Has morality been scraped away from our Legislative, Executive, and Judicial system?

[Luke_Wilbur]

Has morality been scraped away from our three branches of government?

 

The left and right believe in our pursuit of happiness. But, when it comes to justice neither the left or right hold or understand the Declaration of our Republic, our unalienable Rights, and the sacred Law of Liberty is open for debate.

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

 

Without the Creator there is no truth to the Document that is protected in a special vault designed to stand the test of time.

 

http://www.archives....eclaration.html

 

 

James Chapter One

 

19 You know, my beloved brethren; but let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

 

20 for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God.

 

21 Wherefore, having put away all filthiness and overflowing of malice, receive in meekness the implanted word that is able to save your souls.

 

22 But become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

 

23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror;

 

24 for he beholds himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

 

25 But he that looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues, he not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, shall be blessed in his doing.

 

26 If any one seems to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

 

27 Religion pure, and undefiled with God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 

2:1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons.

 

2 For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring on his finger, in splendid raiment, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment,

 

3 and you look upon him that wears the splendid raiment, and say: Sit thou here honorably; and say to the poor man: Stand there, or sit under my footstool,

 

4 do you not then make distinctions among yourselves, and have you not become judges having evil thoughts?

 

5 Hear, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen the poor in the world, rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those that love him?

 

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich act as lords over you, and do not they themselves drag you to the judgment-seats?

 

7 Do not they themselves blaspheme that honorable name that has been called upon you?

 

8 If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, you do well:

 

9 but if you have respect for persons, you work sin, being convinced by the law as transgressors.

 

10 For whoever shall have kept the whole law, but shall have offended in one, has become guilty of all.

 

11 For he that said: Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also: Thou shalt not kill: now, if thou commit no adultery, but if thou kill, thou hast become a transgressor of the law.

 

12 So speak and so act as those, that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

 

13 For the judgment is merciless to him that has shown no mercy: mercy glories over judgment.

 

14 What is the profit, my brethren, if any one say that he has faith, but has not works? Can his faith save him?

 

15 But if a brother or sister be unclothed and want daily food,

 

16 and any one of you say to them: Depart in peace, be warmed and be filled, but give them not the things needful for the body, what is the profit?

 

17 So also faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

 

18 But some one will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without the works, and I will show thee my faith by the works.

 

19 Dost thou believe that God is one? thou doest well: the demons also believe and tremble.

 

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle?

 

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

 

22 Thou seest that faith worked with his works, and by the works the faith was made perfect;

 

23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says: And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.

 

24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

 

25 But in like manner also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them forth by a different way?

 

26 For as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

 

3:1 Become not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall revive greater condemnation.

 

2 For in many things we all offend: if any one offends not in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body.

 

3 But if we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we also turn about their whole body:

 

4 behold, also, the ships, though they are so great, and are driven by fierce winds, yet are they turned about by a very small rudder, to whatever point the will of the pilot may direct.

 

5 So also the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter how small a fire, the tongue, kindles.

 

6 A fire, the world of unrighteousness, the tongue is set among our members, which also defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.

 

7 For every nature of wild beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and things in the sea is tamed, and has been tamed by human nature,

 

8 but the tongue no one of men is able to tame: a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

 

9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made according to the likeness of God:

 

10 out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not so to be.

 

11 Does a fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?

 

12 Can a fig-tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine, figs? Neither can salt water produce sweet.

 

13 Who is wise and intelligent among you? Let him show out of a good behavior his works in meekness of wisdom.

 

14 But if you have bitter envy and strife in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.

 

15 This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, demoniacal.

 

16 For where envy and strife are, there is tumult and every evil work.

 

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be persuaded, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy.

 

18 But the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace.

 

4:1 Whence wars and whence fightings among you? Are they not hence, from your lusts that war in your members?

 

2 You desire, and have not; you murder and envy, and cannot obtain: you fight and war. You have not because you ask not:

 

3 you ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you, adulterers and adulteresses, may spend it on your lusts.

 

4 Know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? Whoever, then, intends to be a friend of the world, makes himself an enemy of God.

 

5 Think you that the Scripture speaks to no purpose? Against envy the Spirit that has taken up its abode in us has jealous desires,

 

6 but gives greater grace. Wherefore it says: God sets himself against the proud, but gives grace to the lowly.

 

7 Submit yourselves, therefore, to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you:

 

8 draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds.

 

9 Afflict yourselves and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sadness.

 

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

 

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, or judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law; but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

 

12 The lawgiver and the judge is one, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou, that judgest thy neighbor?

 

13 Come now you that say: Today and to-morrow we will go to such a city, and spend there one year, and trade' and make gain,

 

14 you that know not what will be to-morrow; for what is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little while and then disappears:

 

15 instead of which you should say: If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.

 

16 But now you glory in your boastings: all such glorying is evil.

 

17 To him, then, that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin.

 

5:1 Come now you that are rich, weep, howl for your miseries that are coming on you.

 

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments have become moth-eaten;

 

3 your gold and silver is eaten with rust, and the rust of them will be a testimony to you, and will eat your flesh as fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

 

4 Behold, the hire of the laborers that have reaped your fields, which has remained unpaid by you, cries; and the cries of the reapers have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.

 

5 You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton: you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.

 

6 You condemned, you killed the Just One: he does not resist you.

 

7 Be patient, therefore, brethren till the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it till he receive the early and latter rain:

 

8 be you also patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws near.

 

9 Complain not, brethren, one against another, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door.

 

 

 

Luke 6

 

6 And it came to pass on another sabbath that Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. And a man was there, and his right hand was withered.

 

7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him if Jesus would cure on the sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.

 

8 But he knew their thoughts; and Jesus said to the man that had the withered hand: Rise and stand in the midst. And he arose and stood.

 

9 And Jesus said to them: I ask you if it is lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy.

 

10 And looking around on them all, Jesus said to him: Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored.

 

11 But they were filled with madness, and conferred one with another what they should do to Jesus.

 

 

 

All human beings have biases. I am Christian and see morality from my point of faith. But, I do hope people of other faiths consider God more just than a blind woman holding scales.

 

We cannot depend on documents to restore morality in justice. This must come from ourselves.

 

Our Creator is more than just a metaphor.

 

God Bless America.

[Luke_Wilbur]

 

That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn. - Hillel the Elder

 

The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a maxim, ethical code, or morality that essentially states either of the following:

 

(Positive form of Golden Rule): One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.

 

(Negative form of Golden Rule): One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated.

 

My neighbor told me about Hillel the Elder. From what I am reading I can believe that Jesus was a student in the Hillel school of thought.

 

Matthew 7

 

7:12 In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.

 

Citizens around the world are taught early that honesty is a virtue, that one must show respect to earn respect and that learning compassion requires standing in someone else's shoes. The Golden Rule has been endorsed in all of the major and most minor religions.

 

 

All of these are pretty simple ideas. After all, people don't want to be lied to; they want to be respected for who they are. They want to know they are understood. I think it's best summed up by the adage, "Treat others the way you wish to be treated."

 

It all starts with these simple values: don't lie, be respectful and don't judge someone until you can stand in their shoes.

 

http://www.beale.af....sp?id=123324258

 

I think we as a nation should strive to live up to both Jesus and Hillel’s standards. We need to follow the Golden Rule and partner with God in the ongoing work of perfecting His creation.

[Luke_Wilbur]

Is it now possible for one citizen to lie, cheat, steal, etc... and get away with it? And for the other citizen harmed to be penalized for catching the transgressor in the act and forgive them for it? If common law is presumed to derive from, natural law, and natural law presumed to derive from the divine. The answer would be no.

