HereAmI's Blog

Good for goodness sake: The god dilemma and morality. If there is no god, where does morality come from? Without a creator we would assume that morality must be an evolutionary process of some sort. Whether biological or psychological it must surely have developed along with our arms, legs, eyes, brains and genitalia.  We know that single celled organisms had none of these features and certainly no code of behavior.

And what behavioral code do you suppose crocodiles use today? They lay in the sun or lazily float until some unsuspecting deer, hog, child or raccoon comes along and then they maim, kill and eat. It seems that many of the species of earth do similar acts of violence such as the bird munching a beetle or a mosquito sucking baby juice without remorse or concern. 

Concern and remorse would be issues reserved for humans it seems. It is people that are worried when the population of elephants falls too low or that eagles are becoming scarce. So, then, it must be a higher functioning animal that can discern good and evil. Mankind has been granted the evolutionary chance at being the superior being capable of defining wrong from right.

Right and wrong then are imposed by individual humans or by societies of humans. This would mean that some people and communities have evolved to higher levels of capability and thus have the authority to impose on those less gifted. Certainly this is true as some have stronger arms, faster legs, bluer eyes, brighter minds and larger genitalia. It is logical then to assume there is no equality among the homo sapiens.

Without equality it would seem unfair to impose moral standards that all persons are not capable to understand or comply.  Is mankind trapped by the biological or psychological evolution of his parents and no more responsible than the blue jay which seems bent on tormenting squirrels?

Squirrels and blue jays are immune from prosecution, the squirrels are allowed to take acorns and the blue jay may freely harass the squirrel. You and I can only be held accountable if there is a God who created us equal. Only if we have the same ability to expect that as we yield to the One who made us He will heal our inadequacy and provide us with everything we need to “…participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

The divine nature calls us to be good for and by God’s sake; to be good for goodness sake is a fairy tail which never evolved; it is a misnomer of antithesis.   

by Congressman Dr. Ron Paul

Tragically, over the Thanksgiving holiday, the world was reminded how evil and cruel people can be.  According to emerging accounts of the events in India, about a dozen well-armed and devastatingly well-trained terrorists laid siege on the city of Mumbai, killing almost two hundred people, and terrorizing thousands.

Regardless of the reasons, the indiscriminate shooting on masses of unarmed and defenseless people is chilling and reprehensible.  How were these terrorists able to continue so long, relatively unchallenged, killing so many?

India’s gun laws are her business, of course.  However, once the shock of these events and the initial reaction of fear passes, Americans should take away a valuable lesson about real homeland security and gun control from this tragedy.

Gun control advocates tell us that removing guns from society makes us safer.  If that were the case why do the worst shootings happen in gun free zones, like schools?  And while accidents do happen, aggressive, terroristic shootings like this are unheard of at gun and knife shows, or military bases.  It bears repeating that an armed society truly is a polite society.

The fact is that firearm technology exists.  It cannot be uninvented.  As long as there is metalworking and welding capability, it matters not what gun laws are imposed upon law-abiding people.  Those that wish to have guns, and disregard the law, will have guns.  Gun control makes violence safer and more effective for the aggressive, whether the aggressor is a terrorist or a government.

History shows us that another tragedy of gun laws is genocide.  Hitler, for example, knew well that in order to enact his “final solution,” disarmament was a necessary precursor.  While it is not always the case that an unarmed populace WILL be killed by their government, if a government is going to kill its own people, it MUST disarm them first so they cannot fight back.  Disarmament must happen at a time when overall trust in government is high, and under the guise of safety for the people, or perhaps the children.  Knowing that any government, no matter how idealistically started, can become despotic, the Founding Fathers enabled the future freedom of Americans by enacting the second amendment.

In our own country, we should be ever vigilant against any attempts to disarm the people, especially in this economic downturn.  I expect violent crime to rise sharply in the coming days, and as states and municipalities are even more financially strained, the police will be even less able or willing to respond to crime.  In many areas, local police could become more and more absorbed with revenue generating activities, like minor traffic violations and the asset forfeiture opportunities of non-violent drug offenses.  Your safety has always, ultimately been your own responsibility, but never more so than now.  People have a natural right to defend themselves.  Governments that take that away from their people should be highly suspect. 

http://www.house.gov/htbin/blog_inc?BLOG,tx14_paul,b
log,999,All,Item%20not%20found,ID=081208_2559,TEMPLATE=
postingdetail.shtml

“I, for one, never want to find myself in the predicament of that photographer in Mumbai who says: ‘I only wish I had a gun rather than a camera.’” (Joseph Farah. When cops don't shoot back.” WND.com Posted: December 02, 2008 1:00 am Eastern.)

Related (Dr. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ggg0LwhrH0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1u0Byq5Qis

“The terrorists were watching CNN and they came down from where they were in a lift after hearing about us on television. For that reason I would appeal to the media to be very careful about what they broadcast.

“When we left Mumbai there were still around 100 people trapped there.”

She added: “People talk to one another on mobile phones and that gets broadcast and the terrorists knew from that.”

