THE FUNDAMENTAL STRUGGLES OF THE INDIVIDUALS AND THE NATIONS...

The Newton cradle shows that the external pressures do not perturb the center, and slowly, their momentum and influence fade away. But the political pressures and realities of today, show the opposite, bringing turmoil, excesses, deterioration and destruction to the fundamental pillars of society, they supposedly try to serve, improve and protect.

Mathematical logic which is at the core of the pulsating universe, it seems it does not apply to societal maladies, because of man´s provoked chaos and anarchy, in the first place, and wrong premises, absolutes, perceptions, approaches and solutions, in the end. But the consequences are mathematically and inevitably logical, even if man does not like it so, and pretends to change, conveniently bypass, or dismiss the natural outcomes.

In the absence of individual righteousness, balance, integrity, transparency and steadfastness, society, as a whole, putting aside the individuals, takes over as the sole absolute, in absence of the other individual or collective absolutes.

But society, as such, is usually overcome by elite groups, giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes of their own, or by a man overcoming such elites, through similar ways and means.

Authoritarianism becomes the Only Other Humanistic Social Option. But authoritarianism can only flourish through manipulation, coercion, pressure and deception. In there resides the menacing, and overwhelming, threat that pervades societies, as it is seen nowadays.

Francis A. Schaeffer, in his book “How should we, then, live”, states it very clearly, documented, and concise, when he asserts: Leftist or Rightest authoritarianism are only two roads to the same end. Manipulation and deception as intermediate objectives, and control of the masses in the end! This is the logical consequence of the loss of Christian consensus that permeates the social fabric of today.

He validly points out that in such an absence, no reason for young or old, committed to apathy, remains to prevent the giving in, if promised personal peace and affluence, through the mirage of power exercised by the masses they are part of.

Schaeffer points out some awful truths, hard to swallow and apprehending their rightful consequences, which are the manipulation and ultimately the destruction of the most fundamental pillars of society.

What are we talking about? What fundamental pillars? Which ones are manipulated? Which ones are crushed down and destroyed?

The manipulated and crushed down are the middle class and the lower classes or run of the mill people that constitute the foundation of the whole societal structure!

The manipulated one only, because it remains, without regards to the leftist or rightist manipulators who seek it or posses it? The financial power or CAPITAL, with capital letters, that uniforms the coloring of the ones who control it, through speculation, preservation, or both extremes compromising.

There are some overwhelming pressures, which, progressively, tend to prepare modern people to accept a manipulative, authoritarian government, being that of an elite group, or a charismatic but malefic man.

1. Economic breakdown. The spiral of inflation, leading to economic recession, and the fear of economic breakdown, swamping the individual and collective concern for freedom!.

2. The random violence and political terrorism, based on the premise that fear can be so great, that any compromise is worth security, if promises, even if not really delivers, such security!.

3. The threat of lower living standards altering basic attitudes, making authoritarianism more likely to be accepted because of such descending spiral of prosperity and a country´s place of power.

Mankind repeats itself, unendingly, through ages. Authoritarianism is nothing new and modern. It only adapts itself and its maneuvering to the circumstances. We just need to peruse through the pages of history.

Nowadays as in the days of Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, and we could go backwards in time, authoritarianism is most easily accepted if it is brought in, while seeming to keep the outward forms of constitutionality.

Does this ring a bell or a mosquito buzzing in our ears and conscience?

We should ask ourselves: What is that, that can give us a hope for the future? Schaeffer challenges us when he asks us: “how should we, then, live”. And I repeat: What is that, that can give us a hope for the future?


As Schaeffer points out, before we end up choosing our personal or collective alternatives and deciding which one to follow, we must place on the table of thoughts a reminder about presuppositions.

1. People act out their thoughts, whether they know it or not.

2. All depends on the world view one accepts and lives upon.

I must clarify that I have not been a Christian all my life and have had different world views before. But now, at the peak of my life thoughts, and having become a desiring to follow the right paths Christian, for the rest of my life, I accept and declare, as Schaeffer does, that there are only two Alternatives to Chaos, individual o collective one.

Either Authoritarianism or society´s affirming once again the original source of freedom, God, the Creator, and His revelation through Christ!.

It is either this or an imposed and an asphyxiatingly imposed order this will be. Man can live under the heaviest, as this one, yoke, and survive through the direst abuse and circumstances, but, my God, what kind of life would that be?

I SEE, I PONDER, I BELIEVE…

All these days there has been an ongoing and unending carnival and charade, in the social, political and media world, because of the unfortunate circumstances of a weak country, because of its “international poverty level” and lack of influence, finances or natural resources.