 

 

John Locke wrote that to love God, one has to love their country and neighbor:

 

We intermeddle not with anything that concerns just and legal power of the civil magistrate; the government and laws of our country cannot be injured by such as love, truth, virtue, and justice; we think ourselves obliged to lay down our lives and fortunes in the defence of it. No man can say that he loves God that loves not his neighbor; no man can love his neighbor that loves not his country. ‘Tis the greatest charity to preserve the laws and rights of the nation whereof we are. A good man, and a charitable man, is to give to every man his due. From the king upon the throne to the beggar in the street.

 

I wonder what his opinion would be now. I believe it would be the same.

 

Bottom line is we need to learn to love our neighbor. And refrain from doing anything hateful to another.

 

Members of the House and Senate need to start creating laws that follow the Golden Rule. The Executive branch needs to enforce the Golden Rule. And the Judicial branch needs to not deviate from it.

[Luke_Wilbur]

The expressions of Love and Hate; Good and Bad are universal to those that believe in God and those that do not. Through time the Golden Rule concept has evolved to a generic understanding of morality that is accepted by all and is a underling framework to our social contract. I would argue that the Golden Rule does not pertain to the establishment of religion and does not offend or violate the Constitution. Therefore morality can once again gain its place into government.

Homosexuality is considered a grave sin in the New Testament. And many Christians consider Gay Marriage a perversion to Christ's law. But, Christian sentiment seems to be changing.

1 Corinthians 6

 

6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals,

6:10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

6:11 Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Timothy 1

 

1:5 But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

1:6 Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion.

1:7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently.

1:8 But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately,

1:9 realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

1:10 sexually immoral people, practicing homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers – in fact, for any who live contrary to sound teaching.

1:11 This accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me.

For those of the Jewish faith the sentence is far worse for not following God's law.

Leviticus 20

 

20:13 If a man has sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman, the two of them have committed an abomination. They must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.

Hindus of Hare Krishna conscious movement believe the homosexual appetite of a man for another man as demoniac and is not for any sane male in the ordinary course of life.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Canto 3: The Status Quo » SB 3.20: Conversation Between Maitreya and Vidura

 

SB 3.20 Lord Brahmā, approaching the Lord, addressed Him thus: My Lord, please protect me from these sinful demons, who were created by me under Your order. They are infuriated by an appetite for sex and have come to attack me.

How has homosexuality become acceptable behavior in all branches of federal, state, and local governments?



The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has successfully influenced public opinion and government policy on gay and lesbian rights.

 

By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

HRC seeks to improve the lives of LGBT Americans by advocating for equal rights and benefits in the workplace, ensuring families are treated equally under the law and increasing public support among all Americans through innovative advocacy, education and outreach programs. HRC works to secure equal rights for LGBT individuals and families at the federal and state levels by lobbying elected officials, mobilizing grassroots supporters, educating Americans, investing strategically to elect fair-minded officials and partnering with other LGBT organizations.

http://www.hrc.org/t...-story/about-us

 

In the end, the values that I care most deeply about, and she (Michelle Obama) cares most deeply about is how we treat other people. We're both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but when we think about our faith the thing at root that we think about is not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf but it's also the Golden Rule – treat others the way you'd want to be treated - President Barack Obama, May 9, 2012 ABC News

President Obama's conflict with religion is now a keystone in defining morality in a non biblical way. The Golden Rule is now forever a linchpin for Human Rights in Common Law.

Should Christians look down on those replacing God's Law with the Law of Man?

Luke 18

 

18:9 Jesus told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.

18:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.

18:12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

18:13 The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’

18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Revelation 22

 

22:11 The evildoer must continue to do evil, and the one who is morally filthy must continue to be filthy. The one who is righteous must continue to act righteously, and the one who is holy must continue to be holy.

Everyone is in God's plan of infinite choices and final judgement.

 

There is in fact a true law— namely right reason—which is in accordance with nature, applies to all men, and is unchangeable and eternal. ... It will not lay down one rule at Rome and another at Athens, nor will it be one rule today and another tomorrow. But there will be one law, eternal and unchangeable, binding at all times upon all peoples; and there will be, as it were, one common master and ruler of men, namely God, who is the author of this law, its interpreter and its sponsor. The man who will not obey it will abandon his better self and, in denying the true nature of man, will thereby suffer the severest of penalties, though he has escaped all the other consequences which men call punishment. - Cicero Book Laws ( I, 10 )

We all know it is only human to make mistakes. The difficult part is the forgiving. If you can turn the other cheek and love your neighbor, then you will be following God's plan for us all.

[Luke_Wilbur]

Is God out of the equation of the Golden Rule and are we losing our understanding of morality?

 

The Golden Rule is now being replaced by The Ones Who Have the Gold Rule.

 

The ones that hold the purse strings run our country and write our laws no longer hide in the shadows of many elected figureheads of power. The once invisible hand is now gazed upon with admiration. But what will happen when the gold leaves town and the currency we have costs more to make than its actual worth.

 

 

The dichotomy between selfish and selfless has been played out many times in historical and biblical history.

 

Isaiah 1

 

1:21 How tragic that the once-faithful city has become a prostitute!

She was once a center of justice,

fairness resided in her,

but now only murderers.

 

1:22 Your silver has become scum,

your beer is diluted with water.

 

1:23 Your officials are rebels,

they associate with thieves.

All of them love bribery,

and look for payoffs.

They do not take up the cause of the orphan,

or defend the rights of the widow.

 

1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies,

the powerful ruler of Israel, says this:

“Ah, I will seek vengeance against my adversaries,

I will take revenge against my enemies.

 

1:25 I will attack you;

I will purify your metal with flux.

I will remove all your slag.

 

1:26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,

wise advisers as in earlier days.

Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,

Faithful Town.’”

 

 

I think about going into a dark room and lighting a candle or turning on a flashlight. Immediately the darkness retreats. This cause and effect is never the other way around.

 

The same thing can be said about truth and false rhetoric. An average person that is righteous can confront a master in the craft of rhetoric and win a debate of truth. As long as the righteous does not deviate from the truth and the sophist argues against the truth. The righteous will win every time.

 

Micah 6

 

 

6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,

and what the Lord really wants from you:

He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful,

and to live obediently before your God.

 

Should we meddle with a person or entity that provides steady, long-term gain even if they break divine law, but do not break common law? In today's world one can be morally wrong and ethically right.

 

Job 27

 

27:13 This is the portion of the wicked man

allotted by God,

the inheritance that evildoers receive

from the Almighty.

 

27:14 If his children increase – it is for the sword!

His offspring never have enough to eat.

 

27:15 Those who survive him are buried by the plague,

and their widows do not mourn for them.

 

27:If he piles up silver like dust

and stores up clothing like mounds of clay,

 

27:17 what he stores up a righteous man will wear,

and an innocent man will inherit his silver.

 

27:18 The house he builds is as fragile as a moth’s cocoon,

like a hut that a watchman has made.

 

27:19 He goes to bed wealthy, but will do so no more.

When he opens his eyes, it is all gone.

 

27:20 Terrors overwhelm him like a flood;

at night a whirlwind carries him off.

 

27:21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;

it sweeps him out of his place.

 

27:22 It hurls itself against him without pity

as he flees headlong from its power.

 

27:23 It claps its hands at him in derision

and hisses him away from his place.

[Luke_Wilbur]

Many may think that the Golden Rule is now defined as treat others according to the opinion polls. The opinion results override any religions morals for the greater good of upholding our justice system. You might want to then ask who is running the opinion polls and designing the questions. Then you realize that once again it is The One That Owns The Gold Rule.

 

In essence a person or corporation can lie, steal, cheat, kill, etc... and still be within the confines of not breaking the law. And if a person or entity does cross the line there are thousands of lawyers waiting to turn law into a lucrative game of semantic chess.

 

The better the settlement litigator, the better the chance of not going to trial.

 

 

The better trial lawyer, the better chance of getting acquitted of all damages.

