Archive for January, 2020

Impeach Pie or Cowpie?!

January 19, 2020

Impeach Pie or Cowpie?!

VTM, 1/19/20

A.F. Branco · Jan. 16, 2020

The Church Will Lead?

January 16, 2020

The Church Will Lead?

It is clear to me, a Christian, that our great many churches have been trying to lead America back in the direction of honesty, integrity, and pro-social behavior. But, tragically, this powerful force for the good of all, even defiant atheists, has been marginalized and neutered by our federal government that has increasingly restricted the spheres in which churches and its populations of faith can display and demonstrate their precepts, values and traditions. Of course, there are other determinants of cultural decline, but this anti-religion evolution in America is a self-inflicted culturally destructive act. Perhaps it is not too late. An immediate reversal is essential for survival.

Yes, our economy is booming. But, the declining quality of America’s citizen’s behavior is a harbinger of very bad things to come.

Can you not see this?!

Who could possibly miss the fact that there has been an accelerating growth of “Hellish” places and behavior patterns within America over the past 50 years.

If all levels of the government will simply get the hell out of our way; tolerant and peaceful religions may then, once again, exert increased levels of their beneficial influences within all of America’s communities. 

If you think such a change is unimportant, I challenge you tell me what other organizations, agencies, social entities or media in America are systematically and successfully working to teach our population to respect, love and care for one-another.  The truth is that anything that you might identify cannot remotely compare to the influences that churches had in the lives of families and virtually every other facet of society 50 years ago. Perhaps you would read, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert Putnam

To my critics who may not have done their research on a critically important topic; the phrase“Separation of Church and State” never was written to mean that the government was to forbid religious activity on public property, or within the government. See for your self:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/billflax/2011/07/09/the-true-meaning-of-separation-of-church-and-state/#2022bc0c5d02

Most Americans do not know that Thomas Jefferson wrote this isolated statement about “Separation of Church and State” to a group of American religious leaders in order to assure them that: the government should never adopt or mandate a particular religion. But, the stunning fact is that this is exactly what America’s government has done!

Nearly everywhere on our Founding Documents and old Capital buildings is the undeniable historical evidence of God’s influence in our government: It is clearly hand-written in old ink on old parchment and and it is deeply inscribed in the stones of Washington D.C..

Also, you must know that science has learned some important things about the correlations of religion with the health and welfare of individuals; and by extension, of cultures of individuals.

There is now an abundance of data suggesting that church-going people statistically tend to live longer, be happier, behave better and have a greater sense of well-being than those who do not attend church. Please see for your self:  https://www.google.com/search?q=religion+and+health&oq=religion+and+health&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.4255j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Of course, researchers and other appropriately critical-thinking observers debate the matters of causality and the generality of these findings. However, these debates will not be settled for a long time, if ever. America’s trajectory of cultural decline over the past 50 years suggests that it is self-destructive to insist upon the resolution of these issues before making obvious logical retro-changes in attempt to recapture better cultural outcomes.

The American Government, due to our own short-sighted voting ignorance, has skillfully adopted and mandated a religion of its own preference using the false propagandistic mantra of “Separation of Church and State”.  The “new” religion is called Secular Humanism. Secular Humanism is the religion of socialists, communists and dictators, I.e., leftist politicians and regimes. This is a religion, in which humans take the place of God. Therefore, secular humanism teaches its followers to subjugate themselves to faith-in , dependency-on and discipleship to a metastasizing all-controlling, dictating central government.

Can you not see that this has been true throughout modern history?!

It is essential that Americans vote for government, at all levels, that will return us to a cultural design that welcomes and rewards the growth of all benevolent religious influences within the social life of our communities.

V. Thomas Mawhinney, Ph.D. 1/16/20

Kill The Terrorist?

January 12, 2020

Kill The Terrorist?

You might think this blog is about the Iranian General, Qassem Soleimani, who Trump recently sent to meet all of his many “virgins in heaven”: It is not.

The concern is far more general than this now departed terrorist.

The question is a simple one: Should someone kill people who are trying to kill them, or their loved ones?

So here is a “thought experiment”.

Imagine that you are the head of a family, once upon a time, long ago. Your homestead is on the furthest edge of America’s Western frontier.

Your family consists of a devoted spouse, a teen son, a 5 yr. old daughter and a loyal family dog. Your elderly mother lives with you and has nowhere else to go.

