The Teacher

Others,

Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. He asked them on the way, “Who do people say I am?” He was seen as a prophet by the people. Peter named him as the Messiah or Christ. The name Jesus means “God saves.”

Map and History of the Area
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2000/20000831.htm
http://www.bibleplaces.com/banias.htmOutline of Historical References in Luke
http://www.eborg2.com/BibleNT/42-Luke/0-Luke03.htm

Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss85tLK9MX0

Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not.

Outline of Historical References
http://www.eborg2.com/BibleNT/42-Luke/0-Luke03.htm

Survival is regarded as a property of goodness in life. Salvation isn’t limited to survival, but surviving life threatening events is celebrated. Salvation by faith is about the preservation of goodness in society. Faith is personal and social. It includes immediate perception, but conceptual analysis allows for connection with others within the historical perspective.

Quality of life is compromised by tyranny. Tyrants use destruction with the threat of death to rule over people. The testimony to goodness will not allow tyranny to destroy life. Life as it is known is risked for the sake of goodness in society. Personal testimony acquires a supra-personal aspect in promoting change for the better. It becomes a living social testimony in the life of others.

While many people have been killed in Syria, many others have escaped as refugees to another country.

Angelina Jolie Visits Syrian Refugees in Jordan
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/angelina-jolie-jordan-visit-syrian-refugees-17202414

The following re-write addresses salvation as our teacher. God saves.

The Teacher

Ps.116, Proverbs 1, Ps.19,
Wisdom of Solomon 7, Isaiah 50, James 3

The cords of death entangled me.
The grip of the grave was pulling me down.
I felt great grief and sorrow.

I called to you.
“Please save my life.”
You rescued me.
My eyes were delivered from tears.
My feet no longer stumbled.

I love you LORD.
You listened to me.
You heard my request.
You answered when I was in distress.

I will walk in the presence of the LORD
in the land of the living.

Wisdom cries out in the street.
She raises her voice in the marketplace.
She makes her statement at the busiest corner.
She speaks out at the entrance to the city.

She sings.
The heavens declare the glory of God.
The earth shows the intelligence of design.

One day tells the tale of time to another.
One night shares secrets which others
will dare to share if you care.

While they speak without language
and their voices are not heard,
their song is sung in all lands.
Their message rings out
to the ends of the world.

The greatest depth of darkness
proclaims the coming of the dawn.
The light springs forth with the fastest speed
to foretell the procession of the sun
as its source.

The law of the LORD is brilliant.
It revives the soul.

Wisdom is a reflection of eternal light.
She is a spotless mirror for creativity.
She is the image of goodness.

God loves nothing
so much as someone
who lives with wisdom.
She is more beautiful than the sun.
She excels every constellation of the stars.
Her light is succeeded;
then preceded by darkness.

The Lord GOD has given me
the tongue of a teacher
to sustain the weary with a word.
Morning by morning my ear
is wakened to listen to those
who are willing to be taught.

All of us make mistakes,
yet perfection provides
continual incentive
for improvement.

Speech is the expression of mind.
The tongue is a medium for the expression.
Bits are put in the mouths of horses
to guide them in the desired direction.
Rudders are used by boats
to give the vessel the right heading.
Wheels are used in cars
to drive to a destination.

So the tongue is used as a small member
to express big thoughts with simple sentences.
It is a powerful device.
It can set fires
or put them out.
We use speech to bless God
and curse distress.

Jesus asked his disciples on the way
to the villages around Caesarea Philippi,
“Who do people say that I am?”

They answered,
“Some say John the Baptist;
others Elijah; and still others another prophet.”

Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
He warned them not to tell anyone.

He began to teach them that the Son of Man
would suffer rejection by elders, priests and scribes.
He would be accused of a capital crime.
He would be punished by torture
and killed.
This was not spoken as a parable.

He would rise again after three days.
He said this plainly.

Peter took him aside and tried to rebuke him.
He turned and looked at this disciples,
rebuked Peter and said,
“Get behind me, Satan!
You are not setting your mind
on divine things.”

He called to the crowd
to join with his disciples.
He said to them,
“If anyone wants
to become faithful,
deny yourself.
Take up your cross
and follow me.
Those who want
to save their life
will lose it.
Those who are willing
to lose their life
for my sake and
for the sake of the gospel,
will save it.

What will be the profit to gain the world
to forfeit life to belief in death
and the way of destruction?”

================

Salafists were rioting in Cairo, Tunis and other locations in the Middle East this past week. The video “Innocence of the Muslims” was created to incite violence in an unstable region of the world.

Now is the time for judgment. Now is the time to cast the tyranny of violence out. Those who created the video should be charged with inciting riot.

Those who killed four Americans need to be prosecuted for murder in Libya. Those who harm others need to be prosecuted for assault. Those who damaged property need to be charged for the damage. Those who protested non-violently did so within their legal rights.

Protesters Target US Embassy in Tunis
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/14/tunisia-us-embassy-attack_n_1884068.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

The US and other constitutional democracies have two major differences with the countries that claim to be Islamic in the Middle East. Freedom of religion and the provision against cruel and unusual punishment (cruelty or laxity) stand out as critically important in the government’s representation of human rights. A citizen should be able to choose his or her religious affiliation. A citizen should not have to worry about being destroyed by the accusation of criminal behavior.

