In the jar

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Once upon a time I was a real philosopher. I wasn’t a very good philosopher then, and I’m certainly not now, but here’s an argument for the truth of Christianity. If you fancy yourself as a philosopher, feel free to shoot my argument down in flames. But if you fancy yourself as a real philosopher, do what a real philosopher would do. Improve my argument, so that it’s as good an argument as it can possibly be. And then shoot it down in flames!

Okay, so here goes. Lately, something called the multiverse theory has become popular in atheist circles. It purports to explain why the universe we live in appears to be fine-tuned for the existence of life, without the universe we live in actually being fine-tuned for the existence of life. Because what best explains the fact that the universe we live in is fine-tuned for the existence of life, if it’s the only universe, is the existence of a creator God. If, however, our universe is only one of trillions upon trillions of other actual parallel universes, each with different physical laws and constants, then we can find the explanation for the apparent fine-tuning of the universe we happen to inhabit in the so-called anthropic principle. Basically, we’re here because of sheer, dumb luck and the probabilistic resources of a multiverse.

Atheist Logo

As far as I’m aware, there’s no empirical evidence for the multiverse theory, but it does at least explain why most atheists believe in pink unicorns. So there is that. Now, my argument appeals to the idea of multiple possible universes. The possible worlds heuristic has been a mainstay of academic philosophy for a very long time. Since I’ve been around, anyway. I think my argument only depends on the existence of a finite number of possible universes, and not on the existence of an infinite number of actual universes, but I’m not sure. But the question is, if there are multiple possible universes, but only one actual universe, which of the multiple possible universes is the actual universe we live in?

Well, it could be that the universe we live in is, in actual fact, contained in a tiny glass jar placed neatly on the shelf of an alien child’s room. It’s a logical possibility. The thing to note about this possibility is that it’s a possibility that our universe is contained within another universe. Thus, this possibility is a variant of what I have elsewhere called supernaturalism. Naturalism, as I define it, is the view that the world we know is a stand-alone affair. It’s not contained within anything else, or a product of anything else. It’s self-sufficient from go to whoa. It just is. Whereas, supernaturalism is the view that the world we live in—and all it contains, including us—is an artefact.

Now consider all the logically possible universes. Logically speaking, what is the likelihood that the one-and-only actual universe is a self-contained universe, as opposed to a universe contained within a greater reality? Bear in mind that the the universe inhabited by the alien child, in whose room our universe is contained in a jar on a shelf, could itself be contained in another jar on a shelf in some uber-alien child’s room. That’s right, for every possible self-contained universe, there are an infinite number of possible nested universes containing that universe. So it’s highly likely that we live in a nested universe.

God is eternal. The claim that God is eternal is often taken to mean (as I take it to mean) that God is “outside” time and space. God is outside the time and space fabric of our universe, which means that our universe is “inside” the outside reality in which God dwells. If Christianity is true, we live in a nested universe.

There are two types of possible nested universes. Those in which the creator in the containing universe has communicated with the inhabitants of the contained universe, and those in which the creator hasn’t. What would our world look like if we lived in a universe within a universe? Moreover, one in which the creator outside had communicated with us in the jar? It would look exactly like this one looks if Christianity were true. Therefore, Christianity is true.

Perhaps my argument, such as it is, is a variant of an argument that C. S. Lewis presents in Mere Christianity. According to Lewis, we should expect the unexpected.

Reality, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed. That is one of the reasons I believe Christianity. It is a religion you could not have guessed. If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up. But, in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up. It has just that queer twist about it that real things have.

So, there it is. It’s not an argument I’m about to write up and submit to a peer-reviewed academic journal any time soon, but hey. I’m only a jar of clay.

Life and Death. Hope and Happiness. A Tribute to Rev John Steele Clark. (Re-post)

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In 16 minutes it will be the 8th anniversary of my Grand Father, John Steele Clark’s death.
He was a wonderful and inspirational person.
The Greatest human being I have ever known.
I was blessed beyond measure to have him as my Granddad.
I have not seen my own father since I was 5 years old and yet this loss was greatly mitigated by my Grandfathers Love and guidance.

I miss him, and still reverence his memory.
When I knew his time was short I did something a tad different.
I wrote a Tribute to his Life and death and sent it to him before he died so he could read with his own eyes what his Grandson thought! šŸ™‚
My tribute was very controversial as it was *My take* *My perspective* rather than simply a concise record of his exact doings and faith.
That was another reason I sent it to him… to see if he would discuss what I had written.
We never did discuss it, and so I took that as a Tacit endorsement! šŸ™‚ And this was important to me because I expected some of my family members to not be that impressed with my Rendition of things.

