The Outpost

12/20/2021

The Morality of Capitalism
Posted on December 20, 2021 by admin Jim

We all want free and fair elections – well at those of us who truly believe in a democratic republic. Why? Because we think it is just and fair for citizens to have a say-so in their country, and that say-so is manifested in going to the polls and voting.
The same principle is true in capitalism. We vote with our dollars every time we spend money at the establishment of our choice. We are saying that we want that company to stay in business and say they should keep operating that business the way they have in the past. If you think that CEO’s make too much over the entry-level workers, then find businesses that reflect your values… if you don’t want to support companies that push CRT, then shop (or give) elsewhere. If you value Fair Market products, fine vendors who supply them.
If you care enough to take the time, you can investigate and discover what companies reflect your values and support them by voting for them with your dollars.
For a nice short video on the morality of Capitalism, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJr2RO7g7jI&t=33s
Walter Williams on Capitalism
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If you would like to communicate further about this or any other issues, please email me at [email protected] and we can chat. We can also chat on Messenger once I know who you are.
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For His glory,
Jim

12/20/2021

To you Christ followers: let Him be seen in your love, selfless service, and devotion to the Father.

To those who do not claim Christ, see those above who are striving to be a vessel of His love. You might see something important.

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

For His Glory,

Jim

12/17/2021

Check them out.....

TRINICY is a non-partisan, non-denominational association of Conservative Christians on Campuses in the United States and abroad.

VISION
Its vision is to advance Christian excellence in education through scholarship, leadership, and fellowship.

MISSION
Its threefold mission is:

1) To create a community of conservative Christians on campuses across the globe through engagement, education, and empowerment.

2) To confront Christianophobia (or anti-Christian animosity and hostility) in academia with biblical truth, love, and courage.

3) To campaign for reform in the University leading to true intellectual diversity, academic freedom, and freedom of expression

12/14/2021

The Great Unfolding
Posted on December 14, 2021 by admin Jim

Progressive Revelation

Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.

I Cor. 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the secrets of God.

Rom. 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the secret which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

“Progressive revelation means that while Scripture’s application to old covenant [generally, Old Testament] believers is different in some ways from its application to new covenant [generally, New Testament] believers, we do not reject any of God’s Word. It reveals one message of salvation that we cannot fully grasp unless we consider the whole of the Bible.” (https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/progressive-revelation/)

While everything in the Old Testament is true, not all truth is found in the Old Testament. The New Testament often explains and things unseen by the Old Testament figures and writers

The New Testament never contradicts the Old Testament, but the New Testament often shows and explains things unseen by the Old Testament figures and writers.

To children things which were better learned when they got older. Even now, Christians do not see everything clearly (I Cor. 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.)

For purposes of understanding revealed truth, it is of paramount importance that we take what the “more fully enlightened” New Testament writers as the basis for developing Biblical theology. Again, to reiterate this does not mean that the Old Testament is not true nor to be trusted; what it does mean is that the Old Testament must be read in light of what the New Testament teaches. When creating a Biblical theology, we must base it on New Testament revelatory material, and only after that is done, can we read and understand Old Testament doctrine.

Finally, it is important to be reminded that the problem, of course, is related to sin. Adam’s sin as well as our own. Sin is deadly and destructive. Sin ruins life, health, families, business, and societies. It is not a spiritual problem only. It is a real-life metaphysical reality. God designed and beautifully implemented a solution for sin. One of the promises to Abram and the New Covenant are historically God’s solution for mankind. Individuals can and have been “saved” outside of these two salvation dynamics in the Old Testament. After Christ, the only possibility is through the New Covenant.

Weird Christmas message isn’t it?

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If you would like to communicate further about this or any other issues, please email me at [email protected] and we can chat. We can also chat on Messenger once I know who you are.

If you would like to read more of my thoughts, please visit my blog: https://jimshaul.org and follow me there.

If you appreciate my posts, please consider Liking them and Sharing them below if you think they could be a blessing to others.

For His glory,

Jim

12/04/2021

Taking People at Their Word
Posted on December 4, 2021 by admin Jim

“I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent.” Horton the Elephant.

https://www.law.virginia.edu/news/2010_spr/scalia.htm

A CNN headline this morning read, and I quote, “A blizzard warning is in effect for Hawaii as the lower 48 contends with a snow drought.” ( I picked this headline randomly) The article was written by Alison Chinchar (a meteorologist) The first paragraph of the article reads as follows: “As of Friday morning, only two states in the US have blizzard warnings — and they are Alaska and Hawaii. Yes, you read that correctly. In fact, more snow has fallen in Hawaii this season than in Denver, Colorado.”

