Newton vs Darwin: Basis for Worldviews

I see 2 basic foundations for world views:

1. Newtonian.  The universe is orderly, with immutable laws governing its processes.
2. Darwinian.  The universe is constantly changing, there are no absolutes, & everything is relative.

Newton continued the quest for scientific truth started by Copernicus, the father of modern science.  Some say the Copernican Revolution, the birth of modern science, concluded with Newton's laws.  This worldview is the basis for all of our modern discoveries, & they laid the foundation for all the technological, medical, & scientific discoveries for the last 200 years.  This was the Age of Reason, where empirical truth overcame superstition, & science explained the world we live in.  It was an instrumental factor in dragging western civilization from the dark ages, & was the foundational basis for the American experiment, Natural Law, & other Enlightenment values.  Physics, Astronomy, Mathematics, & other sciences had a basis in empirical facts, derived from an orderly universe.  Most of these early scientists believed in a Creator, who made all things, & created Laws to govern the universe.  There was no conflict between science & faith.  Science was seen as a way to explain the universe, & to understand what God had wrought.

In contrast, Darwinian theory was based on change.. constant change.  Nothing was absolute, & laws could vary & change with the environment or other variables.

The Newton pattern is science’s holy grail: universal laws, fixed interactions described by tightly causal equations. The Darwin pattern is fundamentally different: universal processes whose logic, applied locally, creates a looser causality, including parts with behaviors that aren’t fixed, often involving choice and change. Hence detailed outcomes aren’t as mathematically describable or predictable.  ~JAG BHALLA

America was founded under Newtonian principles & the Enlightenment.  Marxism, Progressivism, & Socialism (among others) came from the Darwinian world view.  That is why the left is unconcerned with Truth, as a principle.  They are only concerned with the end result, & the means of getting there.  Expediency, not accuracy, is their focus.  Facts can be spun to make a point, or accomplish a goal.  Lies are ok, if they further the Cause.  The end justifies the means.  Hence, the pattern of mandated 'truth' by the left.  Evidence & scientific methodology are not important, but crafting a plausible belief system, that works with an agenda.

1. Naturalism is the only explanation for origins, science, & the existence of life.  Evolution is proven fact.  Those who are superior should rule.
2. Global warming (or climate change) is settled science, & show the need to give power to the superior elite.
3. Facts are irrelevant in examination of an issue.. Obama's birth certificate, Hillary's emails, Benghazi, all ask for trust, not critical examination & due process.  The Expert elite should be trusted, & the superior should rule.
4. Smear campaigns against ideological enemies are not base on empirical fact, but accusation & phony narratives.  'Racist!', 'Denier!', and other pejoratives are used in place of facts.  Trust the experts.  They are superior, & they should rule.

As long as the foundation for this worldview remains, the ideology will continue.  Unless a return to empiricism occurs, we will continue the slide away from the scientific method, back to science by decree.  Critical thinking has given way to belief in the elite, & opinion of 'experts'.  The constant argument is over credentials of the claimant, not the accuracy or evidence of the content.  But Truth is not a democratic process, or a matter of consensus. 

The only conclusion that can be made is the superiority of the evolved elite, & a mandate for them to rule.  This is contrary to American principles of self rule, & human equality.  It is a stark difference in worldview, but it has become the State Religion, & is indoctrinated in everyone from every institution in modern society.  It portends the end of America, & a return to the dark ages.

I do not see the election of Trump as an indicator of a return to Enlightenment principles.  I see it as a temporary setback for the progressive agenda, & a nostalgic gesture for 'the good old days' of American values.  The root is still there, & the indoctrination continues for darwinian, marxist principles.  As long as progressivism is seen as a benign or even preferable world view, the decline of America & the principles of human equality, freedom, & self rule will continue.

Although it is developed in the crude English style, this is a book which contains the basis of natural history for our views.
Karl Marx on Darwin's On the Origin of Species
December, 1860

Dear Sir:
I thank you for the honour which you have done me by sending me your great work on Capital; & I heartily wish that I was more worthy to receive it, by understanding more of the deep and important subject of political Economy. Though our studies have been so different, I believe that we both earnestly desire the extension of Knowledge, & that this is in the long run sure to add to the happiness of Mankind.
I remain, Dear Sir
Yours faithfully,
Charles Darwin
Letter from Charles Darwin to Karl Marx, October, 1873

Rights or Commodities?

