Which Paradigm?

[Grumpy Bear]

Sissy is a recently widowed teenage mother of twin baby girls. Steve had a private contractors job in Iraq. He’s been interned for over year and money is tight.

Sissy never finished school so she’s been taking classes at a local Junior College to acquire her GED and hope is, a degree as a paralegal. Her only living relative is a sister fifteen years her senior whose in poor health and on state aid who has taken on part time mother duties while Sissy makes a living on the night shift cleaning bathrooms, bed pans and the common areas of the smallish hospital slash county nursing home. Work that doesn’t require an education and pays to suit; takes classes during the day.

She’s driving north in a dated Dodge Caravan on an old Federal Highway built in the days of Ike with concrete gutters that empty into culverts that empty into the many and sorted farm creeks that make up the headwaters of a small river that eventually runs into the Missouri just west of the bluffs. It’ rolling country and currently she’s rolling up a three percent grade of a mile in length that’s marked no passing for half its length.

The speed limit is 55 mph but Sissy is doing 62 as she is late for the third time in as many days to pick up the girls. Millie, her sister has been unhappy about that. 

At the top of the rise is a farmhouse that is situated on a country corner “T” just the other side of that rise. Making a right turn into the southbound lane is Randy in his families newer Crown Victoria. Randy is in his early forties and a contract welder at the corn plant seven miles back. His wife and child are expecting him for dinner in under an hour at home. Meatloaf!!

As he turns onto the highway he sees an elderly lady checking her farms mailbox. Their eyes meet and they exchange the friendly nod and wave common to country folk. The days grown long and so have the shadows.

Edna is a mother of four. Grandmother of nine and great grandmother of two. Her husband of fifty years Earl, who is now mowing the well-manicured lawn of their families dairy farm sits on the tractor at the hills crest. Earl will turn the farm over to the boys in two months and he and Edna are moving to their dream home in the Rockies to start that perfect retired life they dreamed of.

Behind Sissy and closing fast is Ben and his wife, Janet, in his work/fun truck. Ben is a business major who runs the family construction business his grandfather left his father and now belongs to him and their two month old boy he hopes one day.

They are twenty minutes late for a dinner date with friends thirty miles further north and Ben is in a hurry delayed the last twenty minutes by the spring parade of farm equipment.

He gauges his speed and distance. He’s presently doing 75 mph and a hundred feet past the start of the no passing zone Sissy just entered. He does not lack confidence the truck can clear the Caravan with room to spare before the crest if he just reacts and doesn’t break momentum.

Pedal now on the mat, motor in a howl and a firm pull to the opposite lane. Momentum now pushing past the point of no return.

Earl has just shut off the tractor in time to hear the raucous roar of a big GM V-8 and in his panic looks back at Edna waving and screaming, motioning her to the ditch. Randy sees Earl wild wave and instinctively  places both feet on the brake and heads as far to the right as the guttered ditch will permit just in time to see the C-10 and the Caravan crest the hill side by side and fifty feet to impact.

Ben’s eyes wide and Janet’s voice at full song he cranks the wheel hard right hoping Sissy has enough room.

For six people time stops for a second, for many, their last second. Ben cleared neither the Caravan nor the Vicky catching Randy twenty percent head on sandwiched between two immovable objects. The interior space is growing smaller and smaller as Edna is collected into the grill of the Caravan. From Earls point of view it’s a cloud of red mist and twisting steel……

Sissy sister wonders what is taking her sister so long tonight. A month from now the courts will split the twins into foster care. Ben’s son fairs little better. Relatives take him in but the insurance will not cover his life expenses and education. A burden his Uncle will bear.

Earl’s retirement becomes years of mental therapy funded by the farm which fails under the strain after two years and is sold for his expenses. Edna's coffin is buried empty close casket.

Randy is the least damaged. Seat beat bruising and air bag rash. He will not have a peaceful night’s sleep the remainder of his life.

There are real people with real lives with real stories behind every wheel and they all matter. There is no legal or moral justification for breaking laws meant to bring order and safety to us all and decide for all others which stories get told or whose life is important enough to live. 

