Category Archives: Martin Luther

Salt is a four-letter word

[WARNING: This blog post contains lots of very strong language and is practically guaranteed to give offence to weak-minded prudes. Please proceed at your own risk.]

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The useā€“mention distinction is a foundational concept of (Western analytic) philosophy. To fail to recognise the distinction is, at best, to invite disaster.

The following true statements illustrate the distinction.

(1) Salt is an ionic compound, viz., sodium chloride (NaCl).
(2) ‘Salt’ is a four-letter word.

The first sentence is a statement about the substance called “salt”—it uses the word ‘salt’ to refer to that substance. The second is a statement about the word ‘salt’—it mentions the word without using it to refer to anything other than itself.

‘Salt’ is a four-letter word. Salt is not a four-letter word. And neither salt nor ‘salt’ is a four-letter word in the usual idiomatic (and only incidentally numeric) sense of the term. It’s perfectly polite and indeed good table manners to ask someone please to the pass the salt!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMkNsMMvrqk

In this post I want to say a few words about four-letter words (e.g., ‘fuck‘ and ‘shit‘) and their cognates (e.g. ‘fucking shit‘) and briefly discuss whether (and in what contexts) Christians ought or ought not to be using such vulgarities and profanities.

And it struck me that the perfect way to make the main point I want to make is to recycle the metaphor that Jesus uses in Matthew 5:13 right after the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says to his followers

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (NIV)

George Carlin aptly refers to the words I’m talking about as “just words which we’ve decided not to use all the time.” And “that’s about the only thing you can say about them for sure.” Carlin’s bang on the money! Because, if we used the words all the time, they’d lose their “saltiness”! They’d no longer be effective cuss words and they’d no longer be good for anything more than just plain old communication. Which would be a dingleberry of a disappointment.

(Or would it? If we no longer had an inventory of “reserved” words with which to insult others effectively, we’d have to relearn the art of the insult. And our prose would begin to be colourful like Bill Shakespeare‘s or Martin Luther‘s prose is colourful. And actually that would be fucking awesome!)

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Is probably the one blog post of mine I regularly link to. It explains how (according to me, but I’m not wrong) words acquire their meanings. The meaning of a word (any word) is determined by the conventions that govern its use. And those conventions can and do vary between different communities of language users. Amongst the kind of people I usually hang out with, the words ‘fuck’ and ‘shit’ are used fairly indiscriminately. They’ve pretty much lost their saltiness in those contexts. (But I use those words extremely judiciously, if at all, if I’m having dinner with, say, my mum or any of her older friends.) Whereas both I and my peers still tend to hold back on using the terms ‘cunt’ and ‘motherfucker’. Those two words remain mostly reserved for when we need convenient terms to refer to truly despicable people, such as Peter Dunne.

But here’s the interesting thing. In the circles in which I usually move, the words ‘cunt’ and ‘motherfucker’ can cease to be insults at all simply by prefixing them with the words ‘good’ and ‘formidable’ respectively. To call someone a good cunt is to pay them a genuine compliment. And it is a mark of utmost respect to call someone a formidable motherfucker. Mohammed Ali was a formidable motherfucker. Vladimir Putin is a formidable motherfucker. Good or evil, you don’t want to cross such people! Not unless it’s from a safe distance, anyway. (I.e., well outside of Russia in the latter case.)

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. (ESV)

Here’s a picture taken Wednesday evening of me (on the right) and a couple of good cunts. šŸ™‚ šŸ™‚

good_cunts

Now to the question, ought Christians to be using the sort of language I’ve been using here? The answer is simple common sense, really. It depends on the context and the occasion and the company. None of the cuss words above is at all appropriate during a church service, for example. (But you may say “piss” if you’re reading from the KJV.) Such terms should be used sparingly, if at all, in polite company. Because they’re impolite. But in impolite company (such as on my Facebook page) they’re not impolite. Here’s what the Apostle Paul says

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (NIV)

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (NIV)

It’s contextual, you see. Don’t go calling someone a good cunt if it’s “out of place” to do so. But do go calling them that if it’s “helpful for building them up according to their needs.”