 

http://youtu.be/UZc3KYOSOQs

 

From my experience lawyers seek a quick finality to a case and may pressure the client to accept a settlement. Good lawyers will wisely advise whether the odds are in your favor or not. It may better to accept a less costly predictable outcome than to outlay a large amount of capital and lose the case in trial. The decision whether to settle or not belongs to the client.

 

Aside note. Remember when speaking to your attorney to read all documents thoroughly before giving consent (verbal or correspondence). Watch out for intimidating legal terms and attitudes from council. Otherwise, you may be bound by a irrational emotional decision that may have life long consequences.

 

Many cases are settled or lost due to the lack financial capital to compete with opposing council. This is happening in politics as well. We know that there are many good candidates from many different parties. Yet, we only see two sides in the final debates.

 

The Ones that Own the Gold may think they rule our existence. But do not despair, for through our Creator's humility the perfection of Good has already triumphed over the imperfection of Evil.

 

John 16

 

16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world.”

 

[Guest LAW]

But what will happen when the gold leaves town and the currency we have costs more to make than its actual worth.

 

A penny now costs 2.41 cents to make. A nickel now now costs 11.18 cents to make.

 

Written Testimony of Secretary Geithner before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on the FY2013 Budget of the U.S. Department of the Treasury

 

3/28/2012

 

Currently, the costs of making the penny and the nickel are more than twice the face value of each of those coins. In addition to this proposal, Treasury is implementing measures to improve the efficiency of coin and currency production, including improved manufacturing practices and administrative cost reductions, which will save more than $75 million in FY 2013.

 

We the People still do play a very big role in all three branches of government. Professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, a former trial lawyer, has just released a new book on why jury duty matters to American democracy. Why Jury Duty Matters is the first book written for jurors on jury duty. It was written to guide citizens through the constitutional experience and principles built within the jury structure and an argues for reclaiming the central place juries have played in our society.

[Guest Dale]

A better question might be, "Where is it written in the Constitution that liberals have a right to infringe on my rights for the sake of their personal comfort level and I have to foot the bill and pay for it?"

 

We now have to pay for abortions and illegals. We have to allow gay and lesbians the sanctity of marriage. Soon we will lose our right to bear arms.

[Luke_Wilbur]

I had the pleasure interviewing Professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson on his view of morality in and discussing his new book, ""Why Jury Duty Matters, A Citizen’s Guide to Constitutional Action."

 

Professor Ferguson,

Has morality been scraped away from our judicial branch?

How do juries see past a person or entity that does something morally wrong, but ethically sound?

I look forward to reading your book.

 

All the Best,

Luke Wilbur

 

 

 

Professor Ferguson's response:

 

Juries were included in the constitutional systems specifically to ensure that community morality was not lost. Your questions are important and weighty questions which are answered in the practice of day to day jury decisions, but need more sustained discussion.

 

My book seeks to renew a national (and local) conversation about the role of jurors in our legal system. I view jury duty as constitution duty, and think that if more people were engaged with the questions you are asking we would have a much stronger legal system (and democracy).

 

I am impressed with Professor Ferguson's advocacy of engaging our community to discuss the principles of morals in ethics in our democracy. Could it be that our Republican form of government is slowly evolving to a pure Democracy? Our Country's Founding Fathers based our Constitution on Laws of Nature and of Nature's God. It appears that Life, Liberty Pursuit of Happiness is now given more weight than Our Creator who endowed us with these entitlements.

 

Professor Ferguson,

Thank you for your timely response.

 

You made a good point about juries ensuring community morals. But, do you consider humanist groups to be tipping the principle balance against community morals and favoring more weight towards community ethics?

 

All the Best,

Luke Wilbur

 

I agree that sharing knowledge and information is important to properly engage issues on what is Truth and Untruth. From the Truth we are able to gain what is Right and what is Wrong.

 

I suppose I don’t have a position on whether humanist groups are affecting community ethics, but I hope like minded, community groups remain strong in order to have these necessary debates.

 

Juries are somewhat similarly situated to humanist groups being local, community-based civic groups that can change citizens’ views on the law. Alexis De Tocqueville had it right that local community groups are important to the strength of American thought. I see juries as fulfilling that role today (and if folks read my book maybe fulfilling it in a more informed way).

 

 

A full book description is available at NYU Press,

http://nyupress.org/...82#.ULfVEuOe8Vw

 

Professor Ferguson’s full bio can be found at UDC School of Law

http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=AFerguson

[Luke_Wilbur]

Should the Declaration of Independence be replaced by a new Declaration of Interdependence?

 

Should the word "Creator" be changed to "Collective Consciousness?"

 

I just received this email from Al Gore about his new book, "The Future."

 

Almost a decade ago, someone asked me a question, “what are the drivers of global change?” I’ve spent a lot of time over the last eight years thinking about it, and have dedicated the last two years to researching, writing and refining my conclusions. The result is my new book, “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change.” [Random House: January 29th].

 

We are living in a time of rapid, simultaneous and exponential change, unlike anything the world has ever seen. From revolutionary changes in our economy and our climate, to advances in life sciences and the digital realm, the future holds great opportunities but also profound challenges.

We have a choice.

 

Will we be swept along by the currents of technological change and economic determinism, or will we unite behind a future that preserves human dignity and reflects the aspirations of global citizens? Together we have an important role to play in reclaiming control of our destiny, but it starts with a global conversation.

 

While mapping the future is a risky undertaking, perhaps the only thing riskier is doing nothing.

To learn more about “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change” visit

 

http://atrandom.com/the-future/

 

Join the conversation on Twitter (@algore #thefuture) or on Facebook

Thank you,

Al Gore

 

 

Will we change our deepest values? Or will we protect human dignity?

 

1 Peter 1

 

1:17 if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.

[Guest ضوء]

Salih was an Arabic prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, who prophesied to the tribe of Thamud, a wicked community who, because of their transgressions, were ultimately destroyed.

 

Surat Al-'A`rāf

 

7:73

 

وإلى ثمود [أرسلنا] صالح أخيه. قال: "يا قوم، والله العبادة؛.. لديك لا إله من دونه هناك قد حان لك أدلة واضحة من ربكم هذه هي ناقة الله [أرسل] لكنت بمثابة علامة يترك ذلك لها لتناول الطعام داخل الأراضي الله ولا تلمس لها مع الضرر، خشية استيلاء كنت هناك عذاب أليم.

 

And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. This is the she-camel of Allah [sent] to you as a sign. So leave her to eat within Allah 's land and do not touch her with harm, lest there seize you a painful punishment.

 

7:74

 

وتذكر عندما قدم لك خلفاء بعد عاد 'واستقر لك في الأرض، [و] كنت تأخذ لأنفسكم من القصور السهول ونحت من الجبال والمنازل. تذكر ثم تفضل من الله وعدم ارتكاب الاعتداء على الأرض، ونشر الفساد. "

 

And remember when He made you successors after the 'Aad and settled you in the land, [and] you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve from the mountains, homes. Then remember the favors of Allah and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."

 

7:75

 

قال تلك البارزين الذين كانوا المتغطرسة بين قومه للذين استضعفوا - لمن يعتقد من بينها، "هل [في الواقع] نعلم أن يتم إرسال صالح من ربه" قالوا: "والواقع أننا، في هذا الذي قال انه تم ارسال، مؤمنين.

 

Said the eminent ones who were arrogant among his people to those who were oppressed - to those who believed among them, "Do you [actually] know that Salih is sent from his Lord?" They said, "Indeed we, in that with which he was sent, are believers.

 

7:76

 

وقال أولئك الذين كانوا المتعجرفة، "في الواقع نحن، في ما يعتقد ولك، والكفار."

 

Said those who were arrogant, "Indeed we, in that which you have believed, are disbelievers."

 

7:77

 

ولذلك عاجزا على ناقة وكان وقح تجاه قيادة ربهم، وقال: "يا صالح، تجلب لنا ما وعد لنا، إذا يجب أن تكون من رسل".