The provision for correction started out as against cruelty. It has since become clear that the existence of partisan politics affirms that the provision is against laxity as well. Those outside “the party” are treated as expendable. Those in “the party” are regarded as beyond the need for correction. The offender had simply been victimized by the opposition according the laxity nexus of law.

The US and other western coalition countries have something important to learn from China, Japan and Germany. We had a policy of non-intervention that was protected by the investigation of suspected terrorist events up until 9/11/01. The investigation needs to be re-instituted, but a non-interventionist policy contributes to isolationism. We need to adopt the non-aggression pact.

The west had become content with the aphorism “The east is the east and the west is the west. Never the two will meet.” We are part of a global community. Commerce is an international activity. Human rights are not limited to specific nations. Justice has standards that are global in import. We can’t afford to turn a blind eye to what is right about the non-aggression pact even though it was imposed on the nations who lost WWII. The world economy says that it is better to have the non-aggressive military foreign policy. Two of the nations that had lost have become the leaders of the world.

This presents a problem for the “white hat” view of western society. The runaway cowboy wants to ride in on a white horse and save the day. George H.W. Bush accomplished the last hurrah in that regard. The invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces threatened the independence of all the nations in the Middle East and western allies. If Saddam Hussein had captured the resources of its wealthy neighbor, he was on the road to repeating what had been done by Adolph Hitler prior to WWII. When resources are channeled into the military machine, the machine picks up a lot of momentum.

The condition against military invasion then is a major provision in the non-aggression pact. If a foreign nation invades another for any other reason than defense of independence by alliance, then the nation can be driven out by another alliance.

Truth be told, the US did not have the right to invade Afghanistan. Many already agree that Iraq should not have been invaded, but the invasion of Afghanistan was initiated only after a superficial commercial investigation had already endorsed the call for a resurgence of the industry for war.

This resurgence of the war industry has taken its toll on the public sector for the US. Economic hardship has been visited upon those who were working in people programs. The hardship has been so severe that it pushes the demographic fringe into dangerous levels of economic dependence.

Why is the unemployment rate so high in an election year? The government has been without revenue for over ten years. Partisan politics has been driving the private sector. How are public sector workers supposed to work in a hostile employment situation in the private sector? How is any worker supposed to function in the hostility of the social environment generated by partisan politics?

The cords of death entangle me. The grip of death is pulling me to the grave. I feel grief and sorrow. LORD, please have mercy and save me.

Survival of a near death experience often drives desire for conflict out of personal perspective. There is however a strengthened desire to avoid stereotypical categorization. It is like two lovers seeking to avoid prying eyes and wagging tongues from those who move around them.

Arctic Monkeys – Mardy Bum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss85tLK9MX0

“Whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not.”

God saves, but participation in the law of liberty is required.

If the desire to find happiness in obtaining provisions for basic needs is not satisfied, it will be resurrected with faith.

Have faith, but elect responsible leaders. The correction has not been achieved. Health care reform was only a start.

Steve K.

Healing

Others,

Melqart (translates as King-City) was the god for Tyre (translates as Sour), a coastal city in Phoenicia (present day Lebanon) that was under Roman jurisdiction during the time of Jesus.

Melqart was assimilated with Hercules after Alexander conquered the city. Sailors valued physical prowess as the sea provided demanding challenges that required strength and courage to overcome. The competition among sailors produced some men that were “god-like” in terms of physical conditioning. This general regard for strength contributed to commerce with other people and settling in other areas.

http://www.ancient.eu.com/Melqart/
http://www.ancient.eu.com/Tyre/
http://tyros.leb.net/tyre/

David Bowie – Heroes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JOvgfOkxgQ

“I, I wish you could swim
Like dolphins, like dolphins can swim.
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together.
We can beat them forever and ever.
Oh we can be heroes, just for one day.”

=================

Sidon translates as fishing. The men of the city-state were reputed to be the first to sail at night and navigate by the stars. Melqart was associated with Hercules during the Seulcid period and Hercle with the Romans.

http://bibleatlas.org/sidon.htm
http://www.sidonexcavation.org/ht/ht_excavation.html
http://www.middleeast.com/sidon.htm

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Fishing in the Dark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVL2NGpkUGE

"You and me going fishing in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows"

The following links connect to stories that are relevant to Lebanon in the present. Right now, the crisis in Syria is a cause for concern.

