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As an addition. and as I quite recall, having memorized 57 years ago the General Orders for a Sentry, Number 10 is as follows:

"I will salute all officers and colors and standards not cased."

"Sir!"

Is not POTUS, as an Officer, the CIC?

IIRC, it is a requirement for the officer to acknowledge the salute. If Obama refuses this requirement, it is to be deliberately disrespectful of even the simplest manual of conduct that should govern us all--the symbol of a tyrant.

Any further questions?

Civilians do not salute.

People in civilian undress do not (usually) salute, since an indication of being under authority--badged cover, symbols--are not present. However, a civilian is expected to stand at attention, faced to the Colors, and salute when the Colors pass in review, or when the National Anthem is played; one's hand or, for men, one's cover over the heart. Not to do so is permitted, as Obama chooses, but such deliberate seen and interpreted as disrespectful.

Saluting is only for uniformed members ...

I don't believe that is necessarily so. POTUS salutes as Chief Executive and Commander of The Armed Services, in groomed, but civilian undress.

... of the military.

Depends on military branch and circumstances. Probably not in a combat firefight, as one instance. Or only indoors when covered and/or under arms, for another instance.

He would demean saluting by doing it.

Absolutely not. Saluting is not a disrespectful response, most particularly to/by the POTUS. In our unspoken but absolutely firm custom, the President may never assume a military uniform: (1) after nomination in public appearance, (2) in office, (3) nor after term of office. However, while in office, he is the is the most superior magistrate of the Armed Forces, to whom they all report, and his dress and deportment will reflect that.

It is toward his office to which the salute is rendered; and as the officer in charge wherever he goes, salutes are thus customarily exchanged as recognition at the entry and departure of supreme authority borne in his person, not in a military uniform and its symbols of authority. IIRC.

” .. “assault weapons,” which are banned under the new legislation if they have 1 military­-type feature, were responsible for 5 out of 769 homicides in New York last year or .007% – hardly a public safety crisis for our state.

If someone is going to use percemtages for one's argument, at least get the math right. Here's the correct calculation for the percentage:

5 divided by 769 times 100 = 0.650195058518 per cent

Rounded up, that is 0.7%, not 0.007%!

That is almost 1%, or one out of out of 100 homicides; very small, but not negligible.

That fraction ought not to suggest that the state law ought to be radically changed for all guns on the basis of the use of one scary-looking modern style sporting firearm type.

The New York State bicameral legislature consists of a congress of fools. Even though being correct on principle, the SCDSPBA is not much brighter, math-wise. (And for a shortening of their organization's name, they are in strong competition running against the old SPEBSQSA, who have finally given up on alphabetization as being cumbersome, and are now known simply as The Barbershop Harmony Society--even longer in actual use, but simpler to explain.)

Scuse me!
You might want to look up Bathsabee Bethsabee in the DRB (Bethsheba Bathsheba in the AV).

You might want to look up Bathsabee in the DRB (Bethsheba in the AV).

Sorry -- epikopoi episkopoi; and maybe some presbutas and presbutidas, also.

For those affiliating with such brethren, every year a conference of brethren has met at the Guelph Bible Conference Center in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Here is this year's announcement: The 57th Guelph Men's Conference; topic = "Moses"

Here's an example of a very fruitful assembly in Blacksburg, VA holding forth the Word to the community, and students and faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. I participated in it over 30 years ago. Check its site to see their internet presence, and doctrinal offerings. Good recommendation to entering freshmen.

Correct. Throw in maybe a few epikopoi also. Any assembly not focused on making disciples and leading each of them to spiritual maturity through the babe --> chlidhood --> young adult --> fatherhood stages is not a profitable Kingdom operation.

We sing the same song: "Jesus! Lord!" (Philippians 2, esp v. 15)

Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.

Although raised under Methodist doctrine as the son of an ordained Elder in that denomination, I was led to a salvation moment by the heralding of truly practiced Gospel in the home of one of the brethren (small "b") who assembled in my college community. I have been discipled for many years by teacher/missionary/pastor/translator of the same ilk. Pages and pages of teaching at the Happy Heralds, Inc. site.

