Monday, March 18, 2024

1st Amendment Hamstringing

 Ketangi Brown Jackson, SCOTUS justice seems to be suggesting that the first amendment might be impeding government action.   


https://twitter.com/i/status/1769753959315427812


Lord knows we wouldn't want the Constitution being able to "hamstring" the government. 

Straw Men?

 I occasionally hear people refer to those who hold a high view of scripture as "worshiping a book".    I hear this, yet I do not know anyone who actually worships a book.  I'm not saying that there aren't some fringe people out there who do worship a book.  It could be argued that Muslims worship a book.   Strangely I never hear the "worship a book" refer to anyone but certain Christians, not Jews, not Muslims, not anyone else.  

I think I can say that most of those accused of this straw man would saw that they worship YHWH, the God who spoke and creation happened.   The God who is beyond our understanding and comprehension, yet  who peaks to us through scripture and the Holy Spirit.  

I guess straw men are easier to battle than real men. 


Since I Can Only Explore This Here

Dan answered a question today, in itself something to be applauded, and his answer is interesting.   It'll be worth keeping around for reference.  

 

 

" It's quite easy: I'm NOT the one who should decide for everyone else on matters of subjective opinion. I've never said otherwise."

So are you claiming that all scriptural interpretation is "subjective opinion"?   If so, then why bother to assert that anyone  else's "subjective opinion" is incorrect?   Or that yours is "correct"?

"On the other hand, when we're talking about objective facts, then I'm STILL not the one who decides. Objective facts are just objective facts."

So, are you claiming that "objective fact" is not testable?  How do YOU determine when something is "objective fact"?   Why should anyone accept anything you say about something being an "objective fact" or "reality"?

"As a point of demonstrable, objective fact, the Bible has Jesus recorded as saying he'd come to preach good news to the poor. Period. That's observable, demonstrable. It's a fact."

What is the fact that you are claiming is "observable, demonstrable"?   That there are words in the Bible that tell us that Jesus said that?  


"Now, does that MEAN that there was factually a literal Jesus? That this Jesus was literally saying he'd come to preach good news to the literal poor? No, those are matters of interpretations."

Interesting.  Are you suggesting that there is nothing in the Bible that can be identified as "objective fact" with a high degree of accuracy?    Or, are you suggesting that we have no possible way to identify "objective fact" when it's recorded in the Bible?   That literally everything in the Bible becomes a matter of "subjective opinion" because we can't trust those who wrote the Bible?    To what other ancient literature do you apply this standard?  Are you claiming that the existence of Julius Caesar is "subjective opinion"?   That Hannibal, didn't really exist?   Pray tell, expound on this. 

"From there, we can consider, OK, but which interpretations are most reasonable?"

OK, but isn't "reasonable" in itself a subjective measure?  Is it reasonable to take a text, and conclude that the text means something completely opposite from what the plain meaning of the words tell us?

 "Marshal, apart from any real evidence, says that Jesus did not mean the literally material poor in that passage."

When you say "real evidence" do you not mean "evidence that you personally accept as subjectively reasonable"? "

'I note the plethora of passages from Jesus that, on the face of them, appear to be referencing the literal poor - this passage included - and note that we have no textual reason of significance that Jesus didn't mean literal poor. But I can't prove objectively what the author (Luke, in this case) meant or what Jesus - as recorded by Luke - objectively meant."

So, despite your repeated assertions that Jesus primary "gospel" was specifically aimed at "the poor", specifically the materially "poor", are you now saying that this is just your "subjective opinion"?    Are you suggesting that we categorize the topics that Jesus is recorded as speaking of, and interpret those only in light of Jesus' teaching on topic X?   Or isn't it reasonable to look at the whole breadth of Jesus teaching, and draw conclusions from that? 

"I've been pretty clear on all this."

 I'm sure you think you have, but I personally think that clarity is not one of your strong suits.  

Especially when you insist that your "subjective opinion" be treated as "objective fact", or that you are simply pointing out "reality".  