While assassinations, murders, repression, blatant human rights abuses of all types go unpunished when committed by the powerful of this world, all types of pharisaical prophets,

analysts, politicians, international officials, clamoringly pontificate against the unforgivable sin

of the paupers, daring to challenge the stalwart defenders

of the restoration of a broken democracy,

despite the existing and invoked reasons to expell a political abuser.

But, really, all this shouting and clamoring is really about, and in defense of, vested interests,

political corrupt juggling and shenanigans,

or fears of legitimate reactions by the peoples

oppressed in the name of similarly manipulated and corrupted democracies.

One thing that appalls is, that while is widely recognized

that imperfect democracy reigns all around,

theoretical but highy perjudicial financial ukases are being imposed

crushing the right of a nation to decide its own destiny,

within its own boundaries and its legally internal bounding political regulations.

And all this is, ironically done in the name

and on behalf of a convenient democratic control

and shielding of the abuses of the rulers or manipulators

of more affluent even if similarly corrupt nations.

One thing and a paramount one that is being manipulated, disguised or ignored

is the issue of the presence, influence or recurrence to the military

by the civilian players of societies, wherever or whatever they could be.

It is widely proclaimed the subjection to the civilian powers of society.

And it should so be.

But the roots of corruption lie within the civilian sectors of the society as such.

Civilians are the candidates to become part of the military to start with.

Civilians, who want to be part of this influential sector because they feel attracted to the mystic traits of discipline, honor and service to the country.

But also, some civilians, who want to access to the opportunity

to come out of the lower ranks of society and make a place for themselves,

even as populist presidents

if necessary to become so.

And civilians, who see in the military

the opportunity to become professionals of disciplines apart of the pure military ones,

or in the worst of the alternatives,

politicians who use the military

or military willing to be used by the politicians.

No one is born a military.

Let´s take for example the latest example of such a great political uproar.

It was wrong to use them to expel an abusing official,

but it is even contradictory

and wrongest that the deposed call upon them to be replaced.

It is absurd to call them gorillas and assasins one second

and defenders or paladins, the next,

if they accept to plot to recover what it was lost according to the civilian law,

or to become the mercenaries of what is being considered

the new fashion of populist governments of this world.

because that´s what they become when they are appeased

by being given newer toys like tanks, planes, uniforms, and political positions

in exchange of support of the coercive control of the populists

over the populations of the nations they have been able to officially lead.

Civilian issues should be solved through civilian channels

assuring that corruption and Constitutions or political and financial abuses

are not allowed and corrected.

In my eyes inmunity should not serve as a hiding shield

by the ones most responsible for the justice and justness of societal management.

The higher the position, the higher the responsibility

and the punisment in case of failure, abuse, corruption and greed.

The questions to answer are: are we or are we not?

Are we corrupt or are we not?

Are we corrupting or are we not?

Are we democrats or are we not?

Are we the cause or are we not?

Are we corrupting or are we not?

Are we manipulating or are we not?

Are we conveniently letting pass what we know is contradictory or untrue or are we not?

Are we profiting from the resulting chaos or are we not?

Are we inciting the violence or are we not?

Are we using the ignorant to serve as our shields or excuse or are we not?


Our world is made of beauty, music and harmony by God. But we do our outmost and our best to ruin it as if we could not live but in the midst of the cacophony of violence, disorder, injustice, chaos and abuse.

But this is only the negative side of the living coin of our lives. I still believe that man can straighten behaviors and paths. I still believe that as believe in music, harmony, music, truth and righteousness, capacity to correct mistakes and change ourselves and what is outside or ourselves.

For these reasons I present as the solution and way out what so many other good faith people believe. As every one of them I believe. I believe in God and I believe in man. And with the ones who sing and send messages of hope I say: I Believe In Music.

I could just sit around making music all day long. As long as I'm making my music, ain't gonna do nobody no harm. And who knows? Maybe I'll come up with a song to make people want to stop all their fussing and fighting long enough to sing along.

I believe in music. I believe in love. Music is love, and love is music, if you know what I mean. People who believe in music are the happiest people I've ever seen. So clap your hands and stomp your feet and shake your tambourine, and lift your voices to the sky; tell me what you see. I believe in music. I, I believe in love.

Music is the universal language, and love is the key to peace, hope, and understanding, and living in harmony. So grab your brother by the hand, let's sing along with me, and lift your voices to the sky; tell me what you see.

I hope we all will see the

THE WINDOWS OF LIFE!

