Butter

According to Julia Child butter is the key to a happy life. As a chef I tend to agree, but will amend it to be that love and butter are the keys to happiness.

Namaste and thank you for joining me today on this beautiful day. It's gonna be a short blog, but I just wanted to talk about the joy of cooking and my love of butter. I realize that animal fats aren't the best for you in the health department, but much like bacon, there is NO SUBSTITUTE for butter in a recipe. Margarine is just okay, but not equal to butter. Crisco is the closest thing in comparison to butter for making soft, moist, and delicious cookies and cakes.
The movie Julie and Julia, which is AWESOME, highlights the life of Julia Child and her experience around the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, which I attended for pastry and baking as well. Her love of food and butter, along with other chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse have helped to shape my culinary prowess. I'm looking forward to opening my own deli soon, the Cloud Nine Cafe, where I will share my love of food and my love of butter.
To recap, there is NO SUBSTITUTE for REAL BUTTER. It just makes your baked and cooked foods that much exponentially better. My favorite children's book is the Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss.
Thanks again for joining me today. May the butter be with you.
Peace. Love. Respect. Butter. 

A FIGHTING CHAMPION

Those who know me well understand my liking of professional wrestling. Instead of watching other dramas on my Monday nights, I watch WWE RAW. I cheer like I was a kid again for my favorite wrestlers. I get elated when the theme song plays and my guy is up on the ramp showing off and/or talking smack. I enjoy watching the pay-per-views on the WWE Network for only $9.99 a month. 

Ever since I was a kid, I have enjoyed the sport of wrestling. I wrestled in amateur athletics in middle school and was a 4 year varsity letter-man in high school, serving as the co-captain of my teammates my junior and senior year of high school. I remember the Monday Night Wars between the WWE and WCW. I've attended many live tapings of matches, house shows, and I was fortunate enough to live the moments of Wrestlemania 21 with much excitement in person. I saw the Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, HHH, Shawn Michaels "the heartbreak kid, Kurt Angle, JBL, Batista, and John Cena won his first ever out of whom now is a 15 time World Heavyweight Champion. 

Now I have been watching professional wrestling for over 30 years. I've seen a lot of different dudes be the champ. The modern fans seem to like whomever they like regardless of if the wrestler is a face or a heel. The fans like Daniel Bryan, for reasons I cannot fathom, however I respect his talent and his dedication to the business. Some wrestling injuries take men out for the rest of their careers, so kudos to him for trying to make a speedy recovery. 

Moving on, "The Authority" made such a big deal about Daniel Bryan being a mid-card, B+ wrestler, at best. Since then not only has the "Authority" mismanage talented stars on the roster like Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, and Randy Orton, but they also lost their power. So, Daniel Bryan may not have been the best wrestler on the roster, but until his injury he was one thing and one thing only: consistent. The dude showed up every night and do anything in his power to excite the crowd, at whatever venue on that particular night. The Authority also mismanaged the handling of an open heavyweight championship belt after Daniel Bryan's injury and subsequent surgeries. John Cena was the obvious choice to be the interim champion and won a well executed ladder match. After that, the WWE continued to mismanage as they hired the mercenary thug preceded by the one and only Paul Heyman still fresh off a win at Wrestlemania. Brock Lesnar was an obvious choice for the Authority, we are led to believe. HHH and Stephanie talked all down on the B+ wrestler and even planned retribution against John Cena's refusal to join the dark side with the Authority like their little suck-up Seth Rollins. 

Brock Lesnar, the thug mercenary was happy to oblige in taking out John Cena. The two have never been friends, in fact I don't think Brock Lesnar probably has many friends in the wrestling business. Brock was meant to fill the void left by Daniel Bryan's injury. ALL of the John Cena matches including Summerslam were meant to be those of Bryan, whom they thought would return much sooner. There was supposed to be a "Fighting Champion" as proclaimed by Triple H who ridiculed both Bryan and Cena, tormenting them both equally. The fighting champion moniker was not claimed by Brock Lesnar, even though the championship belt hadn't been the only thing that was SOLD OUT. NO, Brock Lesnar didn't become a fighting champion like Bryan or Cena had been before him. Many good wrestlers lost out on this non-fighting champion's reign. Good wrestlers like Dolph Ziggler and Cesaro would have loved a shot at pleasing the crowd with the title belt around his waist. Wasted talent, poor PPV's, and a waning show on both RAW and Smackdown have led to decreased viewership and support of the WWE Network. Fans are tired of seeing Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, and John Cena be the only people contending for the title belt. Even though he's a kiss-ass, I'd even like to see Seth Rollins get a genuine title shot at this point, even though I know that Dolph Ziggler could shine bright like a Rock or Shawn Michaels. 

