Disqus - Latest Comments for geneo

Re: Phillip Tutor: Up a creek on Alabama's campuses | AnnistonStar.com

geneo — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:05:11 -0000

Hey, nice editorial. I do not see why you felt the need to include that part about college "not being an entitlement, though." I understand what you mean, of course. But I do not believe anyone is talking about "entitlements" here.

They are talking about something being marketed one way, and being being administered another.

Re: Vote!

geneo — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:30:33 -0000

I like the list. I think it does a good job putting the issues at stake in the election in perspective. I especially like the one that explains Al Gore would not have done all the lawless things Bush has done.

Re: Chinese Workers Safety

geneo — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 19:04:22 -0000

great sarcasm, if I may say so.

Re: His Dark Materials

geneo — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 19:17:33 -0000

I agree wholeheartedly -- definitely adult reading. Just too dark for children. I thought he made pretty good use of Milton throughout, but I remember thinking while I was reading them that he was mainly using all those allusions to Paradise Lost to seem literary and to gain a sort of academic legitimacy for his work.

I'm an aspiring pamphleteer myself, and I don't think these books are terribly effective as subversive literature, because Pullman's agenda is too transparent throughout. A moderately educated reader can see exactly what he's up to. I think a lot of the "Christians" who objected so strenuously to this hadn't actually read it. I think it was mainly a case of a few people doing it for the publicity and a lot of well-meaning (from their perspectives) ignoramouses joining in.

Re: Chinese Workers Safety

geneo — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:11:30 -0000

eh, things like that happen, especially when politics are involved. I probably wouldn't have reacted so strongly if the political situation in the country weren't so desperate.

I'm generally a pretty reasonable guy. I guess something about your comment just pushed a button, and that's my problem not yours. I thought I should at least come and take a look, since you took the time to visit and comment. You have a pretty cool place here, so I'll probably be back from time to time.

:)

Re: A Question For Christians

geneo — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:15:04 -0000

Jonolan, this was a great question and comment thread. Wish I'd stumbled upon it sooner. I have never prayed for Satan, because I interpret Rev. 20:10 to mean he can't be saved. I only have so much time to pray (can't spend my whole life doing it!) and I have a very long prayer list already. So, why pray for Satan if the Bible tells me how his story ends? I would love to read your questions about the Fall, or about any other aspect of Christianity.

Also, I would like to chime in on Pascal's Hoary Old Rational Choice Gambit. I think the choice between the eternal consequences Christianity claims and materialist claims of no eternal life at all is a bit of a false dichotomy. What about Nirvana? Reincarnation?

Reincarnation has been very difficult for me to deal with at times. What if the soul is eternal, but Christianity is still wrong? What if I am running in circles trying to teach myself that belief in a heaven, a hell, and a god with a personality are vain notions that inflate my sense of self-importance to the point that I cannot achieve true wisdom or true peace? We can make all kinds of claims about an immortal soul that aren't Christian at all, and some seem just as rational as Christianity.

I've struggled mightily with my Christian beliefs for a long time. Indoctrination from preschool-age is tough to overcome. At some point I realized that I was doing myself too much emotional and spiritual damage by trying to rip it out by the roots. I decided that I'd gotten to the point where continuing to struggle with myself was a form of narcissism and was standing in the way of things I want to do with my life. So I decided to embrace my Christianity, try my best to do what Jesus says, take his promise of divine power seriously, and use that power to do the jobs he told his followers to do in the way that I believe he told us to do them. If all that sounds like a form of mysticism, well, it is.

Also, a word about those Christian bigots who figured so prominently in some parts of the discussion on this thread. The New Testament is full of warnings against false teachers and false prophets. That's what these people are, in my opinion. I don't think it's a good idea to use them to indict the entire spectrum of Christian worldviews, which has also produced some positive teachings like the Social Gospel and the Liberation Theology.

I'll be writing about some things like how I interpret the Bible and why theocracy is dangerous a bit in the near future. I'm blogging against theocracy on Easter weekend.

: )

Re: Original 2nd Amendment

geneo — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:14:45 -0000

Great work, Jonolan.

I am not an "original intent" guy myself, but anyone who is should consider this carefully. You do a good job here of sticking to the sources. I'll add that I think there is a clear legal distinction between "the People" and plain old "people" that runs through most of the legal work from the founding period I have seen. "the People" is a nation. The academic concept of "nationalism" was not fully developed at this point.

I believe if we trace this concept of "the People" back in time through the Western history of ideas, we'll find that it is roughly co-extensive with the Latin concepts "populi" and "gentium." So, if I were a judge, I would have a hard time constructing an argument supporting individual gun ownership from original intent. I would also have to consider that the way we do military organization has changed so much during the founding period that the founders' idea of "the People" bearing arms doesn't really apply.

I want to be clear here -- I am NOT opposing individual gun ownership. I own guns, handle them responsibly, aned store them in an appropriate manner. I respect them and enjoy them. I am simply voicing my skepticism of the argument that the Second Amendment protects that right. The more I learn about constitutional and international jurisprudence, the more it seems that the Second Amendment, in modern terms, is really just protecting our right to keep a standing volunteer army.

Re: Original 2nd Amendment

geneo — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:28:40 -0000

One more thought: I wonder what the intent of this amendment was in regard to the STATES. The Bill of Rights was not intended to be incorporated to the states at this time. Trying to figure out how the right of the People to keep and bear arms, as a national right, was going to really be a buffer against the tyranny of the national government. Is the assumption here that, if one branch or one state got out of control, some other branch would take control of the militia and, as Locke says in his Treatise "do what Jephta did?" (i.e. appeal to heaven and lead your army out). I would love to know what you think about that.

Also, Jonolan, I don't want to presume to put words in your mouth, but I am developing a deep appreciation for your love of Liberty and hatred of Tyranny. I've got some stuff about a man in my town who was arrested under very suspicious circumstances for exercising his First Amendment Rights, if you'd like to check it out.

Re: W.W.E.D?

geneo — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:34:46 -0000

very nice

Re: Era of blogger’s control is over

geneo — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:54:23 -0000

I'm with Louis. When I write stuff that I don't want stolen, I don't put it on my blog. I save it offline and try and improve it to the point I can sell it. To me the whole point of a blog is that folks can come and snag your ideas. Yeah, links are great, but reading your ideas discussed on another blog is even greater.

:)

Re: $600 Million In Katrina Aid Headed For Casinos And Port Area

geneo — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:52:56 -0000

Thank you for writing about this. I'm writing about it, too. There is talk of a Congressional hearing in an AP story today, so I am encouraging people to keep writing about it this weekend and bring attention to it before it gets buried by the SOTU speech. I'll come back and take a good look around here as soon as I have time :)