The great and abominable church, the abomination of desolation, identified
The Gnostic Parasite | Dr. James Lindsay
Mere Simulacrity, Session 5
In his first talk at the Mere Simulacrity conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in December 2022, Dr. James Lindsay introduced the idea that there is a long, running current of
You need to watch this to understand the true dynamic and this particularly viral strain of false prophets.
The Gnostic Parasite | Dr. James Lindsay
Mere Simulacrity, Session 5
In his first talk at the Mere Simulacrity conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in December 2022, Dr. James Lindsay introduced the idea that there is a long, running current of
Much hullabaloo has been made by the Left in the United States of America of late claiming that voting for Republicans or for Conservatives or for anyone other than a Democrat will "destroy democracy"... View MoreMuch hullabaloo has been made by the Left in the United States of America of late claiming that voting for Republicans or for Conservatives or for anyone other than a Democrat will "destroy democracy" or, perhaps more tellingly, "destroy our democracy." It appears that many people bit on that line. If you know what democracy means, you know that the claim is hogwash. You get fooled when you think democracy means something other than what it really is. I will explain what that confusion is shortly.
Democracy means rule of the people, meaning rule of the majority of the people over those who disagree (not a savory situation to begin with). It is generally carried out by vote, a hazardous enough undertaking in itself, something that can be corrupted with a fair amount of ease.
Let's say, for argument's sake that the elections are carried out with complete integrity. That doesn't make up for the main weakness (or feature, if you will) that many people fail to perceive in democracy. It is this. Democracy is achieved only when the people are allowed to vote for what they want. If they aren't allowed to vote for something, it is not a democracy, then, is it.
People voting for something other than what a particular political party (say, other than Democrat) wants is democracy being exercised, not excised. True it may be that certain laws or leaders voted in may institute practices or policies that do away with the vote or prevent voting in certain ways (and that is the only way the vote will actually destroy democracy), but here is the thing: democracy is allowed to vote itself out!
Did you understand that? Does it shock you? That's what democracy means: the majority decide the direction the nation goes in all things. If the majority decide to become a monarchy, they can do that.
"Wait a second," I hear people object. "That isn't possible in our country."
Technically, they are right. The reason for that is that our government is not a democracy. It is a republic.
"I get so tired of hearing that," I hear someone respond. "Of course we have a democracy. That's why we are a free country."
There lies the confusion. People equate democracy with freedom. In order to avoid that confusion, you need to do a little analysis of what freedom means.
Freedom is nicely summarised in our Declaration of Independence as the protection of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (keeping the product of one's labors or private property). Democracy has no way to protect those. If the majority decides to take any of those by majority vote in a democracy, that's the game. You lose them.
How are those essential factors of freedom protected then if not by democracy? They are protected by law. That's why a constitution was written, so we would be ruled by law and not by the whim of the majority or that of politicians.
Those who confuse democracy with freedom understandably believe that democracy is the most essential element of freedom. In reality, it is quite far down the list of essentials. First is the establishment of law. Second is the agreement to abide by the law. Third is the ability to carry out and enforce the law. The second one requires a population of honest, truth- and freedom- and life-loving people dedicated to living the higher law of God which also prohibits covetousness.
In actuality, under such constraints, freedom can actually be maintained with very little in the way of democratic forms. As long as a people has a way to petition its government via elected representatives, any form of government with righteous people as the heads can protect freedom, although, of course, good luck with that.
Because of our laws, there is no vote for a particular party that destroys democracy. That party might do damage to just laws if it gains a majority standing, but there is a particular here that all must pay attention to.
Just because you like or agree with a law does not mean it is a just law. That caveat to the second essential for liberty, that only a righteous people can truly detect just laws, requires that each person be religious and capable of honestly assessing their own adherence to the commandments of a just God and actively conscious that any serious violation of such perverts one's judgment seriously and tends toward agreeing with unjust laws.
That is the danger to freedom, not an imagined threat to democracy.
There is no climate crisis: Tom Harris
International Climate Science Coalition Executive Director Tom Harris discusses how he was once a climate alarmist but now sees it as a scam on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
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Stunning report shows woke law students being shunned by judges
Strive Asset Management founder and Yale graduate Vivek Ramaswamy and Alliance Defending Freedom general counsel Kristen Waggoner on concerns about free speech at Yale Law School from 12 federal judge
That's called systematic racism.
Vice chair of Treasury Dept’s new racial equity committee wants to defund police, 'center race' in all policy
The vice chair of the Biden Treasury Department's new racial equity committee carries some political baggage with her, namely how she wants to defund the police.
The Thinnest Veneer of Civilization
To be able to eat, to move about, to have shelter, to be free from state or tribal coercion, to be secure abroad, and safe at home - only that
«So, we are in a great experiment in which regressive progressivism discounts all the institutions, and the methodologies of the past that have guaranteed a safe, affluent, well-fed and sheltered Amer... View More«So, we are in a great experiment in which regressive progressivism discounts all the institutions, and the methodologies of the past that have guaranteed a safe, affluent, well-fed and sheltered America.
