Opus 2012-139, Immortal Quotes: I Think, Therefore I Am

I believe it was Rene Decartes who penned the phrase, “I think, therefore I am.”  He was dealing with the question of existence.  How do we know that we are real or that anything around us is real.  Philosophers focus on things like this. 

How do you know you are real?  Sometimes I think that these posts begin to run my life.  “I blog, therefore I am.”  Maybe it would be more accurate, “I am, therefore I blog.”  It certainly would for some people.

What fits in your blank and where is the blank?  Is it “I _________, therefore I am,” or is it “I am, therefore I __________.”  Or is it “I _________, therefore I ___________.”  Are you a blogger?  A gunny?  A sports nut?  A political junkey, prepper, mommy or ____________?

I enjoy all of these (except being a mommy).  They tweak my interest.  They spice up my life.  But none of them answers the questions that come quietly out of the dark, like “What is your purpose in life?”  They all try desperately, but come up short.  That is one of the big questions, “What is the purpose of life?”

My father used to say to us, “Don’t sit there like a bump on a log.”  Why not?  If I am only a bump on a log, why not act like one?  What reason do you have to believe you are anything more? 

Those who follow the teachings of evolution and secular humanism don’t consider themselves bumps on a log.  They consider themselves aberrations on nature.  When they cross-train with the extreme environmentalists they see us as simians gone bad.  Most look at human beings as destroyers of the ecosystem.  People are enemies of Mother Earth, sometimes known as Gaia.  We are a cancer on the perfection of the universe.  With their philosophy the only other choice is that we are part of nature and if you really believe in natural selection then it is natural for us to kill off other species and each other.  Let the last species standing claim the trophy.

I march to a different drummer.  I believe that a personal God created all of this.  I believe He knew what He was doing.  Just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean it isn’t there.   We see examples of this on a regular basis if we will look.  That is a big “if.”  A few years ago we had a major oil blow out in the Gulf.  Our elitist president used it as an excuse to shut down drilling in the ocean.  We heard about all the damage to the environment.  It is funny that we never had repeated stories about the little microbes that suddenly appeared and began eating all the excess oil.  God’s creation cleaned itself up. 

It seems that those microbes have been around for a long time.  They were designed to deal with the natural oil leaks that are squeezed out constantly in the natural condition of the ocean floor.  It seems that God knew about oil leaks when He designed the world.  Funny how that works. 

I consider myself at the top of the food chain.  That position as God describes it is to be a steward, not an exploiter.  I care for the trees, not because they are divine, but because they are my responsibility.  I care for the animals, not because they are my brothers but because God told me to do so.  Nature comes out in good condition without throwing out the place of mankind in creation.

It works for me.

I guess I could say, “He is, therefore I am.”

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-138, Holidays: George III Reincarnated

Happy 4th of July.  I hope you are celebrating while you still can.

I am going to try to find time today to read through the Declaration of Independence.  It would be a good annual ritual.  Just as on Christmas we read the revelation of the incarnation and on Easter we read the eyewitness accounts of the resurrection, so on Independence Day it would not hurt to read from the primary source.

We are all familiar with the opening paragraphs, with “all Men are created equal,” and “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  Those are inspiring and need to be remembered.

But...

Have you read the rest?  Are you aware of how the issues of 1776 are so much like the issues of 2012?  Let me share a few excerpts that you may not have gotten to.

In the same paragraph as the above you find,

“The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.”

Now I want you to substitute “President of the United States” for “King of Great-Britain” and see if you eyes get wide and your blood begins to boil.  How about the next paragraph?

“He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.”

And the next paragraph,

“He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.”

If this does not begin to form a pattern for you let me just offer a few hints:  Arizona, Immigration, INS, Supreme Court.  I am sure I could give you more.  The American Revolution did not start because they did not like the tax on tea.  It was the result of a pattern of behavior as old as tyranny.  That is why the Tea Parties have as their central theme limited government.

Are we in a crisis?  I would say so.  Our imperial president feels he is above the law.  We have elections coming.  Get serious.  We have the tool of impeachment.  We may need to use it. 

Look beyond the president.  If Congress were not so out of touch they could take action and reign in the usurpation of power.  Maybe it is time to vote the suckers out, all of the suckers.  I know you like the one you have but you need to seriously ask yourself, “Do my elected officials really believe in ‘government of the people, by the people and for the people’?”

Again, I hope you are celebrating while you still can.  We are not as free as we were when I was a child.  Who knows about the future.  We can still say we live in the best country on earth but it won’t stay that way if we don’t pay attention.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-137, New Terms: OES

As I was reading I came across a term I had not seen before.  It expresses what I have been feeling.  It gives a new way of describing the elites that are running the country.  I may have even used the words but I never came up with an acronym.  I never said it in capital letters.  They are the OES, the “overeducated, elitist snobs.”

“The people who suffer from this syndrome have been labeled by many other Americans as overeducated elitist snobs. The OES syndrome does not manifest itself like Margaret Dumont playing society lady to Groucho Marx. Overeducated elitist snobs may even be self-deprecating about their cultural preferences. They just quietly believe that they and their peers are superior to the rest of the population, intellectually and in their nuanced moral sensibility.”

Don’t miss that last part.  This is an attitude that is often totally hidden.  It is so sincere that the Elitist does not even realize what it is to look someone in the eye.  They think everyone looks down their nose.  The Progressives who run the agencies of government, education, the major foundations and charities feel that they know what is best for you.  They know you need to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle.  They know that you don’t need a large soft drink.  They know that you don’t need such a long, hot shower.  They know that fried foods are bad for you.  And they have the power to do something about it.