 

That's one Paradigm. And the other would be........

 

 

[Grumpy Bear]

How to spend $1.45 a mile!

 

$30,000 you agree to pay for your truck before TTL. Using the numbers for Illinois and my truck that truck just inflated to:

$32,371 and you are paying cash. To earn this number clear, using my tax bracket you must earn:

$46,000 but the pain won’t end there. Assuming 5 year ownership and the National average driving distance of 13,750 miles based on the NHTSA numbers and an estimated fuel cost of $2.75 per gallon and using the same principle that you pay taxes on money you earn the earnings required to fuel that truck for the estimated 68,750 miles is…..$15,800 of which $6,052 will be in some form of tax. State, Federal or Income bringing your total to:

$61,800 but the pain won’t end there. You will change oil 13.75 times at a cost of $40 per in materials and assuming you change it yourself you spend another $855. $253 of which is in state sales and all income taxes bringing your total to:

$62,655 but the pain won’t end there. You will spend another $575 on plates of which $170 will be income taxes on the money you spent on those plates which are pure tax. Your total is now:

$63,230 but the pain won’t end there. According to Edmunds the five year cost of Insurance, maintenance and repairs will total $12,423 additional cost and you will pay $5,223 on the income to pay those bills bringing your cost to:

$80,876 but the pain won’t end there. For five years Edmunds estimates the truck will devalue by $18,828 (trade price of top 3% of class) which is in essence pure tax bringing you total to:

$99,704

The value of your truck after five year and 68K miles is:

 $11,172

You’ve paid $46,958 is taxes. $16,000 more than the strike price of the truck!

Taxes equal 47% of the 5 year total!

You’ve paid over 3X the strike price but your truck is only worth:

 11% of what you have spent on it.

1)  When you spend a dollar you don’t just pay state, county, city and Federal taxes on what you bought but you also pay Federal, State, Social Security and Medicare taxes on the money you are paying that debt with. The debt payment is AFTER income taxes.

 

2)  Depreciation is not the same thing a trade value and cannot be used in calculation of ‘cost of ownership’. I used best case Edmund’s values in this example which you will nearly never achieve.

 

3)  The example used will be in proportion to the strike price with an adjustment for state registration fees and percentage based devaluation. As these are fairly fixed cost doubling the purchase price doubles the Income required. i.e. a $60K truck will lighten your wallet $180K/$200K in five years…give or take.

 

4)  Miles per gallon cost is more than (Gallon * Price) / Miles unless you stole that money you paid all four income taxes on some amount to get the purchase price.  

 

I drive like Grandpa Jones because:

1.)        When I do I use 35/40% less fuel than average.

2.)        Tires last 140% past the warranty limit

3.)        Brakes last 200/300% of national averages

4.)        These three pay most of the taxes.  

I buy low mile used because…well…it cost money to spend money. Every dollar I don’t spend saves me three. Do the math but do it correctly.

Really does it make sense to you to spend $3 for a $1 item that has the future value of a dime?

                     That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Grumpy Bear

[pickmeup]

Lets look at it another way . Fellow gets up 5 days a week and goes to work. His paycheck is 1,000 per week gross but after taxes and probably deduction for health insurance contribution or perhaps a 401k. Bottom line ''take home '' is about 700.00 so boom its gone in the new 6 year truck payment every month. Now between commute to work and week end driving another 100.00 a week in fuel is 400. 00 a month but with insurance and oil changes etc. there goes another 50..00 a week for 450. now needs to come out of your 2nd paycheck of the month. Easily 40% of your work earnings are going to truck . Start adding in some accessory spending on truck and eventual tires, shocks etc and your approaching almost half of your ;;reward '' for busting your ass is going to truck. My generation born in the 50's were taught by our parents that only a fool would work that percentage for a vehicle . Yes even the local bank would encourage you not to be a fool with your money like that . Like Grumpy stated at the end of say that 72 month payment you pennies on the dealer left . I guess I am getting too old because something is not adding up  lol.