I’ll finish by noting that there’s a big tension between being a good cunt and being a formidable motherfucker. If you succeed at being both simultaneously then you’re practically a saint.

Should Christians kill all the homosexuals?

I chose the title of this post carefully in order to comply with Betteridge’s law of headlines.

Should Christians kill all the homosexuals? (Let’s be clear. The answer is NO.)

Not even Pastor Logan Robertson thinks that Christians should kill all the homosexuals. He thinks that’s a job for the government.

I believe every single one of them should be put to death. Obviously Christians shouldn’t be doing it. I’m not going to do it. It’s the government’s job to be doing it.

Which is worse? Pastor Logan Robertson’s appalling homophobia or his abject statism? (Let’s be absolutely clear. It’s NOT the government’s job to kill homosexuals. It’s no one’s job. No one should kill anyone. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.)

Presumably Robertson is somewhat cynical about the government’s ability to do whatever it is they’re supposed to do, and that’s why he says he’ll pray that Marjoram tops himself, rather than patiently wait for the state to embark on genocide.

pastor-email

I’m downgrading my assessment of Pastor Logan Robertson from stooge to sitting duck.

I was by no means the only one to suspect that Marjoram and Robertson were colluding and that it was all a set-up to gain publicity for and sell Marjoram’s book. Or, worse, that it was a cunning plan by new atheists to discredit Christianity. Investigative journalist Ian Wishart says

Maybe it’s the investigative journalist in me, and the sceptic in someone else who shall remain nameless, but something seems fishy about this story of the pastor abusing the gay author.

Logan Robertson does not seem to have much of a digital footprint pre-dating this. In fact, his “church” is so obscure it runs from a house and its website was only established a matter of weeks ago. Frankly, I’m surprised Jim Marjoram was able to find so obscure a church to send an email to…because I couldn’t find it in the usual church email directories he would ordinarily have used..

Maybe I missed something…

What Wishart missed, and what I missed, is that Robertson has a history of serious mental illness.

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Here ends the short sad sorry saga of Pastor Logan Robertson and his Westcity Bible Baptist Church with its congregation of three.

Or does it?

What about the elephant in the room?

Let’s grab it by the tail and look the facts in the face. The Bible quite clearly tells us, as Pastor Logan Robertson reminds us in his email, to kill all the homosexuals.

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (KJV)

So shouldn’t Bible-believing Christians be coming out and putting homosexuals up against the wall?

There’s a standard form of reply to this last question, which has to do with covenants and/or dispensations. A typical reply goes something like this.

The prohibition on homosexuality in Leviticus is part of what Bible scholars often call the ā€˜Holiness Codeā€™. Its purpose was to maintain the distinctiveness of the Israelites from the Canaanites.

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So we’re no longer required to kill homosexuals? Well, that’s nice and all, but I just don’t swallow the dispensationalist defence. Do I worship a God who, at one time, commanded the Israelites to stone their gay brethren to buggery? Or not? That’s the question I ask myself and my answer is NO.

I suggest that the repository of bigotry and bans that is the Book of Leviticus isn’t God’s word and doesn’t belong in the Bible. It’s canon fodder, i.e., expendable. (I leave everyone free to hold his own opinions. I would not have anyone bound to my opinion or judgment. I say what I feel. Let everyone think of it as his own spirit leads him. My spirit cannot accommodate itself to this book.)

Racism,Violence, and Misery. Why I’m missing my favourite band. Tool!

Tool3

Tool is playing right now in Auckland.
They are my Favorite Band.
Why aren’t I there rockin out????
I should be!
Yet instead of having fun, Im spending my last buck$ on a Public meeting calling for an end to Racist Law and Government in New Zealand.

I would have loved to have been @ Vector Arena!
It’s a concert I have waited years to see, yet I have been forced to choose between my own immediate pleasure, and a political Ideal I believe is essential for the betterment of New Zealand.
An Ideal I believe will help end a lot of poverty, misery and dependence… and dispel a lot of bigotry and race hatred which has been fostered by Radical separatists for Political Power and Loot.
I refer to the principle of Equality before the Law.
Abolishing the separate Maori seats in parliament, and separate Electoral rolls.
Just today, the front Page of the Waikato Times ran a story which showed statistics which proved that Violent crime in a city was proportional to the size of it’s Maori population!
That is a shocking reality which proves what 30 years of Apartheid have achieved.

