The Great Stone Movers

Movers of the Great Stone

Who will help me move this great stone? It lies there in a most unappealing way, if it was turned, and then all its glory will be revealed.

Man has always admired the great stone, its strength, longevity, and mysticism. Early men worshiped it as the God Baal, and today you will find variations of this symbol around the world. This discussion would be more appropriate for someone more knowledgeable than me, but I believe my simple analogy will work. Just as that early stone admirer gazed upon his prize, did ambition set into place. He imagined the prestige that would surely come as others learned of his achievement. His name would be spoken within the circles of elders and soon many would aspire to raise a stone of their own. Fame was born in the fires of ambition, leaving all reason behind.

Families also deal with this same struggle on a smaller scale, but nonetheless if allowed to go unchecked disaster surely looms close by. When our children are small, all our hopes and dreams for them seem so possible. We are even tempted to relive our lives through them in order to satisfy personal failures. But as a family we too must move this great stone. It must be turned so that all can see its glory. As the children grow stronger we ask them to help us move the stone, sometimes without explaining our motives. “Come, push harder we have little time to waste” we call out. Some are obedient while others seek out ways to exclude them from the responsibility. We sternly scold those who choose to neglect the honorable cause, and admire the ones who never question their role. But what exactly is this stone? Is it only a material object with no real worth? Are we vainly demanding our children to slave their days away only to please a notion of fame?

Vanity comes to mind, as I continue to ponder my personal motivations for my family. If this is so, what path should I have taken? Should one let the stone lie, and allow foolish dreams to burn out in the privacy of our own homes? Is a family not a unit that requires success in order to remain viable and survive for the following generations? A failed family surely ends in extinction, lost to the ages never to be heard of again. So I say my friends, “Come, let us move the stone and let all see its glory!”

MONKEY MAN

MONKEY MAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ZFupjYbm4

It was a pitiful sight, the mutated corruption of nature that loomed on the road side. A jaw that pushed well beyond the profile, giving the look of an Neanderthal. Tractor trailers rushed by leaving a burst of wind in their wakes forcing debris to scatter about the roadside. A setting sun offered little comfort against the minus twenty degree high of the day. The night would be nothing short of brutal. Head on a swivel as the creature surveyed the ground for any salvageable debris. Nothing.

Two hours after dark, the creature settled in his nest under the interstate bridge. A modern day troll, saturated with urine and feces stagnated the air that enveloped the homeless vagabond. A deformed hand with knuckles the size of golf balls, retrieved the evenings sustenance. It was KFC container he had obtained earlier. Inside was a bountiful treasure consisting of an assortment of bones with tears of meat, a saturated greasy napkin, and a full container of brown gravy. Tremors told the tale of the addiction that had played havoc on his nervous system as he opened his prize. Fumbling around he put the drumstick to his lips. Blisters and cankers dominated this landscape, as their pain reminded their host as he opened his mouth. Maggots were not served with this meal; it had simply been too cold.

Dessert was as it had always been cheap wine... Luther turned up the "old bottle of rose" as he called it and took half its volume. A burp accompanied by the deep intestinal gas that would have been a horrific event anywhere else, but here it was nothing new. Hydrochloric acid mixed with his favorite alcohol was forced from his stomach to the back of his mouth. A "Chicken Barf" was the terminology. Sharp pains and burning sensations demanded his attention as the concoction resumed its former course. His esophagus was raw and porous from the years of abuse, Luther could not remember how long he had been on the road.

It was around midnight when he finally relaxed enough to sleep. The traffic had dwindled down to a sporadic one car an hour. Luther had a sharp pain in his chest. "Damn is I dyin?" He sat up clenching his chest. His breath was short and fast. A long roll sounded in from deep in his bowels and he knew it was only gas.... A stupid little grin of miserable contentment overcame his protruding jaw as he laid back down, "musa been dat ol chicken bone."

A bottle hurled through the night air exploding on the cement pylon on the bridge. Luther opened one eye, he had been on the road a long time and knew what it meant. Yes, some would say the crazy old monkey man was a fool, but Luther had seen too many fools die laughing at such ideas. He sat up to survey his surroundings, but found nothing out of place. The only other man he had seen out was a skinny white man, toting an oversized backpack. "Fool thinks he is campin," he chuckled. But he was long gone headed for Florida that morning, and should at least two state lines by now. The hour past slow, as old man winter's cruel icy breath chilled his bones.

