Secular humanists rock foundations of Christian nation

www.townhall.com ^ | September 1, 2003 | Phyllis Schlafly

[wardaddy]

woof!

[harmony]

"Hitler was a secular humanist."

Apparently his soldiers weren't.

Assuming that you didn't mention Hitler's beliefs because you are a trivia-geek ... can I now conclude that all Christians are evil because the Nazis had belt buckles with "God with us" on them? >:-)

[Maria S]

What's a "a dicto simpliciter", and what is its natural habitat? I think I may have seen a couple around here, but it's been awfully dry lately so I could be wrong.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Phyllis Schlafly article, PING!

Phyllis Schlafly ROCKS!

I've psycho-analyzed my ACLU friends. They believe they should continue safeguarding rights no matter what people may say about them. No need to thank that masked man!

[F16Fighter]

"You can expect to be attacked by a dog, a cat, a tirepart, someone who think's they are French and a very evil extraterrestrial..."

LOL -- Is it possible they're ALL (except for the cat) burnt out after trolling 1,129 FR Judge Moore/Ten Commandment threads?

[harmony]

Hehehe, good one Maria S, that post brightened my day :)

For the curious, to call a statement a "dicto simpliciter" is to say that the statement is a hasty generalisation. For example, the statement "Hitler was a Secular Humanist, therefore all Secular Humanists are called Hitler", would be a hasty generalisation.

However, unlike merely calling something a "hasty generalisation", using the phrase "dicto simpliciter", by merit of being in latin, has the added bonus of being insufferably pretentious ;-)

As for its natural habitat, I hear it's a shy creature. It doesn't like to make its presence known outright, preferring to place itself in such a way that it can make a quick retraction if pressed. See also "dog whistle".

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Evil? Moi? LOL

[Hyacinth Bucket]

No need to thank that masked man!

Hi Friend,
Could you kindly educate me as to what your phrase above means or refers to? I'm a little dense sometimes ;)
Best Regards,
HB

P.S. And your psychoanalytical diagnosis of your ACLU friends wouldn't happen to be Grandiose Delusional Psychosis, would it? :)

[NutCrackerBoy]

I've psycho-analyzed my ACLU friends. They believe they should continue safeguarding rights no matter what people may say about them. No need to thank that masked man!-NutCrackerBoy

Could you kindly educate me as to what your phrase above means or refers to?-Hyacinth Bucket

Sure. The Lone Ranger, wearing his trademark mask, saved the day but was gone by the time you turned around to thank him. The phrase one was ready to utter was "Thank you, Masked Man!"

My feeling is the ACLUers see themselves as heroic, and way too Lone Ranger-esquely modest to say so. Picture them stoicly waving off accolades.

The metaphor kind of stops there, but I go on. You see, harsh criticism rolls off their backs with the same ease as the (phantom) accolades. That criticism is always viewed as exactly the same as they get when they (oh so bravely!) uphold the free speech of KKKers and self-described Nazis.

They are immune to the idea that they may be wrong because they are such stalwart rights protectors!

[wardaddy]

I'll give them their due...they are insatiable.

[wardaddy]

Oh yes...lol....you knew I could not leave you out...no way.

You are the grand poobah...nah...ya'll already have one..lol

oh well...I'll think of something.

Your moniker is a bit omnipotent and hard to top actually.

If you were a Hobbitt freak, you could have been Sauron...hell that is taken too...as is Great Satan....but he may have been banned.

This is going to require concentrated brainpower of which I have precious little left, but I promise to try.

[NutCrackerBoy]

your psychoanalytical diagnosis of your ACLU friends wouldn't happen to be Grandiose Delusional Psychosis, would it? :)

I am not a psychoanalyst, but I impersonate one on the Internet.

My ACLU friends are neither grandiose nor delusional nor psychotic. I only wish they weren't so well-grounded in reality.

No, the diagnosis is definitely Hitler-neurosis. Their actions are geared toward preventing the mass brainwashing that is viewed to precede the rise of an oppressive power structure. Like true neurotics, their vision is myopic. Every John Ashcroft looks like a theocrat.

[general_re]

For the curious, to call a statement a "dicto simpliciter" is to say that the statement is a hasty generalisation. For example, the statement "Hitler was a Secular Humanist, therefore all Secular Humanists are called Hitler", would be a hasty generalisation.

Tut, tut - this is an example of the fallacious creation of a general rule from a particular case, so you want the fallacy of converse accident (the hasty generalization) here, not the fallacy of accident (dicto simpliciter), which is the fallacious application of a (usually reliable) general rule to a particular case. That is, "a dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter", not "a dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid".