Over many years, you have built your small drafty wooden home and a primitive barn for your two horses and other live stock. All of this has been done with your own callused hands and with the help of your then 12 yr. old son. Your now frail mother and father did what they could. Your father passed away a year ago.

Long before your arrival there has been a man and his family, just over the hill, who has harvested from your stand of trees that was once on the free range. But now, by distant law, the trees are your property. Your homestead was deeded to you for settlement by the government.

It is essential to use, sell and replenish this lumber on your forested section of land so your family can survive in this wilderness. You have repeatedly tried to find a peaceful solution to the man’s increasingly hostile demands. He has angrily rejected your offers to sell him trees, at a very reasonable price. You begged him to understand that your trees are essential to your families ability to survive, and that you are willing to allow him to purchase a limited supply in order to sustain his family. The man has become increasingly belligerent, claiming that God made those trees for everyone and that you have no right to keep them to yourself. Within days the man’s anger has inexplicably turned to rage and he has begun to make threats that you had better leave; that he and his sons will  run-you-off your land in whatever way needed.

You are painfully aware that you live on the frontier, there is no law enforcement to call. You and your family are on your own.

Within one week, the crazy man’s son’s caught your younger son working alone in your hay-field and they beat him so badly that he has lost sight in one of his eyes and his thinking is still muddled. You went to the man’s house to protest the beating, but the man met you with rifle in hand and screamed at you to get off his property; “or I’ll blow your head off!”

Terrified by the man’s stunning threat you left as fast as you could.

A week later, your family’s dog was shot dead while wandering in your woods. You knew damned-well who did it. But, there is no way to prove it, even though there are no one else to blame for many miles in any direction. More importantly, there is no law officer or court available to prove it to!

Within days of your son’s beating, your hay-field was set ablaze in the middle of a night!

Again, you know who did it, but you could never prove that the crazy man was responsible. These events have devastated your family, they are all depressed, enduring sleepless nights, and constantly full of fear, anxiety and worry for the future.

Your own fear and anger has become almost unbearable. You are not a violent person and so you resolved to stay your course and pray that things will “settle-down” with time.

Shortly after this, the crazy man put a terrifying note on your porch one night: “The dog tells ya what’s next if you don’t get out!.”

What now will you do?

You only have one rifle and a limited supply of ammunition. You know you would be no match for the armed crazy man and his full-grown sons.

As you contemplate moving your family to God knows where, you recall a nearly-full case of dynamite formerly used to blast tree stumps from your fields. It is stored in a locked underground storage bin well away from your house and barn. 

Will you run, or make a stand? To where would you run, or exactly how would you “make a stand”?

V. Thomas Mawhinney, Ph.D., 1/12/20

P.S., The following your essay quiz:

How is this situation significantly different from Trump’s choice of fearfully capitulating to killers of his people, or destroying terrorists that threaten our families living in America?

Leftist Politics: Nothing to Laugh At!

January 10, 2020

Leftist Politics: Nothing to Laugh At!

V. Thomas Mawhinney

 

 

Recommendations for a Wonderful New Year!

January 5, 2020

Recommendations for a Wonderful New Year!

The aging process presents many new frustrations, disabilities and sadness’s. All are challenges to the self-control of anxiety, depression, fear, anger, aggression and our ability to avoid the damaging excesses that will accelerate our decline (alcohol, drugs, gluttony, and other forms of habitual self-indulgences.

This is true for the young and the old.

I believe that the wisdom’s contained within the pro-social religions of this world, in conjunction with the secular philosophy of Stoicism, if learned and put into daily practice, can bring the great rewards of personal growth throughout ones life-time, even during our inevitable journey of eventual decline and demise.

No matter your religion, or lack of it; the philosophy of Stoicism, designed and professed about 300 years before the birth of Christ, can help you to achieve a life-time of reasonable happiness and emotional stability.

I recommend that you Google information about Stoicism and learn its main features. Features that foreshadowed the development and scientific validation of Cognitive Behavior Therapy….by around 2320 years.

It is important to note that what we think most about is likely to be integrated into our beliefs, thoughts and actions.

Therefore people of faith have normally benefited from the reading of daily devotions.

I will recommend in addition to religious devotions, or singularly if you are not religious, that you consider purchasing and reading The Daily Stoic: 336 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living (2016), by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

This book also features new translations of Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius; philosophers practicing and teaching effective psychotherapy in ancient Greece and Rome.

Best wishes to you for a wonderful New Year, 2020!

V. Thomas Mawhinney, Ph.D., 1/5/20


%d bloggers like this: