http://www.globalorgasm.org/

We’ll be moving Jan. 5th

This question should not be read as an indication of a wavering faith. Indeed, I think my faith has never been stronger. But here is a logical problem that I am trying to work out, as a kind of mental exercise…

How should I resolve the following apparent contradiction?

1) I suspect it is very likely that I am a Christian because I was raised by Christians. I suspect it is very likely that I am a Catholic because I was raised as a Catholic. Even my “style” of Catholicism (difficult to express in words, but quite distinct) is in part (probably mostly) a result of my upbringing. I practice the faith of my parents; of my father, particularly. I have no trouble believing that if I was not raised this way I would be a completely different person. What kind of person, I don’t know. I expect I would have ended up something akin to the Roman stoics, if I was lucky enough not to turn out as a complete psychopath.

2) I am in every sense sincere in my religious beliefs.

3) As a result of both of the above ideas, I experience a profound gratitude for my Catholic upbringing. I was lucky or blessed enough to be brought up the way I was.

4) There are probably lots of people of every variety of religious persuasion that feel the same way about their upbringing: Muslims thankful that they were raised in Islam, Protestants, Rad-Trad Catholics, liberal Catholics, Jews, and Hindus, and whatever else. No matter how open minded I try to be in examining the reasonableness of my faith, I will never be in a position to point to a radical conversion as a kind of “evidence” that I’ve given the religious question an honest hearing. Even if you assume that my kind of Roman Catholicism is exactly true and appropriate for humans universally, it is people like me who have the least reason to be certain that they’ve given all ideas a fair hearing. This is due to the great wall of separation that exists between any two people. I cannot think your thoughts for you, or experience your thoughts with you, and you are similarly cut off from me. Its possible that most religious people are much more open minded in their religious “judgment” than I am. Its equally possible, that although I’ve remained in the faith I was raised in, I am actually much more open and fair minded than people that have actually converted to a different religion than their upbringing. There is no way to know!

I think it is a good sign that thinking about all this doesn’t make me experience doubt about my faith. But I can step back enough to say that that could also be a very bad sign. And no one short of God has any kind of firsthand experience to suggest which is correct.

And yet, again, this doesn’t bother me. Discuss.

(Its probably about time I read Fides et Ratio, huh?)

Amanda and Jeremiah had their baby boy this morning at 5:57am. His name is Jack Valentine and he is 5lbs 12oz. Everything went well. Amanda started having contractions in the early afternoon and her water broke around nine at night. Information is still coming in, so i’ll keep you all posted. If you would like to reach them, call 417-820-7000 ext. 5270.

The American Monetary Institute is a think tank specializing in the study of monetary history, theory and reform.

Kucinich is a supporter of the group who spoke at their last conference and a close inspection will find that their ideas and policy recommendations are in the green/georgist political economic sphere.

The group is a big supporter of the Monetary Transparency Act, an act being pushed presently by Bernanke and the Cato Institute.

In general, the policies advocated by the Institute tend be in line with the historically liberal and libertarian idea of putting an end privilege. They see the private creation of money by private banks through the fractional reserve system as being one large form of government backed private privilege for certain well connected groups (cartels). With this understanding, the group would seek to see the Fed folded into the US Treasury with zero inflation legislation put in place. All new monies created to hold back deflation would be placed into circulation, not through debt as is the case today, but through public projects (roads, healthcare, etc.) or through a citizen’s dividend.

I’m new to the study of monetary policy and theory but I like a lot of what I see here.

Friends,

I have accepted a job with HNTB in Kansas City. The fam and I will be moving in the first part of January.

HNTB does some really great work. I’m very lucky to have been awarded the position I was. The position entails working with a slew of other structural, civil, and architectural engineers doing projects as diverse as LEED certified buildings, trail design, the virtual fence on the southern border of the US, sports stadiums, and bridge design. I start on Jan 21st.

As for leaving St. Louis…we are very sad. We’re very connected here with a great church and awesome friends. It has been very hard to tell everyone that we’re leaving. We love this city and hope to come back someday.

But for now…downtown KC here we come!

Below are the best parts. No need to waste your time with the rest.

“The fair tax folk advertise this as a 23% tax; the actual tax is 30%. They get the 23% rate by stating the “tax-inclusive” price. For example, under this proposal, an item that costs $100 would have a $30 tax on it, for a total price of $130. Since 30/130=0.23, they state the rate at 23%. But most people would regard it as a 30% rate, because that’s what it is. Why this rather obvious fraud in stating the rate? Because their own polling data shows that support for the proposal drops dramatically as the rate goes over 23%. As people understand the true tax rate, support for the tax will evaporate.”

“Part of the problem is that the fair tax people do not allow for the possibility of cheating. But a more likely result is that fraud will be massive. With such a high rate—whether 30% or 39%—the incentives to cheat will be irresistible. From people selling from the back of their cars, to off-shore web sites, the average citizen will be given a lot of help in avoiding the tax.”

“People with excess income avoid the tax by saving rather than purchasing. But people with high incomes already save; those at the top simply cannot convert all of their income to purchasing. That saved portion of their incomes will simply be tax free. Sales taxes are inherently regressive, falling more heavily on those who must spend all of their incomes. ”

From here

Poli-Sigh