Lebanon to Preside Over Arab Foreign Minister Council
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=433407

Lebanon Feels Threatened
http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFBRE8840TH20120905

This re-write is about how Jesus continued his ministry for healing during a time of tyranny. Life under the imperial domination was threatened by torture or death for insurrection under a code of law that was characterized by cruelty towards the dominated and laxity for the dominators. A major part of the "healing" required the realization that the way of destruction was not the law of nature according to the benign plan of Nature's God.

g/sidon.htm
http://www.sidonexcavation.org/ht/ht_excavation.html
http://www.middleeast.com/sidon.htm

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Fishing in the Dark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVL2NGpkUGE

You and me going fishin in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows

Lebanon to Preside over Arab Foreign Minister Council
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=433407

Lebanon Feels Threatened by Violhttp://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFBRE8840TH20120905TheThHealing
Mark 7, Proverbs 22, James 2, Ps.146

Herod Antipater ruled
Galilee and Perea
during the ministry of Jesus.
He had been appointed
as a successor by his father
who had been named
the king of Judea
by the emperor in Rome.

Reports of miraculous healing
had reached the tetrarch.
The popularity of the healer
stimulated the fear of insurrection
in the unpopular leader.

Jesus left Galilee
and traveled to a location
near Tyre.

God shows mercy to those
who speak and act with respect.
Even those who come from a land
enmeshed in a history of battle
whose children have been brought up
in the midst of rage
can experience
the healing power
of forgiveness.

A woman said,
“Please cast the hatred out of my daughter.”

Jesus replied,
“Let the children be fed first. It is not fair
to take their food and throw it to dogs.”

She said,
“The dogs under the table eat the crumbs
that fall from the plates of the children.”

He said,
“You have spoken with respect
for faith in healing.
The hatred has left your daughter.”

She went home and found her daughter well.
The raging anger had left her.

We are the daughter.
We have been liberated
because we have chosen liberty.

Freedom is chosen.
Rights for one
are implied in the declaration
of rights for others.
The rights that are earned
are owned by showing respect
for those of others.
Liberty within the law
reflects the state of nature.

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity.
The rod of destruction will fail.
Those who are generous
are blessed with generosity.
They share their bread with others.

Do not blame the poor for poverty.
Do not attribute affliction to the afflicted.
Do not condemn the victim for victimization.
Do not trust the rule of cruel aggression
nor the domination organized for greed.

The rich and the poor have
this in common. The economy
forms status for our society. Changing
the economy with respect for basic needs
changes our status.

When those who are lacking provisions
feel that basic needs will be satisfied,
ability grows with faith in capacity.

Say to those who fear,
“Use fear to build strength.”
Judgment will be without mercy
for those who have shown no mercy.
Mercy rules judgment.
Speak and act as those
who are to be judged
by the law of liberty.

Then, the blind will read and work;
the deaf and mute will use signs to speak;
the lame will rejoice in what can be done;
the disabled will celebrate ability;
the prisoners will be redeemed and set free;
immigrants will be shown respect;
orphans and widows will be sustained;
the way of destruction will be destroyed;
repairs will be made for the damages.
Waters of love will break forth for the thirsty world.
Streams of joy will run where there was no fun.

Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise God as long as I live.
I will sing praises while I have my being.

Jesus journeyed further north to Sidon.
He was avoiding the cruel scrutiny of Herod.
He was taking the long way back home.
He traveled to Decapolis,
the league of ten cities
loyal to empire,
east of the Jordan River.
The region did not have
a single ruler. It was an alliance
of city-states.

A man was brought to him who heard
nothing, but imperial dogma.
His mind was closed
to the law of nature
by belief in the way of destruction.
He had been so convinced that nothing
could be affirmed for goodness that he could not
agree with anything that was agreeable.

The people begged Jesus to heal him.

Jesus took him aside, looked in his ears
and examined his throat. He had the man
clean his ears with the spit from his mouth.
Then, he looked up to heaven, sighed
and said, “Ephphatha,” meaning “Be opened.”
His ears were opened. His tongue was set loose.
He began to speak plainly.

Jesus told them not to speak of the healing.
They were astounded beyond measure.
They could not help but to exclaim,
“He has done everything well.
He even makes the deaf hear
and the mute speak.”

Praise the LORD!

===============

The healing of the deaf man was reported to have taken place in Decapolis.

http://www.bible-history.com/maps/decapolis_cities.html
http://followtherabbi.com/guide/detail/a-far-country-decapolis

Much of Decapolis was located in the country now known as Jordan.

An American woman was recently murdered in Jordan.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57508517/jordan-u.s-teacher-stabbed-to-death-by-teenager/

Raging hormones can feel like madness to the person who is experiencing them. Was the teen who was accused of killing the American woman feeling a raging desire to possess her? Did he feel that he had to take something from her in order to control her, rather than his feelings for her?

Muse – Madness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek0SgwWmF9w

“I can’t get these memories out of my mind
and some kind of madness has started to evolve.”

How is it that the feeling of love can be so strong? This song by Muse represents a process of grappling with that which is overwhelming about love for another.

The feeling is not about possessing the other person.

It is about admitting to the value of the feeling. As with any feeling that is overwhelming, the person can sublimate the energy to find constructive ways to build relationship with others. It is the recognition of that which is general about the special relations that builds social status with good health and happiness.

Often enough, that which is new about love, anger or other strong feelings can be used as a prompt to change the way of looking at knowledge as the means for working with that which is believed to be known.

Sing a new song or sing the old song with new life. It will change your life for the better.

Steve K.

