Sunday, December 23, 2012

Self-Defense

Advent 3.12
Others,
Students and staff win! Education evolves.
Students Return to School in CT
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Newtown-Shooting-Connecticut-Funerals-Victims-Adam-Lanza-183919621.html

"The site of the shooting, Sandy Hook Elementary, is the only
school that won't be resuming Tuesday. Authorities are still
working to relocate that school to nearby Monroe, where they
say a former school building will be ready to open to students
in a matter of days."

We have eaten the bread of tears.

We have tasted the bowlful of brine.
http://bible.cc/psalms/80-5.htm
Sandy Hook Won’t Re-open Right Away
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-connecticut-school-shooting-funerals-20121217,0,2307742.story
"Newtown officials couldn't say whether Sandy Hook Elementary, where authorities said all the victims were shot at least twice, would ever reopen. Monday classes were canceled, and the district was making plans to send surviving Sandy Hook students to a former school building in a neighboring town."
They couldn’t say whether it will re-open or not because security was not adequate. Vicky Soto was shot while hiding her students in the closet. The shooter also had access to the nurse’s office. The nurse made a point of stating that she hid in the closet much longer than the shooting event (4 hours).
 
There were no locks on the doors. If a lockdown emergency was not announced, doors would have been locked once the popping sound of guns was heard. Obsession with spending cuts to public sector functions is radically deficient when people won’t spend enough for locks on the doors.

NRA Silent...For Now
http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/U/US_NRA_SILENCE?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-12-18-03-13-41
"Its deep-pocketed efforts to oppose gun control laws have proven resilient. Firearms are in a third or more of U.S. households and suspicion runs deep of an overbearing government whenever it proposes expanding federal authority."

Firearms from a Prepper's household were used to kill twenty eight: twenty children, six adults in the school, the Prepper mom and finally the shooter.


Who said the NRA wasn't making a statement? Apparently, the damage has already been done. How could they even suggest arming staff in a public school? Now they can afford additional spending? Don't they realize that arming school personnel is an offense to education?

Don't they understand that arming teachers implies coercion that will induce suspicion and mistrust? The thought of arming educational staff in response to the Sandy Hook slaughter is absurd. There wasn't sufficient regulation to prevent weapons from being taken to school from a household. How is arming teachers going to prevent violence? It will only make access to lethal weapons easier. 
 
Would lawmakers even consider this course of action had the NRA not already proposed the plan?
http://nation.time.com/2012/12/20/how-to-prevent-more-sandy-hooks-arm-the-school-staff/
"By Wednesday, lawmakers in eight states were prepared to introduce legislation to allow – even require – guns in schools, either in the hands of police officers assigned to schools or secretly carried by school personnel.

Concern regarding gun control extends to the extent that self-defense is protected by the second amendment.

The SYG (Stand Your Ground) law is too elastic. It is open to misinterpretation. Claims to self-defense have tripled in FL since it was legislated.

Self-defense has more clarity in home invasion. If an invader enters someone’s home with a weapon, the immediacy of the threat demands a rapid response with enough force to stop harm to the residents. Lethal force is authorized when necessary.
 
Police aren't allowed to carry weapons without training. Citizens need to have to have instruction in proper use. Licensing needs to be required for carrying firearms outside the place of residence at the very least. A gun safety course needs to be required for licensing. People who carry lethal weapons have to have professional instruction in limiting gun use to valid self-defense.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/19/us-connecticut-towns-idUSBRE8BD0U120121219
"Around the globe, newspaper editorials from the Philippines to South Africa urged U.S. gun-control efforts and said they were long overdue."
 
Biden Played Major Role in Assault Weapon Ban
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/12/19/obama-biden-newtown-school-shooting/1779145/
"Obama said he picked Biden because of his experience in the Senate, including a major role in the 1994 crime bill that included an assault weapons ban that lapsed in 2004."

The NRA will make a meaningful contribution to the issue if they emphasize the Castle over the Stand Your Ground law. People who buy more weapons than are necessary to defend the home present "probable cause" for surveillance.

Assault weapons need to be banned.

The NRA is a Hyper-Active Lobby
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/18/politics/nra-silence-regrouping/index.html
"According to the Sunlight Foundation, a government watchdog group, the NRA spends 66 times more on lobbying than what the Brady Campaign to End Gun violence, the country's top gun control advocacy organization,..."

NRA Blasts Call for Gun Control
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2012/12/23/nra-blasts-assaults-weapons-ban/1787295/
“"We're going to support an immediate appropriation before Congress to put police officers in every school," LaPierre said on Sunday.”

Ban Assault Weapons.
Require Gun Safety Training for Licensing.
Prevent Licensing to Those with History of Violence.
Require Gun Safety Training for Ownership After Probation
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/nra-guns-dont-kill-people-violent-movies-do.php
"... instead of finding proof that it’s movies and video games doing the demonstrable harm, we’re more likely to find 10-country studies that show no link between violence and gaming; the success of Australia’s weapons ban following a 1996 mass shooting despite the country celebrating violent/action-based movies like we do; and more information that (shockingly) links higher gun ownership to higher rates of gun violence."