Thus with my Granddad’s anniversary in mind I have typed out my Tribute to him and posted it below.
I hope to post more about this wonderful man in the future.
I also hope my tribute is of benefit to people struggling with the Pains, trials, and tribulations of Life as this is not just the story of an individual’s life but about Hope and happiness in the face of death and loss.

Love You Heaps Granddad! XOX
Tim Wikiriwhi.

I have started a Facebook page in memory of Him >>>Here<<< I hope everyone who knew him visits, enjoys, and contributes to this memorial. granddad 001

My Granddad. (Left) Married Me to my Wife Joy at Mclarens Falls Tauranga. March 2002.

Tribute to Reverend John Steel Clark. (Re-post)

Anglican Minister.
Thames/ Coromandal Peninsular.
New Zealand
1923-2006

Man of Faith and Reason.

A Christian view of Life and Death.
By his eldest Grandson.
Tim Wikiriwhi.

ā€œFor the Invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse;ā€
St Paul. Romans 1vs 20

ā€œI am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he liveā€¦ā€
Jesus Christ: John 11vs 25

ā€œfor by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boastā€
St Paul: Ephesians 2vs8,

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After an exemplary life, and a heroic fight against cancer, by beloved Grandfather has passed on.
There is not enough time today to fully express what he means to me, I therefore shall leave much out of this tribute for others to share.
I have chosen to focus on the most precious values that I personally treasureā€¦ that I see as the Greater part of his legacy.

My Grandfather was the Abraham of our family!
When I was growing up his word was Law.
He set the standards for manhood and he always stuck to his word.
His glory as a faithful husband to my Nana and as a father to his children (and Grandchildren) gave me such assurance that life makes perfect sense, and that all is well in the world.

Rev Clark was a man of Reason and a man of Faith.
He was a Christian minister, which is a huge testimony to the value of that religion.
Those who knew him and loved him, yet are not Christians ought to pause and contemplate the huge implications that such a man of great wisdom and integrity was not ashamed to wear the garb of a Man of God!
It is this truth that I hold dearest about my Grandfather, and it is in honour of his principled faith in God that I wish to write to you about life, religion, and death.

This is a fitting time to talk about religion and death.
If itā€™s not cool to talk about religion and death at the funeral of a preacher, then I ask when?
For many Death is the hardest most frightening reality we face.
How are we to deal with it?
We all must face our own mortality sooner or later and worse still we must face the mortality of those we hold dear.

Some like my Grandfather, live full term and death becomes a sort of mercy, yet many tragically die before their time and it seems a truism to say ā€œLifeā€™s not fair!ā€
Should we die from our own immorality or foolishness we may find small solace in seeing such deaths as justly ā€˜reaping what we have sownā€™, yet often death comes to the virtuous and innocentā€¦at the hands of some evil, and so this rule appears violated.
The Soul that looses a loved one in such a way, or they find themselves facing an early death by some evil is in danger of becoming bitter and twisted, and a hater of God, even if they donā€™t believe in him!
Indeed they choose not to believe in him simply because they see life as unjust!
It is for this reason that a positive philosophy about death is essential for every one of us if we are to truly enjoy life.
Without a sure reasoned faith powerful enough to overcome these sorts of painā€¦ bitterness and hatred of God are almost as sure to consume your soul as the sun will rise tomorrow!

Perhaps some may delude themselves into being happy by such base notions that ultimately ā€˜Nothing really mattersā€™, but this can never suffice the deep hearted.
This can only leave you cold.
I therefore say True Religion is essential for the survival and happiness of everyone of us, and not to have such a faith is a disaster!
Pain bitterness, hopelessness, and hatred are the lot for the lost soul without true religion.
Rev Clark Knew this, and this was one reason he was a minister of God.
Peace, hope, and a clear sense of justice are only possible for the man of reason that has reason enough to have faith that ultimately all is well and that life has real meaning and value.

It is my testimony, and that of my Grandfather that reason enough does indeed exist for hope and belief in Divine Justice.

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Tears. Knowing time was short. Me and Granddad shortly before his death.

Let me now share with you a tiny fraction of the logic for faith in God, faith in his goodness, and faith in Christ by a few self-evident truths.

What lies in that box is not my Grandfather!
That dead body is but the house he lived in.
Science tells us that we replace every cell in our body every seven years.
This being so, most of us have had many bodies in our lifetime already!
They are miraculous things that were designed by incredible genius, but they are not the essence of who we are.
What is missing from that corpse is the *Real Granddad* whom we all love!
*His Soul*.

A great portion of Mankind are suffering from the delusion that we are but soul-less matter.
This is a great inhuman and evil superstition that has the most evil consequences for those under itā€™s spell.
The fruit of it is nihilism and this lowers man down to the level of a germ.
Granddad knew this truth and was a minister of menā€™s *souls*.

