“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”

Peanut Gallery: Evil in the hearts of men is not something new. Truth be told… it’s part of our human condition. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with it.

Romans 7:21-25 NLT
“I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The Apostle Paul knew… “The Shadow” knew… so why do horrific acts of evil catch us by surprise? Perhaps it’s because we are looking in the wrong place – outside ourselves, all around us – instead of inside our own hearts and minds… where the seeds of evil take root.

But would we recognize these seeds if we saw them?

Maybe, maybe not… but John Hawkins has offered some signposts… “Stop Signs” to heed before things get out of hand. I have re-posted his blog here for the purpose of self-reflection – “5 Moral Boundaries You Do Not Want To Cross.”

His article has been copied below, for your convenience… but please follow the above link to the original and check out the comments. Perhaps you would like to add your own.

Oh… and the Apostle Paul had the last word on the subject:

Romans 8.1-2 NLT
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

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5 Moral Boundaries You Do Not Want To Cross –
John Hawkins – December 9, 2012 – 6:30 am
“Man is the cruelest animal.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

To understand evil, we must set aside the comfortable belief that we would never do anything wrong. Instead, we must begin to ask ourselves, what would it take for me to do such things? Assume that it would be possible. — Roy Baumeister

Many people consider monsters like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin somehow uniquely evil. They imagine them as malevolent, abominable, nearly inhuman entities who spent their days scheming to inflict misery on other humans for the sheer sadistic pleasure of it.

The truth is much more terrifying: human beings as evil and ruthless as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao are so common that we pass them on the street daily, see them on TV, and may even have the misfortune of knowing them personally. The real difference between these notorious butchers and the guy in a federal prison is not so much the degree of depravity, but the unchecked power needed to make his darkest desires reality.

Once you set aside Hollywood’s caricatured portrait of evil and accept the normalcy of villainy, you see how a “normal person” just like you or me could embrace evil.
Continue reading ““Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”” →

Egypt Votes: Islamic Dictatorship Wins

Egypt Democratically Adopts an Anti-Western Dictatorship
by Barry Rubin – pjmedia.com
December 17, 2012

The victory in the referendum on the Constitution is the fourth straight Muslim Brotherhood success—including the overthrow of President Husni Mubarak’s regime with army assistance, the parliamentary election and the presidential election–in the process of taking over Egypt for the long-term and fundamentally transforming it into a radical Islamist state. This last one should be sufficient to go all the way. This event is also producing a new stage of Western rationalizations that whitewash the Muslim Brotherhood and rationalize support for Islamists being in power.
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There are three factors involved here in setting Western policy: ignorance, a desire to avoid crises, and a foolish belief that having a radical regime in Egypt will moderate the extremists.

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It isn’t that the constitution, as many Salafists would have liked, explicitly mandates a revolutionary Sharia state. Rather, the constitution sets up a framework that will allow the Brotherhood to do so. Between the president and the constitution, the Brotherhood will now march through every institution and remake it. Judges will be appointed; school curricula rewritten; army generals appointed; and so on. As the Brotherhood shows patience in carrying out this process of gaining total, permanent control, many in the West will interpret that as moderation.

“The problem with [President] Morsi isn’t whether he is Islamist or not, it is whether he is authoritarian,” said a Western diplomat in Cairo. Wow, talk about Western misunderstanding of the importance of ideology.
Continue reading “Egypt Votes: Islamic Dictatorship Wins” →

Making SC Proud: Nikki Haley to Appoint Tim Scott to US Senate

Peanut Gallery: Couldn’t be prouder of our Governor Nikki Haley and her choice of US Representative Tim Scott to replace retiring Senator Jim DeMint. South Carolina is doing its part to restore American values.
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Nikki Haley to Appoint Tim Scott to US Senate – repost from townhall.com
Guy Benson – Political Editor, Townhall.com

With Sen. Jim DeMint on his way to take the reins at the Heritage Foundation, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is charged with selecting his replacement for the next two years. According to multiple sources, her pick is Rep. Tim Scott, who will be the only African-American Republican in Congress when the new sessions gavels in:

Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina has chosen Representative Tim Scott to replace Jim DeMint in the United States Senate, according to three Republican officials. The move will make Mr. Scott the first black senator from the South since the late 19th century. The governor will make the announcement at noon at the State House in Columbia. She began informing the roster of finalists on Monday morning about her decision to go with Mr. Scott, who was the preferred candidate of many conservative leaders and groups in Washington. Speaking on condition of anonymity, three Republican officials familiar with the process confirmed to The New York Times the decision to select Mr. Scott. Aides to the governor declined to comment before the noon announcement. Ms. Haley seriously considered a number of potential contenders, particularly Jenny Sanford, the ex-wife of former Gov. Mark Sanford, who had been supportive of Ms. Haley in her race two years ago. But in choosing Mr. Scott, she selected a senator with a strong conservative voting record during his two years in Congress.

This is an excellent choice. Scott is a strong and charismatic conservative who will be a welcome addition to the upper chamber. The Left fetishizes racial politics, so it will be interesting to see how they react to Haley’s announcement. Continue reading “Making SC Proud: Nikki Haley to Appoint Tim Scott to US Senate” →

Silent Night – a conspiracy of love (YouTube)

sleeping-baby-on-vintage-suitcase Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright ’round yon virgin mother and child; holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight, glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing alleluia; Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!

Silent night, holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light, radiant beams from thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.