Vicky Soto and Sandy Hook Faculty
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/newtown-teacher-vicki-soto-remembered-article-1.1221004


Vicki and the other faculty who died to protect the children are tellers. Their lives tell the story of dedication to education.

"One Wants a Teller in a Time Like This"
by Gwendolyn Brooks

One wants a teller in a time like this
One's not a man, one's not a woman grown
To bear enormous business all alone.
One cannot walk this winding street with pride
Straight-shouldered, tranquil-eyed,
Knowing one knows for sure the way back home.
One wonders if one has a home.
One is not certain    if    or    why   or    how
One wants a Teller now:

Put on your rubbers and you won't catch a cold
Here's hell, there's heaven. Go to Sunday School
Be patient, time brings all good things--(and cool
Strong balm to calm the burning at the brain?)

Behold,
Love is true and triumphs; God is actual.

-------------------------------

Shine forth, you who are enthroned between the cherubim.
Ps. 80:1
http://bible.cc/psalms/80-1.htm

Remember Sandy Hook. The fallen are enthroned between the cherubim.

Obama Rocks the House!
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/white-house-threatens-veto-gop-budget-plan-18012407
"Republicans should "peel off the war paint" and take the deal he's offering, Obama said sharply at the White House. He noted that he had won re-election with a call for higher taxes on the wealthy, then added pointedly that the nation aches for conciliation, not a contest of ideologies, after last week's mass murder at a Connecticut elementary school."

You know it had to be said. Don't deny it. LOL.

The rap battle in the Disney production, “Let It Shine” contains some lines for the Republicans:

“I guess it’s easier to play the role and act hard; ‘cause you don’t have the guts to tell us who you really are.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-22Zuuo6IZY&feature=endscreen

Capital Hill Republicans would have us believe that they are our protectors. They want to limit spending to the military in the name of national security. National leadership however is not limited to “command and control” policy. National leadership has to promote responsible policies responsibly.

The Constitution is not a piece of paper that gets in the way of world domination. It is a document of the plan for government. It is testimony for the sanctity of representing human rights in leadership.

When foreign and domestic policies are limited to military and law enforcement spending, people programs and the democracy suffer as a result. That which is rendered is a de facto tyranny; a republic for dictatorship.

When the scripture lauds the cherubim, it is talking about our guardians or protectors. Protection however has to support providence. It is not the other way around. Providence is not limited to protection.

Cherubim: Near Ones [Guardians]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherub#In_the_Bible
"Cherubim first appear in the Bible in the Garden of Eden, to guard the way to the Tree of life.[1]...The words Cherub and Cherubim appear many other times in the holy scriptures, referring to the Cherubim of beaten gold on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, and images on the curtains of the tabernacle, and in Solomon's temple, including two Cherubim made of olive wood overlaid with gold that were ten cubits high.[12]"

Four living creatures appeared in the fire. Their appearance was like that of a man, but each had four faces with four wings. Their wings pointed forward; touching each other; not turning as they moved. Each had the face of a man in front; the face of a lion to the right; the face of an ox to the left; and the face of an eagle.
http://bible.cc/ezekiel/1-5.htm  ff.

Shedu, Lamassu, Alad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shedu#Etymology
"Although "lamassu" had a different iconography and portrayal in Sumerian culture, the terms lamassu, alad, and shedu were used to denote the Assyrian-winged-man-bull symbol and statues during the Neo-Assyrian empire."

Persepolis, (Iran) Gate of All Nations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persepolis#Archaeological_research
"Noted structures include the Great Stairway, the Gate of Nations (Xerxes the Great), the Apadana Palace of Darius, the Hall of a Hundred Columns, the Tripylon Hall and Tachara Palace of Darius, the Hadish Palace of Xerxes, the palace of Artaxerxes III, the Imperial Treasury, the Royal Stables and the Chariot House."

Religion in the Achaemenid Empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid_dynasty#Religion
"It was during the Achaemenid period that Zoroastrianism reached South-Western Iran, where it came to be accepted by the rulers and through them became a defining element of Persian culture. The religion was not only accompanied by a formalization of the concepts and divinities of the traditional Iranian pantheon but also introduced several novel ideas, including that of free will.[87][88]"
--------------------------------

The modern republic is democratic. We are called to represent leadership in providence with protection. Constitutional principles have been documented for our application with respect for liberty in the rule of law.

The following song celebrates the evolution of government to constitutional representation.
"Bethlehem of Ephrathah"
fm. Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1; Ps.80

Restore us, God of hosts;
Show the light of your love.
We will be saved.
How long will you delay
despite the needs of your people?
We have eaten the bread of tears.
We have tasted the bowlful of brine.
We have been played for fools by the elite.
Our enemies laugh at our ways.

Restore us, God of hosts;

Show us your love.

