Month: September 2024

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In a recent MIT experiment, three student teams were asked to write software code in Fortran, a programming language none of them knew. The results were pretty interesting:

The team using ChatGPT finished the fastest
The team using a specific AI coding assistant (Code Llama) came in second
The team using just Google search finished last, breaking down the task into comp`onents and solving it the old-fashioned way.

However, when tested on their ability to recall the solutions from memory, the situation was reversed. The ChatGPT team remembered nothing and failed, while half of the Code Llama team passed, and every student in the Google Search team succeeded.

The conclusion from this experiment is simple: there is no substitute for hard work Don’t just rely on AI tools; learn to code, crash, debug, and repeat.

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I believe there are several vulnerabilities in our election process and there are several obvious solutions. Unfortunately, neither party is interested in fixing the obvious issues, making it patently obvious (to me) that the system is designed to be gamed and both sides are gaming it.
I don’t believe this is a partisan issue.

Here are some ideas for fixing the obvious vulnerabilities in our voting system:

  1. Voting day should be a national holiday – no one should have to work on election day. This allows everyone to go in person to vote.
  2. Voting should be done in person on paper with proof of Id/US citizenship. If you need to vote remotely it should be done in advance so that there will be time to tally remote ballots in time for the actual election day. There is no late or last minute remote voting permitted. If you can’t vote by the deadline then you missed your chance to vote.
  3. Anyone needing to vote remotely must have a valid reason for doing so such as being stationed overseas in the military or being physically disabled and unable to attend a vote in person. Those who claim to be physically disabled will have to provide certified evidence/documentation of their disablement.
  4. All voting places will have at least 2 observers, representing the interests of each party. The observers would have full access to the entire voting process from end to end, from the ballots used to the actual tallying process.
  5. Voting ballots from each voting location will be preserved until the election has been certified as valid by both associated observers.
  6. Registering to vote requires showing an ID that proved citizenship. Non-citizens are not permitted to vote.
  7. The format and wording of the ballots will be identical across all states. If ballots need to be translated into other languages these translations will be observed and approved by the observers. The wording and structure of the ballots will be approved by both parties at least a month in advance of election day. Printing and delivery of ballots needs to be completed at least 2 weeks prior to election day. Voting locations will have the ability to print out additional ballots if needed in front of the observers if they run out of ballots. The ballots will be in a protected format, preventing them from being modified prior to printing. The number of times additional ballots are printed will be tracked and a justification for printing additional ballots must be provided and approved by the observers.
  8. Each voting location is required to make their final tallys available by the end of the day, preferably by the end of the business day. Any additional auditing will be done and observed by both parties. Any questionable ballots will be reviewed and approved by both observers. Any ballots that cannot be agreed upon will be discarded – if it’s not abundantly clear who the voter was voting for the ballot should not be counted.

These are some very simple steps to take and would remove much of the fraud that, in my opinion, continues to happen in each election. Of course none of these things will happen and we will continue to limp along with the existing system we have in place.

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Resources

James Chapter 2

  • In Chapter 1, James compared the absurdity of hearing the Word, then ignoring it, to a man looking at his face in a mirror and then immediately forgetting what he looks like. In chapter 2, James urges readers not to show favoritism or partiality.
  • This Chapter includes the controversial view that it is not enough to simply have “belief” in God. James says any religious “faith” which doesn’t result in good works is a dead faith. Some think this is a contradiction to the teachings of Paul who taught that faith alone results in salvation.
    • James clarifies that “faith” that cannot save is nothing more than an intellectual belief – one who claims to have faith in Christ but doesn’t behave like a Christian will not be saved. True faith saves, but it also results in works.
    • Paul emphasizes the “cause,” which is trusting faith while James emphasizes the “effect,” which is good works. James stresses that so-called-“faith”, which is merely mental agreement and does not produce good and loving works and is not a genuine, saving faith.
    • James summarizes this with the explicit comparison to a dead body. A body which exhibits no spirit or breath is not alive. In the same way, a “faith”—in this case, meaning “intellectual belief”—with no resulting works is also dead.
  • Paul teaches that we are saved by faith alone, but James clarifies that the faith that saves is never alone—works always accompany it.