Brock Lesnar's less than impressive reign as champion, with no shows and lack of title defense have been a thorn in the side of the WWE. If they are going to have John Cena carry the show month after month, then make him a 16 time champion. Maybe they should invest the time to boost some of the mid-cards up to being headline material instead of hiring thugs and mercenaries or sell-outs. 

TLC PPV is set to be a good match with Cena vs. Rollins. Another no-show with Lesnar will hurt PPV sales and ultimately that hurts EVERYONE in the WWE locker room. Oh, and I know what you are probably thinking and I'm gonna say NO... Ryback is NOT the solution to the problems with the WWE. I'll continue to be a fan, but I'm disappointed with the brand at the moment.

Thanksgiving

Namaste and thank you for taking time out of your relaxing holiday to join me in celebration of another annual Thanksgiving. Today is a holiday for rememberance and celebration in thanks of the many blessings we receive throughout the year.

When many people think of Thanksgiving they think about eating a big fat turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, and a ton of side dishes, pies, cakes, and other confections. What makes this day great for me is the feeling of family and togetherness that comes from sharing and showing appreciation toward our loved ones and friends. All of these things are wonderful.
Perhaps many of you reading this today had to travel far and wide to be close to your family and loved ones? In that case I wish you the safest travels imaginable. Be careful out there for crazy drivers and long lines at the airport. Also it might be a good idea to take some extra vitamins if you are traveling as this is cold and flu season and I'd hate it if you caught a bug on your journey to and fro from the holiday celebration.
In addition to the wonderful shmorgasboard of delectable foods and sweets, a lot of people look forward to a relaxing afternoon watching the big football games on t.v. I'm not sure who is playing, but I'm sure it's the Dallas Cowboys vs. some jabroni team, lol... I have family that is cheering for the Cowboys, so I won't say anything bad about them, lol...
I want to keep this short and sweet so I will conclude with my wishes of good tidings and many blessings to all out there who celebrate this day. I also want to send a special shout out to those hard workers who still have to labor at their jobs on this day to help feed those in need of a turkey dinner.
Lastly, tomorrow is Black Friday, which is the antithesis of Thanksgiving; a day of thanks and gratitude followed by a debacle of greed, selfishness, and sheeple-like consumerism.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!! This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse 420.

FOOD For Thought

Namaste and thank you for taking time or of your busy day to join me. I have been reading lately about how it is growing around the country, especially in bigger cities, where laws are being passed making it illegal to feed homeless persons.

Approximately 70% of Americans claim to be "Christian" in some form or another. With this knowledge, how can we, claiming to be moral and virtuous, deny basic human rights of food to our fellow human beings? Jesus would be considered a radical anarchist by today's standards with crazy ideas of anti-war, universal healthcare, equality, justice, and feeding those less fortunate.
In my research for this subject there was a lot of negativity on the party of those who passed these laws, which had more to do with large city tourism and money than with any legitimate issue regarding food OR homeless people. On one hand I understand they don't want homeless people in areas that are snobby and touristy. On the other hand, it's shameful to put up signs that equate human behavior to that of animals in a zoo. There are actually signs that say, and I'm paraphrasing,  basically: don't feed the homeless, they will get used to you feeding them and not be able to fend for themselves. Humans are not bears or birds. If you don't understand how demeaning this is, than you lack empathy. Even though it was my own fault at the time, I experienced homelessness at 19 years old. I slept in my car in the parking lot of the taco joint I worked at for over 2 months. While this is a short time, it taught me a valuable lesson not only about homelessness, but about being appreciative about smaller things that most Americans take for granted, like where their next meal is coming from or if they will get to eat at all on a particular day.  For me it was a LONG, DIFFICULT 2 months. Many individuals and families deal with this issue for much longer periods of time. I empathize. I feel the pain of those people and families that struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table for their loved ones. It's painful to go through.
I don't want to get off on too much of a tangent, but for every law passed is another freedom abolished...

