Reclaiming National Sanity
Our Nation Under GodBy R.M. Trowbridge, Jr.iUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2009 R.M. Trowbridge, Jr.
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4401-6796-6Foreword
The purpose of this book is to show
precisely how to reclaim sanity in our nation through principle adherence application. On a wholesale basis, millions of individuals have reclaimed sanity by that method, and so can our nation. The reclamation process is strictly voluntary and cannot and will not be forced on anyone. The trick is to do it in your own way and in your own time, but do it. In this work,
Our Nation refers the environment, and
Under God are the principles.
Our nation began with a manifesto. Manifesto as defined by Webster is: "A public declaration of intentions or principles esp. of a political nature." That manifesto was One Nation Under God, with God as the ultimate authority above all else and principles first and a political nature second. Principles are concrete, where as politics are abstract. The Constitution, written for We the People, granted We the People access to those principles endowed by our Creator, those principles being laws that govern. The writers of the Constitution were into the spirit of cooperation, not the spirit of control. They were Christian men with Christian values and vision. [Washington's vision can be read at: http://www.soul.org/Legend2.html]. They were not unlike ourselves as modern Americans, with various occupations, political views, social enjoyments, religious backgrounds, and economic status. They had rebellious natures and were not going to be dictated to or controlled by government-any government, even the one they were forming. They were considered radical, rebellious, non-compliant rebels by outsiders and onlookers. They shared a common bond and togetherness without laptops, cell phones, iPods, or Twitter. They created a formula for a new nation upon which all could absolutely agree, and all signed it. Existing among them were camaraderie, fellowship, friendliness, and understanding, which had to be indescribably wonderful. They were willing to place principles first before personalities, yielding the outcome to God, and to die for them. This meant that our leaders were there to serve but never to govern, similar to the principles of servant leadership where leaders use their power to empower others (we the people) instead of their own positions (the government). The government will not be the papa that will bail you out. The papa of the government will bail you out. God is papa. The truth is papa.
If We the People are truly ready to get off the merry-go-round we all are riding on-manufactured by a government of individuals seeking governing control that has been established and is deeply rooted and always looking for the bigger, better deal-and replace it with a government of individuals seeking to serve, then a radical reversal will be necessary. A complete and total reversal of direction and thinking must now proceed by way of our electoral process in upcoming elections. Our founders, being Christian men with Christian values, chose God-centered, Christ-centered laws-honesty, purity, unselfishness, love-and placed these laws, precepts, and principles at the head of the table. These laws were to govern. These men truly loved God with all their hearts, all their souls, all their minds, and all their strength, and their neighbor as themselves, forming Our One Nation Under God for We the People.
Our nation, our government, is not a religious organization; it utilizes precepts common in all religions yet has no affiliation with any. It includes Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists.
This is not a book about philosophy but a book regarding self-observation and practice that produces change and which practices are needed for a specific change. I am attempting to show that honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love, or dishonesty, impurity, selfishness, and unlovingness, are principal practices in daily affairs, not just intellectual philosophies.
A brief synopsis for reclaiming sanity follows:
1. Recognize the need for change due to unmanageability
2. Decide to adhere to the regenerative life principles and surrender the results of that practice over to God
3. Amend damages done by past degenerative practices where possible, stop the current degenerative practices, and be accountable for doing so
4. Continue to practice the regenerative principles, asking for help from our higher authority (God), and immediately set right any wrongs that may occur
5. Help others who want to adopt this manner of living in their personal life and in their service to the government
This work is presented more as an outline rather than in story form, based on personal and other stories to illustrate points regarding principle practices.
I am attempting to show that if a person practices degenerative principles prior to assuming a leadership position in government or in personal life, then the government will inherit those same principle practices, not just babble. When people babble, they talk about that which they are not doing. If you do it, you know it, the principle that is, and if you don't do it, you babble about it. The babbler never sees themselves as a non doer. The mirror thing again. For example, if you believe it is okay to cheat prior to leadership, then you will practice cheating during leadership. The same is true with the other principles, such as impurity, selfishness, unlovingness. I have found that credibility is not established by intellectual knowledge of principles but the practice of those principles, which reflect knowledge. Intellectual, degreed knowledge is good; however, if unapplied it is only babble, not credibility. All of us can talk a good game. What we get is manifested as a result of applied regenerative or degenerative principle or law practices. (I'll talk more about these very soon.)