Group Discussion:

  • Understanding the relationship between faith and works in James 2 and Ephesians 2 can be challenging, but it’s important to see how they complement rather than contradict each other.
    • Ephesians 2:8-9 (CSB) states:
      “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.”
    • James 2:24 (CSB) says:
      “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
  • Here’s how these passages work together:
    • Context and Audience:
      • Ephesians 2: Paul is addressing believers who might think they can earn salvation through their own efforts. He emphasizes that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith, not something we can achieve by our works.
      • James 2: James is speaking to those who claim to have faith but show no evidence of it in their actions. He stresses that genuine faith will naturally produce good works.
    • Purpose of Faith and Works:
      • Paul: Focus is on salvation. He clarifies that we are saved by grace through faith alone, not by our works. This ensures that no one can boast about earning their salvation.
      • James: Emphasis is on the evidence of salvation. He argues that true faith will be demonstrated through actions. If someone claims to have faith but has no works, their faith is dead and useless2.
    • Complementary Teachings:
      • Paul and James do not contradict each other, but address different issues.
        • Paul is concerned with how we are saved (by grace through faith)
        • James is concerned with what true faith looks like (it produces good works).

Notes from the Video: James for Men Bible Study Guide

  • Based on Vince Miller’s James for Men Bible Study Guide
  • The evidence of inconsistency
  • Do not play favorites in the church
  • We sometimes may favor a rich man over a poor man – favoritism implies rewards
  • We want to be rewarded by those we favor
    • This is a form of cronyism
  • James is concerned about cronyism and favoritism in the church
    • 2:6-7 – the rich are the ones who oppress you
    • the payoff for favoritism is falsehood and oppression
  • Consistent problem of sin
    • We consistently act with sin by playing favorites
    • Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point fails the whole law
    • Sin applies to all – rich and poor. This means everyone is in need of God’s mercy
    • We defeat sin with consistent faith
    • Even demons believe in God and they shudder about it.
    • Abraham had the ultimate faith in God and was willing to sacrifice his son over it.
      • Abraham’s offering of Isaac is an example of a consistent faith
  • We are justified by works and not by faith alone.
    • Faith + ACTION enables the world to witness your faith.
    • Sadly, we are INCONSISTENT with whom we bring the Gospel to
    • We eradicate INCONSISTENCIES with a CONSISTENT faith
    • Consistent faith is infused with action
    • Our consistent works evidence consistent faith
  • How to build consistency:
    • Recall the law of sin
    • Live out your belief
    • Let your consistency be a witness for God in this world
    • Be a CONSISTENT man of God
  • How can you be more consistent?

Notes from the Revival School video on James 2:

  • Do not show favoritism – share the gospel with EVERYONE!
    • be careful not to favor the rich or those you know when sharing the gospel
  • 4 Reasons why we should not play favorites
    • God has accepted many poor people as His own
    • the rich often persecute Christians (this is still happening today)
    • playing favorites violates Jesus’ law of love
    • God will judge those who violate the law of love
  • God wants us to be rich in faith, not in material things
  • The rich frequently blaspheme the “noble name” that was pronounced over you as a believer in Christ
  • Keep the royal law: love your neighbor as yourself – both the rich and the poor
  • If you show favoritism you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors
    • Whoever keeps the entire law yet fails in one area fails the entire law
      • The whole law is an expression of God’s will for His people
      • show love to all – then mercy will triumph
  • Speak and act as those who will be judged by God’s law – this is more important than worrying about what the world thinks of you
    • Act like you are God’s children, not in this world
  • Martin Luther broke away from the Catholic church and said we are saved through faith alone
    • Martin Luther called the book of James “an epistle full of straw”
    • Martin Luther disagreed with what James wrote about works
  • We fully believe we are saved through faith alone – but not to the point of removing James from the Bible
    • James is going after those who claim they don’t need to do good deeds because they already have faith
  • If you have faith works naturally flows out of it
    • faith and works are not enemies
      • true faith and righteous works go hand in hand
      • faith motivates good works
      • good works brings people to the faith
  • Faith is the cause, Works is the effect
    • This means faith without works is dead by itself
  • Even demons believe and shudder at the diety of Christ (see Mark 3)
    • while they believe they obviously aren’t doing good works
  • Your faith gives you the desire to do good works (share the gospel)
    • if you aren’t working and walking out your faith how real is it?
    • see Matthew 7:23
  • You are living out your faith if you are doing good works
  • We’re saved by faith alone – but you gotta do something with that faith