We will grow in success.
The plentiful house of bread started
as a small group in the community of praise
among the states for independence.

Leadership in the promotion of providence
has come to rule in the field of competition;
not aggression with military force.

Providence for basic needs
has been essential for conception
from the most ancient of days.

The poor and disabled will only suffer disadvantage
until the time when she who is in labor
has brought forth the fruit of her womb.

My soul proclaims the greatness of good leadership.
My spirit rejoices in God as Savior.

We will be fed from the strength of spirit
in the plentiful house of bread.

The great society will receive restoration.
Sufficiency will be granted to the disadvantaged.
We will live secure in the celebration of human rights
to the ends of the earth.

All generations will be blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for us.
Salvation is the name for God.

You have mercy on those who show respect
from every generation. You have scattered the proud
in the conceit of their conceptions.

You have cast down the tyrannical from the throne.
You have lifted up the lowly. You have filled the hungry with good things.

The greedy have been sent away wanting more.
You have come to the help of the disadvantaged competitor
to honor the memory of the promise for mercy;
the promise that was made to our ancestors,
from the first to the last in time.

All generations will be blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for us.
Salvation is the name for God.

Hear Christ, the Champion of Competition,
leading growth in success and salvation;
shine forth, you who are enthroned near here
as the guardians for the horizon.
You dwell in the presence
of creativity, strength and mercy.

Martial your mind.
Gather your resources.
Help us to live well.

All generations will be blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for us.
Salvation is the name for God.

Restore us, God of hosts;
Show the light of your love.
We will be saved to live well.
======================

The main point of concern regarding the Bhengazi incident hasn’t been expressed in the media. The security was inadequate to protect against attacks caused by outrage at the "indefinite detention" of a Libyan.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/12/18/167584297/state-department-faulted-in-benghazi-attack
"An independent panel has sharply criticized the State Department for inadequate security at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on the day of an attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans."

Christ said to God, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire. You prepared a body for me."
http://bible.cc/hebrews/10-5.htm

Add this amendment to the Constitution: "Congress will make no laws that violate human rights."

If Congress had not passed a law that warrants "targeted killing" and the "indefinite detention" of citizens (foreign or domestic) the Libyan radicals would not have had the motivation to attack the US Embassy.

The Petraeus affair brought this significant detail to light. The embassy was attacked because a Libyan was being held in custody. The law that allows for the indefinite detention of citizens as "militants" provided the motivation to liberate one of their countrymen.

The Republicans have been on the warpath in this issue as well. They want to pin all the blame on the party of the other part.

Granted. The proposal for increased spending for security at embassies is aimed at eliminating rather than reducing the problem. If there are no calls for the correction of the flawed law however, then all the spending in the world will not correct the problem. The offense to human rights still stands as a motivation for attacking those responsible for the offense to liberate a fellow citizen.

This is not just an American issue.

The Constitution is the "rule for reason" in leadership. If it favors the majority or a minority, it shows partiality. It has to present a plan that will represent all the people. Otherwise, the implementation of the law will be flawed repeatedly.

The claim to exemption from judgment of the high court is a declaration of intent to dictate. When a claim calls for more power than that which is implicit in leadership, it makes those who make the claim into an elitist faction. Elitists do not represent the people. They represent their own favor.

Constitutional Referendum
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5id36MgeMsQJ2AmtItO5NtUBJeUTg?docId=CNG.12566e2712dbf8b2a80761357f391324.b1
""Everything suggests the vote will go the way the Muslim Brotherhood wants.... But the misleading conclusion it will take away is that there is an overwhelming victory allowing it to continue on its chosen path," Hassan Nafaa, an analyst and commentator, said in the newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm."

The Muslim Brotherhood is an elitist faction. Islamists are an elitist faction. A political party cannot dictate favor for one religion without defining itself as an elitist faction.

Doubting Thomas
http://bible.cc/john/20-25.htm
If I do not see the words for liberty in the law written for all to see, I will not believe.

Martial your mind.
Manage your resources.
Live well.
Steve K.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Restoration

Staten Island
NYC Rapid Repairs
http://www.constructrelief.org/nyc-hurricane-sandy-relief-programs/mayor-bloomberg-announces-nyc-rapid-repair-for-homes-damaged-by-hurricane-sandy/

Advent 2.12

Others,
Constitutional monarchy documented rights that were to be recognized by the government (English Bill of Rights, 1689). It improved the potential for representation, but it did not eliminate tyranny. If it had, the colonies would not have made the Declaration of Independence (1776).

Constitutional democracy eliminated the institution of a royal family; added freedom of religion and documented other rights (US Constitution, 1789; Bill of Rights, 1791)

When Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark out to map a route to the Pacific Ocean (1803), he sent supplies and instructions to establish trade relations with Native Americans. This set a civic precedent for future relations.
Those Americans who respected human rights did well with the natives (and visa versa). It was when military force was used to take territory for natural resources that treaties were violated. The inclusive promise of constitutional democracy was cast aside for war or genocide.