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Read about it here: Top Criminologist blames Maori for high rates of violent Crime
‘Maori crime ‘fact of life”

This is the reality which the radicals try and blame on ‘Pakeha oppression’, on the Government’s ‘Failure to honour the Treaty’…. I ask How long New Zealanders will tollerate this absolutely despicable lie!

The Fat cat Tribalist elites may be sitting pretty, yet it has been at the cost of fostering Hatred, dependence, a victim/ blame mentality into the ordinary Maori Individuals, many of whom are incapable of admitting that their poverty, violence and misery is of their own making… not because of any oppression by ‘Evil Pakeha’… as the shit stirring Political activist preach, or as the average socialist whacko school teacher rambles on about… instead of teaching young Maori to take responsibility for themselves and their futures as individuals… competing on a level playing field… under equality before the Law!
Young Maori are told to study stone age Maori history and culture… instead of engineering, science, etc… thus putting them at a disadvantage when they leave school… alienating them from modern society, and setting them up for failure… with the Radicals whispering in their ears that this is all the Pakeha’s fault! “If the Pakeha were not here they would own the whole country… and could get buy fishing!”
Yes These are lies and insanity which I am dedicated to ending.
Treaty separatism has resulted in nothing but Race hatred and Misery.
I love all that is good and beautiful in Maori Culture, yet I despise racism, and Political propaganda… and politically engineered Evil.

And if in the process of fighting this evil for the sake of Equality before the Law that I must miss out on seeing my favorite Band… well there is always You Tube!
Hopefully they will be back in not too many years time?

The Shame of Maori Radicalism. Hate and Violence.

real-grassroots-meme-2

The lies against the Jews which underpinned the fanaticism and extreme violence of The Nazis under Hitler are being replicated by the Maori separatist movement, and the endorsment of their ‘grievances’ by consecutive Labor and National led governments.
Waitangi separatism has resulted in a Race relations crisis, in Massive extortion, in the mass manufacture of corrupt law and institutions, in the enslavement of thousands of Maori in socialist dependence, and most seriously still… in the growth of fanatical race hatred and a propensity for violence.
The Maori people are being manipulated by malicious, and dangerous radicals and are being led down a very dark path.
They are being told that this is a process of ā€˜righting the wrongs of the pastā€™, when in fact it ism nothing short of a despicable demonstration of race hatred, and grab for wealth and power.

I identified this ideological cancer well over a decade ago, and have ever since dedicated myself to exposing this evil for what it is, and busied myself attempting to awaken the Maori people to the truth.
I was the Libertarianz party spokesman on Maori affairs for approximately ten years, and since my resignation have remained vocal as an Independent Libertarian and Christian.

I would like to share with you part of what has been the personal cost of my stand against the Radical separatists, and the established/ entrenched doctrines of Socialist Indigenous Rights which underpins New Zealand’s ever expanding system of Apartheidā€¦ under the guise of ā€˜honoring the treatyā€™.

Today I received several comments to a blog post I wrote about the Tame Iti and the ā€˜Tuhoe terroristsā€™, in which I was explaining exactly how dangerous are the anti-colonialist lies and the socialist doctrines of indigenous rights, ā€˜self determinationā€™, etc are. I was explaining why I was not at all surprised that Tame iti and the radical Greens were involved in plotting a campaign of violence.

The Blog post is here:

‘Not a Pimple on Mandelaā€™s Butt! Tama Iti’

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Today I received two ā€˜Commentsā€™ from a very ā€˜Braveā€™ person called ā€˜Collar Shirtā€™.
The nature of his comments are very telling.
They show what race hatred really is.
They expose what people like myself face when we dare to criticize Maori Radicalism.
It is like a letter written by a member of the KKK against a white American whom expressed support for Martin Luther king.
It is like a letter written by a member of a fanatical Islamic sect against a liberal Muslim whom dared to suggest that Christians have a right to exist in peace.

The enlightened humanitarians among mankind who refuse to cower in silence, and instead bravely step forward and dare to challenge the hatersā€¦ all must run the gauntlet and risk everything for the sake of truth, justice, humanity, and progress.
They are torn between a sense of selfish guilt… that perhaps their High ideals are bringing danger upon their wives and children…and that maybe they should shut up… and simply blend back into the crowd.
But then they realise that Silence only makes the Evil ones more successful in their plans, and that unless brave souls stand up and set an example… their silence condemns their loved ones, friends, and neighbors to even greater perils and injustice.

ā€œEvil prevails when Good men do nothingā€.

What these brave people need is for their fellow countrymen, fellow brethren, to not allow these ā€˜torch bearersā€™ in their midstā€™s to be left alone and unsupported, but ought to rally around them, and to add their voices to the cause.

> on August 22, 2011 in Washington, DC.

Collar shirtā€™s 2 Comments are below, and my reply follows.
I hope readers will both appreciate my cause, and will determine to get involved and help me and other brave Kiwi, like John Ansell, defeat the lies of The Radical Maori separatist movement, and the corrupt politics of Treaty separatism which has being foisted upon us by Labour, National, Act, NZ First, The Greens, The Maori Party, Mana,etcā€¦

Collar Shirt says:
Wednesday 17 April 2013 at 11:35 AM
Tim how the f**k do you know Tame Iti was planning to kill white people you f**king point the finger judgemental pr**k ā€“ and what do you know about any violent murderer radical Separatist, if you have got any evidence to hand on to the Police ā€“ tell us what that evidence is right now ā€“ This is a RACIST & FICTIONAL story of yours. And as for pimples I would like to squeeze your head like a pimple until the white puss you call your brain squirts out you piece of hard WHITE SH*T! and you too Angry Tory! I challenge youā€™s to print what youā€™s have both written and start handing them out to the public ā€“ and see how long you can last on the street without getting your face smashed in! ā€“ Pussayā€™s

2. Collar Shirt says:
Wednesday 17 April 2013 at 11:53 AM
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
I would like to make a complaint about the RACIST nature of this article which is in very bad taste, lacking in facts and based on innuendo and to compare a person to a murderer is asking for trouble. ā€“ but most of all it doesnā€™t stick to the kaupapa of the rules ā€“ this article is ā€œunwholesomeā€ and ā€œdoes not build others upā€ in fact it does the complete opposite of discriminating against a fellow human being ā€“ and has absolutely NO BENEFIT WHATSOEVER to any right minded and virtual thinker.
Tim Wikiriwhi Christian Libertarian ā€“ i will hand on your message to the Iti whanau in Ruatoki and donā€™t be surprised if they come looking for you and ask you to say what you just wrote to their face. I will make you my special project to read & check all your other articles too to make sure you are not spreading your RACIST HATRED poison around that ends up on the web ā€“ you piece of SH*T!
********************************************************************

Tim Wikiriwhi’s Reply:

What is your real name ‘Collar shirt’?
Very brave talk coming from someone hiding behind a pseudom.
And your threats prove the validity of my statements Re: the Violent mentality of the Racist radicals.
Your threats are a testimony to the stark fact that while you want so called ‘Maori rights’ to be recognised, you donā€™t recognise any one elseā€™s rights (like mine) to free speech, etc.
Thats called hypocracy.

Yawn!
I have been threatened many times in the past… face to face with radicals at Waitangi and other places.
I have always spoken my mind in the open… not the shadows, and will continue to do so irrespective of threats like you have delivered above.