Prosperity

Others,

Islam is peace, but peace imposed by martial law is not chosen.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/egypt-has-chosen-who-to-identify-with-and-it-s-not-iran.premium-1.461774

The state of nature is governed by a law that applies to all. Reason teaches any who will consult the law that no one ought to harm another in life, health, liberty or possessions. There is enough providence for each to obtain provisions for basic needs. There cannot be supposed any such subordination among us to authorize the destruction of another or others.

This is the basic reasoning that supports the law against killing. Killing another human being is identified as the crime of murder because it deprives another of any privilege and all liberty associated with life. Murder is now regarded as a capital crime insofar as it eliminates the ability to render restitution to the offended party.

Wars of aggression, genocide and mass murder stand as aggravated offenses that are greater in damage than the homicide of any individual. Nevertheless, punishment in the modern age requires proportionate restitution.

This restitution is not rendered in the brute form of an eye for an eye. It is given in the form of providing payment for treatment affiliated with the party who had suffered damage. Since health insurance supplies a large part of the payment for medical treatment, some monetary retribution is still regarded as a form of punishment in cases that are not as severe an offense as murder.

The freedoms of expression and assembly are believed to be protected when people are protesting policies that are harmful to the community. The condition is that the protest is expressed in a non-violent way. When these freedoms are treated as non-existent, it is a cause for concern.

When the exercise of these freedoms is identified as terrorism and punished with death by the state, the state has been made into an instrument for murder. It is a high crime. When the state exists in dependence upon crime, it is not credible as a representative of human rights for the people. The constitution for the state has to be re-written in a way that affects a change that restores faith in the ability of the leadership to lead in representation.

The current government in Syria stands in desperate need of correction. Assad needs to stand trial for his crimes against the Syrian people.

Prosperity

Song of Solomon 2, Mk.7, James 1, Deut.4, Ps.45, Ps.15

Listen to the voice of beloved light.
He sings over mountains.
He rings through the hills.
The sound of music resounds
with love throughout life.
Look, he stands outside
your window, shining
so you can see.

Arise my love.
Meet the day.
Night has past.
Birds are singing.
It is time to be on our way.

Listen and understand.
Nothing external defiles a person.
It is the corruption of free will
that goes from bad to worse.
Protect your heart
from defilement.

Be a doer of the word,
not a listener who does not hear.
Those who look into the law of liberty
and persevere in it
will be blessed
by the action.

The moral precepts of the commandments are ideals.
Love God. Love others. Love your enemies.
Love is the foundation for life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.

Faith, hope, wisdom, courage, self-control
and justice are virtues that transform
what was wrong with the past
into what is right for the future.

There are actions that do not show love.
Do not produce actions
that lack respect for life.

Do not create gods. Do not kill others.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not covet property. Do not steal.
Do not lie or falsely accuse any other.
These things cause damage.

Do no harm. Seek goodness.
Honor your parents, your friends,
your community and your people.
Respect those who are different.

Punishments for breaking the precepts must be aimed
at correcting correctly. Cruel punishment is not correction.
It seeks to destroy those accused of offense.

Laxity does not correct injustice either.
It allows aggression to run rampant.

Justice balances experience with potential.
She looks at the forces of the heart
that defile the person in order
to correct them.

Pride, murder, adultery, avarice, deceit, envy,
theft, slander, pride, promiscuity and the like
corrupt free will and turn the offender
from respect for liberty
within the law.

No one is above the law.
Any who acts as though
it were so, stands in need
of correction.

God has anointed you
with the oil of gladness.
Freshness of fragrance
radiates from you.
Music from the heart
of creativity makes you glad.
The dignity of nature is yours.

You dwell in the sanctity of love
so you may speak truth with your heart.
Observe the commandments of God
to live long and prosper.

==================

The opportunity for a non-violent solution to the political conflicts in Syria has passed.

Dave Matthews – The Dreaming Tree
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KKvRSP5MJU&feature=related

“The air is growing thick
a fear it cannot hide;
the dreaming tree has died.”

The dream for a peaceful transformation has died…for the time being. The death of the dream heralds the end of the state that had been. It is time for the Syrians to draft a new constitution with a document that will represent respect for the rights of all. Iran and Syria could use the Constitution for Afghanistan as a model for the change.

Democratic systems don’t specify the number of parties required for operation, but it is inconceivable that a single party state can act with representation for all the people. There is too much diversity in a body of people for resolutions to be drawn without debate supported by documentation for the freedoms of expression and assembly.

Celebrate liberty in the law.
Entertain debate.
Look for the best solutions
to conflict.

Steve K.

Conflict

Others,

Iraq now has a constitution with rights written into it, but the representation is compromised by double talk.

Sadam Hussein's Socialist Baath party was Sunni. Now the state is controlled by the Shiite majority, but the government is regarded as corrupt. The state will be corrupted by an unfair advantage for the majority until it learns to represent the various minorities.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/revisiting-iraq/

The Iraqi constitution states that there is freedom of religion after declaring that Islam is the official religion for the state.