Not Wrong.

 "In order to preserve democracy, we must: 1) engage in sham impeachments 2) suppress relevant information (Hunter's laptop highlighting orgiastic Biden corruption) 3) seek to stack the Supreme Court 4) change the Electoral College rules 5) allow ILLEGAL immigrants to vote 6) refuse voter IDs because these are racist 7) create a fake January 6 insurrection narrative where people have been imprisoned as though they were Genghis Khan 8) engage in astoundingly corrupt lawfare in order to ensure that the GOP candidate is mired in endless legal proceedings 9) have state officials seek to remove the GOP candidate from the ballot box 10) engage in very dubious electoral procedures that permit for orgiastic cheating (many countries only allow same-day in-person voting)"

Gad Saad

Yes spot on. In general: The people saying they are saving democracy are the ones actively eroding it. The people saying they are fighting misinformation and creating it. The people saying they are fighting racism are the ones being racist. The people saying we should trust the science are not actually being scientific."

 Melissa Chen

 

I have to say that in general, they're not wrong. 

Hospitals, and Food.

 The IDF eliminated  Faiq Mabhouh the head of operations for the Hamas terrorist group while he was in a compound at the Shifa hospital.  This compound was where he was actively directing the operations of Hamas terrorists.  Per the Geneva Conventions, a hospital loses it's protected status when combatants use it for operational purposes or to hide behind the human shields of hospital patients.    I find it hard to believe that UNRWA, WHO, ICRC, and the hospital administration were completely ignorant of the fact that Hamas was using the hospital as a terrorist command post.  If they did know, then anything that happens to any of the patients of staff of Shifa hospital is completely on their heads.   If they didn't know, then they are idiots and shouldn't be running a hospital in a place where terrorists have a history of using hospitals for operational purposes, and patients for human shields.  


On 3/16 or 17, 8 million pounds of food entered Gaza, which works out to about 4 pounds of food per capita.  This doesn't count the food being airdropped, and will likely increase once that US Military opens the "port" Biden wants.  This doesn't really sound like starvation.   Not to mention the videos of well dressed Gazans bitching about the MRE's they've been given or about the fact that the food is being air dropped, not hand delivered.   We're also seeing video of this donated food being sold in markets.  

Friday, March 15, 2024

Haiti Update

I've had some updates on my friends who are still in Haiti.  Fortunately the area they are in is not seeing the same level of violence and gang activity as Port Au Prince.   However, they are already experiencing shortages of vital supplies, and increased costs.  The staff in one of the compounds has evacuated to the US through the DR, and will probably remain there indefinitely.    It's important to remember that these people provide desperately needed food for hundreds of people daily, provide medical care that is virtually unavailable within a reasonable distance, provide a 24 hour birthing center which keeps pregnant women form having to walk or ride (in the back of a tap tap) a minimum of 8 miles, schooling for a multitude of children, and an orphanage.   All of these services will be jeopardized over the coming days or weeks.   


Then we find out today that the Biden State Dept has no plans to evacuate Americans who remain in Haiti.  That's right, we have US citizens who are staying in Haiti to provide needed services to the poorest of the poor (or "the least of these") and the Biden administration just announced that they were washing their hands of those citizens.   Strangely enough, the Biden administration has apparently been providing free flights for Haitians (at least one violent criminal) into the US.   It's almost like the Biden administration is placing the citizens of other countries over citizens of the US.  Hell, the Biden administration is already making preparations to welcome thousands(?) of Haitians to south Florida over the next few weeks/months.  

But hey, US citizens in Haiti, y'all are on your own. 

Garbage

 https://x.com/wilderpatriot/status/1768333479719190664?s=51&t=cLq01Oy84YkmYPZ-URIMYw

 

The young woman in this video is either completely brainwashed, or completely brain dead.   I don't think she realizes that in a socialist or communist system the government would own the garbage collection apparatus, and they wouldn't pay the garbage men squat.  

 Can't help but notice she didn't use garbage persons.