"Go on do it,"...whispered a young voice. A teenager no more than sixteen approached the slumbering man. Broken glass gave his position away and announced his arrival. The twisted creature rose to his feet. As the youth stood fast soiling himself, the towering primate stood superior. A beastly growl was all that could be heard as Luther charged into the youth. It was not the first time Luther had been abused. He had bee set on fire, stabbed, shot, and pissed on, but tonight he was not in the mood. Survival of the fittest as Darwin would say, and the monkey man tore into the youth.

The accomplice was also in shock and hesitated before he gained the courage to assist his partner. He ran and jumped on the towering mass. Urine and feces took his breath as he flailed away at the senior. Luther had already killed the first youth. He drove his long thumbs in to the skull of his attacker. Eyes forced from their sockets made for an ominous scene. A knife found Luther's back and he knew it was bad. Enraged he wrenched the arm of his assailant, dislocating the shoulder. The sound was new to the untraveled youth, but Luther had heard it all too many times. An evil smile revealed rotten gums where a few teeth still hung on. "Damn you boy," roared the mutated beast! Luther retrieved the weapon from his left kidney and instructed the boy on the proper way to operate the device. "Like dis fool," as Luther inserted the long hunting knife an inch below the navel and proceeded north. The youth burst with fluid as the blade continued up to his sternum. "Long and deeps, long and deeps,"chuckled Luther as he fell to the ground.

Luther could feel the life force leaving his tortured frame as the cold damp air became insignificant. He could hear the youth struggling about on the ground trying to replace his entrails, but it was no use as he slipped from consciousness cursing the monkey man. Luther gave a final attempt to regain his footing, but he could not find the strength so he lamented and accepted his fate with dignity. “Wells I’s guess its time fo me to die,” no tears of regret, no unpaid debt to be paid the man was at peace and unafraid of the dark abyss of death.

WHISKEY DARWINS UNSEEN VARIABLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9SCWlEWivM

If you do not subscribe to Darwin or evolution then this article will be of no interest to you. However, if you do believe then here is a great theory that deserves some discussion. I have often marveled at the beauty of the animals great and small in our world, Siberian tigers, snow owls, macaws, horses, and deer to name only a few. But have you ever considered our species? Now before you blurt out some ridiculous remark take a moment to analyze what I am saying. In nature, selective processes have been on going since the beginning of time. Tedious and slow changes developing over millions of years give us the great contrasts we see in our world today. In our case I believe we have dropped the ball! Think for a moment about how your parents chose each other. Did they consider the outcome of dad’s feet and mom’s bottom? I sincerely doubted this was the case and would like to suggest another significant variable into the mix, whiskey. How much has sour mash contributed to the poor selection of certain breeds of humans?

If you have ever been to a party full of young adults drinking heavily you can grasp my concept easily. We have all heard the saying, “the girls get better looking at closing time” or “after a six pack.” As I am sure, the opposite sex has admitted to the same folly. Waking up beside a repulsive mate illuminated by the morning light is not an uncommon phenomenon and has horrific consequences. Becoming pregnant by a ugly mate, with no admirable qualities is surely Darwin’s unseen variable at play here, or is it? I would love to see some research on this ditty.

Our early ancestors definitely had to make some hard decisions, or should I say the mostly the females. Males could score and move on without any interruption is his ability to hunt and gather food. Females had to choose wisely, as she would be unable to obtain food later in the phases of pregnancy and the few following months after the child was born. Clearly, this is the reason women are physically more attractive than men are. This is when I believe we made our departure from our cousins. But something happened during mans discovery of agriculture and the domestication process needed to create civilization.

Civilization brought with a natural hierarchy masters and slaves. The masters had of course a bit more selection in their mates with the motivation of obtaining more wealth and social status. Now yes the masters could select the most beautiful mate, but they were the few compared to the slaves. Slaves were limited to their opportunity to mate and had to select what was available to them. Not to say that all slaves were ugly, but on ratio, I am confident they were not the cream of the crop. This pattern has continued up until the modern day though the classes are more diverse and divided in to manly levels of masters and slaves.

