Two quotes worth pondering....
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: Religion and the State
Two interesting quotes concerning the role of religion in a civilized society:

"As democratically elected savages like Adolf Hitler illustrate, democracy is not an automatic guarantor of civilization. Separated from moral truth contained in a rule of law, democracies can be as tyrannical as the most rapacious undemocratic governments. America should only be on the side of 'democracy' if it produces civilization; otherwise the tyranny America seeks to end will spread through the very rhetoric of democracy it uses, should the bin Ladens and Hitlers be democratically elected to power. The Founding Fathers, it is worth remembering, didn't call King George III a tyrant because he was a monarch; they called him a tyrant because he violated basic human rights. They knew democracy could devour itself through its own tyrannies unless it was subject to a truth higher than democracy itself." --George Neumayr

and...

"A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more decent the citizens, the more decent the state. If you practice a religion, whether you're Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or guided by some other faith, then your private life will be influenced by a sense of moral obligation, and so, too, will your public life. One affects the other. The churches of America do not exist by the grace of the state; the churches of America are not mere citizens of the state. The churches of America exist apart; they have their own vantage point; their own authority. Religion is its own realm; it makes its own claims. We establish no religion in this country, nor will we ever. We command no worship. We mandate no belief. But we poison our society when we remove its theological underpinnings. We court corruption when we leave it bereft of belief. All are free to believe or not believe; all are free to practice a faith or not. But those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief, to apply moral teaching to public questions." --Ronald Reagan

My Birthday
Mood:  not sure
Topic: My Birthday
Today is my birthday. Generally, I don't care for birthdays as I see them as pretty meaningless. After all, I had no say in when or how I was born! Nonetheless, it is a time to reflect on what has and has not been accomplished to date. As a result, I am continually reminded of a quote by Plutarch who described the reaction of Julius Caesar upon his reading of the exploits of Alexander the Great:

"It is said that another time, when free from business in Spain, after
reading some part of the history of Alexander [The Great], he [Julius
Caesar] sat a great while very thoughtful, and at last burst out into tears.
His friends were surprised, and asked him the reason of it. 'Do you think,'
said he, 'I have not just cause to weep, when I consider that Alexander at
my age had conquered so many nations, and I have all this time done nothing
that is memorable?"

Too true. I weep today.

But then, I am also reminded of the following quotation:

"Fifty, seventy-five, a hundred years from now it will make no difference what kind of house I lived in, which stocks I owned, or how large a bank account I accumulated, the model car I drove, the education I received, the titles I held. What may make a difference is how I influenced children to be concerned, respectful, loving citizens of the nation, world, and Church."---Anonymous

And as the Bible says, "...Consider yourselves dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus." ---Romans 6:11

Such thoughts helps. But still, the siren song of vanity is hard to resist.

Such is the vexed lot of Christian man.

Bush Crosses the Rubicon
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: W2
"Upon this, Caesar exclaimed, "Let us go whither the omens of the Gods and the iniquity of our enemies call us. The die is now cast."

----THE LIVES OF THE TWELVE CAESARS
By C. Suetonius Tranquillus

Like Caesar crossing the Rubicon, Bush has crossed back into Washington, D.C. for another term as president of the United States of America. Fortunately, President Bush, like the majority of previous presidents with which this nation has been blessed, has proven himself to be endowed with virtus, that is, the traits of dignity, authority, virtue, piety, fidelity, gravity, and constancy. In other words, George W. Bush has proven himself to be a true leader, a man worthy of the supreme responsibility of leading the American people and the Free World through these chaotic times. And when the right man is in the White House, the world is often altered for the better. Therefore, the next four years look to be a time of optimism and prosperity for the American people and those of the world. As President Bush himself remarked: "America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength - tested, but not weary - we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom."

Amen.

If you are bitter about the whole election, here is something that might cheer you up. Check out:
JibJab
and watch "The Second Term". Funny stuff.

Where's the pretentious emoticon?
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: True Sounds of Meat
12/28/96
Narrow thunder rippling
Swollen sky embracing
The electricity
Of gravity's lament

Michael Crichton and STATE OF FEAR
Mood:  chatty
Topic: STATE OF FEAR
Interesting news: I just learned that Michael Crichton's new book, STATE OF FEAR, is about how the so-called "scientific theory" of global warming is really a fabricated hoax! Even more interesting, his villians for the book are ENVIRONMENTALISTS!!!!! I can't wait to see the media go nuts when this book hits the shelves. Here we have a darling of the popular media actually attacking one of the sacred cows of the Left! Ooh, this should be good!

Great Truth in this
Mood:  cheeky
I found this quote in the Federalist Patriot e-letter and I believe it contains great truth! What do you think?


"[L]iberals are afraid to state what they truly believe in, for to do so would result in even less votes than they currently receive. Their methodology is to lie about their real agenda in the hopes of regaining power, at which point they will do whatever they damn well please. The problem is they have concealed and obfuscated for so long that, as a group, they themselves are no longer sure of their goals. They are a collection of wild-eyed splinter groups, all holding a grab-bag of dreams and wishes. Some want a Socialist, secular-humanist state, others the repeal of the Second Amendment. Some want same sex/different species marriage, others want voting rights for trees, fish, coal and bugs. Some want cradle to grave care and complete subservience to the government nanny state, others want a culture that walks in lockstep and speaks only with intonations of political correctness. I view the American liberals in much the same way I view the competing factions of Islamic fundamentalists. The latter hate each other to the core, and only join forces to attack the US or Israel. The former hate themselves to the core, and only join forces to attack George Bush and conservatives." --Ron Marr

Greetings!
Mood:  happy
Topic: Welcome!
Welcome to The Forum! I hope this site will be useful to all my friends who wish to continue our many debates from the old days! :-) ---Scott

I Shot Down a Mig!
Now Playing: WBAB
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