And be able to tell one another:

Open your heart´s window and let your soul aerate itself! The mold´s odor you smell is that of aged dreams that did not before. Let the winds of hopes and change carry them away!

Liberate yourself from the bitter leftover from pains and rancors. Do a thorough cleaning of your heart´s window panes. If you do so you will have a better view of what goes on outside your closed “living in”.

Let light inundate everything, erase the dissapointments, the sadness of failures,

and the vice of suffering for suffering´s sake!

And above everything else, allow the sun to thaw the ice of solitude and loneliness...

Fall in love with a smile, and smile back in return! Light up the windows of your eyes!

Draw to you the hummingbirds, the butterflies and the fireflies!

Love the person you see every morning on your mirrow!

Open all the windows of your longings spilling over dreams.

No one dreams in vain!

It is not true that dreams flee. The people desist and it is then that they die!

Reinforce your longings basing them upon firms foundations. Build them up and day by day. Firm up your steps until you reach your rightful destination.

Do not allow darkening shadows, nor winds constraining walls, nor life silencing sounds.

Devise horizons beyond your windows,

enhancing the coloring of the available joyful circumstances.

Spread out truth and righteousness, encouraging words and generous attitudes all around.

Surely someone will be rescued from the darkness of gullibility, naiveté and deception!

And despair will become renewed hope

because of your encouraging actions, deeds and doings.

Reestructure your beliefs, clarify misunderstandings, correct mistakes

and forgive what needs to be forgiven!

Recognize the persons´worthiness, as well as what is most valuable in yourself.

And remember that:

There are three things in life that, when leaving, never come back to our lives:

TIME! WORDS! OPPORTUNITIES!

Three things in life that can destroy any person:

ANGER! PRIDE! UNFORGIVENESS!

Let´s not ever allow ourselves to lose three things:

HOPE! PEACE! INTEGRITY!

Three things in life have the highest values:

LOVE! KINDNESS! FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

Three things in life are unpredictable and uncertain:

SUCCESS! FORTUNE! AND DREAMS!

Three things in life are character building:

SINCERITY! COMMITMENT! HARD WORK!

There are only three truly constant and unfailing persons:

THE FATHER! THE SON! AND THE HOLY SPIRIT!

I ask GOD to guide you and protect you while and through your walking!

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Place yourself in the right place! Leave the running for the younger and fit! There is always a place, a task, a mission, according to our age, strength, experience, willingness and resolve!

For some will be the conquest! For others, just the fighting! For many, the endurance! For fewer, the opportunity to make changes and change themselves, hopefully into better human beings!

But always, count your blessings! And act accordingly as well! Be grateful! Be positive! And pray! We are never taller and stronger than when we are standing, humbled, on our knees.

Yesterday it was not a hectic day but one of timely circumstances, testimonies’ sharing and exchanges that led me, early this morning, to the above detailed conclusions.

There is something invaluable in life. And this is the passionate, enduring and not compromising personal integrity! It is what gives significance to our lives!

But as Life, being a process and a constant and evolutionary one, Integrity has to evolve side by side with it, to meet the challenges as they arise, without losing one bit of what it gives its name to it: INTEGRITY!

What I mean is that there is a corresponding stance to every circumstance in life. Lessons are learned and consequently are applied, so the responses are consistent with the actions they respond to.

Every cause brings about a consequence, an observation, questions and answers, and solutions, hopefully the better and the righteous ones.

Life is not static even if cyclically repetitive, and consequently, too, even at the risk of repeatingly renewing ourselves, as living human beings we must be dynamic and resourceful, placing ourselves in the right behavioral places and attitudes.

There is actually a tendency to overwhelm ourselves by submerging in the most vicious of the generational cycles, which is that of accepting and assimilating the incessantly pounding of deception and lies, until they become certitudes and truths.

That´s why we lose the right perspective of life and its rightful priorities. And I emphasize righteousness, not platitude, utopias, expediency, convenience or imputable inevitability. Even if and when, generation through generation, we see evilness and injustice prevailing most of the times.

It is up to us how to respond and find the balance in our lives. In a worldly way or a Christian one!

One of my sons, yesterday, emailed me his response to some of my comments. He pointedly said: “Hello, dad; impressive. I believe that all this has always been present in the history of mankind; today, the world is not better or worse than before (there is only more information and technology today), it just keeps refusing to recognize that it needs to give God His place, that only corresponds to Him. Only then we will be able to eradicate all the maladies you mention. Blessings!”

About the same time another one of my sons was chatting with me saying that he thought I was isolating myself within the boundaries of mordacity, frustration and despair, and that I had stopped listening to the subtle sounds of positive and optimistic change.

