Slavery

A quick question.

Is chattel slavery wrong?

Or

Is it wrong for one human being to own another human being?

Is chattel slavery wrong in; all times, all places, all circumstances, for all people, with no exceptions?

On the off chance that my failure to 100% agree with Dan will end in his deleting my comments, no matter how reasonable and on topic thay may be...

1.  Reaching solutions based on an unbiased, reasonable assessment of all available pertinent "data" is a reasonably good approach to determine appropriate solutions to problems.

2.  Only presenting small snippets of unsourced, one sided "data", is not a good way to accomplish #1.

3.  Assuming that one's underlying premise is objectively correct, while failing to demonstrate that fact and excluding other possible underlying premises is also not an effective way to accomplish #1, or to encourage broad discussion.

4.  In the case of school shootings, there are two possible options.  1.  Prevent the shooting by identifying and neutralizing the shooters before they show up.  2.  Prepare a response plan that mitigates the damage that can be done and protects as many potential victims as possible.  Both are laudable goals.  One requires a significant look at our justice system and a willingness to impose restrictions and limits on people based on what they might possibly do in the future.  The other requires an assessment of the conditions that surround most school shootings and a plan to implement the conditions that appear to deter shooters, while eliminating the conditions that seem to attract them.

5.  If the problem in society is "violence", then the necessary starting point is to demonstrate why "violence" is always, under all circumstances, bad.

6.  Define the difference between violence, force, "physical management" and coercion.

7.  Explain why we should ignore the fact that Orthodox Christian and Jewish theology as well as philosophical and methodological naturalism teach that we are either fallen and sinful creations, or that we are the product of materialistic/naturalistic forces that reward the "fittest" with "survival".  ("Nature is red in tooth and claw.")

8.  Look at all aspects of violence in society in general and schools in particular and determine where resources are best used.  ROI.

9.  Don't minimize the impact of culture, on behavior.   Specifically the breakdown of the nuclear family and the effect that fatherlessness has on children.

I"ll probably add to this list as I feel led.  I am 100% open to disagreement, I expect it.  However, I probably won't invest much time is disagreement that isn't supported by fact.

R.I.P.

Billy Graham has finally gotten to meet the savior he pointed so many toward. I especially pray for Michael, I know how important Graham was to him and how much he appreciated the opportunities to be involved in the crusades.

I fondly remember my time volunteering for a crusade many years ago, singing in the choir and praying with people.

God bless and keep his family and friends in this time of sorrow.

I’m waiting

I’m eagerly awaiting the rush of blog posts and social media outrage about the horrible, evil, heartless new immigration policy France has unveiled.

Wondering

I’ve kind of got to wonder if anyone I know, any of the folk he hangs out with, or any of his tribe had anything to do with the “vandalized” billboard in KY.   Clearly, whoever did is is fundamentally agreement with the beliefs espoused by certain folk and their tribe, but you never really know for sure.  Do you?

A modest, rational, reasonable proposal

We currently have two issues that I believe can be best addressed by the same simple, reasonable, rational approach.   Immigration and firearms.   In both cases, let’s start by consistently, and diligently enforcing the current, existing laws that relate to these two issues.   Honestly, until we can do that, it’s just silly to engage in adding additional laws.   The primary benefit to this approach, is that it will allow the true scope and nature of the problem to be known, which means that we can base any next steps on the actual situation rather than a distorted view of the situation.   Once we see the results, then we can make targeted precise adjustments or changes to deal with reality, rather than broad sweeping changes based on perception.   It may be that there are some minor things that can be easily fixed, once we know the true scope of the problem.

A couple of things to be dealt with sooner.   Plug holes in the background check system. Increase the ability of law enforcement and mental health professionals to preemptively separate guns from people who might have mental health issues. Increase security at schools.  

Having said that, I personally have no objections to the following.

Increase the ownership age for some firearms from 18 to 21.
Implement a licensing system similar to drivers licensing.
Implement a graduated carry permit system that will be reciprocal across the country, and graduated based on age and skill/training level.
Increase regulation on bump stocks.

There you go, that seems like a reasonable and rational place to start a dialogue.  

Silence

Yesterday, both my Facebook and Twitter feeds were full of people demanding action, and (without actually being direct) calling for gun bans if some sort or another.   Today, in the wake of the FBI announcement that it dropped the ball after being warned specifically about this Cruz, I see nothing.   Not, continued calls for action.  Not, continued “why do people need...”.  Not even, “Oh, maybe I should have waited for more information before I made my pronouncements about who’s responsible”.    Not a single meme or quote or anything.

To answer the “What could have prevented this tragedy?” question.  Or the “Who’s responsible?” question.   I offer the following options.

1.  Cruz is responsible.  
2.  The FBI could have stopped this by doing their job, and following their procedures.
3.  See something, Say something actually worked in this case.

As an aside, while I would never broad brush an entire organization, it seems as though the FBI has some problems (or problem agents), and needs to do some work to rehabilitate it’s image and credibility.

To all of those who react to tragedy by advocating a political agenda...

I have some questions.

For those who post the crossed out "thoughts and prayers" and replace it with "policy and change", great what are the specific policies and changes that would have prevented this incident?

Why denigrate "thoughts and prayers"?

For those pastor friends who have posted this.

When did you surrender the power of Christ to change lives to the power of the state?

Are you really willing to take the chance that your political advocacy will affect your tax status? 

To those who are perpetrating the "18 school shootings" misinformation.

