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.