It is shameful that in this country approximately 30% of our gross food net goes to waste either from the stores not being able to sell it fast enough or from just being thrown away by the consumers. Why then is it illegal for me to give unwanted or unneeded food to someone who IS in need? It's NOT just adults going hungry either. Many children across this nation of plenty are going hungry and are malnourished at the end of the day. Especially as we are coming upon the holiday season it is more important than ever to dig deep and find your humanity to share with others who haven't received all the blessings we have. If it is too much to give a sandwich to a homeless man, woman, or child, then PLEASE donate to a charitable institution like the Salvation Army that runs soup kitchens across the nation and donates clothing, toys, and food to those in need.
Lastly, if you DO live in one of the large cities that does have a ban for feeding the homeless in place,  I urge you to talk with your local representatives to repeal such hateful and biased laws. This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse 420.
Peace. Love. Respect. Humanity. 

TALK, TALK, TALK, TALK, TALK,TALK, TALK...

I try to listen to my fellow humans. I hear the words they say, but all I hear is talk talk talk talk talk most of the time. Words filled with idle banter of the gossip mongers, liars, and those filled with endless boredom. It sort of reminds me of the South Park episode where when Stan listens to music or other people talk, all he hears is CRAP. I feel bad about this because I KNOW as humans that we are inherently social creatures and we instinctively desire social networking with our fellow men/women.

I'm not too proud to admit I've had my social faux pas in the past which have led to current communication problems. My family had money around high school and college age so I wasn't sure who just hung around for the booze, drugs, and partying or who actually wanted to be my friend. I even feel that way about social networking websites like Facebook, which should really be called DRAMA-book, where everyone wants to be your friend, but no one actually talks to you like you are a real person. Also, it is easy to misconstrue words and their meaning via text or posts on FB or Twitter. Friendships have been lost over these miscommunications and misunderstandings. But what really grinds my gears the most is all this gossip or an individuals need to hear his/her self speak, usually about NOTHING IMPORTANT. I don't think that people understand how much negativity they are putting out into the universe. It's worse for the people who are tired and don't want to hear the endless talking about jack shit. Often those people end up becoming negative, having been worn down by the bla bla bla...
I read recently that some scientists say we are supposed to LISTEN 80% of the time and only talk 20%... and I laughed hysterically for a moment because I can't think of a single person who actually does this, except maybe ME. I try to wait until I have something IMPORTANT to talk about rather than wasting my time and energy on drab, dull, or boring conversation that seems endless and engulfing. Americans in particular are seemingly uncomfortable with ANY moments of silence, as silence is revealing of our true inner self. However, when you actually bring up issues of importance, no one has anything to say, quite often. That person was fine running their head with diarrhea of the mouth about celebrity gossip or what their friends posted on Facebook, but they cannot muster the brain power to think about others' feelings or something important like who is representing us in the political/religious arena. No one wants to talk about how we are going to FIX the problems of the world... so we are stuck in this endless cycle of TALK, but with no ACTION. DOING SOMETHING ABOUT A PROBLEM is much more difficult than running our mouths in ceaseless TALK, TALK, TALK, TALK, TALK, TALK....
EVERYONE wants their voice and opinions to be heard AND listened to, so why is it we have such a listening problem? EGO, plain and simple. Because even the stupid mouthy people think that what they have to SAY is more important than LISTENING or what the other person has to say. So we end up with this continual cycle of non-listening while awaiting our turn to speak, not clearly understanding that the person we are attempting to communicate with is doing the EXACT SAME THING TO US... waiting for his/her turn to speak. Then, in their attempt to get his/her own words listened to, they interrupt and talk over the original speaker because THEY THINK THAT WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE,.. even if that means pissing off the other person.
We should all think about our communication with others and genuinely TRY to listen. All we can do is just put out a little effort, right? This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse.