God bless you, Arlis, and others through your vision for the lost and wandering.

Truman remarked, and others practiced—”the buck stops here”—taking responsibility and accountability for his own actions and that of his administration of supervision.

It’s just that the traditional view is warped.

I appreciate your responses, as having a sound basis. After closely studying out the offices in the local church, one comes to the conclusions about Scriptural roles vs titles. Not only did the NT church polity become seriously warped near the beginning, but what has become strongly believed tradition has so seriously bent the customs of Christendom that Christ's commands are followed only in a few local assemblies.

One lengthy comment here builds on the "sacral society"--a continuing attempt to impose the priestly religion of the OT on the NT--by a structure not fit for accomplishing an evangel of discipling to salvation with spiritual maturation as the ongoing process.

A typical Scriptural form is that reinstituted by the brethren of Plymouth, England, about 180 years ago. In these assemblies, rule is by the spiritual men of the assembly, recognised for their corporate influence on the assembly, Christ preeminent, and literal/grammatical/historical/cultural interpretation and application of His Word the Guide. In this context, the questions asked by the poster would not need to come up.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

The pastor has spiritual authority over the entire congregation including the elders and, therby, the deacons. I Timothy 5:17-22. This is as it should be.

I don't believe that this passage says what you would like. First, this text permits that a local church may have rule by a plurality of elders. It says nothing directly about one titled "Pastor." Laboring in the word and doctrine does not make one a "pastor." Speaking to Simon Peter, His last commands were for an elder to spiritually feed and tend (provide a governing influence) to the flock, both lambs and sheep, individuals and corporate.

Your example, for starters, ought to be the local church at Jerusalem, as it developed. Peter was not its "pastor." How many of the Eleven were titled "Pastor" in that church? None. How many of them were elders? All. At first, how many were deacons? None. Later on (Acts 20, Galatians 2)), were the Eleven speaking for the Jerusalem church after deliberations? James was given the role of voicing the decisions of the unified elders. They all offered the right hand(s) of fellowship.

Paul was a member ofthe local church at Antioch. Were they not his sending authority? Were not he and Barnabas teachers of doctrine in Antioch (of Syria), and were they rulers there? Perhaps you might want to think these things out a bit, before stating more about church polity.

What church is run like this? Seriously, what denomination?

There are many independent local churches who reject the concept of a "denomination." Mostly, they agree there is no such Scriptural concept of a ruling body external to the local church intermediate between them and the Head.

The Lord tends to speak through the biggest donors. Just being honest.

Honestly, often the biggest donor will eventually become the only donor. I've seen it. That outcome is the Lord speaking to the wise.

There is NOT going to be any Muslim democracy in Syria. Why are we supplying alQuaeda?

Anyone who needs to plead the Fifth regarding their conduct in public office needs to be removed from office, made subject of criminal investigation regarding whatever he/she won’t answer questions on, and forbidden to ever seek any other public office.

Patterns define this Administration over and over.

Solidifying the takeover core by sluffing off the unfaithful.

I got thru the first sentence till I went blind..........

I learned this a few days ago, when I posted an article in which the writer ran loooong paragraphs. I should have inserted break points (left caret br right caret) reflecting the column appearance in the original article. To do so would not have been editing it, just making it easier to read, though taking up more column inches here.

I won't do that again.

Miss McLachlan's voice is sweet and pure, without vibrato. An inner tuning fork is always apparent when the unaccompanied singer hits every note square on. But it would be best when the original tune is held to faithfully without "scooping" notes that, to me, mars the delivery by personalizing it.

I am always thrilled by the Canadian anthem above every country's, except "God Save The King (or Queen)" and our in-your-face Song of Soul-liberty, in the breadth and majesty of "The Star Spangled Banner," now the firm signature story of our Sovereignty, a gift from the God of The Bible (not from Allah, who had no Son, nor liberty as a concept). It was not chosen simply for ease of singing, nor was Canada's.