Incest, the original sin is prevalent throughout history. Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Europe’s Royal Elite attempted to keep the bloodlines pure a “mini me phenomenon” that had horrific consequences of birth defects. Incest also performed by the slaves and lesser peoples especially in isolated environments. Polygamy was an unknown strategy to overcome some of the detrimental effects of genetic pathologies, but as time passes in the bands the genes are duplicated and the pathologies return.

Bottom line;

We are all selfish, nasty monkeys with no real comprehension of natural selection. Our domestication has removed our innate ability to choose mates for their attributes and lead to random fornications with not so remarkable results. Our fear of the dark forces us to gather, a warm body is pleasant and sex is great! We are creatures whom seek companionship and at times can be desperate for it. Though we clearly still continue to demonstrate poor choice of mates it seems to me that whiskey has played its part as well. Think of all the illegitimate children of highly placed officials partaking in one-night stands. How many relationships were started while they were under the influence of whiskey?


John R Hill

TRAINING WHEELS

Training Wheels

I am what you might call a lost sheep. I held dear to the religious beliefs of my immediate ancestors at first just as child, totally obedient and religious. As time passed, I became more spiritual and found comfort in this position. Now that I have studied science, I am afraid the empirical evidence has swayed me once again from the flock. The flock, an interesting analogy that is given by thousands of ministers as they wield their version of the Bible, has been effective. Many believe that without religion the world would cease to exist as man would decent into oblivion with no morals or ethics. I will dispute this claim as best I can.

First, I would like to recall a familiar moral story about a dog and his prized steak. The dog has acquired a steak from the butcher shop and made a clean get away. Along his route on the way home, he crosses a bridge and out of the corner of his eye, he sees his reflection. He misinterprets the image as another dog with an even larger steak. Unable to fight back his greed he leaps into the stream. This hasty act leads to the loss of the prized steak and leaves the dog cold and hungry. Now everyone knows this story is fictional, but all can see the benefit of reciting it to children to learn the lessons it teaches. Even though we know that, the story is fiction we hold it as dear as if it were true and attempt to incorporate it into our society. This leads me to my next point of religion to create positive social norms.

Steven Pinker introduced me to the concept of the Noble Savage, in his book “The Blank Slate”. It is how some viewed the uncivilized world tribes, composed of peace loving men. His conclusion is that we are by nature, animals with the same selfish drives. Here one can make a good argument for the need of religion to band the people together and learn reciprocity. A deity that gives a moral law is in deed necessary to build a community. This explains the different religions that emerged around the world and how location directly influences the brand you subscribe. Evolution may have not succeeded without religion, but now I believe we are ready for the next phase of growth with science to show us the way.

Enlightenment is a word, thrown around loosely, spawning images of a Merlin-like figure gazing into a large pool of water reflecting the stars from the night sky. This as we all know is how the ancients began there quests, pondering the secrets of the universe. Imagination is our greatest adaptation and has lead to our great success as a species. Before science could explain these extraordinary phenomenons, deities were readily acceptable responsible parties. To shed some light on how the Catholic Church struggled to keep science in its place, finally in the year on October 31, 1992, Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Church state their remorse in how Galileo was treated and finally recognized that the earth orbits the sun. Innocent or guilty is probably a null point for the sake of argument here. I suggest that it is a sign of the times and to me a time of enlightenment.

Bottom line;

Humans are animals that have evolved from the motherland of Africa. Holding food, weapons, and tools man stood erect. Hunting is packs encouraged the first bands and reinforced the use of reciprocal behavior. Hunters are constantly devising ways to improve their skills communication, coordination, and preplanning. Now with the groundwork laid, these bands flourished and with the discovery of agriculture, the human race exploded overnight. Agriculture allowed enough food to allow the domestication of these wild bands. With their basic needs being met men were left to discern the world around them for the first time. Warlords and Kings quickly learned the lesson of a submissive populace in order to maintain control. Religion fell into place, by either naming these leaders as gods themselves or created through a divine union. As these practices passed on, one civilization to the next, religion was imported and improved upon with the lessons learned from the conquered peoples from before. Which leads me to my point; with all the moral stories learned and science, revealing the mysteries behind the veil it may be time to remove the training wheels. Religion served its purpose, but now I fear that if we continue to cling to these beliefs we are doomed to self-fulfilled prophecy of annihilation. The Bible, Koran, and Torah, are a few of our first books of reason, but should they be our last? I should hope not as we are living in a time of exponential growth in technology, and an infinite knowledge base resource sits in living rooms around the world. Never before have had access to so much, and I am not referring to shady sites, but real legitimate research illuminating the world! A time of enlightenment has dawn, where science will become our great book of reason, which may lead us finally to world peace and harmony.



