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Showing posts from 2011

The Purpose of Freedom and Natural Law

Why do bad things happen to good people and it's companion question of why do good things happen to bad people continue to be a mystery to most people. Philosophers and theologians have contemplated it for thousands of years. The effect of freedom and the result of having the opportunity to make choices creates the diversity of situations and consequences that affect our lives. Tyranny is the suppression of freedom and choice.  God does not enforce his laws by tyranny as some have fallaciously implied.  He has instead placed us here to be free to choose our path in mortality and at the present time we don't receive the full impact of our choices, that least based on the good and evil of their intent.  At some future time however the full measure of the consequences of our actions will be ours to account for.  God's purpose is to improve our character by leading us, not ruling our life by force.  This is one reason that bad things happen to almost everyone. Misg

Republic or Democracy and the ideals of freedom

What percentage of Americans know the difference between a republic and a democracy.  We pledge allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands.  Politicians ofter refer to our country as a democracy.  What is our country?  The founders made it clear that we are a REPUBLIC.  So lets try and understand the difference. We might do well to first ask ourselves again what the purpose of government is.  What is the purpose of government?    If you read the Declaration of Independence it is to protect our unalienable rights.  The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness among them.  It is based on the idea that all men (people) are created equal.  To not have their rights infringed upon.  The government should get its "just" powers from the consent of the governed.   " The Constitution was written to protect the rights of individuals and limit the powers of government. In other words, it was intended to preserve liberty. Not only did the Founde

Infringement, Unalienable Rights and Individual Liberties

To begin this observation I would say that our current state of government in the United States of America is one that has all but left the constitution that founded it.   True it looks the same with three branches of government but they no longer act as a check on each other's powers and have continually usurped the power of the states that created it.   In fact some have called the vast administrative bureaucracy that manages the extensive reach of government a fourth  branch of government.  It is full of officials, none of which are elected, who can make rules that have the force and effect of law. The people that have occupied federal public office either by election or by appointment have come to operate with complete disregard for the principles that established it and their obligation to check each other's actions according to it.  There are a few voices calling attention to the situation in congress however their effect is yet to have much persuasive force.   Law

Private life, Public Life and Moral Integrity

Talk show hosts and pundits are mocking Anthony Weiner, His actions are not the problem with politicians or others in the world today. They are a symptom of the problem. There is no doubt that the man is obsessed with sex and without knowing all of the details probably addicted to pornography. It is a very sad situation. The basis for our freedom is our ability to govern ourselves, not the laws that we create to remove from society those that refuse to do so. This is the basis of our constitution.  Self government begins at home in the most fundamental of commitments, marriage and family life. It comes from having a set of spiritual principles that dictate ones behavior when no one else is watching. If one can't be true to these they should not be public officials.  They have no ability to lead to anything worthwhile. When a person loses their moral integrity and operates on such a standard they indeed become dangerous in some aspects. If they hold a position of po

Conservative or Progressive

What are we saying when we talk about conservative politicians or being a conservative?  We might contrast it to being progressive or progressivism.  There are other terms we could use as well but these should do for this discussion.  In the United States both progressives and conservatives invoke the constitution from time to time in order to indicate some support for their ideology and to give the appearance that their policies are somehow attached to it.  One however, progressivism, is very contradictory to the ideals of the constitution and to personal responsibility. Philosophers have noted that laws are unnecessary, good people don't need them and bad people won't follow them.   The constitution is only effective if we know what it was meant to do.   It was established on the basis that men and women, could govern themselves.   It was and is dependent on people having inner values or foundational principles that dictate their conduct and their work ethic. The

The Freedom To Succeed

As we live our lives and and search for meaning and significance we can only hope that we somehow we see what it means to be free and live in a place where we can make choices and find fulfillment through those choices.  About two years ago I was a guest attending a veterans committee meeting at my local association of Realtors.  The discussion revolved around events that would recognize the the men and women that had given service to our country. In many organizations veterans and military personnel are recognized for their willingness to be a part of the force that is ready at anytime to rise and defend the causes of freedom that are unique to the United States. I think we want honor their willingness to take whatever unknown events lie ahead in their service and the discipline of preparing for those events including placing themselves in harms way and the possibility of giving their life in that service. I have read many books and attended many "success" semina