No two people will agree on every point; much less can a community of hundreds, as in a city, or millions, as in an American state, agree to very much of anything at all, to speak nothing of a country of over three hundred million. Still, there is no doubt that there are certain things that are undeniable by reasonable minds. Humankind manages to find unity, just occasionally, in matters of faith or ideals, especially against a common threat - usually a physical one. I need not list the many occasions in our own, American history, such as the Pilgrim's first arrival to escape religious usurpation; the formation of united, independent states and their secession from the British crown; the ultimately doomed, yet no less viable Confederacy of the 1860s; the civil rights movement, etc. These few examples are only some of the major, political movements still affecting us today - there are scores of lesser movements throughout the ages of people banding together in numbers of tens or thousands who pursued their happiness by "voting with their feet," so to speak, and accomplished that great principle of human action: to benefit themselves or their posterity.
I do not intend to dwell, as I am wont to do, on the reasons for our present state; you know, if you have been following for years or only the last couple of publications, that this blog is replete with apologetics on matters of faith and politics. I feel neither the desire nor necessity to revisit the heinous, petty, obvious or else subtle offenses committed against those of the Christian and conservative-libertarian way of life. You know the offenses and slights that have been perpetrated against us, and by whom they are committed. The question is now put to us, as it has been for some time, "What can we do?"
I have asked that question, and I have been asked that question. The answer, at the same time obvious and obscure, has never been acted on to any effective degree. To be honest, I'm not sure there is a single answer that can be given to every person who wonders as to the course of action. Of course, first and foremost, is our appeal to Heaven. I have no need to inform anyone that our prayers have not been answered with a "golden ejection seat" boosting us above our problems, nor have they been answered with the earth opening to swallow up our adversaries. Thanks be to God that He has assured us of inner peace now, in each heart and mind, if we continue in faith. And that is no small or trifling thing! We can brook any hardship by faith in Jesus Christ. This life will one day be forgotten, and His people will live in glory forever. I do not take away from this fact any more than providing sustenance for our bodies in the form of a meal or happiness by way of passing time with a friend takes away from the eternity that awaits us. The fact is we live in a physical world that is being dominated, in one way or another, by evil and designing men - and we, knowing the truth and loving rather the things of God, would be derelict and hypocritical to ignore our purpose as the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We cannot shirk this duty.
So, what to do? I submit that we are to secede. To declare independence. Perhaps not geographically, but spiritually. The spirit of servitude to an evil system pervades our lives in ways you don't notice. We work for it, pay it worship, feed it, clothe it, and then, when it fulfills its purpose by our means, we scold it. We are hypocrites. What am I talking about? Think about it. What do you want it to be, yet what is it instead?
We want a system that guards our borders, yet illegal immigration is an issue steeped in racial barriers, unnecessarily so, but to the point that no one is allowed to touch it without kid gloves. The crime and social issues put our society on edge and damage our economy, yet the problem persists without real solutions.
We want a system that protects our national sovereignty, yet the foreign policy of this country destabilizes the world and causes more harm to our interests and security than it causes good. We pay for endless wars and nation-building and are considered "unpatriotic" for opposing these policies. We "support our troops" by voting to send more of them to die and be maimed, a rationale only a macabre alter-ego of Lewis Carroll could imagine.
We want a system that secures our rights as guaranteed by the Constitution, yet scarcely one of the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights remains as yet uninfringed. We make concessions and compromises that leave us bereft of not only the spirit of liberty but also the very stuff and pith of what we hold dear as a free society.
We want a system that respects our institutions, yet marriage, the family, our churches, education, entertainment, and our other cultural traditions are perforated with secularism, political correctness (falsely so-called), and offenses to our civil and religious ideals.
One issue, that I believe may be considered a stand-alone issue, is abortion. The killing of a person before it is born. This act is performed by institutions directly and indirectly funded by tax-payer money. Tax-payer funds are a form of income that is somewhere between theft and extortion. When used to fund public uses and common good, it is a bearable thing; but when our money is taken from us by force to pay for evil, insidious deeds, that is something no one should overlook or shrug off.