 

So they hamstrung the she-camel and were insolent toward the command of their Lord and said, "O Salih, bring us what you promise us, if you should be of the messengers."

 

7:78

 

ضبطت على هذا النحو الزلزال لهم، وأنها أصبحت داخل وطنهم [الجثث] سقط عرضة.

 

So the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.

 

7:79

 

والتفت بعيدا عنهم، وقال: "كان يا شعبي، أنا بالتأكيد نقل لك رسالة ربي ونصحت لكم، ولكن كنت لا تحب مستشارين"

 

And he turned away from them and said, "O my people, I had certainly conveyed to you the message of my Lord and advised you, but you do not like advisers."

 

7:80

 

و[نحن قد ارسلت] كثيرا عندما قال لقومه: "هل ارتكاب الفجور مثل أحدا لم يسبق لك من بين العالمين؟

 

And [We had sent] Lot when he said to his people, "Do you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds?

 

7:81

 

في الواقع، إنكم لتأتون الرجال مع رغبة، بدلا من النساء. بدلا من ذلك، كنت القوم الفاسقين ".

 

Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people."

[Luke_Wilbur]

Indeed all religions main purpose is moral teachings. The Book of Mormon reveals God plan to divide the wicked from the righteous. But, their first prophet and founder, Joesph Smith, believed Liberty allows people the human right to follow their own beliefs.

 

1 Nephi 15

 

15:30 And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end.

 

15:31 And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth it speak of the things which are temporal?

 

15:32 And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation.

 

 

15:33 Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.

 

15:34 But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy.

 

15:35 And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.

 

Doctrine and Covenants Section 38

 

38:5 But behold, the residue of the wicked have I kept in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day, which shall come at the end of the earth;

 

 

Latter Day Saints believe that man evolves from a spirit to a temporal body which after death transform to a glorified body. From what I understand of their faith God judges both their spiritual works and temporal works. So there may be hope for the wicked here on the material plane.

 

Genesis 3

 

3:22 And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

 

3:23 So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.

 

3:24 When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

 

Moses 3

 

3:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air;

 

The Church of Latter Day Saints also believe that their priesthood is able to eternally bless and curse individuals.

 

Doctrine and Covenants 132

 

132:46 And verily, verily, I say unto you, that whatsoever you seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever you bind on earth, in my name and by my word, saith the Lord, it shall be eternally bound in the heavens; and whosesoever sins you remit on earth shall be remitted eternally in the heavens; and whosesoever sins you retain on earth shall be retained in heaven.

 

132:47 And again, verily I say, whomsoever you bless I will bless, and whomsoever you curse I will curse, saith the Lord; for I, the Lord, am thy God.

 

Joesph Smith taught that Liberty gives individuals the moral rights to define their own personal revelation of the Creator.

 

Every man has a natural, and, in our country, a constitutional right to be a false prophet, as well as a true prophet.

 

Joseph Smith, in 1844.

 

Joesph Smith sermon of personal liberty was affirmed by the Supreme Court decision allowing the continuation of Abortion rights to women a century and half later.

 

During initial deliberations for Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), an initial majority of five Justices (Rehnquist, White, Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas) were willing to effectively overturn Roe. Kennedy changed his mind after the initial conference, and O'Connor, Kennedy, and Souter joined Blackmun and Stevens to reaffirm the central holding of Roe, saying,

 

At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.

 

 

James 2

 

2:8 If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, you do well:

 

The "royal law" which is referred to in the new covenant is expressed in the ten commandments which Yahweh spoke into existence as a revelation of the nature of God and the way for man to live in harmony with Him. It was channeled to Israel in a spiritual form through sound waves into audible speech and then transcribed onto tablets written by the Spirit of God as a written testimony or witness to the spoken Word.

[Guest Friend of Medjugorje]

All authority is from God. We all have free will not to accept it. The result is anarchy flowing out of godless families into a society that is losing its moral center.

[Guest Radwick]

Here shattering wisdom from the father of a student massacred at Columbine High School. This courageous and heartbroken man admits to Mr. Gunn that he knew how demonic public schooling is and that he had no business consigning his boy to it. "I was a Christian, a believer," he says, "but very weak, um, lukewarm. My son was in a public school… I knew how bad the public schools were, and I knew that because I was in the public schools. … It was my responsibility to make sure that my son was safe, that he was educated properly. But I failed that. I put him in a pagan school where they teach there is no God, there is no creation, there’s evolution based on a cosmic accident, and evolution breaks down to one simple belief, and that is that the strong kill the weak as a form of survival, and that there’s nothing wrong with that.

 

[Guest Radwick]

America's Public Schools are No. 1 in Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll

 

 

[Guest Radwick]

American children are taught that it is cool to risk your life or take a life.

 

 

[Luke_Wilbur]

The fundamental problem I experienced being a student of public education was a failure to properly incorporate a system of rules that regulate the social interactions and social relationships of students. Just like prisons, many school systems have implemented armed guards, sophisticated security systems and detentions designed to be deterrents to moral violations. These deterrents only make problem students angrier and takes them down a road of creating coping skills that risk harming themselves and others around them. Counselors have a difficult time evaluating true mental illness because the discussion of morality and faith is off limits. But, most parents do not understand this point. What makes matters worse is just like our prison system, public schools are being privatized where profit replaces the ethical greater good. Financial bottom line is accepted, but God is not. The teaching of moral responsibility is fully on the parent. But, I wonder if they are truly aware of this.

 

Just like education parents relies on our government to teach morality to students. They expect the entitlement system to do all the work for them. Unfortunately, today's cost of living dicatates a workforce that has to put in longer hours to survive. Many parents do not have the time to nurture their kids on why an action is right or wrong. This could be from working long hours to a growing number of single parent homes. This dysfunction exposes children to greater examples of unexplained adult bad behavior and less teaching of positive values and virtues. I see the only hope is to immediately implement the Principles of the Golden Rule into our education system. As stated above I firmly believe it can be now implemented without harming the Separation of Church and State. Incorporating the Golden Rule gives children a greater chance to gain their natural and legal right to pursue happiness.

 

Until the Gold Rule is fully implemented. I can only share my faith in Yahweh's Law and scripture delivered through the Prophets.

 

Proverbs 3

 

3:1 My child, do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commandments,

 

3:2 for they will provide a long and full life,

and they will add well-being to you.

 

3:3 Do not let truth and mercy leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

 

3:4 Then you will find favor and good understanding,

in the sight of God and people.

 

3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own understanding.

 

3:6 Acknowledge him in all your ways,

and he will make your paths straight.

 

3:7 Do not be wise in your own estimation;

fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

 

3:8 This will bring healing to your body,

and refreshment to your inner self.

 

3:9 Honor the Lord from your wealth

and from the first fruits of all your crops;

 

3:10 then your barns will be filled completely,

and your vats will overflow with new wine.

 

3:11 My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord,

and do not loathe his rebuke.

 

3:12 For the Lord disciplines those he loves,

just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

 

My solution to proper discipline is applying the Golden Rule as a fundamental principle in explaining the reasons for rules and responding appropriately to a moral violation. I have learned the importance of taking the time to properly stimulate my children to think reflectively about actions taken. I try to share positive life experiences or literature that emphasize positive values and heroic actions. I believe when parents provide a morality it will help a child's decision making when confronted with other types of social knowledge, through their social experiences with adults (parents, teachers, other adults), peers, and siblings.

 

Start teaching your child early the right path to a successful and happy life.

 

Proverbs 22

 

22:6 Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

 

It is my goal to have my children understand how good happens in the worst of times.

 

Matthew 24

 

24:32 “Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

 

24:33 So also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the door.

 

[Guest LAW]

http://youtu.be/5t2bpwclIW0

Remarks by the President at the National Prayer Breakfast

Washington Hilton
Washington, D.C.
February 7, 2013

9:03 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please have a seat.