In most of Western Civilization, there is confusion about what constitutes a 'Right'. Many times, what some people call their rights, are merely commodities, or privileges provided by a social collective. Let's analyze what makes something a 'right', vs a commodity.

A right is something inherent.. it is part of your nature as a human being, & is something you own, either by birth, or from working. Here are some of the elements of a Right:

1. A right is something you have, as an individual.
2. Someone can take or violate your rights, but you can also defend them.
3. Your Rights are not dependent on the involvement or labor of another.

During the Enlightenment, Natural Rights were defined as life, liberty, & property. Here are some examples of Rights, that belong to every human:

1. The Right to Life. You are born a free human, & have the right to live.
2. The Right to expression. You have the right to speak your opinion, & express yourself.
3. The right to belief. You can believe in whatever ideology you wish, & live whatever worldview you choose.
4. The right to property. You have the right to use, keep, & dispose of your property, that you have worked for, as you see fit.
5. The right of Liberty. You can choose your way in life, & make decisions regarding your future, your property, & your beliefs.

There are limits with individual rights, when they affect the rights of others. So any individual rights are always mitigated by the rights of others.. there are no universal rights. They are always interdependent with other people's rights. For example, your right to free speech ends at yelling 'fire!' in a crowded theater, or inciting riots, or slander.  And, as always, power is always the final arbiter of any human disputes, & individual rights will require this power to secure them.

Now, let's look at Commodities, & see how they differ from Rights. At the very core, there is little difference between a commodity & a privilege, & the distinction could be binary, just between rights & commodities. I have included 'privileges' as a subset of Commodities, as they are something provided by a collective social system, for the benefits of the citizens.

1. A commodity is something that another person creates, that is used as an exchange for other commodities.
2. A commodity must be worked for, by someone, to exist.
3. A commodity can be bought & sold, & is usually something tangible.

Here are some examples of commodities:
1. Food.
2. Clothing.
3. Housing.
4. Utilities.
5. Transportation.
6. Consumer goods.
7. Employment.
8. Health care.
9. Justice.
10. Protection.
11. Infrastructure.

All of these things require the labor of someone, to create them. None are inherent to anyone, but require the intelligent labor of another. SOME of these things can be provided as privileges, to a collective, if the collective wishes & can afford it. Items like Justice, Protection, & Infrastructure are commonly provided privileges by the collective social process. Any of these things COULD be provided by the collective, as a privilege to the citizens, but the cost & consequences should be weighed carefully, to see if it is a wise or viable action for the society to make. But none of these are inherent rights, as they require the active, intelligent labor of another to create them.

One of the problems in an affluent society, is the blurring between Rights & Commodities. Some people begin to believe that certain commodities are owed them, as an inherent right. They begin to believe that the world 'owes them a living', but this is usually an adolescent fantasy, that they outgrow. The problem really begins when this adolescent fantasy becomes a mainstream political belief, & is institutionalized. Instead of outgrowing the fantasy, they become entrenched in entitlement, & believe that they are owed all the commodities of life. But this is a skewed & distorted view of life. Usually, Reality educates people & they become aware of the need to work & earn their own commodities of life, & not consider them an entitled right. But some institutions & human circles become entrenched in entitlement, & begin to believe that all commodities are rights. You see this most commonly in areas where there is abundance, & a disconnect between the needs of survival & human labor. When affluence & easy money flows in a culture, many of the citizens lose the perspective that someone has to work to provide these things. Life comes easy for them, & they think it is that way for everyone. They live in a disconnected fantasy world, away from the struggle for survival that most humans have had, for all of human history.

Emotion & a Scientific Theory

Sometimes the question comes up, 'Why'? Why do we debate the 'theory' of evolution (the ToE) with such passion & intensity, if it is just a cerebral discussion about some scientific theory?

IMO, it is because it is NOT a scientific theory, but a basis for a philosophical outlook. It is the foundation for a World View, & as such carries tremendous importance. It is the core belief of a naturalistic view of the Universe. There are only 2 ways to look at the Universe, relating to origins:
1. Naturalistic.. all life (and complexity) is here from observable natural processes (that we have yet to observe or define).
2. Supernaturalistic.. all life is here from some unseen supernatural process, that we cannot observe, repeat, or define.