My anecdotes reflect my immaturity with regards to the importance of honesty in living. I would rather shoot rabbits than discuss how I could be applying honesty with the Uncle Abe story.
When individuals are doing the next right thing, their morals are good and they are being honest, pure, unselfish, and loving, thereby practicing the regenerative principles, fulfilling the spiritual nature of "love thy neighbor as thyself," and all is well.
When individuals are doing the next wrong thing, they are being immoral, practicing dishonesty, impurity, selfishness, unlovingness-the degenerative principles, which are strictly self-centered, not involving your neighbor as a consideration at all. It is only the "what's in it for me" and "to heck with others," but I must make it look like it is in their best interests and the best interests of the country. This is where the liar appears, attempting to convince others of whatever, using his own brand of rose fragrance deodorant to spray over the manure. Basically it is individuals looking for the bigger better deal selfishly, for themselves only, saying they are serving, when in reality they are governing. Governing equals control.
This book is about what will be needed to place Our One Nation Under God, The Good back on firm footing, regenerating her weakened strengths and healing the ligaments that bind her together in solidarity, keeping her whole and undivided, standing upright before other nations and reestablishing principles before personalities in adherence to the life powers (principles) that produce a strengthening and cleansing joy, involving all of us as participants and practitioners.
It is most important that a third party of some kind arise that will adopt the regenerative life principles for the people to choose from in upcoming elections.
Should the word God offend, simply substitute the word Good.
However, we cannot leave God out of the process.
Our forefathers knew this.
God enters anywhere you let Him in.
He never forces Himself on anyone.
Keep an open mind and set aside any prejudices for the moment, okay?
1. Honesty
2. Purity
3. Unselfishness
4. Love
The regenerative life powers (the above principles, or laws) are for all men and women, in time, all generations young and old, in time, all institutions, small and large, in time
The higher principles, or laws, are unwavering, solid, secure, and constant, irrespective of opinion, not unlike the lower law, or principle, of gravity, which is unwavering and constant as well but can be played with-until the plane runs out of fuel or the engines are fouled with geese. Then the lesser law of gravity, irrespective of opinion or the plane's occupants, will take over, until the skills and prudence (another law affecting outcome is called the law of prudence) of the pilot in command, skillfully saves the lives of all, without defying the law of gravity. Regeneration and degeneration are not involved here.
The higher regenerative laws (principles) cannot be played with. When they are, they simply turn into degenerative laws (principles).
Regenerative Laws (Principles) Degenerative Laws (Principles)
(Principalities) (Principalities)
Honesty Dishonesty
Purity Impurity
Unselfishness Selfishness
Love Unlovingness (hate, anger, resentment)
Producing Freedom Strong possibility of a stay at the Many Bar Hotel
The Rose The Manure
Yes No
One needs to learn to call a rose a rose and manure, manure, and not confuse the fragrances.
These principles, or laws, do not leave any wiggle room. They separate the men from the boys, because it takes courage, devotion, and real guts to apply them, to recognize that half measures will not work and that there is no easier, softer way. Any attempt to cheat the regenerative principles is doomed to endless cyclical frustrations and miseries, with only temporary remissions of suffering. It would be like playing Russian roulette with an automatic.
If a man attempts to cut you off from practicing the regenerative life principles, only then be angry with him and unyielding.
These truths are self-evident.
Washington said we are a nation respective of laws, not of men, thusly composing our Constitution, and another prior to Washington stated the laws will not be changed one jot or one title.
These are universal truths affecting all lives.
All babble will never change the rules (laws or principles).
They are, however, open for discussion.
Regenerative or Degenerative (powers, principles, principalities, laws) whatever you prefer to call them
Choose
Which side are you on?