John R. Hill

INCEST A LOT

INCEST A LOT

Our story picks up as Lot seems to be over his grieving for his wife turned into a pillar of salt. Zoar, the small town that would spare his life is not to his liking and he decides to take his two daughters and move into a cave in the mountains.

Ge 19:30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoarl and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.
Ge 19:31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth.
Ge 19:32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father.”

Now I know where the Mormons get their rhetoric in order to have daughters sleeping with the old wise ones. The oldest daughter’s plan to continue the linage seems innocent enough, except for the part about there are no men around here to lie with us. The fool hearty part is the drinking of wine with the intention of intoxicating the father enough to be unaware of his actions, but able to perform.

Ge 19:33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.

Here again pay attention to the wording, no excuses for translation. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.

Ge 19:34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I lay with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”

Again I have trouble with the logic here, as the daughter says, “ Wow you have got to try that.”

Ge 19:35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.

All come on now, we all know that sex leaves behind a distinctive scent. Papa got a brand new bag. Lot has to know what that old fishy smell has come from or maybe he did know what his mischievous daughters were up to and just played dumb.

Ge 19:36 So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.
Ge 19:37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab ; he is the father of the Moabites of today.
Ge 19:38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi ;he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

So yes there is a Santa Claus Virginia! Lot’s omnipotent semen successfully impregnated his two daughters and they went on to allow their father to create the Moabites and Ammonites. I wonder why the scribes omitted the questioning Lot should have had when his darling daughters came of pregnant. Unless the moral rationale is that, it is okay to sleep with father when no men are around to lie with and stuff. I guess that little town of Zoar had no strapping men available to sire these hot cave babes. Maybe the real moral here is to beware of daughters bearing wine.

The Holy Bible, New International Version. :Ge 19:30-38

SODOMIZE

SODOMIZE

Here is another troubling story from Genesis in regards to how women were seen in the eyes of the Jews of the Old Testament. For those of you who really believe we need religion to teach basic morals I ask you to look for the moral here. Two angels arrive at Sodom in search of 10 righteous people. If the ten are not found the city is to be destroyed. Lot, Abraham’s brother is camped at the gates of the city; he sees the angels and pleads with them to stay with him.


Ge 19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

Now here there is little description of the angels, so how does it that Lot knows their identity. Some would argue he was simply being a Good Samaritan warning strangers of the city’s horrific nightlife. Also, take note that he is a significant landowner, but bows burying his face in the sand as the two strangers approach.

Ge 19:2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
Ge 19:3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.

I have inferred here that the angels are attractive and dressed in a manner that may have implied they had wealth. As this wealthy landowner, insisted on having them stay the night in his home. This bread without yeast is significant, but I am not educated enough to rationalize why angels need to eat.

Ge 19:4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom —both young and old—surrounded the house.
Ge 19:5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

Clearly, the situation is deteriorating outside as these mad horny men surround Lot’s humble home. Now I understand cities can be clannish and known for making outsiders the object for violence in order to deter unwanted populace, but clearly, these men want a little something more. In my mind, I can envision mad mobs of men with clubs, torches, and blades, but to see a bunch of intoxicated men calling out for sex is in the least disturbing.

Ge 19:6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
Ge 19:7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.

Lot would clearly make a poor negotiator, as he does a terrible job here. “No my friends do no do this evil thing!” What exactly is the relationship Lot has with these people?

Ge 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

Now this part gets my blood boiling and should for you all, especially women. Being a father myself, this disturbs me and it would be a cold day in hell before I would give my daughter to a mob of sex maniacs. What makes it worse is Lot is sweetening the deal by informing the men that his two daughters have never known men and that they are more that welcome to do what they will with them! But don’t do anything to these men they have come under the protection of my roof?

Ge 19:9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. And they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
Ge 19:10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door.

The angry mob is not pleased with Lot’s offer and refers to him as an Alien. This opens a lot of questions, but for the sake of time let us stay with two. Has Lot suffered this “getting to know you” welcoming comity himself? Are Lot’s daughters so hideous that the mob considers it an insult?

