I was listening to a book on CD with my son as we played Lego’s. In the The Young Carthagian G.A. Henty has Hammilcar, the general, as he stis astride his horse overlooking Carthage after return from battle saying, “Give her but a government strong, capable, and honest; a people partriotic, brave, and devoted and Carthage would long remain the mistress of the world.” “Surely she may yet remain so”, pleads his companion. “‘I fear not’, said Hammilcar gravely. ‘It seems to be the fate of all nations that as they grow in wealth so they lose their manly virtues. With wealth comes corruption, indolence, a reluctance to make sacrifices, and a weakening of the feeling of patriotism. Power falls into the hands of the ignorant many instead of the destinies of the country being swayed by the wisest and best. A fickle multitude swayed by interested demagogues assumes the direction of affairs. The result is inevitable: wasted powers, gross mismanagement, final ruin.'” I think the virtues are not merely manly or womanly for that matter, but godly. We have left those virtues, the only true God, Who only could help us. We have voted ourselves into the public purse as I read in a summary of evaluation on how democracy self-destructs. We are bankrupting ourselves without because we are bankrupt within. God help us.
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CreatorWorship 
Final Ruin?
Posted in Cultural commentary, General, Random thoughts, tagged Cultural commentary on November 3, 2008| Leave a Comment »
I was listening to a book on CD with my son as we played Lego’s. In the The Young Carthagian G.A. Henty has Hammilcar, the general, as he stis astride his horse overlooking Carthage after return from battle saying, “Give her but a government strong, capable, and honest; a people partriotic, brave, and devoted and Carthage would long remain the mistress of the world.” “Surely she may yet remain so”, pleads his companion. “‘I fear not’, said Hammilcar gravely. ‘It seems to be the fate of all nations that as they grow in wealth so they lose their manly virtues. With wealth comes corruption, indolence, a reluctance to make sacrifices, and a weakening of the feeling of patriotism. Power falls into the hands of the ignorant many instead of the destinies of the country being swayed by the wisest and best. A fickle multitude swayed by interested demagogues assumes the direction of affairs. The result is inevitable: wasted powers, gross mismanagement, final ruin.'” I think the virtues are not merely manly or womanly for that matter, but godly. We have left those virtues, the only true God, Who only could help us. We have voted ourselves into the public purse as I read in a summary of evaluation on how democracy self-destructs. We are bankrupting ourselves without because we are bankrupt within. God help us.
Read Full Post »