Being in time is an important determinant in leadership. Heidegger offered a philosophical view of being that promoted economic recovery, but his affiliation with the partisan politics of the Nazi party corrupted his philosophy. It was exclusionary rather than inclusive.

Discrimination rules when others are excluded from the social dimensions of being. They are excluded on the characteristics of birth, social status, religion or party affiliation.

Iraq is regarded by many as the cradle for civilization in the Middle East, yet the code of Hammurabi listed the death penalty as the consequence for many infractions that were lesser in offense than murder.

While the code provided a basis for starting evidentiary investigation for accusations of crime, judgment was largely determined by the proximity of the accuser’s social status to the emperor. The code also initiated concern for restitution, but it was rudimentary. As mentioned earlier, judgment often resorted to the death penalty as retribution when restitution was deemed to be too complicated.

Respect for liberty is earned in the context of the law. We are born with rights, but we also earn them by showing respect for the rights of others. While there are times when offending the rights of an individual offends the rights of others, exclusive emphasis on the rights of individual elitists or opportunists does damage to the representation of justice in society.

The elitist advantage has been used to increase the prosperity of the wealthy over that of the people since the start of civilization. It needs to be corrected.

Many have appealed to God in affecting correction throughout time. The following re-write presents the appeal with contemporary language.


Agreement with Inclusion.
1Kgs.8, Ps.84, Josh.24, Eph.6

Congress
was the goal that stood
before the assembly.

They said, “LORD,
there is no God like you
in heaven or on earth.
You keep your promise
with love. You established
the pact for alliance
with your Beloved.
Keep the promise
for intervention
through faith in Christ.

Will God dwell on earth?
The highest heaven
cannot contain the essence
of the Creator,
much less the house
that has been built to honor
the promise.

When a foreigner prays,
then hear this in your dwelling place
and do what can be done
to honor the request.

My soul longs for the courts of the LORD!
My heart rejoices in the living God!
The sparrow has built her home;
the swallow has a nest for her young;
The temple of my God is home
for the Spirit of promise.

How dear your dwelling is!
Happy are they who dwell in your house.
They will always be praising you.
Joyful are those who find their strength
in praising you; whose hearts are set
on finding truth with faith in you.

One day in your house
is worth many more spent elsewhere.
It is better to stand at the threshold of the temple
than to dwell in the luxuriant homes of the wicked.

Revere the LORD.
Do your work with sincerity and faith.
Put away the gods that your ancestors had served.
Don’t serve those who exalt themselves
in the land where you are living.
As for my household and me
we will work for what’s best.

Be strong. Use power to build goodness.
Stand against the wiles of the deceiver who seeks to destroy.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.
It is against the authorities who use cosmic force
to promote destruction It is against those who use
authority to promote oppression with war, genocide and crime.

Stand strong therefore with truth and justice.
Walk with good news for peace through alliance.
Seek to win enemies to friendship to expand the alliance,
but do not compromise the search for goodness.
Spirit gives life. Flesh is the instrument for goodness.

Those who go through the valley that had been desolate
will find a place of springs. Rains have covered it with pools of water.
They will climb from height to height to scout the land
The God of gods will reveal himself from Zion.

=============================

Appeals for correction are often made to a larger political body. If a dispute was not settled fairly by the county, the state is contacted. If it is not resolved by the state, the nation is invoked. When it is not reconciled by the nation, international convention is referenced.

The song “I Was Here” calls for putting goodness in action as a means for promoting reconciliation prior to that dispute the leads to conflict and retribution in accord with the elitist advantage.

Beyonce – I Was Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41qWJ6QjPI

“I was here. I live. I love.”

Being in time requires love to work for inclusion.

Love others. Love your enemies.

Steve K.

Wisdom

Others,

I used to say that the dichotomy between good and evil is false. We have better a polarity with 'good and bad.' Excellence is the opposition to evil. Now I see that good and evil are contrasted to propose that democracy is better than elitism.

Turn from evil. Do good. Work to resolve conflicts with reason.
http://bible.cc/psalms/34-14.htm

Evil is a controversial word, yet it is a key component in countless stories. The association with the homicidal impulse is so implicit, it hardly warrants expression. So what is the controversy?

President Ronald Reagan had used it to describe the empire promoted by the Soviet Union during the superpower competition. So? It presented a hypocritical dilemma. It is not “objective” to call another entity evil for doing the same thing as the accuser.

The US and the Soviet Union were guilty of sending in the troops to decide national issues for the people in the invaded nation. Invasion is an aggressive act. A war of aggression is unacceptable in international relations.

If the homicidal impulse is used to define evil at an individual or social level, then the genocidal motive describes it politically. Is there choice in the matter? Yes. Is it enough to point at authoritarian regimes to say that they do it, so NATO doesn’t have to worry about doing it? No. Has NATO been guilty of infraction? Yes. NATO negotiated two wars of aggression. The current policy of killing suspects as "militants" and non-combatants as "collateral damage" with drone missiles is genocidal.

Socialism is a flawed form of government. Whether it proclaims communism or implies fascism, the representation promotes industrial leadership as absolute power. Industrial leadership has displayed a lack of tolerance for protest. Protest is protected by the freedoms for speech and assembly.