Mark, thank you for that introduction. I thought he was going to talk about my gray hair. (Laughter.) It is true that my daughters are gorgeous. (Laughter.) That's because my wife is gorgeous. (Applause.) And my goal is to improve my gene pool.

To Mark and Jeff, thank you for your wonderful work on behalf of this breakfast. To all of those who worked so hard to put this together; to the heads of state, members of Congress, and my Cabinet, religious leaders and distinguished guests. To our outstanding speaker. To all the faithful who’ve journeyed to our capital, Michelle and I are truly honored to be with you this morning.

Before I begin, I hope people don't mind me taking a moment of personal privilege. I want to say a quick word about a close friend of mine and yours, Joshua Dubois. Now, some of you may not know Joshua, but Joshua has been at my side -- in work and in prayer -- for years now. He is a young reverend, but wise in years. He’s worked on my staff. He’s done an outstanding job as the head of our Faith-Based office.

Every morning he sends me via email a daily meditation -- a snippet of Scripture for me to reflect on. And it has meant the world to me. And despite my pleas, tomorrow will be his last day in the White House. So this morning I want to publically thank Joshua for all that he’s done, and I know that everybody joins me in wishing him all the best in his future endeavors -- including getting married. (Applause.)

It says something about us -- as a nation and as a people -- that every year, for 61 years now, this great prayerful tradition has endured. It says something about us that every year, in times of triumph and in tragedy, in calm and in crisis, we come together, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as brothers and sisters, and as children of God. Every year, in the midst of all our busy and noisy lives, we set aside one morning to gather as one community, united in prayer.

We do so because we’re a nation ever humbled by our history, and we’re ever attentive to our imperfections -- particularly the imperfections of our President. We come together because we're a people of faith. We know that faith is something that must be cultivated. Faith is not a possession. Faith is a process.

I was struck by the passage that was read earlier from the Book of Hebrews: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him.” He rewards those who diligently seek Him -- not just for one moment, or one day, but for every moment, and every day.

As Christians, we place our faith in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus Christ. But so many other Americans also know the close embrace of faith -- Muslims and Jews, Hindus and Sikhs. And all Americans -- whether religious or secular -- have a deep and abiding faith in this nation.

Recently I had occasion to reflect on the power of faith. A few weeks ago, during the inauguration, I was blessed to place my hand on the Bibles of two great Americans, two men whose faith still echoes today. One was the Bible owned by President Abraham Lincoln, and the other, the Bible owned by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As I prepared to take the sacred oath, I thought about these two men, and I thought of how, in times of joy and pain and uncertainty, they turned to their Bibles to seek the wisdom of God’s word -- and thought of how, for as long as we’ve been a nation, so many of our leaders, our Presidents, and our preachers, our legislators and our jurists have done the same. Each one faced their own challenges; each one finding in Scripture their own lessons from the Lord.

And as I was looking out on the crowd during the inauguration I thought of Dr. King. We often think of him standing tall in front of the endless crowds, stirring the nation’s conscience with a bellowing voice and a mighty dream. But I also thought of his doubts and his fears, for those moments came as well -- the lonely moments when he was left to confront the presence of long-festering injustice and undisguised hate; imagined the darkness and the doubt that must have surrounded him when he was in that Birmingham jail, and the anger that surely rose up in him the night his house was bombed with his wife and child inside, and the grief that shook him as he eulogized those four precious girls taken from this Earth as they gathered in a house of God.

And I was reminded that, yes, Dr. King was a man of audacious hope and a man of relentless optimism. But he was always -- he was also a man occasionally brought to his knees in fear and in doubt and in helplessness. And in those moments, we know that he retreated alone to a quiet space so he could reflect and he could pray and he could grow his faith.

And I imagine he turned to certain verses that we now read. I imagine him reflecting on Isaiah, that we wait upon the Lord; that the Lord shall renew those who wait; that they shall mount up with wings as eagles, and they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.

We know that in Scripture, Dr. King found strength; in the Bible, he found conviction. In the words of God, he found a truth about the dignity of man that, once realized, he never relinquished.

We know Lincoln had such moments as well. To see this country torn apart, to see his fellow citizens waging a ferocious war that pitted brother against brother, family against family -- that was as heavy a burden as any President will ever have to bear.

We know Lincoln constantly met with troops and visited the wounded and honored the dead. And the toll mounted day after day, week after week. And you can see in the lines of his face the toll that the war cost him. But he did not break. Even as he buried a beloved son, he did not break. Even as he struggled to overcome melancholy, despair, grief, he did not break.

And we know that he surely found solace in Scripture; that he could acknowledge his own doubts, that he was humbled in the face of the Lord. And that, I think, allowed him to become a better leader. It’s what allowed him in what may be one of the greatest speeches ever written, in his second Inaugural, to describe the Union and the Confederate soldier alike -- both reading the same Bible, both prayed to the same God, but “the prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes.”

In Lincoln’s eyes, the power of faith was humbling, allowing us to embrace our limits in knowing God’s will. And as a consequence, he was able to see God in those who vehemently opposed him.

Today, the divisions in this country are, thankfully, not as deep or destructive as when Lincoln led, but they are real. The differences in how we hope to move our nation forward are less pronounced than when King marched, but they do exist. And as we debate what is right and what is just, what is the surest way to create a more hopeful -- for our children -- how we're going to reduce our deficit, what kind of tax plans we're going to have, how we're going to make sure that every child is getting a great education -- and, Doctor, it is very encouraging to me that you turned out so well by your mom not letting you watch TV. I'm going to tell my daughters that when they complain. (Laughter.) In the midst of all these debates, we must keep that same humility that Dr. King and Lincoln and Washington and all our great leaders understood is at the core of true leadership.

In a democracy as big and as diverse as ours, we will encounter every opinion. And our task as citizens -- whether we are leaders in government or business or spreading the word -- is to spend our days with open hearts and open minds; to seek out the truth that exists in an opposing view and to find the common ground that allows for us as a nation, as a people, to take real and meaningful action. And we have to do that humbly, for no one can know the full and encompassing mind of God. And we have to do it every day, not just at a prayer breakfast.

I have to say this is now our fifth prayer breakfast and it is always just a wonderful event. But I do worry sometimes that as soon as we leave the prayer breakfast, everything we've been talking about the whole time at the prayer breakfast seems to be forgotten -- on the same day of the prayer breakfast. (Laughter.) I mean, you'd like to think that the shelf life wasn't so short. (Laughter.) But I go back to the Oval Office and I start watching the cable news networks and it's like we didn’t pray. (Laughter.)

And so my hope is that humility, that that carries over every day, every moment. While God may reveal His plan to us in portions, the expanse of His plan is for God, and God alone, to understand. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Until that moment, until we know, and are fully known, all we can do is live our lives in a Godly way and assume that those we deal with every day, including those in an opposing party, they're groping their way, doing their best, going through the same struggles we're going through.

And in that pursuit, we are blessed with guidance. God has told us how He wishes for us to spend our days. His Commandments are there to be followed. Jesus is there to guide us; the Holy Spirit, to help us. Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. See in everyone, even in those with whom you disagree most vehemently, the face of God. For we are all His children.

That’s what I thought of as I took the oath of office a few weeks ago and touched those Bibles -- the comfort that Scripture gave Lincoln and King and so many leaders throughout our history; the verses they cherished, and how those words of God are there for us as well, waiting to be read any day that we choose. I thought about how their faith gave them the strength to meet the challenges of their time, just as our faith can give us the strength to meet the challenges of ours. And most of all, I thought about their humility, and how we don’t seem to live that out the way we should, every day, even when we give lip service to it.

