My next book to tackle is Abenteuer Hund aka Dog's Best Friend by Ursula Birr, Gerald Krakauer, and Daniela Osiander. This book is based on a tv series exploring the origins of the relationship between man and dog. They visit Burkina Faso, Borneo, Patagonia, Greenland, Namibia, Nepal, and Morocco. As a result of their studies, they also shed some light on the nature of human social development. This is not just another "dog book."
Since it is split into such easy to chew pieces, I will be blogging by region.
Gutes Lesen!
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Now playing: Casting Crowns - Glory
via FoxyTunes
Monday, August 31, 2009
Culture
Legends of the Abenaki
1. Lake Champlain was made by Odzihozo, “the Man Who Made Himself.” Before he had legs he dragged himself around creating valleys and piling up dirt to make mountains. After creating Lake Champlain, he hoisted himself onto the rock in the middle and turned to stone, thereby making Rock Dunder a sacred place.
2. Explanation for such colorful autumn foliage: a star hunter killed the Great Bear (possibly Ursa Major) and spilled his blood, dying the leaves.
3. Viewed themselves as descendents of animals.
4. When fishermen drowned it’s because they were pulled under by lake and river monsters.
5. Hunters rarely went to the tops of mountains for fear of offending the spirits who lived up there. Pomola, a birdlike creature lived on top of Mount Katahdin and disliked the invasion of mortals.
Current things with Abenaki origins
1. Maple syrup
2. Snowshoes
3. Lacrosse
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Now playing: Ensemble Project Ars Nova - Rondeau: Belle, bonne, sage
via FoxyTunes
1. Lake Champlain was made by Odzihozo, “the Man Who Made Himself.” Before he had legs he dragged himself around creating valleys and piling up dirt to make mountains. After creating Lake Champlain, he hoisted himself onto the rock in the middle and turned to stone, thereby making Rock Dunder a sacred place.
2. Explanation for such colorful autumn foliage: a star hunter killed the Great Bear (possibly Ursa Major) and spilled his blood, dying the leaves.
3. Viewed themselves as descendents of animals.
4. When fishermen drowned it’s because they were pulled under by lake and river monsters.
5. Hunters rarely went to the tops of mountains for fear of offending the spirits who lived up there. Pomola, a birdlike creature lived on top of Mount Katahdin and disliked the invasion of mortals.
Current things with Abenaki origins
1. Maple syrup
2. Snowshoes
3. Lacrosse
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Now playing: Ensemble Project Ars Nova - Rondeau: Belle, bonne, sage
via FoxyTunes
Abenaki Now...ish
Maine was the last state in the union to allow Native Americans to vote in 1954. Even in the 1930’s when the Great Depression saw Indians losing their jobs and suffering the poverty among the rest of the nation, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential election was a sign of hope. Roosevelt sought to remove the idea that Indians needed to assimilate to American culture in all ways, and instead pushed cultural pluralism, encouraging the white society to preserve their culture and language. State legislation however made it difficult for this new program to affect the Abenaki. Around 25,000 American Indians fought in World War II. In the 40’s and 50’s the federal government changed its mind and decided to pull out of the “Indian business” resulting in many tribes being either terminated or moved onto reservations. The civil rights movement of the 1960’s brought forth much pride among Native Americans and the slogan “Red pride” began to spread through the nation.
In 1980 Jimmy Carter signed an $81.5 million settlement for the Abenaki of the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot, attempting to make up for thousands of acres of land having been taken from them illegally.
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Now playing: Creed - With Arms Wide Open
via FoxyTunes
In 1980 Jimmy Carter signed an $81.5 million settlement for the Abenaki of the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot, attempting to make up for thousands of acres of land having been taken from them illegally.
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Now playing: Creed - With Arms Wide Open
via FoxyTunes
Abenaki Old School
“Abenaki” means “people of the Dawnland” aka easterners. These people inhabited the northeast New England as well as parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It was split into various bands, all of whom spoke dialects of Algonquian. Total current day population is probably under 10,000.
They lived near rivers, and in the northern climate, they relied on fishing and hunting to keep them through the winter months. They lived in either conical wigwams or longhouses covered with birchbark. Sort of like 17th century mobile homes.Boys became fully-fledged men around 14 and 15. Girls could marry as soon as they menstruate. In older tradition the boy would through a wood chip toward the girl and if she picked it up, she had agreed to marry him.
