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One problem I have noticed is  דורש אל המתים. I do not know why people think it is OK to go to the graves of tzadikim when this seems to be contrary to an open verse in the Torah in Leviticus 20. Do not seek after the dead.

What some people are looking for is the Mediaeval period which in fact formed the backbone of the Renaissance. For example the Amerika Blog

The fact of democracy decaying into tyranny we have seen in these last 8 years. But what people have suggested about a return to Aristocracy as Aristotle suggested is more about the Medieval period I think of kings and queens and strong faith

Catholic approach to Islamic invasion.

Link

Letter from a Catholic to his priest.

 Dear Father Remi:

I've come close to walking out of mass before, when Deacon Mike was plugging for gun control. I didn't, then, but I resolved that I would walk out if the church again attempted to interfere, even if only by suggestion, with matters of internal politics of the United States or undermining of the Constitution of the United States or undermining of the security of the United States.

This morning, at the early mass, I did walk out after we were intoned to not be afraid of letting in "refugees." I'm not sure what universe the reader lives in. I am not sure what universe the writer of the request for prayers lives in. In the universe I live in, the real universe, those refugees are mostly - no, _overwhelmingly_ - military age males, from a hostile religion, heavily infiltrated by ISIS/DAESH, a slave trading, raping, fanatical, genocidal, and expanding group of that religion. No, the State Department and DHS cannot filter out the maniacs.

Yes, as a matter of fact I do have quite a bit of experience over there.

I will not welcome them. I will not encourage others to welcome them. And I will not support a church that says we should. They are the enemy. They are the enemy of both civilization and Christianity. They are not an enemy to be turned by turning the other cheek. (Indeed, given the sexual proclivities of the region, it is wise to keep all one's cheeks far, far from them.) And those who would let them in are working hand in hand with the enemies of civilization and the Church.

Whether I shall come back to Saint Mary's, find another Catholic Church less politically and suicidally liberal, or join a less effectively anti-Christian Protestant church I cannot say at this time. I am pretty sure that whichever way I decide, God will understand my preferring not to support the ruin of my country, my civilization, or my religion.

Sincerely,

Thomas P. Kratman
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From Ex-Army: Me, now, the last time I was in a church was when I got married, I think, several decades ago. I have no hostility to religion or organized religion, I'm just sort of indifferent to its manifestation in public. Just indifferent. I have no grudge against it. If anything, I'm rather biased in favor of Christianity because it's been instrumental in producing the Western Civilization that I value above all other cultures of mankind. And, though I'm not a believer, I usually prefer believers to non-believers. They tend to be better people. I'm a lifelong fan of C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and other Christian-oriented writers of that sort. Morality-wise, I find Christianity as good a guide as any religion or philosophy, and superior to the vast majority.

That said, a damn fool is a damn fool, whether he's a Christian or not. Some of my fellow-thinkers among the realist right are hostile to Christianity precisely because of the sort of nonsense that Mr. Kratman describes above. I'm not, or I'm usually not, because the same kind of nonsense can be found outside of the churches and outside of Christianity, among just about every other religion or nonreligious belief system. Indeed, I first encountered it, back in the 60's, with the counterculture movement which was overwhelmingly anti-Christian.

Obviously, Christians don't have to be damn fools, because Tom Kratman clearly isn't. Ir also occurs to me that while Pope Francis is a damn fool in much the same way that the priest addressed is, Pat Buchanan, of the same church, definitely is not.

My attitude in these matters is simple. When someone is correct on the issues of gun control and inviting "Syrian" "refugees" to move in, I respect him for his conclusions whether he's a theist or an atheist or something in between. When he's wrong on those issues, I have zero respect for his opinions on the matters whether he's a peasant, Pope, or punk rocker.

A religious leader is, supposedly, an expert on matters of religion. That's where his authority lies. He has no more expertise in matters of statecraft than does a janitor or a courtesan. Bad advice from a preacher or priest deserves no more respect than bad advice from anyone else.

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My thought on this is: While I think being compassionate is admirable, I can see the point of not letting in people that desire one's demise.

I have written before about my experience in this area but just for now I should just admit that it took a lot of major wake-up calls for me to realize that Muslims really mean business. Just one example out of many. I was going to the small river the Shiloach where King Solomon was anointed king. It is deep, and to get to it one has to go down though a long flight of stairs  about 30 yards. When down there the Muslims at the top started throwing large rocks at me. After being accelerated after a 30 yard drop, if even one had hit me, that would have been the end. And of course that is what they were intending. I prayed to God and said: "I have no army, nor any weapon. But I have You."  And I started up the stairs. There was a lull in the rock throwing. When I got up to the top, there was a whole gang of Arabs. One said to the other "Here he is again." And they started again throwing rocks at me at point blank range. As I walked away I saw the rocks flying at every side of me. But not one hit me. I was shaken and shocked. And I realized then that they were not my friends.