John the Baptist did not preach the rejection of civil government. He preached civility in direct contrast to his insulting rhetoric (“You brood of vipers!”). Freedom of religion is to be valued as a civil liberty.


A state that establishes an official religion as the choice for the people does not show respect for representation. A religion that seeks to dictate policy to the people with the state as its enforcer does not respect freedom or the God that made it part of natural law.
Natural law is not aimed at our destruction. It is designed for our liberty and happiness. The destructive aspect of the elements call us to work together to build better constructs and a better society.

Charity was shared after destruction. Honor will be shown for rebuilding society.
http://bible.cc/zephaniah/3-20.htm

Haiti Re-builds
http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2012/dec/11/memeto3-haitis-leader-touts-quake-recovery-ar-580539/
"President Michel Martelly sought to encourage potential investors that Haiti was making progress in building homes for residents displaced by the catastrophic 2010 earthquake. He also said the country is increasing educational opportunities for children, updating infrastructure and creating jobs."
Sandy Relief Concert 12-12-12
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/arts/music/at-concert-for-sandy-relief-big-names-find-the-right-tone.html

Rejoice with all your heart, New York City! Relief is being raised!
http://bible.cc/zephaniah/3-16.htm
The world has ended. Celebrate the brand new world! \/ ('^-^*) <3


The disabled will be enabled. The outcast will be accepted. Shame will be turned into praise.
http://bible.cc/zephaniah/3-19.htm
-----------------------

Assad is Slipping
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/13/u-s-officials-al-assad-staying-put-despite-slide-in-power/
""The regime and the government in Syria are losing more and more control and more and more territory," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bodganov told a Russian government committee. "Unfortunately, we cannot rule out the victory of the Syrian opposition.""

----------------------

Surely, it will be God who saves us. The Lord is our strength and our song. We will break the bread of providence. We will draw water from the springs of salvation with rejoicing.
http://bible.cc/isaiah/12-2.htm

----------------------- 

Syrian Refugees Suffer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/13/syria-refugees-starvation-humanitarian-disaster

"Home is now a leaking plastic tent on the Syrian side of the Turkish border. "We don't have bread. Fuel is very expensive. There is no electricity, no water," Mohammad said."

The Syrian constitution actually contains a provision for the term limit of the president. It hasn't been observed. Assad succeeded his father. He has been in power for more than ten years.

The constitution also contains a provision for freedom of religion; making the plan for government better than the implementation of it.

It looks likely that a Sunni coalition or faction will take over once Assad leaves. The takeover will most likely resemble the situation in Egypt. The problem will shift from the tyranny of a minority to that of the majority if they don't improve the plan for the representation of minority populations.

Freedom from religion has proven to be an unwritten part of civil rights. When religion is "chosen" by coercion, it is not chosen freely. Statistically, freedom of religion supports a majority who choose to worship God in a community that has made the same choice.

It is time to start celebrating the impending restoration!
Restoration
Fm Zephaniah 3 & Isaiah 12


The world has ended.
Long live the new world!
Sing well, sweet daughter;
Compete with honor, strong son!
Surely it is God who saves.

The rule of law is our stronghold; a sure defense.
Rejoice with your heart, dear people.
The judgment against you has been turned away.
The leader of love, the LORD, is in your midst;
you will repair the damage that was done.

We will draw water with rejoicing
from the spring of salvation.
We will break bread made
from the grain of providence.
It will be said to the afflicted on that day:
Do not fear strife for life, dear citizens;
do not let your hands lay idle.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst;
a Champion who leads us to victory.

We will rejoice with gladness.
We will be renewed in love.
We will exult with loud singing
to celebrate deliverance.
Damage from disaster will be removed
by our labor. Damage from the storm
will not keep us from progress.
Repairs will be made.

Oppressors will be corrected.
The disabled will be enabled.
The disadvantaged will gain advantage.
Shame will be changed to praise
as an example for all the earth.

Your home will be restored for shelter.
Work will be made available for compensation.
People will sing praises for your accomplishments.
Your fortunes will be restored,
says the LORD.
You will sing praises in thanksgiving.

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

Bear fruit worthy of repentance.
http://bible.cc/luke/3-8.htm

Fiscal Cliff
http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2012/dec/11/naopino2-the-double-down-president-ar-580506/
"The cliff negotiations between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have taken on the aspect of a game of chicken. Boehner needs spending cuts; Obama needs revenue. America needs both."

Cut military spending. Leave people programs alone. Enough damage has been done.
The concern about the rocket launch in N. Korea is overstated. The US has had enough sensationalist alarmism to have raised military spending by three times since 1997.

N. Korea Launches Rocket
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/12/11/north-korea-long-range-rocket.html
North Korea officials say the rocket is meant to send a satellite into orbit to study crops and weather patterns, and Pyongyang maintains its right to develop a civilian space program.