Now think about loveā€¦ what is the chemical formula for that?
Can chemicals love?
Can rocks feel?
Can robots be conscious of their own existence and care about the existence of other robots?

The man of reason and science, who holds that good and evil have objective reality must say no!
There is no Atheistic science that can accommodate the facts of reality or human experience!

All human invention is childlike when compared to such marvels as the human mind, brain, and hands.
The scripture that declares we are made in Godā€™s image is the most rational statement pertaining to our existence!

I say that if the Earth was like the moon, and there was no such thing as mankindā€¦ then it might be rational to think ā€˜there is no Godā€™ or that whatever is responsible for existence is dead not living.
But we live!… and science has proven that Life only comes from life.
It therefore follows that whatever is primary in reality must not only be alive, but also of supreme intelligence.
We call this Supreme being Godā€¦. who is before all temporal Laws and things.

The scripture wisely declares ā€œThe fool hath said in his heart there is no Godā€, and that mankind must beware ā€˜science falsely so-calledā€™.

Donā€™t be deceived by *Fake Science* like Darwinism.
Understand the difference between science proper, and poor speculations that are contrary to it.
Darwinism is fatally flawed and already fading away, yet Christianity stands fast and ready for you to embrace.
It alone accounts for cause and effect, both Physical and Moral.
The foolish man builds his house upon the sands of manā€™s ever changing myths.
The wise man builds his house upon the rock of Godā€™s sure word of truth, The King James Bible.

granddad
This article appeared in the Waikato Times.

Why must we embrace Christ?
It is because this is how God has declared as his only acceptable way of salvation, and it is God who sets the terms for such a thingā€¦ not us.
To be so vain as to believe God must accept us on *our terms* is to hang reality on our whim, and to Deify our pea-sized intellect!

Socrates, who believed in life after death, said it ought to be a manā€™s chief concern to ā€˜Know thyselfā€™, and that the unexamined life is not worth living.
I say that if we dare to examine ourselves our need for Christ and Godā€™s forgiveness becomes as clear as day!
What is wondrous about Godā€™s salvation through Christ is that he has managed to satisfy both Justice and Mercy, and to reveal his loving grace towards us.
He has achieved this by giving us freewill, and the liberty to choose to or reject him.
For us to choose Christ we must recognize we are sinful and lost.
Do not hide behind such foolish clichĆ©, as ā€˜Religion is the cause of all mankindā€™s woesā€¦ such as war.ā€
Sin and Evil are the cause of these and knowing this ought to convince us all of the need for salvation and Godā€™s government!
The good news is ā€œWhosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.ā€
Salvation is a free Gift!
The Bible says Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Rev Clark believed in God and was a minister of this truth.

Was he an irrational superstitious Fool?
No!
He was a man of Reason and a true Humanitarian.
This is what Christianity is all about!
I donā€™t ask you to become a pew warmer.
I implore you all to ask Christ to be your savior!

Let us maintain our faith in justice in the face of every hardship.
Let us play the hand we have been dealt with dignity to the very end.
Let us love one another and cherish every moment we have!

I thank God for my Grandfather and trust his soul is now in a much better place.
And I expect to see him again!

Thank you Granddad for everything.
You are an inspiration to us all.
Amen.

I cannot finish without giving recognition to my Nana who is the best wife any man could have.
Thank you Nana for loving and caring for my Granddad.
We all love you so much!

ā€œFor the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but unto us which are saved: it is the power of Godā€
St Paul. 1 Corinthians 1vs18.

Contact Tim: 078498323ah, twikiriwhi@yahoo.co.nz

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I picked this song because it is one Me and my Family used to enjoy at Christmas time and on visits to Granddad and Nana…. Priceless memories.

A single-policy, multi-issue party. Ten principles.

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The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party is a single-policy, multi-issue party.

We have a single policy, which is to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis legalisation affects multiple other political issues, mainly by providing additional revenue from tax revenues and the cost savings from not enforcing cannabis prohibition.

But still we get asked questions like, e.g., “What is the ALCP’s policy on the use of 1080?” One ought to be able to answer such questions by recourse to first principles.

Here are the ALCP’s principles. (This is a draft list. Some of the principles below have yet to be ratified by the ALCP Board.)

1. Truth
We support honest, transparent government, making rational decisions based on the best scientific and empirical evidence available.

2. Freedom
We support personal responsibility and freedom of choice.

3. Justice
We support the rule of law, upheld by common law courts and an impartial justice system.

4. Peace
We support non-violent conflict resolution and the non-aggression principle.

5. Ecology
We support protections for the natural environment and conservation of native plant and animal species.

6. Commerce
We support economic growth, fiscal responsibility and job creation based on a sound supply of money.

7. Treaty of Waitangi
We support the principles embodied in te Tiriti o Waitangi.

8. Limited Authority
We support constitutional limits to the powers of the State, particularly where they undermine human rights or national sovereignty.