Validation

Namaste and welcome to another posting for the Quiet Mouse Strikes Back. After many years of life and watching and interacting with my fellow humans I have come to a simple and yet profound conclusion about human behavior. It's difficult to be accurate as to what percent it really is, but I'm convinced that at least, if not more than, half of all human interaction is the search for VALIDATION of our own internal beliefs.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word "validate" as: "to support or corroborate on a sound or authoritative basis; to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of"

Now you may be wondering about my point here. I have written in many of my blogs about self esteem and personal empowerment. I think our own personal insecurities ring out like a bell during our personal interactions with others through our words, our actions, and our non-verbal body language cues. From these I have determined that better than half the time when others talk they are only doing so to seek the validation of their own opinions and belief system through others, be it a spouse, children, coworkers, family, etc. It is one of our intrinsic human traits to want to be heard, listened to, and believed in what we say... we all know this on an unconscious level, even if we are not consciously aware at the time (especially when we are distracted by other emotions like anger and frustration). So basically I'm saying that when people ask for YOUR opinion, they DON'T really want your opinion... I'm saying that they really only want YOU to validate and support their opinion that he/she already formed (even if that opinion hasn't even yet been said out loud and is still in the speaker's head... trust me, it's already been formed and thought out).
This is the reason for MANY of the fights between people. They ask for someone's opinion and get upset when they receive that other person's general worldview. It's not your OWN worldview and I can truly see how this can lead to hard feelings and resentment toward others.

My last point I'm going to add is that I think validation has to do with value, well at least what we feel as self-value or self-worth. I think that many people seek out that external validation for their own thoughts and behaviors because they have little self-esteem to boost their own ego, which is what validation is for: an ego boost. I'm here to tell you NOW, if you are reading this, that YOU HAVE VALUE. YOU HAVE PURPOSE. YOUR LIFE HAS MEANING!!! You just have to believe in yourself and your abilities. Namaste.

BRO-MANCE and BROMO-SEXUALITY

Namaste and welcome avid knowledge seekers. Today I want to talk about bromance. First you must read my blogs to understand that I am NOT homophobic, but actually am a hetero man in favor of homosexual rights. Moving on, I just wanted to quickly digress and discuss the growing trend of bromosexuality in the movies.
Bromosexuality is defined by the Urban dictionary (a source I like to cite often) as: "when guys are really good friends, and they make jokes/talk about each other in ways that are almost homosexual, but not quite."

I am PRO people being true to themselves and coming out of the closet. I hope it doesn't offend anyone, but I just want people to treat others with, not special treatment, but respect, and that includes to yourself. Hollywood has taken advantage of the coming out of the homosexual community and gotten caught up in the bromanticism of it all. I will cite for my opinions the actors and the various movies they star in as follows. James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Danny McBride in particular. YES, they have made some funny films, but I think that they are aiding in the androgyny and confusion of young boys/men today. Straight men do NOT wake up and say lines like "I'm gonna suck today's dick!" or tickle another straight man's penis.
Further examples are boys/men that shave their arms, legs, chest, etc. for no quite understandable reason. Some guys wear makeup and wear skinny jeans or like dressing up in women's clothing. These are generally things done by homosexual men and I find it odd that more people just don't come out of the closet. It's okay to like feminine things as a male, but as I said, it is more important to be true to who you are INSIDE. I've been through school and even in the military there was a big anti-gay vibe going on and I think it is tragic that men AND women have to hide and deny who they are because of negatively biased social standards. If you want people to accept you for who you are, then you must first be true to yourself. I think these guys in these silly movies are bisexual, meaning they like men and women. My only contention is that they are playing hetero roles and confusing hetero boys as to how they are supposed to act. Being a fake homosexual is an insult to those who have that genuine fear of ridicule from coming out of the closet. Whether it is from social stereotypes, judgement, conservative families, etc... there is a real fear for people to be true to who they are inside. Even when we are dating and trying to find a partner, sometimes it is difficult to meet someone with the same perversions or sexual orientation as you. A lot of men think that because they like anal play that means they are homosexual. Whether you are gay or straight really depends on whom you would like to perform sexual acts with. If you want to perform them, or conversely have them performed on you by the SAME gender, then you are homosexual. You can do the same exact thing with the opposite gender and it is hetero. Perhaps it is difficult for men to accept their own sexuality, especially if they are aroused by the same gender. It could indeed cause confusion and negative self thought, depending on socio-economic upbringing and religion.
The most important part of any relationship, be it lovers or just BROMANTIC friends is TRUST, which starts with HONESTY and INTEGRITY. Be true to who you are inside and the right people will want to be around you

