Help me understand!
When did non-negotiables become negotiable?
Was I out to lunch or in the restroom when this decision was made?
Seems to me, non-negotiables represent “the point of the wedge”.
Once the point of the wedge is introduced into the issue, and allowed to stand, the issue is lost.
It is at this point where our politicians snooker us!
They suggest compromise as the be all and end all of politics.
Don’t they say the art of politics is compromise?
But, non-negotiables are just that: non-negotiable!
As soon as we begin to negotiate, we have lost!
Whenever your politician says to you, “…I agree in principle, BUT…”
Know, immediately, you are in the presence of one committed to “…the many…” at the expense of “…the one…’
The one who gets “screwed” is YOU. And your neighbor!
Jesus said, “…render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s…”
I find it instructive He did not delineate the things within Caesar’s purview.
Instead, He left it to you and me to determine.
Caesar’s always want you and me to think they have a divine mandate and listing of thing which are theirs.
But, the listing is to come from us; not from the Caesar!
And here is where we fall down. We are so damn lazy!
We run from the obligation of holding Caesar’s feet to the fire daily, weekly, monthly, etc.
Instead, we seek to take refuge in the idea that The State is ordained of God, sent down from heaven, and to which we blindly submit.
Small wonder we are in the current fix!
Prov. 22:3
Pearcey Report
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Books That Mark
Books which have marked me:
Since leaving the Boy's Farm in '55 and enlisting in the USMC, my life has been characterized by a focus on books. Guess one might label me a bibliophile.
I have not only been given to collecting, but reading; and though I cannot say I have read every book on hand, I have read a host of them!
In the ensuing years I have managed to collect a library of in excess of 10K books.
One of my sons hassles me for the collection; given the electronic availability of many of the ones I have on hand; still, there is to me, something to be said for having the text in hand, etc.!
Anyway, in reflecting, I have thought to list those which, at the moment, come to mind as having impacted me significantly. They represent a broad spectrum of thought, reflective of my personal journey, theologically, and politically and provide an insight into why I think the way I do.
The Bible
Confessions: Augustine
Proslogion: Anselm
Through Gates Of Splendor: Eliot
Daws: Skinner
A Christian View Of Men And Things: Clark
Faith and Saving Faith: Clark
3 Rs: Clark
My Utmost For His Highest: Chambers
Pursuit Of God: Tozer
Conceived In Liberty: Rothbard
For A New Liberty: Rothbard
Human Action: Mises
Defending The Undefendable: Block
Aborting America: Nathanson
The Least Of These: Young
The Nazi Doctors: Lifton
Holy Disobedience: Buzzard-Campbell
The Cost Of Discipleship: Bonhoeffer
The Parousia: Russell
The Cross and the Parousia: King
The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement
Since leaving the Boy's Farm in '55 and enlisting in the USMC, my life has been characterized by a focus on books. Guess one might label me a bibliophile.
I have not only been given to collecting, but reading; and though I cannot say I have read every book on hand, I have read a host of them!
In the ensuing years I have managed to collect a library of in excess of 10K books.
One of my sons hassles me for the collection; given the electronic availability of many of the ones I have on hand; still, there is to me, something to be said for having the text in hand, etc.!
Anyway, in reflecting, I have thought to list those which, at the moment, come to mind as having impacted me significantly. They represent a broad spectrum of thought, reflective of my personal journey, theologically, and politically and provide an insight into why I think the way I do.
The Bible
Confessions: Augustine
Proslogion: Anselm
Through Gates Of Splendor: Eliot
Daws: Skinner
A Christian View Of Men And Things: Clark
Faith and Saving Faith: Clark
3 Rs: Clark
My Utmost For His Highest: Chambers
Pursuit Of God: Tozer
Conceived In Liberty: Rothbard
For A New Liberty: Rothbard
Human Action: Mises
Defending The Undefendable: Block
Aborting America: Nathanson
The Least Of These: Young
The Nazi Doctors: Lifton
Holy Disobedience: Buzzard-Campbell
The Cost Of Discipleship: Bonhoeffer
The Parousia: Russell
The Cross and the Parousia: King
The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement
The Chain That Binds ME
God in heaven!
Can I last for another week?