9. Personal Beliefs
We support the free exercise of religion or spiritual beliefs without involvement from the State.

10. Democracy
We support participatory democracy, representative government and parliamentary procedure.

Comments are welcome.

The Act Party Waikato,BOP Regional Conference July 2014.

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Is it possible to trust a man who turns down a free beer… a Waikato Draught… and exclaims ā€œI donā€™t drink beerā€¦ I drink wineā€¦ā€ !!!????

Hmmmm.

A Libertarian friend, and I attended the Act party BOP/ Wakato Regional conference yesterday, held in an Hamilton Airport Hotel conference room.
I was interested to meet Actā€™s new Leader, Jamie Whyte, and to hear him speak.
I took advantage of the fine weather to take my Triumph for a scoot.

I did not hang around for Dinner, or the evening discussions.
Iā€™m not a member of Act, yet I would like to just tough on a few highlights of the day from my Libertarian perspective.

The meeting was also a party fundraiser, organized by Vince Ashworth and his wife, and Hamilton City Councilor and one time party president Garry Mallett was MC.

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The Meeting kicked off a little after 3pm with Actā€™s Hamilton East Candidate, Ron Smith.
I was very pleasantly surprised with the content of his speech!
It was in my view the best speech of the day.
Mixed with humour, it was very Libertarianā€¦ not what I was expecting from an ex Waikato Uni Professor.
He said he was stepping up to the plate because he thought New Zealand was at a crisis point, and needed people in parliament to protect what he saw as positive gainsā€¦ esp ā€˜Fiscal responsibilityā€™.

Ron discussed how over a period of may decades his political outlook had shifted
considerably from the commonly held view that politics was simply a matter of various opinions on how best to organize community projects, and interests etc, to a far more sophisticated and enlightened viewā€¦. having figured out via decades of trial and error that the ā€˜Big Governmentā€™ model simply *doesn’t work.*
(Applause from me! :-))
None the less Ron warns ā€¦ā€œThere is a ā€˜Gaggleā€™ of politicians and their supporters, and esp the media which continues to live in denialā€
Ron was very critical of the Waikato Times saying that in the past they had interviewed six candidates of various other (socialist) parties, and given them each a substantial space in the paper, yet had not bothered to interview anyone from Act.
(I myself have experienced this sort of prejudice from the Waikato Times myself, and it is appalling that such an important paper fails so miserablyā€¦ and so often, in itā€™s journalistic integrity!)
Ron also decried the calibre of the journalismā€¦ their silly and irrelevant questions about ā€˜Catsā€™, etc.

He expressed his high regard for Jamie Whyteā€™s prowess as a political analyst.

Some of the last things Ron said which had me nodding was that many of the problems being faced by New Zealanders are rightly ā€˜Individual problemsā€™ā€¦ thus best lest to the individuals themselves to solve, and rightly singled out Securityā€¦ internal Law and order as being a legitimate concern of government, and External security.
I asked him later of by this did he mean that the government should stop wasting money on things like Americaā€™s cup, and spend more on our Militaryā€¦ speaking personally he said ā€œYesā€¦ but a have not discussed any of this yet with Jamie Whyteā€.

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Next up was Dianne Mulhern ā€œWhy I support Actā€ā€¦ she decried those New Zealanders whom harbour ā€˜a sense of entitlementā€™ considering welfare to be ā€˜A right rather than a privilegeā€™.

She said she likes Act because they had a tuff stance on crime.

On Taxes she saidā€¦ ā€œI would like to hold on to more of my own moneyā€¦
My Husband and I run a business, and we pay taxes and taxes on taxes, and we have had enough!ā€
She explained that they tried protesting paying GST on top of a particular government Levy yet were forced to submit and pay up when they were threatened with court action.

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Before a coffee break Jamie Whyte stood up to speak.

His speech was primarily a summary of what he has been releasing as his ā€˜Sunday Seriesā€™, which are available to view on the net.

He started with saying that he is proud of the High calibre of personnel within Actā€™s ranks and is grateful there as plenty of wisdom there to tap into, and gain good advice.

He used David Cunnliffeā€™s ā€œ I am Sorry I am a manā€ , to contrast his vision of Act as a Party championing Individualism, and self responsibility in comparison to Labourā€™s collectivist mindset with itā€™s ā€˜Guilt by associationā€™ type mentality … their fixation with having a ā€˜gender equalā€™ spread in their party list as being more desirable than making *impartial selections* based upon personal virtues and merits rather than sex.

