Phil Beaver seeks to collaborate on the-objective-truth,
which can only be discovered. The comment box below invites readers to write.
Note 1: I often dash
words in phrases in order to express and preserve an idea. For example, frank-objectivity
represents the idea of candidly expressing the-objective-truth despite possible
error. Note 2: It is important to note "civic" refers to citizens who collaborate for the people more than for the city.
A personal paraphrase
of the June 21, 1788 preamble: We the civic citizens of nine of the
thirteen United States commit-to and trust-in the purpose and goals stated
herein --- integrity, justice, collaboration, defense, prosperity, liberty, and
perpetuity --- and to cultivate limited services by the USA. Composing
their own paraphrase, citizens may consider the actual preamble and perceive
whether they are willing or dissident toward its principles.
Saul Alinsky, whose work empowers many AMO groups, did not invent Rule
No. 5, “Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.” It seems ridicule empowers
religions. Kipling used “grinching” in 1892 and the imaginary character came in
Dr. Suess’s 1957 book. AMO is a concern, because its goal is collective chaos
rather than the developing American republic.
Albert Einstein, in 1941, asserted that a civic person does not lie. The
incentive for not lying is to lessen human misery and pain rather than to observe
some divine rule. It is sad that The Advocate employs 1897 F. P. Church “proof”
in 2017 so as to ridicule people who perceive no excuse to lie. Lying is not
required to accommodate if not appreciate divine hope.
A child is a person, and establishing parental lies begs woe when the
child becomes aware. Not taking the child’s personhood seriously alienates the
parents in the confusion the person must face as knowledge and understanding
build. A parent’s duty and noble work is to help the person in the transition
from influence by a confused world into young adulthood with understanding and
intent to live life in its fullest. A major part of the world’s confusion is
religion.
The more serious problem is that many adults are encountering the woe
that Christianity, after 1700 years with a Bible that was canonized by the
Church, is not producing the civic peace they expected during their brief
family life. My mom and dad expected peace rather than the chaos the USA
suffers. A person lives about 80 years, and within that time may know parents,
grandparents, children, grandchildren, and perhaps great grandchildren. Family
span may be 120 years or only 7% of the Bible’s dominance in Western thought.
What, beyond conflict, have been its fruits?
Actual reality challenges 2017 believers, and it is difficult to see a
constructive way forward. However, Santa can be preserved as a metaphor representing
the annual civic reminder of human goodwill. A personal experience is described
in the update of my December 21, 1999 letter that was published by The
Advocate: see understandtheknowledge.blogspot.com/2014/12/santa-means-goodwill-toward-everyone.html
. Christianity can be known as proof that the believer is chosen to enjoy a
desired afterdeath. It does not exonerate the believer’s authority and duty in
life. In other words, belief in salvation is not the basis of civic morality
for life---those 120 or so years a family may be in direct contact. Comprehensive
fidelity is key.
These 1700 years have demonstrated that people can and do interpret the
Bible to justify behavior---infidelity---that begs woe---begs human misery and
loss. For example, the Bible’s verses that condone slavery even call to
question the wisdom of the Church in canonizing those passages or the books
that contain them. Also, the Church empowers priests to take advantage of
people: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases_in_the_United_States#Scope_and_nature_of_the_problem.
On these and many other issues, the Church needs believers who accept personal authority
to establish civic morality.
Based on experiences with family and friends, I speculate that many
believers notice erroneous passages in the Bible, yet exercise personal, human authority
to take responsibility for civic goodwill. Continental army general,
fellow-citizen and theist George Washington, shared four pillars for civic
morality in his farewell to the army, dated June 8, 1783; loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/peace/circular.html.
It may be difficult for some believers to comprehend that they are
obligated by human responsibility to collaborate for civic morality even when justice
conflicts with Bible interpretation. The difficulty by no means lessens the
demand.
The transition from 2017 chaos to civic morality could occur
faster if there existed a free and responsible press. The persons who write for
the press are among the humans who may take the authority required to practice
the responsibility for human freedom.
Each person who takes personal responsibility for fidelity
to civic justice in human connections, both private and public, increases the
possibility for an achievable, better future.
This essay seems unbelievable, because our cultures have
inculcated the idea that each person must submit to authority. There is a hierarchy
of fidelity from actual reality to just industries to just governments and to civic
individuals. However, the human being has the physical and psychological power---the
personal authority---to take responsibility for civic justice in daily human
contacts, whether in public or in private. In a culture wherein most people accept
that authority, the hierarchy of statutory justice (just laws and just law
enforcement) develops the institutions required to empower mutual,
comprehensive safety and security despite the ever present dissidents.
Today's thougth. It is good to have Sunday's relief from The Advocate's publication of Dean's imbalance.
Phil Beaver does not “know”
the-indisputable-facts, or actual-reality. He trusts and is committed to the-objective-truth
of which most is undiscovered and some is understood. He is agent for A Civic
People of the United States, a Louisiana, education non-profit corporation. See
online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.
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