Read the story for an example of fascism at work. The judgment against “Pussy Riot” suggested support for the establishment of religion.
 http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-08-17/pussy-riot-verdict/57109992/1

protected by the freedoms for speech and assembly. The judgment against "pussy riot" also expresses support for the establishment of religion.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-08-17/pussy-riot-verdict/57109992/1

What can be done to promote good? This argument will be controversial as well. It is the motivation to control others by unfair advantage that supports the use of genocide to oppress people in both foreign and domestic arenas of operation.

The bill of rights gives us freedom of speech to express opinions. It gives us the right to vote. In short, it gives us the right to participate in the political decision making process. Vote for the correction of the elitist advantage. Stand opposed to genocidal operations, nationally and internationally.

Live with care. Work with wisdom, not self-destruction.
http://bible.cc/ephesians/5-15.htm

It is difficult to live with care, when the burden for the economy has been placed on the middle class. The elitist advantage creates a sense of powerlessness in the people of a democratic republic. The bill of rights was added to the Constitution in insure that the people would be represented. When the wealthiest don’t pay for their share, the middle and lower classes suffer. It is difficult to make ends meet.

The money is in the hands of the wealthiest and the elite are paying to keep it that way. When there were programs for the people, money circulated through the economy. The public sector helped to support the private sector. Now there is not as much money available for the middle and lower classes to make ends meet. It is all too easy for those who don’t have enough to obtain provisions to let despair drive actions into self-destruction.

The wealthiest are not exempted from despair. The unfair advantage manifests as mania. Mania is a form of powerlessness over power. Powerlessness engenders despair during the crash from mania.

Living with care becomes even more important in an unstable economic structure. Many of us have had our shadow days. Things were done that were not beneficial for safety, health or social relations. Often enough, the cost for these actions was unaffordable. Repair becomes the name of the game in recovery. We need to live with care for repair.

What is the best way to live? The search for design in life helps each to find that answer for personal and social benefit.

Wisdom has built her house with seven pillars.
http://bible.cc/proverbs/9-1.htm

Consider the wisdom of Piceras, the seven fundamental parts of life.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/295/5563/2215.fullerlessness in the people of a democratic republic. The bill of rights was added to the Constitution to insure that the people would be represented. When the wealthiest don't pay for their share of the deficit, the middle and lower classes suffer. It is difficult to make ends meet.

The money is in the hands of the wealthiest and the elite are paying to keep it that way. When there were programs for the people, money circulated through the economy. The public sector helped to support the private sector. Now it is all too easy to let despair drive actions into self-destruction. This is true for the wealthiest as well since the unfair advantage manifests as mania.

Living with care however becomes even more important in an unstable economic structure. Many of us have had our shadow days. Recovery becomes the name of the game. We need to live in repair.

Now look at this re-write for ancient writ.

cidal motive describes it politically. Is there choice in the matter? Yes. Is it enough to point at authoritarian regimes to say that they do it, so NATO doesn't have to worry about doing it? No.

What can be done? This argument will be controversial as well. It is the motivation to control others by unfair advantage that supports the use of genocide to oppress people in both foreign and domestic arenas of operation.

The bill of rights gives us freedom of speech to express opinions. It gives us the right to vote. In short, it gives us the right to participate in the political decision making process. Vote for the correction of the elitist advantage. Stand opposed to genocidal operations nationally and internationally.

"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
there's still time to change the road you're on."

Wisdom
Ps34 Prov9

Please, give me an understanding mind
to love other people; to choose good;
to turn from evil; to complete the work
that has been set before me.

Fear fear;
too much or too little
causes harm..

Fear apathy;
that which takes caring
and concern from you.

Fear panic;
that which disables movement
when you need to move
or makes you run into harm
when moving elsewhere is safest.

Fear mania;
that which makes the destruction
of others the motivation for movement.

Young lions suffer hunger,
but those who save surplus,
conserve energy
and preserve resources,
respect providence.

Those who respect provision
from the Creator
lack nothing that is good.

Wisdom has built her house
with seven pillars. Each day
is part of the building.
Each week builds the month:
each month the year;
each year a decade;
each decade a life.

Wisdom has gathered her provisions.
She has prepared the meal
and mixed the wine with water.
The table has been set.
Invitations have been sent.

She says,
“Come. Taste my bread.
Drink my wine. Listen to me.

“Leave immaturity.
Turn from evil. Do good.
Seek peace. Pursue it.
Make decisions with insight.
Walk in the way of life.”

Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
Those who look for goodness will act
for the love of others as well as self.
Lessons will be learned in the process.
Understanding is built, torn down
and re-built.

=====================

Goodness is essential to the quality of life. The search for it is the goal for both government and religion. What does this mean? Goodness has objective properties. Survival is regarded as a good for the life of the species. Obtaining provisions for existence is something that is necessary for the survival of each. Goodness also has subjective properties. There are things that are simply a matter of taste. 

Find goodness. Share it when it’s right. Share that amount that is appropriate for the independence of any who are receiving it.