When I read that paragraph, the words go into my head through by eyes and my inside voice speaks them in my mind. It is written in English and contains three complete sentences. Two begin with introductory phrases before the independent clauses. One has two independent clauses separated by a double dash rather than a customary comma or semicolon. None of the words are esoteric = understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest. According to statistica.com, 39% of newpaper articles are written for people who have only a high school education or less (https://www.statista.com/statistics/209554/average-daily-audience-of-us-newspapers-by-education-level/). Assuming this article is representative of that, the CNN author wrote this article so that pretty much anyone with a high school education could read it and understand the content.

When I read it, I assume that Ms. Chinchar Alison had something specific to communicate and wrote in such a way that she assumed that the average person reading it could understand it. Plain reading of a plain meaning document is not only the norm, it is treating Ms. Chinchar with respect by assuming that she is thinking clearly and is communicating those thoughts in a manner that should be readily understandable.

That is the heart of what Originalism holds. We should read sentences and give the writer the benefit of the doubt that they, like Horton the Elephant, meant what they said and said what they meant – when they wrote it.

Secondarily, Originalism the passage of time does not change what someone said or what they meant – when they said it. So even if 10, 50, 100, or 250 years have passed, they said what they meant and meant what they said. Sure, if much time has passed, we may use some words differently, and if that is the case, we might have to do a little investigation on contemporary word usage. Once that is done, we simply read the passage for what was originally said and what was originally meant. Period.

This is the heart and soul of Originalism. It is much more fully, and clearly, and artfully described by the late Justice Antonin Scalia here: https://www.law.virginia.edu/news/2010_spr/scalia.htm

So, the people in Hawaii should get out their snowshoes… and Supreme Court Justices should get out their Constitutions and be guided and directed by it as read with its original meaning.

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If you would like to communicate further about this or any other issues, please email me at [email protected] and we can chat. We can also chat on Messenger once I know who you are.

If you would like to read more of my thoughts, please visit my blog: https://jimshaul.org and follow me there.

If you appreciate my posts, please consider Liking them and Sharing them below if you think they could be a blessing to others.

For His glory,

Jim

12/03/2021

Monkeys and Nuts
Posted on December 3, 2021 by admin Jim
Photo by sk from Pexels

“The Destiny of Man is to unite, not to divide. If you keep on dividing you end up as a collection of monkeys throwing nuts at each other out of separate trees.”
― T.H. White, The Once and Future King

The first, current, last, and final hope of man is Christ. I pray you will all find that truth. Until that time, we can still work towards a more peaceful society. I encourage you to daily strive for unity with others in our society. Endeavor to find points of agreement and love and respect others on at least that level. There are forces that seek to destroy our society by dividing us. Stand against them by seeking unity and love.

And put down those nuts!

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (Col. 3:14)

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If you would like to communicate further about this or any other issues, please email me at [email protected] and we can chat. We can also chat on Messenger once I know who you are.

If you would like to read more of my thoughts, please visit my blog: https://jimshaul.org and follow me there.

If you appreciate my posts, please consider Liking them and Sharing them below if you think they could be a blessing to others.

For His glory,

Jim

12/01/2021

Live Not By Lies II
Posted on December 1, 2021 by admin Jim

Live Not By Lies.

Psalm 52:2-5

Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.

The old folks amongst us certainly remember the name Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. If you are like me, you remember him as sort of a hero – or at least a good guy who survived through bad times. On Feb. 12, 1974, the day he was arrested and sent to the Gulag, he wrote a paper that has been entitled “Live Not By Lies”. Below is a link to that 5-page document.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03064220408537357

I strongly encourage you to read it. Proposed therein is a modest way to stand up to the totalitarianism that over took his nation. His proposal is simple: refuse any longer to accept any lies put forth by the media and the government. Give them no place to settle in your lives. Rebut and refute them and do not repeat them. You don’t need to argue against them, for this is often a waste of time. Just respond and claim without argument that the claims are lies and that you will not live by lies.

If you look round you and see yourself almost drowning in the lies of the government, the mainstream “news” sources, or social media, then I suggest you are seeing what has been referred to as a creeping soft totalitarianism – an attempt by leftist elites to slowly but persistently take over control of the entire society without the use of force. As Solzhenitsyn points out, this is what initially happened in what became known as the USSR, and it started with lies and the creation of social divisions. It culminated with the state using police and the military to take control of those who wouldn’t accept the party line, imprisoning them and executing them.

As a Christian, I personally have some strong convictions about obedience to the governmental authorities, so my responses to this silent coup are limited by God’s Word. If you are a Christ follower, I encourage you to spend time investigating what Scripture says about the matter and follow what is said there. Please remember that we have been promised persecution and suffering if we walk in the light and expose darkness, so weigh your choices carefully. Also remember that Jesus and the apostles did not try to change their societies. They wanted to change individuals through new birth and divine indwelling. A society full of people like this will be changed, I guarantee it. Please keep your focus on sharing the good news and making disciples even as you stand up for truth.