[Grumpy Bear]

Meriam Webster, Oxford, Wikipedia, take your pick of English dictionaries and look up Bully.

Wiki makes it simple breaking it down to its three elemental required units under the subheading of DEFINITION:

(1) hostile intent

(2) imbalance of power

(3) repetition over a period of time.

Etymology:  "harasser of the weak".

WHAT A BULLY IS:

When the kids in school found out that a fight at school gets you a beating at home they came two to five at a time, two or three times a week...for ten years. I love summer vacations. Sometimes guys and girls two grades behind took their shots in packs. There wasn’t a beating taken that was worse than the ones at home.

Temperament of a starving female Grizzly with twin cubs welding a three foot length of  rubberized canvas covered steel woven flat machinery belting. Sort of like a razor strap with a braid of steel in it. A real rib breaking, flesh flailing device meant to teach you not to strike anyone…ever…for any reason…an so it was...

WHAT A BULLY IS NOT:

A person who says, “I DISAGREE”; explains that disagreement pointing out error or proving it invalid in its entirety and supplying the correct answer or perhaps just additional information to a half correct thought. And yet that is what some that have never met a real bully believe one to be. A person that says “I DISAGREE”. Really?????

Put your big boy pants on. Learn to use a dictionary. It doesn’t hurt as bad to be wrong as a couple of broken ribs.

I have to close now as it has come to my attention that today’s audiences will not tolerate anything longer than 285 characters.

 

That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

Edited May 11, 2018 by Grumpy Bear
Change of thought.

[Grumpy Bear]

285 characters. 5.1 letters on average per word in the English language then add a trailing space. 15 to 20 words per sentence, they say, and some punctuation will make it by my figures using 18 words per sentence and 2 punctuation marks per a document length of about 47 words.

The length of the above paragraph is what I’m told is the attention span of today’s reader. Less than 4.5 lines in Word with 16 point type per post or the reader gets all blurry eyed and drifts off into unconsciousness. Bored? Disinterested? Lazy? Rude? Ops, used up two post of material.

That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

Edited May 11, 2018 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

Sister-in-law ( of over 50 years) was in a head on wreck about three weeks ago. Steering wheel to steering wheel. Both vehicles were doing between 55 and 60 mph according to the filed reports. 55 the speed limit. 

 

Took about an hour to extract her from the wreck. When they got there the EMT's tossed a sheet over her pronounced her DOA. Some time into the recovery someone noticed she was still leaking. Something a dead body doesn't do. Her legs occupied a space about the size of a large bread box. The air bag and seat belt collapsed her rib cage breaking allot of ribs and separating her sternum from the left side set. Punctured that lung. Bruised her heart. Thus a lack of measurable breath/pulse. Deep bone bruising to the pelvic and hip Shock and concussion. She was out for days before being induced into a medical coma. She panicked when she came to. 

 

One to two operations a day for two and a half weeks got her off a ventilator and out of the coma. Saved her legs....for now. She has a few more to go but was released to a rehabilitation center. It will be six months minimum before she will be able to sit in a wheelchair and if she walks again it will take a year or more. Still fighting the concussion and infection. Full of cadaver bones, metal rods, screws and pins and pain killers. Mentally? She's a mess. You don't get over this sort of thing....ever. 

 

Crumple zones worked. Seatbelts did their job. Air bag deployed and at the legal speed limit she looks like she was dropped in a rock crusher.  X-rays show her legs in one inch fragments or smaller before work started.

 

 I've seen this kind of damage at 40 mph. I was in that car when I was seventeen. Two others didn't make it. The things that shape my paradigm. 

 

That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2018 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

“Live Free or Die”. State moto of New Hampshire. Ohio’s motto reads, “With God, all things are possible”. That’s actually a quote of Matthew 19:26. Both are demanding freedom. Yes but what type of freedom. Freedom to do anything you please? Some would say yes.

 

Truth is we have bounds. Limits. Restrictions all around us. Let’s see how absolute freedom would work.