The list may go on ad infititum, ad nauseum, but I will come to my point. We need to declare independence from this system. We need to separate ourselves from the system that destroys what we are and what we believe. I do not necessarily mean physical separation, but spiritual separation. Get your head out of the noose. Unlock your mind and escape the paradigm that makes you rationalize evil and enjoy apathy. You know the difference between right and wrong. You don't need to let other people and the mainstream or even alternative media make your decisions and opinions for you. Think for yourself. Read the Word of God and know righteousness. Discover what it is to be human. Humble yourself before God, and never bow to an earthly king again.
Once we begin to loose our fetters individually, we can organize ourselves communally. Churches, groups, movements... it doesn't matter where it starts or how it ends. Just do it; that is all that can be expected. And it should be expected. We aren't cows to be herded or steers to be slaughtered. We are made in the image of God - behave accordingly.
"Duty is ours; results are God's" ~John Quincy Adams
Sunday, August 04, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Elusive Perfection
If I could choose any person throughout history to replace the current President of the United States, it would be Baby Bear.
(Please pick your head up off of your desk or laptop keyboard so you can read the rest of my post.)
(Thank you.)
Goldilocks was on a walk through the forest for reasons known only to herself (I really don't think she even knew, you know how women are), but it soon became an impromptu quest for perfection. I think I can relate; sometimes I unintentionally look for something that's "just right," even if I couldn't describe that perfect thing, myself.
I recently pondered just what it is that makes something perfect. I imagined the varying degrees of satisfaction of things - products, produce, services, relationships, and even weather. In following the twisty, windy path that my mind often takes, I was invariably led down the ideological rabbit hole into the upside-down world of politics.
Speaking on government, Thomas Jefferson wrote in his greatest political work, The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, or, as it is more colloquially known, the Declaration of Independence, "... All experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
So, historically speaking, it is a well-established fact that people will accept less than ideal conditions. As a student (albeit a poor one) of praxeology, this set me to wondering: just how much do people tolerate of something, and why? It didn't take long for the word "priorities" to come to my head. This isn't a new subject to this dusty, creaking blog, and it seems someone keeps dropping quarters in the jukebox to play the same, ol' tune. But I really began to wonder about it this time. Why must some things be just so, and others not so much?
Police have been summoned to fast food restaurants to respond to relatively slow service. Long lines of people with too much time and money have camped, tents and all, for days outside the doors of an electronics supplier to be among the first to hold a soon-to-be-outdated, overpriced mobile device. Thousands of dollars will be spent on tickets to see every football game of the season, and pilgrimages to the stadium will be made religiously, rain or shine. No real reimbursement is ever or will ever be made to the millions of deluded people who fill the coffers of the various false religions, chief among which is the Catholic cult - no real fulfillment is ever found there, least of all salvation.
And yet the people go on, more or less, content or discontent, here or there, doing what they do. The first rule of praxeology is, "People act." I am no exception. So, how should I and everyone act to be perfectly satisfied?
"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. ~Psalm 138:8
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." ~Isaiah 26:3
The lesser things in life - the little things - they don't need to be perfect. If you are focusing on perfecting the little, earthly conveniences and trivial objects of this life, you will never succeed or be satisfied. However, if you put things in their proper place, perspective and priority, under God, everything will be just right with you.
God never promised His people perfection in this life. Far from it, He promised pretty dismal stuff; but He did promise it to be well with us. Perfection is elusive, if not impossible, whenever men are involved. And the fact that life is promised to be a struggle does not exempt us from working toward a more satisfactory goal. But seeing the world with a godly perspective will bring the peace needed to satisfy our desire for perfection.
We prefer things. That's fine. I want things to be a certain way, and it makes me strive and work; but if that work is anything other than an attempt to fulfill a godly desire, that desire will never be fulfilled, and I will continue down a dark, broad path, and I will never achieve the satisfaction I pursue.
BABY BEAR - 2016
He's Just Right for America
(Please pick your head up off of your desk or laptop keyboard so you can read the rest of my post.)
(Thank you.)
Goldilocks was on a walk through the forest for reasons known only to herself (I really don't think she even knew, you know how women are), but it soon became an impromptu quest for perfection. I think I can relate; sometimes I unintentionally look for something that's "just right," even if I couldn't describe that perfect thing, myself.
