Your Jury Rights: The Fully Informed Jury

 

It has always bothered my that a jury, holding a persons freedom, or life, in their hands, are told what they can or can't see or hear as evidence in a case.  They are told what they can and cannot pay attention to or consider while forming their verdict.  It just didn't seem right.

 

It isn't.

 

"I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution."  Thomas Jefferson

"It is not only his right, but his duty...to find the verdict according to his own best understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court."  John Adams

 

 

Our constitution is under attack, by no less than the current administration, so the fact that the anchorage President Jefferson discussed in the first quote is questionable should come as no surprise to many Americans.  The second quote literally flies in the face of everything the courts would have us believe as jurors.  Read the quote again, slowly, and think about the power President Adams endows the juror with.

 

In 1972 the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the jury has an...

 

"...Unreviewable and irreversible power...to acquit in disregard of the instruction on the law given by the trial judge.  The pages of history shine upon instances of the jury's exercise of its prerogative to disregard instructions of the judge; for example, acquittals under the fugitive slave law." (473F. 2d 1113)  

If we can't be allowed to find a verdict according to conscience and all of the evidence, then why do we have a jury at all?  Don't they just become the legitimate face for a corrupt, broken, socialist, judicial system? 

I can't answer my own questions, and that pisses me off to no end.  When I hear a judge prevent testimony, or other evidence from being viewed by the jurors, or when I hear a judge tell jurors to disregard a statement, I just get angry knowing some poor sap isn't getting justice.

I don't like being political on my blog, but I felt this was knowledge that needed to be passed around for your own discussion.  It weighs heavily on any discussion we would have on Christian morality and conscience, that separation of church and state.

  For further information, I point you to the Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) website shown below.

Rapture: Will You Choose to Stay?



"You gave Him what He asked for, I gave Him what He needed." 

Legion, 2010

"Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who

are dispossessed."

Proverbs 31:8

"In the end, I will hold my ground when called.  I will say to God, "I will stay for them, those that you leave behind."  God will likely remind me I was staying anyway, so it will have worked out nicely."

Frank A. Villari, Pastor 



What will the righteous do at the end?  My assumption, from what I've seen and heard, is that they will jump at the chance for a place on God's lifeboat.  The righteous of God will have given what was asked for, and will stand ready for God's promise to them showing their true nature.

Who, in their piety, will stand in the face of life everlasting, looking down on the multitude being left behind, and not feel compassion for their ignorance and their pain, some modicum of pity?  Who will stand up for them, one more time, and renew the faith of God in mankind?  Who is willing to turn their back on what God wants, in order to give that which is needed?  Who will stand with me on that day of judgment?  Who will stay and guide the children left behind, through the tribulation and what lies beyond?

"I will stay for them, those that you leave behind."  As I close my eyes and lift my face to heaven, spreading  my arms slightly from my sides, palms forward, I feel a hand grasp my right, and yet another grasp my left.  I cry.

Who will stay?  More than anyone realizes, I think.

I Love You

Some say my love is like chalk,

That I can write it on and erase it.

Well, they're wrong. 

I use Crayons.

"Some say my love is like chalk, that I can write it on and erase it. Well, they're wrong. I use Crayons." When I wrote this, so many years ago, little did I know how it would, constantly, have an impact on my life. Of course, the poem was meant for my "true love" and, well, we all know how that goes. The divorce not only impacted my life, it almost cost me my life. But, I have since discovered that the poem holds true for any relationship you have. 

I also found how true the saying is, "I love you, I just can't be with you." I find that many people I've known have a hard time with this concept.  When you invest yourself in someone, it's very hard not to bring those deep feelings with you when the relationship ends.  I've also known those people who can leave relationships and just "flip off the switch" as though nothing ever happened.  One has to wonder how much was there, to begin with, if it was that easy to stop feeling, to stop loving.  I wonder what they consider "being used" would entail?

Even with my abject hatred of a particular individual, one time in my life, deep down inside I knew I had true love in my heart for this person.  I know this because of how easy it was for me to finally find forgiveness, years later, for her long history of using me and through her own admission of never loving me.

