What I learned from Clouds

 Clouds was a play written by Aristophanes (about 445 BC -380 BC).  It is important to note that play-writes at this time wove into their plays current issues and personalities that citizens were dealing with.  For example, Aristophanes wrote about Cleon, Socrates, and the contrast between old and new systems of education because those were things of import at the time.

What I gleaned from "Clouds"

1. The main character, Strepsiades wants his son to get an "education" so that he can use persuasive logic to keep from having to pay his debts.  How common is that in our day?  People everywhere are not concerned if something is right they are only concerned with "Is it legal," or "can I get away with it?" People hire lawyers to get them out of "paying their debts" whether to society, or to the one they have harmed.  Dishonesty is rampant in our world.
2. Strepsiades so easily sets aside his belief in God.  His teacher merely tells him that there is no God and he accepts it as true without question. This is common in our places of higher-learning.  Young minds enter the university as sponges and quickly seem to absorb any idea that their professors rain on them.  Why wouldn't they?  They have been taught for most of their public school education that the teacher is the authority.  "Don't question the teacher!"  Or, "But he is the professional - he should know." We need to be careful who we listen to and who we believe.  We need to teach our young people how to think for themselves.  Most importantly we need to give them a measuring stick that they can measure all new information against.  Some absolute truth that they can go to with this new bit of information and evaluate, "Does this fit?  Is this truth?"  For me that is the scriptures and modern day prophets.  For others, it may be something else - but can only be useful as a measuring stick if it is absolute truth.
3. Logic does not necessarily mean truth.  "Wrong logic," or twisting things to make them work in your favor, only leads do the eventual erosion of your soul, your family, and/or your country.
4. Greece and Rome fell because they became an immoral people.  They became immoral because their Gods, or the people they looked to as examples, were immoral.  Our country is following a similar pattern.  We must become people of integrity and that would be best done by turning our gaze from todays "heroes" in sports or Hollywood and fixing it upon the perfect example - Jesus Christ.

Started school at Monticello College

On April 10, 2014 I started attending Monticello College online. I am learning a lot about freedom and the great people of history.  This blog is now going to become the place where I record the things I am learning from my readings as well as my classes. My hope is that my education will benefit more than just myself.

Healing this nation

It is so tempting to quit this sick country and form a new, yet if we would but follow the constitution and its original intent our country would be miraculously healed.