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, “They are from the Regulators and they are here to help you.”

Murray, Charles.  Coming Apart.  New York:  Crown Forum, 2012, Kindle Highlight Loc. 1473-76.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-136, Tangent Number One

Last post I started talking about the reference of Alistair Begg to fresh water and salt water.  I got sidetracked, so lets get back to my original tangent.

My original feeling about the traditional words being "fresh" and "bitter" was wrong.  I did not read far enough.  The verse I was thinking of was this,

(James 3:11 KJV)  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

The verse he was referring to was the next one.

(James 3:12 KJV)  Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

Now what did my mind do with this trivia?  I think “bitter” is a better place to focus.  It has nuances that “salt water” does not carry.  It could be the same but I think it was what we call mineral water, something that our modern culture has made desirable.  A liquid that was considered suitable for taking baths.  I think the tofu and bean sprout crowd still drink mineral water but they have probably decided that “Perrier” is too gauche for the true purists.  I am not a drinker but it seems to me in my reading I came across people adding something called “bitters” to their favorite booze. 

The point that came to me was that our modern culture often takes things that are undesirable and makes them “cool.”  We can get used to anything.  Consider the different ethnic foods that are sold in public with no embarrassment.  Menudo, a Mexican dish, is the lining of the intestine.  Kimchi, a Korean staple, is a hot cabbage.  Nuoc Mam, a Vietnamese delicacy, is rotten fish juice.  When the Pilgrims landed, lobsters were poor people’s food.  They wanted to eat eels.  Remember the Beverly Hillbillies getting excited about greens and possum innards?  People can get used to anything.  Remember your first taste of coffee. 

These are just foods, but what about our actions?  Picture the socially acceptable attitude toward marriage.  Many are now so brainwashed by the media and public education that the idea of two men getting married to each other doesn’t even make the evening news.  Language is on a down hill swing.  Much current television would have once been considered pornographic.  Divorce is now “no fault.”  Children born outside of marriage is the norm for many parts of our population.  People can get used to anything. 

What kind of water are you willing to drink?  What kind of water does your life put out?  Remember that the measure is not going to be your local PTA or the Style Book for the New York Times.  The standard will be the eternal word of God.

(James 3:11 KJV)  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

What kind of fountain are you?

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-135, Tangent Times Two

I was again listening to Alistair Begg.  He quoted a verse and the quote sounded strange to me.  He referred to the spring that cannot produce both fresh water and salt water. 

Tangent Warning!  Tangent Warning! 

At this point my mind wandered off as it has a habit of doing.  Something did not sound right in his reference.  I didn’t remember it as being salt water, but bitter water.  I left myself a note on my recorder so I could check it out later and got back to listening.

Tangent Warning!  Tangent Warning! 

Yes, again.  This reminds me again of the value of allowing your mind to wander as you listen and read.  We are taught that we need to focus and pay attention.  Okay, I accept that but the Holy Spirit is constantly trying to get through to us and make us think.  When you are in a situation where your mental or spiritual radar perks up, don’t ignore it.  It may be the Holy Spirit.

Why does He speak to me when I am in the middle of a sermon?  Maybe because that is the time when I am most focused on listening.  Maybe the middle of my golf swing is not the time I am most receptive.  I grew up hearing about the “still small voice.”  It was a reference to the way in which God speaks quietly to our hearts.  I did a search and could only find this phrase in one place, in one translation.

Elijah was hiding in a cave and feeling sorry for himself.  God had a lesson to teach him.

(1 Kings 19:11-12 KJV)  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Notice that God caused all kinds of mighty wonders to take place.  It is clear that God was causing them and Elijah seemed to understand that.  But notice the last part, the “still small voice.”  To this Elijah responded and heard.

(1 Kings 19:13 KJV)  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

As I write I am in Pennsylvania and a thunder storm is passing over.  God can speak that way.  I have had experiences where I have almost been killed in traffic.  God can speak that way.  But to be honest, the times that God speaks most clearly and in a way that I remember are in those quiet times when I can allow my mind to follow His “still small voice.”

Next post I will get back to my original tangent.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-134, Tax Dollars at Work: Obama Will Pay for Your Gas

Many of us remember seeing a short video of a young lady all excited about Obama’s election.  She declared her expectation that he would pay her rent and pay for her gas.  I remember hooting about how ignorant she was. 

It turns out I was ignorant.  I underestimated the power of the Progressives (aka, liberals, socialists, elitists, Democrats) to work the system to buy votes and keep people on the plantation and in the underclass.

We were in a gas station in South Carolina.  We looked for the cheapest gas.  It was coming out of our pocket.  As I was at the pump I noticed a cute little sticker on the side.  It informed me that I could use my EBT card to pay for my gas.  One big problem:  I don’t have an EBT card.  But I do pay the bills of those who have one.  The EBT card is a cash card/debit card that the federal government is using to replace food stamps and other welfare payments.  It makes it possible for people to be parasites without anyone noticing.  It helps the self-esteem of those living at the expense of working people who pay taxes.

So lets review the places that “people in need” can use their EBT cards.  Popeye’s Chicken, Sunshine Liquor, 7/11, and now the gas pump.  The rent and health care have been taken care of for a long time.

So it turns out I am ignorant, or was.

I don’t know that we can lay this all at the feet of Obama.  I would guess that previous presidents had their hand in it and congress has either helped or ignored the issue.

Vote the suckers out while you still can afford gas to get to the voting booth.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-133, Withdrawal Symptoms

I am back in contact with the internet.  It has been over a week since I have been on line.  That is the longest I can remember since I hook up with a high speed connection.  I hope to begin posting with more regularity now.

homo unius libri