The next time you easily spit out those three words, "I love you," ask yourself if you can just as easily erase them.  If the answer is yes, then they are meaningless, so don't say them.  Love is something you should not be able to easily get shed of.  Love should be like getting hit with skunk spray.  It should stick, no matter how horrible the smell, and no matter how hard you try to ignore it.

Don't misunderstand, love will change.  You can finally, after much work, get rid of the skunk smell, but you will always remember it in your heart. Some things you just can't forget.  You may find you're not able to live with someone once you're together, for whatever reason, but you should always carry them in your heart, or what was the point?  If you don't still love them, on some level, I think you need to ask yourself what kind of a person that makes you.  Perhaps a person of non-existent depth? You know, shallow.

So, you're asking, what if you're the kind of person who equates love to snugglin' up with a stinky skunk?  Well, I quote those famous lyrics from the J.Geils Band:

I've been through diamonds

I've been through minks

I've been through it all

Love stinks

This may be true, but...I'm also the kind of person that keeps coming back for more, so how bad can it be?  Or, are we all just eternal masochists?

Until my next post, please remember that... I love you!

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com

Tolerance: Buddhism

  

 

I purchased this drab, concrete, garden statue of Buddha a little more than ten years ago.  I wanted something substantial for my meditation garden and concrete fit the bill.  With a bit of watered down acrylic paint I was able to affect the antique look I was after, though it took several years of northwest weather to accomplish the task.

 

As a Christian I was constantly asked how I could entertain Buddhist philosophy and still profess Christian tenets of "no other god" and such.  The answer is so simple most Christians refuse to understand it.  Unlike Taoism which pays homage to deities, Buddhism focuses on the "Three Fold Path" of morality, concentration, and wisdom.  When the Buddha was dying he said to his followers that he had taught them everything he could, and now it was time for them to teach themselves.  He did not want to be worshipped.  In fact, pure Buddhism does not recognize a god or gods and rejects the concept of a "second coming" of Jesus Christ.  They do, however, believe in reincarnation where you will be reborn into any of the 31 planes of existence, as your karma dictates, until you attain nirvana.

 

Notice the mention of "pure" Buddhism.  Some find it difficult to reconcile rejecting the concept of a second coming of Jesus from a belief system that incorporates reincarnation.  Personally, I found the Three Fold Path and Buddhist meditation helpful along my own path.  The fact that there is no deity in the Buddhist system makes it easier to fold parts of it into other faith concepts as a way of focusing on your goals.

 

Like most of the world religions, this one has also been misunderstood by most and corrupted by well-meaning followers throughout its history.  The basis is sound.  Buddha taught what was on his mind, what he had learned from his own observations and practice.  He longed for confrontation and discussion of these ideas as the whole point of the philosophy is to learn and become more than you are.  In this way, I think Buddha wasn't so much pushing his belief on others as he was trying to make you think for yourself as you follow his path, until you found your own. 

 

As he tried to make his disciples understand, we are all Buddha whether we know it yet or not.



We Live in a Pond

I have always tried to explain to young people the idea that we all live in the same social pond.  Every decision we make in life has an effect on that pond, like a pebble thrown into it causing a ripple.  Every ripple can be viewed as an action taken, a choice or decision, and for every action, as we all know from physics, there is a reaction.

If the decisions we make are small and insignificant, the effects will be virtually unnoticeable.  If the decision leads to, let's say, an arrest, this can have a large impact on the pond in general.  It would be the difference between dropping a grain of sand in the pond or a large rock.  The ripples of one don't matter much whereas the ripples of the other can swamp lily pads, erode the shore, and destroy habitat and the like.  And if you constantly make poor decisions even the smallest ripples can build upon each other to become a tempest.

Let's take an arrest of "Bill" an example.  Bill says to himself this is no big deal as he was the one arrested so it's his bad.  But, Bill has to go to his mother for bail.  Now mom has to spend money she was saving for another purpose, maybe for food or medical.  Let's say mom can't raise the money so she has to ask her friend, and now the friend is in the same boat.  While out on bail Bill gets arrested again.  The friend of mom's is beginning to feel used, and this affects their friendship.  This story will continue, but right away we see the damage from what Bill thought was his problem.  It has had an effect on Bill, his mother, her friend, their friendship, and possibly others; if the friend is married it may have created strife in the relationship there, and so on.