Putin is promoting overcorrection with his isolationism, but he is right to contrast the "free market" economy with "capitalism."
Putin’s Address
http://rt.com/business/news/russia-economy-putin-address-872/
Russia needs to develop a free market economy based on industry and middle size business as the growth potential of a resource based economy is exhausted, President Vladimir Putin said.

---------------------------

Citizens do not need a leader who claims exemption from Supreme Court rulings regarding his decisions. They do not need to be forced to join a religious community. The constitution is a plan for government. When the plan is flawed, it institutes flawed applications of the law. This is not just about making an improvement over the last errors in leadership. It is about establishing the basis for long term improvement with a plan that is worthy of implementation.

Egyptians Vote on Islamist Constitution

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57559384/egyptians-vote-on-islamist-backed-constitution/
According to both supporters and opponents of the draft, the charter not only makes Muslim clerics the arbiters for many civil rights, it also could give a constitutional basis for citizens to set up Saudi-style "religious police" to monitor morals and enforce segregation of the sexes, imposition of Islamic dress codes and even harsh punishments for adultery and theft — regardless of what the laws on the books say.

The Muslim Brotherhood is a faction.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20726474
Sheik Mohammed Sayyed, who is linked to Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, said during Friday prayers at a mosque in Assuit: "Tomorrow is the day we will seek victory of Islam."

The partisan manipulation of voting machines to “win” elections is not unique to Egypt.

There is a strong correlation between states that have been taken over by Republicans and states that are using electronic voting machines. What does this mean? It is time to outlaw voting machines. It is also time to call the FBI! Your civil right to vote is being violated!


Twenty students and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on Friday, December 14, 2012. Most of the students were six years old. One of the adults was the principal who had called for increased security measures at the start of the school year. Another was the mother of the shooter. She had been a teacher at the school. She and her husband had purchased the weapons that were used by their son in the shooting.
President Obama Calls For Action Again
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_162-57559383-10391739/obama-repeats-call-for-meaningful-action-on-guns/
President Obama said:"...while nothing can take the place of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need - to remind them that we are there for them; that we are praying for them; that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their own memories, but also in their community, and their country."


Teaching non-violent conflict solving skills needs to be more routine than the lockdown drills.
http://www.dailyadvance.com/ap/staten/schools-eye-plans-calm-parents-after-conn-attack-1562189
"Lockdown drills have become routine across the country and can serve a dual purpose: Prepare and reassure."


The following song is very significant in relation to the StandYourGround (SYG) law; the "war on terror"; "targeted killing"; and the "indefinite detention" of civilians as militants [suspected terrorists].
John Lennon – Imagine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLgYAHHkPFs

Imagine there's no country. It isn't hard to do; nothing to kill or die for; and no religion too. Imagine all the people living life in peace.


Work for love. Live in peace.

Steve K.

 



Sunday, December 9, 2012

Opulent Civility

Others,
The use of language can be deceptively simple.
If the evangelist Luke had been content to address a purely religious audience, he would have simply said, “The word of God came to John ,son of Zachariah, in the wilderness during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.” (Luke 3:2)  The fact that he prefaced this statement with qualifications of who the main authorities for the time were shows that he was evangelizing. He was reaching out to the Gentiles; the group from which he had come; Greco-Roman society:
“It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod (Antipas) was tetrarch of Galilee. Philip, his brother, was tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene. The word of God came to John, son of Zecharias, in the Judean wilderness during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.” (Luke 3:1-2)
The fifteenth year was significant because Tiberius had moved from Rome to Capri.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius#Tiberius_in_Capri.2C_with_Sejanus_in_Rome
Capri is located off the coast of Italy; closer to Naples than to Rome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Capri_and_Ischia_map.png
Things were rumored to have happened. Historians recorded accusations of criminal acts.
Tiberius was accused of cruel homosexual perversion on the island.
http://www.bible-history.com/sketches/ancient/tiberius-caesar.html
Capri had "...the "Tiberius Leap" (Salto di Tiberio) which is a giant 1000 foot cliff [from which], according to the historians Suetonius and Tacitus, Tiberius hurled his discarded young sexual conquests and victims into the sea to their deaths for orgasmic pleasure."
It was believed that he suffered from mental illness.
http://www.formerthings.com/tiberius.htm
"After briefly mentioning some of the successes of Tiberius, Suetionus goes into depth regarding his madness. He would have sex with people of all ages and sexes. He was very cruel to his subjects. He would arbitrarily have people executed, for crimes as harmless as speaking ill of Augustus. Suetonius describes one example of Tiberius' madness where Tiberius would force a subject to drink large quantities of wine. He would then have their genitals tied so tightly that they could not urinate."
He was smothered with a pillow so Caligula, his successor and adopted grandson, could succeed him as emperor.
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/tiberius.htm
"Tiberius died at Misenum on March 16 37 A.D. at age 79. Although suffering from a terminal illness, he apparently wasn't dying fast enough for his successor's liking - so they smothered him with a pillow."
If the accusations against the emperor were true, Tiberius was guilty of torture and multiple homicides. Caligula, his successor, was also accused of moral indecency as related to tyrannical leadership. Nero was reputed to have played his violin while Rome burned.
There is some consensus of agreement regarding the Roman republic. The republic started off as a representative body for the people, then when the king was proclaimed emperor, it degenerated into a dictatorship. There is however question regarding the content of the accusations. Were the accusations made as a statement for another imperial candidate; against the existing emperor; or against empire as a political entity in its own right?
Even in today’s society some hold that it is the size of the government that makes it good or evil. A smaller government, like a state or a kingdom, is possible to manage. A large government is incapable of management according to this view. It is inherently evil.
If all states were managed properly, the argument that smaller government is inherently better, would have substance. Judgment regarding goodness in states, kingdoms, large nations or empires however, is not based on the size of the political body, it is formed by fairness in representing the people.
It is also incorrect to argue that political leadership is always wrong whereas religious leadership never is.
Ambrose was bishop of Milan. He was not qualified by desire, training or experience to serve as a church leader.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/pastorsandpreachers/ambrose.html
“Ambrose really didn't want to be an ecclesiastical leader; he was doing quite well as a political one. And he hadn't even been baptized yet! But the people wrote to Emperor Valentian, asking for his seal on their verdict.”
If Ambrose was deceptive, he could have had a “guest registry” set out at a church gathering in Milan. The signatures could have been sent to the emperor with the claim that all had signed it to have him declared bishop. Church leadership was not even supposed to be determined by the emperor. This was after the conversion of Constantine. Things had changed but canon law did not cite the emperor as the power who determined the apostolic succession. A bishop was supposed to be ordained by incumbent bishops; not an “imperial” authority.
Ambrose displayed a sectarian agenda when he refused to recognize the rights of other religious groups. He refused to give communion to the emperor for having punished someone who had burned a Jewish synagogue.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/19014/Saint-Ambrose

