Re: Re: POLITICS - money and health (was Nutrition 101)

[Guest guest]

slethnobotanist@... wrote:

> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 00:45:55 -0500

> Idol <Idol@...> wrote:

>> Were pirates " government " ? Are muggers " government " ? Are churches

>> " government " ? If you define government as " anything that uses

>> compulsion " , then you're right. Otherwise, you're wrong.

>

> What I have said is that the problem with civil gov't mean is that it

> has a _legal_ monopoly on the initiation of force, and such a

> characteristic means it is unique among every other institution in

> our society. To say otherwise is to only deny the obvious.

Also, no one here is arguing that we should give more power to

(freelance) pirates and muggers. Government is unique in that its use of

compulsion is generally regarded as legitimate.

Furthermore, I would argue that churches could be considered

governmental entities to the extent that they used compulsion.

[Guest guest]

>

>slethnobotanist@... wrote:

>> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 00:45:55 -0500

>> Idol <Idol@...> wrote:

>>> Were pirates " government " ? Are muggers " government " ? Are churches

>>> " government " ? If you define government as " anything that uses

>>> compulsion " , then you're right. Otherwise, you're wrong.

>>

>> What I have said is that the problem with civil gov't mean is that it

>> has a _legal_ monopoly on the initiation of force, and such a

>> characteristic means it is unique among every other institution in

>> our society. To say otherwise is to only deny the obvious.

>

>Also, no one here is arguing that we should give more power to

>(freelance) pirates and muggers. Government is unique in that its use of

>compulsion is generally regarded as legitimate.

>

>Furthermore, I would argue that churches could be considered

>governmental entities to the extent that they used compulsion.

how does a church use compulsion? and isn't church membership strictly

voluntary?

Suze Fisher

Lapdog Design, Inc.

Web Design & Development

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg

Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader, Mid Coast Maine

http://www.westonaprice.org

----------------------------

“The diet-heart idea (the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol cause

heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times.” --

Mann, MD, former Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt

University, Tennessee; heart disease researcher.

The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

<http://www.thincs.org>

----------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Suze Fisher wrote:

>>> On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 00:45:55 -0500

>>> Idol <Idol@...> wrote:

>>>> Were pirates " government " ? Are muggers " government " ? Are churches

>>>> " government " ? If you define government as " anything that uses

>>>> compulsion " , then you're right. Otherwise, you're wrong.

>> Also, no one here is arguing that we should give more power to

>> (freelance) pirates and muggers. Government is unique in that its

>> use of compulsion is generally regarded as legitimate.

>>

>> Furthermore, I would argue that churches could be considered

>> governmental entities to the extent that they used compulsion.

>

> how does a church use compulsion? and isn't church membership strictly

> voluntary?

Now, yes. It has not always been the case, though. For example, take the

Spanish Inquisition (please!). At least, I assume that that's the sort

of thing had in mind.