Thanks for pinging me on this — must have been napping. But after skimming through all the comments, it seems clear that more light and less heat is called for. Time to lay down the personal axes.

Twice as hard compared to ... what?

Seems to me that it would be a good idea that everyone ought to be required to pass such a course in citizenship as a condition of voting.

- ability to read American English
- ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide
- basic knowledge of United States history
- a single address for voting purposes

Same as for naturalization.

It is hard to even begin to imagine what kind of formative experiences gave such indomitability, toughness, and perseverity to our forebears. Today, whiners abound who would not have lived to maturity then.

Thanks so much for this reminder of American grit.

I did google "Matt Heimbach" and came up with a number of views on him. Out of them I selected the article I posted. That seems to summarize his outlook. Looking at them, I know he doesn't speak for me, nor I for him.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. In a few words, your position seems to echo mine. I posted the outcomes of my responses to a "Political Spectrum Quiz" on my About page. Just click on my FR username to see it. The results position me as culturally conservative and culturally authoritarian, neither "left" nor "right" in the political sense.

(Honorably discharged 1962 as Sgt E-5, machine gun squad leader)

If this happened the Media was sure great at keeping it quiet.
I never heard of it until now.

Well, the happening described was quite local, and small, though acrid in nature, apparently.

However, it is not unusual these days for the MSM to minimize or ignore events strengthening conservative traditions and heritage.

Yes, I also thought that thus piece was not as well-edited as we would have been taught at that level of schooling. However, as this is exactly how the author wrote it, I did not feel it proper to correct it.

Perhaps your comment could be submitted to Mr. Heimbach directly responding to the piece as seen in the link to the WSU's site. But thanks for your concern.

Those boys might want to keep a close eye on their necks.

And their wives, children, and wallets --

Kipling wrote the jingle, "East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet."

Ah, let me suggest he led us astray.

East has come West, and through tolerance of the West not comprehended by the East, the East is in the process of smothering the West and all its philosophies and ethics. IMHO.

Not plugging this site -- it is just a place to examine an interesting student of Towson University who has generated interest by HuffPo & some other society watchers for 2 or 3 years. You might check out the latest 05/11/13 master summary of this blog.

Ignorance is not a slight, it is a recognition that you don’t know anything about Dave, outside of this article, and that you have no desire to acquire any knowledge about the subject.

To the contrary, I am not ignorant of how he has approached the two problems in this article examined, and find that already he has a mixture of truth and error, such that I would read any advice he gives very cautiously, for he does not trust nor interpret the Holy Scriptures completely, and does not apply them consistently.

I am not attacking you, just debating, but you certainly have been attacking my writing despite what you maintain here, and in defense of a flawed discipline.

Sometimes I feel it is just as important to warn souls as much as to win them. Read your Bible. Lots of opportunities here on FR, as long as it is helpful and not just a general oppositionally defiant nuisance. IIRC

So, the articles are categorized by state, and then by ... ?? ... as to importance for immediate attention.

I will do my best for the DE ones. But the result will be better if someone else is likely to help if/when I am not logged in for a while.

** Get the IRS out of Speech Business **

And out of the medical business, too.

You clearly desire to remain ignorant so that you can sit in judgement of your fellow man.

Thanks for your expert criticism. I'll take it under advisement.

BTW, that's "judgment."

Day care centers didn’t exist in the mid 60, and 70s. The first time I heard about day care centers was in the early 1980s

It might be rather interesting to establish the reason driving the blossoming of these very profitable centers warehousing kids from the cradle to allow women to follow careers outside the home. What has been the effect? I can give a few personal anecdotal experiences, but what is the statistical significance to our cultural drift and child development?

Oh, yes -- I got that backward. Thanks for taking the time to set me correctly.

I am very grateful for your diligence in selecting articles of great interest for this forum. This sort of gratuitous labor is probably the main reason that Free Republic is my premier source of news and views across the nation. I'm sure your contribution is noticed by many.

-- Break a leg, eh? -- /smile

Had you done anything other than to judge Dave based on the ONE article, then you would realize that you have simply restated nearly his entire ministry with the above comment.

