Conservatism Example

At a Neolithic town site in the Fertile Crescent, archeologists found seeds from more than a hundred plant species. These seeds represented a cumulative knowledge of edible plants that had been tested and handed down from generation to generation, and would ultimately pave the way for civilisation. This was culturally transmitted knowledge, accepted by each new generation on human testimony.

The same can be said for a number of things; faith – or whether gay marriage is a good idea, to name but a couple.

Apologies to Catholics

I was shocked when I read in granny Herald today that the NZ Teacher’s Council stated that in the last 2 years, nine teachers have been deregistered by them due to sexual abuse of minors.

Given the angst between Catholic Christians and non-Catholic Christians over historical and dogmatic issues, I must admit I’ve been happy to keep mum when someone in my presence has been slagging off those dirty Catholic Priests. Shame on me.

No more, I think this scandal has demonstrated one thing perfectly clearly, any Institution (even one inspired by God), that by it’s nature has adults alone with children is going to attract deviants. We must be viligilant and understand that human nuture is that of a fallen group, and personally I put more trust in the Catholic Church to fix it’s issues than the NZ Teacher’s Council. I also wonder how many deviants have been attracted to my denomination and just haven’t been found out yet – a scary thought.

Olympic Reflections

Still a week to go but I’d thought I’d get in early:

– The Olympics are economic suicide. If a politician in your country starts talking about making a bid for them and the “economic benefits”, tell them to kindly shut up.

– In Eventing the horses should get the medals. The riders simply tell the ones competing what to do. This is called coaching – and coaches don’t get medals.

– Traithlon is great but Ironmans are better. I’d love there to be an event where the competitors say, “we swim 3.8 km, ride 180 km, oh and then we run a marathon.”

– There are too many things on a bike. Road, track, mountain and BMX. From 250km to a few hundred metres. Just have one race, about 40km, on the track, on a BMX.

NZ has had a good Olympics, it’s good to see so many of our athletes competitive. The number of medals and top 20 finishes is pretty amazing for a small country. Lets remember why we do well, it isn’t because of any inherent brillance as a group (certianly individual brillance is on display) but because of a culture of sport and a system of society where people are free (at least in a sporting context) to follow their passions. These things along with the wealth that enables the training required can be lost.

NZ Greatest Assets

“NZs luck in settling a fertile country watered by plentiful rain is envied by many. As the food bowl of the South Pacific, we are eyed by all countries worried about their ability to feed a population growing in numbers and quality of life. ”

Fairfax NZ 13/6/12

Boy am I glad we gutted our military. Lucky our politicians saw that NOBODY in the world wants more fertile land and is willing to kill to get it.

Good News From Europe!

Apparently Margaret Thatcher has won the 1979 UK General Election! This marvelous woman should lead the UK well through it’s much needed reforms.

In retrospect, maybe this post should be called, The Last Good News From Europe.

Obamacare Ruling for Dummies

Basically what the Supreme Court has ruled is that, if you are a US citizen your existence attracts a compulsary “health tax”, and the Federal government can waive that tax if you buy health insurance from a private company.

So the government isn’t forcing you to buy a private company’s product, it’s giving you a tax break!

Oh that benevolent US government.

It would seem the battlelines are clearly drawn for the 2012 election.

Eygpt – Hate To Say I Told You So

I remembering commenting on The Standard that the “Arab Spring” in Eygpt was not going to lead to anything good for Eygptians. When pressed by the marxists I said, “because Eygptians will vote for sharia law”. To which the predictable reply, “if they vote for it, surely it is their right?”

“Sure”, I said but if that leads to a new Islamic dictatorship or oppressive law how is that desirable?

To me it is a cultural problem caused by Islam (which I don’t even count as a religion as such but a quasi-facist-political-belief system). To understand Islam and it’s derivative sharia law, is to understand that the Islamic middle east will never have lasting freedom and functional democracy.

For example; sharia decrees that in a Court man’s testimony is worth twice that of a woman’s, only a man can initiate divorce proceedings, and there are three times in which it is legal to kill (I’d say murder); killing of woman for “honour”, killing infidels (Jews and Christians especially) and apostates (including Muslims who critise Jihad). Hardly freedom, even if democratically chosen.

Within Islam there is also a fundamental refusal to live alongside anyone with a different worldview, hence the constant attempts to merge Mosque and State. Witness the nonsensical, ongoing massacres between Sunni and Shia, modern examples include the Iran-Iraq War and currently Alawites and Sunnis massacring women and children in Syria. Massacres over who the “true descendants of Mohammed were”. Historically there has been violence between Christian denominations especially since 1517, the 30 year German war and Ireland come to mind, but nothing like the 1300 years of violence in the name of the “true followers of Allah” that has dominated Islam. Disagreement between “Catholics” and “Protestants” is almost solely restricted to blogs and Theological departments these days, and many Christians, myself included, would strenously object to loss of seperation between Church and State.