Dave Matthews - So Much to Say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgJOjB8-e8w&feature=fvwrel

"I say my hell is the closet I’m stuck inside;
Can’t see the light.
And my heaven is a nice house in the sky.
Got central heating
and I’m alright…
Treading trodden trails for a long long time...
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself.
Sometimes, I find it better to be somebody else."

Look for goodness with faith. Find it. Enjoy it.
Share it when you can.

Steve K.

Genocide

The elitist advantage has been used for wars of aggression.
Wars for aggression kill people to oppress others.
The elitist advantage is genocidal.

Vote for the correction of the advantage.

Others,

Since the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11/01, US foreign policy has undergone some dramatic changes. The FBI investigation of suspected terrorist events was not used, but the official story was “backed up” by “experts” who argued that the WTC towers were destroyed by the jet fuel that had escaped from the airliners that had crashed into the towers. WTC tower 7 was destroyed even though no airliner was flown into it.

The official story stated that “Arab terrorists” had hijacked the planes. Afghanistan was identified as the location for the “terrorist training camps.” The country was invaded to “bring justice” to the victims of the attack. The country has not shown that they represent human rights for the people of Afghanistan.

Iraq was invaded under the premise that they had stock piled weapons of mass destruction. The country was invaded and occupied though the UN investigation did not find WMD’s.  Does Iraq have a bill of rights or are they puppets for western power?

Not only is the US still in Afghanistan, but there are American base camps in Iraq as well. It has been asserted that the war on terror is over, but NATO has initiated a policy of killing militants with bombs. Now the suspects who had been identified as “terrorists” are called “militants.” The non-combatants that are killed are still considered “collateral damage.” The current policy is still using procedures that had been initiated during the “war on terror.”

The account that “Arab terrorists” had destroyed the WTC towers was only the first step in what would become an openly sectarian assault on the Muslim world. When a suspect or a non-combatant is killed, it is murder. When large numbers of people are killed in order to oppress a population, it is genocide.

Does this story come as a surprise?

Armed Men Attacked Peacekeeping Force in Sinai
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=280896

Naturally, troops have to return fire when fired upon, but are they keeping peace for representative government? There is an uneasy feeling that the attack on the force in the Sinai is reminiscent of raids conducted by the ‘Apiru (Hebrews) on the established communities of the time. Western forces are being attacked by our spiritual ancestry.

The US finally attained a return to respect as a participant in global leadership when the former Secretary General for the UN, Kofi Annan, was called upon to lead an envoy into Syria in an attempt to head off violent revolution and establish a representative government.

Hopefully, it has become apparent to the western world that China has not only survived as a communist nation despite the fall of the Soviet Union and the eastern bloc, they have done well economically by maintaining a foreign policy wherein they only trade military supplies and supply advisers. They don’t send their army into foreign countries. We have something to learn from the love of our “enemy.”

We lost our way when we started shooting first and asking questions later. The administration for the US had actually discussed “first strike” policies as theoretically justifiable in legal terms. They had also talked about “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as water boarding and extreme rendition as though they were legally justifiable.

We cannot support a foreign policy that doesn’t uphold the principles promoted by the Constitution with the Bill of Rights. The war on terror re-instated imperialism with genocide. It is past time to eliminate the vestiges of something that had supposedly been stopped by World War II.

Goodness
Ps34, Ps130, Jhn6, Eph4

My soul waits for guidance;
more than the watchman for the morning;
more than the watchman for the morning.

Do not grieve the Spirit
who has marked you with oil
as a seal for holiness.
You have been sealed
for the day of redemption.

Put away falsehood.
Speak truth to others.
We are members
of the same community.
Work honestly with your own hands.
Save something to share
with the needy.

Feel angry, but do no harm.

Cry to the sky
from the depths
of your soul,
“I would die before hurting another,
but I feel that I am no better than my ancestors.
Let hate be taken from me.”

“Please consider my request.
If you were to condemn error,
who could stand?
There is forgiveness with you.
You will be respected.”

Wait for the LORD.
Have faith.

Let go of wrath, wrangling and slander.
Put aside all malice.
Be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.

Use your energy to get things done.
Speak about your feelings,
but find something to say that will
build relations for the future
in the community.

Impart grace through your words.
Those who listen will hear.

Jesus said to the people,
“I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me
will not hunger.
Whoever believes in me
will not thirst.
I am the bread from heaven.”

“Your ancestors ate manna
in the wilderness, yet they
broke the law against killing
before crossing into the Promised Land.
They have died. This is the bread
that comes from heaven.
If you eat it, you will not die.

“I am the living bread
that has descended from heaven.
Taste and you will see
that I am good.
Whoever consumes
this goodness
will live forever.”

Forgive one another
as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Forgiveness given
with respect for consequence
will earn respect.

Be imitators of God,
beloved children.
Live in love
as Christ lives in you;
a fragrant offering
to the community.

==============

I look for an answer. My hope is for good reason. Guess I’ll just have to look around.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Look Around
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnisBb2rVOg&feature=branded

"Soft walk to horizon,
one big crash that no one dies in.
This for the folks in Fayetteville.
It'll come true if you say it will.
Look around. Look around. Look around."