I recently pondered just what it is that makes something perfect. I imagined the varying degrees of satisfaction of things - products, produce, services, relationships, and even weather. In following the twisty, windy path that my mind often takes, I was invariably led down the ideological rabbit hole into the upside-down world of politics.
Speaking on government, Thomas Jefferson wrote in his greatest political work, The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, or, as it is more colloquially known, the Declaration of Independence, "... All experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
So, historically speaking, it is a well-established fact that people will accept less than ideal conditions. As a student (albeit a poor one) of praxeology, this set me to wondering: just how much do people tolerate of something, and why? It didn't take long for the word "priorities" to come to my head. This isn't a new subject to this dusty, creaking blog, and it seems someone keeps dropping quarters in the jukebox to play the same, ol' tune. But I really began to wonder about it this time. Why must some things be just so, and others not so much?
Police have been summoned to fast food restaurants to respond to relatively slow service. Long lines of people with too much time and money have camped, tents and all, for days outside the doors of an electronics supplier to be among the first to hold a soon-to-be-outdated, overpriced mobile device. Thousands of dollars will be spent on tickets to see every football game of the season, and pilgrimages to the stadium will be made religiously, rain or shine. No real reimbursement is ever or will ever be made to the millions of deluded people who fill the coffers of the various false religions, chief among which is the Catholic cult - no real fulfillment is ever found there, least of all salvation.
And yet the people go on, more or less, content or discontent, here or there, doing what they do. The first rule of praxeology is, "People act." I am no exception. So, how should I and everyone act to be perfectly satisfied?
"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. ~Psalm 138:8
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." ~Isaiah 26:3
God never promised His people perfection in this life. Far from it, He promised pretty dismal stuff; but He did promise it to be well with us. Perfection is elusive, if not impossible, whenever men are involved. And the fact that life is promised to be a struggle does not exempt us from working toward a more satisfactory goal. But seeing the world with a godly perspective will bring the peace needed to satisfy our desire for perfection.
We prefer things. That's fine. I want things to be a certain way, and it makes me strive and work; but if that work is anything other than an attempt to fulfill a godly desire, that desire will never be fulfilled, and I will continue down a dark, broad path, and I will never achieve the satisfaction I pursue.
BABY BEAR - 2016
He's Just Right for America
Thursday, July 04, 2013
Independence Day 2013
I do not want to come between this day and your enjoyment of it; I do not want to shame you; I do not want to depress you. I only want my country back. Don't you?
Do you know what it's supposed to look like? Do you know what it's supposed to be? The principles are still valid, they don't change. Only our attitude changes toward the timeless principles. What is our attitude?
As I said, I do not mean to sully the celebration of our independence; still, what are we celebrating? What was?
If you are "patriotic" enough to recognize the day, be American enough to honor the ideas that started to change the world in a million ways two hundred thirty-seven years ago today... maybe we'll do something people will be celebrating centuries from now.
Do you know what it's supposed to look like? Do you know what it's supposed to be? The principles are still valid, they don't change. Only our attitude changes toward the timeless principles. What is our attitude?
As I said, I do not mean to sully the celebration of our independence; still, what are we celebrating? What was?
If you are "patriotic" enough to recognize the day, be American enough to honor the ideas that started to change the world in a million ways two hundred thirty-seven years ago today... maybe we'll do something people will be celebrating centuries from now.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Paradigmagogues
Like it or not, I've invented a new word. I like it.
Paradigmagogue is a portmanteau of paradigm and demagogue.
Some invented words are silly, tongue-in-cheek puns or something, but this word has purpose. I invented this term to warn you of those to whom it best applies: politicians.
Politicians differ from statesmen or patriotic laymen in that they have one goal: winning elections. Statesmen understand the workings of governance and economics, studying and applying principles to circumstances and situations that would otherwise pose a puzzling conundrum; politicians differ from the blue-collar worker in that the politicians are willing to grab that shovel, rake, or pull knobs and switches on a tractor only if a camera is pointing at them. They aren't interested in work or progress, they are interested in their own personal success. There is nothing real to them but filling a suit and holding down a chair. Bearing the title of an office gives them some degree of dignity that they otherwise wouldn't have. And they must hold that title or lose that dignity. Holding the title requires votes, so they go about getting votes.
This is where an industry is born.