As President, sometimes I have to search for the words to console the inconsolable. Sometimes I search Scripture to determine how best to balance life as a President and as a husband and as a father. I often search for Scripture to figure out how I can be a better man as well as a better President. And I believe that we are united in these struggles. But I also believe that we are united in the knowledge of a redeeming Savior, whose grace is sufficient for the multitude of our sins, and whose love is never failing.

And most of all, I know that all Americans -- men and women of different faiths and, yes, those of no faith that they can name -- are, nevertheless, joined together in common purpose, believing in something that is bigger than ourselves, and the ideals that lie at the heart of our nation’s founding -- that as a people we are bound together.

And so this morning, let us summon the common resolve that comes from our faith. Let us pray to God that we may be worthy of the many blessings He has bestowed upon our nation. Let us retain that humility not just during this hour but for every hour. And let me suggest that those of us with the most power and influence need to be the most humble. And let us promise Him and to each other, every day as the sun rises over America that it will rise over a people who are striving to make this a more perfect union.

Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

[Luke_Wilbur]

Our President's words of Dr. King and President Lincoln struck me with awe. Two mighty men sacrificed their lives to promote God's Golden Rule. I see clearly now that this is President Obama's moment to incorporate a piece of God's plan. He laid the keystone last year that proves that Golden Rule protects those of faith and those that do not. Thus, the Golden Rule does not infringe on the Separation of Church and State and further protects and defines our Human Rights.

 

 

Lincoln and King one with the Spirit

[Guest ALWAYSRED]

Dr. Benjamin Carson gives a more enlightening conservative point of view.

 

Here we are at a time in the world, the information age, the age of technology and yet 30% of those who enter High School in this country do not graduate. Forty-four percent of those who start a 4-year college program do not finish it in 4 years. What is that about?

 

Think back to a darker time in our history, 200 years ago when slavery was going on, it was illegal to educate a slave, particularly to teach him to read. Why do you think that was? Because when you educate a man, you liberate a man.

 

And there I was as a youngster placing myself in the same situation that a horrible institution did because I wasn’t taking advantage of the education. I was a horrible student. Most of my classmates thought I was the stupidest person in the world. They called me Dummy. I was the butt of all the jokes. Now, admittedly, it was a bad environment.

 

Family and Education:

 

Single parent home. You know my Mother and Father had gotten divorced early on. My mother got married when she was 13. She was one of 24 children. Had a horrible life. Discovered that her husband was a bigamist. Had another family. She only had a third grade education. She had to take care of us in dire poverty. I had a horrible temper, poor self-esteem. All the things that you would think would preclude success.

 

But I had something very important. I had a mother who believed in me. And I had a mother who would never allow herself to be a victim, no matter what happened. Never made excuses and she never accepted excuses from us. If we ever came up with an excuse, she would say, do you have a brain and if the answer was yes, then she said, you could have thought your way out of it. It doesn’t matter what John, or Susan or Mary or anybody else did or said. It was the most important thing she did for my brother and myself because if you don’t accept excuses pretty soon people stop giving them and they start looking for solutions. That is a critical issue when it comes to success.

 

We did live in dire poverty and one of the things I hated was poverty. Some people hate spiders, some people hate snakes. I hated poverty. I couldn’t stand it. But my mother couldn’t stand the fact that we were doing poorly in school, and she prayed and she asked God to give her wisdom. What could she do to make her young sons understand the importance of developing their minds so that they could control their own lives. And you know what? God gave her the wisdom, at least in her opinion. My brother and I didn’t think she was that wise, cause it was turn-off the TV. We could watch only two or three TV programs during the week. It was in all that spare time, read two books a piece from the Detroit Pubic Library and submit to her written book reports which she couldn’t read, but we didn’t know that. She put check marks and highlights and stuff – but you know, I just hated this. My friends were out having a good time – her friends would criticize her. They’d say you can’t make boys stay in the house reading books. They’ll grow up and they’ll hate you. I would overhear them and I would say, Mother, you know they’re right, but she didn’t care, you know.

 

After awhile I actually began to enjoy reading those books, because we were very poor but between the covers of those books I could go anywhere, I could be anybody, I could do anything. I began to read about people of great accomplishment, and as I read those stories I began to see a connecting thread. I began to see that the person who has the most to do with you and what happens to you in life is you. You make decisions. You decide how much energy you want to put behind that decision, and I came to understand that I had control of my own destiny, and at that point I didn’t hate poverty anymore because I knew it was only temporary. I knew I could change that. It was incredibly liberating for me.

 

Alexis de Toqueville:

 

To continue on that theme of education, in 1831 Alexis de Toqueville came to study America. The Europeans were fascinated. How could a fledgling Nation, barely 50 years old already be competing with them on virtually every level. This was impossible. De Toqueville was going to sort it out and he looked at our government and he was duly impressed by the three branches of government – four now because we have special interest groups, but it was only three back in those days. He said, WOW, this is really something, but then he said, let me look at their educational system and he was blown away. See, anybody who had finished the second grade was completely literate. He could find a mountain man on the outskirts of society who could read the newspaper and have a political discussion, could tell him how the government worked.

 

His Book – America the Beautiful:

 

If you really want to be impressed, take a look at the chapter on education in my latest book, America the Beautiful, which I wrote with my wife – it came out last year, and in that education chapter you will see questions extracted from a sixth grade exit exam from the 1800′s – a test you had to pass to get your sixth grade certificate. I doubt most college graduates today could pass that test. We have dumbed things down to that level and the reason that is so dangerous is that because the people who founded this Nation said that our system of government was designed for a well-informed and educated populace, and when they become less informed, they become vulnerable. Think about that. That is why education is so vitally important.

 

Five Doctors Signed the Declaration of Independence:

 

Now some people say, ahhh, you’re over blowing it, things aren’t that bad, and you’re a doctor, a neurosurgeon. Why are you concerned about these things? Got news for you. FIVE doctors signed the Declaration of Independence. Doctors were involved in the framing of the Constitution, in the Bill of Rights, in a whole bunch of things. It’s only been since recent decades that we’ve extracted ourselves, which I think is a big mistake.

 

We need doctors, we needs scientists, we engineers. We need all those people involved in government, not just lawyers…I don’t have anything against lawyers, but here’s the thing about lawyers…I’m sorry, but I got to be truthful…what do lawyers learn in law school? To win, by hook or by crook. You gotta win, so you got all these Democrat lawyers, and you got all these Republican lawyers and their sides want to win. We need to get rid of that. What we need to start thinking about is, how do we solve problems?

 

Celebrating and Encouraging Intelligent Children – Carson Scholars:

 

Now, before I get shot, let me finish. I don’t like to bring up problems without coming up with solutions. My wife and I started the Carson Scholars Fund 16 years ago after we heard about an international survey looking at the ability of eight graders in 22 countries to solve math and science problems, and we came out No. 21 out of 22. We only barely beat out No. 22 – very concerning.

We we’d to to these schools and we’d see all these trophies: State Basketball, State Wrestling, this, that and the other. The Quarterback was the Big Man on Campus. What about the intellectual Superstar? What did they get? A National Honor Society pin? A pat on the head, there, there little Nerd? Nobody cared about them. Is it any wonder that sometimes the smart kids try to hide? They dont’ want anybody to know they are smart? This is not helping us or our Nation, so we started giving out scholarships from all backgrounds for superior academic performance and demonstration of humanitarian qualities. Unless you cared about other people, it didn’t matter how smart you were. We’ve got plenty of people like that. We don’t need smart people who don’t care about other people.

 

We would give them money. The money would go into a Trust. They would get interest on it. When they would go to college they would get the money, but also the school gets a trophy, every bit as impressive as a sports trophy – right out there with the others. They get a medal. They get to go t a banquet. We try to put them on a pedestal as impressive as we do the All-State athletes. I have nothing against athletics or entertainment. I’m from Baltimore. The Ravens won. This is great – okay. But, what will maintain our position in the world? The ability to shoot a 25′ jump shot or the ability to solve a quadratic equation? We need to put the things into proper perspective.

