The Black, the Grey, the White and the Artist Who Decides the Palette

I recently spoke with a friend about ideas on how to connect socially progressive-leaning groups with the freedom groups. And the ever-present issue of C3 and C4 non-profit classifications. You see, non-profits cannot simply share and talk together, they are bound by so many laws and regulations that it requires a whole host of lawyers to keep one’s non-profit status.

This is why I want a for-profit charity because paying taxes seems preferable to being told what to do.

It’s my brand of Austrian autism.

A form of anarchism if you will.

If someone says it’s illegal, my practical libertarian kicks in and I want to find a way to say no without breaking things.

I believe a lot of things should be legal but I know that they are not. So the trick is to either not get caught or engage in some creative destruction that pushes so far forward that the Pogues haven’t had the time to figure out how to regulate it.

Similar to how online stores broke brick and mortar and creatively destroyed physical store business models and evaded state taxes for two decades.

We are trapped in a game of what is allowed, what is not allowed, and what has not be done yet.

The system cannot condone grey markets because a grey market is something unregulated. All markets must be either white or black, legal and regulated or outlawed and persecuted. The grey market affirms a sneaking suspicion that the regulations are not necessary for a vibrant and safe world. Such a “delusion” cannot be allowed to persist.

In truth, we need laws and customs but rarely do we need lawyers and customs officials. Having a rule does not require a ruler. Yet, a ruler that abides by the rules and does not make the rules is not an inherent violation of people and individuals. It is just that a king often becomes a tyrant and a ruler often winds up breaking the rules.

“It is legal because I wish it.”

“I am the state.”

“I could sooner reconcile all Europe than two women”

– Louis XIV

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Original Available on Medium.com – Published Feb 22

Not Every Good Idea needs to be Mandatory

Not every good idea is an idea that everyone can support. People have moral convictions and they should not be forced to act against their convictions.

Clean needle programs are an empirically successful program for lowering drug rates and breaking up the drug abuse cycle. But a Christian who believes taking drugs is wrong should not have to support the program. Even if drug use drops in the long run, that person’s morals and convictions are violated and they should not have to support or accept the idea.

In Romans 15, Paul writes that those who feel free to do something in the name of God are spiritually free to do so. Those who do not feel free are not free, even if they look over at their brothers and sisters doing these things. This is not to say that they can never do whatever it is. Rather, this means that you have to have a spiritual understanding of some sort that makes the action allowable. It is like an alcoholic with a non-alcoholic friend who orders a beer. The alcoholic does not feel free to order a beer but he might make the excuse to drink because someone else is drinking.

And that is where the sin comes in, because following along without agreeing goes against their conscience. This is also why the inverse is wrong. To try to encourage someone to go against their conscience when they feel it is wrong is itself a sin because you are not helping them to feel that this thing is right, you are only helping them to do this thing. And because they feel that whatever it is is wrong, you are hurting their conscience and testimony by encouraging them to do so.

This is one of the ways in which we can be stumbling blocks to the people around us. Causing them to sin against their conscience and God with our freedom. Now, this is not to say that whoever has the most hangups is justified in expecting everyone to do whatever they want because they are taking the lesser role. By accepting the view of the weaker brother, the person is not claiming themselves to be right but rather to be put at risk by the other person. This dynamic is separate from whoever is actually right and will be approved of by God at the judgment.

That is one reason why I am fond of the phrase to each his own til we reach the Throne. It’s a temporary acceptance of liberality and the marketplace of ideas with the understanding that an absolute authority will one day show the truth.

And that is why a good solution does not have to be universally accepted and it is why we should not try to convince everyone that we are right and that they are wrong. Trying to force other people into accepting our views and solutions is backward because it does nothing to help them see truth and use it in their own lives And we could be very wrong in what we are proposing.

A marketplace of ideas where different solutions are put to work with honest hearts and good intentions is the better, and I would say more Christian, way of correcting the problems of our society.

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Original Version available on Medium.com -Published on

Does God want human beings to become Übermensch

Does God want human beings to become Übermensch

Does God want human beings to become Übermensch who espouse and believe in the ideals that are God?

An element of Übermensch is that a being rejects all reference to society’s standards and beliefs and acts on his own beliefs. Is it God’s intention that men would reject all societal norms and adopt God’s way as their own? That God desires man to become ideals of God’s values.

The difference being between doing God’s will because God wants it and doing God’s will because it is right?

