Published in 2022 amid US Government's tyranny crescendo-ing to unprecedented magnitudes as done by many (if not all) presidential administrations and congressional classes, unchallenged by judicial benches, particularly those of 21st century (without exception), that is to say, my 12th book (3rd of trilogy thus 1st and 2nd), entitled appropriately and exhaustively Propositions, Problems & Poems on the Peculiar Human ABILITY to REASON, Singular Human RIGHT to CONSENT & Other Neglected Matters (May 2022)...
To roughly paraphrase the theologian and thinker Francis Schaeffer from his 1971 book True Spirituality, the climatic end to Moses’ list of commandments is the 10th; thou shalt not covet (Ex 20:17). He goes on to expand and expound, preceding all sins or wrongdoings against others with covetousness, thus the single transgression actually two; the thought then the act. There is of course the two-millennium old parallel where Christ himself levied the same weighty condemnation on the murderous or hateful thought whether the murderous or hateful act was committed or not (Mt 5:21-22, see also Proem & Poem No. 103).
Again (see Proem & Poem No. 148), if covetousness lingers, imagines then entertains, presumption awakes, rises then proceeds to argue, qualify and categorize a person’s preferences as permissible even rightful over others’ preferences. Sooner or later arrogance joins the affair, encouraging violence to act personally, socially or politically against the dissenting individual. So to precisely, concisely understand the core of the rot if you will…
The climax of the Ten Commandments is the Tenth Commandment – “Thou shat not covet” – Actually we break this last commandment, not to covet, before we break any of the others. Any time that we break one of the other commandments of God, it means that we have already broken this commandment, in coveting.
The above quote is perhaps the most profound, far-reaching Biblical commentary of the 20th century, well articulated and postulated by theologian Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) in his 1971 book True Spirituality, identifying the last of the Ten Commandments as already broken before breaking any of the previous nine. To summarize, all sins flow from the one sin; covetousness. Yet the profoundness, the described depth and implied breadth, therefore the logic and consistency by that insight and truth are best understood by rightly expanding the summary as well the Schaefferian text. That is to say, the disrespect and disregard of others' reasoning manifested by their dissent, thus unilateral actions against the same spring always from covetousness first, soon followed by presumption then arrogance and if acted upon personally, socially or politically; violence.
So must be stated again the Schaefferian Law of Anterior Covetousness; if an action disregarding dissent (not consensual), then anterior the covetousness as the initial speculation, presumption the consequential disposition, arrogance, disrespect thus disregard the eventual manifestation.
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O the thorns amid furrows dry, lacking rain, rented
skirts so stained
Trousers long torn, faces wrung, heads shorn, eyes
forlorn unable to gain
Hope upon liberty, hence to cope upon one’s ability
and responsibility
Risking some or all, subsisting on crumbs till
harvest’s haul and virility
Ah the scorn amid laurels self-donned by fat elitists,
fatter corporatists
Thus the latter and former cronyists along despotists
among the unholiest
Acolytes then academics their pantheists of etatism-mysticism
blend
Ears bending, eyes transfixing, mouths gaping to each
fad and every trend
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.