I have spoken many times publicly, on Marae, and on TV before my peers.
See a TV one debate Here:
http://blog.eternalvigilance.me/2011/10/tim-wikiriwhi-argues-to-end-waitangi-racism/

http://blog.eternalvigilance.me/2012/02/is-the-treaty-holding-back-new-zealand/

My reports about Iti’s intentions are based upon Media releases regarding the recordings the police got of conversations between Iti and his crew.
If it had not been for the bungling of the Legislation, and the bungling of the police Iti and crew would have faced much more severe charges… including discussion of kidnapping John Key and ‘practicing’ by killing white people.
I donā€™t suppose you bothered to use our search engine to find out what I have written about Tame Itiā€™s conviction on Fire arms chargesā€¦ Hereā€¦

http://blog.eternalvigilance.me/2013/01/new-zealands-cold-civil-war-constitutional-crisis/

You would see that I actually *condemned* the basis on why he was actually sent to jail! I defended the right of peaceful people to own firearms, and even to be members of private militia. Thus I show my integrity is to justice, and though Tame Iti is a dangerous radical, yet still I have no desire for anyone to be jailed on bad laws or bad judgments.

Yet I dont expect that my integrity in this post will impress you either.
You fanatical haters only want to hear your own hate… you are not interested in tolerating dissenting views…. a lot like the Nazi’s whom hated the Jews, and who likewise could not tolerate any criticism of their mentality, or methods.
Think about that.
Think about what race hatred has done to the world?
This is the very evil I am seeking to save the Maori people from.. the manipulations and hate mongering of violent racist radicals whom blame everyone else but themselves for their own lack of achievement, violence and misery.

Tim Wikiriwhi
Christian Libertarian.
**********************************************************************

Read about Violent support in Waikato for Terror suspects Here:

Read about… Where Haters come from. Here:

Read about… Universal Pride in Washington, Separatist Shame in Wellington. here:
Read about…. State of Confusion. The Rule of Law vs The Mandate of the Majority. New Zealandā€™s Constitutional Crisis. Here:

Read about…. Low Lives in High Places. Water and John Keyā€™s Racist Alliance here:

Read about… The Great Waitangi Swindle. Here:

Read about… Trojan Horse: The UN Separatist Declaration of Indigenous Rights. here:

Luther on bondage

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Some concluding remarks from Martin Luther’s The Bondage of the Will.

Sect. CLXVII.

I SHALL here draw this book to a conclusion: prepared if it were necessary to pursue this Discussion still farther. Though I consider that I have now abundantly satisfied the godly man, who wishes to believe the truth without making resistance. For if we believe it to be true, that God fore-knows and fore-ordains all things; that He can be neither deceived nor hindered in His Prescience and Predestination; and that nothing can take place but according to His Will, (which reason herself is compelled to confess;) then, even according to the testimony of reason herself, there can be no ā€œFree-willā€ ā€” in man, ā€” in angel, ā€” or in any creature!

Hence: ā€” If we believe that Satan is the prince of this world, ever ensnaring and fighting against the kingdom of Christ with all his powers; and that he does not let go his captives without being forced by the Divine Power of the Spirit; it is manifest, that there can be no such thing as ā€” ā€œFree-will!ā€

Again: ā€” If we believe that original sin has so destroyed us, that even in the godly who are led by the Spirit, it causes the utmost molestation by striving against that which is good; it is manifest, that there can be nothing left in a man devoid of the Spirit, which can turn itself towards good, but which must turn towards evil!

Again: ā€” If the Jews, who followed after righteousness with all their powers, ran rather into unrighteousness, while the Gentiles who followed after unrighteousness attained unto a free righteousness which they never hoped for; it is equally manifest, from their very works, and from experience, that man, without grace, can do nothing but will evil!

Finally: ā€” If we believe that Christ redeemed men by His blood, we are compelled to confess, that the whole man was lost: otherwise, we shall make Christ superfluous, or a Redeemer of the grossest part of man only, ā€” which is blasphemy and sacrilege!

Where Haters come from.

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Where do Haters come from?

This is an important subject I have been wanting to blog for some time.
It has to do with the Nature vs Nurture debate.
Itā€™s a very big topic which will only lightly be touched upon in this post.
I would like to talk about a few examples which prove the importance of how Parents nurture their children.