I must be honest. I felt some bothersome tingling under my emotional skin and I reacted kind of negative to him. I left my laptop and went downstairs where my wife was listening to praise and worship songs, spreading out of the TV set and the AdoraTV channel, as she usually does every morning, every day, while busily tidying up our home.

I found her in the company of a very nice and humble mature woman who comes around almost every day, selling cocoa powder little bags, to support her grandchildren, all by herself. And we started to share about blessings outpoured over us by God, throughout our lives.

And we talked and talked, and we smiled, rejoiced, and encouraged one another, while worship songs kept floating in the air. And we had to recognize that it is possible to live by faith, and that we can stand still knowing that He is God. And then.. we counted our blessings, we rejoiced and prayed!

And instead of crying out because we forgot how to live ending up living in regret and despair.

Or having giving up, resignedly, asking the Lord to take us by the hand and lead us to the home of eternal rest, before our due time to leave arrives.

Or listening to His Voice, telling the mountains to move and drown into the oceanic waves of His Grace, because He is God, He is Good, He is Faithful, He is merciful and dearly loves us.

From now on, I have decided to stay calm,

trusting God much more than what I already do,

balancing my life with awareness of what is going on all around,

but keeping my inner peace,

and praying for my own, as well as everyone else

who could find him/her/self

under pressure, coercion and deception by the rest.

I know it is not an easy task

as the remembrances of what we had to go through,

both individually and as a family,

so many years ago, because of similar political circumstances,

are usually extremely hurtful again,

and almost unbearable to accept.

Because in the end, and for all that really counts,

is necessary to remember,

that is easier and better to concentrate

on what is right, and what we can hope for,

than in what is faked, doomed or wrong.

SIX THOUSAND MILLION SOULS IN CONSTANT CONVULSION! SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

There is a very popular Mexican song that nonchalantly proclaims: I stumbled again, and over the same rock. What a lesson! Not a very encouraging one, but an almost doomed and tragic one!

One thing is clearly evident. We are seeing it today, in all the news, in all the international scenarios. Hypocrisy is the name of the game! And pharisaical hypocrisy is the worst of them all!

and it is not for lack of knowledge, information or inevitability that humans fail, wickedly behave, unremorsefully deceive, oppress, manipulate, inflict pain, and destroy not only reputations but also opportunities to work, to advance, to improve, as well as physically eliminate people as well.

In times or centuries past there was no hypocritical justifications as today. Force was understood as the usual means to impose doctrines, mores, social structures, empires, benefit for the powerful, when deployed by the powerful, the daring and the strong.

Nowadays, the mediocrity of the innerly weak but disguised as democrats, defenders of what is humanly good and desirable, if it goes according to their purposes and greed, is what it reigns.

Apparently, today is universally rejected the use of the force, incarnated in the widely vituperated military unless they are aligned with the self-called and self-appointed revolutionary democrats of the world, supporting and repressing the ones who dissent from their screaming and uncontrolled dreams.

Because of this omnipresent and pervading weakness trait that feeds itself to find strength in the anonymity of or the populist strength of the masses, all concepts of values have been tragically distorted.

Pompous and empty perorations replace the righteousness and assertiveness of truth and logic. And individuals, societies and nations have to endure or survive among the consequential chaos and divestment of what is rightfully ours, our personal and collective freedom and the right to progress along positive, not weird or distorted paths.

We have conveniently forgotten, if we are part of the privileged circles, or the national or international bureaucratic supporting leaches, the, at the same time, greatness of humankind within our earthly perception, as well as our minuscule being in relation to the greatness of the University, God´s creation, as a whole, as so pertinently and vividly a recently received message displays.

The whole human tragedy does not resides in the inflicted pain, but in the stubborn reluctance to recognize that we are temporary, and no one will live not even a century and half as the oldest patriarchs of before. And consequently we will only leave behind a cruel and stupid course on how to oppress and destroy, oppressing and destroying ourselves while doing so.

Because it is not an easy life that of the despot and oppressors! It is not a 24 hours a day task! It could be considered a 48 or even a 72 hours a day nightmare, because of the accelerated and deeper destruction of peace and inner well being, on their part, due to the unending and ever increasing stress that constitute the worst drug addiction of all. The drug of unlimited and wicked, unmerciful, and self-destructing greed for power and control!

And all within the confines of this minuscule but wonderful planet and world that has been given to us as our inheritance and the sublime mission to care for and protect, enjoying it but not destroying it because of insatiable cravings that bring so much confusion, manipulation, suffering, pain and abuse.