Knowingly or unknowing, we all will (self-will) play our parts based upon each individual's choice, which affects the collective members positively or negatively.
One cannot retrieve the past tick of the clock. One can only repair the choice made during the past tick to the best of one's ability, and in some cases, no repair is available. What will one choose as an individual or as a nation at the next tick of the clock: regenerative or degenerative principles?
Continued degenerative practices bring about a stench first-sniff, sniff, sniff-that everyone can smell. Then comes decay and ultimately dissolution: past cultures, societies, nations, relationships. Pick some of your own examples.
Attention is required, attention to the principles. As an exercise in my practice of attention while driving from point A to point B, I try to pay attention to the posted speed limit laws (which are much lesser laws) and notice how many times my foot was too heavy and my discipline went to sleep. I've found that when I am in a hurry to get somewhere, I make lots of errors. Not an excuse-lack of attention and discipline sometimes comes with consequences (citations). It's never somebody else's fault. It's one's own lack of attention and discipline. If I am undisciplined in attentiveness to lesser laws, what makes me think I'll be more attentive to the Higher Laws.
Lady Justice is a symbol. Due to the blindfold covering her eyes, she may not see who stands or sits before her, and she cares not. Her decisions will not respect men or women but laws, endowed by our Creator (regenerative or degenerative laws or principles), signified by the scales she holds. Yet, she is fully capable of smelling manure before her, hearing manure when it hits her ears, feeling manure when her feet are standing in it, and she can taste it when someone is attempting to force it in her mouth, trying to get her to swallow it. The Sword of Truth she holds is symbolic of "you shall reap your just reward" (justice) as a practitioner of the laws regarding the regenerative or degenerative principles you voluntarily choose to practice, which are spiritual in their nature and moral in their humanity. The principles are the lifeblood flowing in the veins of individuals and the life blood of Our One Nation Under God, the Good. You know, the "what's in the vessel" thing. Each individual is a vessel, exercising honesty or dishonesty from within and manifesting that practice, and unloading their individual practice onto others or our nation. The symbol is also a representation of your own instincts, intuitions, and five senses as well.
If you are past thirteen years of age and still believe in Santa Claus, I have news for you-there ain't one. At thirteen you are suppose to begin behaving like an adult, beginning to make choices on your own, no longer laying responsibility and accountability on mom or dad or others. The reality is that at that age, we are still too immature, and we often carry that immaturity past our teens into our twenties or even our thirties before we snap or wake up. Some carry it all the way to the marble orchard. You know, the "they will do it for me" thing, or the "it's somebody else's fault" thing. Ignorance of the law or principles is no excuse. Ignorance is not bliss.
Principles versus personalities is the basis of one's life experiences until one reaches the marble orchard. The priorities of the individuals legislating is mirrored in Our One Nation Under God, The Good, as to whether personalities or principles were placed first with regards to judgment. Remember that judgment with regard to principles is not being judgmental.
Currently the weighed-down crucible is full of manure instead of roses. She would prefer roses. The even greater news is that she never holds a grudge. We do-she doesn't.
Begin filling the crucible with more roses instead of manure, thereby giving her back her firm footing. You choose. Remember, there is no Santa Claus.
I have found that if you are an individual who waves to others with your whole hand open, with goodwill to others, you will most likely see the truth in it. However, if you are an individual who waves to others with only one finger extended, you'll miss it.
Our national situation today is like a large glass of water that's been muddied with impurities like silt and dirt. There is no clarity at the moment. However, the ancient wisdom, or axiom, "not doing is doing" applies here. When one stops adding to and agitating the degenerative impurities and leaves the glass alone, the impurities settle out, and the purity, integrity, and clarity of the water are restored. The water has not been changed-the purity has always been there. Recovery is established, sanity restored, sanity here meaning "proper balance."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Reclaiming National Sanityby R.M. Trowbridge, Jr. Copyright © 2009 by R.M. Trowbridge, Jr.. Excerpted by permission.
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