We tend not to think passed the damage done to our own lives with decisions we make, when, in reality, all of our decisions have the possibility to create far reaching repercussions which affect so many other residents in our pond.  One ripple can cause another ripple, bouncing off someone else to cause yet another ripple, and so on.  One must also be mindful that even the smallest ripple might be the cause of a larger effect, like soil slowly eroding from beneath a rock until that one insignificant ripple removes the last vestige of support and the rock comes sliding into the pond with devastating effect.

Once we understand how the pond works, the best rule of thumb is still to think before we act.  What effect will my actions have on those around me?  It is, truly, not always about you.  Considering others before you take action, or make choices and decisions, may temper selfish desires and help to promote peace and serenity in the greater pond.

It is better, at times, to simply put the pebble down.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with a world renowned Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Clasping Hands for Prayer?

Ever wonder where the requirement to clasp your hands together in prayer came from?  For one thing it is not a requirement.  Nowhere, in any text I’ve read, does it tell us to do it.  The best history I’ve seen dates it back to Babylonia where the Hebrew picked up the habit and then passed it to the Christians.

 

It is said it reflects our commitment to give ourselves into servitude to God.  Why?  I thought we were supposed to open ourselves up to God’s love and salvation.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to spread our arms out in acceptance of our love of God?

In my research I came across an Islamic site where the question was put out there, “Why do Sunnis pray with hands folded?”  The question and answer session went like this:

 

Q:  I’ve read this question a number of times on the forums, but still no answer?  When do our scholars say the folding of hands was introduced, and when do Sunni scholars say?

 

A:  Not every Sunni fold their hands in salat. Maliki Sunni (but not all) do not fold their hand in salat.  Sunni fold their hands in salat in three different ways. First, fold hands on belly.Second, fold hands on right side of belly.  Third, fold hands on chest.  And why Sunni fold their hands?  According to Sunni scholars, that's the right way in salat.

 

Q:  I am still looking for an answer with refs [references]?

 

A:  ???????????????????

 

So, it appears Christians and Hebrew have something in common with Islam – No one really knows why we fold hands in prayer, other than, “…that’s the right way.”  Our questioner above is still looking for references, and the answer man doesn’t seem to understand why since, obviously, “that’s the right way” should explain everything!

 

That kind of ambiguous answer only works for the Kool-Aid drinkers, my friend.  I believe the children of God were set apart from other sentient life on this planet when we developed the ability to go beyond simply asking the question, “Why?”  We are driven to find the answer.  Our ability to question life around us, our existence, even our faith, is some of what makes us human.  To deny the question, “Why?”  Well, think about it.  Why bother to exist?

 

I would put forward that, of all God has given us to help us enrich our lives, “Why?” is the most valuable.  We are building massive colliders, particle accelerators, in the hope of finding the elusive “God Particle.”  Why?  To explain creation?

 

In its own way, isn’t answering the simple question of “Why?” going to bring us closer to God than any other we could possibly ask?  We will see.

 

This three letter question has made us everything we are, and will make us everything we hope to be.

 

Why?  Hmmmm….

Judgment Day?

 

An electronic ping resonates throughout the, brightly lit, white room followed by a soft feminine voice, "Welcome to Heaven!  Please sign in, pick up a score card, and have a seat.  We will be with you momentarily."  You look down at a stack of crisp, ledger sized, score cards on the marble counter in front of you.  Taking one from the top you turn around to see the room open up before your eyes, slowly encompassing thousands of others patiently waiting to have their lives scored.  You notice there is the number "298432" printed at the top right corner of the card.  You glance back at the white box on the white wall behind the counter and notice glowing red numerals slowly counting up, "134341...134342...43...44..."