Are you aware that it is misleading and designed to inflame an emotional response?

Do you understand the inconsistency in surrounding virtually every government facility except schools with armed guards and security measures?

Do you understand that the fact that schools are "soft" targets full of victims that generate maximum emotional impact are part of the reason why there are so many school shootings?

It’s always interesting

It’s fascinating to watch leftists get on their high horses and make sweeping unsupported claims about poor policy decisions.    Writing off ignorance of the actions of those they support as a goof.   All the while choosing to ignore the evidence that their preferred candidate was engaged in the very activities they now decry, not out of a poorly calculated government policy, but out of a desire to enrich themselves and their associates at the expense of the poor.

It’s almost as amusing a remembering their silence when the US (under their side) actively manipulated, or attempted, elections in at least two countries in contrast to the screeching about the Russian efforts to “hack” the last US election.

I’m not suggesting that the left is alone in this hypocritical inconsistency, just that it’s amusing to watch.

Which brings up in interesting question, is this line of thinking designed to assign responsibility to the individual voter for actions taken by the candidates they vote for.  

This is what happens

Is it any surprise when folks like Feo, Dan, and the rest of the leftist hordes of lemmings out there are so determined to portray Trump as the epitome of evil on the planet, that they lack the ability to point out real evil?  Over the past couple of days the media had inserted their collective heads so far up Kim’s sister’s posterior in their rush to elevate her over Pence, that they’ve conveniently ignored the fact that this family has been in the business of evil since the 1950’s.    When people get so fixated on  imaginary evil, it does nothing but diminish how horrible real evil is.

One more reason to oppose open borders

As I've continued to think about the immigration/border security issue, the one argument I keep coming back to is the private property argument.   While the case could be made that "pubic property" is public in the broadest sense and the there should be no restrictions on crossing "public property", much of the land along the border is privately owned property.   Interestingly enough, we see a strong biblical case made that supports the concept of ownership of private property.  This starts with "Thou shall not steal." and goes on to the story of Annanias and Saphira in Acts.   Even the concept of the Jubilee year still is predicated on the private ownership (or stewardship) of property, and certainly is more about voluntarily ceding control rather than theft or appropriation.   Beyond that, one of the foundational tenets of the United States is the concept of contract law and the protection of legal ownership of property.

So, while a case could be made that crossing the border onto "public lands" might not be a big deal, that case doesn't hold true for crossings made onto private property.   Clearly, this trespass and the potential damage caused is beyond any doubt a criminal act, and this criminality is magnified if anything is stolen, crops eaten,  trash abandoned,or livestock killed.   In many cases there is real measurable harm done to property owners by migrants passing through.  

Personally, I've already suggested multiple reasons to regulate immigration using simple common sense, reasonable regulations that would allow immigration in a rational and controlled manner.   This recent call to place unfettered "liberty: above any other considerations including the liberty of people to legally own private property, is simply a knee jerk unthoughtful emotion driven overreaction to situation that simply needs reasonable regulation.

Liberty and peace

It seems to me that these two don't actually coexist very well together.  The only way to have peace, is for people to subject their liberty to the well being of others.  The only way to have unfettered liberty is to trample on the well being of others.

We've been wrong

As we've gotten more and more advanced, we've continued to discover things we've been wrong about.  The one that's hit me most recently is how wrong Jefferson and his committee were when they talked about "inalienable rights endowed" by a "creator" such as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"

I think we have to start with the concept of "inalienable" or transcendent.   It's become more and more clear that things like rights and morals are not transcendent, but instead are simply societal constructs to be added or discarded as needed.

Then, we need to just junk the idea of a "creator", it's clear that there is no "creator" in any substantive sense and that the whole notion of creation has gone by the wayside, overtaken by Scientism.

Finally, it's clear that they got the rights wrong.  Obviously life is not preeminent any more, the notion of an inalienable right to life has taken quite the beating.  In reality, it's been sacrificed on the alter of liberty and happiness.  We live in a culture that increasingly exults increasingly unfettered individual liberty at the expense of things like sovereignty, private property, responsibility, and law.  Going right along with the elevation of personal liberty, is the concept of perpetual personal happiness.  Long gone are the days when the "pursuit" of happiness was enough, we're heading toward a society where denying someone happiness is one of the few things that are still considered "wrong".  

If one exercises their personal liberty, to enjoy personal happiness through unrestricted sexual activity and that results in the creation of "life", then it's clear that that life must be removed lest it impinge on personal liberty and personal happiness.

I could be wrong, but it seems like valuing personal liberty, and personal happiness above all else (including life) is a philosophy that will end up leading away from the very things it seeks.

Remember all those people who kept telling us that black lives matter?

I guess they don’t matter as much as the chance to give immigrants who’ve come to this country in violation of US immigration law a free pass.   Hell, Kapernick is even strangely silent when a fellow black NFL player is killed.   Now, I realize that this poor immigrant was simply exercising his liberty when engaging in the actions that killed two people.   I also understand that despite his multiple deportations he really wasn’t a criminal.   Of course I also realize that he’s going to be supported with taxpayer dollars for the foreseeable future, simply for trying to express his liberty and gain a better life.  

Related

This is related to the post on morality.  The question is what kind of culture do we live in?
Theonomous
Hetronomous
Autonomous

Some more deep questions.

Has anyone provided proof of God’s inexistence?
Has quantum cosmology explained the emergence of the universe and why it is hete?
Has rationalism in moral thought provided us with an understanding of  what is good, what is right, what is moral?