Never let it be said that FR is suffering from a pretentiousness drought ;)

[harmony]

Oh, how embarrassing. A quick Google shows that I have indeed got it wrong. I think I'll leave the pretentiousness to the experts ;-P

[general_re]

Ah, but now you know, and you can be confidently pretentious in any company with this knowledge - you'll fit right in at William F. Buckley's next cocktail party, for example ;)

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Hi. Much obliged to you for explaining the "masked man" reference to me. Also, your breakdown of this neurosis ailing the ACLU types is quite fascinating and now I wonder if there's a cure.
HB

[Maria S]

"However, unlike merely calling something a "hasty generalisation", using the phrase "dicto simpliciter", by merit of being in latin, has the added bonus of being insufferably pretentious ;-)"

Two years of Latin many moons ago, but dicto-whatever simpli didn't stay with me, I guess. AND, rather than be called an insufferably pretentious elitist, I gave up using all Latin phrases.

Thank you...now all is in harmony again!

[ArGee]

You are thinking of "humanitarian." "Humanist" describes those people who believe that human reason is the pinnacle of life; thus a humanist believes there is no God.

I may be confused, but isn't one of the precepts of a godless world that there is no pinnacle of life? i.e. life has no goal, no purpose, no ultimate design. Therefore, there can not be a best or worst, highest or lowest. Therefore, there can be no pinnacle. Without G-d, human reason has no more claim to be the pinnacle of life than the reason of a gnat.

Shalom.

[Psalm118]

Let's check out a guy with attitude: Zaccheus, determined to meet The Holy One in the flesh.

One thing we know, as a hated "revenooer" the chatter of friendship was nowhere to be found in the extravagant home of Zaccheus. Only the clatter of gold, silver, and bronze coins filled the hush in the home of Jericho’s chief tax collector.

It wasn’t easy being the most hated—and one of the shortest—men in the city, but it was something Zaccheus had learned to handle. And punishing with tax increases those wretched people who despised him brought vindication. With each disparaging comment from the public, Zaccheus quietly plotted another way to bleed more money from their shallow pockets.

Zaccheus knew what he was doing was wrong, but he didn’t care. Overtaxing was his easy revenge. Yet the more he taxed, the more people hated him. So, Zaccheus taxed the people more. And the vicious cycle continued.

We can imagine him making his way through the city one morning, when he overheard two men talking about a man named Jesus. They said Jesus was on His way to Jericho and that He had healed a blind man earlier that day.

Healing the blind? Who was this man? Zaccheus wondered. There were taxes to collect, but that chore could wait. Zaccheus’ curiosity was piqued as he pondered how rich a man with such powers could become.

Before Zaccheus could even ask about Jesus, the mob of people following Jesus began moving in Zaccheus’ direction. Zaccheus raced around the crowd to see if he could catch a glimpse of this man with healing power. But it was useless as a few members of the crowd identified the chief tax collector and began shifting their bodies to shield him from seeing Jesus.

However, Zaccheus was not going to be denied. It wasn’t in his personality to surrender, evident in his ruthless tactics to collect money from tax evaders. Without wasting any more time, Zaccheus raced ahead and climbed a tree along the roadway.

And it was then that Jesus saw Zaccheus.

"Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house," Jesus said (Luke 19:5).

Not only did Zaccheus meet the Savior, he experienced the life-changing power of God’s Son by offering half of his possessions to the poor and returning four times the amount he had taken from the people. (v. 8)

His determination to find Jesus, along with a strong desire to obey God, made Zaccheus mighty in spirit.

Experiencing all that the Lord has for us does not just happen with a casual stroll in the park. Often, it requires our preparation and sacrifice, like climbing a tree or walking the extra mile. It requires seeking the Lord.

The writer of Hebrews states, "He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (v. 6).

What were Zaccheus’ intentions for seeking Jesus? Maybe they were pure and honest from the beginning, maybe they weren’t until later. His intentions weren’t nearly as important as his action of seeking. And if we truly seek Christ, we will find Him, and our lives will be changed.

Acting on Jesus’ words, Zaccheus "hurried and came down" from the tree. Then he turned to Jesus and announced his changed ways.

When we have an encounter with the Savior, it shouldn’t leave us as simply excited people, proud of our dinner guest. Instead, He transforms our hearts, reforms our minds, and renews our spirits.

In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul urges us to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

That’s what happened to Zaccheus. It wasn’t enough for him to stop swindling the Jewish people—he wanted to restore four times all he had taken as well as give half his money to the poor. This, no doubt, was a huge sacrifice for a man who sat comfortably in the lap of luxury. This, no doubt, showed that Zaccheus was a changed man.

There were others whom Jesus beckoned, yet they were unwilling to love Him above their possessions. Zaccheus, however, was more than willing to surrender it all to the Lord. He had spent many lonely nights counting his money, and now he wanted his life to count. For all his shortcomings, Zaccheus realized that following the Savior was the only way to true meaning and purpose.

If even only one reads and starts thinking long thoughts about the issue, this post will not have been in vain.

[freeangel]

later