You get a feeling that your definition of "momentarily" is about to be redefined.  You just know the wait is going to be substantial.  You turn back and notice you can't see the end of the aisle in front of you.  The perspective of the aisle, along with seats and people lining it, seems to disappear into an imaginary horizon on the white expanse beyond. You notice the only color you've seen here is in the clothing worn by everyone waiting, and the red numerals, "134348...49...50...".  Only 164,000 people ahead of you.

 

As you start to move forward down the aisle, to the far away presumed back of the room, the soft feminine voice chimes back in, "Have a nice day!"  You close your eyes, and bite your tongue.

 

Right off the bat I envision this being hell.  Let's face it, can you imagine God succumbing to bureaucracy, or a "hurry up and wait" mentality for anything?  This is the power! 

 

I would be more apt to believe that you hear a voice on your way down the tunnel of light.  You either hear a soft feminine voice welcoming you to tranquility, or a deep male voice saying how you have been judged and found wanting, at which point a sucking black side tunnel opens up to syphon you off like you're some turd polluting the pristine environment.  Either way beats having to sit and watch the red numerals on a counter tick through the thousands ahead of you.  The only way this would make sense for me is if God were a woman, because only a woman would have this kind of humor at my expense.

 

Thought about "Judgment Day" lately?  What is your opinion?

Life After Death?: Part 2 - Reincarnation

I wrote a post back on June 21 called "Life After Death?" and fully intended on addressing reincarnation at some point, not necessarily in that post.

 

I believe in reincarnation.  I believe my soul has lived numerous times before.  It is a feeling you have when you feel comfortable with an era in our history.  For me, I can "feel" my reincarnated roots as far back as the Crusades.  Scotland and bagpipes pull strongly at me, as does the American cavalry or "pony soldiers."  I had a hypnosis induced vision of riding in the back of a buckboard in a southwestern desert as a young boy, handing ladles of water to the soldiers as they rode up.  I awoke from the vision still smelling the sweat from the horses and tasting the dust.  It was a bit unsettling, but it cemented my belief of renewed life, in this world, after death.

 

I also feel a draw to 1890's England, depression era blue grass Christian music, and the Army Air Corps of World War II.  That pretty much brings me up to this life and my "rebirth" in 1953.  I make the assumption that there are missing lives in the mix here.  I probably died in the Civil War, for instance, but nothing of that period holds any special draw for me.  As horrible as that war was, I do not wonder.

 

To me, the great unanswerable question has always been, "Why hasn't the world just filled up with reborn souls of those long passed for thousands of years?"

 

Maybe we have to wait for an opening.  Maybe we do come back as lower life forms if we don't progress forward in this life.  Maybe we can be reborn as a higher life form, or into a different dimension.  This could be one of many "universities" where we keep having to come back for more life lessons until we get it right.  And then, maybe we're just sent where we're needed, like instructors at the university.

 

Maybe we get to a point where we have the choice to come back,  or where we go for eternity gets to be boring and we look forward to a break, a bit of excitement. in the real world. 

 

I think the more lives you live and the more we learn during each life, the more apt we are to remember all of our past lives.  My mortal body will pass into history but my soul will move on for another adventure.  It is a bit creepy to think that maybe this is a physical shell that the soul inhabits for a time on Earth and the little voice in our heads that steers us through life is actually our  hitchhiking consciousness.

 

There is also an idea that, what you screw up in this life you have to return and fix in the next.  I would equate that to the soul saying, "Oops, oh crap!  Well, too late now, I'll come back and fix it tomorrow."

 

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

-- Hamlet

Life is Like Golf

Life is like golf in many ways.  Before you are sent off onto the course to play, it is best to learn the rules, gather a number of useful clubs, and have a few lessons.  This can be equated to your parental upbringing and school years.  Then you get to go play your first round.  Each tee represents something different for each of us.  One might be a job, another might be relationships, yet another is our religious or spiritual faith, and so on.  How well you hit the ball determines your path down each fairway.  Some hits will be short, some in the rough, and a few may land in a trap or other hazard.  But, a few will be perfect.

