Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
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[ch. 13]
But since Celsus has declared it to be a saying of many Christians, that “the wisdom of this life is a bad thing, but that foolishness is good,” we have to answer that he slanders the Gospel, not giving the words as they actually occur in the writings of Paul, where they run as follow: “If any one among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” The apostle, therefore, does not say simply that “wisdom is foolishness with God,” but “the wisdom of this world.” And again, not, “If any one among you seems to be wise, let him become a fool universally;” but, “let him become a fool in this world, that he may become wise.” We term, then, “the wisdom of this world,” every false system of philosophy, which, according to the Scriptures, is brought to nought; and we call foolishness good, not without restriction, but when a man becomes foolish as to this world. As if we were to say that the Platonist, who believes in the immortality of the soul, and in the doctrine of its metempsychosis, incurs the charge of folly with the Stoics, who discard this opinion; and with the Peripatetics, who babble about the subtleties of Plato; and with the Epicureans, who call it superstition to introduce a providence, and to place a God over all things. Moreover, that it is in agreement with the spirit of Christianity, of much more importance to give our assent to doctrines upon grounds of reason and wisdom than on that of faith merely, and that it was only in certain circumstances that the latter course was desired by Christianity, in order not to leave men altogether without help, is shown by that genuine disciple of Jesus, Paul, when he says: “For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Now by these words it is clearly shown that it is by the wisdom of God that God ought to be known. But as this result did not follow, it pleased God a second time to save them that believe, not by “folly” universally, but by such foolishness as depended on preaching. For the preaching of Jesus Christ as crucified is the “foolishness” of preaching, as Paul also perceived, when he said, “But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and wisdom of God.”
~ Origen (c. 184-c. 253), Contra Celsus, Book I

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Although the Beetleborg episode itself is no longer on YouTube, I managed to save the Phantom's song from it. As the synopsis of the same at the IMDB explains: "When Flabber's old friend, The Phantom of the Opera, shows up needing a place to stay, the stage is set for trouble. The lonely Phantom turns his affections toward Jo and places her under a spell to get her to leave with him. Meanwhile, the unwavering terrible trio is doing its old song and dance again. Will the BeetleBorgs be able to stop Jo and the Magnavors before it's too late?"

["Phantom's Song - from Beetleborg episode "Phantom of Hillhurst""]

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THE COMING AMERICAN
by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)

Bring me men to match my mountains;
Bring me men to match my plains, --
Men with empires in their purpose,
And new eras in their brains.
Bring me men to match my praries,
Men to match my inland seas,
Men whose thought shall pave a highway
Up to ampler destinies;
Pioneers to clear Thought's marshlands,
And to cleanse old Error's fen;
Bring me men to match my mountains --
Bring me men!

Bring me men to match my forests,
Strong to fight the storm and blast,
Branching toward the skyey future,
Rooted in the fertile past.
Bring me men to match my valleys,
Tolerant of sun and snow,
Men within whose fruitful purpose
Time's consummate blooms shall grow.
Men to tame the tigerish instincts
Of the lair and cave and den,
Cleans the dragon slime of Nature --
Bring me men!

Bring me men to match my rivers,
Continent cleavers, flowing free,
Drawn by the eternal madness
To be mingled with the sea;
Men of oceanic impulse,
Men whose moral currents sweep
Toward the wide-enfolding ocean
Of an undiscovered deep;
Men who feel the strong pulsation
Of the Central Sea, and then
Time their currents to its earth throb --
Bring me men!

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"For many years the opening lines from Foss's The Coming American ("Bring me men to match my mountains / Bring me men to match my plains / Men with empires in their purpose / And new eras in their brains") were inscribed on a granite wall at the United States Air Force Academy to inspire cadets and officers, but they were removed in 2003 to harmonize in perception to the Air Force Academy's having become coeducational." ~ Wikipedia.

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[ch. 11]
Since, then, as reason teaches, we must repose faith in some one of those who have been the introducers of sects among the Greeks or Barbarians, why should we not rather believe in God who is over all things, and in Him who teaches that worship is due to God alone, and that other things are to be passed by, either as non-existent, or as existing indeed, and worthy of honour, but not of worship and reverence? And respecting these things, he who not only believes, but who contemplates things with the eye of reason, will state the demonstrations that occur to him, and which are the result of careful investigation. And why should it not be more reasonable, seeing all human things are dependent upon faith, to believe God rather than them? For who enters on a voyage, or contracts a marriage, or becomes the father of children, or casts seed into the ground, without believing that better things will result from so doing, although the contrary might and sometimes does happen? And yet the belief that better things, even agreeably to their wishes, will follow, makes all men venture upon uncertain enterprises, which may turn out differently from what they expect. And if the hope and belief of a better future be the support of life in every uncertain enterprise, why shall not this faith rather be rationally accepted by him who believes on better grounds than he who sails the sea, or tills the ground, or marries a wife, or engages in any other human pursuit, in the existence of a God who was the Creator of all these things, and in Him who with surpassing wisdom and divine greatness of mind dared to make known this doctrine to men in every part of the world, at the cost of great danger, and of a death considered infamous, which He underwent for the sake of the human race; having also taught those who were persuaded to embrace His doctrine at the first, to proceed, under the peril of every danger, and of ever impending death, to all quarters of the world to ensure the salvation of men?
~ Origen (c. 184-c. 253), Contra Celsus, Book I

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PSHAW!

"It is wonderful that five thousand years have now elapsed since the creation of the world, and still it is undecided whether or not there has ever been an instance of the spirit of any person appearing after death. All argument is against it; but all belief is for it." ~ Samuel Johnson, Boswell's Life.

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You like demonic teaching and doctrine. You like it. But I hate it.

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"Charlie chaplin like mr. Ben very funny :) :) :) "
~ YouTube comment on my channel.

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Logic is necessary to get at the truth or correctness of an assertion. All right now then, who do you know that is prepared to be properly and honestly logical?

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Even if noble and virtuous, people tend to think badly of a person whom Fortune casts aside (See "Phocion" by Plutarch.)

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"My pride, my ego, self-esteem. They are of inestimable value to society, indeed the very universe."

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A: It seems to me you believe the wrong teaching.

B: Oh? and why?

A: Because you are always torturing people and animals.

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And yet if you insist on not letting him get all violent and force himself on others, why he'll have no social life left! And he is, after all, a god.

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Honestly? That they have needed to bother me so much seems to be indicative of their own desperation. And yet who notices such things?

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Naboth won't sell, eh? Then Naboth must die.

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He feels bad because he doesn't really know how to do anything; so he figures if he owns and controls everything that will be his contribution.

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The tiny timers!!???!!

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