A spokesman for CNN, said: “CNN has received no complaint from any individual regarding our coverage and their safety. We take such matters very seriously.

“We had CNN and Turner Broadcasting employees staying trapped at the Taj hotel during the attacks, and were vigilant about anything we broadcast that could compromise the safety of those inside.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/200
8/11/29/we-thought-we-were-safe-then-cnn-stepped-in-914
66-22368124/

Do terrorist use the media?

Does the media use terrorist?

Do terrorist and the media have mutual interest in creating “news?”

Is there an alliance?

Summed up it is Love of God, love of neighbor and love of enemy. Forgive as you would have God forgive you.

These precepts could only come from the true God who created us all in His image, who loves everyone of us and desires we accept the atonement He provided which enables us to share eternity with Him. Yes, that atoning sacrifice was Jesus the Christ who Himself claimed to be one with God (Would a prophet of God do such a thing?).

God, a single triune entity such that He exhibits Himself in three different persons. Difficult to comprehend? Yes, but He is God and operates at a level beyond our understanding. It may be the manner of which a parent must present differently to their youngest child than to the oldest because of the disparity in their experience.

 It is certain Christians, more often than not, fail to represent Christ well yet there is no other belief system that I am aware which clearly states “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”  There is no other belief system that God exemplifies this statement, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Christianity is a belief of reconciliation and peace.

He loves us you know.

Doug Powers of World Net Daily writes, “A Gun is Worth a Thousand Words” quotes, “Sebastian D'Souza, the photographer and picture editor for the Mumbai Mirror who snapped a photo seen around the world of one of the terrorists in India last week, said it all: ‘I only wish I had a gun, not a camera.’”

“The Pentagon's plan calls for three rapid-reaction forces to be ready for emergency response by September 2011,” from the article, “Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security” on the Huffington Post website and written by Washington Post writers Spencer S. Hsu and Ann Scott Tyson

According to David E. Sanger of the New York Times article appearing in a 12/1/08 Houston Chronicle, President elect Obama’s plan “…would create a greatly expanded corps of diplomats and aid workers that, in the vision of the incoming Obama administration, would be engaged in projects around the world aimed at preventing conflicts and rebuilding failed states.”

Peter writes,
“’Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’” (1 Peter 3:10-12)

Four different approaches: A gun, a force, a corps and a pursuit. What will the answer be?

The Ambassador Marc Ginsberg writes “Let us not forget that underneath much of the recent turmoil on the Indian subcontinent lies the determined strategy of Osama Bin Laden, who after all hoped to provoke the U.S. into a war against the Arab world by his 9/11 attacks and cause muslims to rise up in revolt to overthrow America's Arab allies. The Mumbai attacks may have a similar goal: to cause India into a retaliatory war with Pakistan which could include an invasion of Kashmir that could topple Pakistan's democratically elected government and lead to a Muslim militant resurgence that will gain control of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and reestablish Taliban control over Afghanistan. It is a nightmarish scenario dreamt up in the caves of Waziristan.” ( “Al Qaeda's Kashmir Conspiracy.” Huffington Post. 11/30/08)

Andrew G. Bostom quoting Allah Buksh K. Brohi, a former Advocate-General of Pakistan “Terror struck into the hearts of the enemies is not only a means, it is the end in itself. Once a condition of terror into the opponent's heart is obtained, hardly anything is left to be achieved. It is the point where the means and the end meet and merge. Terror is not a means of imposing decision upon the enemy (sic); it is the decision we wish to impose upon him...” (“Hindus, Jews, and Jihad Terror in Mumbai.” American Thinker. 11/30/08)

“Don't fall for the false assurances of police and others who would prefer to possess a legal monopoly on the means of violence. They exist only to contain the damage and provide the allusion of security as well as post-facto deterrence. They are not there to protect you. No one is.” (Vox Day. “No one will protect you.” World Net Daily. 12/01/2008

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear[b]; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:13-17)

What shall you do?

“What we need instead of change is gratitude.  The simple blessing of being born in America is something that most people on this planet would give much to possess.  The ordinary freedom which was the object of the Pilgrims is something purchased by those before us at great cost and which is frittered away by us with gaping indifference.  The specialness of our very souls, made in the image of a loving God, transcends all the trite amusements we make.”

“We live in a nation in which the biggest health problem for most Americans, including the poor, is obesity.”

“We live in a nation in which the biggest psychological pain is boredom.” 

Bruce Walker. “Thanks for what lasts.” American Thinker.com November 27, 2008

Complete Article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/11/thanks_for_what_
lasts.html

I find it so difficult sometimes to understand all that has blessed me. Gratitude is difficult without this understanding. What would it feel like to miss eating for days or weeks? If I lived in a war zone rather than playing Halo 3 or Mortal Combat, would I be so cavalier?     

Do you have difficulty with gratitude? Could it be that we fail to acknowledge God’s salvation because we have not known hell?

Is this why people who are in desperate situations can see God?