NFL

Namaste. Today I want to write a short posting about how ridiculous the NFL experience has become. 

My family and I live in Washington state and our nearest local team is the Seattle Seahawks. We looked up ticket prices with the idea in mind of going to see a professional football game. For just my wife and I to go, with no children whatsoever would have been almost $400. Those aren't even for good seats either, somewhere up in the far nosebleed corner of the top of the stadium. 

Needless to say, since we are not independently wealthy to WASTE money, we are relegated to watching the games on TV. This is my next issue with the NFL. Bear in mind once again that I live in Washington state. So I turn on the TV and BOTH Fox and CBS are nearly EVERY SINGLE WEEK showing a game for an East Coast team like the over-rated New England Patriots or New York Jets. These teams aren't ANYWHERE CLOSE to being a regional game that a person living in Washington would enjoy. As the NFL and the TV networks have proven over and over, THEY JUST DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE FANS... at least not the ones who are too poor to buy an expensive set of tickets for this over-priced debacle of sports entertainment. I formerly lived in Dallas, so I remember well that team owners like Jerry Jones have been quoted as saying they want the NFL on a pay-per-view basis; every game every week. As it were, for someone in my geographical region to watch the games I want to I would have to get a satellite dish  or the NFL network, BOTH of which are stupidly expensive. What's sad is that the NFL itself, including the commissioner Roger Goodell don't really seem to care if they piss off their fans as they are only catering to the wealthy viewers while gouging the non-wealthy ones. AND on top of that the NFL is classified as a non-profit corporation... WTF?!? They make BILLIONS of dollars and pay ZERO in taxes, I'm afraid. Serious bunch of crap there, especially with these whiny over-paid players that get millions of dollars for playing a PART-TIME SPORT/JOB. 

I'm going to take this a step forward and say that I think the NFL, like most sports, is RIGGED and the winners are based on TV RATINGS. It happens to be that the East side of the U.S. is more densely populated and has more NFL teams, so they get pandered to and their games shown every week despite other viewers living on the other coast. Obvious bias is shown to the teams like the Patriots, Jets, and Giants in particular. Teams like Kansas City, St. Louis, or Minnesota will NEVER get a fair shot because of the lack of television market viewership. 

My last point I would like to make is that I think the NFL's policy against cannabis/marijuana is a bunch of horse shit. If I understand this correctly, as I usually do, the NFL's policy is that a player can get arrested for domestic violence (player beating his wife) and get a less harsh penalty/suspension than someone who smoked a joint for relaxation, PROBABLY from having sore bones and muscles from playing such a violent and brutal sport. So the one guy who smoked pot didn't get arrested, didn't smear the image of the NFL in any way, and didn't hurt a single other person is punished HARSHER?!? No other drugs were found in this player's system. But it's okay to get shit faced on alcohol and beat your wife bloody. How is that better than recreational marijuana use, Roger Goodell?!?

Do I hate the NFL? NOT AT ALL. It's just become more like pro wrestling where the drama is scripted and the winner is already decided before the match takes place. Since there are no games on the local networks... fuck it... that just frees up more time to spend time with my family and work on the remodeling of my home. This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse. Have a nice day!

Anxiety and Depression

Namaste and welcome friends, family, and fellow knowledge seekers to another posting for the Quiet Mouse Strikes Back. I first want to say that this subject is extremely painful. I have taken dozens of pills over many years to help with the symptoms brought on by Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression.