That has been the debate for millennia. I would like to point out some facts about this debate:
1. There is NO empirical evidence that compels a conclusion about either 'theory'. We can neither observe or repeat either mechanism of origins... either the natural or supernatural.. they are beyond the realm of science, & are firmly in the area of belief & opinion.
2. A naturalistic view is no more scientific than a supernaturalistic view. Since there is no science that compels EITHER conclusion, and since both are matters of belief, to claim one is 'scientific' while the other is, 'religious', is only a definitional dodge.. there are no facts that make concluding naturalistic processes any more 'settled' by science. It is an attempt to smear the opposing view to define one as 'science' & the other as 'religious'. Both are philosophical beliefs, with no compelling scientific conclusion.
3. ID, creation, alien seeding, or any 'supernatural' explanation cannot be observed, repeated, or even defined, as to the process. The ToE also has some mysterious process that cannot be observed, repeated, or defined, as it claims increasing complexity through gradual, cumulative changes in the genetic structure. A false equivalence is made, conflating 'micro' variability changes in an organism, with the ability to make 'macro' changes in genetic structure. This has NEVER been observed, & the science of genetics is making this concept seem less plausible all the time.
4. The 'data' of the fossil record does not compel either conclusion. The fossils are a partial record of past living things, not an exhaustive one, & the conditions of their fossilization are primarily unknown. Dating methods are highly speculative, rely on circular reasoning & prior assumptions, & are slanted in favor of a naturalistic view, when no such conclusion can be drawn by the mere existence of the data.

Some will dispute these 'facts' as they conflict with their BELIEFS about the ToE. But if this issue is studied without an agenda, i believe a thinking person will see the truth, & realize that the ToE is merely a belief system.. it is not 'settled science'. In fact, there are huge holes in this theory, that no one has been able to fill.

This is not really a new debate. Socrates hypothesized a 'naturalistic' theory of origins over 2k yrs ago, & there were no doubt people before that with that view. For over 2 thousand years, the popular naturalistic view was 'spontaneous generation'. That is the theory that life spontaneously is generated from non life. It was 'settled science' for millennia, until thinkers & methodology from the Age of Reason began to systematically dismantle it with real science. The final death blow to this 'theory' was in Louis Pasteur's experiment/demonstration at the French Academy of Science in 1859. There was now no valid 'theory' of naturalistic origins. The only option, they thought, was some supernatural one, which many found (and find) unacceptable. Ironically, & perhaps coincidentally, in the EXACT same year that spontaneous generation was debunked by scientific methodology, a 'new' theory of naturalist origins was taking root. Charles Darwin published his book, 'The Origin of Species', in Nov. 1859. Within 100 years it had become the de facto, 'settle science,' naturalistic view that spontaneous generation once held. It was a slow morphing, but eventually, the science caught up with the beliefs, & the ToE is the status quo belief for a naturalistic view of the universe. IMO, it was not because the ToE was so compelling, but because they had no alternative, since spontaneous generation had been debunked.

IMO, the distinction between spontaneous generation, & evolution, or 'abiogenesis & biogenesis' as Huxley presented it, is a redefinition. Evolution is merely a repackaged 'theory' of spontaneous generation, with a twist. You can see the 'evolution' of the ideology, which is a fascinating study of the human mind, more than anything.

But i submit to you that the reason for the wide belief & indoctrination for the ToE is NOT from compelling science, but necessity. It is the ONLY valid theory of naturalistic origins out there, & it is defended with religious zeal. The actual science is non existent, for proving gradual, cumulative changes in the genetic structure.. genetic science has not been able to confirm or demonstrate any mechanism or ability in living things to make those kinds of vertical changes in the genetic structure. You cannot add complexity, or chromosomes, or traits, by any visible process. It is a belief, that it happens, but it is not based on science.

And that is the reason, IMO, why the ToE is defended & promoted with such intensity.. it is not merely a scientific theory of origins, but is The Foundational Element in the naturalistic view of the Universe. As such, it cannot be pondered with detached intellectual reflection, but is the Central Tenet of Faith in the naturalistic religious view of the universe.