While it may not be strictly true to say We start our ideological/ mental lives ā€˜Tabular Rasaā€™ (with an empty slate) we… like Birds who donā€™t need to be taught to build nests…We humans too possess some ā€˜instinctsā€™/ innate knowledge, and despite the latest controversial/ absurd claims by Evolutionary biologists that try and assert that we are born politically Left, or Right, or Libertarianā€¦.the reality is how we end up ideologically speaking as adults has a hell of a lot to do with the environment in which we live and the external influences we imbibe.

It is patently obvious to me that both Nature and Nurture work together in producing Human personalities, yet for now let put aside the discussion of Nature and focus on Nurture.
I raise this subject for discussion to highlight just how important our behavior as parents is in respect to effecting our Childrenā€™s perspective of the world and how they learn to deal with life, and how vitally important the Ideas and values we embody and teach them are to our children’s future well being.

Just two examples will suffice to get this discussion goingā€¦

The first is an article which appeared in the NZ herald
ā€˜Hate-filled Family made monsterā€™ read it Here:
Now in this article the brother of a Terroristā€¦ the French Scooter Killer Mohamed Merah whom Murdered 7 people (including 3 Jewish children) and died in a hail of Bullets resisting arrest.

Yet Mohamed was not born in a vacuume.
In a book he has written this Terroristā€™s brother dis-owns and condemns his own family members for filling his brothers head with hatred.
I would suggest that this is a very common thread within the Lions share of Radical Islamic extremists whom end up with a Rabid Race hatred for the Jews and others, and go on to become Terrorists, suicide bombers, etc.
Not having read the book I must ask why it is that this other brother did not become a terrorist too?
What saved him?
In what way was his individual nature and Nurturing different to that of his fanatical Brother?

hone
Racist radical and Mana Party Leader and MP Hone Harawera.

The Next example I would like to raise is closer to home (for Kiwis)ā€¦.that of the Racist Radical MP and Leader of The Mana Party John (Hone) Harawera son of the Rabid Racistā€¦ the Evil Titiwhi Harawera.
Now it is obvious to all what sort of upbringing Titiwhi gave her son!
She filled his head with stories of how the Pakeha (European invaders) executed a ā€˜Holocaustā€™ against the Maori people, and robbed them of their land, and have left them destitute. She has taught him that ever since the establishment of ā€˜White ruleā€™ Maori people have been trodden underfoot and suffered vile Race oppressions.

The end result has been to produce one of the countries most militantly hateful and racist personalitiesā€¦ Hone Harawera.
Mummy must be proud!
This tale would be common to many of our worst Maori Radical… like Tame Iti.
Thus from these two examples we can easily see that Haters do in fact grow on treesā€¦ They are carefully propagatedā€¦ nurturedā€¦ Indoctrinated.
We can be sure that had Hone been adopted out as a child to a Pakeha family (like my uncle was) that he would not be the same person today.
That many of the most vile Haters are born from Hate filled environments surely means we ought to mitigate our condemnation of Hone’s current attitudes and activities.
Putting it bluntlyā€¦ heā€™s been brainwashed from a very early age, and his attitude is almost to be expected.
We can see that his hatred for Pakeha, and his desire for UTU has less to do with factual history, and more to do with the vile racism of his mother.
It’s like an moral virus he picked up.
I suspect Titiwhi herself had a similar upbringing.

Of course depending upon how solid a moral foundation we ourselves have been taught by our parents, (and others) will determine how resilient we are against the hatred and prejudices of others throughout our lives. Ie if we have been taught enlightened values as a child, and wisdom about how the world really works, we will be able to fend off the vile lies and hate filled Bigotry of others rather than assimilating it.
This points to just how vital it is that we as parents take pains to instill enlightened and humane values in our children to fortify them when they go to school, and eventually out into the world.
So many evils are taught in school!
Today from primary school to University our politically corrupted Education system since the late 70ā€™s has actually taught our nations children many of the lies that Titiwhi taught her son!
And due to a serious lack of wisdom on the part of the average parent today we have an indoctrinated society of sheeple whom accept a heinously distorted view of the history of New Zealand, and embrace an apartheid system of Government!

Copy of bt
The Great Booker T Washington.