 

Reading Rooms:

 

Many teachers have told us that when we put a Carson Scholar in their classroom, the GPA of the whole classroom goes up over the next year. It’s been very gratifying. We started 16 years ago with 25 scholarships in Maryland, now we’ve given out more than 5,000 and we are in all 50 states, but we’ve also put in Reading Rooms. These are fascinating places that no little kid could possibly pass up. They get points for the amount of time they spend reading, and the number of books they read. They can trade the points for prizes. In the beginning they do it for the prizes, but it doesn’t take long before their academic performance begins to improve.

 

We particularly target Title One schools where the kids come from homes with no books and schools with no libraries. Those are the ones who drop out. We need to truncate that process early on because we can’t afford to waste any of those young people. For every one of those people we keep from going down that path of self-destruction and mediocrity, that’s one less person you have to protect yourself and your family from. One less person you have to pay for in the penal or welfare system. One more taxpaying productive member of society who may invent a new energy source or come up with a cure for cancer. They are all important to us and we need every single one of them. (carsonscholars.org)

 

Moral Decay:

 

Why is it so important that we educate our people? Because we don’t want to go down the pathway as so many pinnacle nations that have preceded us. I think particularly about ancient Rome. Very powerful. Nobody could even challenge them militarily, but what happened to them? They destroyed themselves from within. Moral decay, fiscal irresponsibility. They destroyed themselves. If you don’t think that can happen to America, you get out your books and you start reading, but you know, we can fix it.

 

Responsibility in Leadership – Debt and Deficit:

 

We can fix it because we’re smart. We have some of the most intellectually gifted people leading our Nation. All we need to do is remember what our real responsibilities are so that we can solve them. I think about these problems all the time, and my role model was Jesus. He used parables to help people understand things. One of our big problems right now – our deficit is a big problem. Think about it. Our National Debt – $16.5 Trillion dollars – you think that’s not a lot of money? Count one number per second, which you can’t even do because once you get to a thousand it will take you longer than a second, but…one number per second. You know how long it would take you to count to 16 Trillion? 507,000 years – more than a half a million years to get there. We have to deal with this.

 

The Parable of Some People More Special Than Others:

 

Here’s a parable: A family falls on hard times. Dad loses his job or is demoted to part time work. He has 5 children. He comes to the 5 children, he says we’re going to have to reduce your allowance. Well, they’re not happy about it but – he says, except for John and Susan. He says, they’re special. They get to keep their allowance. In fact, we’ll give them more. How do you think that’s going to go down? Not too well. Same thing happens. Enough said.

Taxes:

 

What about our taxation system? So complex there is no one who can possibly comply with every jot and tittle of our tax system. If I wanted to get you, I could get you on a tax issue. That doesn’t make any sense. What we need to do is come up with something that is simple.

 

When I pick up my Bible, you know what I see? I see the fairest individual in the Universe, God, and he’s given us a system. It’s called tithe. Now we don’t necessarily have to do it 10% but it’s principle. He didn’t say, if your crops fail, don’t give me any tithe. He didn’t say, if you have a bumper crop, give me triple tithe. So there must be something inherently fair about proportionality. You make $10 Billion dollars you put in a Billion. You make $10 you put in $1 – of course, you gotta get rid of the loopholes, but some people say, that’s not fair because it doesn’t hurt the guy who made $10 Billion as much as the guy who made $10. Where does it say you have to hurt the guy. He’s just put in a billion in the pot. We don’t need to hurt him.

 

It’s that kind of thinking that has resulted in 602 banks in the Cayman Islands. That money needs to be back here, building our infrastructure and creating jobs – and we’re smart enough to figure out how to do that.

 

Health Care and Death Panels:

 

We’ve already started down the path to solving one of the other big problems, health care. We need to have good health care for everybody. It’s the most important thing that a person can have. Money means nothing, titles mean nothing when you don’t have your health, but we’ve got to figure out efficient ways to do it. We spend a lot of money on health care, twice as much per capita as anybody in else in the world, and yet not very efficient. What can we do?

 

Here’s my solution. When a person is born, give him a birth certificate, an electronic medical record and a health savings account [HSA], to which money can be contributed, pre-tax from the time you are born, to the time you die. When you die, you can pass it on to your family members so that when you’re 85 years old and you’ve got 6 diseases, you’re not trying to spend up everything. You’re happy to pass it on and nobody is talking about death panels.

 

For the people who are indigent, who don’t have any money, we can make contributions to their HSA each month because we already have this huge pot of money instead of sending it to bureaucracy – let’s put it into HSAs. Now they have some control over their own health care and what do you think they’re going to do? They’re going to learn very quickly how to be responsible. when Mr. Jones gets that diabetic foot ulcer, he’s not going to the Emergency Room and blowing a big chunk of it. He’s going to go to the Clinic. He learns that very quickly – gets the same treatment. In the Emergency Room they send him out. In the Clinic they say, now let’s get your diabetes under control so that you’re not back here in three weeks with another problem. That’s how we begin to solve these kinds of problems. It’s much more complex than that, and I don’t have time to go into it all, but we can do all these things because we are smart people.

 

The Parable of Just Because You Are the Biggest and Most Powerful…:

 

Another parable: Sea Captain, and he’s out on the sea near the area where the Titanic went down. And they look ahead and there’s a bright light right there – another ship he figures. He tells his signaller to signal that ship: deviate 10 degrees to the South. Back comes the message, no you deviate 10 degrees to the North. Well, he’s a little bit insensed, you know. He says, send a message, this is Captain Johnson, deviate 10 degrees to the South. Back comes the message, this is Ensign 4th Class Reilly. Deviate 10 degrees to the North. Now Captain Johnson is really upset. He says send him a message, this is a Naval Destroyer. Back comes the message, this is a Lighthouse. Enough said.

 

An Example of Why Left and Right Work:

 

What about the symbol of our Nation? The Eagle. The Bald Eagle. It’s an intereting story how we chose that but a lot of people think we call it the bald eagle because it looks like it has a bald head. That’s not the reason It comes from the Old English word Piebald, which means crowned with white. Why is that eagle able to fly, high, forward? Because it has two wings: a left wing and a right wing. Enough said.

 

The Turning Poing of the War of 1812:

 

Two hundred years ago this Nation was involved in a war, the war of 1812. The British, who are now our good friends thought that we were young whippersnappers. It was time for us to become a colony again. They were winning that war and marching up the Eastern Seaboard, destroying city after city, destroying Washington D.C., burned down the White House. Next stop Baltimore. As they came into the Chesapeake Bay, there were armadas of war ships as far as the eye could see. It was looking grim. Ft. McHenry standing right there. General Armisted, who was in charge of Ft. McHenry, had a large American flag commissioned to fly in front of the Fort. The Admiral in charge of the British Fleet was offended, said take that flag down. You have until dusk to take that Flag down. If you don’t take it down, we will reduce you to ashes.

 

There was a young amateur poet on board by the name of Francis Scott Key, sent by President Madison to try to obtain the release of an American physician who was being held captive. He overheard the British plans. They were not going to let him off the ship. He mourned. As dusk approached he mourned for his fledgling young Nation, and as the sun fell, the bombardment started. Bombs bursting in air. Missiles, so much debrie. He strained, trying to see, was the flag still there? Couldn’t see a thing. All night long it continued. At the crack of dawn he ran out to the bannister. He looked and could only see dust and debrie.

 

One Nation Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All:

 

Then there was a clearing and he beheld the most beautiful sight he had ever seen – the torn and tattered Stars and Stripes still waving. Many historians say that was the turning point in the war of 1812. We went on to win that war and to retain our freedom and if you had gone onto the grounds of Ft. McHenry that day, you would have seen at the base of that flag, the bodies of soldiers who took turns. Propping up that flag, they would not let that flag go down because they believed in what that flag symbolized. What did it symbolize? One Nation, under God, [applause] indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. God Bless.