I believe this perception to be flawed, as there can be other naturalistic views, as history has shown. We may not know them, yet, but that is no reason to dogmatically cling to a fading theory just because our scientific knowledge is incomplete. The truly scientific minded person should be open to possibility, not dogmatically declaring 'truth' when the facts do not compel it. But the emotional investment with evolution blinds the True Believers, & they cannot even question their core beliefs, as they 'feel' it would betray their World View. That is the nature of Man, who is not always rational & scientific, but is driven by ideology, emotion, & a life assembled world view.

I do not expect this philosophical analysis to change anyone's perceptions.. those run too deep, & are a combined product of school indoctrination, reinforcement from human institutions, peer pressures, compatibility with ideology, & prejudice toward alternate views. But i offer this as a plausible explanation for the passion & intensity in this debate.

Mo Money

Money is a man made commodity. It is nothing but a symbol of value.. a representation of the goods or services offered in exchange for other goods or services. So Man, whether in positions of govt power or not, has the ability to 'create' this symbol. The true wealth is the goods or services provided by human labor.

This System of money has evolved in the human animal over thousands of years. It is a better solution for storing & carrying the wealth we have created than the items themselves. The problem lies in the nature of the storage unit. It lends itself to corruption & manipulation by unscrupulous charlatans. Money has ALWAYS been counterfeited by crooks & scoundrels. Whatever the storage unit, it has been faked. And the problem becomes exponentially worse when the ISSUER of the currency/money is complicit in the faking. This is what has happened with the American dollar. It was once a stable currency, with the full force & confidence of the American System of government. But thieves & scoundrels have infiltrated this system, & manipulated the currency for their own enrichment & their cronies. They have, in essence, counterfeited the dollar. By printing more than the value it represents, they dilute the real value of the dollar, which causes inflation. But all that does is steal from those who own these symbols of wealth, by behind the scenes meddling with the currency. Instead of providing a stable, consistent, reliable symbol of American wealth & production, they print out billions of paper symbols with nothing but reputation & nostalgia to back them. It is like a ponzi scheme.. a bubble of their own creation that will burst at some time, if drastic steps are not taken to bring stability & security to this global currency.

Debt itself is not a major problem. Absurd, astronomical debt is obviously a problem, when the ability to pay it off becomes untenable. Govt induced debt, filled with corruption, redistribution, & cloward-piven strategies of overload, use the system of money to accomplish their dirty deeds.

This, IMO, is not a flaw of the system.. it is the Nature of Man. When the citizens of a nation of self rule do not keep a watchful eye on the administrators of the collective organizational system, it is too easy for unscrupulous scoundrels to weasel their way into positions of power & use it to enrich themselves & their cronies. Bankers & other money related industries are too happy to go along with the corrupting practices, as long as they can work the system too.

I don't know of a better way to prevent abuses of public currency management except a system of checks & balances, like the American Experiment. But even it has become corrupted, as charlatans have taken over EVERY phase of the system. There are no watchdogs to warn of these subtle, behind the scenes meddlings. And the currency is a critical part of any society. EVERYONE is affected by the currency manipulations. Those on the inside, with connections to the power mongers, can profit from monetary policy. But everyone else loses. It has become a corrupt system of looting the working man.. stealing his labors with invisible, behind the scenes juggling of the money supply.

When a currency is stable, those who create things become wealthy. Interest rates are moderate, & provide capital for investment. Nobody gets rich by shuffling money around. A successful business MAKES something, or provides a useful service. But when a currency is inflated & unstable, the creators of wealth are robbed by the issuers of the currency.  A cursory check of our current system shows that money shufflers are the ones getting rich, now. Most people getting 'rich' now have not created anything, but merely expanded their money stores by shuffling it around.. speculation.. insider trading.. political maneuvering. The farmers, builders, manufacturers, & workers who actually CREATE something are slowly being fleeced by the diluting process of monetary policy.

Wall street loves this. Money shufflers have exploited the system for nearly a century, now, to get rich without doing any productive work. Govt insiders love it too. They do not call politics 'the revolving door to riches' for nothing. It is a method of getting rich by fleecing the producers, the favorite tactic of thieves & scoundrels for all time. They do no work themselves, but merely TAKE from those who have. What is most insidious about them is their pretense of being 'public servants'. They act like they ache with compassion for the plight of the working man, while they rob him blind of what he has worked for. They are not even honest thieves.