He said Equality before the Law was the most important principle of justice, and that Lady Justice is symbolically blindfolded so that she does not see the identity of the persons with whom she is judging.

Without mentioning the National parties culpability, he talked about the institutionalized Racism which New Zealand suffers which grants privileges to Maori.

Clearly New Zealand does not have a just systemā€¦ we have race based seats in parliament, Raced based state ā€˜advisory boardsā€™, etc .
The RMA says Maori are more important, and have more say in matters of Development, and land management.
He said that because Maori have poor statistics in areas of Health, wealth, and crime that it appeared to many that Maori are disadvantaged, and that these things meant that it was difficult for some people to appreciate the fact that legally speaking Maori are privileged, and non-Maori are discriminated against.

To further make his point he said he knew of a woman with two sons, one born to a Maori Father, the other had a non-Maori father.
He said currently the way the Law is written that the Non-Maori son would have to score an ā€˜Aā€™ to be accepted into Law School, whereas the Maori son would be accepted even if he only scored a ā€˜Cā€™.
This not only unfairly discriminates against Non-Maori, but that ironically it means that because Maori donā€™t need to exert themselves to the same degree to get byā€¦ many donā€™tā€¦ and thus this ā€˜easy roadā€™ does not tend towards an ethic of striving for success.

This is the sort of reason why Legal privilege is not working out to be in the best interest of the Maori peopleā€¦ socialism is failing them!

He said that even their racial legal privilege if it was working for them he would still oppose it on principle.

He said that in post election negotiations with National, Act would push for some sort of inquiry/ board it investigate ending the current race based laws and institutions of government.

When the opportunity came for questions from the floor, I said I agreed with what he had said, yet asked if it was prudent to wait until post election negotiations to formulate Acts policy for ending racial privilege.
I said that he ought to draw a line in the sand before the election and lay out not negotiable conditions for entering a coalition, because this would strengthen his position post election, yet he was not prepared to do that.
I asked if at a very minimum he would be prepared to say that Act will not enter into a Coalition with National, if it also included coalition with the Maori party?

Again he refused.
He then attempted to suggest that the Maori Party were reasonable people!

For me this was very disappointing!
Had he not just spoken about Law and order, and that equality before the Law was the most important principle of Justice?… and yet he was not prepared to make a minimum condition of coalition with National ā€¦ in any way shape or form, to end the travesty of Waitangi separatism and our apartheid laws and institutions!
What more I gather Jamie does not have a very good grasp as to just how great a swindle is being perpetrated upon the people of New Zealand.
I think to the degree that he has investigated these matters, that he has by and large swallowed the modern ā€˜Revisionist historyā€™ which portrays the Maori as victims of Land alienation via Greedy and underhanded means.
One thing is clear to me, Jamie has obviously been deceived by the Maori party- Mana split, and considers The Maori party to be reasonableā€¦ in comparison to Hone Harawera!
He does not realize that they are both *exactly the same*, only the Maori party are more cunningā€¦ more politically savyā€¦ more slyā€¦ whereas Hone Harawera is far more open and honest!

It is truly a wonder to me that Act would even consider entering a coalition with the Maori partyā€¦the party which represents the vested interests which are capitalizing from the injustices of our current apartheid system?
But then again how could anyone even contemplate getting into bed with the National party anyway?

Sigh.

I asked him whatā€™s the point of getting into parliament without your principles?
He insisted he was taking them with him.

For me it is difficult to witness.
I believe he is sincere in his convictions.
He certainly is honest enough to say that he wont be drawn to make pre-election non-negotiable coalition conditions.
I have no doubt that he believes this course of action is the best policy to get Act back into parliament as part of the ruling coalitionā€¦ that is his focus.
Yet I cant help but think that he is making a massive mistake.
Not only is he failing on the moral level, but is making a grievous miscalculation, and not learning from the Ghosts of Acts past.

I will have to talk about these spooks in another postā€¦ I will simply say that by taking this course of action Jamie is not giving the enlightened voter any solid reason to believe a vote for Act is anything more than a vote for Nationalā€¦ and a perpetuation of the Status quo.

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Several other people spoke, including Richard Prebble, whom is a bit of a character and in the words of Gary Mallettā€¦ is the Act partyā€™s hardest working, and most dedicated battler.
His speech was a reinforcement of Jamie as the best possible candidate to lead the party, and went on to discuss Acts chances at election time.
He sighted many ā€˜advantagesā€™ Act had which are reason for optimism.
ā€œā€¦A vote for Act is not a wasted vote..ā€
He is full of assurance that their Epsom candidate David Seymour will be victorious, and with the party vote hoping for as many as 9 Mpā€™s.

