On Compassion

I've been following another blogger over the last few days. Her 2009 blogs were so spiteful, so harsh that she inspired much wrath in return. Then, I discovered that she has an autistic child. Suddenly, it all made sense. Now, I feel a sense of compassion for her. She lashes out at others who have made different choices than she has. Having a disabled child myself - although a completely different condition - has given me a different perspective than the average person. I'm so happy that God has blessed me and shown me worthy enough in His eyes to be entrusted with the care of a disabled child. She does not share that point of view, much like many parents resentful of their situation. I always knew that I would be a parent of a disabled child, even if I had to adopt one, God willing. She was shocked and disappointed by her "burden," as are others in similar situations. She's resentful that there isn't prenatal testing that would have allowed her to terminate her child before birth. I can't share compassion for that, but I do have compassion for her otherwise.

Why Does a Shadow King Matter?

Prince William may be becoming a shadow king. So, what? Only gossip columnists should care, right? Wrong: this is hugely political for 80 million people world wide. How can that be? In a word - antidisestablishmentarianism. The Prince of Wales has made it clear that he does not want to be "Defender of the Faith," but rather "Defender of Faith;" therefore, he throws his cap in with those who are most eager to abolish the monarchy and the Anglican Communion. There is an argument that the only thing the monarchy legally provides is the official Church. No official Church, no need for a monarchy - so why not overthrow the government and establish a republic? Of course, the last time they tried that, it didn't work out so well. For those of us looking to the Anglican communion in this time of crisis, the Prince of Wales looks like an utter fool. How can he be leader? We pray for both Charles, William, and a long and healthy life for Queen Elizabeth.

A Byzantine Understanding

Have you read Lost To The West?

Arrogance?

This morning I heard a doctor on the television dismiss refusing a vaccine as the "height of arrogance." I've heard this argument in regards to natural childbirth as well. I smell a rat. Looking out for one's best interest is arrogant? Self-preservation is arrogant? Consider this analogy: pride has two meanings. One is negative, as in "pride goeth before a fall." Pride in the sense of arrogance is a vice. However, pride can also refer to dignity, as in "Have you no pride?" when someone behaves shamefully. I contend that one can be "selfish" (if we must use this term) in the same way. One can be selfish in taking responsibility for oneself and in looking out for one's one best interest. This is a positive connotation of the word. One need not let the existence of a negative connotation negate the existence of a positive connotation. There are two sides to coins, after all.

Furthermore, there are legitimate medical reasons that some individuals should NOT receive vaccines, and it is irresponsible medicine to make blanket statements on television, otherwise.

My Dear Friend, Wormwood...

Have you read the Screwtape Letters, yet?

Those silly commies! Look what they planned for the United States way back in 1963:

1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use ["]united force["] to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.

So, you see, it's not so silly all this anti-feminism after all.

The KGB really IS the boogyman

How's this for an untethered thought:

From Russia with No Love