Moving!

Yup, that's right. I've moved. Due to taking a more liberal bent, I've moved to WordPress. Not to mention I'm having an easier time with them. ;)

http://crystalspirit.wordpress.com

Don't be surprised if George Orwell pops in more often than not, I've been rather interested in things he's said and so if it flavours my posts, so be it. With college looming up at the end of August, I have every intention of updating at least semi-regularly. Check it out!

AND....

It's out!

Yuppers. Issue #2.6 for Virtue Mag is now out, and the first part of the point/counterpoint on the Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution. Check back a week from this Saturday for the second installment - republic, federation... what should we have?

Despotism started with the Constitution...

...or did it?

Before there was the Constitution...

...there were the Articles of Confederation...

.....and without being given more than six years.....

.......those Articles were replaced illegally by the Constitution.......

.........replaced in a way that would have made Niccolo Machiavelli proud........

...........was this the start of Despotism in the newly formed United States of America?

Check out VirtueMag.org two weeks from today for the release of Volume 2, Issue #6. In this issue will premier a point/counter-point style debate between two staff writers. One will defend the Constitution and government as we know it, the other will side with the Anti-Federalists and defend the Articles of Confederation and a smaller federal government.

What will be decided? Who will be the winner? Was the Constitution really the start of despotism in America, or were the Articles of Confederation sorely lacking and in desperate need of replacement? That's for you to decide on March 18, 2006 Anno Domini...

Use of the Hatchet

(All verses from the King James version)

Romans 13:3,4 - For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil...if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

The above is the reason that the Orthodox support jails. Jails exist, or they should, to enforce retribution and punihsment on those guilty of wrongdoing. On the subject of the death penalty itself, however, there is quite a bit of teaching in the New Testament to support not having it. In the Mosaic Law, many sins were punished by stoning. But what about the woman who was found guilty of adultery?

John 8:5, 7, 10, 11 - Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her...Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.

The New Testament time and again teaches forgiveness and mercy.

Matthew 6:14, 15 - For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 5:7 - Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Luke 6:37 - Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.

Ephesians 4:32 - And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

If you are going to say that things, such as murder, are punishable by death, how then do you explain this -

1 John 3:15 - Whosoever hateth his brother is a murder.

Are we to commit to death those who hate another?

Retribution spoken of in passages such as Leviticus 24:20 and Exodus 21:24 do support capital punishment...but look at Jesus' teaching here -

Matthew 5:38, 39, 43, 44, 46-48 - Ye have heard that it is said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on they right cheek, turn to him the other also...Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that which despitefully use you, and persecute you...For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Now, I will take the liberty of quoting Lactentius (240-320) from his Institutes VI, XX, 15 -

When God prohbits killing, He not only forbids us to commit brigandage, which is not allowed even by the public laws, but He warns us not to do even those things which are regarded as legal among men...And so it will not be lawful for a just man...to accuse anyone of a capital offence, because it makes no difference whether thou kill with a sword or witha word, since killing itself is forbidden. And so, in this commandment of God, no exception at all ought to be made the rule that it is always wrong to kill a man, whom God has wished to be regarded as a sacrosanct creature.

Of course, when the Christians were persecuted by the government and it was impossible for them to hol dpositions therein, it was relatively easy for the view of no capital punishment to be maintained. Now, however, more and more Christians are holding positions in the government, and things become a little more sticky. If capital punishment were to be maintained, it would need to be done consistently, which it currently is not. The State has the right to administer capital punishment, but that does not make it right. Also, a Christian can not, should not, administer capital punihsment. I understand that if capital punishment were to be repealed, criminals would have to either be reformed or inprisoned - in a strong, consistent penal policy. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is working to abolish capital punishment. In order to do that though, they realize we must also push for reform of our current penal system. Until that reform is in place, we can not repeal the death penalty.

If that made any sense, good, if not, I'm exhausted. Talk to me after I get my ACT scores. :P

Virtue Magazine

Yes, I am in GenJ

LOL. I just discovered that someone didn't know I was in GenJ. Well, now you do. And *points to the side* I linked them. I'm playing around with my links, so, let me know what you think of the "picture links" for Virtue Mag and Virtue Blog.

You're probably wondering when I'm going to blog on Capital Punishment. The answer is after I get the rest of my college applications in... It's a topic that requires a lot of careful thought and preparation. College applications are not condusive to that enviroment.

