram and highway bandit gangs are responsible for 100 deaths.
In the past two months, Intersociety reports that radical Fulani militants have carried out attacks in Nasarawa, Adamawa and Edo in addition to some other locations throughout the country.
Last year, Intersociety reported that no fewer than 2,400 Christians were killed by Fulani radicals in 2018. In 2019, according to the group, between 1,000 to 1,200 Christians were killed by Fulani attackers.
While reports have indicated an increase in deadly Boko Haram attacks beginning in December 2019, Intersociety noted that Boko Haram attacks targeting Christians since January 2020 intensified in Borno, Adamawa and Taraba States.
“[The attacks are] claiming between 50 and 70 Christian lives and loss of churches and other buildings belonging to Christians,” the report explains, adding that Boko Haram was responsible for killing at least 1,000 citizens in 2019.
Additionally, between 100 and 150 Christian travelers were said to have been abducted on highways since the beginning of the year.
“The killings targeted at Christians in Nigeria have continued into the first week of March 2020 leading to hacking to death of over a dozen more,” the report reads. “Among the worst hit in the latest round of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks are Plateau State with 70-80 deaths, Kaduna [with] 50 deaths, Kogi [with] 30 deaths, Benue [with] 15-20, Delta [with] 16 and Taraba [with] 10.”
In the past 57 months, no fewer than 20 clergymen (including eight Catholic priests and seminarians) have been hacked to death, while no less than 50 were abducted or kidnapped, Intersociety reported.
Earlier this year, Boko Haram kidnapped and then executed the Rev. Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria’s chapter in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa state.
Other slain religious leaders killed in Nigeria in the past 12 months include the Revs. Clement Ugwu and Paul Offu.
Intersociety also estimated that over 2,000 churches and Christian worship centers have been burned since June 2015, with Fulani herdsmen being responsible for about 1,500 and Boko Haram accounting for 500.
Churches in Benue, Plateau and southern Kaduna states were among the most targeted by Fulani radicals.
“In eight years, between 2011 and 2019, Benue State had lost 600 churches and other Christian worship centers to Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen," the report states.
Intersociety’s claim that most of the people killed by Boko Haram are Christian contradicts data given out by Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari in early February.
In an op-ed, Buhari stated that “90 percent of all Boko Haram’s victims have been Muslims.” Buhari claimed that the “now-failing terrorists have targeted the vulnerable, the religious, the non-religious, the young and the old without discrimination.”
However, weeks later, a member of the Nigerian government, Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed, acknowledged that terrorists are focusing their attacks on Christians, noting that in the past, that was not the case.
"They have started targeting Christians and Christian villages for a specific reason, which is to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos," he said while distancing the perpetrators from Muslims and noting that Muslims have also been victimized.
Death toll statistics in Nigeria can vary depending on which organization is providing them because of the lack of adequate government record-keeping, International Committee on Nigeria co-founder Stephen Enada previously told The Christian Post.
Enada, who fled to the United States in 2016 after his cousin was killed by Fulani radicals, believes that reported death tolls should be construed as nothing more than estimations.
“When you talk about data mining statistics, Nigeria doesn’t even have a national data record to even say [what is] our population,” Enada explained at the time. “So sometimes, if somebody is killed, you don’t even have a way to trace a person to his family outside his community because we don’t have data.”
“Because we don’t have such data, it is very complicated. Sometimes, when people are killed, they will just do a mass burial where there is no autopsy, post mortem, no record. If you go to these communities, you will see that they don’t have any record for the people who died. That is what we are working with.”
Last November, the U.K.-based NGO Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust estimated after a fact-finding mission that at least 1,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria from January 2019 until November 2019.
HART, founded by Parliament member Baroness Caroline Cox, estimated that at least 6,000 Christians were killed since 2015.
A HART spokesperson clarified to CP that the 1,000-deaths estimation counts “predominantly people killed in Plateau, Southern Kaduna and Taraba states by Fulani Herdsmen” but also includes some killings by Boko Haram in Borno state.
