Fearian: Siamo a Roma

About me:

I'm a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian. I was born in Maryland, and raised in Virginia. Things were definitely never easy, but I got through childhood pretty much in one piece. I've read some of the diaries of writers such as Thomas Mann and Franz Kafka; I'll never be as self-absorbed as they were. Franz Kafka wrote, to paraphrase, that if he were hideously disfigured in numerous ways, it would not equal how horrible certain events in his childhood were and how they emotionally and mentally disfigured him. One might sympathize with this initially, but Kafka then went on to write columns of names, all of people whom had caused him such heartache, for such things such as looking at him wrongly or saying something to him in a way which he found disagreeable. Not to put myself on a pedastal, but I can say with some safety that this is not me, nor will it ever be. Rather, I try to be thankful for the hardships which I have experienced, and which I have yet to experience, for if one maintains spirituality and a positive outlook throughout, it has been my experience that one comes through the trying fires all the better. Although I am admittedly young, I am married to a young woman whom I firs became acquainted with when I was much younger, in 2003, through a Christian pen pal service. Her name is Carina, and she was born and raised in Munich, Germany. We have had many wonderful adventures together, and I am sure we shall have many more; I love her very much. She and I rent a place in a suburb of Munich today, where she is currently completing her studies. I am working locally as an English teacher, as well as studying online. My mother still resides in Virginia, where she works for Virginia's community college system. She lives with my brother, who is younger than me by ten months, and who is also afflicted with Down's Syndrome. Despite this, he is a surprisingly intelligent young man, who loves C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, and reads from the King James Bible regularly. I love both my mom and by brother very much. I also have a little brother-in-law, Jonas; he is one of the most intelligent boys I've ever known. Educated in English and Latin, and soon to study French in addition to his native German, he often puts me to shame despite how I tutor him. Politically, I am a very principled person. I believe that government should have as little to do with its citizens as possible. I support and wholeheartedly accept that governments should follow the sound economic principles set forth by Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard. However, I believe that the Christtian church, which should have as little entanglements with the government as possible, should practice charity and voluntary socialism as the early church did. I am not an isolationist by any means; rather, I believe that the interventionist foreign policy practiced by both Republicans and Democrats in recent years isolates the United States as never before. I believe that September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, for example, happened as a direct result of American interventionism and imperialism in the Middle East, not because of some phantom hatred for American culture that supposedly exists in Semitic peoples. In fact, I venture so far as to say that, based on research and the statements of Osama bin Laden himself, as well as experts such as Michael Scheuer, I know this is certain. I do not endorse violence in any manner, not even in self defense. For this reason, I will never involve myself in politics because I would be forced to reconcile my obedience to Jesus with involvement with the military, an organization completely in disunion with Christian principles. I have many friends whom have served in the military, and I do not disrespect them at all; I merely hold that it is adverse to the Christian religion. It is for this reason, also, that I believe that violence even in the most seemingly justifiable causes is wrong. Thus, I look to the more recent non-violent revolutionaries as great examples of how to spark change in the right manner; great figureheads of non-violent movements include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ghandi. I enjoy reading, writing, history, films, and thoughtful discussion. I also like a few video games. I hope you may have learned something about me, but I hope more that you learn something about Jesus or about Christian principles from knowing me. I can only try, by His grace, to be some sort of example of whatever crazy idea of a way of living he had in mind when He came here so long ago. Until then, peace and love.