The European clash between Catholic and Protestant beliefs had a devastating effect on the Indian tribes as the race for soul-winning spread through the New World. The Abenaki sided with the French Catholics and became involved in the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) against the English.
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Now playing: David Rawlings/Gillian Welch/The Chieftains - Katie Dear
via FoxyTunes
They lived near rivers, and in the northern climate, they relied on fishing and hunting to keep them through the winter months. They lived in either conical wigwams or longhouses covered with birchbark. Sort of like 17th century mobile homes.Boys became fully-fledged men around 14 and 15. Girls could marry as soon as they menstruate. In older tradition the boy would through a wood chip toward the girl and if she picked it up, she had agreed to marry him.
The European clash between Catholic and Protestant beliefs had a devastating effect on the Indian tribes as the race for soul-winning spread through the New World. The Abenaki sided with the French Catholics and became involved in the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) against the English.
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Now playing: David Rawlings/Gillian Welch/The Chieftains - Katie Dear
via FoxyTunes
Louis Francis Sockalexis
Taken from pg 81.
One Penobscot Indian who made a short-lived transition into white society was Louis Francis Sockalexis, who left Old Town, Maine, to play baseball at Holy Cross College and Notre Dame. In 1897 he made it to the major leagues, breaking into the lineup of the Cleveland Spiders. In his first season he played the outfield, batted .338, and stole 16 bases. Sockalexis's career was cut short by a drinking problem, and he died in 1913 at the age of 42. In honor of his accomplishments, the Cleveland franchise changed its name to the Cleveland Indians.
One Penobscot Indian who made a short-lived transition into white society was Louis Francis Sockalexis, who left Old Town, Maine, to play baseball at Holy Cross College and Notre Dame. In 1897 he made it to the major leagues, breaking into the lineup of the Cleveland Spiders. In his first season he played the outfield, batted .338, and stole 16 bases. Sockalexis's career was cut short by a drinking problem, and he died in 1913 at the age of 42. In honor of his accomplishments, the Cleveland franchise changed its name to the Cleveland Indians.
Abenaki Artwork and Tools
I'm a visual learner, and since this book includes quite a few illustrations, I thought it would be nice to include some pictures for you all as well.
Fishing Spear
Wampum Belts
Baskets
Pottery
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Now playing: Glenn Miller Orchestra - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
via FoxyTunes
Fishing Spear
Wampum Belts
Baskets
Pottery
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Now playing: Glenn Miller Orchestra - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
via FoxyTunes
Intro to Abenaki
I get to read up on a topic on which I am yet again totally ignorant. As a European American descendant, the concept of Native America has either seems totally irrelevant to my life or has merely been romanticized in its various ways. I can already tell that one’s generic worldview has a great impact on how we view Native Americans, or as this book will call them, American Indians. Hey. It was written in 1989. Before we learn anything about this particular tribe, we are first forced to consider the question: How did they arrive on the New World? Have they always been here? If we hold to Judeo-Christian beliefs, they must have some connection to Noah, but where?
The expanding white society certainly held to the view that they were a dying race anyway and it was only a matter of time before they dwindled out. Hardly the case. Even to this day of intermarrying, the Native American identity is so closely cherished and maintained that the heads of tribes can even have authority over whether a Native American woman may let her child be adopted. One instance where a woman may not have the choice.
This book is the first in a series of 53 books by Colin Calloway about the conflict and survival of North American Indians. It is just over 100 pages, so my time with it will be brief, but I’m finding myself already wanting to read ahead of myself.
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Now playing: FFH/Nichole Nordeman - Shine Your Light
via FoxyTunes
The expanding white society certainly held to the view that they were a dying race anyway and it was only a matter of time before they dwindled out. Hardly the case. Even to this day of intermarrying, the Native American identity is so closely cherished and maintained that the heads of tribes can even have authority over whether a Native American woman may let her child be adopted. One instance where a woman may not have the choice.
This book is the first in a series of 53 books by Colin Calloway about the conflict and survival of North American Indians. It is just over 100 pages, so my time with it will be brief, but I’m finding myself already wanting to read ahead of myself.
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Now playing: FFH/Nichole Nordeman - Shine Your Light
via FoxyTunes
Sunday, August 30, 2009
HERETIC!!!
