Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
The good souls have moved on to bliss,
But these stayed behind to do us amiss.
Devils and false gods, how them then to defy?
When for Life we are willing to die
Left behind and all forgot?
They were not. They were not.
They took their own lives, true, it seems,
Yet only after being drowned in dreams.
How like poor soldiers slain they were
Did we know the truth that's pure.
While those who bore the cross sublime
Bought the victor's much needed time.
Peace may be all that some have left,
But then peace is all some need.
And there's no greater palm
Than to win that precious balm.
Always peace and only peace;
Only then does hurting cease.
Ah, There now, you see? And he hadn't even read my book!
This comes from the "First Apology" of Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 A.D.); and for the full text, see http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-firstapology.html
"...In our case, who pledge ourselves to do no wickedness, nor to hold these atheistic opinions, you do not examine the charges made against us; but, yielding to unreasoning passion, and to the instigation of evil demons [i.e. spirit people], you punish us without consideration or judgment. For the truth shall be spoken; since of old these evil demons, effecting
apparitions of themselves, both defiled women and corrupted boys, and showed such fearful sights to men, that those who did not use their reason in judging of the actions that were done, were struck with terror; and being carried away by fear, and not knowing that these were demons, they called them gods, and gave to each the name which each of the demons chose for himself. And when Socrates endeavoured, by true reason and examination, to bring these things to light, and deliver men from the demons, then the demons themselves, by means of men who rejoiced in iniquity, compassed his death, as an atheist and a profane person, on the charge that 'he was introducing new divinities;' and in our case they display a similar activity. For not only among the Greeks did reason (Logos) prevail to condemn these things through Socrates, but also among the Barbarians were they condemned by Reason (or the Word, the Logos) Himself,
who took shape, and became man, and was called Jesus Christ; and in obedience to Him, we not only deny that they who did such things as these are gods, but assert that they are wicked and impious demons, whose actions will not bear comparison with those even of men desirous of virtue.
"Hence are we called atheists. And we confess that we are atheists, so far as gods of this sort
are concerned, but not with respect to the most true God, the Father of righteousness and
temperance and the other virtues, who is free from all impurity. But both Him, and the Son (who came forth from Him and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who follow and are made like to Him), and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore, knowing them in reason and truth, and declaring without grudging to every one who wishes to learn, as we have been taught..."
Postcript. While I don't want to respond and comment on the above just at the moment, I would mention that I came upon it while reading volume two of (The Writings of) The Ante-Nicene Fathers by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, and American edition with A. Cleveland Coxe; having not long ago picked up the entire eleven volume set on ebay, including postage, for under 165.00 -- a terrific buy. One can also avail themselves of the same texts, and related others, free and online at: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/index.html
And people sing too, you know. And with Valentines just around the corner, here are two of our most relished recordings of Don and Phil Everly (with screens minimized since there's not much going on there.)
I sometimes wonder if we wouldn't like birds better if we didn't have so much to envy them for. And yet how positively dreadful the thought to have done without them as comforts and defacto companions all the years we've been living. In my close neighborhood alone, we have and have had the most delightful, and sometimes most unusual of feathered sojourners and travelers of the trees and air. The seagulls (whom I feed routinely, so that they will stop by and visit), are surely among the most magnificent of creatures; with sometimes a joyous sort of shout or laugh, and varied expressions of comical playfulness and unabashed exuberance. It's funny, for instance, to see a lone seagull brush aside through his mere strutting and scolding a gang of crows. And the crows themselves are funny also; with the females particularly notable for their putting on a noisy show that then prompts and gives the males an excuse to act up similarly. The occasional crowded convocations of these birds can be quite thunderous, and it's easy to see and hear what inspiration they gave to Indian tribal singing -- the voice of nature as about as pure and visceral as you could have it. Then there are the sparrows, and who are more dutiful and regular in congregating to descant than the crows, and who in the world is more proficiently cheerful? The pigeons, meanwhile, are eloquent by their mere lowing quiet; punctuated now and then with the whir of their wings or the murmurs of their coo. The tiny gray Bushtits don't appear very often with their buzzing, but when they do you could not think of anyone or anything more soft and gentle. Ah, yet no bird brings out silence more profoundly and profusely than an eagle or a hawk. Just the other week, a Red-tailed hawk alighted in a tree in my back yard, and all the little sparrows fled. The only animal that dared remain was a chubby squirrel clambering at his own leisure intermittently up the pear tree's thicker branches. The hawk, perched motionless, turned his head to look and eyed his movements, but otherwise gave it no thought, and after a while disappeared into the high blue yonder.