The most worthless of men - the lazy, uninspired, unskilled - when given ample opportunity for education, will tend to learn the trade of politics. Politics makes for a tremendously lucrative career. Moreover, it is luxuriant, glamorous, and generally a class within itself, an attribute shared by only a few professions. So you can see why it is so important to hold on and never want to let go once you've become inducted into the "Order of the Parasites." In many cases, the benefits of being a public leech carry on for the rest of your life, including lifetime healthcare, retirement benefits, and even Secret Service (depending on how large a vampire you are).
Now, the question, again, comes down to votes and how to get them.
Republicans are conservatives. Supposed to be, anyway. Confusion and chaos ensues when someone forgets that fact and behaves no differently than their Democrat counterpart. Democrats are supposed to be statist, so there are few issues with their idiot constituents when they behave as such. When statists make up the majority of both parties, and few apparent differences beside a color code and a different letter after their names make deciding between them a matter best settled by eeny-meeny-miney-moe, there needs to be conflict.
There are two categories of rhetoric a paradigmagogue wants to hear.
Category 1: Calls for Compromise.
"Washington can't get anything done!"
"Gridlock is hurting the economy!"
"When are they going to compromise?"
"Do-Nothing Congress needs to stop the bickering..."
MUSIC to a paradigmagogue's ears!
It makes their job so much easier to just go along with the statism that they probably would rather see implemented, anyway, than to actually stand for something. Standing up for convictions requires a spine, and the paradigmagogue is an invertebrate of the highest class.
Category 2: Hegelian Dialectic.
"The [other party] is [saying or doing something you don't like], and we need to do something about it!"
This sums up all that is the paradigmagogue.
The classic "problem-reaction-solution" routine that has empowered (R)'s and (D)'s for decades.
The other party has said something with which you really disagree, because the media told you to disagree. Now, your party has this guy running, and it didn't seem like he really cared about much of anything before, but now he's running ads and such against the party-puppet that said that disagreeable thing. This pleases you. This soothes that feeling of needing to do something to "get" that other party, right? You're gonna vote "against" that other party, right?
You are empowering parasites. They only get to the top by climbing on top of the one above them. They place themselves in batting orders to load the bases and make a grand slam without having to try too hard.
Voting against someone is a vote that is thrown away. It is a vote that says, "The system is so broken, I'm just going through the motions to make it look like I care." To vote against someone without inherently wanting the man you're voting for to win is to promote a false choice. It is to tie your own, preferred number of wraps around the noose that will hang you.
Sure, I sound all dramatic comparing an election and politics to being killed... but elections and politics do kill.
Politics have murdered, maimed, and destroyed lives, relationships, families, houses, cities, and entire countries for millennia. Think about it. It matters. Act like it.
Stop empowering people who are only empowered because they present themselves to you as a less painful option. Stop the pain. If it matters enough for you to notice and/or vote, it should matter enough for you to make an adult decision to think for yourself. Stop the paradigmagogues from telling you to decide between two evils.
"Never give in to evil, but proceed ever more boldly against it." ~Motto of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Paradigmagogue is a portmanteau of paradigm and demagogue.
Some invented words are silly, tongue-in-cheek puns or something, but this word has purpose. I invented this term to warn you of those to whom it best applies: politicians.
Politicians differ from statesmen or patriotic laymen in that they have one goal: winning elections. Statesmen understand the workings of governance and economics, studying and applying principles to circumstances and situations that would otherwise pose a puzzling conundrum; politicians differ from the blue-collar worker in that the politicians are willing to grab that shovel, rake, or pull knobs and switches on a tractor only if a camera is pointing at them. They aren't interested in work or progress, they are interested in their own personal success. There is nothing real to them but filling a suit and holding down a chair. Bearing the title of an office gives them some degree of dignity that they otherwise wouldn't have. And they must hold that title or lose that dignity. Holding the title requires votes, so they go about getting votes.
This is where an industry is born.
The most worthless of men - the lazy, uninspired, unskilled - when given ample opportunity for education, will tend to learn the trade of politics. Politics makes for a tremendously lucrative career. Moreover, it is luxuriant, glamorous, and generally a class within itself, an attribute shared by only a few professions. So you can see why it is so important to hold on and never want to let go once you've become inducted into the "Order of the Parasites." In many cases, the benefits of being a public leech carry on for the rest of your life, including lifetime healthcare, retirement benefits, and even Secret Service (depending on how large a vampire you are).