The HART spokesperson added that the estimation was partly based on reports from the Kaduna state government and reports from the Plateau state. HART's estimations also include Boko Haram’s killing of security officers and soldiers believed to be Christians.


jesusissavior--2020-03-20--The Bible Teaches Easy-Believism

The Bible Teaches Easy-Believism

It 's simple to be saved !
Do n't ever let anyone tell you that it is not easy to be saved .
I am going to shock you in a moment , by telling you something that I heard today on Pacific garden Mission 's 'UNSHACKLED ' radio .
You wo n't believe it my friend !
There is much criticism in religious circles today against soulwinners who preach “ the simplicity that is in Christ ” ( which is The Gospel - 2nd Corinthians 11:3 ) .
They use clever derogatory terms ; such as : “ 1-2-3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Greasy Grace , ” “ Cheap Grace , ” “ Quick Prayerism ” and “ Quick Fix Evangelism.
” Like it or not , the Word of God teaches that it is easy , free and simple to be saved .
Jesus likens getting saved to simply drinking a cup of water .
John 4:13-14 , “ ” If you can drink a cup of water , you can be saved .
That is very simple and easy to do .
The Lord also likens salvation to going through a door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can walk through a door , you can be saved .
It is very simple and easy to do .
Unfortunately , there are many FALSE PROPHETS today , like Pacific Garden Mission ( PGM ) in Chicago , who complicate 'The Gospel ' in their UNSHACKLED radio series .
Let 's see how these false prophets make salvation very had .
Hear for yourself and weep for their victims !
I was saddened today as I listened to Pacific Garden Mission 's popular radio program called : ' meets with a religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this brief dialogue : OH MY GOD !
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I can not believe what I just heard , and that PGM sanctions this garbage theology !
Sharon is telling Debbie that it is EASY TO BE SAVED , because to be saved she says you MUST repent to give up all the old ways , GIVING THEM UP FOR GOOD !
How is any of this a free gift from God ?
Dear reader , PGM are pulling on the same rope as the Devil .
Everything that they put out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which makes them 100 % responsible for every bit of content !
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Romans 3:4 , “ God forbid : yea , let God be true , but every man a liar ; as it is written , That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings , and mightest overcome when thou art judged .
What you just read ( what Pacific Garden Ministry is shamefully teaching ) is actually REFORMATION ( turning away from one 's sins ) , NOT REGENERATION by the Holy Spirit of God !
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Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teaching LIES straight out of the pits of Hell beneath .
What ignorant and unlearned men and women at UNSHACKLED !
PGM errantly teaches— elieving in Jesus means repenting and asking forgiveness for all the old ways , and then GIVING THEM UP FOR GOOD .
That is what it means to “ BELIEVE , ” nor is that what “ REPENTANCE ” means Biblically !
When you find the COURAGE TO DO THAT , He 'll help you CHANGE YOUR LIFE .
” She is saying that to be saved , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good ( which PGM falsely thinks means repentance ) , and when God sees that you have done that , only then will He help you .
You know , that reminds me of all the lose weight gimmicks ( lose weight pills ) that they sell at Vitamin World , GNC and other so-called 'Health Stores . '
I know because I have tried them all ... lol .
Every single one of those products have a disclaimer on the side label which tells you this product is only intended for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a diet .
Well good night , if I 'm already on a steady diet and exercising , then why would I need their stupid pills ?
They are very deceitful and they know it !
The producers and sellers of those gimmicks fully understand that over 95 % of the customers who buy their pills DO N'T exercise or diet .
That way they can blame you if their product does n't work ( and trust me they do n't ) .
The only sure way to lose weight ( I lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things : WALKING a couple hours every day and serious dietary FASTING ( 500 calories a day maximum ) .
Basically you 're walking off the 500 calories you eat , so it 's like you 're eating nothing .
You can lose 15 pounds per month doing this .
