Greed versus Public Service

I am not a huge fan of the Oscars; however, the award for Best Documentary gave me hope that American will and are taking back our country from the "Excess Class". This is a new category I have developed to be added to our standard Class System: The Under Class, The Working Poor Class, The Middle Class, and The Upper Class. "The Excess Class" are the very powerful Top-level executives and politicians who have no moral compass other than GREED. The question asked of "The Excess Class" is simply: How much is enough? Followed by: Why? I guess it is always the "why" questions that trap us all.

I highly recommend we as Americans watch the movie "Inside Job", become aware of those stealing our country, and take actions to prosecute the guilty. For those who might not be aware this documentary film is about the financial meltdown caused by "Wall Street Bankers" of which not a single executive has gone to jail for almost destroying our nation.






Maybe history is repeating, I am thinking of the film "Network".

C'ya
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The Issues of Morality

Over at The Thinking Christian blog, there is a discussion on issues of morality. As I read it and the multiple feeds concerning the blog, I was struck at the similarities between some of today's Christian leadership and those of the Pharisee and Sadducee leadership during Jesus Christ's time. History has demonstrated untold brutality from the "Church", from the Inquisitions, to the Northern Ireland war between Catholics and Protestants, etc. So much of the frustrations and disgust of the common man, then as today, has been on the hypocrisy of ideology of Christian leadership. The Christian Worldview is high on Ideology but seems to lack ideas. Jesus Christ attracted multitudes of people with His ideas and lightness of His yoke (ideology). The Pharisaical Leadership worshiped the Law instead of the Lawgiver. Maybe we can learn from their dysfunctional, non-leadership taskmaster-style and return to the message of hope, love, joy, caring, compassionate, humility and thankfulness of Jesus Christ's actions.

Maybe we need to learn from the Centurion in Luke where Jesus says:

"I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith."
(Luke 7:9)

So here we have a heathen, an idolater whom Jesus says has greater faith than anyone in the nation. Maybe we should listen to Jesus' words and recognize there are those who do not follow the Law, but the Lawgiver - they do not say "the Christian mantra" yet have more faith/morality than us or our so-called Christian Leaders. Maybe humility is more powerful than selling books that make the best-seller lists.

Maybe we should stop judging and present ideas of humility, compassion, mercy, hope and thankfulness. Maybe we need to use the current language of today to articulate the ideas to the common people instead of the ideology of condemning opposing worldviews. Last time I checked, the only condemnation Jesus had was for the Religious Elitism (the leadership of the Mega-Church so prevelant today or politicians) not for the common man. In fact the common man was drawn not repelled by Jesus Christ, and who was repelled?

There are religions of the world who justify their deadly violence because of their god. There are religions of the world who justify their ownership of government because of their god. There are those religions of the world who justify their physical abuse of women and children because of their god. What do we use our God to justify our ends?

Morality is to be demonstrated as an attractive idea that we enjoy as an action of our soul. It is not an oppressive ideology to be crammed down the peoples throat. Morality is good and not the sole property of a religion. Remember the Centurion, remember the Lawgiver not the Law? If we are practicing Christians then people should see us as a home rather than a house. Are people drawn to us because they want what we have in our hearts, our soul; or are they repulsed because they see our oppressive ideology of the Law?

Food for Thought, If you are Hungry

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Maturity

I found this anonymous quote on maturity to be quite fitting:

"Maturity is that time when the mirrors in our mind turn to windows and instead of seeing the reflection of ourselves we see others."

Samuel Ullman (1840-1924), who was popularized by Gen. Douglas MacArthur publicly enjoying his poem on Youth, wrote:

"Maturity is the ability to think, speak and act your feelings within the bounds of dignity. The measure of your maturity is how spiritually you become during the midst of your frustrations."

When we acknowledge that our thoughts, words, and actions are the windows which people view us, we begin the mature activity of recognizing the heritage we will leave behind. Dignity is what? Synonyms of dignity are: nobleness, honorableness, worthiness, respectability, reputability, etc. Proverbs 20:11 says:

"It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself if his conduct is pure and right."

While Proverbs 21:2 says:

"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts."

Food for Thought, if We are Hungry,

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Virtue as Habit

Aristotle (384-322 BC), in his book Nicomachean Ethics, describes the "Virtue of Character" as:

"Rather, we are by nature able to acquire them, and we are completed through habit" (pg. 18).

"To sum it up in a single account: a state [of character] results from [the repetition of] similar activities. That is why we much perform the right activities" (pg. 19)

James Allen (1864-1912) says in his book, As a Man Thinketh, on page 24:

"Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it. But few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as simple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it."

So the question must be asked: What "virtuous character" and "good actions" habits have our nation's leaders acquired? The fruit they have produced, by any stretch of the rational mind, cannot be determined as good. The habits of Washington D.C. politicians are simply not in keeping with the definition of good character - be it of antiquity nor of modern times.