Ge 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

Now I do not subscribe to miracles, but I would love to know how these strangers blinded a mob of men to the point they were unable to find the door to Lot’s home. There is no mention of a bright light, powder, or magic only the word struck.

Ge 19:12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,
Ge 19:13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”

Here the angels include Lot in God’s plan to destroy the city as it is clear there are no righteous people here. What I do find disturbing is the reference that the angels are going to destroy the city not God. Many believe these men are extraterrestrials, well I guess an angel is not of this earth.
Ge 19:14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry 90 his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city! ” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

Now surely the son’s in laws have heard about the two strangers blinding a mob of men and that something serious was about to happen. If they were laughing, it would show that they were not worthy of the two hot babes he had offered them.

Ge 19:15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished. ”
Ge 19:16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.

Here again I wonder how much of a participant Lot was with the lustful men of Sodom. It seems that for him to have lived so close to sin city that he could remain without becoming involved. Maybe this is why he pleads for the angels to take mercy on the city.

Ge 19:17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
Ge 19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please!
Ge 19:19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die.

Excuse me if I botch this interpretation, but Lot says your servant has found favor in your eyes, meaning that we are to serve the angels and Lord. Now that Lot is a safe distance away from the blinded mob, he relays the message that it is impossible for him to make it to the mountains in time. These details give me grief mainly because the angels and the lord should be quite aware of Lots potential mobility and would not ask him to do something he was unable to accomplish.

Ge 19:20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”
Ge 19:21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
Ge 19:22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar. )

Again, time and time when one reads the bible and finds oneself scratching their head. It is not because we lack the knowledge to comprehend only the material itself is simply not logical. Zero hour is upon Lot and his family, as the two angels prepare to let loose the burning sulfur meanwhile Lot is fretting over a place to hide. Then miraculously Lot calls out, “Oh look there is a little town, look how small it is. If I go to the small town, my life will be spared. As the angel drags his toe in the sand and sighs heavily, “Aw all right you can go to the little town, but hurry up man, we have schedule to keep!”

Ge 19:23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.
Ge 19:24 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah —from the LORD out of the heavens.
Ge 19:25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.
Ge 19:26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Many have cited these verses as the equivalent to a nuclear explosion, delivered by extraterrestrials. Burning sulfur is more akin to napalm, as some have theorized that maybe a volcanic eruption may have been the cause. Whatever one believes of the first two conclusions the fate of Lot’s wife should be the most ludicrous or horrific. To become a pillar of salt is truly unscientific and insane. Was she reduced to a block of salt for the sheep to lick? Could Abraham not see his brother’s wife frozen in time as he surveyed the destruction below?

Ge 19:27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
Ge 19:28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
Ge 19:29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

The conclusion here is not very satisfactory as we are given only few details of how this extraordinary event took place. Three angels earlier in which one turned out to be the Lord visited Abraham. Abraham challenges the Lord in his decision to destroy the city and haggles a deal that if ten righteous people could be found the Lord would spare the city. Well we soon learn that the whole barrel of apples are tainted and Lot may not be all that clean either. My issue with the morals of the story are profound. When is it okay to annihilate a city, simply because they have succumb to lust. Morale rationale here is plain to see sex is for procreation!
When is just to abandon your daughters to a crowd of sex maniacs! Clearly this work was not intended for me to read, it causes me great concern and reinforces my point. Why write a book that will continuously be disproved because of its flawed logic. Philosophical use here is still null and void if one reads the scripture objectively, as many believe the book is not meant as a literal translation. The only take home lesson here is the one that in order to rule people one must use fear.