During a short open forum, questions on Immigration were raisedā€¦ most flavoured with the usual petty xenophobia and mean-spiritedness ā€¦ ā€œForeigners steeling Kiwi jobsā€, to which I was very pleased to hear Jamieā€™s (and others) enlightened and benevolent responses.
He clearly has sensible, and humane ideas about immigration, and tabled several arguments which thwart many of the phobias that fuel anti-immigration.
He mention that migrants were a much needed source of labour to do jobs that Kiwis didnā€™t want to do.
Beth Houlbrooke also pointed out that migrants contribute greatly to our economy, with many of the higher skilled individuals actually creating *More jobs* for Kiwisā€¦not less.

The one negative comment I have to say about Ron Smith is that he seemed to harbour fears about Indonesian Boat people reaching our shores, and that in his opinion New Zealand should adopt/ partner up with Australiaā€™s ā€˜Final solutionā€™ (my words).

My heart breaks when I think about the horrific treatment of desperate refugees by the Australian government.

I just cant fathom how people can be so heartless against such people whom are simply looking to escape a hell hole, and find a safe place to raise their kids.

I am sickened by the inhumanity of those Americans whom equate innocent Mexican children crossing the US Border to escape the hell of the Drug warā€¦ as being Mexican Gangster killers!

I think about the Jews whom were trying to escape the Nazis being turned away and sent back to the German ovens.
I think about the Children drowning at sea.

Can we not have a more humane border policy which allows some sort of Private voluntary association to take in these people and work to assimilate them into our society?
This is a subject for another blogpostā€¦ back to the Act Conference.

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The Act party as Jamie presents it is the most conservative flavourā€¦ the least radical.
Though apparently Act is the party of Law and order, personal freedom and self responsibility, we donā€™t hear anything as Brash as decriminalization of cannabisā€¦ at least not at this conference.
One of the biggest problems I see for Jamie is that if he thinks that he can start off this ā€˜luke warmā€™ way, thinking that as the party grows stronger that at a later date he will be able to steer the party in more Libertarian direction, that he will then realize that he has not created a ā€˜Liberalā€™ party at all!
He will have filled his ranks with conservative center right socialists (Quazi-Fascists) whom will resist any move towards *Real Reforms*ā€¦ and if he thinks it is necessary to appease conservative center right socialists *to get into* parliament, I say he will have to continue to do so *to remain* in parliament
This has always been the curse of Actā€¦ The conservatives have always thwarted the Idealist ambitionsā€¦ and this is why Act has achieved virtually nothing in all its time in parliament.

So I worry that because Jamie is taking the road of least resistance, that not only will this make it difficult to differentiate Act from National in the eyes of the most enlightened voting New Zealanders whom are looking for a *Real alternative* ā€¦costing him votes, instead of filling Act with principled Idealists, whom love justice, he runs the risk of simply swallowing up disgruntled National party voters and pragmatists whom would sell their own grannys to remain in parliamentā€¦ ahead of struggling for progress.
His way may be quickerā€¦ but it will end miserably.
My way may be a bit slowerā€¦ yet I believe the end results would be far more spectacular!

Anyway….

There were several other speakers and many other interesting questions debated yet sadly I have run out of time and space to report them.
It’s 1am and I start work at 6!
I will have to edit’ spell check this tomorrow nite.

They had a very good turn out…a full house… I estimate 50+.

To return to my original question, I think Jamie Whyte is an honest politician, whom is in stark contrast to the General Demagogue herd, in that he is careful not to make promises that he is not sure he can keep.

Despite my criticismā€¦. Despite my disappointmentā€¦ I like Jamie, and many of his Supporters.
I certainly believe he would be a good man for New Zealand to have in parliament.
I think Ron Smith is an excellent candidate for Hamilton east and I would encourage Easters to give him their vote but alas I donā€™t think he wants themā€¦ Heā€™s fishing for party votes.

Though I am not a member of the Act party, I am certainly willing to help them expound the principles of Equality before the Law, of reducing the size and expense of government, of increasing Liberty, self reliance and self responsibility, etc and hope that I have opportunity to talk with Jamie again soon.

He’s a smart guy, and I look forward to watching him in action, and the rest of Act’s new line up which includes at least one Ex Libertarianz Party member, and another Libz Supporter.

No doubt in Jamie’s mind *any* movement he manages to pull our government in the right direction… no matter how small… is a real moral victory.
It’s hard to argue against that.

I would certainly love it if Act was to grow into a Powerhouse of Libertarian Idealism!

Dreams are Free!

Talk is cheep.