I guess I failed to make my point clear: I do not believe, from this article, that Dave's solutions addressed the root problems.

Tanya's problem was yearning to exchange masters -- because one cannot serve two.
Andy's problem was failing to teach himself or his sons to make one's own life decisions, because of lack of guidance from guidance by the Holy Spirit.
Dave's problem is holding himself forth as a life counselor (usurping the role of the local church) rather than as a qualified public accountant (apparently his singular strength).

Any hints here for the problems you might be experiencing? (rhetorical, no answer needed)

When Jesus healed, his ministry addressed the whole person (spiritual, medical, material), almost always tracing back to spiritual error or ignorance. As I said, if your only tool is a hammer ... time to get the right tools for the job, eh? Romans 13:8 is not the answer to every problem.

If you are attempting to be a witness to me, and other FReepers, this approach is not very effective.

I already stated who my "ministry" can touch. For many, it will not. The Master's tough love is often rejected when one has a choice. I know -- have gone to the woodshed with my Heavenly Father many times. My proper focus is a life witness to Him. You?

With best regards --

Dave's answer to Tanya is: I have several ladies on my team who have young children, and they work 40 hours a week. Guess what? They’re excellent mothers! Anyone who says a woman can’t be a great mom because she works outside the home is full of crap.

The Bible's answer to Tanya:

Her predicament of desires vs her role

- "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Mt 6:24 )
- "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Lk 16:13)

Her established authorities vs changing masters

- First, The God: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex 20:3, the 2nd Commandment).
- Second, her husband: For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: (1Pe 3:5).
- Third, her husband receiving and verifying the counsel of their elder(s)of the assembly, as compared to Scripture: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ..." (Eph 4:12-14).
"These (Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Ac 17:11).

Para-church counselors?

- A "Dave" outside the family and/or the local assembly does not seem to be indicated as a valid counselor.

Her God-given sphere of employment

- Her value: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."
- Her subordinate role to and rule by her husband: "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."
- Her work location and occupation: "She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
- Publicly demonstration of loyalty and subordinated attitude toward The God and her husband only: "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land."
- Her visible reputation: "She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."
- Her recognition: "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."
- Her acclamation: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."
- Her rewards from The God and from mankind: "Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. "

Does Tanya not have a knowledge of The God's will for her? Does she have a naive husband? Has she no church home nor pastor? Has she no example of an upbinging in a home governed by wisdom? Why is she seeking counsel from a man she does not even know?

Dave's correct response to her approach might be to direct her to the counsel of Scriptures, and her husband, and together with their pastor -- not offering his counsel as an alternate. Though he might suggest that she contemplate a family- and home-based business.

********

Dave's answer to Andy:

I’m with you on this one. If you had an extra $40,000 lying around, this wouldn’t be an issue. But if you’re talking about borrowing money just for him to live in a dorm, my answer is a resounding no!

After the old saw that if a hammer is your only tool, every problem begins to look like a nail. Apparently here neither Dave nor Andy are competent enough to see that this is both a cognitive and a spiritual issue, not particularly a financial management one. Dave's qualified answer is only a partial solution; not a firm, final, and conclusive one. Neither does it seek for the causes.

Outside of and separate from funds availability, the young man does not seem to have the cognitive maturity to know that he is at a point in life where: (1) he and he alone must make the decision as to the direction his further life is to follow; (2) whether college/university training is necessary, or even beneficial; and (3) whether he has socially and scholastically been prepared for it. On the other hand, by spiritual discernment he should know: (1) to what effort The God has prepared and called him; (2) that for borrowing from the future by mortgaging the past to consume in the present is not The God's purpose and plan for financing; and that (3) he will successfully escape The God's blessing in this pursuit.

It is a fundamental understanding The God's economy for the material resources that He has permitted us to manage is that: (1) His supply for each of his children is to meet our basic needs; (2) to provide by giving with love to needing fellow saints or/and their ministries as The Holy Ghost directs; (3) if the absence of resources for projected plans are either (a) not to His timing, to His design, or (b) perhaps not to be at all. In any of these cases, lack of resources are not to be overcome by borrowing, because that neutralizes and defies His guidance exercised through presence or absence of supply. The fourth concept is that His projects, conducted in His way and in His timing, with resources supplied by Him at His determinate Will, will give Him Alone the glory.