 

So…you want nothing to tell you what to do and be your own boss on every level. Have the right to be self-determining. Okay.

 

Your physiology demands air…water…food…and a very specific temperature range. It also has a decided preference for things like gravity and atmospheric pressure and protection from solar radiation. I’m not sure which one would get you first. A lack of air, heat/cold or solar radiation but the fact is if you choose to ignore the restrictions on your physiology your time here is short. Something telling you what to do isn’t quite so bad eh?

 

In fact some restrictions you actually embrace like ducks do water. Food for example. Your body requires nutrition and you don’t mind one bit feeding that restriction on your freedom. In fact you relish it. Well you say; let’s not be silly. Everyone knows these things are good for you, even pleasurable! 

 

Okay, how about Rule of Law? Laws are restrictions so let’s look at a few of those. Let’s start with murder. It’s against the law. Do you object to that? How about when your life is threatened? You object then? Theft? Is the law that forbids it a good idea only when it protects your possessions or do you like being stole from? How about taxes. No one likes taxes but when your house is burning to the ground that fire department that is funded by taxes is kind of useful. Kind of useful for roads and schools too.

 

Of course we could debate till the end of time things like proper use of, and enforcement of, such laws and find a case for and against all of them. Then we would soon enter into the debate on who has the right to make the law and to enforce the law.

 

Truth is most don’t mind laws and restrictions. We as a whole see the need for them and the safety and comfort and peace of mind they engender. What we mind is misuse and abuse of them.

 

Now that hilarious. Because every mothers son insist on breaking as many laws and restrictions as they believe they can get away with and justify is with arguments like; “You’re not the boss of me” for the youngest offenders to, “It isn’t illegal if you don’t get caught” for the older ones. Then there are those that believe they are smarter, wiser and exempt from such things and site everything from a lack of enforcement to a God given right to choose as they please.

 

That’s last one couldn’t be further from the truth:

 

 “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”—Jer. 10:23.

 

We were given “Free Will”, we were not created with the ability to determine what is right or wrong.

 

Roman 13:1,2 reads,

 

Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves.

 

Fact is you can’t find a sensible law that isn’t rooted in the word of God. Problem is you just can’t find a whole lot of sensible people these days.

 

That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

 

[Grumpy Bear]

Having recently upgraded my low beams and now having the aim all dialed in we went for night drive on I-39 and then 50 miles or so of back roads and something caught my attention.

 

I cannot believe how fast people drive under new moon or heavy overcast conditions after dark with lights that are so dim and so yellow you would run over whatever was in your way from any speed over 50 mph before you saw it. Literally driving blind as a bat. Then there are those with ‘blue’ lights that have the range of a AA battery flashlight. Bright as can be….for 25 feet. So you can’t really see anything but you can blind everyone you meet.

 

This made me wonder what other absolutely ridiculous behaviors I might observe if a little attention I paid. I was not disappointed it what I observed. Just a few: (Just the Interstate observations)

 

Large travel trailers pulled by 1500’s whose tongue weight is so high the front is lifted enough to give a visible positive camber and a hideous squat bouncing and swaying and doing 10 to 15 over the speed limit sometimes in packs of three or four following so close if the front one were to sneeze the last one could hold the tissue.

 

Trucks lifted so high I could drive under them and with off road tires, not all terrain mind you but full blown stadium tires bouncing down the road at the same 10+ over the limit with a tire howl you would swear was the Burlington Northern or a herd of wounded buffalo and roll’n coal. If running at night a full complement of behind the grill and roll bar mounted lamps that would light Candlestick park.

 

Trucks with tires so bald and tie rods so bad the wheels never recover their mystic dance from one tar strip to the next pulling a flat bed with a backhoe.  

 

Here’s a favorite. The mini spare on the front wheel of a Mitsubishi Mirage doing 80 mph on a 100 degree day and bungie cord holding the hood on. I didn’t even know they could do 80.

 

Some of the fastest cars on the Interstate have but one headlamp and its candles are not all lite nor bright.

