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Ecclesiastes 8:9-13
● Ecc 8:9 . . All these things I observed; I noted all that went on under the sun,
while men still had authority over men to treat them unjustly.
Solomon's venue throughout the book of Ecclesiastes is "under the sun". It's important
to always keep that in mind or risk getting the wrong impression from his sayings. His is
not a book of inspired doctrine; but rather of inspired philosophy from the perspective of
an earthy man rather than a heavenly man.
I have personally experienced Solomon's observation on several of the internet forums
I've been on in the last fifteen years. I have been given infractions by forum managers
for flaming based solely on complaints lodged by somebody whose nose got bent over
something I posted. I was summarily convicted of flaming without the prosecution first
establishing intent of malice. That is not only unjust, but it isn't even rational
jurisprudence in a land where the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
(emphasis upon proven).
Another unjust habit that internet forum managers have is that of construing the
language of their rules to mean whatever suits their purpose. Forum contributors don't
stand a chance against those kinds of arbitrary management practices.
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin eliminated threats to his power through Purge Trials and
widespread secret executions and persecution of his own fellow Soviet citizens. He left
behind a legacy of repression and fear as well as industrial and military power. Stalin rid
himself of all potential rivals in the party, first by having many of them condemned as
deviationists, and later by ordering them executed.
To ensure his position and to push forward "socialism in one country" he put the Soviet
Union on a crash course of collectivization and industrialization. An estimated 25 million
farmers were forced onto state farms. Collectivization alone killed as many as 14.5
million Soviet people, and Russia's agricultural output was reduced by 25 percent,
according to some estimates.
Stalin is only one example of the many oppressive rulers in the course of human history,
like Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Hosni Mubarak, and Kim Jong Il who
use and abuse their citizens; instead of managing countries for the country's good,
these kinds of rulers manage countries for their own personal good. Their citizens are
valued as commodities rather than fellow men.
● Ecc 8:10a . . And then I saw scoundrels coming from the Holy Site and being
brought to burial
It is truly amazing how the wicked of the world have the nerve to attend church and
synagogue. Where's their conscience? And then their families have the chutzpah to
make sure the wicked get honorable, Church sanctioned funerals when they die!
Paul Castellano-- John J. Gotti's predecessor as boss of the Gambino clan --was denied
a funeral mass in 1985 based upon the notoriety of his background. The decision was
backed up by canon law, which prohibits funeral Masses that would engender public
scandal among the faithful.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Rome can deny a Mass of Christian Burial in
the case of those persons who have not lived in communion with Rome according to the
maxim which comes down from the time of Pope Leo the Great: (448) quibus viventibus
non communicavimus mortuis communicare non possumus (We cannot hold
communion in death with those who in life were not in communion with us).
● Ecc 8:10b . . while such as had acted righteously were forgotten in the city.
Many good people often live out their lives in total obscurity, never basking in any
limelight nor making a name for themselves. Their funerals? You won't see them on a
nationally televised broadcast and probably not in a newspaper's obituary column.
● Ecc 8:10c-13 . . And here is another frustration: the fact that the sentence
imposed for evil deeds is not executed swiftly, which is why men are emboldened
to do evil-- the fact that a sinner may do evil a hundred times and his
[punishment] still be delayed. For although I am aware that it will be well with
those who revere God since they revere Him, and it will not be well with the
scoundrel, and he will not live long, because he does not revere God.
Justice is indeed slow, especially if the accused has lots of money because their
lawyers can tie up the courts for as long as ten years with appeals and continuances.
BTW: John J. Gotti died in 2002. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn finally did
permit a mass of Christian burial for Mr. Gotti but only after he was in the ground. Still it
just seems so preposterous to grant a man like that any kind of Christian burial let alone
one garnished with a high mass.
/
Ecclesiastes 8:9-13
● Ecc 8:9 . . All these things I observed; I noted all that went on under the sun,
while men still had authority over men to treat them unjustly.
Solomon's venue throughout the book of Ecclesiastes is "under the sun". It's important
to always keep that in mind or risk getting the wrong impression from his sayings. His is
not a book of inspired doctrine; but rather of inspired philosophy from the perspective of
an earthy man rather than a heavenly man.
I have personally experienced Solomon's observation on several of the internet forums
I've been on in the last fifteen years. I have been given infractions by forum managers
for flaming based solely on complaints lodged by somebody whose nose got bent over
something I posted. I was summarily convicted of flaming without the prosecution first
establishing intent of malice. That is not only unjust, but it isn't even rational
jurisprudence in a land where the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
(emphasis upon proven).
Another unjust habit that internet forum managers have is that of construing the
language of their rules to mean whatever suits their purpose. Forum contributors don't
stand a chance against those kinds of arbitrary management practices.
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin eliminated threats to his power through Purge Trials and
widespread secret executions and persecution of his own fellow Soviet citizens. He left
behind a legacy of repression and fear as well as industrial and military power. Stalin rid
himself of all potential rivals in the party, first by having many of them condemned as
deviationists, and later by ordering them executed.
To ensure his position and to push forward "socialism in one country" he put the Soviet
Union on a crash course of collectivization and industrialization. An estimated 25 million
farmers were forced onto state farms. Collectivization alone killed as many as 14.5
million Soviet people, and Russia's agricultural output was reduced by 25 percent,
according to some estimates.
Stalin is only one example of the many oppressive rulers in the course of human history,
like Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Hosni Mubarak, and Kim Jong Il who
use and abuse their citizens; instead of managing countries for the country's good,
these kinds of rulers manage countries for their own personal good. Their citizens are
valued as commodities rather than fellow men.
● Ecc 8:10a . . And then I saw scoundrels coming from the Holy Site and being
brought to burial
It is truly amazing how the wicked of the world have the nerve to attend church and
synagogue. Where's their conscience? And then their families have the chutzpah to
make sure the wicked get honorable, Church sanctioned funerals when they die!
Paul Castellano-- John J. Gotti's predecessor as boss of the Gambino clan --was denied
a funeral mass in 1985 based upon the notoriety of his background. The decision was
backed up by canon law, which prohibits funeral Masses that would engender public
scandal among the faithful.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Rome can deny a Mass of Christian Burial in
the case of those persons who have not lived in communion with Rome according to the
maxim which comes down from the time of Pope Leo the Great: (448) quibus viventibus
non communicavimus mortuis communicare non possumus (We cannot hold
communion in death with those who in life were not in communion with us).
● Ecc 8:10b . . while such as had acted righteously were forgotten in the city.
Many good people often live out their lives in total obscurity, never basking in any
limelight nor making a name for themselves. Their funerals? You won't see them on a
nationally televised broadcast and probably not in a newspaper's obituary column.
● Ecc 8:10c-13 . . And here is another frustration: the fact that the sentence
imposed for evil deeds is not executed swiftly, which is why men are emboldened
to do evil-- the fact that a sinner may do evil a hundred times and his
[punishment] still be delayed. For although I am aware that it will be well with
those who revere God since they revere Him, and it will not be well with the
scoundrel, and he will not live long, because he does not revere God.
Justice is indeed slow, especially if the accused has lots of money because their
lawyers can tie up the courts for as long as ten years with appeals and continuances.
BTW: John J. Gotti died in 2002. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn finally did
permit a mass of Christian burial for Mr. Gotti but only after he was in the ground. Still it
just seems so preposterous to grant a man like that any kind of Christian burial let alone
one garnished with a high mass.
/