Hurlbut Connection

 Yesterday was a big day.  It was emotionally overwhelming.  I'm processing...

Confession Time

Far from Augustine's Confession, I will indicate which commandments I have broken and have a little discussion surrounding some or most of them.  I'll use the Dead Sea Scrolls' numbering and the KJV text:

1.  Yes.  Although I have never actively prayed to or consciously worshipped any other god, I have engaged in idolatry via putting things before God.  In many ways, with many different things, I have done this.

2.  Yes.  Of course I have.  Any time my anger got the better of me.  I've never blasphemed the name Jehovah nor Yahweh.  I have let loose the occasional JC, and of course many times GD somethings, which I see as the same thing.

3.  Yes.  There are many times I have not kept the LORD'S day holy, and not by skipping Church.  Working is not the only violation either. 

4.  Yes.  Of course I've broken the 4th Commandment.  I've done many evil things to, and said many evil things about, my parents.  God forgive me.  nb. This is the only commandment with a promise attached.

5.  No.  My first no.  Not only have I not murdered, I have never killed another human being.  By this, I mean that I have never committed culpable homicide, nor have I committed manslaughter.  I am not referring to the Butterfly Effect nor any like philosophy. 

6.  No.  That being said, I have broken this commandment in the eyes of Jesus, who believed that if we lusted after another, we have committed adultery, an impossible standard.  I can say with misplaced pride that I have never touched another woman, nor kissed her, nor fornicated with her.  And, if you consider premarital sex to be adultery, then change my answer to yes.

7.  Yes.  I have, during my lifetime, taken things that did not belong to me.  Once in particular, I took a wrist watch from another when I found it in a pocket of a shared coat when I was a child.  I try not to take what does not belong to me.  As an adult, I'm 99% successful.  Again, no Butterfly Effect here.

8.  Yes.  Not simply telling a lie, but the more severe and specific bearing false witness, yes I have.  There is always the temptation to lie to protect ourselves and to better ourselves.  Lying about somebody to achieve this end has happened, of course.  I try not to lie, especially about someone.  However, I have wandered far from the truth--more so as of late as I have embraced Utilitarian ethics and abandoned Kantonian ethics--where I feel that the truth would do more harm.  Once again, that being said, I am telling the truth in this blog post.  You'll have to trust me.  You can choose to believe me or not.  I am confessing for the benefit of my own soul, less so for your admiration. 

9.  Yes.  Who doesn't want a three car garage and an Olympic size swimming pool?

10.  Yes.  See #6.

20% isn't good.  Not at all.  Not a passing grade.  Let's add the Lord's commandments.

1.  Yes.  I have sinned against God.  See the first three commandments above.

2.  Yes.  An impossible standard.  I have sinned against other humans.  See the last seven commandments above.

Does it mean that I'm not a good Christian?  Of course it does.  There are no good humans.  That is why we need the Lord.

nb. Impossible standards are to be striven for, not achieved. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Does the End Justify the Means

We've always had *good* reasons to justify discrimination:  They're sub-human, heathens, infidels, gentiles, Jews, Black, savages, for eugenics, they're privileged, uneducated, conservative, Christian, for equity.  I didn't say there have never been good reason, just that I always oppose it in any form.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Fw: Failure Notice

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "MAILER-DAEMON@yahoo.com" <MAILER-DAEMON@yahoo.com>

To: "wramier@yahoo.com" <wramier@yahoo.com>

Cc:

Sent: Sun, Sep 4, 2022 at 2:41 PM

Subject: Failure Notice

Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.

<wramier.godwallblog@blogger.con>:

No mx record found for domain=blogger.con

---------- Forwarded message ----------

I was playing a D&D session recently in which the party took a job to wipe out advancing Orcs.  It was to become an ethical dilemma. 

As we entered the Orc encampment, we encountered little resistance. Then, the city guards who were with us started to slaughter Orc babies and families hiding in tents in the Orc camp..

Most of the party called for our side to stand down.  The guards continued the slaughter.  I turned on the guards.  I attacked them.  I saved an Orc mother.  Then, our own party member killed her.  

After the last of the guards had been felled, we turned to look at Orc rescue for the two Our survivors.  In the PvP arguement that ensued, one PC said that the job we were paid for was to wipe them out.  The counter from our Barbarian was that we were not in the business of killing innocents. 

The reply was that this was the natural order, the strong wiping out the weaker tribes and that they were too close to town and civilization.  

That raised my ire.  Was it too close to home?  I--of course--saw North American Indigenous peoples in my mind's eye.  And, the statement above angered me.  The first time I experienced anger over this issue, it was new to me.

I actually acted in anger.  I retaliated by stabbing a guard through the heart with my horns (Satyr), not effective but emotional escalation of agression. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

What's Trump

https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1407843877083156490

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Open Letter to Pierre Poilievre

I did vote for you.  But, I won't be an ass kisser and pretend that I didn't support Leslin Lewis.  

From 2015, when I lost all faith in the Canadian electorate in what became nothing more than a high school student council president election popularity contest won on name recognition, I watched your speeches in the House of Commons with interest and hope. 

"This guy can speak!  ...and he has it figured out," I thought.  I hoped you'd run for leadership.  I even asked you to on Facebook Messenger.  You didn't.  I supported Leslin.

This time, you did run.  But, I'm nothing if not loyal.  I had to support Leslin, loyal to a fault maybe.  I like what she had to say.  She represents me.  I can say the same of you.  So, no matter who wins, I win.

I can't pretend that I voted for you in the top spot on the ballot.  I financially supported Dr. Lewis.  I could be said to have bet on the wrong horse.  But, I did right by me.  This above all else...

Now that it looks like you have the leadership in the bag, I will support you.  I will campaign for you.  I hope you are the next Prime Minister, if for no other reason than to rein in government spending.  ...protect our rights, and give us small government. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Straight Bashing

D&D has been an emotional rollercoaster for me.  So, I joined a new campaign. It has all LGBT members--including the celebrity DM--excepting myself.

I was exposed to *hate speech* as a player said, "Of course, it was written by straight White men," in reference to the editorial staff missing racist content in the Spelljammer books.

The DM let it slide.  I seriously thought about contacting the DM via private message to ask if he was aware that I wasn't gay and to ask if I was welcome.  

I decided not to.  I don't want to be THE problem.  If I make it a problem, then I am the problem.  I decided it was better to remain silent and play the game.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android