And in this case, committing some $40K will merely undercut the blooming young man's creativity, resourcefulness, and dependence on God for its progress -- sort of like trying to help a chicken to hatch, or a butterfly to shed its chrysalis. A deformed being results, eh?

Dave's appropriate answer to Andy might well be to recognize that neither he nor the father can make and execute the lad's decisions when it is his time to make his own, with God's counsel, not Dave's. If the father has not recognized his duty to train his child for this moment, it could be a decisive moment to call Andy and his son into a life of accelerated discipleship, as Jesus did for the Twelve (and one could not make it).

From experience, and with respect -- (another uninvited sermonette, I guess)

I am sorry for not checking my (mistyped) reply closely. Here's what came out:

>> (to use your words.)

>> To use Daves words, which apparently toy are following.

Doesn't make sense at all, does it? Here's what I really meant to say:

>> (to use your words.)

>> To use Dave's words, which apparently you are following.

(to use your words.)

To use Daves words, which apparently toy are following.

Not much really, just having worked through all 7 of the baby steps, becoming a Dave Ramsey certified financial counselor, reading all of his books and listening to his radio program for the last 6 years.

That does not sound like experience.

I claim the feature of having made as many mistakes (not all recoverable) as successes. I speak from personal experience, not theorizing from some other human's fallible philosophy.

How many people has your ministry touched?

Any one who is willing to become a regenerated believer disciple/priest following the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as given in His Holy Word.

I have never been able to help anyone who is not willing to follow Scriptural commands rather than Dave:

"Owe no man nothing, no not anything at all, except to love one another." (A rather precise rendering of Romans 13:8)

Love can be "tough love."

Have you confused Mr. Ramsey's counsel with that of The God's counsel?

(Not trying to establish an adversarial stance, but we do have a difference of opinion on how to evaluate others' counsel.)

Anyone who attacks Dave based on one article, is full of crap.

Anyone who thinks he/she is not full of crap, when he/she holds up a poor advisor of individuals who also claims to be a wise advisor to the general public, is not capable of judging whether anecdotal information is or is not applicable.

Why was my reply post 7 addressed to kaslin rather than to wolfman23601, for whom it was meant?? Hmmm.

Anyone who attacks Dave based on one article, is full of crap.

And your experience is -- ??

I did consider working when my sons were smaller, but I figured the cost of a baby sitter and the transportation or fuel cost, etc wasn’t worth it.

You were likely quite right, but the reason is wrong. The reason ought to have been that the best of the "best" day-care centers, even Montessori or Goddard-type repositories, cannot supervise the child as well as a true nanny, and no nanny can achieve in a child what a determined mom/dad can and ought to.

The best kindergarten is the home, if you want your child to love you through obeying you. You and your husband are very foolish if the decision is based on family income.

From 55 years of direct observation and experience.

About Kayla's predicament: I have several ladies on my team who have young children, and they work 40 hours a week. Guess what? They’re excellent mothers! Anyone who says a woman can’t be a great mom because she works outside the home is full of crap.

Anybody who says someone is a great mom until he sees the outcome of her efforts when her children are grown is full of crap.

About Andy's 2-son budget: If your son, or your wife, wants the "college experience” to be part of the equation, then Junior can get a job to pay for the added expense.

Sending either son to college before they have proven themselves in the job market place, and have a clear, calculated goal, is full of crap.

IMHO Dave is full of crap. From experience.

I remember the 1980's. They were nothing like this punk says. The economy was booming, year after year,

Yah? Guess you don't remember, Interest rates obscenely high. In 1982 unemployment 21% in Buffalo and the Niagara Frontier. Gov. Pete DuPont had to institute WorkFare in DE to get people off the welfare roll that were breaking Delaware's economy. In 1984 my home purchase was based on 12.5% adjustable rate mortgage. By 1992 DuPont Company went through three RIFs that killed the company.