Muslims are to be a problem whenever they get past a certain percentage. When below 10% they are exemplary. Then everyone thinks they are peace loving. Then after the 10% mark things start to get violent. First they send in their children and teenagers to cause trouble and claim they have no control. etc. Bringing in large number in Germany is definitely treasonous.

And people can be fooled. Genes tend to determine a lot. People can marry some black person or Muslim or Tartar and think they are getting a good deal -but then the children revert to form.

race riots

There are race riots  scheduled for attacking white people tomorrow across all major American cities. What I suggest for Jewish people are: (1) To stop supporting black causes. (2) Get a carry-conceal licence and train. (3) Stop trying to bring down decent white, Wasp {White, Anglo Saxon Protestant}society.

Blacks have been at war with whites,- including white, Ashkenazic Jews for a long time. Ignoring this will not make it go away. In fact, pretending race does not exist, and at the same time trying to nuke decent Wasp society is bad strategy,  and self contradictory, and guaranteed to backfire

To get to Torah you have to go through Hell and back

Though I was born and raised in an exceptional home I felt very unsatisfied in high school.

When I got to yeshiva in NY I felt like I was breathing free air for the first time. When the Torah declares itself "the good and the life", I really felt this.

Not just me. but when I called a friend I had in high school, and told her about yeshiva, she too was filled with this sense of urgency and meaning.

This experience was overpowering. But I have not been able, and still am not able to recommend it because of reasons beyond my ability to control.
I was myself, perhaps, not worthy of Torah. And thus, I found people supposedly in the Torah world whose character left something to be desired. Morally challenged people. If I had myself been worthy this never would have happened.

It says in the Torah God put the fiery sword on the path to the Tree of Life so that Adam and Eve would not go back and eat from it and live forever. To get to Torah you have to go through the trials of fire and water, and the people that stand in the way. The charlatans that make a show of keeping Torah -for profit.

Gemara, Rashi, Tosphot, Physics and Mathematics is the truth and the light. The path the Rambam specifically held is the path of Torah.

The Torah [Five Books of Moses] is the inspired Word of God. The Torah declares itself to be God-breathed, inerrant, and authoritative. We also know that God does not change His mind or contradict Himself. So the Torah  most definitely does not allow for traditions that contradict its message. This is not as much of an argument against tradition as it is an argument against un-Torah, extra-Torah and/or anti-Torah doctrines. The only way to know for sure what God expects of us is to stay true to what we know He has revealed—the Law of God תורת משה. We can know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that The Law of God is true, authoritative, and reliable. The same cannot be said of tradition.

For example in Leviticus 18 it says these are the commandments that God commanded by which one may do them and live. So we know the Law of God gives life and the good. So there is no room to nullify the law of God. It is for all who want life and the good to come and learn and keep.
So if there are traditions that are anti Torah or contradict the Torah we must not listen to them. 

Traditions are valid only when they are based on the Law of God and are in full agreement with the Five Books of Moses. Traditions that contradict the the Five Books of Moses are not of God and are not a valid aspect of the  faith. Torah alone is the only way to avoid subjectivity and keep personal opinion from taking priority over the teachings of the Five Books of Moses.

Torah alone does not nullify the concept of  traditions. Rather, Torah alone gives us a solid foundation on which to base  traditions. There are many practices, that are the result of traditions, not the explicit teaching of Law of God. It is good, and even necessary to have traditions. Traditions play an important role in clarifying and organizing practice. At the same time, in order for these traditions to be valid, they must not be in disagreement with God’s Word. They must be based on the solid foundation of the teaching of Torah. The problem  is that many base traditions on traditions which are based on traditions which are based on traditions, often with the initial tradition not being in full harmony with the Torah. That is why we must always go back to Torah alone, the authoritative Word of God, as the only solid basis for faith and practice.

This is the reason the Gemara is always measuring itself against the verses of the Torah to make sure it does not contradict the Torah. 
Thus: learning the Oral and Written Law
Gemara, Rashi, Tosphot, Physics and Mathematics  is the truth and the light. That is the Oral and Written Law with מעשה בראשית מעשה מרכבה.
The path the Rambam specifically held is the path of Torah.



If the Gemara is always right is not the issue. Rather the issue is if it is not better to try to understand what work on Shabat is, rather than throw out the whole concept? Which approach would you say is more in accord with the Law of Moses,-to try to understand what work on Shabat is even at the risk of making mistakes or saying that one no longer has to listen to the word of God because someone already listened to the word of God once? Does the Torah say do not work on Shabat until someone comes along and does no work on Shabat. After that, you can then work on Shabat.  Similarly the Torah leaves no room for many other practices.
The only path that I know of that is in accord with this idea is the Litvish [Lithuanian] Yeshiva based on the approach of the Gra and the Rambam. 

This may sound like a critique on Christians but it is not. Rather I mean to exclude all groups that clock themselves in  mantle and clothing pretending to keep Torah while doing idolatry.