RIP Antony Flew

Noted atheist-turned-theist Antony Flew dead at 87.

His conversion was somewhat controversial, as is his book, There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. Richard Carrier certainly thinks so.

I read his book and enjoyed it for what it is, a rather subjective work about a man's eventual coming to faith after a lifetime of pondering. With him it was mostly a form of the argument from design, but as with most people, there's more to it than that. It's well worth following his trains of thought.

I also enjoyed reading the internet hysteria over his conversion. Just follow the links and google away. Is a man's death worth a few googles?

Either way, you know the truth now, old dude. Be seeing you.

I Love This Guy!

Wow.

Stossel: What is a Libertarian?

This is probably the best piece on libertarianism I have ever seen on television. Stossel does s superb job of exploring libertarian thought:











I'd say I am closer to P.J. O'Roarke than anyone else on this show in my general outlook, although any of them are advocating an improvement from the statist quo. I think libertarians could learn a lesson from the radicals of the past. Let's do it through incrementalism.

We need our radicals to hold out the edge, but we need our libertarian moderates to actively pursue policies and candidates that can win. I can see that happening when I watch shows like this and scan the various libertarian and classical liberal sites.

I also want my word "liberal" back, because that is all we really are. Liberal used to mean we who believe in LIBERTY, but today it means those who are liberal with other people's money.

Obama is NOT a Socialist

At least according to Ron Paul:

“In the technical sense, in the economic definition, he is not a socialist,” the Texas Republican said to a smattering of applause at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.

“He’s a corporatist,” Paul quickly added, meaning the president takes “care of corporations and corporations take over and run the country.”

He makes a fair point. Obamacare, which is really just corporate welfare for the insurance industry at the expense of the people, looks much more like Mussolini's corporate statism than any real Marxian socialist program.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Let us never forget just how inhuman we humans can be....

Universalism vs. Eternal Damnation

Interesting debate between Gary Amirault of Tentmaker Ministries and professor/author Jerry Walls.


I find both views somewhat flawed. If one wishes to believe what the Bible says, it seems there IS a place that we can call Hell, the Lake of Fire, a place of burning and torment -- so it sounds like Gary is off there.

However, I do not believe it is eternal in the sense of forever. There are enough instances where it does say that eventually ALL will be saved, so I am satisfied that "Hell" is a place of separation, testing, burning off one's imperfections, and readying oneself for the wonderful relationship with God that Dr. Walls speaks of.

I believe we ARE free, but God's love is ultimately irresistible.

Hell is a place we are always free to leave when we are ready and after we have faced God's PERFECT justice -- and that justice is REDEMPTIVE, not punitive.

Listening to the two though, I think with a gentle nudge they can end up believing the same thing.

There Will Be No Recovery

Interesting video from Stefan over at Freedomain Radio where he discusses how statist democracies are just as destructive as other forms of statism:
I also like his take on how economic liberty produced the abundance that helped destroy it.

However, I see libertarianism growing everywhere among the people. People are learning elsewhere the things school should have taught them. Rand's sales are as high as they ever have been. More and more people on the left, right and center are getting interested in libertarianism. This makes me a bit more hopeful and optimistic than Stefan.

Nice how he shows that NO CONSPIRACY IS NEEDED, just a social dynamic of bankrupt philosophy that believes force and violence are the proper ways for humans to associate and that the immorality of modern liberalism and modern conservatism are all that is needed to destroy us economically.

Once again it shows how much we need real change, not the statist quo of Obama-ism.

/Hat Tip to my e-friend OrdoAbChao!

Henry Rollins: A Love Letter To Ann Coulter

One of my "late pass" moments. I can't believe I never saw this before. It's hysterical, but beware of Rollins amusing use of profanity:


/Hat Tip to KP!

Learning From Sweden's Free Market Renaissance

Interesting video about how interventionism brought about stagnation in the Swedish economy, and bringing the free market in has seemed to reverse that trend.

Are We Obsessed With Materialism?

I often hear people say that we have an overly materialistic society, but I am not buying it. We are a very wealthy society, due to riches that the opportunity of a (mostly) free society, but I don't believe we are really any MORE materialistic than other societies.

I know and hear of people obsessed with material things, but in my entire life I can only think of a few people who are really like that. By far the vast majority of people I see or read are seeking other things for their bliss: love, children, Friendship, community, God, all sorts of spiritual paths, fitness, and many things that can be facilitated by material things but they show that these material things do not satisfy.

Just look at how we frame most of our debates: take health care.

It is not a materialistic at its root. I feel it is about two ideological concepts that are hard to pin down, but neither is particularly materialistic. Broadly, it is a debate over altruism or liberty. One side would rather give up some political liberty for the sake of the common good, others believe that the sacrifice of liberty is too great and/or the common good is hurt by government funded or run health care.

Look at the abortion debate: one side believes in a woman's control over her own body vs the the other side, which values the fetus's right to life. It is an ideological, spiritual debate about self ownership and personhood.

Now granted, opposite sides often want to impugn motives -- it's easy to attack the other guy if he is a bad guy, so on both sides one will see one side saying they are doing what they are doing for greed -- but really, mostly, this is honest people working toward honest, non-materialistic goals of either doing God's will, serving their fellow man, and so on.

I see people from other countries behaving no differently -- they are as materialistic as anyone else, and the fights over there are framed similarly.

It seems everyone is somewhat materialistic, but no one wants to admit it and is perfectly willing to attack the other guy for it. I don't believe that any societies on earth are truly obsessed with it, however.

Now, if true, what might cause this social dynamic? Perhaps it is that the more abundance we have, the more we seek "higher things" a la Maslow. I tend to think it is a mix of envy and the simple human desire to think of oneself as a better person. If some dude or nation is richer than me, well then it MUST be because he is more materialistic.

I think it would do us all some good if we realize without a body there is no mind or soul, and without a certain amount of stuff we die. However the stuff isn't an end in itself for most -- we are seeking bliss and most of us find it in things more precious than stuff.