I do not suggest that All haters result from hateful upbringings, or indoctrination. I know horrible events in peoples lives can also generate hatered.
Nor am a saying Honeā€™s upbringing renders him morally blameless for his prejudices and activities as an MP. I have said what I have said with hope of understanding how such a bigot came to beā€¦ where many haters come from.
As an adult he is morally culpable.
If we look at such Moral exemplars as ex slaves, Frederick Douglas, Booker T Washington, or Equal rights activist Martin Luther King, we learn from them that oppression and prejudice does not justify reciprocation.
These Humanitarians were followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ… “Render no man evil for evil but overcome evil with good” .
They broke their chainsā€¦ not only the legal chains which kept their peoples under, but most importantly, the Chains that link intergenerational Race hate.
So I ask Parents here ā€¦ esp to Maori parentsā€¦ā€ What values are you teaching your children?ā€
ā€œWhat example do you set?ā€
Are You holding up a torch to lighten their paths, or are you filling their hearts with malice against their white friends and neighbors?
Will the values you have instilled help them to succeed in the world or will they hobble their ability to make good judgments… free of malice?
Tim Wikiriwhi
Christian Libertarian.

love thyir kids

Update: 28-4-13 Who Radicalised Boston BomberTamerlan Tsarnaev?

A High Calling.


Christian Libertarianism to aspire to.
Easier said than done.
Take heed ye Islamophobes, Homophobes, Ye Pharisaic Legalists.

Now I am not a Righteous Man, I am full of Human imperfection and only function as a Christian trusting in God’s grace.
This understanding humbles me and makes me more Libertarian… less legalistic and judgmental of the sins of others… and more acutely aware of how vile the bigoted and persecuting spirit of Religious self righteousness and hypocrisy is.

A Few Years back… in the height of the Wars in Iraq, and Afghanistan, A Zealous and otherwise Godly Christian brother ask me if I would come with him Downtown to confront the Muslims.
I could tell that his motivation was warlike… His intension was not to demonstrate Christian Grace.
I said to him that I would go with him if he could honestly say he would be acting out of Love for the Muslims, and not hate… That he desired their Salvation.
This stopped him in his tracks.
We did not go.

So many ‘Christian soldiers’ forget this most fundamental aspect of Christian action.
Some times I forget it too and need reminding.
Being kind to the Lost and Sinful is not the equivalent of condoning Evil.
It is to put Christian ideals into practice.
Christianity moves the world via Love, not Hate.
Through Humility, not Self righteousness.

Yes we must earnestly contend for the faith, yet if your actions are motivated by such festering and malignant desires as Hate, Hypocrisy, and Bigotryā€¦ you are not being a Christian at allā€¦ but the worst kind of Pharisee.

Christianity is Love in action…an appeal to reason and humanity.
It seeks to save those in distress.
It’s methods are not violence or oppression.
Indeed the true Christian will risk their own lives and stand between those whom seek to impose themselves and their victems.

True Christianity is Lighthouse in a stormy sea, not a Prison for the wicked.
It is a beacon for the lost and distressed.
A House built upon the Rock whose foundation is sure.
We have Good News!
True Christianity seeks to increase via voluntary subscription.
If you preach a gospel of Hatred and persecution, the only people you will attract into your fellowship are hateful people!
You will lead no one out from the Kingdom of darkness into the light.
Christianity is about a rebirthā€¦ a new and better way, not about feeding the worst of human prejudices and phobias.

When St Paul was confronted and saved by Christ on the Damascus road that was the end of his Pharisaic Legalism
That was the end of his spirit of Self Righteousness and Persecution.
Never again did he seek ā€˜Letters from the authoritiesā€™ to cast those of contrary beliefs in Jail.
Never again did he seek to stone to death sinners, unbelievers, or heretics.
He was forever changed by Gods Love, mercy, and grace towards him.
And that is what motivated all his future ministry unto death.

St Paul is our Apostle and example.
Let us follow him, as he followed Christ ie the Christ he met on the road to Damascus.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
(St Paul 1Tim1vs15,16)

Believe absurdities? Commit atrocities!