So some people aren't too fond of Abelard's methods in the monastery. The Council of Sens in 1140 charged Abelard for his propositions: "That the Holy Spirit is not of Substance with the Father";"That omnipotence belongs properly and specially to the Father";"That Christ did not take flesh in order to free us from the devil";"That God ought not to hinder evil";"That we have contracted from Adam not guilt but it's punishment";"That a man is made neither better nor worse by his works." After appealing to the Pope, he is condemned for "pernicious doctrines and other perverse teaching contrary to the catholic faith", forbidden to teach or to travel and his books were ordered to be destroyed.
After learning that Abelard and Heloise are buried in the same cemetery as Oscar Wilde and Van Morrison, I have a slightly greater interest in visiting Paris, but it's still not enough to weigh out the negatives.
All in all this book was a slight disappointment. I was under the impression this book would be based heavily on the letters written between the two lovers. After all, there are over 100 of them. The author chooses however to focus pretty heavily on Abelard's autobiography instead, which, due to his pretty self-centered nature, is all about Abelard.
My next book will be The Abenaki written by Colin G. Calloway in 1989. I'm excited! Will start tomorrow.
After learning that Abelard and Heloise are buried in the same cemetery as Oscar Wilde and Van Morrison, I have a slightly greater interest in visiting Paris, but it's still not enough to weigh out the negatives.
All in all this book was a slight disappointment. I was under the impression this book would be based heavily on the letters written between the two lovers. After all, there are over 100 of them. The author chooses however to focus pretty heavily on Abelard's autobiography instead, which, due to his pretty self-centered nature, is all about Abelard.
My next book will be The Abenaki written by Colin G. Calloway in 1989. I'm excited! Will start tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Abelard on creation
Abelard dismisses as illogical any idea that it was a spontaneous decision, even a whim, on the part of the creator. The idea of the created universe must have been part of God for eternity, he argues. This is not the end of the story, however. The material world was actually brought into being, he argues, not as a result of God's innate nature but by an act of love. To deny this element of the creation, he claims, is to deny God's rationality. Love is a factor that crops up repeatedly in medieval thought in a way that is lacking in its modern counterparts.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
My PG-13 Post
An excerpt from Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe[Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1987]
Feeling randy? -- Are you married? No? Stop, sin! -- Is this your wife? No? Stop, sin! -- Married for more than three days? No? Stop, sin! -- Is your wife menstruating? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is your wife pregnant? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Lent? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Advent? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Witsun week? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Easter week? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it a feast day? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Sunday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Wednesday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Friday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Saturday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it daylight? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Are you naked? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Are you in church? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Do you want a child? No? Stop, sin! If you answered all the above correctly you can go ahead but no fondling, no lewd kisses, no oral sex, and no strange positions. Do it only once. Try not to enjoy it and wash afterward.
Feeling randy? -- Are you married? No? Stop, sin! -- Is this your wife? No? Stop, sin! -- Married for more than three days? No? Stop, sin! -- Is your wife menstruating? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is your wife pregnant? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Lent? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Advent? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Witsun week? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Easter week? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it a feast day? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Sunday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Wednesday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Friday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it Saturday? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Is it daylight? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Are you naked? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Are you in church? Yes? Stop, sin! -- Do you want a child? No? Stop, sin! If you answered all the above correctly you can go ahead but no fondling, no lewd kisses, no oral sex, and no strange positions. Do it only once. Try not to enjoy it and wash afterward.
Pretty confident, are we?
Well after discussing the rather boring aspects of 12th century France, the book has gotten more interesting again. Let's just say I know a lot more about castration methods now. Moving on...
Abelard is a total $%@#! Here's what he wrote in his autobiography about Heloise.
I considered all the usual attractions for a lover and decided she was the one to bring to my bed, confident that I should have an easy success; for at the time I had youth and exceptional good looks as well as my great reputation to recommend me, and feared no rebuff from any woman I might choose to honor with my love.
Burge puts it well when he comments.
It is talk from the fictional lads' world in which all women are up for it and all men are completely irresistible, especially after a few drinks.
Nice try Abelard. Nice try.
Abelard is a total $%@#! Here's what he wrote in his autobiography about Heloise.
I considered all the usual attractions for a lover and decided she was the one to bring to my bed, confident that I should have an easy success; for at the time I had youth and exceptional good looks as well as my great reputation to recommend me, and feared no rebuff from any woman I might choose to honor with my love.
Burge puts it well when he comments.
It is talk from the fictional lads' world in which all women are up for it and all men are completely irresistible, especially after a few drinks.
Nice try Abelard. Nice try.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
On Celibacy
Taken directly from the book.