As I begin to write this, the thought occurs to me to stop because my heart is already beating faster for reasons I cannot fathom. I have to calm myself from not hyperventilating at times. Life feels at times to be cursed rather than blessed when you have anxiety and depression. A chemical imbalance of serotonin, I'm told is the cause. It hurts when others that you love, who don't understand are dismissive and disrespectful, blowing you off because they think you are being "negative", rather than just listen... that's all EVERYONE wants... but especially when you are afflicted with mental illness. The triggers of an attack on one's mind are VERY REAL. The reaction to those stimuli may or may not be equally appropriate. However, I again assert that the negative reaction made by loved ones in THEIR response to the sufferer can  be just as detrimental. The reactions of others (including family members), as made by the anxious person, are often deemed as apathetic and uncaring. Rather than constantly be argued with, much like with a counselor or psychologist, most of the time the person just wants to feel as if they are listened to and validated for their concerns.
It is our common reaction as human beings to shun away from things that bring displeasure and negative emotions. When you have a loved one who is mentally ill, there must be exceptions made; a greater effort from the supporting family to both actually UNDERSTAND what is going on, AND a greater effort to HELP the family member who is afflicted. It is common for the one with anxiety to feel alienated and lose that connection with loved ones when it feels like nothing matters or no one listens. When a person feels alienated, unappreciated, that NOTHING MATTERS, or that no one listens, this can lead to feelings of hopelessness, depression, and MORE ANXIETIES.
Above all, no one wants to be treated condescendingly. We already know there is no cure for our issues and we don't need a constant reminder as to why YOU or anyone else thinks that we are wrong for our OWN thoughts and feelings. It HURTS when a family member diminishes the value of your anxiety, especially by arguing with you or hurting your feelings. YES, I can concur that it is counter-productive to attempt to placate the individual by agreeing with him/her arbitrarily... but the idea is to make the process easier which, hopefully will decrease the overall level of anxiety, not just with the one person, but with the family, in general.
What really hurts this whole process is that kids, in particular, just don't give a shit. They are spoiled, lazy, apathetic, negative, and flat out MEAN at times... kinda like adults. NO, I'm not saying everyone is bad. We ALL have our moments of weakness where we succumb to the pressures of life. This is normal. But it's bad enough when it feels like the ENTIRE WORLD is going to shit... at these times we NEED our family to be the ones to HELP, NOT HINDER our recovery from this debilitating illness.
It is easy to give up and fall into habits that are self-defeating. This is why we need the support of our families. Family and home are meant to be the people and place that an individual is supposed to be able to be his/her SELF, without having to be fake, without having to be judged, and without having MORE anxieties that lead to MORE depressive episodes and/or other self-defeating behaviors. Home is supposed to be our castle, our protection, our shelter of zen happiness and peacefulness. But what happens when are homes are chaotic and destructive to our already broken psyche? It's NOT good.


Anxiety, to me is like this: You know that sound that is made by a person scratching their fingers on the surface of a chalk board? It's mind-bending, obnoxious, and sometimes infuriating. Well, anxiety is sort of like that, except in YOUR HEAD; instead of a chalkboard there are stimulations, often many of them, that trigger our brains to go into that gritty chalkboard scratching. Worry becomes stress, which leads to a panic, which leads to attempt at control, which causes more fear, which causes labored breathing, increased heart rate, muscle tension, loss of energy and again, MORE ANXIETY. What makes this condition so horrible is that you are often the cause of your own problem. But you don't need to be told that. Society is ALREADY judging you just because you are behaving different. This causes more anxiety and often the desire to be separate FROM society. This hurts more and more because we are social creatures and we intrinsically desire our fellow humans to not just care, but to appreciate us as well.