And, naturally, there are others, like the wee, well-behaved Juncos, and the colorful Northern Flicker woodpeckers, and, of course, the very sensitive yet affectionate (to their own) and hopeful Robins; Chickadees, Finches, Starlings, and Jays, et al.
In you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Audubon Society has a little booklet in .pdf, as well as presumably in print, entitled "For the Birds," and which you can download here. As for you who reside somewhere else, do a web search for your own region, and perhaps you will find there is something similar available for and in your neck of the woods.
"Gru's minions are all complete idiots...Can Gru keep his plans together with this kind of low rent work force?"
~ From "Clever TV's" preview of "Despicable Me," and for which see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ux9l8vsfnE
Notice the thinking here, poor people ("low rent") are "complete idiots." This is some kind of societal leadership and empowerment from "above," now isn't? My remark and questions then for "the champ" is, yes, you have phenomenal wealth and money, but what in the course of your entire life have you ever achieved to be really proud of (and that isn't more or less a complete lie or fantasy?) Furthermore, I wonder, how is it possible that some persons, as purported artists or media moguls, can make such lucrative livings supposedly saying something and yet really have very little or nothing to say at all? Indeed, deem it absolutely necessary to censor and blackball their opponents in order to avoid looking intellectually shallow and empty themselves?
Later Note. Yet in fairness, let's let "No Mercy," inc. have their say. (Though do note, any real resemblance between this "Napoleon" and the historical general is almost entirely imaginary. For one thing, Napoleon, like Alexander and Caesar long before him, knew the incalculable advantage to be gained from clemency and diplomatic forbearance; nor was he such a fool as to rave as this spokesman does. And while the fuhrer depicted here may suit the admiration and sentiments of those who control the greater market share in almost everything these days, needless to say, it's but an amorphous and wildly distorted reflection of actual history.)
Please, I beg of you. Don't laugh. Do not torture anyone anymore!
Yesterday, I was standing in line at a local department store and while doing so caught some of the film "Up" from the store's audio-video-pc area. Although much impressed with the animation, I was literally nauseated by the spirit of the thing. For as many times as a Spielberg and or Pixar film has ever tried to be funny, was it actually ever funny once? And was there anything ever more creepy than a child's role or character in a Spielberg film? (Check out, for example, the director's re-telling of the Frankenstein legend in his film, "AI.") When I got home, I went to YouTube to try and find out more about what "Up" was supposed to be about; and my surface dissatisfaction with the emotional phoniness of the thing was in no wise allayed, and my suspicions only reinforced as to Spielberg and friends being soused to the gills with sorcery and spirit people brain-washing. Indeed, so fulsome was the experience that I could hardly watch the clips and trailers very long for fear of getting witchcraft dirt on my clothing. I think I even spotted the ghoulish magician being portrayed as the giant bird ("Kevin"?) Well, if not specifically intended, that's about how some of these people see old ghoulish.
Who are you? Why are you doing this? Who, after all these many, many years, are you still hiding from?
Bad spirit people are the very worst evil there is, and yet many think nothing of them, indeed deny they even exist. Hence the degree and extent to which evil, including all manner of problems, is so unconscionably pervasive in this life.
If no (respectable) religion quite suits you, then at the very least wish the utmost and blessed peace and happiness possible to all believers of whatever faith who are sincere, upright, compassionate, charitable, and brave, or if not compassionate, charitable, and brave, then at least humble and (more or less) innocent.
What I say to him is this -- Just because they accept or take your checks doesn't mean that I do. So that insofar as these people sold me out to you on the basis of what turns out to be your false credit, as far as I'm concerned you will have to go to the penitentiary to pay your debts instead while the market value of your Heaven takes a corresponding nose dive.