The Holy Bible, New International Version. :Ge 19:1

Aryan

Word History: It is one of the ironies of history that Aryan, a word nowadays referring to the blond-haired, blue-eyed physical ideal of Nazi Germany, originally referred to a people who looked vastly different. Its history starts with the ancient Indo-Iranians, Indo-European peoples who inhabited parts of what are now Iran, Afghanistan, and India. Their tribal self-designation was a word reconstructed as *arya- or *ārya-. The first of these is the form found in Iranian, as ultimately in the name of Iran itself (from Middle Persian Ērān (šahr), "(Land) of the Iranians," from the genitive plural of Ēr, "Iranian"). The variant *ārya- is found unchanged in Sanskrit, where it referred to the upper crust of ancient Indian society. These words became known to European scholars in the 18th century. The shifting of meaning that eventually led to the present-day sense started in the 1830s, when Friedrich Schlegel, a German scholar who was an important early Indo-Europeanist, came up with a theory that linked the Indo-Iranian words with the German word Ehre, "honor," and older Germanic names containing the element ario-, such as the Swiss warrior Ariovistus who was written about by Julius Caesar. Schlegel theorized that far from being just a designation of the Indo-Iranians, the word *arya- had in fact been what the Indo-Europeans called themselves, meaning something like "the honorable people." (This theory has since been called into question.) Thus "Aryan" came to be synonymous with "Indo-European," and in this sense entered the general scholarly consciousness of the day. Not much later, it was proposed that the original homeland of the Indo-Europeans had been in northern Europe. From this theory, it was but a small leap to think of the Aryans as having had a northern European physiotype. While these theories were playing themselves out, certain anti-Semitic scholars in Germany took to viewing the Jews in Germany as the main non-Aryan people because of their Semitic roots; a distinction thus arose in their minds between Jews and the "true Aryan" Germans, a distinction that later furnished unfortunate fodder for the racial theories of the Nazis.

Cited Resources

American Psychological Association (APA):
aryans. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved December 04, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aryans
Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
aryans. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aryans (accessed: December 04, 2008).
Modern Language Association (MLA):
"aryans." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 04 Dec. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aryans>.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):
Dictionary.com, "aryans," in The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Source location: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/aryans. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com/. Accessed: December 04, 2008.

MY STRUGGLE

MY STRUGGLE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5kaMAA97QU

For all you big fans of the good old days and the dream of a whole nation of red-blooded conservatives I ask you to consider this. There is a reason that our country has two parties and for all their flaws, we must have this balance, as the alternative can indeed be horrific. Truly, we must caution what we ask for. Yes, I can hear the grumblings and the here here’s but, a simple history lesson will make short work of my case against our own radical fascist conservatives. Germany was devastated and humiliated post WWI as the Treaty of Versailles deprived Germany of various territories, demilitarized the Rhineland and imposed other economically damaging sanctions. The stage was set for WWII almost immediately as the German people would sell their souls to regain their national pride. A brilliant orator rose quickly through the ranks to emerge within a few short years as the Great Depression of the 1930’s increased the suffering in Deutschland. His name was Adolf Hitler.

Germany’s savior did not become a citizen until February 1932, he was ¼ Jewish, high school drop out, failed artist, meth head, and suffered from an abusive father as a child. Hitler spoke the words that humiliated, hungry, and unemployed Germans longed to hear. Promise of a blissful Third Reich, 100% employment, all male workforces, females would serve only as homemakers, and the world would look on in envy. Vanity can certainly blind those who believe that everyone needs to be more like themselves. Hitler’s message, perfectly timed as it attacked the Jews, communism, social democrats, free thinkers, liberals, and capitalists. A failed coup on November 8, 1923 outside a beer hall resulted in Hitler’s arrest for high treason. This later turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the orator’s speeches, allowed to run long during the trial and Adolf’s popularity grew exponentially. He also learned how to manipulate the legal system and released from jail later that same year. One more little note to take heed here, as Germany’s constitution abandoned, to allow the Führer to assume totalitarian control.
The Nazi’s had a powerful draw because of the masterful propaganda campaign that surrounded the party. A cocktail of strong nationalism, religiousness, and fascism led good people down a hellish road of death and destruction the world had ever seen.

Bottom line;
I guess the moral of the story is vanity can lead us to ruin. Self-righteous conservatives are so busy trying to make everyone like themselves they haven’t thought their plan through. I know some of you are probably saying that nothing like that could happen in this country but I ask you to reconsider. What if preachers and leaders around this country spoke out identifying the source of the financial ruin of this country is due to the free riding Hispanic illegal immigrants, liberals, free thinkers, social democrats, and capitalist. It is an easy case to make as these hard working people have come to the country and unintentionally sacked our healthcare, welfare, social security systems. They have taken tens of thousands of jobs away from our own, manipulate our legal system, and have not planned to stop their exodus into the Promised Land. The godless liberals and free thinkers are destroying our way of life, and the capitalist are self-serving themselves to the overflowing trough otherwise known as the stock market and federal bailouts.