Or, if God were to be removed from the situation, would we still act the same way that God wants us to? This in no way would be to invalidate God’s role as God or to usurp God’s authority, indeed since God’s ideals are part of God’s nature, no one could truly live God’s standards and want to replace God or see anyone else do so.

Does God want people to become actual paragons of God’s ideals and standards in an intrinsic way? Or does God want human beings to accept God’s standards based solely on God’s authority?

From John 15:15, we know that God does not want people to exist solely as slaves but rather as friends, not as equals but friends none the less.

In 1 Timothy 1:9, we see that the reward/punishment dynamic of the OT was not an actual system for good people but rather it was a system to control ungodly people who were controlled by their vile desires.

In Samuel 13:14, God commends David for being a man after God’s own heart and being willing to follow all of the Lord’s commands. This is relevant because David is described in an intimate way, a man after God’s heart, rather as merely a servant (although God still commands him).  This would seem to indicate that God

In Ephesians 1:11, “We inherit according to His purpose, and He works all things according to His will”

Simple Rules for a Zombie RPG, Draft

Simple rules for a Zombie RPG, Draft

The premise of this game is to offer simple, concise rules which nominally reflect a realistic game world. Too many game get bogged down in the details and become more about the rules and less about what the players can think of. The rules are vague so that players can fill in the gaps as they appear. Therefore, the rules are simple and “special rules”  are kept to a minimum.

Human stats

Endurance: Endurance determines how long a human can run or walk, how long they can carry or lift something, how long it takes them to recover, how long they can hold out against a zombie bite and how much general damage they can take, etc.

Strength: Strength determines how much damage is done when they hit something, how much they can carry, how much they can lift, the effects that recoil has on them, how quickly they can run, etc.

Dexterity: Dexterity determines how well a human can run, how well they can hit and throw, how well they can aim, how observant they are, etc.

PCs are assumed to have a score of 3 for all stats. 3 is average and gives neither penalties or bonuses.

Other attributes such as intelligence or charisma are noted in the character’s bio. These are up to the DM and secondly the PC. Assume average overall.

The goal is to have the player fill in these gaps, to make the persuasive argument or to figure out a plan.

Zombies do not have stats; they are classified into four categories, with levels of intelligence (although most are average)

Weak Zombie: A weak zombie is more likely to frenzy but less likely to be able to make a successful attack. +Frenzy, -ATK

Average Zombie: Has no bonuses or penalties

Strong Zombie: Is more likely to grapple and inflict a major bite but slower. 1+ ATK, -speed

Fast Zombie: Moves fast but is less likely to hit a target; 1- ATK, +Speed

Combat

Zombie Attack

  • 1 Miss
  • 2 Miss
  • 3 Push Back
  • 4 Grapple
  • 5 Bite
  • 6 Major Bite

Human Attack

  • 1 Miss
  • 2 Miss
  • 3 Keep at bay*2
  • 4 Push back
  • 5 Blow
  • 6 Killing blow

Human Distance Attack

  • 1 Miss&Jam
  • 2 Miss
  • 3 Miss
  • 4 Blow
  • 5 Dismembering Blow
  • 6 Killing Blow

*2 Zombie’s attack is lowered, reflects not being able to fight off the zombie but being able to make it harder for it to bite you.

Weapons add to attack rolls

Humans & very smart zombies can line up shots to improve their chances of hitting.

Humans who are unarmed detract 1 to 2 points from their attack roles and add the lost point to the zombie attack rolls. Training can negate these penalties.

Training or lack thereof add or detract to or from a humans attack.

If faced with a horde, a human can either try to single out a single zombie or fire into the horde as a whole. If firing at the horde, a human can shoot twice as fast but sacrifices adds. Some weapons are better for this than others are.

Weapons are divided into categories with better versions or models offering better adds;

Weapon range is reduced by 5 feet when the PC is untrained. With basic training, the range is average, with above average training the range is increased by 5 FT. Dexterity acts in the same way

Weapons

Pistol: Gives +1 ATK up to 20 feet.

Shotgun *: If the shot hits, receives +2 ATK if at 12 feet or less, +1 ATK for up to 24 FT, & -1 ATK for every 12 FT past 24 FT. Any wounds from a shotgun shell are dismembering within 12 FT

Submachine Gun: Gets +2 up to 24 FT.