All above and around the Universe revolves, and our planet is just a minuscule speck of dust within the confines of its magnificence!

It is a beautiful place! But within that minuscule little dot we are all together: All our wars… All our problems… All our greatness, our pettiness and misery!

Within that minuscule little dot lies: All our technology, our art, our accomplishments! All civilizations, past and present.. All fauna and flora… All races and religions… All governments, countries and nations… All our love, our hate, our greed, our abuses, pains and defenselessness…

Six thousand millions souls in constant convulsion! Something to think about!

If we cared we could take this photo of the earth, gyrating around in the immediacy of the rings of Neptune, as a humbling lesson.

On one side, our insignificance in relation to the whole Universe, and about how irrelevant our problems and differences are, when seen from this greater perspective.

On the other side, our unbelievable hypocritical manipulations of the less privileged people to keep them under the yoke and the leash of our greed and ambitions!

Because of our incredibly misguides obsessions we are living in a vast and repetitive domestic abuse, at every social level from the individual, to the family, communal, national and international scopes.

We are incessantly repeating this despicable pattern of violation, rape, physical and psychological abuse within our personal circles of coexisting and living. The ones supposed to care, nurture and protect, on every side of the social equation, are the rapists of the human right to live in peace and progress.

This has become a spiraling disease, the worst pandemia of all them all. Because the rapists and the abusers become the raped and abused by the corresponding higher notch or this nightmarish and uncontrolled chaos, debacle and evil done!

I include in this every pseudo leader and agitator of this world. Even the most pompous and high fallutin, grave and sonorous, cynical and unremorseful social puppet or puppeteer!

And the most despicable thing is that all is being done in the name of human rights, dignity and democracy for all.

Life is not always dark and gloom!

Nor do gales and storm, even if ferociously blowing and raging, can sink our boat, when trust and hope keep them floating above the clashing and tumultuous waves.

This time my reflections will take not a sudden but an unexpected turn. All the while I was pondering about social, political and philosophical issues, small living and pleasant occurrences and details, like the flowers in our garden, were sprouting all around without me noticing or paying attention to them.

Little girls smiling at me at the residential fair square. Adolescents and young adults from my country of birth asking me to become my friends, through Sonico, Hi5 or Facebook, so I can share with them my memories, thoughts, concepts, and advise.

A wonderful wife quietly and lovingly beautifying our retirement home with so many treasures we have accumulated through the years. And then, in the moments I leave my hiding place and my laptop and internet connections, cozily warming my chest with her smile while reclining her head on my shoulder, as we sit watching TV and talk about so many little things that have brought happiness to our lives.

Digressing from the tiring and repetitive pounding of societal issues and crisis, and their influence on our citizen concerns, is a welcome gift and blessing from the Lord.

He leads us to remember that the origin in society lies in the family nucleus and its spiritual health and well being. He makes us remember the process He had been taking us through as the most exquisite jeweler, chipping away the impurities of the rough diamonds we are at the beginning.

He makes us visualize the progressive stages of our living, not only for our own perception, but for leaving it as an example of the divine planning ways, of His for His redeemed children.

He raises our awareness of the blessings brought through the vicissitudes and trials, to strengthen our resolve to keep walking, on the right direction, and over the entangled paths of this chaotic universal human behavior of today.

Usually, we, men, are fond of trying to solve the immensurable maladies and injustices of the world and in doing so we forget to enjoy the little things and life pleasures.

We fail to notice the family and friends gestures of love and care, and the smiles and expectancy in the eyes of little children. Naturally, everything we see, dark and gloomy, darkens our personal perspectives, affecting somehow all those who surround us. And we end up forgetting to live to the fullest extent.

In 1979 the singer Julio Iglesias with these lyrics and melody portrayed a vivid image of what our family life had been until then when our lives went through one of the most radical political up to down tumbling that separated us, as a family, for almost a year.

“Because of so much running through life without restraints I forgot that life is lived in a second! Because of so much shouting my songs to the winds, I am not as I was yesterday. I do not know anymore what I am feeling”. And we cried out and we felt as life would never again be the same

Naturally, the consequence was a period of years of frustration and attempts to regain what was lost and considered ours. Until it was inevitable reached the recognition stage, that there was no other way but to turn to higher goals and different masters than the ones that failed so miserably, because of the world imposed changes!

Turning to God was not an easy choice because of human pride and stubbornness. But one step at a time, and through the passing years, we finally understood that we could not go anywhere but to the Lord to keep our balance and sanity. And believe, this change required quite a lot of resolve and strength.