ABRAHAMS MORALS

ABRAHAMS MORALS

I know that it is hard for some to come to terms with the celebrated great patriarch Abraham's unethical and immoral ways, to demonstrate such insane acts only for financial gain. I was shocked to have never heard of this story, through the many years of Sunday school indoctrination. However, Richard Dawkins drew my attention to the verses, right there in the good book. Here I would like to discuss this incredible tale and prove that in religion we only see what we allow ourselves to see.
Below God has sent Abram (Abraham) to territory outside of Egypt (Negev I believe) during this time a famine came over the land forcing Abraham to go into Egypt.

Ge 12:10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
Ge 12:11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.
Ge 12:12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

Now that the stage is set for welcome speculation, first God instructs Abraham to leave his home and go out into the desert in search of God’s purpose. He found himself in a hostile environment a famine and was forced to enter Egypt. He decides that he will be killed and his wife taken because of her beauty. So he formulates a plan to deceive the Egyptians and claims Sarai (Sarah) to be his sister.

Ge 12:13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
Ge 12:14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman.
Ge 12:15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.

The plan is going well and the desert dweller arrives on the scene with a woman so striking that he is taken in to the palace. Sarah must have been a knockout, because anyone who has been camping for and extended time would know that it is hard to remain beautiful under these harsh conditions.

Ge 12:16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
Ge 12:17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

Everything is great, but God inflicts serious diseases on Pharaoh or does he. It does not take a rocket scientist to theorize what kind of diseases Sarah has unleashed. Now what puzzles me the most is why the Pharaoh does not have Abraham and Sarah drawn and quartered?

Ge 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
Ge 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”
Ge 12:20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Besides the venereal disease Pharaoh asked what trick has Abraham played. He claims her as a wife and then curses her and orders Abraham to go. Now this part is a bit to swallow. The Pharaoh does not kill these deceivers, but instead rewards Abraham by making him wealthy. Abraham and his tainted wife were allowed to leave with all their recently acquired possessions. Now maybe I do not understand politics, but it is my understanding that you do not piss off the king, even an Egyptian Pharaoh. I imagine that you are saying that sometimes when the going gets rough we have to hard things to survive. I agree with that logic, but as you will see below Abraham breaks bad with some commando tactics to further his status.

Ge 14:11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away.
Ge 14:12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

Lot gets caught in the middle of a war zone and is captured, Abraham vows to rescue his brother.

Ge 14:14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Ge 14:15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
Ge 14:16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Rambo has nothing on this Hebrew hero, Abraham is over seventy years of age and with a band of shepherds 318 men he is able to defeat four kings and return with spoils of war, such as Lot and his possessions and women and other people. Also note that Lot was living in Sodom ( a nice little town of brotherly love).

Ge 14:23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you (referring to the king of Sodom), not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’
Ge 14:24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Now we see that Abraham has become a bit self-righteous, his Tailiban warriors have ruled the day and he wants to make it clear that the King of Sodom had nothing to do with the victory. However, being a truly frugal Hebrew, he decides that it would be wise to let his men have the food they have already eaten and the share that belongs to the men (how much of a share was this?). Abraham has now become a true con man and god warrior (magi).

Bottom line:

I would like to point out that most everyone you ask will surely tell you that we get our morals from the good book. Clearly, the morals of Abraham’s time are a lot different from today’s standards or is he the mischievous entrepreneur I paint him to be. I stand with others in agreement that we learn morals for the social and cultural norms that surround us in our environment. This begs me to pose the question can we live a moral and ethical life without religion. My answer is yes, we can experience love, companionship, community, and a sense of purpose without religion. I take it upon myself to prove this statement not with words but with my actions. I respect others and try to have a positive affect on their lives without striving for a reward in the clouds, just a simple thank you.

Reach out to your neighbor, loved ones, coworkers, or a complete stranger. Resolve to take comfort in your terrestrial action and it alone that is making the difference.

John R Hill.