Assault Rifle: If set to semi-automatic counts as a rifle. If set to burst gets +3 ATK up to 24 FT.

Hunting Rifle: Get +2 up 35 FT, +2 up to 50 FT if scope is equipped. Bolt Actions take longer to shoot

Heavy Machinegun: Gives +3 ATK if roll is a hit. Has a base range of 35 FT

*A shotgun with a slug round counts as a rifle, it receives a -1 ATK if the barrel is a smooth bore.

A zombie suffering from a blow is slowed, a push back can either push a zombie back or even knock it to the floor but it will get back up and continue to attack.

A dismembering blow will either reduce a zombie’s ability to move or its attack, if it has been disemboweled, both its movement and attack will be reduced.

A killing blow will kill a zombie, this means a head shot or a blow that severs the head, bear in mind that severing the head still leaves the head active and if the head can still bite.

Zombie Combat

The difference between a bite and a major bite is the degree of the wound, meaning how quickly the character will die. A character who has been bitten will need to dress the wound to keep from bleeding out, especially if they suffered a major bite.

Zombies move half as fast as humans, except when frenzied. Fast zombies move as fast as humans can jog.

Roll D6 for frenzy

  • 1 Slows down in confusion
  • 2 No Frenzy
  • 3 No Frenzy
  • 4 Lunges; make an instant attack to grapple
  • 5 Frenzy
  • 6 Frenzy

A zombie moves at a shuffle except when frenzied, frenzy can only happen when a zombie is excited, this can only happen when a zombie is very close and aware of a human; for instance if a zombie is behind a fence and you taunt it, it can become frenzied or if a zombie just missed grappling a human. The smarter a zombie, the lower its chances of frenzying. If a zombie lunges and misses, it falls over and has to get up again.

Players will receive RPGing Karma points; these will be used for making better future characters or to modify rolls.

PCs who act out of character will receive negative points that will make the player’s future character less effective, while good roleplaying will result in positive story points that will go towards making the player’s future character more effective.

Players can use karma points to modify their rolls or rolls against their characters.

Legend

  • FT – Feet
  • ATK – Attack

The Destruction of Herculaneum: Vesuvius Claimed More Than One Victim

During the destruction of the Roman city Pompeii in 79AD, the neighboring city of Herculaneum was destroyed by lava, but by superheated ash. This ash was over 500 degrees Celcius and coated everything in a superfine coat of carbon. Rather than destroying the city, it supercooked buildings, food, leather, and people into nearly perfectly preserved charcoal covered forms.

The clouds that engulfed the city traveled at 65mph, and so most people of the town died.

Source: The Destruction of Herculaneum: Vesuvius Claimed More Than One Victim

Phineas Gage and Free Will

Phineas Gage suffered an injury to his ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is to say the front middle portion of his skull (Carlson, 2014). Rather than dying, Mr. Gage survived and made a physical recovery, save for the use of his left eye. However, the injuries to his brain resulted in a massive shift in personality, one which ruined him financially and socially. For the sake of clarity, I will abbreviate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex to the initials VM, as was done in the research document written by Bechara, Tranel, and Damasio (2010).

Continue reading “Phineas Gage and Free Will”

Anterograde Amnesia and the Human Mind

Abstract

This paper will examine the medical condition known as anterograde amnesia from the physiological perspective. Anterograde amnesia is the condition wherein an individual becomes physically incapable of forming new memories, normally immediately after an injury occurs. Beginning with the psychological phenomenon, covering the general emotional response to the condition and the role which personality plays in establishing variance and emotional compensation. This paper will then discuss four neurogical aspects of anterograde amnesia broken including the functions, the origin of the condition, the brain structures involved, and animal models. Anterograde amnesia affects explicit memory and spatial memory. Anterograde amnesia is a physically derived condition, occurring from injury sustained during medical procedures, physical injury, or diseases which damage the hippocampus or the surrounding neural pathways.. The hippocampus is a key component of anterograde amnesia. Animal models allow for testing the surviving structures of the brain. Possible treatments for anterograde memory loss involve utilizing the surviving learning mechanisms to compensate for memory loss. Continue reading “Anterograde Amnesia and the Human Mind”