Solutions? It will not be easy, or pretty. JUSTICE will have to be applied to deter thievery.

1. Strict & swift penalties for public corruption.. confiscation of property, capital punishment, labor camps, guillotines.. something negative that will deter corruption in the public administration.
2. Management & administration of the currency by ELECTED officials, held accountable by other ELECTED officials in an open, transparent forum. End the FED. Remove the management of the American currency from special interests & private bankers.
3. Link the money supply to actual production. Formulas can be calculated to determine the proper amount of money to 'create', based on the actual production of the nation. Voodoo economics & subjective opinions or ideology are removed, when the currency is tied to real numbers.
4. Phase out the old, & establish the new. The old dollar has been ruined & corrupted by the FED & those managing it. Let the Congress mint a stable currency, as they have been charged to do by the constitution. The old FED issued one can be phased out, & has become less viable & useful as a national currency. A lot of money shufflers will be screwed by this change, but they were complicit in the corruption of the dollar so they should bear the brunt of the collapse. The working, TAX PAYING American citizen should be given priority in the initial exchange of old to new dollars, then the banks, investors, foreign nationals, & anyone else who has profited from the manipulations of the dollar.

IMO, with the fundamentals of the currency in such shambles, it will not matter who is elected as president. Pick your poison. We are in a downward death spiral, & putting a new pilot in the cockpit will not make a difference. Unless & until we can make DRASTIC changes to monetary policy, & return the management of the currency to elected officials who have some accountability to the public trust, the plunder of the treasury & the working man will continue.

The Greatest Mystery of the 21st Century: Money

At least so far... We are still relatively early in the 21st century.

This spring i've been dealing with a lot of collective organizations. ..attending commencements, interacting with police, fire depts, insurance companies, charitable fund raisers, etc. I am always amazed at the levels of entitlement among people involved in public institutions. The widening chasm in the American Discourse is also a matter of great concern to me, as entitlement sweeps the next generation, & each new crop of young people seem more entitled than the one before. Why? What is the source of this mindset? Why do people believe that other people owe them a living? 

I have been a philosopher & a student of the human animal all of my life. I am constantly intrigued by the root motivations of people, & the source of thinking & the evolution of philosophical agendas. The more i observe humanity, & analyze the thinking processes, motivations, & mindset of people, the more i have concluded that there are core differences in our perceptions about Reality. There are misconceptions that build upon each other, to arrive at a mythical view of Reality that has no basis. The fundamentals are flawed, & the subsequent conclusions are based on faulty assumptions.

Myth: Govt creates money.
IMO, this is the central flaw of modern progressivism. This is where leftist thought begins in their perception of reality, & where all other flaws in their thinking & conclusions originate. The reason is that this is not really a myth. Govt DOES print money. But they do not create the SOURCE of wealth.. they do not originate the True Source of money. Unfortunately, this myth is not only with the progressive left. It is sweeping the thinking of conservatives & other philosophical world views.

Money is merely a symbol of wealth. It is a means of exchange. All wealth in the human collective is created by Labor. Somebody has to work to create wealth, which is then represented by govt printed money. The ONLY source of wealth is in productive labor. The engine that drives the Human Economic Train is productive labor for the survival needs of humanity.

Sustenance: Food & water
Protection: Housing, clothing, defense from the elements & predators.
Those are the essentials. You can live without a smart phone, but not without water. You don't need tv or music, but you won't live long without food. EVERYTHING that we do is predicated on someone working for these essentials, & the rest of us buying their products with the fruits of our own labors.THAT is the Human Economy: You work & produce a needed commodity. Someone else does the same. You trade your products. ALL of the wealth generated in a society is done at the survival level. Luxuries & incidentals come later. Observation of many 3rd world countries, all of the animal kingdom, & the history of man should make this plainly obvious, but for some reason, it is increasingly mysterious, & the source of wealth is seen as coming from a Magical Provider: The Govt.