Time inexorably faded away while striving to raise the family in foreign environments that, bit by bit, became a stronger and steadier home than the one of the biological roots, irremediably uprooted.

There comes the times where longing to go home, not the earthy one but a perennial and unchanging one, overcomes our human spirit. In what humanly could be considered a feeble escape to safer grounds, we long for God to take us by the hand and lead us to His promised land, which would be our eternal solace and home, by his freely and by grace giving it as our birthright.

But His purposes for our lives are not to turn us into runaways, failures or weaklings, but to teach us how to live our lives to the fullest, despite any shortcoming, disturbance, challenge or trial.

He wants us to stay aware of the richness of life, if truly and righteously lived, learning to recognize and enjoy the blessings poured. Especially in the married life! Life that is the cradle of the future, and the example to follow by our siblings, friends and relatives, as they focus themselves in the real purpose of marriage!

This emphasis becomes clearly evident in these times of the blatant distortion of man and woman becoming one flesh for the purpose of life reproduction, mutual love, care and protection.

He show us how, in a balanced way, and an harmonious one that do not preclude disagreements and dissention as a maturing tool, He chisels and perfects the supporting pillars of the oncoming individual and communal lives of the future.

It is so comforting to be able to enjoy still being together and dancing as a younger lover, with the wife or the husband of so many years of sharing and caring. Especially when you are at home and your son rejoices while recording your joy while pirouetting around in the cozy living room of his house

This is one of the most comprehensive lessons and examples we can leave behind. And as a grown man who had tried his best to support his family in all types of circumstances, I can only desire, wish and pray for the little girls of today and the future wives of the future, that they find the rightful mate and companion, on due time, and with due respect, love and appreciation.

May God bless them with a richer life and many years to enjoy it, as He has done and keep on doing for us!

In the clash of concepts and ideas honesty and daring is paramountally vital.

This is a series of three posting that I recommend to read as a whole.

It is in the bona fide exchange where we can find common ground to stand up and upon so we face the vicissitudes of the day.

We are obliged to do so by and because of the experienced years already past and gone, trying to leave behind a legacy of lessons learned, pains endured, failures faced and confronted and hopes fulfilled and still waiting to be, for the benefit of our owns and the rest of the people who care, or dare to stop and think about not only what is going on, but why and how we can change for the better.

Mister Doug Indeap, be truly sure I appreciate your comments that I transcribe down here, to base my subsequent comments, reflections and beliefs, in order to enrich this exchanges of ideas, concepts and beliefs.

Mr. Indeap wrote: Doug Indeap has left a new comment on your post "Seeking again God’s face!

Feel free to enjoy your religion to your heart's content--but why attack the constitutional principle of separation of church and state?

The legislative history of the First Amendment belies the narrow scope you would give it. The first Congress debated and rejected just such a narrow provision (actually several) and ultimately chose the more broadly phrased prohibition now found in the Amendment.

In keeping with the Amendment's terms, the courts have wisely interpreted it to restrict the government from taking steps that could establish religion de facto as well as de jure. Were the Amendment interpreted merely to preclude Congress from enacting a statute formally establishing a national church, the intent of the Amendment could easily be circumvented by Congress and/or the Executive doing all sorts of things to promote this or that religion--stopping just short of formally establishing a church.

Moreover, such an interpretation would do violence to the free exercise clause of the Amendment as well. If the term "religion" in the establishment clause is read to mean only "national church" or some such, then "the free exercise thereof" protected in the following clause would not amount to much.

The government's religious proclamations you mention are relatively new. Congress voted in 1954 to add the words "under God" to the pledge of allegiance and voted in 1956 to adopt the phrase "In God we trust" as a national motto. Both were mistakes, which should be corrected. Under the First Amendment, our government has no business promoting or otherwise taking steps to establish religion.

The government certainly shouldn't be proclaiming in a motto on the money it prints for us that it--or we--trust in god. That's just not the government's role.

The unnecessary insertion of an affirmation of a god in the very pledge that our government calls on its citizens to recite in affirmation of their allegiance to our republic puts atheists and other nonbelievers in a Catch 22: Either recite the pledge with rank hypocrisy or accept exclusion from one of the basic rituals of citizenship enjoyed by all other citizens. The government has no business forcing citizens to this choice on religious grounds.

The First Amendment embodies the simple, just idea that each of us should be free to exercise his or her religious views without expecting that the government will endorse or promote those views and without fearing that the government will endorse or promote the religious views of others. By keeping government and religion separate, the establishment clause serves to protect the freedom of all to exercise their religion.