Japan's Princess Sayako who just lost her royal title, may be entitled (no pun intended) to get it back. If the bill is passed, it will allow women to retain their titles and if I am not mistaken, allow them to ascend to the thrown. That would be nice, since the Crown Prince only has a daughter, Aiko. And if Japan wants to keep her monarchy, she's going to have to let women take the thrown. It is a pity though, because I really admire traditions. But then again, I for one do not want to see monarchy leave the world, and Japan has one of, if not the, oldest monarchies in the world.

England's Prince Charles is taking legal action against a tabloid who published excerpts from his private journals. This is an event, since it is very rare that the royalty would take legal action. Apparently, the Prince of Wales called the Chinese diplomats from the 1997 hand over of power for Hong Kong, "appalling old waxworks" and detailed life in Windsor. At least we know it has embarrassed Palace Security.

So, what should I blog about next? Any specific issue you want to hear me talk about? Or shall I just go with what I feel like? (Which I may anyway, but a good dictator makes it seem like the people are in charge... ::wink::)

Yes on 1

Yes on 1 - Preserve Marriage, Protect Maine.

A pity I'm not eighteen, otherwise I'd be able to vote yes on 1. Another pity is that I will turn 18 whilst I'm in college, and therefore can not drive up to the State House on my birthday, register to vote, and all that jazz. Regardless, I will be able to vote. Whee! *grins*

It's interesting to note that people are condemned today for promoting abstinence, or for working against allowing homosexual marriage. And yet the same people doing the condemning, complain because they don't have a way to stop STDs. You know, I have to wonder at the logic - if you don't have premarital sex, you're not going to have STDs transmitted. If you're not homosexual, you won't have STDs transmitted. And yet they continue to berate those who promote abstinence and who condemn homosexual marriage.

Make no mistake, I do not hate those who do not abstain and I do not hate those who are homosexual. Definitely not. We, as Christians, are called to love everyone. That doesn't mean you must love their actions. If Mr. X decided to go out and randomly murder someone, does that mean that if I love him, I must therefore love what he did? Any rational person should realize it's not necessary to condone their actions in order to love them. And it's the same way with homosexuals and those who do not abstain.

If people would abstain, and if they would not practice homosexual lives, than the AIDS rate and other STD rates would go down tremendously. (My dad is a doctor, I'm not making up medical stuff as I go along :P) But perhaps people consider the solution too easy, and therefore aren't going to bother to look at it.

And in other news, Virtue Mag passed 20 issues.

Weather report today is mostly cloudy, chilly, and windy. Typical November day.

In sports, baseball season is over, and it wasn't a good one at all since the Red Sox lost.

In entertainment, Pride and Prejudice comes out this month.

And in the grand International scheme of things... the European Union is considering a call from Iran about the resumption of nuclear talks with France, Germany, and Britain.

That's it for this morning's edition of the Annals of a Right Winged Princess, thank you and God bless.

I'm still alive...

...though barely. :P

It's November - National Novel Writing Month. Whee. My new novel will be located at http://twilightsdaughter.blogspot.com. Comments are appreciated, so I can have feedback.

I know that there are millions, okay, ten, comments on my death penalty post. I will get a post done... I don't know when. I'm going crazy with my novel, and I'm supposed to edit articles for Virtue. (I'm a little late... but, oh well. I'm the chief procrastinator - i've refined it to an art ::grin::) Not to mention I've a college application due on Nov. 15, and I've barely started the essays. I swear, I will not do well in college. Oh well. And some charming college (University of Dallas to be exact) requires the written essay on the new SAT/ACT. Which means that oh boy, lucky me, I get to take the new stupid test! Whee! I am sooooo overjoyed! ::voice drowns from the dripping sarcasm:: It'll be the ACT. Lovely.

Anyway, I will respond, I have a response. Or two. Or something like that. But being a Princess is a tough job, dears, and I've got plenty of people clamouring for me to do this and that for them. Mostly siblings, but Virtue tends to do a good job, every other week with the articles to edit... So, I seriously need to stop procrastinating on my novel, and get to it. I haven't abandoned you, though you probably have lost all hope. "Trust not to hope, it has forsaken this blog."

And yes, SecDef, I am who you think I am. Pity though... now you know who I am. :P Miss K, Mara, Attourney General, whatever you want to know me as. :D