The West should work for stability in Islamic countries, whoever is in charge, as the citizenry sadly has no concept of stability in freedom.

So Far Scott Guy Deserves Better

The Scott Guy murder trial has turned into a bit of a media circus. I’ve been casually following the trial and find myself constantly thinking, is that it?

The evidence against MacDonald so far has been highly circumstantial; the previous vandalism, the disagreements over farm management, that he “knew” Guy had been shot. But this is not evidence up to the standard of proof that is required for a jury to return a guilty verdict, they must have been convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty and the prosecution must do this with more than circumstantial evidence.

Upcoming is evidence relating to MacDonald’s footwear used for hunting and shoe impressions around the body. This can be concrete evidence if the shoe impressions can be linked to MacDonald to the exclusion of all others. It also can solely be enough to convict, for example if the shoes are linked to be belonging solely to MacDonald, accessed only by MacDonald, and forensically linked to the crime scene at the time of the murder. For example if some of Guy’s blood is under one of the shoe prints and/or found on the recovered shoes and the impressions at the scene are microscopically identical to the soles of the shoe. In a celebrated case in Argentina in 1896, the accused was convicted on a single fingerprint found in the victim’s blood.

So a single piece of overwhelming evidence can be enough to convict. For the sake of Scott Guy and his family I hope the prosecution has such a piece of evidence and they are hoping to convict MacDonald on more than grandstanding.

Muslim Fundamentalist vs. “Normal” Muslim

“A fundamentalist Muslim is one who follows all the teachings of Islam, a normal Muslim is one who picks and chooses which teachings he will follow.”

So the guys who fly planes into buildings are following their religion, the unthreatening guy who lives next door might as well be an atheist.

Killing Gay Marriage Shibboleths

I don’t have a problem with homosexuals. I think they are misguided souls and seem very dysfunctional to me but I don’t want to live in a society where they are criminalised for choosing a destructive way to live their lives, but I get sick of hearing the kind of nonsense that is put forward as argument for gay marriage. It usually takes three forms.

1). Marriage is a human right.

2). Society changes and the definition of marriage must change with it.

3). Homosexuals are just acting naturally.

Marriage is not a “human right” it is a human want. There are millions of heterosexual people who will never get married because they cannot find someone to marry them. A “right” is universal, everyone can (and in many cases must) have it. Rights derive from reason and the only true “rights” are those you don’t have to use force on others to have. For example, freedom of religion is a “reason based right” becuase everyone must have a worldview and it cannot be forced on you and having a relgious view is not something you have to use force on someone else to acquire. Similarly there is no “right to healthcare” as to have a “right to healthcare” you have to force someone to provide it.

Secondly, people like me object to homosexual marriage because marriage is a blatantly heterosexual institution. It arose about 4,ooo years ago when two heterosexual couples started getting together to join one son and one daughter, one from each couple, legally (hence the ceremony) and financially (where dowries come from) for the purpose of providing a stable platform in which to propogate the lineage.

Why has marriage lasted?

Because of the differences between men and women, namely:
1). Historically men have been more economically productive, the stronger the back, the bigger the wallet.
2). Because women could get pregnant and men couldn’t. And men could leave unless there was something binding them.
3). Women have historically been better child rearers and have been economically dependent during this period.
4). When a child was conceived adulterously the man was compelled to accept it and give it the best chance of stability in life despite actions the child had no control of.

None of these factors are applicable to homosexuals.

To change a heterosexual institution into something else is as nonsensical as changing a business into a charity, i.e. giving a CEO the ability to give shareholders cash to whatever charity he likes. We have rules in business that have developed over the centuries, i.e. corporate benefit, when we want an organisation that does something new or different, we create a new one, like charities, and in the case of homosexual rights, civil unions.

Finally, when you talk to homosexuals you find that many lacked either a father or mother figure (or both) in their early life, they have higher rates of having suffering abuse, they grew up in very effeminate or masculine households, they were “taught” homosexual behaviour in their teens by older homosexuals. There is also research indicating homosexuality is an attachment disorder developed very early in childhood. So the jury is hardly in on whether homosexuality is a product of nature or nuture.

This is without even talking about the damage wrought by homosexual parents.

In my experience Christians are largely non-plussed about homosexuality beyond thinking the people are misguided and being willing to help them to change if they want. The reason Christians appear obsessed (and make posts like this one) is because we get a bit sick of nonsense being presented as common sense and being constantly asked about it – like anyone doesn’t know where Christians stand on the issue! For evidence of this compare how much money Christians give to 3rd world poverty relief compared to 1st world anti-homosexual marriage organistaions. You’ll find the money going to the 3rd world is many thousands of times higher and where a man’s treasure lies, there his heart will be also.