Bastiat wrote of this in the 1800s:
"Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." ~Frederic Bastiat

For the most part, people do not see themselves as mooching off of other people. They believe that Govt has a Mystical Ability to provide all the necessities of life: Food, clothing, housing, health care, pensions, & jobs. But that is a flawed perception of govt. Human governance is merely a collective action for justice & social protection. That is its prime directive. The working people of the land provide their hard earned wealth to PAY someone to administer justice & protection in society. That is the essence of Govt. And when those in this protective role use their assigned power to plunder & exploit the working man, they have failed in their basic duty, & no longer provide a useful service. They have become complicit with the looters of the working man, & no longer protect his labors. They have joined with the predators & eventually the working producers of the land cast them out & organize a new collective system of govt. Historically, the changes in human governance have not always brought periods of freedom & prosperity. Most of the time, it has been, 'Meet the new Boss... same as the old Boss'.

The Reality is that SOMEONE has to work & produce the necessities of life. Govt does not create food, housing, or clothing. They can only TAKE from those who have. That is why redistribution has a look & feel of Govt as the source of these things. The recipients of the free stuff do not see the force employed in taking it from someone else. They imagine huge warehouses of stuff.. a goose that lays golden eggs, or a money tree that generates the necessities of life automatically. They do not see themselves as mooching off of other people, but merely taking their fair share from the govt.

But it is a lie. It is Fiction. Govt has NOTHING, except what they take by force from someone who has worked. The champions of govt like to portray it as govt making things fair. The evil corporate exploiters of the working man are the targets of their Social Justice, not the actual working man. But that is a diversion. The corporate exploiters of the working man are ALMOST ALWAYS complicit with the govt looters. They work together in harmony to fleece the producers of the nation, to enrich themselves & to empower themselves with votes from useful idiots who believe the Lie. But they do not actually fleece the evil corporatists. All they ever do is plunder the working man.

As long as this perception of money & wealth remains, entitlement & collectivist delusion will continue. People do not see their survival needs coming through productive interdependency, but from a Magical Provider. Govt has become the new god, & the free stuff is manna in the wilderness.

Sola Scriptura

One of the central elements of Christianity is the concept of the authority of scripture, or 'Sola Scriptura'. It is perhaps THE most important part of christianity, for how can one define it without the historical appeal to the founders? Without the written accounts of the life & teachings of Jesus & His followers, there can be no continuum.. no continuity in the christian faith. We would be left floundering about in a sea of relativity, subject to the opinions & whims of the moment, with no anchor of history or record of the message He brought.

I am not addressing the canon of scripture, or the process by which the biblical texts were included as the authoritative written basis of christianity. That is another topic. This article is about the USE & AUTHORITY of the scriptures already canonized into what we now call the Bible. The early bishops, writers, historians, & apologists in the church attested to the importance of these scriptures. They were reaffirmed during the reformation, & many times before & since. The authority of the canon of scripture is a constant thread in the history of the christian church. The ONLY record of the words & teachings of Jesus are from the historical gospels, & the men who wrote & compiled the accounts. No apocryphal writings or later 'commentaries' or revisions have any basis, but are superfluous at best, & deceptions at worst.

Sola Scriptura has several key parts:
1. Inspiration. It is a revelation from God to man. That is the basis for its authority.
2. Sufficiency & Final Authority. The teachings from scripture override any mandates or decrees of men or councils, & is sufficient for faith. No additions or subtractions from the clear teachings of scripture are needed or desired.
3. Clarity (or perspicuity) & scripture interpreting scripture. "...those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them." ~ Westminster Confession of Faith, 1646. This concept is one of textual hermeneutics, a process of determining the intent of the writer. No special gifts or dispensation is required, but only typical reason & understanding of human communication. "The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly." ~ Westminster Confession of Faith, 1646

Here are some quotes from early church fathers.
"We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our faith." ~ Irenaeus, “Against Heresies” 3.1.1, c. AD 180

"Have thou ever in your mind this seal , which for the present has been lightly touched in my discourse, by way of summary, but shall be stated, should the Lord permit, to the best of my power with the proof from the Scriptures. For concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the Faith, not even a casual statement must be delivered without the Holy Scriptures; nor must we be drawn aside by mere plausibility and artifices of speech. Even to me, who tell you these things, give not absolute credence, unless thou receive the proof of the things which I announce from the Divine Scriptures. For this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning , but on demonstration of the Holy Scriptures." ~"The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril" Lecture 4.17, c. AD 347
This is a very good summary of the early church fathers, their esteem of the scriptures, & their place in early church history.