Instead, we arrogantly are reverting to a new feudalism as the wealthy elite - terrified of what they have wrought - selfishly retreat to their private keeps.
But the rest who suffer the consequences of elite flirtations with nihilism cannot even afford food, shelter, and fuel. And they now feel unsafe, both as individuals and as Americans.
As we suffer self-inflicted mass looting, random street violence, hyperinflation, a nonexistent border, unaffordable fuel, and a collapsing military, Americans will come to appreciate just how thin is the veneer of their civilization.
When stripped away, we are relearning that what lies just beneath is utterly terrifying.»
The Thinnest Veneer of Civilization
To be able to eat, to move about, to have shelter, to be free from state or tribal coercion, to be secure abroad, and safe at home - only that
Hey Kevin, its me Loran. I have a new group up here as I thought I'd give this place a try. I'd like to see if I can get some migration from FB over here (given their snooping and snitching to the F... View MoreHey Kevin, its me Loran. I have a new group up here as I thought I'd give this place a try. I'd like to see if I can get some migration from FB over here (given their snooping and snitching to the FBI on conservatives who express political opinions they don't like, it may be time to ditch the whole enterprise) since MeWe seems to be out of the question.
https://wimkin.com/groups/12485/
After being booted this time, I'm not wriggling back in. FB has become just too creepy.
The Road from Serfdom
The Road from Serfdom. 1 member. As was my wont over on Facebook, before being sent to Facebook Siberia, this board, as with several before it, will follow current events, happenings, developments, de
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe and teach that the prophets of the Bible are not th... View More25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe and teach that the prophets of the Bible are not the only prophets that ever were or ever will be. We believe that God's wisdom and knowledge are infinite and cannot be totally expressed in a finite body of written works. Rather, we believe that he has inspired many more prophets to write and preach and that he continues to do so to add to our understanding.
The scripture I cited at the beginning is from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a book that takes its name from the prophet who compiled and abridged the book from writings of other prophets in the American continents. The first point in the citation is worth study and exposition, but I wish to focus on the second point, that man exists in order to achieve joy (taking into account that the use of "man" is the inclusive of both sexes so that "him" also includes "her").
Given that this was pronounced by one prophet and endorsed by inclusion by another prophet, we can consider that this is God's distillation of the reason for our existence, for his commandments and dispensations for us, and for the particular experiences of this life and that it is to be the condition achieved by man in following God's plan.
Lucifer, Satan, will have a different idea about what we believe or even insist should be the purpose of our existence in order to thwart the purposes of God for us. He will work tirelessly to get us to place other purposes for life in the phrase and replace "have joy" with things that are not durable, things of little importance, or things that are actually antithetical to the achieving of joy.
I have made a partial list of some of the common replacements that fallen man will tend to use or is readily convinced to make their reason for existence. Some of them are good things that can be part of achieving joy when placed in their proper context. Others are purely distractions from the true purpose we have. Some are actually destructive of joy.
Ponder these for yourselves and see if you might add something. Do you live believing "men are that they might" one of these or do you quickly see the reason why "men emphatically are NOT that they might" seek one of these as an end in itself?
I hope you will see why achieving joy far transcends any item in the list and shows many of them to be vanity and self-centered and thus self-limiting despite declarations to the contrary. I look forward to your comments.
Man is NOT that he might:
Have pleasure
Be accepted
Fit in
Accumulate stuff
Have fun
Save the world
Feel good about himself
Have a positive attitude
Be whatever he wants to be
Demonstrate his virtue
Have sex
Flaunt his body
Find himself
Find his inner power
Have good vibes
Find his own truth
Define himself
Empower himself
Be self-fulfilled
Be beautiful
Accept himself as he is
Be radical
Be strange
Be different
Explore possibilities
Indulge himself
Presume
Try to be superior
Glut himself
Just be a good person
Seek adventure
Create his own truth
Be catered to by others
Be indulged by others
Be safe
Be protected
Be provided for
Not be offended
Not be excluded
Be included
Belong
Have as much as others
Be equal to others
Not experience tragedy or disaster
Seek delights
Rest
Engage in a spiritual journey
The only place it's worth worrying about being included is in the Kingdom of Heaven. Worrying about anything else will only produce bitterness.
If you don't feel included by someone or by some group... View MoreThe only place it's worth worrying about being included is in the Kingdom of Heaven. Worrying about anything else will only produce bitterness.
If you don't feel included by someone or by some group, you include them in your group of people you love and are ready to bless. (Focusing on obliging someone to make you feel included darkens your ability to do this, by the way.) Include yourself in the group of people who follow the Savior, the prophets, and the Holy Ghost. Include yourself in the group of those who pray and study the scriptures daily. Include yourself in the group of people who invite others into their presence. Include yourself among those who repent of their sins and strive to become clean and sanctified. You won't have time for feeling excluded.
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