HELP! When life is spiraling out of control, it is difficult to regain perspective. Sometime the episodes of anxiety and depression can last a LONG time. Family members who do not understand need to exert some level of empathy in dealing with the afflicted loved one. Arguing, yelling, fighting, or ignoring the issue(s) WON'T HELP! Trying to FORCE the person suffering to "see the light" of YOUR PERCEIVED TRUTH is condescending and counter-productive. These things are cyclic. This too shall pass. The MAJORITY of the time, the sufferer will realize on their own the perspective to calm his/her self. All you have to do is be PATIENT, LISTEN, and SUPPORT your loved one UNCONDITIONALLY!!!
We CAN get through this TOGETHER. It's going to be difficult. I need your patience, your love, and your ears. Listen to me. Value me. Respect me. HELP ME.
This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse.

Can There Be A Separation of Church and State?

Namaste and welcome to another edition of the Quiet Mouse Strikes back.
"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in  blood for centuries."
- James Madison, 4th President
"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
- George Washington, 1st President
"Christianity may be good and Satanism evil. Under the Constitution, however, both are neutral. This is an important, but difficult, concept for many law enforcement officers to accept. They are paid to uphold the penal code, not the Ten Commandments... The fact is that far more crime and child abuse has been committed by religious zealots in the name of God, Jesus, and Mohammed than has ever been committed in the name of Satan. Many people don't like that statement, but few can argue with it."
- Carl Sagan, author and scientist
"Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so."
- Robert A. Heinlein, American author
"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be one nation gone under."
- Ronald Reagan, 40th President

I started out with some quotes to get my readers thinking about the topic of the blog. Now, I'm gonna throw a curve ball and state that I don't think there can EVER be a true separation of church and state because in reality the CHURCH IS THE STATE. Think about that one for a second.
In the United States of America, approximately 77% of the population considers itself to be Christian. Throughout history, especially in Europe through the dark ages of the last 2000+ years there was NO clear boundary between the church and state. Often, in fact, the religion acted as a tool to further the whims of the state, and their holy book, the Bible, was often edited, like in the example of the King James Bible, based upon who was in charge at the time, and what they wanted to accomplish... generally this had to do with taxation, fealty, and the threat of penalty for dissent against the government/church state. In fact, still to this day judges continue to wear robes in court (as well as making you swear on the Bible) because the original court system FOR the state was done BY the church and its officials, who acted as judge, jury, and executioner... any dissent was considered a crime punishable by DEATH or torture. Beyond the fact that religion claims to be infallible and beyond the scope of government or the people, there are many more similarities with government than they would like to admit...
CHURCH v. STATE
1) BOTH claim all-encompassing authority over the land and the people within.
2) BOTH claim to be the authority over morality and judgement.
3) BOTH are large organizations that CLAIM to serve the people.
4) BOTH are 100% funded by citizens of nations.
5) BOTH claim to have gotten their power from a HIGHER AUTHORITY.
6) BOTH claim to be a path of salvation for millions.
7) BOTH discriminate and spread disinformation as it serves their interest.
8) BOTH are hung up on trivial issues like abortion and homosexual rights.
9) BOTH threaten punishment for failure to follow their "code of ethics".
10) BOTH threaten long term consequences for these violations.
11) BOTH have sanctioned wars and murdered innocents based on their biased beliefs.
12) BOTH are more concerned with their own agendas than the will of the people who fund them.
13) BOTH hold their meetings in large buildings where their agenda and creed is preached from a pulpit.
14) BOTH have an over-inflated sense of self-importance.
15) BOTH are fully capable and DO rationalize bigotry, ethnocentrism, war, theft, and murder... often BOTH in the name of GOD...

I could probably go on, but I think my reading audience will understand the point I'm trying to make. In a certain geographical area, the predominant religion also becomes the predominant government philosophy. It is no different in Muslim or Jewish controlled nations.
It is a novel idea to separate church and state, but the practical application is much more difficult. It is this way because the very citizens that make up the government happen to be predominantly of that religion. In this nation that is 3/4 Christian, our political representatives are mostly Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant to a lesser degree. Right now there are NO Protestants holding position on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Lastly, look at our money and see that it says "In God we trust"... clearly NOT a separation of church and state. Also, we can look directly at the Bible to see that there is no separation of Christianity from the State.
Romans 13: "Let every soul be subject to governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgement upon themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil..."
THINK and be FREE. This has been the one and only Quiet Mouse.