The elitist advantage makes the government of a country into a fascist enterprise. Government is controlled by the elite to profit from the industry of war. Look at the candidates carefully in the upcoming elections. Vote for those who will correct the elitist advantage.

Look around. Vote for the correction.

Steve K.

Bread

Others,

The commandment against killing is one of the most significant moral standards for all time. Lines get blurred however in international conflicts. What is acceptable in the rules for engagement?

UN involvement in the Syrian crisis has opened the door to criticism for NATO policies.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/04/world/meast/syria-unrest/

Thinking back to the Vietnam war, Americans are forced to admit that while there were Chinese and Russian advisers, the communists did not send in regular troops.

Western coalition involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq did not show as much restraint. Coalition support with advisors and arms for Syrian rebels on the other hand is consistent with the foreign policy exercised by both the Chinese and Russians in Vietnam. This said, read what the Chinese had to say about the Syrian government:

       “But most of [China’s] ire is reserved for al-Assad’s regime. It strongly condemns the
             “continued widespread and continued gross violations of human rights and
              fundamental freedoms by Syrian authorities and pro-governmental militias.””
              (downloaded fm. CNN on Sat.Aug.4, 2012)

How is it that China survived as a communist nation when the Soviet Union collapsed? One reason is that the Soviet Union had occupied Eastern bloc countries and invaded other countries, e.g. Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. Afghanistan was particularly costly. They were over-extended economically.

 While China and Russia both issued statements against western intervention in Syria a US administration that had pledged to let the Syrian people work things out, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq; the bombing of Libya and the drone missile attacks in Pakistan warranted the statements. Support for rebels against the arms supplied by Russia and China (e.g. attack helicopters & tanks) however is justifiable.

While battle rages around Aleppo, Olympiad XXX continues in London. One competitor had his legs amputated as a baby because he had been born without the tibia in his lower legs. He has nevertheless attained competitive status in the premiere international competition for sporting events.
"But most of [China's] ire is reserved for al-Assad's regime. It strongly condemns "the continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities and pro-governmental militias.""
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/04/world/meast/syria-unrest/

Pistorius Revolutionizes Olympic Notions
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/wires/08/04/2090.ap.oly.john.leicester.040812/

Some of the miracle stories in the gospel allude to the “lame” being healed from stigma associated with elitist imperial occupation. Anyone who was lame was regarded as inferior in the highly competitive social climate promoted by the military occupation and domination of the imperial power.

Jesus taught that the lame were loved by God and showed love for them despite the stigma against such a thing. This increased the sense of self-worth for those who were shown love and helped them to display remarkable changes in ability.

The ministry of Jesus was marked by his leadership by example. The following re-write celebrates his ability to develop the legacy of hope in the people of faith.

Essence
Eph.4, Ps78

Please lead a life worthy
of the calling to leadership.
Lead with kindness,
patience and love.
Maintain the unity of Spirit
in the bond of peace.

The people said,
“We had been saved from flood
by the ark of salvation.
We had been spared from drought
by saving the grain.

We had been delivered
from plague by sanitation.
There had been led from slavery
by the funnel cloud in the day
and the volcano’s fire by night.
We were provided quails as meat
and manna from heaven
when we had no food to eat
in the wilderness.

Resource management
characterized our character.
The law was given
as a call to administer
justice with equity;
to protest slavery and injustice;
to be firm with the wealthy;
to stand opposed to violence,
war and killing;
to punish murder;
correct other offenses;
to show mercy
to the poor;
and to encourage
self defense.

“We have been delivered from slavery.
We have been fed in the wilderness.
We have been released from captivity.
We have been taught to celebrate
the heritage of salvation.
 
“When we were on the way
to celebrate deliverance from plague,
the teacher taught us to share our sustenance
with faith.

“Now he must have gone home
to the town of comfort.
Let’s go to see
if we may find him there.”

They found the teacher
and asked for wisdom.
He said that love for others
guides us in all facets of the law.
The love of goodness leads us
into living with joy.
We are called to love our enemies,
so they will become allies.

Our task is to find the essence of goodness
and to share the wealth of our discovery.

Celebrate the substance of life!
Whoever eats this food will never be hungry.
Whoever drinks this water will never thirst.

Faith in God leads us to sustenance!

========================

Elitists seek to make those who are not in agreement with them weak. If they are not successful in weakening opposition, they make them into enemies that are at fault for error. Ordinary people are living in the midst of an economic assault on the middle and lower classes. Does this mean that all people are united in opposition to the elite?

There are the opportunists among the ordinary that work on exploiting the elitist advantage to oppress others. They try to make it seem that expressing an opinion that does not support the elites is like suicide. It is like “slitting my throat.” Many of us can relate to the words in the song, “slitting my throat is all I’ve ever….” had.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn_YodiJO6k

“Centuries are what it meant to me.
A cemetery where I marry the sea.
Stranger things could never change my mind.
I've got to take it on the other side.”

We are not suicidal. We have just been opposed to the elite from the start. We are the people. We will prevail.

The people united, will never be defeated!

Steve K.