Social Norms and Conformity

Abstract

This paper examines the situational influence of social norms and their role in directing people’s behavior and perceived expectations of other’s beliefs and actions. The paper analyzes two academic journal articles covering social norms and conformity behavior. The first study is of Norwegian Air Force cadets and their conformity to the social expectations of the situation and the influence of precedence set by confederates in regards to jumping off an ocean pier while blindfolded. Confederate behavior dramatically influenced cadet behavior by doubling the amount of refusals to jump. The second study is of a modified Dictator’s Game wherein participant behavior is modified by providing different true statements of past Dictator’s Games. The results from this study indicate that people are influenced primarily by social behavioral norms than social belief norms. A comparison of the two papers indicates that social norms set by peers wield a tremendous influence over people’s behavior. Continue reading “Social Norms and Conformity”

Christianity and Psychology

Christianity and Psychology

My current perspective on Christianity and psychology is that the two are distinct yet complementary because they differ in approach and nature. I believe that the Bible is infallible while Christianity is subject to man’s flaws. The Bible is specific revelation and psychology is a manmade science. The field of psychology fits within my Christian worldview because I do not accept psychology uncritically and understand that Christianity is not infallible.

Nature of Truth

To begin with, both Christianity and psychology are manmade, which means that neither can be said to be the sole source of truth. Truth is essentially the unchanging, objective reality that persists regardless of our perceptions. Human beings are subject to the physical senses and therefore incapable of truly knowing reality on its own terms. In the words of Paul,

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (I Corinthians 13:12, New Living Translation).

As human beings are incapable of directly perceiving reality, it is necessary to use rationality, deduction, logic, and testing to determine truth. Because humans are subject to their senses, no single field can claim to be the sole source of information or truth. Therefore both Christianity and psychology must back up their authority with reasonable arguments and methods for determining truth.

Christianity and the Bible

Christianity refers to the human element of the relationship with God. This means that Christianity is not infallible and therefore cannot claim absolute wisdom or discernment. My Christian faith relies on the Bible for its core beliefs, which means that my Christian faith is tied to biblical interpretation. My Christian beliefs are formed by rational and reasonable, at least in my own estimation, interpretations of Scripture. If my Christian faith is incorrect or flawed, I believe that it is because of an error on my part rather than an error in the Bible itself. Therefore my view of Christianity is a humble yet critical view that is open to new insights and changes in opinion.

I prefer to place emphasis on the Bible as my intellectual bedrock and must therefore make a distinction between Christianity as Christians attempting to understand God and the Bible, God’s Word written through men to mankind. This in turn marks Christianity as fallible while keeping the Bible as the infallible Word of God. I believe that this distinction is what enables the Christian to be open to exploring alternative fields and sources of knowledge like psychology. Accepting that Christianity is separate from the Bible allows Christians to utilize other techniques and theories without compromising biblical truth.

Psychology and Christianity

Psychology represents a human study of the human mind through observation and experimentation whereas the Bible represents divinely inspired writings on the relationship between God and man. Psychology is essentially a scientific method for acquiring systematic knowledge; akin to a tool. Because of this, Christianity is able to incorporate psychological principles, techniques, and specific theories without compromising biblical truth.

Psychology can be divided into two parts, facts and the conjecture. Psychology produces demonstrable facts through direct observations, experiments and results, and proven therapeutic techniques.  These facts are separate from psychologists’ overarching theories, hypothesis, worldviews, and explanations for the observed phenomena. Christians are able to use psychological theories and techniques without compromising Christian faith in the same way that a Christian can use a hammer made by a non-Christian. Using the tool does not require accepting all of the beliefs of the person that made the tool.

Conclusion

Christians are human beings and therefore not above error. When Christians keep proper perspective and distinguish between Christian thought and divine revelation, they are able to take in new insights. Because psychology is a scientific method, it can provide greater insight into God’s creation. With these observations in mind, I personally see God’s word as the primary unchanging element with psychological theories and techniques being used in biblically acceptable ways. In other words, the counselor ought to be a Christian first and a counselor second.

Christianity should not fear nor reject psychology because psychology is a field of science, which means it is fundamentally meant to be questioned, tried, and considered. Christians are to be salt and light to the world around them, which requires liberally applying Christian views to other fields and issues. Light illuminates and must not be hidden behind the doors of the church.

Experimental Page

Hi, if you’re here it’s because you’ve either misclicked or you’re interested in seeing me experiment on my website. I feel fairly confident that we will not accidentally open a wormhole or radically change the mass and dimensions of any people.

If you know of any cool things you can add to a website, please share it in the comments below!