Now, the question, again, comes down to votes and how to get them.
Republicans are conservatives. Supposed to be, anyway. Confusion and chaos ensues when someone forgets that fact and behaves no differently than their Democrat counterpart. Democrats are supposed to be statist, so there are few issues with their idiot constituents when they behave as such. When statists make up the majority of both parties, and few apparent differences beside a color code and a different letter after their names make deciding between them a matter best settled by eeny-meeny-miney-moe, there needs to be conflict.
There are two categories of rhetoric a paradigmagogue wants to hear.
Category 1: Calls for Compromise.
"Washington can't get anything done!"
"Gridlock is hurting the economy!"
"When are they going to compromise?"
"Do-Nothing Congress needs to stop the bickering..."
MUSIC to a paradigmagogue's ears!
It makes their job so much easier to just go along with the statism that they probably would rather see implemented, anyway, than to actually stand for something. Standing up for convictions requires a spine, and the paradigmagogue is an invertebrate of the highest class.
Category 2: Hegelian Dialectic.
"The [other party] is [saying or doing something you don't like], and we need to do something about it!"
This sums up all that is the paradigmagogue.
The classic "problem-reaction-solution" routine that has empowered (R)'s and (D)'s for decades.
The other party has said something with which you really disagree, because the media told you to disagree. Now, your party has this guy running, and it didn't seem like he really cared about much of anything before, but now he's running ads and such against the party-puppet that said that disagreeable thing. This pleases you. This soothes that feeling of needing to do something to "get" that other party, right? You're gonna vote "against" that other party, right?
You are empowering parasites. They only get to the top by climbing on top of the one above them. They place themselves in batting orders to load the bases and make a grand slam without having to try too hard.
Voting against someone is a vote that is thrown away. It is a vote that says, "The system is so broken, I'm just going through the motions to make it look like I care." To vote against someone without inherently wanting the man you're voting for to win is to promote a false choice. It is to tie your own, preferred number of wraps around the noose that will hang you.
Sure, I sound all dramatic comparing an election and politics to being killed... but elections and politics do kill.
Politics have murdered, maimed, and destroyed lives, relationships, families, houses, cities, and entire countries for millennia. Think about it. It matters. Act like it.
Stop empowering people who are only empowered because they present themselves to you as a less painful option. Stop the pain. If it matters enough for you to notice and/or vote, it should matter enough for you to make an adult decision to think for yourself. Stop the paradigmagogues from telling you to decide between two evils.
"Never give in to evil, but proceed ever more boldly against it." ~Motto of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Contest
Since I can't think of anything to say, I'll ask you to say something.
Can you describe President Obama in one word?
Entries will be submitted in a poll, and the winner gets honorable mention.
(Who can resist an award like that?)
Comment your entries below, no limit to the number of entries.
Can you describe President Obama in one word?
Entries will be submitted in a poll, and the winner gets honorable mention.
(Who can resist an award like that?)
Comment your entries below, no limit to the number of entries.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Kansas Openly Defies the Entire Federal Government
Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder sent a letter to Kansan Governor Brownback informing him that recent legislation in Kansas to exempt Kansan firearms from federal regulation would be ignored by federal authorities. Holder said that the State of Kansas could not stifle federal control over the business of the state, as per the overly-cited Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Now, Brownback wrote his own defiant reply, stating Kansas had no intention of being cowed by threats of litigation... but the letter sent by Kansan Secretary of State Kris Kobach is worthy of remembrance.
I pray God helps the State of Kansas.
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Heat of the Moment: Bane of the Rule of Law
Every irritation is magnified, every emotion is intensified, yet all passions are dichotomized into hatred for the disruptor and love for the state - this is an emergency.
I don't know why it is, but the American people seem to develop this syndrome anytime their peace of mind is disturbed. It doesn't make sense, as it is no part of our American heritage to cling to the government to "save us," but even the most prominent "conservatives" seem to demand the state become empowered to keep them safe from all harm whenever there is a scary threat to their well-being.
