Dead Sea Scrolls
Moderator: Priests of Syrinx
Mencken's Creed
I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.
I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...
I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.
I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...
I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.
I believe in the reality of progress.
I - But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.
AND I BELIEVE MENCKEN'S CREED!!!!
I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.
I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...
I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.
I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...
I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.
I believe in the reality of progress.
I - But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.
AND I BELIEVE MENCKEN'S CREED!!!!
When evil is allowed to compete with good, evil has an emotional populist appeal that wins out unless good men & women stand as a vanguard against abuse.
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Mr. Potatoe Head
- Posts: 1783
- Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2003 6:25 am
First I am not arguing we can all agree to disagree. I will take a step back in the inherently need for govermment but a truthful government not one that twists the truth or inflicts fear to control it's people. I can't put them all in the same basket either, as there is truth in all of us. Nontheless it has to start with the people and local goverment.ElfDude wrote:Wasn't talking about religion. Not gonna argue it. Too deep. Too personal. I was talking about this:
Well... without government you have anarchy.I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...
When evil is allowed to compete with good, evil has an emotional populist appeal that wins out unless good men & women stand as a vanguard against abuse.
I believe in this: we will have government in one form or another. Our actions, and the actions of those around us, will determine how much of that government will be internal (governing ourselves of our own freewill) or external (being governed by external, man-made laws forced upon us).
The more we live in a way that shows we do not need others to take care of us and to keep us from destroying each other, the more we will be able to live under self-government. We will have liberty.
The more we behave in destructive ways, the more we clamor for someone to take care of all our needs instead of managing ourselves, the more we will live under someone else. We will be controlled.
The more we live in a way that shows we do not need others to take care of us and to keep us from destroying each other, the more we will be able to live under self-government. We will have liberty.
The more we behave in destructive ways, the more we clamor for someone to take care of all our needs instead of managing ourselves, the more we will live under someone else. We will be controlled.
Onward and Upward!
As for Creeds, this is a line from a song that sets forth what I believe. It is called Creed and was written by a man named Rich Mullins and his friend Beaker.
"I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am."
What I believe determines those things I think about as well as what I think about everything.
What I think on determines how I act.
This is one reason I choose to teach my children at home. The majority of people within the schools do not hold to the same worldview I have, and so they will surely not teach my children the same beliefs and values I hold to be true. They will teach my children alternate beliefs and not just one, but a variety of them, since they will not all hold to the same way of seeing life.
I believe there are things which are true, and I want my children to know truth, so I live my life in such a way as to pass these beliefs on to my children.
"I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am."
What I believe determines those things I think about as well as what I think about everything.
What I think on determines how I act.
This is one reason I choose to teach my children at home. The majority of people within the schools do not hold to the same worldview I have, and so they will surely not teach my children the same beliefs and values I hold to be true. They will teach my children alternate beliefs and not just one, but a variety of them, since they will not all hold to the same way of seeing life.
I believe there are things which are true, and I want my children to know truth, so I live my life in such a way as to pass these beliefs on to my children.
Onward and Upward!
Here's the family at the Seattle Center with the Space Needle behind them:
We had a ton of fun. We got to see various items that would have been used in daily life like dishes, sandals, a comb, et cetera and learn about how old documents are cared for now as well as how they were back in the 40s.
They, of course, told us how the scrolls were found, and taught us about the history of the area at the time the scrolls were believed to have been written and about the geography of the region.
My favorite part was seeing the scrolls. I remember learning about them when I was probably 8 or 9 and thinking it would be neat to see them, but that I likely never would get a chance to.
The piece of scrolls we got to see were ones on community rules, a document on the calendar, a commentary on the Biblical book of Hosea, one on a war at the end of time, a re-working of chapters 37 to 43 of Ezekiel as well as from the Biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the Psalms.
My favorites to see were the Isaiah scroll (this is the one that has fascinated me the most over the years) and the Psalm passage. I like the Psalm one so much because they showed portion of my favorite psalm -- 119.
Feather was happy to see not only the Dead Sea Scrolls but that her beloved dinosaurs still exist!
We had a ton of fun. We got to see various items that would have been used in daily life like dishes, sandals, a comb, et cetera and learn about how old documents are cared for now as well as how they were back in the 40s.
They, of course, told us how the scrolls were found, and taught us about the history of the area at the time the scrolls were believed to have been written and about the geography of the region.
My favorite part was seeing the scrolls. I remember learning about them when I was probably 8 or 9 and thinking it would be neat to see them, but that I likely never would get a chance to.
The piece of scrolls we got to see were ones on community rules, a document on the calendar, a commentary on the Biblical book of Hosea, one on a war at the end of time, a re-working of chapters 37 to 43 of Ezekiel as well as from the Biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the Psalms.
My favorites to see were the Isaiah scroll (this is the one that has fascinated me the most over the years) and the Psalm passage. I like the Psalm one so much because they showed portion of my favorite psalm -- 119.
Feather was happy to see not only the Dead Sea Scrolls but that her beloved dinosaurs still exist!
Onward and Upward!
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Big Blue Owl
- Posts: 7457
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:31 am
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