The change must begin with ourselves to change America.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Ideology

As I continue to read my new find, Ideology and Utopia by Karl Mannheim, I am amazed at his awareness and applicability to today's world. On page 36 he states:

"Political discussion possesses a character fundamentally different from academic discussion. It seeks not only to be in the right but also to demolish the basis of its opponent's social and intellectual existence... Political conflict, since it is from the very beginning a rationalized form of the struggle for social predominance, attacks the social status of the opponent, his public prestige, and his self-confidence" (emphasis mine).

Hmm, demolish existence, sounds like both the Republicans and the Democrats have forgotten the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence. And to think this book was written in the 1940's.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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Responsibility - Are you Smarter than a 7th Grader?

Catching up on some of my favorite blogs, I was recently taken aback on the aggressive support of promiscuity. The blog author vehemently defends the danger of such selfish activity. Following my response I thought about doing a simple Google search on "responsibility". On the first page, 5th entry I found this web site:

Teaching Guide: Responsibility for Grades 7-12 from the series "In Search of Character"

Immediately in front of the reader is a simple "Are You a Responsible Person?" checklist. 6 questions for self-evaluation with the last question being the most incredible in my opinion:

I exercise self-control: yes or no

The site (goodcharacter.com) goes on to give discussion questions and writing assignments for the students. I found this concept of good character being defined by self-control reminiscent of Aristotle's posit that happiness requires virtuous thought and action which lead to a virtuous character. By the way Aristotle wrote this some 300 years before the birth of Jesus Christ and the development of Christianity.

Self-control is the antithesis of promiscuity.

Promiscuity is the bane of good Character.

It is time to stop the childish, temper-tantrum irresponsible behavior of "blaming" Christianity for not getting what you want, and demonstrate some self-control, some good character to do the right thing. "When I was a child, I spoke [and did] as a child."

Here is an Aesop Fable (again hundreds of years before Christianity) that seems quite applicable to promiscuity which simply is the lack of self-control, lack of good character, lack of responsibility:

The Flies and the Honey Pot

A jar of honey chanced to spill
Its contents on the windowsill
In many a viscous pool and rill.

The flies, attracted by the sweet,
Began so greedily to eat,
they smeared their fragile wings and feet.

With many a twitch and pull in vain
They grasped to get away again,
And died in aromatic pain.

Moral

O foolish creatures that destroy
Themselves for transitory joy. *

Food for Thought, if You are Hungry

Do not be found wanting as we are all without excuse.

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*The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett (New York: Simon & Schuster 1993, page 48), emphasis mine.

Principles or Politics - Your Call

Over at the blog of The League of Ordinary Gentlemen I read and responded to an excellent discourse on this mosque issue near Ground Zero gripping the politics of the pundits. The article was written by Rick Ungar and titled "To Mosque or Not to Mosque". In my reply I likened today's political Congressmen as playing a football game ignoring the rules. Our government is based on a set of rules titled The Constitution of The United States of America. On page 12 of the .pdf document link you can read Amendment 1 that was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

What caught my eye on Rick's discussion was his observation that there are porn shops and other non-hallowed shops located around the site. So obviously this issue of a mosque at Ground Zero is simply a political football by non-leaders and non-statesmen (called congressmen, analyst for Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, candidates, etc.) whose only intent is to swoop down on the emotions of citizens to stir them into a frenzied mob for the sole purpose of getting elected or ratings. Notice that:

There is no call to principle only the yelling of politics.

As Americans we have principles to govern our nation by and it is called The Constitution of The United States of America and we must require our representatives to follow. Although I find the location disagreeable, I recognize the rights of the Constitution as an overriding principle. If I do not stand and follow the principle I will fall for whatever passion or politics comes along. Principle removes the passion to maintain the rational.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

Let our minds dwell on these things - principles not politics must rule.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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One's Heart is set on What?

I recently finished two books on the Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae as I had recently watched the movie 300 again. Being a military man I was impressed with the tactics to further the strategy that King Leonidas demonstrated in holding off the Persian hordes, reminiscent of the Battle of the Alamo. King Leonidas, along with James Bowie and William B. Travis had set their mind on defending the greater good of their nation. These men did what they had to do to protect the freedom for others. We have heard it spoken in terms of: "Duty, Honor, Country".

The time-line of the Battle of Thermopylae got me into the Old Testament book of Ezra and I was taken aback by what I read in chapter Ezra 7:10

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."

Wow, what an incredible statement that reflects the questions I have posed on my previous posts:
What have we set our heart on?
What do we practice?
What are we teaching the generation that follows us?

Profound questions requiring honest answers.

C'ya
Eagle Driver
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