Every political pronouncement from these candidates prompts me to step outside and wretch!
How dumb do they think we are?
Dumb and dumber, I suspect. We are to believe a “bailout” is a “rescue”!
How dare they refer to The Constitution! Both parties abandoned it long ago.
How dare they speak of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people”? Decades ago, we were relegated to the status of serfs with the “privilege” of voting.
Wow. I get to vote for their choices. Ain’t that a hoot!
Somehow, participation in a coercive system doesn’t smack of freedom to me.
Shay’s Rebellion and The Whiskey Rebellion signaled things to come.
Government is a necessary evil, given Adam’s impact. But, it is an evil which demands eternal vigilance on the part of the governed.
Never, for a moment, should we trust in government or those governing, be they believers or non-believers. We must call to mind the corrupting influence of government and its associated powers.
We need to chain them down with a written document enumerating their powers, and then resolutely refuse to grant them another link in the chain!
Oh, well…let me go outside and puke.
That’s the only realistic relief I can anticipate at the moment.
Come election day, there will be a host of additional links added to the chain that binds ME.
Sigh
Monday, October 13, 2008
Political Options
As John Quincy Adams said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." Be advised, this was uttered before 200+ years of corruption within our system had its effect.
There are not only two options, i.e. Republican or Democrat (the political reality, irrespective of the seeming third party option). There is a third. Not voting is also a principled stand.
Today's politicians speak pejoratively regarding the lack of voter turn out, assuming irresponsibility on the part of those who do not turn out. Might it not be a reasonable deduction to suspect dissatisfaction and disillusionment on the part of the non-participants, having realized the system is now rigged?
We were once and for a very few brief years, a Democratic Republic. We are now worse than a Radical Democracy where at least the vote counted. We are now, if you will excuse my label, a political dictatorship. First off, our votes are now generally electronic, with the electronics under the control of the politicos. Then, if our votes seem to contradict what the politicos have in mind, our courts declare our vote "out of bounds".
A very sorry state, to be sure.
Personally, I doubt the populace will wake-up/rise-up until voter turnout is in the area of 10-20%. I, for one, have not participated in the national charade for some time now. In my mind, the only vote which seems to count is on the local level, i.e. township or county.
In this day and age your vote, especially on the national level, is always lost.
There are not only two options, i.e. Republican or Democrat (the political reality, irrespective of the seeming third party option). There is a third. Not voting is also a principled stand.
Today's politicians speak pejoratively regarding the lack of voter turn out, assuming irresponsibility on the part of those who do not turn out. Might it not be a reasonable deduction to suspect dissatisfaction and disillusionment on the part of the non-participants, having realized the system is now rigged?
We were once and for a very few brief years, a Democratic Republic. We are now worse than a Radical Democracy where at least the vote counted. We are now, if you will excuse my label, a political dictatorship. First off, our votes are now generally electronic, with the electronics under the control of the politicos. Then, if our votes seem to contradict what the politicos have in mind, our courts declare our vote "out of bounds".
A very sorry state, to be sure.
Personally, I doubt the populace will wake-up/rise-up until voter turnout is in the area of 10-20%. I, for one, have not participated in the national charade for some time now. In my mind, the only vote which seems to count is on the local level, i.e. township or county.
In this day and age your vote, especially on the national level, is always lost.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Stress?
"Stress is to refuse to accept a circumstance in your life for which you have no control, stress is measured by the amount of energy that you invest resisting those circumstances. Stress is to waste energy attempting with your thoughts and feelings to change a person, an event or a circumstance surrounding you. The trick to avoid stress is to realize that no amount of effort can ever change the circumstances while they are happening to you, no matter how bad, do not oppose the moment instead, accept and feel what is occurring."
Adrian Dean Horien
www.Pfat2Pfit.com
Adrian Dean Horien
www.Pfat2Pfit.com
Monday, October 6, 2008
Grave Moral Danger
Here we go:
Isaiah warned us hundreds of years ago regarding those who offer new definitions, but we seemingly never learn. Our current politicos tell us of chaos just around the corner unless we follow their lead. When the House rejected the argument of the experts the other day, seeming panic ensued, and pressure was brought to bear bringing those out of line into conformity. We heard phrases such as chaos, moral danger, grave danger, and the Media talking heads expostulated as if they really knew what they were talking about.