If you can make it past 24 hours of not eating , it gets much easier ; but you always need something in your stomach .
Salads are great !
How does what I just said relate with the junk theology of UNSHACKLED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Seriously , it does , because Sharon told Debbie that God would help her stop sinning , if she repents ( turns away from all her old sinful ways ) FOR GOOD !
Why do you have to forsake the old sinful ways for good ( permanently ) , before God will help you ?
I mean , if you have to make an effort or commitment to change your own life to be saved , then why do you need God 's help ?
I hear this false plan of salvation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be willing to REFORM ( turn away from sins ) to receive God 's free gift .
Well then it CAN NOT be a gift , because something is required of you in exchange !
If I buy you a birthday gift , all you need to do is accept it !
That is how salvation works too !
Jesus paid for your gift with His precious blood .
It 's not “ it cost God His only begotten Son , and it cost Jesus His very life .
Grace is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
God is offering the gift of eternal life to you , simply for the taking ; just believe .
So in that sense , it is not “ cheap grace , ” it is absolute free to you and me , but it came at a great expense to our blessed Savior .
That is why we can think of grace with the acronym G.R.A.C.E .
( God 's Riches At Christ 's Expense ) .
I like that !
Kindly , Ray says that “ repentance ” means “ LIVING A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ REPENTANCE !
” And then he adds , “ IT 'S A CONTINUAL THING !
” Read for yourself what Mr .
Comfort horribly teaches this woman , in this transcript from the 'Living Waters ' video ... Kindly , Ray Comfort is a FALSE PROPHET !
That is not how you get saved !
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That is the SAME garbage theology that 'UNSHACKLED ' is teaching to people .
Remember , Sharon tells Debbie that getting saved “ IS NOT EASY , ” because she says you have to , ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for good .
I would agree 100 % with Sharon that getting saved is if these radical changes were actually required of a sinner to receive the free gift of eternal life , but they are not !
Sharon is a LIAR !
Pacific Garden Mission are LIARS !
UNSHACKLED are LIARS !
The accuracy of God 's plan of salvation matters !
It really does !
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Sharon is no doubt sincere , but she is deceived by Satan , leading Debbie into religion without the new birth .
The Bible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
The dying thief on the cross simply believed on Christ , asking the Lord to remember Him , and he was immediately saved by faith alone .
In Acts chapter 10 , Cornelius simply heard the apostle Peter preach the 'GOOD NEWS , ' and he believed and was immediately saved .
Acts 2:41 says that 3,000 people simply “ GLADLY RECEIVED ” Peter 's preaching of the Gospel , and they were immediately saved .
Oh , how EASY it is to be saved !
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Dear friend , Satan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into living the Christian life without ever being born-again !
UNSHACKLED today is a cesspool of every form of heresy , deception and religious nonsense concerning salvation !
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You can not be born-again by FORSAKING YOUR OLD SINFUL WAYS , AND GIVING THEM UP FOR GOOD !
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That is “ !
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In the true Gospel of free grace ( as taught in the inspired King James Bible ) , you simply acknowledge that you are a guilty sinner in God 's sight ( Romans 3:19-20 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who died on the cross , was buried and physically resurrected three days later ( 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 ) , and that 's it !
Nothing more is required .
Nothing else is permitted .
Please Do n't Become 'Shackled ' by 'UNSHACKLED 's False Gospel I 'd like to more closely examine SHARON 's comments to Debbie that salvation IS NOT EASY , for your edification dear reader : Sharon is wrong Biblically on a few counts : • Believing in Jesus does n't mean 'REPENTING a change mind metanoia to trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same thing .
PGM errantly defines repentance turning from sins surrendering to obey Christ .
PGM is doctrinally wrong to change what it means to BELIEVE , to fit their agenda of Lordship Salvation .
• None Believing in Jesus does n't mean ASKING for forgiveness .
Jesus does n't need to forgive sin , because He has already paid for everyone 's sins with His precious blood .