Over on my other blog (where I’ve wasted way too much time lately, but that stops right now) it’s often heard said (for example, right here) that

They who believe absurdities commit atrocities.

It’s often heard said to me. Apparently, I’m an apologist for irrationality, the epitome of stupidity and number among “they who believe absurdities”. Which, apparently, puts me on some sort of watch list. I’ll commit atrocities, for sure. It’s only a matter of time. Truly I tell you, I’m a ticking totalitarian time bomb!

In fact, belief in God is absurd. The Christian world view even more so. Tertullian, the early Christian writer who gave us the doctrine of the Trinity (the term does not occur in the Bible) is said to have argued, “Credo quia absurdum.” (“I believe it because it is absurd.”) I disagree with Tertullian. The absurdity (or otherwise) of Christian belief has no bearing at all on its truth or falsity. This is a point I want to return to in an upcoming post. All I’m saying now is, yes, I believe absurdities.

The belief that “they who believe absurdities commit atrocities” is itself absurd! And false. It’s axiomatic that all Christians sin. But few Christians commit atrocities. Most sins we commit are “venial” sins as the Catholics say, or “token” sins or “trifles” as Martin Luther put it. Not atrocities. The wages of sin is death. I sure as hell ain’t asking for a raise!

Charity is both a Christian virtue and an epistemic virtue, so I’m going to be charitable and assess the watered down claim that

They who believe absurdities are more likely to commit atrocities than those who don’t.

It’s an empirical claim. We have reason to believe it only if we have evidence that they who believe absurdities are more likely to commit atrocities than those who don’t. But we don’t. So it’s an irrational belief. (Stupid, too.) End of story.

Time for a quick sequel? The original saying is attributed to Voltaire, and I got to wondering if Voltaire actually said it. After all, he never said

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

either. (That was Evelyn Beatrice Hall.) So I did some research. Here’s what Voltaire actually said.

They who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

And here’s what Voltaire said next.

If the God-given understanding of your mind does not resist a demand to believe what is impossible, then you will not resist a demand to do wrong to that God-given sense of justice in your heart.

Objectivists score own goal! Christians sit on sidelines and drink beer. Sounds good to me.

Time for a quick coda? If you do happen to be in the mood to commit an atrocity, but you’re short of ideas, look no further than your friendly, neighbourhood atrocity vendor. (Psst! Want some atrocities?) (I’m kidding. Thou shalt NOT commit atrocities. I hope I didn’t really need to tell you that. You came here from SOLO? Oh, okay.)

WARNING: The lyrics to the song below rank among the most violent, gruesome and sadistic that I’ve ever set ears on. They qualify as extremely gross even by death metal’s usual lyrical standards. Self-parody? You decide. Either way, the lyrics are testament to Slayer’s pure epicness. As one YouTube commenter remarks, “Wow if this isn’t genius what the hell is.”

The Parable of the Flood

A man was trapped in his house during a flood. He began praying to God to rescue him. He had a vision in his head of Godā€™s hand reaching down from heaven and lifting him to safety. The water started to rise in his house. His neighbour urged him to leave and offered him a ride to safety. The man yelled back, ā€œI am waiting for God to save me.ā€ The neighbour drove off in his pick-up truck.

Flood

The man continued to pray and hold on to his vision. As the water began rising in his house, he had to climb up to the roof. A boat came by with some people heading for safe ground. They yelled at the man to grab a rope they were ready to throw and take him to safety. He told them that he was waiting for God to save him. They shook their heads and moved on.

The man continued to pray, believing with all his heart that he would be saved by God. The flood waters continued to rise. A helicopter flew by and a voice came over a loudspeaker offering to lower a ladder and take him off the roof. The man waved the helicopter away, shouting back that he was waiting for God to save him. The helicopter left. The flooding water came over the roof and caught him up and swept him away. He drowned.

When he reached heaven and asked, ā€œGod, why did you not save me? I believed in you with all my heart. Why did you let me drown?ā€ God replied, ā€œI sent you a pick-up truck, a boat and a helicopter and you refused all of them. What else could I possibly do for you?ā€