Insistence on the chastity of the clergy was, of course, part of the agenda of the reform movement. Strangely, there is little in the Bible that can be interpreted as indicating that priests ought not to marry. St. Paul, it is true, makes it clear that marriage is second best to celibacy but superior to fornication. Christ himself, on the other hand, does not forbid his disciples to marry. Many were married, including St. Peter, who founded the church in Rome and who is recorded as having a mother-in-law. In other words, the first pope was married. All of which might prompt one to wonder whether there was some other reason why in the Middle Ages the church suddenly found celibacy so important
Burge goes on to suggest that celibacy in the clergy was developed to prevent church hierarchy positions being passed down by heredity. That kept secular nobility from marrying into the church and gaining both aristocratic and clerical power. It was their method of separating church and state...in a small manner.
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Now playing: Adele - Tired
via FoxyTunes
Insistence on the chastity of the clergy was, of course, part of the agenda of the reform movement. Strangely, there is little in the Bible that can be interpreted as indicating that priests ought not to marry. St. Paul, it is true, makes it clear that marriage is second best to celibacy but superior to fornication. Christ himself, on the other hand, does not forbid his disciples to marry. Many were married, including St. Peter, who founded the church in Rome and who is recorded as having a mother-in-law. In other words, the first pope was married. All of which might prompt one to wonder whether there was some other reason why in the Middle Ages the church suddenly found celibacy so important
Burge goes on to suggest that celibacy in the clergy was developed to prevent church hierarchy positions being passed down by heredity. That kept secular nobility from marrying into the church and gaining both aristocratic and clerical power. It was their method of separating church and state...in a small manner.
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Now playing: Adele - Tired
via FoxyTunes
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Our Hero
First off, let me say that I am having extreme deja vu as I write this. That's the second time today!
Chapter 3 explores the life of Abelard. I suppose it helps that he has written an autobiography. As proof of the popularity of these two lovers, Abelard's hometown of le Pallet has a road sign: "le Pallet, Cité d'Abélard." Coming from a prominent land-owning family, he denies his rights as the eldest son to warfare and a comfortable feudal aristocracy, to fight in philosophical debates instead. He would have inherited title, property, and income, but it is suspected that, unlike usual custom, his father offered him something special...the opportunity to choose his own future.
Thus Abelard arrives in Paris, a master of logic with prominent connections. He really had no friends. So full of himself, he began his time in Paris with the purpose of immediately taking over the headmastership of the local philosophical school. Even in the early stages of the relationship, Heloise sees Abelard as some sort of god-like figure. "Although it may be in the future, I already see the mountaintops bowing down before you." Despite his foothold in logic, he was also skilled at composing pop tunes and hymns, of which only the hymns have survived.
His Christian name is Petrus (Peter), but he chose for himself the stage name Abelard. No one is certain why he chose this or what exactly it means, but it's speculated that it may be a pun on the word "lard", indicating that he was quite corpulent. There is also some dispute on the proper spelling of his name. www.abaelard.de has a list of spellings that have been found in use. The list is in pink under the heading "Die Schreibweise." I'm digging this period in Parisian history. We have AbeLARD and Louis VI, aka Louis the Fat.
Cultural Backdrop:
Being able to read in the 12th Century meant Latin. Although French was spoken in the majority of France, there were no books in the language. Latin, however, was well-established throughout Europe. Music began incorporating multipart harmonies, a basis of western music today. The appropriateness of certain body movements were discussed in depth. Ladies began speaking out of turn and talking openly about love in public. And the clothing! Apparently "shoes with excessively pointed toes were a major issue throughout the Middle Ages." Eventually they were banned due to their seductive nature.
Quote of the day:
By doubting we come to inquiry, by inquiry we come to truth. - Abelard
Chapter 3 explores the life of Abelard. I suppose it helps that he has written an autobiography. As proof of the popularity of these two lovers, Abelard's hometown of le Pallet has a road sign: "le Pallet, Cité d'Abélard." Coming from a prominent land-owning family, he denies his rights as the eldest son to warfare and a comfortable feudal aristocracy, to fight in philosophical debates instead. He would have inherited title, property, and income, but it is suspected that, unlike usual custom, his father offered him something special...the opportunity to choose his own future.
Thus Abelard arrives in Paris, a master of logic with prominent connections. He really had no friends. So full of himself, he began his time in Paris with the purpose of immediately taking over the headmastership of the local philosophical school. Even in the early stages of the relationship, Heloise sees Abelard as some sort of god-like figure. "Although it may be in the future, I already see the mountaintops bowing down before you." Despite his foothold in logic, he was also skilled at composing pop tunes and hymns, of which only the hymns have survived.