Irenaeus: He knew Polycarp who was a disciple of the apostle John. He lived from c 130 to 202 AD. He quotes from twenty-four of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, taking over 1,800 quotations from the New Testament alone.
Clement of Alexandria: He lived from 150 to 215 AD. He cites all the New Testament, books except Philemon, James and 2 Peter. He gives 2,400 citations from the New Testament.
Tertullian: He lived from 160 to 220 AD. He makes over 7,200 New Testament citations.
Origen: He lived from 185 to 254 AD. He succeeded Clement of Alexandria at the Catechetical school at Alexandria. He makes nearly 18,000 New Testament citations.
By the end of the 3rd century, virtually the entire New Testament could be reconstructed from the writings of the Church Fathers.
source:http://www.christiananswers.net/q-ed...rlychurch.html

This is a very interesting perspective from Cyril, from his lectures around AD 347.

33. Now these the divinely-inspired Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament teach us. For the God of the two Testaments is One, Who in the Old Testament foretold the Christ Who appeared in the New; Who by the Law and the Prophets led us to Christ's school. For before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, and, the law has been our tutor to bring us unto Christ. And if ever thou hear any of the heretics speaking evil of the Law or the Prophets, answer in the sound of the Saviour's voice, saying, Jesus came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it. Learn also diligently, and from the Church, what are the books of the Old Testament, and what those of the New. And, pray, read none of the apocryphal writings : for why do you, who know not those which are acknowledged among all, trouble yourself in vain about those which are disputed? Read the Divine Scriptures, the twenty-two books of the Old Testament, these that have been translated by the Seventy-two Interpreters.

34. For after the death of Alexander, the king of the Macedonians, and the division of his kingdom into four principalities, into Babylonia, and Macedonia, and Asia, and Egypt, one of those who reigned over Egypt, Ptolemy Philadelphus, being a king very fond of learning, while collecting the books that were in every place, heard from Demetrius Phalereus, the curator of his library, of the Divine Scriptures of the Law and the Prophets, and judged it much nobler, not to get the books from the possessors by force against their will, but rather to propitiate them by gifts and friendship; and knowing that what is extorted is often adulterated, being given unwillingly, while that which is willingly supplied is freely given with all sincerity, he sent to Eleazar, who was then High Priest, a great many gifts for the Temple here at Jerusalem, and caused him to send him six interpreters from each of the twelve tribes of Israel for the translation. Then, further, to make experiment whether the books were Divine or not, he took precaution that those who had been sent should not combine among themselves, by assigning to each of the interpreters who had come his separate chamber in the island called Pharos, which lies over against Alexandria, and committed to each the whole Scriptures to translate. And when they had fulfilled the task in seventy-two days, he brought together all their translations, which they had made in different chambers without sending them one to another, and found that they agreed not only in the sense but even in words. For the process was no word-craft, nor contrivance of human devices: but the translation of the Divine Scriptures, spoken by the Holy Ghost, was of the Holy Ghost accomplished.

35. Of these read the two and twenty books, but have nothing to do with the apocryphal writings. Study earnestly these only which we read openly in the Church. Far wiser and more pious than yourself were the Apostles, and the bishops of old time, the presidents of the Church who handed down these books. Being therefore a child of the Church, trench thou not upon its statutes. And of the Old Testament, as we have said, study the two and twenty books, which, if you are desirous of learning, strive to remember by name, as I recite them. For of the Law the books of Moses are the first five, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. And next,Joshua the son of Nave , and the book of Judges, including Ruth, counted as seventh. And of the other historical books, the first and second books of the Kings are among the Hebrews one book; also the third and fourth one book. And in like manner, the first and second of Chronicles are with them one book; and the first and second of Esdras are counted one. Esther is the twelfth book; and these are the Historical writings. But those which are written in verses are five, Job, and the book of Psalms, and Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, which is the seventeenth book. And after these come the five Prophetic books: of the Twelve Prophets one book, of Isaiah one, of Jeremiah one, including Baruch and Lamentations and the Epistle ; then Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel, the twenty-second of the Old Testament.