I was taking pictures on the golf course, during a tournament, and came across the scene in the photo above.  This, for me, represented my "religious" hole.  You tee off, miss the trees, staying out of the sand trap to the left and, if you're good enough to hit the green and then...five holes?  Which one do you shoot for?  Turns out it is your choice for this particular game.  It doesn't matter which one you try to putt the ball into, you choose the one you think is best for you.  Kind of like... religion!

I found a quiz online that you should check out called the "Spiritual Belief System Selector Quiz."  It only takes a few minutes and is an eye opener.  I think the questions don't give you enough latitude in answering as several of my answers could have been two of the choices given, but you are to choose the best answer for you.  I still found it an interesting test.  My results were telling.

There were 20 questions and I was all over the religious map.  Each of the 20 answers I gave fell into 27 different religious or spiritual belief systems from Orthodox Quaker to Jehovah's Witness, Mainline Liberal Christian Protestants to Sikhism, New Age, New Thought, Scientology, Roman Catholic,  Non-theist, and so on.  In truth, it was pretty much on the money if you've read my posts.  How could it not be right on if I've been honest about my feelings toward religious tolerance?

I recommend you try the test for yourself and see what it says about your belief system.  You have to answer honestly as you'll only be lying to yourself.

The address is:  www.selectsmart.com/religion/

Forgiveness: The Uphill Path

"The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh."

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), Christian, theologian and author.

I have been blessed.  Most people would hear this and immediately think you are discussing your children, or health.  Yes, I am blessed with those as well.  But, I consider my most cherished blessing has been the ability to forgive.  Some would consider this no big deal, and neither did I, until I learned what it was like to hate.

I lived my entire life not really understanding what hate was.  I firmly believed hate was not in me.  Oh, I didn't like a lot of folks, but I didn't hate them.  I just found a way to either get even, or ignore them.  But none of what I experienced in life prepared me for hate.  The "die a painful death, and do it soon so I'm still alive to piss on your freshly turned grave" kind of hate.  The "I fervently hope you survive the flaming car crash that pulverizes every bone in your charred body so you can feel the unbearable pain" kind of hate.

The kind of hate that eats you alive from the inside out.  The kind of hate you feel, deep down inside, is the only thing making you feel and keeping you alive when everyone around you knows its killing your heart.  It is killing your love, even though you don't know it and if you do you deny it.  Hatred is like an addiction in a sense.  Everyone sees  the consequences, the ramifications, and the damage. 

Everyone but you.

Someone I loved taught me hate.  That hate chewed at me for thirteen years.

When I was in Mexico I visited a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe in a Catholic church near the mercado in the port city of Manzanillo.  The virgin is cherished in Mexico.  Her painting was off to the side, in a corner, but you couldn't hide her from the faithful.  She had more flowers and candles and offering than any others in the church.

There were only a few people in the pews up front, silent in prayer or contemplation.  I stepped up to the small table, which full of offerings, in front of her painting.  I placed my hand on it, having no offering, but wanting to say a small prayer.  Hell, I was lucky lightening bolts didn't strike me dead just for daring to cross the threshold, and here I was wanting...what?  Forgiveness?  A blessing?

I could feel the tears as they flowed freely down my cheeks.  I didn't care, about anything.  But I felt.  Without asking, without uttering a word, and without really understanding how, I felt forgiven.  And, with my own forgiveness I felt forgiveness.  My hatred lifted.  I was whole again.

I went back to the ranch that afternoon and planned the shine to the Virgin that would welcome visitors as they left the parking area.  I was blessed to see several older women take a moment at my humble attempt, to give a short prayer.  I guess I had done something good.

When I returned to the U.S. a year later, I made a point of asking folks, several times, to tell this person I have hated for so long, "I wish her well."  Coming from me, knowing how I had felt about her, they know I meant it.  I wish I could pass on my wish personally, but I'm not sure she is to that point yet.

Hatred is a natural bias to our flesh.  If the way to heaven is ascending, I am content to travel uphill.  But hatred puts a mountain in the way, and the steepness of the path during this part of the journey is debilitating.  Best to get shed of the entire feeling as soon as possible. 

A mountain hate, though it looks inviting, does nothing but slow you down. 