His Christian name is Petrus (Peter), but he chose for himself the stage name Abelard. No one is certain why he chose this or what exactly it means, but it's speculated that it may be a pun on the word "lard", indicating that he was quite corpulent. There is also some dispute on the proper spelling of his name. www.abaelard.de has a list of spellings that have been found in use. The list is in pink under the heading "Die Schreibweise." I'm digging this period in Parisian history. We have AbeLARD and Louis VI, aka Louis the Fat.
Cultural Backdrop:
Being able to read in the 12th Century meant Latin. Although French was spoken in the majority of France, there were no books in the language. Latin, however, was well-established throughout Europe. Music began incorporating multipart harmonies, a basis of western music today. The appropriateness of certain body movements were discussed in depth. Ladies began speaking out of turn and talking openly about love in public. And the clothing! Apparently "shoes with excessively pointed toes were a major issue throughout the Middle Ages." Eventually they were banned due to their seductive nature.
Quote of the day:
By doubting we come to inquiry, by inquiry we come to truth. - Abelard
Background on Abelard and Heloise
Since our book begins in the middle, I thought it helpful to let you all in on a few pertinent details. Exposition exposition exposition...
Peter Abelard is a philosopher and religious teacher. Heloise is his prize pupil. He is expected to remain celibate, but they have an affair anyway. All seems to be going well until oops! She's pregnant. Heloise's uncle and guardian Fulbert insists they marry, so a secret ceremony takes place. Despite the hidden nature of their relationship, rumors spread through France and they are left denying the marriage. In order to protect her, Abelard insists that Heloise join a convent, where she takes orders and progresses through the years to becoming an Abbess. Fulbert is furious that Abelard has completely taken his niece from him, so in vengeance, he forces Abelard to undergo castration. Abelard retreats to a monastery and the two lovers spend the rest of their lives seperated, but continue to write letters back and forth.
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Now playing: Radical Face - Welcome Home
via FoxyTunes
Peter Abelard is a philosopher and religious teacher. Heloise is his prize pupil. He is expected to remain celibate, but they have an affair anyway. All seems to be going well until oops! She's pregnant. Heloise's uncle and guardian Fulbert insists they marry, so a secret ceremony takes place. Despite the hidden nature of their relationship, rumors spread through France and they are left denying the marriage. In order to protect her, Abelard insists that Heloise join a convent, where she takes orders and progresses through the years to becoming an Abbess. Fulbert is furious that Abelard has completely taken his niece from him, so in vengeance, he forces Abelard to undergo castration. Abelard retreats to a monastery and the two lovers spend the rest of their lives seperated, but continue to write letters back and forth.
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Now playing: Radical Face - Welcome Home
via FoxyTunes
From Abe to Abelard: a 7 century leap.
Today I began reading Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography by James Burge. At first I wasn't too thrilled to be reading a second biography in a row, but these two books are about as different as can be.
We open in 12th Century France. Middle Ages. Crusades. The Knights Templar. Monasteries and Abbeys. War, passion, and mysticism: these are the backdrops of the lives of Heloise and Abelard. For those of you unfamiliar with the story (as am I), this is probably the most well-documented, and as a result, most well-known story from the Middle Ages.
It is comprised of a group of love letters between the two. The first letter from Abelard to Heloise takes place 15 years after their secret marriage and Abelard's brutal castration. Thus we find chapter 1.
Abelard has sent Heloise a copy of a letter written to someone else, explaining in intimate detail, their meeting, sexual exploits, and all else leading up to their current situation: separation. I must admit, I was having high school flashbacks as I read this. Even if I knew that what I'd written would make my boyfriend QUITE uncomfortable, I always made him read my diaries. Talk about TMI moments! So here is Heloise, forced to remember these events even as she is attempting to live a pious lifestyle as a leading Abbess. Classic example of a past lover "yanking your chain." Here she is in a holy moment, caught up in the erotic memories of Abelard. We discover that her piety is truly for Abelard because he told her to take her vows. She serves him, not God.
Admittedly, a far cry from Abraham Lincoln. I can understand why this scandalous story is so popular among scholars. An interesting quote from the author:
But now religion was starting to be seen as a personal experience: when Abelard writes about good and evil, for example, they are not defined in terms of damnation for wrongdoing but as the correct and incorrect responses to the love that God spontaneously gives to humanity.