36. Then of the New Testament there are the four Gospels only, for the rest have false titles and are mischievous. The Manichæans also wrote a Gospel according to Thomas, which being tinctured with the fragrance of the evangelic title corrupts the souls of the simple sort. Receive also the Acts of the Twelve Apostles; and in addition to these the seven Catholic Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; and as a seal upon them all, and the last work of the disciples, the fourteen Epistles of Paul. But let all the rest be put aside in a secondary rank. And whatever books are not read in Churches, these read not even by yourself, as you have heard me say. Thus much of these subjects. ~"The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril" Lecture 4, c. AD 347

Without the authority of scripture, we are left with relativity. The scriptures are the anchor for the christian faith. Opinions of men can come & go, but the historical canon of scripture has stood the test of time.. it has remained the foundation upon which the believer's faith is built.

"Centuries of experience have tested the BIBLE. It has passed through critical fires no other volume has suffered, and its spiritual truth has endured the flames and come out without so much as the smell of burning" ~W.E. Sangster

Simple Economics

At almost any time in any nation's history, the issue of the economy is in the forefront. A vibrant economy creates jobs, brings prosperity, & enriches the nation. It provides a broader tax base for infrastructure, & can become a juggernaut of growth & affluence. And conversely, a weak economy brings poverty, austerity, & decline.

The wealth of a nation is tied DIRECTLY to several factors:
1. The Industry of the Citizens. A small nation like the early US & more modern examples of Germany & Japan show that an industrious people with a strong work ethic can work their way to prosperity, even with limited natural resources. Minimal dependency, minimal collective demands, and a culture of industry, opportunity, & growth all work together to bring prosperity to the nation.
2. Natural Resources. The more resources a nation has, the more they can harvest the bounty from the earth & convert it to national wealth. The US has abundant natural resources, & they used them to build the most prosperous economy in the history of man. Conversely, some nations with abundant resources seem unable to overcome the lack of industry from the people, or the corruption in the governmental system. Mexico is an example of this malady, as is Haiti & many African nations.
3. Minimal demands from the collective organizational system, AKA, Government. Some nations have an industrious people, but are hampered by an oppressive collective organization. Corruption & an elite ruling class burden the producers, & sap their motivation to excel. The more the working man is able to keep the fruits of his labors, & reinvest them in HIMSELF, the more industrious he is, & it snowballs the entire national economy. This one is the most crucial, as it can kill the other 2.

Those are the 3 basic factors needed for a prosperous society. As they decline, so does the national economy. All other 'fixes' are smoke & mirrors, & do not address the fundamentals. If we want a vigorous, vibrant economy, we have to encourage & stimulate these 3 things. With this as a foundation, here are a few basic Truths in any human economic system:

1. Wealth comes through production. It is not declared, & it cannot be printed. Only intelligent, industrious LABOR produces what is needed for human survival. All wealth begins with food production, as it is the most basic need. After the food needs are met, whatever is left goes toward shelter, protection, play, & luxuries.
2. All of society DEPENDS on the producers. Food, housing, energy, protection, clothing.. anything necessary for existence has to be WORKED for & created. The very young, the old, & the infirm all depend on the PRODUCTION of the working people around them. The more people there are in productive, useful labor, the richer & more prosperous the society is. And conversely, the more people there are in dependency, the poorer the society, & the greater burden on the working producers. The producing worker can have too many dependents, & be unable to overcome that financial drain on his resources.
3. Govt can do little to promote a healthy economy, but it can do a great deal to kill it. Too much govt interference, red tape, & bureaucracy only increases corruption, crony deals, & is a hindrance to a prosperous society.

Govt is the Great Fiction, that deludes people into thinking that everybody can live off of everybody else. It is a lie. It has NEVER worked, & has been attempted numerous times in human history. Too much collective dependency, with too many leeches on the working man take too much of his increase & discourage industry. Govt is an expense of the working producers, & needs to be kept in check, or it will become infested with looting moochers who will plunder the treasury & fleece the producers of the nation.

National economics is much simpler than it is presented. It is just simple human economics on a larger scale. But the same principles are in play. To have a vibrant, prosperous economy, you need the above dynamics. Industrious citizens, abundant natural resources, & minimal demands from govt are the 3 key factors for a growing, healthy economy. There are no short cuts. There are no magic pills or beans. It takes intelligent work from a majority of the citizens, with minimal govt, to bring prosperity to a nation. Govt does not help this process with energetic intrusion into the collective. The economy grows best when govt is unnoticed & minimal.