Reasonable people may differ, of course, on how these principles should be applied in particular situations, but the principles are hardly to be doubted. Moreover, they are good, sound principles that should be nurtured and defended, not attacked. Efforts to transform our secular government into some form of religion-government partnership should be resisted by every patriot.

CITIZENS OF WHOLESOME VALUES, THE DIREST NEED OF TODAY!

Two days ago, just a few hours after I posted some reflections, I received a comment from a person Doug Indeap, a Californian lawyer, that you can read in their entirety in the comments to the referenced posting.

I truly appreciate it, as it gives opportunity to keep on reflecting about how thoughts and concepts, not political, financial or social circumstances, are the core of the battle, that every human being finds him/her/self immersed in, nowadays.

It is my least and lesser purpose to get involved in a controversial exchange. The comments show that the posted reflections did hit their intended target: to make people stop, ponder, reflect and draw their own conclusions, hopefully for the betterment of life´s living.

It is not proselytism, religious intolerance or narrowness what we should have in mind. Individual reflection about the fundamental beliefs, ingrained in the inner realm of our spirits, should be sought, first and foremost. That inner place, where no excuses are valid, and rationalizing justifications have no place to pander to our weaknesses or conveniences!

Because everything, at one time or another, will finally become reduced to the individual, facing himself and the superior entity that gave him life and purpose, structure and destiny!

It is up to every individual to place him/her/self in the specific ladder step where he/her feels as belonging. It can be the highest one, as I and many of my Christian friends have decided to stand upon, meaning by this, the firm belief in a Divine Creator our GOD, GOD with capital letters, and not any one of those little gods we create to justify ourselves or our distorted cravings.

Because there are no atheists in life! If we forsake GOD we are unavoidably forced to replace Him with any of the minuscule gods of human making. The only difference, and the only reason for it, is our reluctance or denial of the ultimate reality of being wholesome, only when submitted to the only one provider of life and purpose for it.

Trying to place ourselves as the sole rulers of us and our surrounding environment is the fooliest thing to believe. Humans are fast becoming the curse and the destroyers of the whole earth, refusing to realize that we are just a fleeting second in its living cycle, and one of the less able species to survive to our own misdeeds.

It is for everyone to decide to believe if we descend from primates or monkeys, or from an evolutionary primeval cell, or from the chaos and chance, or from aliens curiously looking as caricatures of ourselves, even if being recognized as superior minds and entities.

It is also for everyone to cling to the human limited understanding and philosophies, proudly placing them at the top of everything, as if they were the ultimate conquest of the human rationalizations.

What we usually end up with is with such a stubborn clinging to controversy for controversy´s sake, by reacting instead of acting upon the challenging statements, without digging into their content, in order to extract what of good or meaningful they could bring to our lives, illuminating our minds and our spirits.

It is a waste of time the futile searching and dissecting of the whys, the whens and the hows, if what motivates us is just to justify our pretended truth instead of seeking the imperishable one that will make us free.

Freedom is an individual act, decision, circumstance or belief. No one can impose inner and real freedom or slavery upon us. The temporal controllers of this world can control, submit, manipulate or crush our material beings by excluding or denying opportunities to develop or support ourselves. But no one will ever become our masters.

There is only one master and I have decided that He is the God I believe in. I hope everyone finds and decides who his/her master is to be, and find completion and relevance in doing so.

And this allows me to feel free, and understand, the real possibility and logic of loving those who dissent and disagree with us, staying firm at the same time, and refusing patronizing attitudes, or coercions of any potential type.

I was educated in the United States, and I learnt what I consider the most valuable lesson that could have been taught to me. The Freedom to think, to believe, to dissent and to express ourselves with freedom, daring and peace in our hearts!

And this is what all is about: belief in the purest sense of the word. And this is not religion. Religion is just an assemblage of rituals and structured control of our emotions, spirits and minds.

Because religion or religious approaches are not limited to Christianity. Muslimhood is a religion. Humanism is a religion. Greed is a religion. Atheism is a religion. Capitalism is a religion. Communism is a religion. And so everything that human beings can devise and embrace.

They may start as a belief but distort their base and foundations when used to justify ourselves, and are used to build up controlling systems and structures. Controlling ourselves and whoever we lure, attract or force into our convoluted realms.

Belief in God and everyone decides what type of GOD or little god to believe in, is the innerest personal relationship that elevates our spirit to the levels we decide or dare to escalate and reach.

Hopefully we will be able to choose what is immutable and imperishable and unchanging. And standing by and on it precludes the selfish and intolerant tendency to demerit other peoples beliefs. But this does not mean at all that we have to be complacent, accommodating and accepting what is intrinsically wrong.

