Others,
Syria is the
US without the bill of rights. It has a constitution. It holds elections. Islam is not the state
religion. It has a number of parties. It is modern. It is industrialized. It has an impact upon the world.
It does not however, respect freedom of speech as a human right. Protest is regarded as
dissidence. Dissidents are terrorists. Non-violent protest is a prelude to
armed rebellion. Consider the ramifications for not voting for the "president."
While Syria has a number of parties, the parties are subordinated to single party
domination. The party is the majority party and the socialist republic. The
republic is subjected to the rule of industry. Freedom of speech requires that parties oppose each other with non-violent protest in debate. Parties must balance each other into representation. Representation is based on liberty and justice for all, not the abuse of majority rule.
There is no freedom of expression with “the party.” Just government requires balanced representation of the people. Party forces face each other in strength without violence.
Violence and Diplomacy in Syria (Wed. April 18, 2012)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN52moXnL8U&feature=share
Asma Assad, the “President’s” Wife
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/asma-assad-video_n_1432102.html?
How is it that the western world whose political system evolved out of the Middle East has come to be so different? Freedom of religion established the ground for theism before it was officially recognized by government as a human right. Theism has affected a change in the standards for justice with the documentation of human rights.
The provision against cruel and unusual punishment stands against certainty of conviction based on the status of the accuser. It requires due process in criminal investigation for law enforcement. If the prosecution does not prove that the accused is guilty of the charge brought by the people, the accused is acquitted. The convicted are to be punished for correction.
Cruelty was aimed at the destruction of the convicted, not the correction of the offense. Now retribution requires restitution and correction.
Freedom of religion in Christianity started with the apostles. Most of the apostles did not have formal education. Matthew had enough training to qualify as a tax collector. Others were fishermen.
Jews and Christians were subordinated by the empire. Christians weren't even known as Christians. They were simply followers of Jesus, a Jew from Nazareth. Roman law was not much better than the code of Hammurabi. The death penalty was used all too liberally. There was a thief in addition to a murderer that hung on the cross like Jesus.
Jesus was not guilty of sedition. He turned over tables in the temple shortly before the crucifixion, but it was not worthy of the death penalty. Not everyone accepted the standards of cruelty for punishment as just.
Ezekiel had stated that God does not desire the death of a sinner. The desire is for the sinner to turn from his way and live. The way of the sinner is the path of destruction; the rule of death. Ezekiel had made the statement about redemption during the exile. Clearly, this statement would eventually help to establish the provision against cruel and unusual punishment in the English bill of rights (1689), but it took a long time to generate.
It took a long time for people to realize that the cruelty of the death penalty prohibited the correction of crimes lesser in offense than murder. Torture only inflicted alienation on the victim. Since violence and cruelty creates criminal behavior, torture only changes the way the crimes of the criminal are manifested.
The acceptance of death on the cross was a way of refusing to be intimidated into sedition or criminal behavior by threats of death. Empire was prone to make "statements" about the power to kill, maim or injure based on the refusal to burn incense to the emperor. The metaphysics of destruction was the rule of cruelty. Justice was not the primary concern of the law. Oppression was.
Reporting other people as the ones who weren't emperor worshipers was a way that some people avoided persecution. The issue about the lapsi after Christianity became "legal" was about the "Christians" who had reported the Christians who had refused to burn incense in public ceremony for the emperor. While prejudice against the Jews hadn't been eradicated, there were so-called Christians as well as so-called Jews and so-called citizens who had used the death penalty to have their competitors eliminated.
Meanwhile, the empire continued to make "statements" about the power of the state to oppress people with cruelty. Who was the real criminal? It was whoever believed that the metaphysics of destruction was necessary to rule over others. Citizens of the state could make criminals look like choir boys.
Beyond Within And Back Again fm Ps 4
Answer me when I call.
Defend me
Defender of my cause.
You set me free when
I am held captive.
“How long will you worship idols
and run after false gods?”
Know that the Wonderworker works wonders.
When you call, you will be heard.
Tremble with the earth.
