New Beginnings

The deficit that our government faces is quite overwhelming, but not an excuse to throw our hands up and surrender. Hopefully with the new beginning of Congress there will be a sober heads and realistic elected officials who will for once in a very long time chose for America instead of for their re-electability. Here is a start, the New York Times has a Deficit Calculator called the Budget Puzzle. Here is an interactive look at decisions you could make to reduce our deficit if you were in charge of Congress. Very interesting and you have to make tough choices to balance the budget. Enlightening to say the least.

Is there a deficit of Truth? As Luke Skywalker is given his father's Lightsaber by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars movie (Episode IV), a decision, a way of life must be made by Luke constantly: Use the Lightsaber for Good or use it for Evil. If Luke fights for Good his Lightsaber will be identified as such. Drawing from this symbolism, we must fight for Good while acknowledging that the Dark Side will always be enticing us to convert. We must not give into the apparent pleasures of the power provided by the Dark Side.

Truth requires a lifestyle of decisions for Good and a discipline to battle the Dark Side that attempts to creep into one's life.

Ephesians 6:10-17 describes the fortress of Truth and the use of the Lightsaber of Truth - Scripture:

¹⁰ "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6

Why? - To Mature

For reasons other than "lashing out" for the pain one has felt as being caused by God, why do people hate Christianity?

I believe I understand why people characterize some Christians as 'jerks", but here in America why is Christianity so despised by so many?

Why do those who despise Christianity spend so much effort (especially in the academic field) "proving" Christianity as false?

Why is there a war between those who are Christians and those who are not?

Providence - God provides everything - creator of all
Necessity - There is no arbitrary (i.e., fate) then there must be an order (the best possible way)
Freedom - The best possible world means to be free means to be free to choose the wrong thing
Negativity - Choosing the wrong thing has harmful effects on us and those around
Maturity - Choosing to do the right response in the mist of negative stuff

Providence - 1 Cor. 4:7
Necessity - Eph. 2:8-9
Freedom - Gen. 3:21
Negativity - Matt. 8:5-13
Maturity - Phil. 4:6-8

Thoughts from afar!

Truth: I got mine, go get yours!

Exciting news today on the truth front: from Shirley Sherrod the ousted USDA official to the “photoshopped “ picture of BP’s Command center, we are inundated with “facts” that have been taken “out of context”. One of “Deception’s” greatest tools is the employment of plausibility, which has inherent the minimizing of truth.

Truth requires first that we know. Knowledge requires study and is NOT gained by being “spoon fed” from the “talking heads” on the TV. Study requires reading varying sources and developing rational thought to understand the issue. Politics is about manipulation of opinions and we must be aware of the barrage of deceptions.

Our English word “truth” comes from the Greek word aletheia: “what is not concealed, but open and known; thence true.” I like that – not concealed. If it is open and known then truth must be an external reality. I like that – external reality, non-subjective.

Employing a rational mind that God has equipped human beings necessitates the realization that there are those who wish to conceal information to propagate their agenda – whether it is “Universal Tolerance” or BP’s current Public Relations gaffe. This “negative of the truth” was written about in Hegel’s Philosophy of Spirit. Glenn W. Campbell wrote an exposition on Hegel in his pamphlet: Ethics – Modern and Contemporary (1996). Glenn writes on page 41:

“If the mind is truly free to choose, it must be truly free to choose wrongly; that is, the negative of the truth… the experience of the negative by the mind leads it to the final presupposition: Maturity. We do really learn from our mistakes. A free mature mind is superior to a free naïve mind.”

Truth is objective, constant, and rational. Truth is knowable and discoverable. We are free to choose to remain in a free naïve mind or develop a mature mind that aggressively seeks the rational, constant truth (non-subjective). BTW Aristotle asked “What is Truth?” Asking the right questions some 300 years before Pontius Pilate asked the same question.

Painting by Antonio Ciserie titled "Ecce Homo" - translated: Behold the Man

Food for Thought
If you are Hungry

C'ya
Eagle Driver
check 6