Reflection for July 20th 2011

It is easiest to begin “conservative,” if I can use the word. Most conservatives are not yet skillful in taking risks, using their imagination, or understanding freedom for anybody else; but at least they do develop some respect and basic impulse control, which is necessary to get started and to be at all teachable. You have to know the rules before you can break the rules properly and to understand why the rules were created in the first place. A lot of “liberals” don’t develop the first-half-of-life qualities, or understand why the rules were there in the first place.

It is rather difficult and even dangerous to begin life with an entirely open field, because the isolated ego takes over as the “decider.” So the “Ten Commandments” are ideal first-half-of-life statements, and necessary for basic civilization and impulse control. Yet isn’t it interesting that people always want the “Ten Commandments” on American courthouse lawns but never the “Eight Beatitudes”? The “beatitudes” of Jesus are second-half-of-life statements, and frankly ridiculous and naive to first-half-of-life people. They make Jesus sound like a soft, war-protesting, tree-hugging, bleeding heart liberal.