“An imperial court frequently sat in Milan. In confrontations with this court, Ambrose showed a directness that combined the republican ideal of the prerogatives of a Roman senator with a sinister vein of demagoguery. In 384 he secured the rejection of an appeal for tolerance by pagan members of the Roman senate, whose spokesman, Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, was his relative (Letters 17, 18)…. In 388 he rebuked the emperor Theodosius for having punished a bishop who had burnt a Jewish synagogue.”
 History has shown that it is not appropriate to condemn all government or all religion. Freedom of religion provides the line for interaction. The state is not to make laws that establish a religion as official or prevent the free exercise of faith. Religion is not to dictate policy to government.
If you are honest in your religion, then you recognize that government is “godly” when it represents fairness for the people. Religion has to satisfy the same condition, fairness in representation; it simply has different forms for assembly and expression. This said, ecclesiastical government needs to be conducted with democratic procedures.
A major factor in the determination of corrupt action is determined by the injunction against killing. Whether it is the commandment against killing in religion or the laws against terrorism, murder, genocide, wars of aggression or state sponsored terrorism in the civil government; killing is irreversible; killing as a means for attaining profit or power is outlawed. Slavery is outlawed as well.
The law is against murder and slavery. This prohibition implies support for civility. This means that God is for civility for those of us who believe that it is true. The following song celebrates opulent civility.  
Opulent Civility
Fm Baruch 5:1-9
Take off the attire of affliction, tired city.
Accept the heritage of radiant desire.
Put on the honor of honesty.
Don the diadem of the dawn.
Revel in effulgent glory
from the emerging euphoria
of the aurora.
The crown of our light will shine
for truth with justice and joy for you.
God will show you the splendor of existence.
Splendid opulence will glow
with the growth of love
in experience.
Your name will be,
 “Wonderful. Counselor.
Righteous City. Godly Peace.”

Arise, city of light! Attain the height of heaven.
Look upon your people. See your children
gathered from every direction;
listening to the word of God;
rejoicing with the remembrance
of what has been learned from history.
They had left on foot.
They had gone the way of prisoners.
They had been taken away as slaves.
They had been held captive by thieves.
They had tread the trodden trails of tyranny;
swept by the sway of cruelty and oppression.
We have returned to you, city of angels.
God has brought us back on wings of glory;
resplendent with honor to the royal home.
We will move forward.
Where no road had been,
a path will be made.
The obstacles of war, oppression, greed and cruelty
will be brought down.  Every mountain
made by tyranny will be laid low.
The valleys of economic depression
will be filled. We will have a level playing field.
The rules for competition will be observed with joy;
we will learn to win together.
Human being will walk safely in the light of revelation
acquired by investigation and reflection
with faith in the glory of God.
Any tree will give shade
from the heat of too much light.
We will be lead by life with joy
with mercy in morality
and correction from the judgments
of experience with education.
Shine! Shine! O, new Jerusalem!
The experience of your existence
will shine with opulent civility
for humanity!
======================
Civility for those who believe in "winning" by aggression is often conditioned by aggression against those who are civil. The law often has to become a mechanism for the defense of those who are victimized by aggression.
Non-aggression is "darkness" for those who believe in aggression. It becomes light when civility is added to sight.
Natasha Bedingfield – Pocketful of Sunshine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gte3BoXKwP0
There's a place that I go
That nobody knows
Where the rivers flow.
I call it home.
There's no more lies.
The darkness is light
And nobody cries
there's only butterflies”
Move forward.
Where no road had been,
a path will be made.

