Website owner: James Miller
What lies behind conscience?
What lies behind conscience? How does one acquire the idea that a particular action is wrong? With many actions such as stealing, murder, cheating, lying, homosexual sex, and adultery I think man is born with an intuitive knowledge that these things are wrong. However, there is a close connection between conscience and religious teaching. The formative years are the childhood years and what one is taught as a child places a strong stamp on the mind and its ideas of right and wrong. The religion (or moral philosophy in the case of atheists) in which one is raised has a strong effect on values, attitudes, views on right and wrong, conscience. The mind of a person raised as a Christian may be very different from the mind of a person raised in the Islamic faith. People who are raised as Christian may have very different ideas on what constitutes sin than people who are raised as Jew or Moslem or Hindu. Muslims and Jews don’t eat pork. They feel it is a sin to eat pork. Christianity teaches that all food is morally acceptable (I Tim 4: For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving). Some religions such as the Jewish and Moslem religions are strongly ritualistic. Virtue lies in the right ritualistic practices and badness in the lack of them. Under the influence of Koranic teaching, a conservative devout Moslem may feel there is great virtue in killing infidels (i.e. non-believers) and carry militant attitudes of violence and “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. Christianity places great emphasis on kindness toward our fellow man, meekness, humility, peacefulness, returning good for evil, non-violence. So, to some extent, conscience is formed by religious teaching.
Dec 2018
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life