Extreme punishments, exaggerated descriptions, and the sacrifice of anything, no matter how tightly clung we were to it beforehand, flow from our cups like a waterfall of hypocrisy. An hour before a crime was committed, we were willing to die to protect our freedoms and rule of law; when someone does die, though, it is "unpatriotic" and almost "treasonous" to not cut out the heart of your God-given rights on the altar of government. It is as though the state, a demigod, requires a sacrificial offering to appease them enough to protect you.
People, we are adults. Behave as adults. Reason as adults.
I am not going to appeal to the law, as I often do. It has become my modus operandi, for the most part, to appeal to the law. I mostly do that because it has recognized authority. The foible of this is that the authority has only as much power as the people give it. It is only authority because it is recognized. The Constitution is just a piece of paper, and that is just fine with me; I have no affection for sheepskin; only the ideas and principles written on it do I appreciate. And it is because liberal and conservative alike now pay the Constitution no mind that I must argue and reason only the merits of its principles.
I have no reason to argue my rights with anyone. God gave them to me, they are mine. They are not conditional or contingent on your opinion or mine. It only matters that they are realized.
So when we see an emergency, such as the Boston bombing, it makes no sense from any perspective but that of tyranny that our rights are forsaken. The warrantless searches of homes in Boston following the attacks produced no results except to humiliate the people of Boston, violate their rights to be secure in their houses, and generally terrorize and tyrannize the public.
There is no legitimate reason to ever forget your human rights. Ever.
I don't know why it is, but the American people seem to develop this syndrome anytime their peace of mind is disturbed. It doesn't make sense, as it is no part of our American heritage to cling to the government to "save us," but even the most prominent "conservatives" seem to demand the state become empowered to keep them safe from all harm whenever there is a scary threat to their well-being.
Extreme punishments, exaggerated descriptions, and the sacrifice of anything, no matter how tightly clung we were to it beforehand, flow from our cups like a waterfall of hypocrisy. An hour before a crime was committed, we were willing to die to protect our freedoms and rule of law; when someone does die, though, it is "unpatriotic" and almost "treasonous" to not cut out the heart of your God-given rights on the altar of government. It is as though the state, a demigod, requires a sacrificial offering to appease them enough to protect you.
People, we are adults. Behave as adults. Reason as adults.
I am not going to appeal to the law, as I often do. It has become my modus operandi, for the most part, to appeal to the law. I mostly do that because it has recognized authority. The foible of this is that the authority has only as much power as the people give it. It is only authority because it is recognized. The Constitution is just a piece of paper, and that is just fine with me; I have no affection for sheepskin; only the ideas and principles written on it do I appreciate. And it is because liberal and conservative alike now pay the Constitution no mind that I must argue and reason only the merits of its principles.
I have no reason to argue my rights with anyone. God gave them to me, they are mine. They are not conditional or contingent on your opinion or mine. It only matters that they are realized.
So when we see an emergency, such as the Boston bombing, it makes no sense from any perspective but that of tyranny that our rights are forsaken. The warrantless searches of homes in Boston following the attacks produced no results except to humiliate the people of Boston, violate their rights to be secure in their houses, and generally terrorize and tyrannize the public.
There is no legitimate reason to ever forget your human rights. Ever.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Opinions and Perspectives
I do not mean to belittle you, dear reader, but your opinion doesn't matter.
Don't feel dejected - my opinion doesn't matter, either. And yet here you are reading it!
When it comes to the nature of reality, your opinion is only your perception. You may be right, you may be wrong, but your opinion is quite irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Does this render opinions pointless? Not at all... in my opinion, anyway.
In fact, it is your opinion that makes you you! Aside from physical features and characteristics, our "take" on our universe is the only thing that makes a person an individual. I mean only to set the proper perspective for what many call one's "worldview."
I don't know how many different terms we have for the way we perceive God and the entirety of reality that He created, but I often hear about this or that worldview, theology, philosophy, religious view, school of thought, etc., etc. I have found, in my young life, that these terms are mostly superfluous outside of academia. Further, and more importantly, I find that they are entirely without use when you realize that only God's Word is our standard and source of truth.