I find it interesting that the concept of friendship in the God/man relationship is being introduced during this time. I guess the French were getting it right.
We open in 12th Century France. Middle Ages. Crusades. The Knights Templar. Monasteries and Abbeys. War, passion, and mysticism: these are the backdrops of the lives of Heloise and Abelard. For those of you unfamiliar with the story (as am I), this is probably the most well-documented, and as a result, most well-known story from the Middle Ages.
It is comprised of a group of love letters between the two. The first letter from Abelard to Heloise takes place 15 years after their secret marriage and Abelard's brutal castration. Thus we find chapter 1.
Abelard has sent Heloise a copy of a letter written to someone else, explaining in intimate detail, their meeting, sexual exploits, and all else leading up to their current situation: separation. I must admit, I was having high school flashbacks as I read this. Even if I knew that what I'd written would make my boyfriend QUITE uncomfortable, I always made him read my diaries. Talk about TMI moments! So here is Heloise, forced to remember these events even as she is attempting to live a pious lifestyle as a leading Abbess. Classic example of a past lover "yanking your chain." Here she is in a holy moment, caught up in the erotic memories of Abelard. We discover that her piety is truly for Abelard because he told her to take her vows. She serves him, not God.
Admittedly, a far cry from Abraham Lincoln. I can understand why this scandalous story is so popular among scholars. An interesting quote from the author:
But now religion was starting to be seen as a personal experience: when Abelard writes about good and evil, for example, they are not defined in terms of damnation for wrongdoing but as the correct and incorrect responses to the love that God spontaneously gives to humanity.
I find it interesting that the concept of friendship in the God/man relationship is being introduced during this time. I guess the French were getting it right.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Lincoln in retrospect
Well I've finished my book on Lincoln. I would recommend it as long as you already have a basic understanding of Lincoln's life. It is quite verbose, but incredibly informative. If you can't stomach the 320 pages, at least read the last chapter on his death and the impact it had.
Tonight I am watching the meteor shower and tomorrow I will start a new book! Stay tuned...
Tonight I am watching the meteor shower and tomorrow I will start a new book! Stay tuned...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Foot-Dragging Liberator
Some of the sayings of Lincoln...
"I hope it will not be irreverent for me to say that if it is probable that God would reveal his will to others, on a point so connected with my duty, it might be supposed he would reveal it directly to me; for...it is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence in this matter. And if I can learn what it is I will do it."
- in response to people claiming to know the divine will of God for him
"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right; let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which will achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."
- from his second inaugural address
"Men are not flattered by being shown that there is a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them. To deny it, however, in this case, is to deny that there is a God governing the world."
- Lincoln's attempt to convey that perhaps neither North nor South was wholly in the right.
"I hope it will not be irreverent for me to say that if it is probable that God would reveal his will to others, on a point so connected with my duty, it might be supposed he would reveal it directly to me; for...it is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence in this matter. And if I can learn what it is I will do it."
- in response to people claiming to know the divine will of God for him
"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right; let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which will achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."
- from his second inaugural address
"Men are not flattered by being shown that there is a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them. To deny it, however, in this case, is to deny that there is a God governing the world."
- Lincoln's attempt to convey that perhaps neither North nor South was wholly in the right.
Lincoln: Chapter 4
"Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence?" - Lincoln
Ah, the role of government. It's nice to see that Lincoln didn't take this delicate balance for granted in his day.
I have been enjoying this book because it doesn't focus so heavily on the slavery issue as many of the contemporary Lincoln authors seem to do. Also, he is neither hailed as a saint or condemned as a scoundrel. He faced many struggles, and as every president has done, he made plenty of errors in judgment along the way.
To help the war effort, Lincoln appropriated $2 million of Treasury money to fund private individuals to buy arms. Can you imagine how that would go over today?!
I apologize for the delay in posts. I am back home from Estonia and life is returning to a normal pace.
Ah, the role of government. It's nice to see that Lincoln didn't take this delicate balance for granted in his day.
I have been enjoying this book because it doesn't focus so heavily on the slavery issue as many of the contemporary Lincoln authors seem to do. Also, he is neither hailed as a saint or condemned as a scoundrel. He faced many struggles, and as every president has done, he made plenty of errors in judgment along the way.
To help the war effort, Lincoln appropriated $2 million of Treasury money to fund private individuals to buy arms. Can you imagine how that would go over today?!
I apologize for the delay in posts. I am back home from Estonia and life is returning to a normal pace.
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