The truth is that Christ is OFFERING you salvation in exchange for your childlike trust in Him .
Simply receive Jesus ' sacrifice on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you 're saved !
Jesus is already asking you to BELIEVE in Him , so you do n't have to ask Him !
• None Believing in Jesus does n't mean asking for forgiveness for ALL THE OLD WAYS .
You do n't have to remember or itemize all the sins of your past to be saved .
Jesus does n't require making a laundry list of all your sins , He simply demands that you come as a guilty needy sinner .
You must see your need for the blessed Savior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not by confessing , nor by asking , not by praying , not by turning away from sinful old habits ; but by BELIEVING ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST !
Pacific Garden Mission are a confused and divided house at best !
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• Believing in Jesus does n't mean GIVING UP THE OLD WAYS FOR GOOD .
Clearly , Sharon is not a born-again believer , because she has ADDED keeping the law to the Gospel .
Romans 3:20 , “ Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
” You do n't have to continue living a certain type of LIFESTYLE to be saved , nor to prove that you 're saved .
This type of junk theology has crept into thousands of churches today !
Ray Comfort is one of the main instigators , influencing millions of people worldwide for the Devil , helping to blind men from “ THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST.
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I sincerely hope you , dear reader , see how evil UNSHACKLED 's teachings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is NOT EASY to be saved ; because you are required to GIVE UP YOUR OLD SINFUL WAYS PERMANENTLY !
There is nothing “ EASY ” about giving up the old ways , old friends , and lifelong sinful bad habits !
That is “ accursed by God !
No where in the apostle Paul 's description of 'THE GOSPEL ' in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 , are we told to forsake the world , cease from a lifestyle of sin , and leave the old ways of sin !
These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grace of God , that bringeth salvation .
God 's curse is upon any FALSE GOSPEL : Pacific Garden Mission are PREACHING ANOTHER GOSPEL !
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In their effort to REFORM men 's lives ( which makes for great future 'UNSHACKLED ' programs ) , they have perverted the Words of the Living God !
They have perverted God 's plan of salvation for man .
There is absolutely NOTHING in the Gospel of John about forsaking your old sinful ways , and giving them up FOR GOOD , to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from sin ) , which is NOT regeneration by the seed of the Word of God and Holy Spirit .
1st Peter 1:23 , “ Being born again , not of corruptible seed , but of incorruptible , by the word of God , which liveth and abideth for ever .
I do n't know where Pacific Garden Mission gets their junk theology , but they sure DID N'T get it from the inspired King James Bible !
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Abraham 's faith was counted for righteousness ( Romans 4:5 ) , i.e.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Christ 's righteousness was placed upon Abraham 's eternal record in Heaven .
This is what 2nd Corinthians 5:21 declares : “ For he hath made him to be sin for us , who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
” You see , it is Christ 's righteousness by which we are saved ; and not our own .
Proponents of Lordship Salvation fail to understand this vital Biblical doctrine .
Romans 4:6 , “ Even as David also describeth the blessedness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IMPUTETH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT WORKS.
” YOU ARE A GUILTY SINNER !
And so am I .
Unless you accept Christ 's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins , you will spend eternity burning in the Lake of Fire .
Christ is our sin payment !
Anyone who says that it 's not easy to be saved is teaching “ ANOTHER GOSPEL ” ( 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4 ) .
The Good News ( Gospel ) of Christ 's death upon the cross for our sins , His burial , and His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , is all that you to believe to be saved .
If you admit that you are a sinner in God 's sight , and you receive the Gospel as full-payment for your sins , you are saved immediately and securely forever .
Subtracting or adding anything more is a false plan of salvation .
There is much confusion , heresy and controversy in our churches today over the meaning of “ repentance ” concerning salvation .
You can not show me one Scripture from the Bible that says to “ turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sin ” to be saved .
Romans 3:19 teaches that the PURPOSE of the law of Moses is to be used as a measuring stick , by which when compared all men realize they are guilty sinners , totally incapable of saving themselves .