If you do not consider yourself a Christ follower and you also see the trajectory of our society towards totalitarianism, you can still take Solzhenitsyn’s warning and stand up for truth. Do it for the sake of you and your children. Let not the lies stand unchallenged.

I am not fearful for I know who wins in the end and I know that my body and spirit are in God’s hands and are protected by His promises.

For those who hold not that faith, you can still prepare yourself. All of us can take the measures suggested in a great little book entitled’ “Live Not by Lies” by Rod Dreher who interviewed a bunch of people who survived the Czechoslovakian and Polish takeover by totalitarianism.

I am not fearful, nor am I worried nor overly pessimistic about the future. I do know that if we do not learn from the past, we will likely be overtaken by forces who have taken over in the past.

Ephesians 6:14 – Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

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If you would like to communicate further about this or any other issues, please email me at [email protected] and we can chat. We can also chat on Messenger once I know who you are.

If you would like to read more of my thoughts, please visit my blog: https://jimshaul.org and follow me there.

If you appreciate my posts, please consider Liking them and Sharing them below if you think they could be a blessing to others.

For His glory,

Jim

12/01/2021

Live Not By Lies. Psalm 52:2-5 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. The old folks amongst us certainly remember the name Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. If you are like me, you remember him as sort of a hero - or at least a good guy who survived through bad times....

Designed to challenge human minds to clarity and human hearts to graciousness.

11/19/2021

If If If…
Posted on November 19, 2021 by admin Jim

If Kyle Rittenhouse had been a young black man… then _________ fill in the blank.

This structure of argument is the classic use of the logical fallacy known as Hypothosis Contrary to fact.

On my blog under Critical Reasoning you can find a list of fallacies. There you will see this definition and example:

Hypothesis Contrary To Fact

DEFINED: Beginning an argument with a hypothetical statement in which the antecedent (the historically possible situation) is generally known to be false (it never happened)

EXAMPLE. Adam says to Betty, “if contraceptives had not been made readily available to our generation, we would not be seeing the epidemic of STD’s that we have today.”

This is a fallacy for two reasons. The first is the form, which I am not going to bore you with here (affirming the antecedent and denying the consequent and all). All you need to know is that if the IF portion is known to be false, the argument is flawed and worthless. If someone said to you, if Miracle Whip had not been invented, then…STOP them right there and say, IT WAS. End of argument. When people use this fallacy, they are tacitly (sneakily doing so without you knowing it) stating that they know FOR SURE how things would operate in a parallel universe. They don’t know. Neither do you and I. Don’t get sucked into these arguments. It is a complete waste of time and energy. Point them to my fallacy page instead… at least maybe they might learn to present better arguments.

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If you would like to communicate further about this or any other issues, please email me at [email protected] and we can chat. We can also chat on Messenger once I know who you are.

If you would like to read more of my thoughts, please visit my blog: https://jimshaul.org and follow me there.

If you appreciate my posts, please consider Liking them and Sharing them below if you think they could be a blessing to others.

For His glory,

Jim

11/19/2021

An Ingenious Plan to Have It All

This post is for those of you who have been noticing an uptick in posts and memes that either 1) promote socialism/democratic socialism, 2) criticize other people (especially Christians) who are not giving lots of money to help the poor, or 3) press to divide you from others on the basis of ethnic background, gender, or ideology,
If you have experienced that and wonder why, please check out today's post at www.jimshaul.org . I didn't post the whole thing here for your sake's. 😀

11/18/2021

The Clearest Sign of Humility
Posted on November 18, 2021 by admin Jim

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”
― Abraham Lincoln

The clearest sign of humility is a grateful spirit. Make a list of all the good things in life and ask yourself from whom were they given and by whom were you aided in receiving. Make a list of those individuals who gave or aided. Then contact each and every one of them and thank them. Without them, we would all be floundering.

The second clearest sign is humble service. Find ways to serve in such a way that very few know that you are serving. Serve not for recognition or self congratulation. Serve for no other reason than to be of service. This is the face of God.

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If you would like to communicate further about this or any other issues, please email me at [email protected] and we can chat. We can also chat on Messenger once I know who you are.

If you would like to read more of my thoughts, please visit my blog: https://jimshaul.org and follow me there.

If you appreciate my posts, please consider Liking them and Sharing them below if you think they could be a blessing to others.

For His glory,

Jim

11/17/2021

Originally Posted on June 24, 2015 by admin Welcome Back, fellow travelers! So, as was pointed out yesterday, the making of generalizations is, at the logical level, morally neutral. If that is that case with purchasing chainsaw and eggs, why is it not with racism, bigotry, and prejudice? Before we proceed, let me define these three terms: Racism= believing that there are natural and intrinsic differences between one race and another and the difference is one that is (or results in) a moral/goodness difference ....