Come on!

The minimum wage is not supposed to be enough to live on

That's why you have abortions. Saves worries for everybody. (/sarc)
Also good for lesbies and soddies -- no children to raise. No more mouths to feed. No cost of abortions. Economical. (/double sarc)

They have all made their choices

It is not because they are for sodomy, which The God, His Christ, and The Holy Ghost are against.

I believe our predicament is because all denominational associations in their ecclesiology have abandoned Christ's plan for building His earthly realm, the churches. To those subscribing to a neo-Platonic universal structure, the denominational (catholic) approach must impose an over-arching governing body external to the local churches, overruling and bringing them into line to obtain the earthly influence and power of solidarity.

Such denominations mistake this sort of solidarity for spiritual unity. The resulting schisms, dabbling in civil government, often murderous in passion, and suicidal to the evangel, have produced the cyclic wars occurring throughout the history of the Christendom sphere.

The panegyrical gathering and instructional convocation of the committed disciples of The Anointed One, The First-born From The Dead, is continuously assembled in the third heaven, where it is ever increasing, never fractured, eternally praising and learning from the Master, Who only yet anticipates a clothing with the never-dying spiritual body. There the entire complement of rescued souls are always present and in intimate association with Him. That is the perfection yearned for by the ones spiritually reborn but still physically not yet separated from their carnal bodies. It is the heavenly manifestation of The Kingdom of The God that is not yet possible in the Earthly realm.

Here, His Plan that He has demonstrated and implemented for building His earthly churches is the assembly of immersed regenerated believer-disciple priests in a particular locale, teaching them to follow His commands, heralding the blood-bought Kerygma, making disciples, inducting convincingly serious students into eternal union with The Christ through the rite of water immersion, congregating them regularly for public instruction, maintaining the purity of the local assembly through provoking the love of one for another in disciplined conduct, and observing the Remembrance Supper every Lord's Day on the first of the week.

Trusting The Lord Himself to Personally conduct His earthly congregations without applying a worldly catholicity superior to and external of the local, autonomous, churches, none accountable to any other but the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost speaking through His Word, no broad fracturing can ever appear; and local civil morality may be directly influenced by the local churches.

This is, of course, directly opposed by the Cyprian/Ignatius/Augustinian catholic paradigm of a visible global organization, whose forms and polity must be universally accepted without question, clamped wherever possible to the civil government to force its obedience, entered into by infant baptism, maintained by access to sacrament, implemented by control of the means of dispensation of grace, and rejection of deviation by excommunication. This superimposition of a sacral society concept is by a state religion, headed up by one leader, entered into by one means for all inhabitants, and defended by exterminating all dissidents with prejudice. This method has through the centuries produced religious bloodbaths equalling the Black Plague in magnitude, and divorcing those who maintain respect for a privilege of individual soul-liberty in deciding one's life course, by means of appeal to the Holy Scriptures, and exercising spiritual growth and maturity.

These systems are, of course, antagonistic. The solution of the one side is by appeal to Scriptural authority, persuasion, patience, cogency, and respectful regard for and value of the human soul.

The resolution attempted by the other is appeal to tradition and rationalization, refutation, rejection, intransigency, and persecution to death for opposition.

IMHO

But do you think Patraeus will testify? Can he be forced to?

Treating these as rhetorical, my only experience as an infantry MG squad leader is ... zero. But I have heard and read that full generals tend to think on a little broader scope in the OST model than E-5s.

"We cannot allow the lesser classes to dictate to those designated to govern." (Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892)

(The sign of an Empire-builder.)

But since he has retired..can they touch his government or military pension?

Retired or not, IIRC he is still under oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same (as have all of us who have ever pledged our lives and sacred honor in the service of our country, in whatever capacity: our moral obligation still rests on us).

Is this not correct?

Excellently terse summary of Mohammed’s bilious infective obsession. Easy to remember and rehearse with naive audiences leaning toward credulous acceptance of Islamic pillars.