A Moment in the Dark

The storm proclaims 

ownership of the night,

as the lights go out.

It’s gone. 

Everything you worked for, 

everything in life;

your kids, your wife,

all gone.

Time spent struggling to create,

to make something of life, 

to provide, 

all is gone.

One-quarter of life wasted trying to make it work, 

refusing to give up the crumpled paper cup

used to bail water from the sinking ship,

only to drown in the dark, alone.

Bushes scratch at the windows. 

The clock tick-tocks last precious seconds.

Tears stream down cheeks, 

your eyes stare at nothing.

Reality is fantasy as you sharpen the blade.

The jeans you wear, a razor strop of memory.

You check the edge, 

Laying it against your wrist.

Flickering candlelight playing on stainless,

Catching a face you hardly know, yet, all too familiar.

Your eyes focus and you recognize the stranger.

“What are you doing?”

“All that’s left. I've reached the bottom. Time to leave.” 

Your lips motionless. The sound in your head. 

You sob. 

A better grip on the handle than sanity, the voice continues.

“Your punishment is misplaced and your wrong is in hand.”

"Shut up!" 

You tire of arguing with yourself. 

Scratching bushes replace the voice.

No more talk.

In seconds it will be done, 

in minutes the emotional pain will cease.

But the voice drowns out the bushes.

“You need to rise above this... like you always have." 

"It's too much. Its always been too much, 

but this time...no...I can't."

The blade bites deeper.

"You've been emptying this well for years. There is no exit here. 

The only way out is the way you came in. 

When you’ve reached the bottom, 

all you have to do is look up.”

You slowly lift your face toward the ceiling. 

You close your eyes, not wanting to see, 

but its there, like a distant sun, in the mind’s eye.

“The light seems so far away.”

“And yet, it’s there, and there is nowhere left to go now, but up. 

At the bottom of the well, at the end of the maze, 

there is still only one opening, 

one way out." 

"Your children need you. 

Your parents need you. 

Your friends need you. 

When did you become the selfish bastard?”

“If I do this, she wins?” 

“More to the point, 

if you do this, 

everyone else loses.”

You go to the floor on your knees, 

dropping the knife to the side, 

throwing your arms around yourself. 

You cry uncontrollably until you begin to laugh. 

As you wipe the tears away you continue to laugh.

as a person gone mad, only not. 

More like a person finding a missing piece in life, 

a key which will open everything that is to come.

You will pass the years as a person touched, 

constantly smiling and laughing, 

singing and whistling annoying tunes, 

touching the lives of others. 

You will bring happiness when some are sad. 

You will learn to smell the flowers, 

to become again; 

A light on a path from the darkness.

What is the alternative to nothing? 

Once you’ve been there, 

lived to rise above it?

Be humble. 

Find your path.

Watch your path.

Take the first step.

Never look back.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Homosexuality: Is It a choice?

Homosexuality is, most definitely, a choice!

Is it?  That statement rolled off my tongue with a taste of bad vinegar.  Yet, I hear Christians around me saying that it is just that, a choice.  They tell me there is no absolute proof that "gay" could possibly be anything genetic.  They say this as they hold up their Bible, again, brandishing it as if it were a  holier-than-thou shield, as if  to protect them against anything that might tip the religious apple cart.

It is no secret that I take exception to using the Bible as a crutch to excuse folks from the time it would take for some of them to form an original thought.  God gave us the ability to think and to have original thought, I naturally assume we are supposed to exercise it.

I am two paragraphs into this post and realize I have probably been put back on the "damned for all eternity" list, but I'm sure not telling a homosexual that the predisposition they had for feminine mannerisms, or for wanting to be, or act like, the opposite sex at age eight, was a lifestyle choice, obviously brought on by their years of wicked experimentation.  This being the obvious reason for them to endure the taunts of classmates that would finally drive many of them to suicide.  Or, could it be because they just couldn't understand why? They, with years of life's knowledge behind them, just didn't understand, at age eight...or ten...or twelve, or now that they've managed to survive into adulthood, why.  Why they are the way they are.  Why they are different.