[Luke_Wilbur]

Dr. Carson's overall speech lacked scripture, but was a good moral sermon. His statement about the fourth branch of government is right on the mark. Professional lobbyists advise, write, and execute laws mandated by Special Interest groups and large corporations.

If you really want to be impressed, take a look at the chapter on education in my latest book, America the Beautiful, which I wrote with my wife – it came out last year, and in that education chapter you will see questions extracted from a sixth grade exit exam from the 1800′s – a test you had to pass to get your sixth grade certificate. I doubt most college graduates today could pass that test. We have dumbed things down to that level and the reason that is so dangerous is that because the people who founded this Nation said that our system of government was designed for a well-informed and educated populace, and when they become less informed, they become vulnerable. Think about that. That is why education is so vitally important.

Greater emphasis needs to be helping today's youth to become tomorrow's leaders. This can be done by our government partnering more with our youth in building a strong sense civic and moral responsibility. We need to commit to moral truths that will keep the United States as a beacon of Freedom and Human Rights to all.

Why is it so important that we educate our people? Because we don’t want to go down the pathway as so many pinnacle nations that have preceded us. I think particularly about ancient Rome. Very powerful. Nobody could even challenge them militarily, but what happened to them? They destroyed themselves from within. Moral decay, fiscal irresponsibility. They destroyed themselves. If you don’t think that can happen to America, you get out your books and you start reading, but you know, we can fix it.

America is incrementally and systematically Rejecting God. But, there is still hope for implementing His Golden Rule.

[Guest Poseur]

Epic

 

 

Rap on, brother, rap on.

Well, the only person talkin' 'bout love thy brother is the preacher

And it seems nobody's interested in learning but the teacher

Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, aggravation,

humiliation, obligation to our nation

 

Ball Of Confusion that's what the world is today

[Luke_Wilbur]

When I distill both President Obama's and Senator Rubio's speeches to the Nation, I get the following.

 

Defending our freedom means to make sure our God-given human rights are protected at every stage of life. In Defending our freedom we accept certain obligations citizens have for one another without limiting the American dream to reward individuals the fruits of their labor in their pursuit of happiness.

 

Defending our freedom, though, is not just the job of our military alone. We must all do our part to make sure our God-given rights are protected here at home. - President Barack Obama State of the Union Address, Tuesday February 12, 2013

 

 

We may do different jobs and wear different uniforms, and hold different views than the person beside us. But as Americans, we all share the same proud title -- we are citizens. It’s a word that doesn’t just describe our nationality or legal status. It describes the way we’re made. It describes what we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter of our American story. - President Barack Obama State of the Union Address, Tuesday February 12, 2013

 

 

America is exceptional, because we believe that every life, at every stage, is precious and that everyone everywhere has a God- given right to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them. - Senator Marco Rubio Republican Address to the Nation 2013, Tuesday February 12, 2013

 

 

America continues to be indispensable to the goal of global liberty, property, and safeguarding human rights. - Senator Marco Rubio Republican Address to the Nation 2013, Tuesday February 12, 2013

 

I was amazed to notice that both the President and the Senator used the phrase "God-given right" in their speeches. But, if we as a Nation do not really believe in a Creator we are bound to remain adrift suffering while staring at Liberty in the far off distance.

 

 

 

John 3

 

3:1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council,

 

3:2 came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.”

 

3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 

3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”

 

3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

 

3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

 

3:7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’

 

3:8 The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

 

3:9 Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?”

 

3:10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?

 

3:11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.

 

3:12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

 

3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man.

 

3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

 

3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

 

3:16 For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

 

3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

 

3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

 

3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.

 

3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.

 

3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

 

 

[Luke_Wilbur]

God’s faithfulness to us should never be put to the test and demand his presence. It is our faith to follow His plan for humanity that is being tested.

 

17:1 The whole community of the Israelites traveled on their journey from the Desert of Sin according to the Lord’s instruction, and they pitched camp in Rephidim. Now there was no water for the people to drink.

 

17:2 So the people contended with Moses, and they said, “Give us water to drink!” Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you test the Lord?”

 

17:3 But the people were very thirsty there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, “Why in the world did you bring us up out of Egypt – to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”

 

17:4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What will I do with this people? – a little more and they will stone me!”

 

17:5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go over before the people; take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile and go.

 

17:6 I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in plain view of the elders of Israel.

 

17:7 He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contending of the Israelites and because of their testing the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

 

God has given us moral laws for humanity.

 

Deuteronomy 6

 

6:16 You must not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.

 

6:17 Keep his commandments very carefully, as well as the stipulations and statutes he commanded you to observe.

 

Luke 4

 

4:1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,

 

4:2 where for forty days he endured temptations from the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, he was famished.

 

4:3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

 

4:4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone.’”

 

4:5 Then the devil led him up a high place and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world.

 

4:6 And he said to him, “To you I will grant this whole realm – and the glory that goes along with it, for it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish.

 

4:7 So then, if you will worship me, all this will be yours.”

 

4:8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

 

4:9 Then the devil brought him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the highest point of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

 

4:10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’

 

4:11 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

 

4:12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’”

 

4:13 So when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time.

 

 

The Devil disdains like principles of morality (truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, spirit) and his rhetorical cunning to follow his ways of testing our Lord and rebelling against his moral commandments.

 

John 20

 

20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

 

20:25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!”

 

20:26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

 

20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.”

 

20:28 Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!”

 

20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

20:30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

 

20:31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

 

 

Ephesians 6

 

 

6:11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

 

6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

 

6:13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

 

6:14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

 

6:15 by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace,

 

6:16 and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

 

6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

6:18 With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

 

 

 

Today, there are many who are challenging our Lord to reveal his ancient Spirit on the earth once again to nonbelievers. When He has always been with each and everyone of us.

[Luke_Wilbur]

I am contemplating passages I read in the Hindu Biva Gita. From what I see Dhṛtarāṣṭra (God) wants Arjuna (mortal hero) to be friendly to all living creatures, yet be only mentally and emotionally devotional to God and follow his moral commands.

 

Chapter 11

 

Bg 11.55 — My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being – he certainly comes to Me.

 

I find it difficult to fully realize the meaning of balancing oneself and being completely neutral.

 

Chapter 12

 

Bg 12.18-19 — One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me.

 

Chapter 13

 

Bg 13.8-12 — Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bonafide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego; the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; detachment; freedom from entanglement with children, wife, home and the rest; even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me; aspiring to live in a solitary place; detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization; and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance.

 

Jesus's revelation of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, fits well into the framework of the Hindu belief system. But, the idea of birth being evil and detachment from family as a tenant to finding salvation is a noticeable difference..

 

Chapter 16

 

Bg 16.1-3 — The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Fearlessness; purification of one’s existence; cultivation of spiritual knowledge; charity; self-control; performance of sacrifice; study of the Vedas; austerity; simplicity; nonviolence; truthfulness; freedom from anger; renunciation; tranquility; aversion to faultfinding; compassion for all living entities; freedom from covetousness; gentleness; modesty; steady determination; vigor; forgiveness; fortitude; cleanliness; and freedom from envy and from the passion for honor – these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.

 

Bg 16.4 — Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance – these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature, O son of Pṛthā.

 

Galatians 5

 

5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 

5:23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 

5:24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.

 

5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.

 

Does Christ share the same message about balancing oneself in neutrality?

 

Matthew 19

 

19:16 Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”

 

19:17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

 

19:18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,

 

19:19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

19:20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?”

 

19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

 

19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

 

Both Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Jesus tell us not to be caught up in the material world.

 

Some may want to remain ignorant of this revelation. For if one seeks the knowledge on how to live with the Holy Spirit of God then they are committed to follow the Commandments of God.