Thursday, August 31, 2006

When Presidents Were Men After God's Heart

"The two Houses of the National Legislature having by a joint resolution expressed their desire that in the present time of public calamity and war a day may be recommended to be observed by the people of the United States as a day of public humiliation and fasting and of prayer to Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these States, His blessing on their arms, and a speedy restoration of peace,
I have deemed it proper...to recommend...a day of...humble adoration to the Great Sovereign of the Universe."

- James Madison, November 1814 (during the War of 1812 with Great Britain)

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Dissecting Democracy

"Our founders did not have a high opinion of majority-rule democracy. The Federalist Papers were popular newspaper articles written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in defense of the ratification of the Constitution. They described democracies as “spectacles of turbulence and contention,” said to be “incompatible with personal security or the rights of property. . . . In general [they] have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”

Democracies degenerate into exploitation, because rulers discover that if they promise certain benefits to a majority of voters, they can get those voters to put them in power. The voters realize that with their chosen ruler leading the nation, they can pressure him to vote in their best interests by threatening not to vote for him in the next election. Those seeking power through majority rule always vote for the candidate promising the most benefits. The results are certain: Western democracies eventually collapse because the public treasury is milked dry due to greater demands by the majority of voters. The minority of wage earners realize that no matter how hard they work, the fruit of their labor will be confiscated to satisfy the demands of the majority. Social chaos is the result with either anarchy or a dictatorship to follow.

Islamic democracy is twisted since there is no place for dissent. You convert and conform. Dissension, the basis of western democracy, means reeducation, punishment, or death."

- Gary DeMar, American Vision

Different Environments, Same DNA = Splendorous Results!

"In nature, we have a flowering shrub called a Bigleaf Hydrangea. If you took the seed of that shrub and planted it in the soil of Indiana, it would yield pink flowers when it blooms. If you took that same seed and planted it in the soil of Brazil or Poland, it would produce blue flowers. And if you took the same exact seed and planted it in another kind of soil, it would yield purple flowers. (The reason has to do with the different ph levels in the various soils.) However, the Bigleaf Hydrangea will never produce thorns or thistles. It will never bear oranges or apples. Nor will it grow tall like a tree.  Why? These features are not within the DNA of the seed.

In the same way, the church of Jesus Christ . . . when planted properly and left on its own without humanly-devised interference . . . will produce certain features by virtue of its DNA. Like the Bigleaf Hydrangea, it may look different from culture to culture, but it will have the same basic form wherever it is allowed to flourish. However, when man introduces human traditions into this living organism, the church loses her organic features and produces foreign elements that run contrary to its DNA."

- Frank Viola, Present Testimony Ministries

Friday, August 04, 2006

BECOMING AN ANT

Very insightful dissection of the new Disney film.

Critical Thinking Skills are a must!

BECOMING AN ANT - CWN:
http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/article.php?ArticleID=945

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Snoop Camera Use Spreads

«Smile, you're probably on camera, co-starring in a video you didn't
even know exists.

Big Brother has his eyes trained on public spaces all over the place -
show up and you'll become an instant mug shot.

According to Scripps Howard News Service, Americans are under watch by
between 10 and 100 cameras a day - depending on where they live. Warns
Scripps, the way things are going, unless you're home or in a public
restroom or locker room, you're probably on some snoop's camera.

A Scripps probe found that "at least 200 towns and cities in 37 states
now employ video cameras - or are in the process of doing so - to watch
sidewalks, parks, schools, buses, buildings, and similar community locales»

Snoop Camera Use Spreads:
http://newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/8/1/124919.shtml?s=us