Posts

Seeking meaning from peers and institutions more than parents

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Most people look sideways to peers rather than up to God and their parents. There is nothing in the commandments to look to your peers. It says to "honor your father and mother." I have been listening to and reading about how the meaningful life is transmitted over time. Older texts credit family transmission from parents or grandparents to children as the primary method of acquiring a meaningful life. In the past few decades, it can be supposed that the academy, as processed through universities, have tried to usurp that role, as society has taught people that parents are selfish and silly, where scholars hold the key to meaning. I think this is why figures like Jordan Peterson have become so influential. He is both academic God and Father figure all wrapped in one. But the proper course is that meaning comes from God, the eternal and reliable Father, as channeled through parents that have on-the-ground knowledge of understanding and  application. There are plenty of bad exa...
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Fred Reed is One of the Best Commentators of Our Times

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I first discovered Fred about fifteen years ago. I put links to some of his columns here because they are often blocked without some obfuscation.  He is not considerate of the howlers who scream at things that bother them, so social media typically blocks his writing, which is a terrible shame and recommends him most highly.  Fred is a real "straight shooter". https://www.amren.com/commentary/2022/02/fred-reed-joe-biden-democracy/ - The Care and Feeding of Rabble: Democracy Its Own Self https://www.unz.com/freed/blackness-fatigue-enough-is-too-much/ - This gives the best explanation of how "diversity" is at the root of most violence and wars.  Mixing strongly different people together is a bad societal idea.  You can see Fred's recent columns here:  https://fredoneverything.org/
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The Robustness Principle

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"Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send" Postel J., (1989) Request for Comment (RFC) 1122 , Requirements for Internet Hosts -- Communication Layers, 1.2.2 - Robustness Principle. There are very few people who have been so wise and productive that I choose to revere them. One of these is the computer scientist Jon Postel , whose list of accomplishments is long. If you are reading this now, you have Jon and a handful of others to thank for the massive "network of networks" that each of us use everyday in our digital communications. Youtube, Netflix, Facebook, and everything else on the Internet owe a great debt of gratitude to Jon and his colleagues who conceived, designed, and built the inter-network in the first place. Most people consider computer science to be pretty esoteric, however I have found that in any field of endeavor, certain principles emerge that, not only explain reality, but guide us to better and wiser ways of being...
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God as an Impartial Judge

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Many people have a mistaken idea that, because God loves them, they can do as they wish with their lives and plead for mercy later through demands that "love conquers all". This concept of laziness flies in the face of God's work to develop us into people who can become like himself. "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." - Acts 10:34-35 God is not a respecter of persons.  He must judge us in an impartial way and he cannot make special exceptions for anyone. All must be judged by the same set of rules - this is the nature of justice. Also, God cannot abdicate his role as judge because he loves you - he will not throw aside required repentance and growth through appeals to his love. Under earthly circumstances, a judge with a close personal relationship with the litigants would have to recuse themselves. God...
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Flickers of Light, Enclaves of Righteousness

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It is my thought that this world and circumstance must be among the lowest in the domain of our Heavenly Father.  There has always been stories of how this world was the only one in which the Christ would be crucified, but as I read scripture and view the expanse of history, I can come to the conclusion that righteousness is a very rare commodity here on Earth and often taken away from this place to find its promised thriving elsewhere. I think of the people of the city of Enoch, who built a Zion Society that lasted for perhaps 400 years and then "fled", literally taken off of the Earth.  We also have a little reference to a group that was assembled at Salem, led by the great high priest Melchizedek, who are mentioned once and never heard of in scripture again, perhaps also removed from this sphere. We also have the case of the "lost" ten tribes of Israel, who legend says repented whole-heartedly of the behavior that led to their capture by the Assyrians and were ...
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Long Now Seminars - TED Talks with Brains

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When circumstances permit, I often walk to work. I did it as a WIC Nutritionist in Tucumcari (1 mile), a SysAdmin for ENMU in Portales (5 miles) , and a Linux Support person at Dell in Oklahoma City (4 miles). I cannot do it now as I am about 85 miles from work, but I was always looking for good things to listen to during my commute (when I am not recording my scattered, heretical thoughts). If you like TED talks , you must understand that I think they are a mixed bag of psychobabble with some nice gems.  If you want far more intelligent presentations that are consistently high-quality, I will happily point you to the excellent Long Now Seminars that are sponsored by the Long Now Foundation . As always, there are many times that I disagree with concepts spoken about, but it never fails to get me thinking! Forward and Upward!
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A non-conservative take on Marriage

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I am always being confused with political and social conservatives, often because I see the wisdom in much that God and his servants preach. I am married to a proud conservative and my love and devotion to her is undiminished by our ideological differences.  I am not a conservative. Watch and find out. I am much more strongly aligned with classical liberalism and have been so for the vast majority of my life.  And when I use the term, it bares no resemblance to the modern prostitution of the "liberal" term. I am for small, stay out of your life government, live and let-live neighborliness, and a lively justice system that handles difficult disputes. I love the original US Constitution and Bill of Rights and am a fan of both fiscal capitalism, personal generosity, and allowing natural consequences.  Marriage has become the territory of right-wingers as more and more leftists view God's ordained union as some hateful prison of feminine servitude. It doesn't help that ma...
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