Let your prayer explode
like a volcano.
Send the request
to heaven.
The answer will touch
down like a tornado.
You will be liberated
from captivity
to injustice.
Let your light shine
like that of the sun.
You will redeem the world
from slavery and cruelty.
Let the light of your countenance
rise up to reveal the new day.
Put your trust in the love of God.
Make offerings in accordance with your means.
You put gladness in my heart.
You bestow blessings upon me.
Many are saying, “Bless us with better times.”
See what love God has given us;
that we may be called children?
That is what we are.
We have been born again
with the resurrected Christ
into love for God.
We have been redeemed from cruelty.
We are directed from destruction.
We are aimed at justice.
We seek the correction of injustice.
Why do we wonder about the joy
and strength that we have been given?
The unemployed are given hope.
The lame are given the strength to walk.
The God of our ancestors
has glorified Jesus
who had been handed over to Pilate;
who had been rejected.
He had been delivered to torture;
handed over to death.
God raised him from the dead.
Everyone who
commits sin has glorified Jesus
who had been handed over to Pilate;
who had been rejected.
He had been delivered to torture;
handed over to death.
God raised him from the dead.
is guilty of lawlessness.
We had been lawless.
We had nailed him
to the cross.
We have confessed our sin.
Now the resurrected Christ is with us.
He abides with us as we eat.
He dwells in us through
every act of providence.
Christ says,
“Everything written about me in the law of Moses,
the prophets and the psalms had to be fulfilled.
The Messiah had to suffer to rise
from the dead on the third day.”
Forgiveness of sins will be given
to those who ask for it.
Restitution will be given
to achieve retribution.
Correction will be made
to restore the rule of law
with the people.
Proclaim the love of God to all nations.
You are witnesses to these things.
Peace be with you.
(Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36-48)
=========================
The bible doesn't say that scripture is to be placed first in decision making processes. Christian scriptures are highly valued as a document of literary and historical expressions about belief in monotheism as derived from the Judaic tradition. I agree with John Locke. Use reason with revelation to guide judgment. We are new Jews too, if that is what we choose.
Political structures have improved. Social norms have evolved. The most important change is that regarding the use of law to affect correction as opposed to destroying the accused as "criminals."
Democracy had been tried for a short period of time by Athens prior to the documentation of the bible, but it was not the political standard for the time. The most important change in political norms is that regarding the use of law to affect redemption rather than the destruction of the "convicted." Cruelty has been reduced in the world. Crimes by the state have decreased in number and severity.
Bibliophiles maintain an important role in viewing recorded history. The literary expressions in the bible allow for participation in the scientific investigation that looks at evidence that preceded recorded history. That which is scientific about the theory of evolution is valuable to society.
Darwin however was wrong about some important things even in regards to scientific theory. He conflated monism with evolution. He asserted that humans are descended from monkeys; not after primates. The assertion adds unnecessary variables to the "theory" that makes it non-scientific.
His basic assumptions are such that certain species were developed by the crossbreeding of members from other species. It also assumes that other mutations in physical characteristics were induced by in-breeding. It was the "aristocratic" justification for in-breeding in different clothing.
The underlying implication is such that beastiality and incest are sanctioned as experiments. Aggression is the norm in this view of nature. The male dominates by forcing himself on any female irrespective of whether the female is in the species or in the family. The female dominates by deception. Law is developed to support the domination. It is not an accident that social Darwinism came after Darwin.
I don't support Darwin. I argue with his followers. The most aggressive still argue as though he were a god. Others accept the monkey king as god with Darwin. Intelligent Design is an alternative to atheism, monkey god metaphysics or any other metaphysical interpretation of science.This said, I stand by the bill of rights. I won't promote ID as the only way to interpret evolution. If ID is limited to biblical interpretation, it is sectarian. It can be viewed as a form of establishment.
Goyte – Eyes Wide Open
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyVJsg0XIIk&feature=relmfu
Occupy the rule of law in democracy.
Support a scientific society with respect for human rights.
Steve K.
No comments:
Post a Comment