Maggie's Farm

When man ceases to worship God he does not worship nothing, but worships everything.

Contrary to a widespread impression, G.K. Chesterton apparently never said that. 

Still, it's a fine statement, and relevant to the modern form of Paganism which views the lives of the unborn, ready-to-be-born, or born-damaged as insignificant, but the social lives of Goldfish - and now the souls of asparagus - as sacred.

A quote from Smith at Weekly Standard:

"What is clear, however, is that Switzerland's enshrining of "plant dignity" is a symptom of a cultural disease that has infected Western civilization, causing us to lose the ability to think critically and distinguish serious from frivolous ethical concerns. It also reflects the triumph of a radical anthropomorphism that views elements of the natural world as morally equivalent to people.

Why is this happening? Our accelerating rejection of the Judeo-Christian world view, which upholds the unique dignity and moral worth of human beings, is driving us crazy. Once we knocked our species off its pedestal, it was only logical that we would come to see fauna and flora as entitled to rights."

Insty has a hilarious video to dramatize the subject.

Regular readers know that all of creation is precious to us here at Magggie's Farm. We love plants, trees, birds, butterflies, rocks, mountains, meadows, rivers, intensely. Love them, love to be amongst them, and learn all we can about them. But we still hold that there is a big difference between "precious" and "sacred."

These folks have taken the Pathetic Fallacy to a psychotic extreme. One is forced to wonder whether the only dining acceptable to Greenie Gaia-worshippers would now involve cannibalism, since they want us to worry about the souls of asparagus and lobsters, and view human life as an obnoxious intrusion on an otherwise beautiful Eden (except that most animals eat plants and/or other animals).

Still, I must confess that the shrill scream of asparagus when it hits that steam always whets my pre-post-Christian appetite.

"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge in the field of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods."

Albert Einstein

Don't tax you, don't tax me: tax the fellow behind the tree.

Who was always saying that, dear readers?

It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.

Sherlock Holmes

There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do do not want to lose their jobs.

Booker T. Washington, via Vanderleun

"The more I learn of physics, the more I am drawn to metaphysics."

Albert Einstein

Mark Twain

When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred.

Niccolo Machiavelli 

"All human institutions since the dawn of prehistory or earlier had always been designed to prevent change - all of them: family, government, church, army. Change has always been a catastrophic threat to human security."

Peter Drucker (h/t, Vanderleun)

"If things really suck in America as bad as Obama and Hillary say, then how come everybody in the world who wants freedom and opportunity will do anything to come here?"

That is Mark Levin's correct quote, I think, as I heard it on the radio. We are the world's freedom and opportunity destination. If you want other things, you can go elsewhere - or stay where you are.

"America runs on Dunkin'"

Indeed it do. It's the new ad phrase written on Dunkin' Donuts cups, and it's just one of those things that distinguishes America from the rest of the world.

Some readers miss our weekend stuff. Here's another QQQ from The News Junkie over the weekend:

Everybody at Maggie's is a gun-totin' Bible-thumpin' redneck hick who wants more from the government. More Coors Lite would be a good place to start. Later, we'll be needing the Chateau Margaux to accompany our government brie, but all Opie wants is free Grey Goose.

And one  from The Barrister:

...now Hillary reinvents herself as a gun-totin' churchgoer. Heck, everybody brings a gun to church, don't they? It's the bitterness, ya know? I always bring spare ammo, just in case.

If you have a lawn and want some ideas, please read the B's Got Grass? The money quote:

Landscape design is a psycho-spiritual enterprise.

Finally, if you missed Dr. Mercury's first of his series here on computer tips, check his piece on Search Engine Tips. I did learn some useful things.

The West reveals . . . a hatred of itself, which is strange and can only be considered pathological; the West . . . no longer loves itself; in its own history, it now sees only what is deplorable and destructive, while it is no longer able to perceive what is great and pure.”

Pope Benedict XVl, as quoted by Anchoress. We'd like to offer Benedict a hearty welcome to the USA - and we advise him not to park that Popemobile in a No Parking Zone in NYC - the cops will tow it... well, maybe they won't: they are still mostly Irish.

“Every secular religion...comes with its own Liturgies, Rubrics and Rituals, its own Sins, Laws and Saviors."

The Anchoress

"... those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

Friedrich Nietzche (h/t, Neptunus Lex)

"Preach the Gospel at all times - and use words when necessary."

St. Francis of Assisi

"Let your lives preach."

George Fox

Mark Twain

What a good thing Adam had. When he said a good thing he knew nobody had said it before.

Mark Twain

Lies are stubborn things.

The News Junkie of Maggie's Farm

Mark Twain

A few samples, from a list at S,C&A:

Weinberg’s Law: If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization. (Gerald M Weinberg)

Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.

Mark Twain

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.

C.S. Lewis