 

Every one of these will honk their horn, flash what lights they have and in general act like an arse for your compliance with a 45 mph work zone restriction.

 

Less I forget the Interstate “Gators”. Semi drivers do know that you’re supposed to thump the tires before takeoff and refuse to pull a pick with bad tires, right? Oh that’s right, bikers and smaller vehicles are expendable…silly me…I forgot.

 

I could go on and on…..and on but what’s the point. These morons are not the problem.

 

Problem is a late model perfectly maintained vehicle driven between the legal limits of speed with good tires, brakes, lights and a clear headed properly rested driver not under the influence of anything but sound judgment whose phone in on blue tooth and in the glove box. That guy needs to be tarred and feathered. He’s a public safety menace.  

 

That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

Edited June 14, 2018 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

I’m posting this in the thread no one reads as it’s a topic no one says they care about to be found by the few who do care about what no one else does.

 

************************************************************************

 

“If fuel mileage matters, don’t buy a truck”.

 

Ever hear that? Sure you do. You hear it from those that are getting that National average 17 mpg. (Fuelly.com) You don’t hear it from those getting the EPA sticker or above.

 

Miles per gallon or gallons per hundred miles, they reciprocate in multiples of 100. That is; if you get 25 mpg your fuel usage can also be expressed as 100 / 25 = 4 gallons per hundred miles.

 

The national average for K2XX trucks is just under 17 mpg or 100 / 17 = 5.88 gallons per hundred miles. Let see if that matters and I’m not going to opine. I’m not going to tell you what I think the physics supports. I’m going to tell you what has already been done.

 

26.64 mpg or 100 / 26.64 = 3.75 gallons per hundred. Peppers ‘to date’ life time average. Based on a 500 mile range or five cycles of 100 miles and $3 a gallon gas the cash out of pocket difference is:

 

$31.93...PER TANK!!

[Boardmember]

On 6/11/2018 at 11:29 PM, Grumpy Bear said:

“Live Free or Die”. State moto of New Hampshire. Ohio’s motto reads, “With God, all things are possible”. That’s actually a quote of Matthew 19:26. Both are demanding freedom. Yes but what type of freedom. Freedom to do anything you please? Some would say yes.

 

Truth is we have bounds. Limits. Restrictions all around us. Let’s see how absolute freedom would work.

 

So…you want nothing to tell you what to do and be your own boss on every level. Have the right to be self-determining. Okay.

 

Your physiology demands air…water…food…and a very specific temperature range. It also has a decided preference for things like gravity and atmospheric pressure and protection from solar radiation. I’m not sure which one would get you first. A lack of air, heat/cold or solar radiation but the fact is if you choose to ignore the restrictions on your physiology your time here is short. Something telling you what to do isn’t quite so bad eh?

 

In fact some restrictions you actually embrace like ducks do water. Food for example. Your body requires nutrition and you don’t mind one bit feeding that restriction on your freedom. In fact you relish it. Well you say; let’s not be silly. Everyone knows these things are good for you, even pleasurable! 

 

Okay, how about Rule of Law? Laws are restrictions so let’s look at a few of those. Let’s start with murder. It’s against the law. Do you object to that? How about when your life is threatened? You object then? Theft? Is the law that forbids it a good idea only when it protects your possessions or do you like being stole from? How about taxes. No one likes taxes but when your house is burning to the ground that fire department that is funded by taxes is kind of useful. Kind of useful for roads and schools too.

 

Of course we could debate till the end of time things like proper use of, and enforcement of, such laws and find a case for and against all of them. Then we would soon enter into the debate on who has the right to make the law and to enforce the law.

 

Truth is most don’t mind laws and restrictions. We as a whole see the need for them and the safety and comfort and peace of mind they engender. What we mind is misuse and abuse of them.

 

Now that hilarious. Because every mothers son insist on breaking as many laws and restrictions as they believe they can get away with and justify is with arguments like; “You’re not the boss of me” for the youngest offenders to, “It isn’t illegal if you don’t get caught” for the older ones. Then there are those that believe they are smarter, wiser and exempt from such things and site everything from a lack of enforcement to a God given right to choose as they please.