My criticisms have little weight.
Personally, as a Politician I am a complete failureā€¦. I may make NZ history as being the most unsuccessful person who stood for election.. yet to me Politics is not about the art of compromise, but about Resolute and unwavering integrity to principle.
To me itā€™s *not a wasted vote* to vote for a candidate whom best represents your personal values and Idealsā€¦. Even if … According to the mainstream mediaā€¦they have no hope of governing.

I’m rambling again…

Now Iā€™d better get my arse down to the Electoral office and get my paperwork to stand again as a Libertarian Independent candidate for Ham West.

Tim Wikiriwhi.
Libertarian Independent.

Update:29-7-14 Winston Peters is a politician for whom I harbour much contempt, yet having just received word that John Key is now willing to conciser a post election deal with him, having ruled out the Conservative party, none the less Peters has boldly announced that he will not join any coalition with The Separatists of the Maori or Mana Parties…. which is exactly the sort of courageous and principled stand I was hoping that Jamie Whyte would make a minimum condition in any deal with National.

Read about This line in the sand >>>Here<<<

Update 3-8-14.

More Prohibitionist Lies exposed: ‘Crack baby’ study ends with unexpected but clear result. By Susan FitzGerald, For The Inquirer.

crack

“Ever since her birth 23 years ago, a team of researchers has been tracking every aspect of her development – gauging her progress as an infant, measuring her IQ as a preschooler, even peering into her adolescent brain using an MRI machine.

Now, after nearly a quarter century, the federally funded study was ending, and the question the researchers had been asking was answered.

Did cocaine harm the long-term development of children like Jaimee, who were exposed to the drug in their mother’s womb?

The researchers had expected the answer would be a resounding yes. But it wasn’t. Another factor would prove far more critical.”

….

“My worst fear was that Jaimee would be slow, mentally retarded, or something like that because of me doing drugs,” she said. She agreed to enroll her baby in the cocaine study at Einstein. Drakewood promised herself that she would turn her life around for the sake of Jaimee and her older daughter, but she soon went back to smoking crack.

Hurt arrived early at Children’s Hospital one morning in June to give a talk on her team’s findings to coworkers. After nearly 25 years of studying the effects of cocaine and publishing or presenting dozens of findings, it wasn’t easy to summarize it in a PowerPoint presentation. The study received nearly $7.9 million in federal funding over the years, as well as $130,000 from the Einstein Society.

Hurt, who had taken her team from Einstein to Children’s in 2003, began her lecture with quotations from the media around the time the study began. A social worker on TV predicted that a crack baby would grow up to “have an IQ of perhaps 50.” A print article quoted a psychologist as saying “crack was interfering with the central core of what it is to be human,” and yet another article predicted that crack babies were “doomed to a life of uncertain suffering, of probable deviance, of permanent inferiority.”

Hurt, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, is always quick to point out that cocaine can have devastating effects on pregnancy. The drug can cause a problematic rise in a pregnant woman’s blood pressure, trigger premature labor, and may be linked to a dangerous condition in which the placenta tears away from the uterine wall. Babies born prematurely, no matter the cause, are at risk for a host of medical and developmental problems. On top of that, a parent’s drug use can create a chaotic home life for a child.

Hurt’s study enrolled only full-term babies so the possible effects of prematurity did not skew the results. The babies were then evaluated periodically, beginning at six months and then every six or 12 months on through young adulthood. Their mothers agreed to be tested for drug use throughout the study.

The researchers consistently found no significant differences between the cocaine-exposed children and the controls. At age 4, for instance, the average IQ of the cocaine-exposed children was 79.0 and the average IQ for the nonexposed children was 81.9. Both numbers are well below the average of 90 to 109 for U.S. children in the same age group. When it came to school readiness at age 6, about 25 percent of children in each group scored in the abnormal range on tests for math and letter and word recognition.

“We went looking for the effects of cocaine,” Hurt said. But after a time “we began to ask, ‘Was there something else going on?’ ”

While the cocaine-exposed children and a group of nonexposed controls performed about the same on tests, both groups lagged on developmental and intellectual measures compared to the norm. Hurt and her team began to think the “something else” was poverty.

As the children grew, the researchers did many evaluations to tease out environmental factors that could be affecting their development. On the upside, they found that children being raised in a nurturing home – measured by such factors as caregiver warmth and affection and language stimulation – were doing better than kids in a less nurturing home. On the downside, they found that 81 percent of the children had seen someone arrested; 74 percent had heard gunshots; 35 percent had seen someone get shot; and 19 percent had seen a dead body outside – and the kids were only 7 years old at the time. Those children who reported a high exposure to violence were likelier to show signs of depression and anxiety and to have lower self-esteem.

More recently, the team did MRI scans on the participants’ brains. Some research has suggested that gestational cocaine exposure can affect brain development, especially the dopamine system, which in turn can harm cognitive function. An area of concern is “executive functioning,” a set of skills involved in planning, problem-solving, and working memory.