We just state our belief and understanding of life, and it is up to the listener, reader o bystander to accept or reject. There is no need to attack or be considered or dismissed as an attacker. That is just a diversionary tactic to evade confronting ourselves by confronting others, instead.

My reflections, meditations, comments, assertions, doubts, confrontation of what is offered as the mainstream of materialistic living, are intended for me, in the first place. If they serve or motivate others to do the same, blessed be the Lord.

We, ultimately, by own decision choose our way, hopefully for the better and not the worst, and hopefully, too, with love and righteousness, gennuiness and peace in our hearts.

We only must remember that humans are fallible and change-able and that all human endeavors are also fallible, incomplete, or at least capable of being differently interpreted or improved under the higher lights of higher understanding.

For all these reasons my dear friend there is no need to condescendingly allow me to “Feel free to enjoy my, by your so called, religion to my heart's content.

I AM ALREADY FREE BY PERSONAL CHOICE TO BE FREE, TO FEEL FREE, TO ACT FREE, TO SHARE FREE AND TO ACCEPT REBUKE OR CONDESCENSION AS A FREE. AND I HOPE YOU ARE AS FREE AS I AM. THIS IS MY PRAYER AND HOPE.

Believe me. It is not an easy thing. I have suffered, and I have endured. Things, circumstances and deeds too intimate to share, for reasons of political and social activism! And my owns did suffered and endured alongside us, my wife and I, and we are sometimes still enduring but free. May the Lord bless you as He has blessed us all along the way!

This is the reason, the justification and the strength to write and share, because people who care, as it seems you do, are the beginning of the unraveling of a better future for all, and the nucleus or the remnant in the times of crisis while it painfully victimizes so many around the world.

And I agree with you: There is no need, besides, to attack the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. The concern that raised your comments is worthy to be felt concerned about it. But it does not by all means preclude the analysis intended to better understand, define, and decide how it will affect our personal lives.

And there is no Supreme Court that can replace the supreme court of our own judgment, when rightfully and righteously confronting the ways and mores that try to control our lives.

We can be rejected by the controlling systems. We can be crushed in our livelihood. We can be punished when committed a crime, legally or real one. But we must remember that punishment start inside of us, not necessarily in the outside.

I sadly understand that society must defend itself, even if at times or most of the times the innocents and dispossessed are the prime victims of all the privileged and the schemers of this world.

What these constitutional principles allow, or should allow, is to interpret them, recognizing they are human principles decided upon by humans and consequently subject to different understandings, interpretations and even amendments as you so correctly point out when asserting that The legislative history of the First Amendment belies the narrow scope you would give it.

Narrowness must give in to higher and wholesome understanding and improvement, not just replacing one´s narrowness for another´ trying to “correct”, meaning by this to “change and adjust to our liking”, instead of analyzing and improving as there is always room for it.

We can argue and dissent but we must avoid throwing away the babies with the soiled water. And the babies are we and the soiled waters what we usually do when relying only in our human understanding and pretended supremacy over everything and everyone that surrounds us.

My only dissention in here is the assertion of belying and narrowness in scope. If we carefully analyze what was tried to be conveyed when my mentor Oren stated “We as regular citizens can call ourselves Citizens for Wholesome Values (CWV)” we should realize that the essence of the statement lies in the concept of “Wholesomeness of Values”.

We are obliged to seek and make this wholesomeness of values the most integral part of our being and living. If we do so we can make the difference without regard, because it does not matter in the end, on what sidewalk of the streets of life we are standing on or prefer to stay put for considering it the right sport for us.

More than being patriot, revolutionary, philosopher, activist, or whatever else, we must be faithful believer and follower of the higher and the rightheouster, and the juster and what brings peace and balance to our lives.

If we do so we will never have to face the inner despair of realizing how wasteful and useless and meaningless were the hard, costly and painful efforts of our misspent life when approaching the parting gates into eternity.

Eternity unknown and feared by many, but seen with hope and gratefulness by those who have realized in time that there were higher and worthier goals to achieve while we are still walking the convoluted, disorienting and ruthless paths of the present supposedly amazing human evolution and progress.

We as Christians believe that we are just passerbys who have the opportunity to do something good and lasting so our children may find well oriented signpost for their lives. It is up to everyone to decide what to do and what memories to leave to their own ones and any other needing guidance and advice to enable them to make more informed decisions of their own.

Keep on reading to enjoy the awesome history lesson f

rom an unknown to me American

in relation to her country of birth or adoption,

which for all purpose is the same.