Shine! Shine! O, new Jerusalem!
The experience of your existence
will shine with opulent civility.
Steve K.


 
 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Faith

Week after Thanksgiving
Others,
There are those who have conflated competition with war throughout history. Competition is natural. War is not.

The temple at the Aereopagus was dedicated to Ares, god of war. The emperor had already been named the son of the god of war in Rome.
Empire started as a confederation of kingdoms dedicated to the defense of the empire. Neighboring kingdoms who did not join were categorized as “threats” or “enemies.”
Expansion was equated with survival. Aggression was elevated to imperial status. Faith in god came to be associated with fidelity to aggression by all those who burned incense for the emperor as a living god.
A number of translations of the following passage ascribe religiosity to the Athenians who were present at the temple; as opposed to superstition. Did Paul appeal to their vanity or rebuke them for it? It seems more likely that he reproved them. The reproof was aimed at correcting belief in wars for aggression.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17%3A22-31&version=KJV
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

----------------------------------
Andrew, the first called, is respected as an apostle who was willing to bring people to meet Christ personally.
http://www.justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/294.html
“Before Jesus feeds the Five Thousand, it is Andrew who says, "Here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish." (Jn 6:8f) And the first two disciples whom John reports as attaching themselves to Jesus (Jn 1:35-42) are Andrew and another disciple… Having met Jesus, Andrew then finds his brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. Thus, on each occasion when he is mentioned as an individual, it is because he is instrumental in bringing others to meet the Saviour.”
Personal testimony is protected as “free exercise” when it is not proselytizing. Proselytizing is regarded as a coercive act when sanctions are imposed.
Andrew is regarded as the patron saint for Byzantium, Russia and Scotland. There was a time when the “official” nature of the state religion harbored coercion.
When Christianity became an official religion, it did not stop tyrannical emperors from rising to power. The representative nature of imperial government was dependent upon the emperor and the leading factions who supported him.
Crucifixion was no longer used for the death penalty, but torture and the death penalty were still employed.
While the people of the empire could not be forced to join Christianity without risking revolt, judgments regarding criminal behavior were still influenced by membership in the church. This was a violation of prohibition against “establishment of religion” and “due process” in law enforcement.
Even while joining the official religion was not officially required, there were acts that outlawed other forms of Christianity. Catholicism was repressed in Scotland from the Scottish Reformation of 1560 until the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1791.
St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic cathedral in Glasgow, Scotland stands as one example of the testimony that the repression did not eliminate the faith of Roman Catholics in the country.
http://www.relevantsearchscotland.co.uk/glasgow/standrewscathedral.html
When the English bill of rights was documented in 1689, it made the monarchy constitutional. It did not include freedom of religion, but it introduced the provision against cruelty in punishment, the most important constitutional innovation in the history of jurisprudence.
Moreover, the constitutional form for the government did not put an end to tyranny. It established a plan for operations. Human rights had to be respected by the monarch and parliament to stop dictatorship.
The US ratified the Constitution in 1789, a hundred years after the British. The bill of rights were added as the first ten amendments in 1791. The rights were not observed in practice when the republic eradicated the federalist party to establish a single party government. Freedom of speech, assembly and the right to vote are repressed when there is one party that dictates policy to the people.
====================
St. Andrews Cathedral in Honolulu, Hawaii was started by King Kamekameha IV and finished in the name of Queen Emma in 1886.
http://www.ship-of-fools.com/mystery/2008/media/honolulu_st_andrew.jpg
http://www.ship-of-fools.com/mystery/2008/1540.html
Kamekameha was also known as Alexander. He was the fourth king of Hawaii. His reign was from 1855 to 1863.
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/293.html
"He and his wife were earnest in their devotion to both the material and the spiritual welfare of their people. The King personally translated the Book of Common Prayer and much of the Hymnal into Hawaiian. Their only son died in 1863, and the King died, apparently of grief, on 30 November 1864. The Queen devoted the remainder of her life to charitable endeavors (Queen's Hospital, the largest civilian hospital in Hawaii, is largely her doing). She died in 1885."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_IV
"In May 1850, the royal brothers, boarded a ship in England and sailed to the United States of America for a more extensive stay before returning. At Washington D.C., they met with President Zachary Taylor and Vice President Millard Filmore. He experienced American racism firsthand when he was almost removed from his train car for being a "nigger"."
http://prayerbookguide.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/king-kamehameha-queen-emma/
"The new king and queen immediately established a royal lifestyle based on altruism and humility instead of pomp and power. In response to a smallpox epidemic, they established Queen’s hospital, now the largest civilian hospital in Hawaii."
-------------------------------------
Even charitable works are a form of establishment when state funds are used for the building. The charitable works however provided a model for civic healthcare, education and community building.
Faith is not required by law. Freedom of religion allows freedom from it. Faith has however helped to establish two of the most important provisions in political practice: the provision against cruelty in punishment and freedom of religion.
Faith
Fm Psalm 25