SWEET IN MOTHERS EAR

Sweet in the ears of mothers…

All young boys have an innate primeval urge to become a warrior, provider, and hero. Someone to be respected for his actions in the face of death, not blinking as the blade comes down upon him and able to save his family from certain doom. Reminded of this phenomenon of our aspiring god warriors, watching a CNN news story covering HAMMAS terrorist group training in Israel reinforced my belief. Watching the clumsy movements of the new recruits, with their faces hidden by black cloth, and baggy fatigues marching in a swaggering manner, while seasoned guards firing AK 47’s all around in order to desensitize their nervous systems. It is easy to see their ambitious demeanor as they bond, forging themselves into the ideal God Warriors!
A song from the group WAR, “WAR…what is it good for came to mind” but instead WAR, I replaced it with the word RELIGON! Now before you begin to rant on about another cold hearted, Satan loving idiot, think about what I am saying. All of us, no matter what country you are from have been indoctrinated since we were able to speak to sing the praises of a certain deity, usually the one of our ancestors (Grandma and Grandpa). I will be the first to admit that in this respect a connection to our ancestors is vital in order to understand where we come from. It is important to our sense of belonging and a way to identify ourselves, but let us not lose ourselves to vanity. I am guilty of the promise of having offspring that looks like me, thinks like me, and enjoys the things that I hold dear. This is where nature has a hidden hand tweaking our systems for the survival of the species, even if it means taking a radical turn. In short, improving on the chip off the old block mentality replacing it with parts that are more efficient, and thus producing a hybrid, in accordance to Darwinian rules!
Now, to return to my point the innate need to belong, believe, and act as our ancestors did. Warriors, great hunters, and heroes can only become legendary if they are viewed in a certain perspective, on the one hand they are seen positive and on the other seen as negative. Pushing this point forward, consider the HAMMAS God warriors with their suicide bombing mentality. Now one might be tempted to jump on the radical Islam band wagon, but don’t forget those European Crusaders radical Christians, toting blood soaked swords into the middle east, which by the way had a detrimental effect on Mohammed as he composed the Koran. This is a good example of the perspective I mentioned before. European Crusaders did whole heartily believe they were doing gods work by reclaiming the holy land and were supported at home by generous donations to continue the good work. Just as the Crusaders centuries earlier, now groups such as HAMMAS are supported in very much the same way, only their goal is to drive the infidels from their land. Who is right is all in perspective.
This leads me to my point if you were to tell your son to go to war with the infidels for gold, do you think he would go with an extreme resolve. In my mind all conflicts are centered around gold no matter what the propaganda claims. For it is very safe to say that war is an expensive endeavor, a bottomless money pit. No one would partake in such a sacrifice over something as material as gold, but in the name of religion it suddenly becomes more palatable. Humans must surely be vain creatures, blinding themselves to the reality of killing their children over a branch of the same religion in this case! If you step outside the argument and say why would a pagan worshiper of Molech want to slay another pagan worshiper of Zeus? I would imagine your response would be that is silly those religions are outdated and false. My reply to this is when does a religion really become outdated? In returning to our perspective, it should become clear that being on one side you naturally become incurably biased and blinded by the fear of blaspheme into giving into the idea that blood must be shed in the name of God.
Now I imagine most religious people will be in a fevered pitch as they denounce such blaspheme and it only goes to show my point. We are indoctrinated, some even brain washed into repulsing any idea that has not been fed to you from a close family member or pastor. Before we dismiss this idea, reflect on your own knowledge of religion and see how many sound objective sources you credit for acquiring that knowledge. This is not to say that pastors and family members are ignorant or purposely misleading you, as they themselves have been heavily persuaded early in life and are passing on what they strongly feel is their obligation. In all fairness both Islam and Christianity, preach values of peace and forgiveness bringing a close supportive sense of community, in some cases. But I am afraid that these good examples are rapidly giving way to the negative side of religion as the focus shifts from forgiving and community to destroy thy enemy.

Bottom line;
Good intentions pave the way to ruin. Viewing a clip of a family of a suicide bomber declaring his oath to Allah while his mother grieves, along with close family members I asked myself how this could be happening I searched for an answer. Who can break this cycle of endless and senseless martyrdom? How when the people around you are so convinced that God decrees only destruction of the infidels will bring peace. My answer is the sweet promises of paradise for eternity for her and her children. All mothers want what is good and pure for their children. Unfortunately, they are being mislead by radical, self serving men exploiting their religion to attain power.