Monday, April 16, 2012

Drapetomania

In an excellent example of how the bad guys use pseudo-science to advance their causes, Dr. Szasz gives and excellent brief on psychiatry.


Saturday, April 14, 2012

It Is Enough

Luke 22 KJV

25And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
 26But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
 27For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
 28Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
 29And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
 30That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
 31And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
 33And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
 34And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
 35And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
 36Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
 37For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
 38And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Follow Up on CO

Disobedience is a negative example... CO is not about disobedience, it is about obedience to the good, true and beautiful... a positive example is to be fasting (I presume you are Christian from your essay)...

Also, you tried to get out by application (you don't like to create work for others) when a convicted CO is all about witnessing, "all war is wrong for this reason... and I am pursuing CO status because what WE are doing is wrong..."

"Would you kill someone threatening your mother's life?"

"Who knows when instincts would take over, and what I would do, but why would I have to kill someone who is a threat to my mother?  Why not just arrest him?"

My status was (is?) 1O, which means they send women and children into battle before me, so my status is rather hard core.  You haven't convinced me you are CO and I don't think you'll convince the Air Force.  But I think everyone is ultimately CO, it just takes a conversion experience.

These things take time, so you may very well have finished your obligations to the military before you actually arrive at an integrated CO position.  If you are an American, whether in the military or not, you are still making the war effort do-able.  Being in uniform is no more complicit in guilt for war than I am, having never been in uniform.

Get under a spiritual director's care, and pray and fast to overcome the demons who have you lukewarm (be ye hot or cold, for if you are lukewarm I'll vomit you out of my mouth..."  Rev. 3:14-16

Being in the air force with that spiritual journey a priority would rather forbid active participation in killing.  No doubt you'd end up filing papers for the rest of your commission, but there it is.

I'd read more of Gandhi, Thoreau, Emerson, etc...

And at the bottom of this page are  half dozen books that would be good, libraries carry them, you might find the book on Moslem pacifists quite inspiring in your struggles...

Pacifism is not an idea, it is a life.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Too Little Too Late

Here is a article on an Air Force fellow who wants out as a conscientious objector.  The article invites emails, so I sent this note along.

***
Dear Sergeant Rodriguez,

As a Vietnam era CO, my guess is your CO application will not be granted.  It is too calculated and cerebral, not evisceral.  You seem to be one who would continue to do as ordered rather than go to jail, and would not sabotage and risk a treason charge.

True CO has conscious ritual associated with the objection.  Debate and thought does not reach that level.  If that nauseous feeling had resulted in physical action of some sort (fasting to end the war, say) then your case might be stronger.

Also, to go from warrior to conscientious objector usually involves a conversion experience of some sort.  For example, one might see the role of mission coordination as participating in the third temptation of Jesus in the desert, the horror and the evil of advancing satan's work on earth.

Like many things, it is easier to stay out than get out.  I'm advising young people to stay out here (link to this blog)...
****

If you read his explanation at the link, you'll note he tried to get out of the Air Force by simply resigning, and THEN tried to go CO.  I did not mention it in my note to him, but a CO is usually pacifist in the sense he is constantly witnessing to anti-war status, his application looks passivist...  I think his application does not look good.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Fasting


Day five of my fast.  Time flies when you are having a good time. Days 2 and 3 are the challenge, since those are the days when I actually feel hunger.  After that, it is no problem, I could easily starve myself to death without any challenge.  They say you can go without much problem 30 days without food, 3 days without water and 3 minutes without air... beyond those, you are asking for trouble.  So limiting myself to seven days is to be a lightweight.

The point of a fast is to take something instinctive, like eating and self-preservation, and stopping, holding it in your hand, examining it and saying "no."  When you can do that to food, you can do it to just about anything.  That is the point, to gain liberation through deliberation.

I suppose it will not stop the wars, but what if 50 million USA men fasted this week?  I think then no wars.  It ain't gonna happen, but I do my part.  Heck, if ten men did it the wars would probably stop.

The first time I fasted for one day.  I thought I was going to die.  It was entirely psychological.  Over the years I extended it to 40 hours, that is no eats from 8pm Thursday to noon Saturday.  And these are not daylight fasts, I eat nothing during a fast.  From 8pm Friday Mar 30 to noon Saturday Apr 7.  Seven days with no food.

And by nothing, I mean no fruit smoothies, just clear liquids.  Chicken broth, sure, apple juice, of course, even beer (why do people find that funny?) but nothing solid and nothing pureed from solid food.  24 x 7.

I actually regret finishing the fast.  The energy, the lightness that comes on later in the week is nice, and there are pyschological and metaphysical dimensions.  

Coming off a fast needs be done right, moving from raw greens, to veggies, fruits, seafood and then meat.  I like a nice Crab Louie to break fast.  Another trick is when the fast is over, the body says "let's make up in one day what we missed last week."  Part of the discipline is to make sure that does not happen, the food not eaten is never recovered.

An MD once told me that after a couple of days the body begins to eat itself for support.  And it starts with what is worst and moves on through your body, so fasting is good.  He claimed it is good for checking disease in this way.  Who knows?

Jesus said some demons can be cast out only through prayer and fasting.  We've got demons to cast out from our midst.  Where is the fasting commensurate with the demon's presence?