By no stretch of the imagination am I an economist, but I do have a memory and have lived long enough to recall these failed programs were their ideas. Did anyone hear an admission of personal responsibility for any failed program? Was anyone held accountable? Did any national heads roll?
No, that level of accountability is only applied to serfs.
Every time I make an honest mistake on my check book, my bank hammers the snot out of me with associated charges. Recently, my account was hacked by someone in Europe, and I was charged for their electronic intrusion. The fault lay with me because I had an account.
Aside from hammering serfs when they are not responsible, these beltway bandits operate according to a different standard, and redefine good and evil. Because we are good serfs, products of Public Indoctrination, we go along, because we are fearful and have learned that if we say anything, ask anything, our names are placed on a Terrorist list. Can you believe it? Personal responsibility and legitimate patriotism are now defined as Terrorism.
Isaiah, you had it right. Shamgar, where are you when we need you?
Isaiah warned us hundreds of years ago regarding those who offer new definitions, but we seemingly never learn. Our current politicos tell us of chaos just around the corner unless we follow their lead. When the House rejected the argument of the experts the other day, seeming panic ensued, and pressure was brought to bear bringing those out of line into conformity. We heard phrases such as chaos, moral danger, grave danger, and the Media talking heads expostulated as if they really knew what they were talking about.
By no stretch of the imagination am I an economist, but I do have a memory and have lived long enough to recall these failed programs were their ideas. Did anyone hear an admission of personal responsibility for any failed program? Was anyone held accountable? Did any national heads roll?
No, that level of accountability is only applied to serfs.
Every time I make an honest mistake on my check book, my bank hammers the snot out of me with associated charges. Recently, my account was hacked by someone in Europe, and I was charged for their electronic intrusion. The fault lay with me because I had an account.
Aside from hammering serfs when they are not responsible, these beltway bandits operate according to a different standard, and redefine good and evil. Because we are good serfs, products of Public Indoctrination, we go along, because we are fearful and have learned that if we say anything, ask anything, our names are placed on a Terrorist list. Can you believe it? Personal responsibility and legitimate patriotism are now defined as Terrorism.
Isaiah, you had it right. Shamgar, where are you when we need you?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Oops!
They Found The Secret
For almost 20+ years of my pilgrimage in The Faith, I sought “…The Secret…”.
I read the Deeper Life Literature.
I sought the experience testified by these saints!
But, try as I might, I was never able to gin it up.
For a while, I was tempted to consider myself a second class believer; unable to measure up!
Then one day I came across 2 Peter 1:16-21.
Peter seems to imply one’s relationship with the text of scripture is more reliable than the sensate encounter!
That insight blew my mind!
The scriptures are objective to me and my personal experience, as with everyone else.
My subjective experience is just that, subjective. It is not verifiable. We each feel, something.
But, God, in His wise providence, left us a written record, against which we bring captive every thought; every experience; yea, everything.
Wow!
Talk about Liberation!
At that moment, the implications of The New Covenant began to dawn on me.
Could it be God was dealing with me as an adult versus child?
Mercy…did this have implications heretofore ignored?
God, dealing with me as an adult?
Oops!
For almost 20+ years of my pilgrimage in The Faith, I sought “…The Secret…”.
I read the Deeper Life Literature.
I sought the experience testified by these saints!
But, try as I might, I was never able to gin it up.
For a while, I was tempted to consider myself a second class believer; unable to measure up!
Then one day I came across 2 Peter 1:16-21.
Peter seems to imply one’s relationship with the text of scripture is more reliable than the sensate encounter!
That insight blew my mind!
The scriptures are objective to me and my personal experience, as with everyone else.
My subjective experience is just that, subjective. It is not verifiable. We each feel, something.
But, God, in His wise providence, left us a written record, against which we bring captive every thought; every experience; yea, everything.
Wow!
Talk about Liberation!
At that moment, the implications of The New Covenant began to dawn on me.
Could it be God was dealing with me as an adult versus child?
Mercy…did this have implications heretofore ignored?
God, dealing with me as an adult?
Oops!
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