Different interpretations of the same text? Yes, that happens. It can happen to a drastic degree, in fact. The superfluity, I think, then becomes a matter between reasonable Christians. Christians who are honest and open, in a true relationship with their Creator and Savior, not seeking trouble with others or only the advancement of themselves - these are the people among whom there should be no such substantial quarrel. Their views should be more or less identical; their perspectives, however, as individual as their fingerprints.
We have the highest of commonalities: we are adopted into brotherhood with Christ! He is our Lord, and He has supplied us with every thought we should think, every conviction, and every emotion we are to have. Where is the legitimacy of owning particular views outside of His Word? Certainly things which pertain to the daily grind of our physical life on earth may produce a variety of approaches, but the Bible and His Spirit are to be our guide and our source for direction.
There is only one true theology, one true worldview, and one true philosophy, and His Word never changes. It never has, and it never will. Your opinion may and should conform to His ways - His ways will never bend to meet your standards.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
So long as we are seeking the truth of God with an honest and open heart in His Word, our opinions should take a backseat and enjoy the ride. It's hard to do, let me tell you; but, you will learn and live a lot more when you don't let your own notions get in the way of His truths. Rather, let yourself be a perspective and a glorification of Him.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-8)
Don't feel dejected - my opinion doesn't matter, either. And yet here you are reading it!
When it comes to the nature of reality, your opinion is only your perception. You may be right, you may be wrong, but your opinion is quite irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Does this render opinions pointless? Not at all... in my opinion, anyway.
In fact, it is your opinion that makes you you! Aside from physical features and characteristics, our "take" on our universe is the only thing that makes a person an individual. I mean only to set the proper perspective for what many call one's "worldview."
I don't know how many different terms we have for the way we perceive God and the entirety of reality that He created, but I often hear about this or that worldview, theology, philosophy, religious view, school of thought, etc., etc. I have found, in my young life, that these terms are mostly superfluous outside of academia. Further, and more importantly, I find that they are entirely without use when you realize that only God's Word is our standard and source of truth.
Different interpretations of the same text? Yes, that happens. It can happen to a drastic degree, in fact. The superfluity, I think, then becomes a matter between reasonable Christians. Christians who are honest and open, in a true relationship with their Creator and Savior, not seeking trouble with others or only the advancement of themselves - these are the people among whom there should be no such substantial quarrel. Their views should be more or less identical; their perspectives, however, as individual as their fingerprints.
We have the highest of commonalities: we are adopted into brotherhood with Christ! He is our Lord, and He has supplied us with every thought we should think, every conviction, and every emotion we are to have. Where is the legitimacy of owning particular views outside of His Word? Certainly things which pertain to the daily grind of our physical life on earth may produce a variety of approaches, but the Bible and His Spirit are to be our guide and our source for direction.
There is only one true theology, one true worldview, and one true philosophy, and His Word never changes. It never has, and it never will. Your opinion may and should conform to His ways - His ways will never bend to meet your standards.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
So long as we are seeking the truth of God with an honest and open heart in His Word, our opinions should take a backseat and enjoy the ride. It's hard to do, let me tell you; but, you will learn and live a lot more when you don't let your own notions get in the way of His truths. Rather, let yourself be a perspective and a glorification of Him.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-8)
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Dr. Carson Fails the 2A Litmus Test
The Second Amendment is my litmus test for a decent representative. If one is not in complete support of the right of the people to keep and bear arms, he will not receive my vote.
I agree with him on many things, but for him to deny people the God-given right and basic human dignity of the freedom to keep and bear arms for their own defense and the defense of their state is to deny an essential truth about individual freedom. Constitutionally, morally, and reasonably speaking, government has no rightful power to restrict a right simply because it may be abused or neglected. That's... crazy-talk.
If he has misspoken to some major degree, I will give him space enough to correct and articulate his point - as it is, however, he does not have my support.
H/T Hannah Jane
I agree with him on many things, but for him to deny people the God-given right and basic human dignity of the freedom to keep and bear arms for their own defense and the defense of their state is to deny an essential truth about individual freedom. Constitutionally, morally, and reasonably speaking, government has no rightful power to restrict a right simply because it may be abused or neglected. That's... crazy-talk.
If he has misspoken to some major degree, I will give him space enough to correct and articulate his point - as it is, however, he does not have my support.
H/T Hannah Jane
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