“A mother's love is immediate, physical, nurturing.  A father's love is much more abstract.”

“The father's role in the family is mental not physical. (Of course the man can express physical love and devotion to his wife and children.) A man brings the abstract notion of love and support into this grand "chemical" mixture.”

"So there are two very different kinds of love in the traditional family. Children raised in a loving family learn that love is both instinctive and rational. Children brought up in a traditional family learn that love is more than passion. Love is not a merely a disposition. Love is also a choice. Love is recognition that is freely given."

"Trust for, appreciation of, and reliance upon other human beings are all lessons that originate in the traditional family.  This is the grand experiment that is the monogamous heterosexual family."

"There are millions of children in America today who are 'raised' in fatherless homes. They are shuffled off to day-care centers where none of the delicate (and sometimes explosive) chemical combinations of love that exist in the family are present."

"If we are looking for an explanation of the 'gang culture' that is taking over this country we need look no further than these day care centers. Children who are raised in a pack will behave like pack animals. The traditional family has been the bulwark that has always stood against these kinds of mob mentality."

From a November 27, 2008 article titled, “Thankful for Family,” by Larrey Anderson

Complete Article:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/11/thankful_for_f
amily.html

How does the idea that a father’s love is intentional, not biological, fit with your understanding of God’s love?

What do you think of the implication of “gang culture” and day care?

An open letter to the people of America:

You have been taken in by what the media promotes as the issues.  It is not the simple issues of pro-life, define marriage, manage the economy or war. The issue is a government within its limits, the Constitution.   

The Congress, the Office of President and the Supreme court have exceeded their Constitutional Authorities.  The federal budget continues to be exceeded annually and our federal debt soars.  Most legislation which occurs in DC is outside of the authority granted by the Constitution. 

The Founding Fathers sought to promote liberty and limit government.  Centralized government fails serve the interests of the people, as we witness this today as our elected officials serve corporate agendas or agendas of their own of greed and power.  Our officials are lobbied by special interest groups, primarily large corporations, seeking their advantage while most Americans are focused on the daily task of raising families. 

These lobbying corporations promote themselves by seeking regulations which limits competition, provides for subsidy and government contracts.  Joe the Plumber has sent his elected official to “represent” him in Washington DC.  Poor naive Joe.  Little does he know that these “hired guns” have their sights set on his representatives with slick marketing and lavish gifts.

The Founding Fathers knew that government is easily corrupted and the reason centralized government was viewed with such caution in the Constitution.  Local government provides that citizens can better supervise their representation.  The voice of the Average American can better be heard in the Council Chambers rather than in the House Chambers.

If the issue of a Constitutional form of limited government is the main issue then why is it hidden from public view?  Let this be repeated.  “Our elected officials serve corporate agendas or agendas of their own of greed and power.”  These men and women start out with the best of intentions though once in DC they are indoctrinated, normalized and acclimated to their new environment by their “seniors” and those same corporate lobbyists.

Should we really limit government?  Let’s face it, politics is the only popular American game where the boundaries seem to have been removed.  Baseball, basket ball, football and even mixed martial arts all have boundaries.  They also have referees to assure these boundaries are adhered.

What can be done to stop this insanity?  There are a few seeking to make changes to put the federal government back within its Constitutional pen.  Presidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and Alan Keyes, and others such as Tom Coburn and Michele Bachmann are names which come to mind as cowboys rounding up the herd.  Two of these ‘pokes have fire shoots into the air in alarm: Ron Paul’s Revolution: A Manifesto and Tom Coburn’s Breach of Trust.  I challenge you to read these.

A greater challenge.  I challenge every American to read the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and then look at what is happening within our government; look at what is happening to our country.  With these ideal from over 200 years ago as perspective you  will view the role of government as did our fore fathers, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…”

See CampaignforLiberty.com

Americans, may God bless each of you.

Shelby Glenn Turner, Jr.

Wow!

Sharp Dressed Man!

Delony, you looked great this morning. 

Proper etiquette requires that President Bush shall remain the proper address for George W. Bush for the remainder of history.  This morning I heard him referred to as Mr. Bush.

I do not agree with most of what I know to be Senator Obama's philosophy and politics though he, too, will be respectfully referred to as President Obama in short time.

What does it say to the world and to our children when we fail to provide proper and due respect to our leaders?

Could it be many of our social ills are a result of having two working parents (partners, significant other, etc.) and nobody minding the home. 

Have we pursued happiness and caught plight?   We now have two jobs, two homes, two cars, a boat, a motorcycle and who is watching the two kids?  Are they are being raised by child care providers who make at or near minimum wage?  Are they taught by teachers not making much more than minimum wage?

Did we loose the generational link to our past by placing our parents in a “home” where they can be cared for without interrupting our routine and pleasure?

Are we now surprised by the behavior of our children?   Opps, it is our neighbors children?  Why would they be confused of their roles, responsibilities, sexual orientation and what to order at Jack in the Box?  Was anyone home to guide and coach them?

Where were your parents?  Where are you?  Where are your children?