The investigators found one brain area linked to attention skills that differed between exposed and nonexposed children, but they could not find any clinically significant effect on behavioral tests of attention skills.

Drug use did not differ between the exposed and nonexposed participants as young adults. About 42 percent used marijuana and three tested positive for cocaine one time each.

The team has kept tabs on 110 of the 224 children originally in the study. Of the 110, two are dead – one shot in a bar and another in a drive-by shooting – three are in prison, six graduated from college, and six more are on track to graduate. There have been 60 children born to the 110 participants.

The years of tracking kids have led Hurt to a conclusion she didn’t see coming.

“Poverty is a more powerful influence on the outcome of inner-city children than gestational exposure to cocaine,” Hurt said at her May lecture…. ”

Read full article >>>Here<<< catnip

The War on Drugs is not only Unjust, Bigoted, and Oppressive in the extreme… It is an evil founded upon a mountain of falsehoods, Lies, and foolishness.
Cannabis is proving itself to be one of the most beneficial plants to humanity.
Science is now exposing the myths about Magic Mushrooms and Ecstasy… Now they are being investigated for their beneficial qualities for the brain, and helping with PTSD, etc… and yet the disastrous War on drugs continues.

Tim Wikiriwhi

Read more>>>> Forbes: Everything Youā€™ve Heard About Crack And Meth Is Wrong

The New Jewsā€¦ Meth Users.

and >>> New Prohibitions. How our Police and Government work for Criminal Gangs.

And >>> Historic battles. The Libertarian struggle against Drug Prohibition. Why BZP should have been kept Legal.

and >>> Drug users fill New Zealand jails

And >>> What you should know about Drug Prohibition.

And >>> The Child Casualties of the Jihad on Drugs.

And >>> Prohibition is a Bad trip!

And >>> A Transitional Drug Policy

P-lab risk vastly exaggerated: Mike Butler ā€¦ Breaking News.

Utilitarianism vs Libertarianism. Socialist pragmatism vs Libertarian Idealism

Rulers bear the sword for a reason

blind-justice
Roman justice goddess – blindfolded with sword

Romans 13:4
For the one in authority is Godā€™s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are Godā€™s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Governments that serve God well should be agents of wrath that bring punishment on wrongdoers.

Christians should be supporting/advocatingĀ governmentĀ punishment of wrongdoers.Ā As I write this I think this doctrine is too obvious to mention and uncontentious… but I have seen that some Christians think justice has been replaced with “not judging”, forgiveness and mercy. And many people think the purpose of a justice system should be to rehabilitate and/or protect citizens.

Mercy and forgiveness have their place but these are,Ā I believe,Ā an individual’s prerogative – in the same way that generosity is an individuals prerogative. It is not virtuous when the state gives away people’s money against their wishes and neither is it virtuous when the state gives lenient punishments against a victim’s wishes. (Mercy, forgiveness and generosity by proxy are counterfeit virtues.)

Significant disagreements amongst Christians occur when we consider which wrongdoings should be punished. Wrongdoings can be classified as against God (e.g. worshipping other gods, disobedience),Ā against self (e.g. drunkenness, greed, laziness, pride) orĀ against others (e.g. murder, theft, assault).

Wrongdoings against God or self are nobody else’s business – those wrongdoings are between that person and God – asĀ Paul said “Who am I to judge another man’s servant?”

The reason rulers bear the sword is to punish wrongdoers – specifically those who do wrongs against others.

(I thought I was finished… but I guess I’d better add that all punishments should be just i.e. they must not be disproportionate to the wrongdoing… eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, yadda yadda.)

No faith in Mother Earth

http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/climate-report-jamie-whyte-do-nothing-video-5879217

https://answersingenesis.org/environmental-science/climate-change/a-proposed-bible-science-perspective-on-global-warming/

What does the bible say about climate change?

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?Ā  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?Ā  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?Ā  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.Ā  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.Ā  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?Ā  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’Ā  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.Ā  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Ā  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matt 6:25-34

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” -Genesis 8:22

After the fall of man, the days on earth became numbered. Not because of man made CO2 emmisions or over population of the human race, but because of the sinful nature of men. You can ride a push bike, plant trees, build wind mills and solar panels all you like if you want to save humanity. If you want real salvation, Jesus is your only hope! Amen.

How exactly do the government deal with climate change? We have an ETS which is taxing on businesses and consumers. The cost of an ETS essentially means, less business and subsequently less employment. Also means higher electricity and fuel prices which contributes to the high cost of living. Do the people of NZ really want this? As Jamie Whytt said; the people of NZ arn’t worried, we should just do nothing.