I lift up my soul to you, LORD.
I put my trust in you, my God.
Do not let me be humiliated.
Do not let my enemies triumph over me.
Let none who look to you be put to shame.
Let the treacherous be betrayed by their treachery.
Let the deceitful be deceived by their deceit.
Let the destructive have their dedication
to destruction destroyed.
Let restitution restore justice.
LORD, show me your ways.
Teach me your paths.
Lead me to truth for goodness
with justice and mercy.
Teach me the joy of living.
You are the God of my salvation.
I have put my trust in you.
Your love, your law and your mercy are everlasting.
Forgive the errors and transgressions of my youth.
Remember me according to your love
for the sake of your goodness.

The LORD is gracious and just.
Humility guides the humble into correction.
Respect for human rights leads the respectful
into truth for goodness with liberty and justice
for all in the law.
All paths to the LORD require faith with love.
Joy and prosperity go to those
who honor the rule of law
with respect for human rights.
==================
The LORD is good. Support is given to those who show respect for human rights.
http://bible.cc/psalms/25-8.htm
Protesters in Egypt are angry with Morsi’s decree of exemption from Supreme Court judgment.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/27/world/meast/egypt-protests/index.html
On Monday, his office clarified the edict, saying it only applied to "sovereign matters." Morsy "did not give himself judicial power" but did provide "immunity for his presidential decisions," said Jihad Haddad, a senior adviser in the Freedom and Justice Party.”
------------------------------
The statement affirming exemption from judicial judgment in “sovereign matters” still qualifies as a declaration of intent. The plan is to keep Morsi or a Muslim Brotherhood candidate in power indefinitely.
There was an affirmation for an eight year term limit in the articles of the new constitution. It is likely that the absence of unanimity will be used to declare a state of crisis. The crisis will employ the president’s power in sovereign matters to override the term limit.
The constitution of Egypt shows favor for the Islamists in general and for the Muslim Brotherhood in particular as the majority party.
Minorities protested the speedy ratification.
http://news.yahoo.com/opposition-cries-foul-egypt-constitution-finalized-002340246.html
Tens of thousands gathered across the country, filling Tahrir Square and hitting the streets in Alexandria and other cities, responding to opposition calls for a big turnout.”
“"We fundamentally reject the referendum and constituent assembly because the assembly does not represent all sections of society," said Sayed el-Erian, 43, a protester in Tahrir and member of a party set up by opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei.”
---------------------------------------
A provision for freedom of religion is included but it is limited to Muslims, Jews and Christians with distinct favor for Muslims.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/world/meast/egypt-protests/index.html
"Moving a flawed and contradictory draft to a vote is not the right way to guarantee fundamental rights or to promote respect for the rule of law," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

"He told CNN on Friday that key rights are ignored in the draft.

""It guarantees 'freedom of expression,' but you cannot insult the Prophet. You cannot defame the Prophet," Stork said.

"While it might be all right for such action to be considered a civil offense, it should not be "a criminal one as this document suggests," he said.

"The draft addresses freedom of religion, Stork notes, "but you have to be a Christian, Jew (or) Muslim."

"It doesn't address the Baha'is, he said, a group that has been persecuted in various countries for their faith."
-------------------------------------------------
Egypt is on the other side of the Atlantic for those of us in the US. They are a different country on a different continent. Nevertheless, that which is happening there affects that which is happening here. It is important to view their efforts in implementing a constitution from the perspective of our experience.

30 Seconds to Mars - Kings and Queens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTMrlHHVx8A 
"We were the kings and queens of promise.
We were the victims of ourselves;
Maybe the children of a lesser God
Between heaven and hell;
Heaven and hell"
We are the citizens of promise.
Steve K.


Expansion was equated with survival. Aggression was elevated to imperial status. Faith in god came to be associated with fidelity to aggression by all those who burned incense for the emperor as a livi====================
A number of translations of the following passage ascribe religiosity to the Athenians at the temple; as opposed to superstition. Did Paul appeal to their vanity or rebuke them for it? It seems more likely that he reproved them. The reproof was aimed at correcting belief in wars for aggression.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17%3A22-31&version=KJV
Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
A number of translations of the following passage ascribe religiosity to the Athenians at the temple; as opposed to superstition. Did Paul appeal to their vanity or rebuke them for it? It seems more likely that he reproved them. The reproof was aimed at correcting belief in wars for aggression.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17%3A22-31&version=KJV
Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too supersti