 

That’s last one couldn’t be further from the truth:

 

 “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”—Jer. 10:23.

 

We were given “Free Will”, we were not created with the ability to determine what is right or wrong.

 

Roman 13:1,2 reads,

 

Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves.

 

Fact is you can’t find a sensible law that isn’t rooted in the word of God. Problem is you just can’t find a whole lot of sensible people these days.

 

That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

 

I wish you were my neighbor.   When I came home from work, I’d knock at your door.  “Can  Marty come outside?” I’d ask your wife.  And only hope our wives got along.

 

Read “Jordan Peterson and Conservatism’s Rebirth” in the 6/16-17 Opinion section of the Wall St Journal.   Author Yoram Hazony must have read this post.  

 

On to the next.  But had to stop and comment. 

[CadillacLuke24]

Me too...Marty would be a blast to hang out with. 

 

Thanks for starting the new thread! I love these...if only more people thought this way!

[Grumpy Bear]

11 hours ago, CadillacLuke24 said:

Thanks for starting the new thread! I love these...if only more people thought this way!

While I appreciate the sentiment the thoughts all belong to Jehovah. The quotes are from his book the Bible, not mine. I'm not even close to being that wise. I read and write what a flawed mind can make of a perfect work. 

[swathdiver]

On 6/12/2018 at 12:29 AM, Grumpy Bear said:

 we were not created with the ability to determine what is right or wrong.

The Word of the Lord says otherwise:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." - Romans 1:18-21

[Grumpy Bear]

3 hours ago, swathdiver said:

The Word of the Lord says otherwise:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." - Romans 1:18-21

Sorry, I'm not seeing how this quote is making a case for self determination. I'm puzzled by the idea. Maybe I'm just being dense. What I read is:

 

Starting with the underlined Paul is telling us that there is no excuse for believing anything or anyone other than God himself created all things because creation itself bears true witness to that effect. By his creation God showed us simply he is supreme sovereign and only he as the right to determine good and bad. Wrath therefore is against "all ungodliness", that is, those who in essence believe, behave as or promote otherwise. Then he makes the statement that such men are both unthankful and foolish when they act with such blatant disregard for his Sovereignty. Personal vanity men have placed above truth placing their will over Gods. 'Foolish heart was darkened' is interesting. You can't see in a dark room. There hearts were no longer able to see even that which was made "clearly seen".  

 

If anything this scripture is saying just the opposite of self determination. God is saying it is inexcusable that you don't know your place in his order of things. 

 

Perhaps I should have said 'right' and not 'ability'...but given that I did...I'll work with that. I might offer that even as a pretty fair Chess player I have the ability to play, just not at a level that has ever given me the right to compete with a Grand Master of the game. Right and ability are two different things and I spoke poorly. Sorry to confuse anyone. 

 

 “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”—Jer. 10:23. (NWT)

 

Jerimiah makes this statement under divine inspiration. Jer. 1:1,2 These are the words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. The word of Jehovah came to him in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, the king of Judah, in the 13th year of his reign.

 

Job 40:2 (KJV) Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it.

 

What man can counsel God? Correct him? Instruct him? Fact check him? Knows more than? Who would know better than your creator what was good or bad for you?

 

That said God also made us creatures of 'free will'. He forces no one to take his counsel. To obey his commands. To accept his Sovereignty. To accept his gift of life and everything that makes it possible. Adam and Eve are perfect examples of persons that rejected Gods right to determine right and wrong and that isn't working out well for anyone. Romans 5:12 reads (REF) That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death  through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned (read chapter five for complete context)

 

Consider this in their case. They were created perfect so getting it wrong took willful determination to do a thing we do blindly in sin. Anyway....

 

That’s one paradigm, and the another would be…….

 

[CadillacLuke24]

Right may be a better word. I would argue that we know what is right and what is wrong, but we go the other way based on what the flesh wants, peer pressure, laziness, etc. 

 

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Boy is that ever true.