We had a wonderful professor back in the day named Norman Nagel. He was an interesting character, what some would call a bit eccentric. He was always on about humanities belief in itself and the constant drive we have toward improvement by trying a harder regemine of self improvement. Legalism and the law are debilitating and the world will always get after us and try to keep us from the freedom of Christ. I have mentioned before the fact that government exists so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives. How is that working for us?. This morning I hear that the governor of Michigan has issues and an edict that Walmart and other stores cannot sell nonessential items. First, can the governor explain how he knows what might be essential to me? Normally American would tell him to jump in the lake and take him to court and now ……….?
Anyway prof Nagel seemed to be looking ahead to corona times and governor types and “experts” haranguing us daily. Here are his thoughts.
Baleful predictions of doom have been coming with increasing frequency these last
few years. We have almost taken to collecting them. One doom might shake us, but a
series of them we can discuss, evaluate, and propose solutions for. There were so
many financial crises in Britain after the war that nobody took them seriously any
longer. It was the business of politicians out of office to paint lurid pictures of
catastrophe and then propose themselves as the only ones who could save us from
disaster. Sir Stafford Cripps was the most popular. The British just loved being
given a stern talking to by him. We do love a good old denunciation every now and
then, and if the church does not supply hell-fire preaching, others do. The flesh
has a fondness for being berated. That is its own kind of language. “You are being
soft, selfish, lazy, complacent, prejudiced, polluting.” “Yes, I suppose I am. I
really should feel a bit ashamed of myself and try harder, and things will then get
better.” There is really nothing shattering in all this, for everything remains in
the realm of man’s capacities. He could make a better day if he would only try
harder.