Repentance is a “ CHANGE OF MIND ” ( Greek : metanoia ) —a change of mind about what YOU WANT to do to get to Heaven , to what GOD SAYS you must do to get to Heaven .
To inherit eternal life , you CEASE from your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ .
Hebrews 4:10 , “ For he that is entered into his rest , he also hath ceased from his own works , as God did from his.
” This Scripture speaks of resting in Jesus Christ , Who is our Sabbath today .
On the Sabbath Day , God 's people rested , ceasing from their long 6-day work-week ( which represented man trying to earn His way to Heaven , by keeping the Mosaic law ) .
To be saved we repent from DEAD WORKS ( Hebrews 6:1 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS by faith in Christ .
Is n't God awesome !
The unsaved religious people in Matthew 7:21-23 were trying to establish their own righteousness by their “ MANY WONDERFUL WORKS.
” They even did their works in Jesus ' name .
Yet the Lord said to them at The Great White Throne Of Judgment ...
I NEVER KNEW YOU !
Will you one day in eternity hear those same horrifying words ?
In his excellent book , I NEVER KNEW YOU , Michael Patrick Bowen states .
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Beware of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that you must count the cost , desire to stop sinning , commit your life to Christ , and surrender fully to Christ 's Lordship .
I call this a “ fork-tongued ” gospel , because the presenter of such a confusing gospel is telling you that salvation is a free gift that you must earn , which is impossible !
My friend , it is simple , free and EASY to be saved .
God only requires childlike faith to be saved .
Anyone who comes along making salvation HARD is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salvation .
Sadly , there are false prophets amidst our brethren in the churches , who have crept in unawares , bringing in damnable heresies .
Christ bore the total weight of our sins on the cross .
Beware of any preacher who places the burden of sin upon the sinner .
Jesus does n't forgive sin .
That 's right !
Jesus has already paid for everyone 's sins .
This is why forgiveness of sins and eternal life are free gifts , which need only be received by faith to obtain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EASIEST thing in the world .
God made salvation simple , free and easy , so that even a small child , or a mentally challenged person , can still BELIEVE be saved .
John 3:16 , “ For God so loved the world , that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life .
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“Human beings just want to be loved... just love the hell out of them!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.“I cannot love you as I love myself until I love God as I ought to love Him.” —Dr. Jack Hyles“The pastors have destroyed the churches, and they've been trained by people that have never built churches, and they have no compassion.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “ Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard “When you get dissed by men—the whole reason God allowed you to be dissed—is because He didn't want you to fit in! He don't want you to fit in with the world. He don't want you to fit in with the rest of the group! He don't want you to be just like them! 'Cause there is something special about you! There's an assignment for you. There's a call for you. There's an anointing for your life. God does not want you to fit in!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr., “Being Dissed”“Lord, help me to preach today as if it were the last sermon I would ever preach.” —Dr. Jack Hyles“There is no greater joy in the Christian life than to trust Him and need no explanation.” —Dr. Jack Hyles“Salvation can only be evidenced by works, if works are required to be saved.” —Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold, “Why Lordship Salvation Is Wrong!”Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do!” —Pastor Jack Hyles“The world's greatest need is preaching preachers. The Gospel is our emancipation proclamation: let's take it to the slaves of sin.” —Brother Lester Roloff“The law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.“ —Billy Sunday“When someone does something wrong, make it a point to never forget all the things they did right.” —Pastor Bob Gray Sr.“I've stood for more sneers and scoffs and insults and had my life threatened from one end of the land to the other by this God-forsaken gang of thugs and cutthroats because I have come out uncompromisingly against them.” —Billy Sunday“We're saved because we have faith in Jesus. We believe that He died on the cross. We believe He was buried, and stayed there for three days, and we believe He got up out of the grave. ...The law never gives life!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr., “ Justified: The Book Of Galatians, Chapter 2


jesusissavior--2020-03-20--A Contagion Of Fear

A Contagion Of Fear

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