Well, neither did "civilized" society.  Now that we think we're close to an understanding of it, close to giving this community some grip on who they are and why they exist, up come the Bibles.

I grew up just in a small coastal town south of San Francisco.  I have been around the gay community my entire life and I've seen the gamut from flaming gay to cross dressers, transsexuals, and quiet, hardworking couples living an "alternate lifestyle."  But nothing breaks my heart more than remembering the young people that were taunted, beaten, and labeled.  The calls of faggot, queer, dike, butch,  and sissy, all still resonate.  They affect me for good reason.  God forgive me, I did my share of the taunting, and I am ashamed for it.  I was brought up better than that.  They endured it all, not because it was a choice, because they had no other choice.  It was who they were, what they were.

I was saved from myself by a young Asian kid I knew in high school.  He just wanted my friendship.  He was blatantly effeminate, bordering on being flaming gay, although I'm still not sure he really understood.  He was just a kid that wanted to have a friend.  I didn't give him much recognition publicly, but I would walk with him on our way home occasionally.  I think he liked that because my being there would diminish the taunting for a bit.  I don't know what became of him.  I hope he survived it, survived his life if you will.  He wanted, so very much, to belong.

For this post I originally brought together pages of research and articles, excerpts and arguments, all to throw against the raised shields that would condemn me.  Like the irresistible force against the immovable objects.  As all the pages are spread out around me, I have to ask, to what end?  If science turns out to be right, then the Bible is wrong.  However, if the Bible is right, then these are either all sinners, or they are aberrations of nature and an affront to a God that does not make mistakes.  Uh, oh.

Now we're back to my favorite premise, "My God does not make mistakes."  Everything is planned.  Everything is written.  Everything is God's will.  Choice?

Either way, orthodox Christianity will not readily lower their shield, if ever.  They take the Bible as God's word on Earth, and God does not make mistakes, men do.  I fervently believe they are right.

Oh, I'm sorry.  Again I have to ask, who physically wrote the pages of stories and then gathered those pages together into the Bible?

And that, somehow, brings me back to the children.  The innocent children that would be damned for the feeling they cannot explain, or find a friend or family, until recently, willing to help them work through it, regardless of outcome.

For some people it is a matter of choice, no doubt.  there will always be a segment of society trying to be something they are not.  For others, I think science is still working on it, but they're getting closer to answers.  I don't think the answers will be for our benefit as much as for theirs.  The answer for the "why" in their life.

I still firmly believe science doesn't disprove God in as much as it validates the glory and magnificence of God, and it is just our stories that need another bit of re-write.

Of course, this is just my opinion.

Spiritual and Religious Clergy - Titles of Address

I was asked by the Universal Life Church, when I became ordained, if I would like a title of address.  I hadn't thought much about titles until that point.  There certainly was no shortage of titles from their list to choose from, and that voluminous list concerned me. 

Where was the humility?

When I was in the Air Force we had titles.  Titles are necessary for a well run military as it creates a chain of command.  Without that chain of command there would be no structure and soldiers would degrade into a useless rabble.  But, in a religious order?  There are more titles and ranks in religion than you will find in most military structures.

My concern had some pretty well documented biblical support.  So, be patient as I throw several verses of scripture out there for you to chew on.  I'm sure you probably have several non-biblical offerings that will attest to the same point I am trying to make.

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."  James 4:10

"And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."  Matthew 23:12

 "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."  James 5:16

 "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor"  Proverbs 29:23

 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

 "for we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23

 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."  Philippians 2:3-11

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility..."  Colossians 3:12

And, my new favorite, this one not of the Bible, bringing the rest together in one thought: 

 "Pride must die in you, or nothing in heaven can live in you."  Andrew Murray

So, hopefully, you can see how I might be confused about titles in the context of religious and spiritual orders. 

With my concern firmly planted, what was the most humble address I could take without feeling I placed myself far above my fellows?  Well, what was I hoping to accomplish?  Taking the purpose of this blog The Path, and the Congregation for Religious Tolerance into consideration, I supposed my purpose would be to, hopefully, assist others along their path.  To be a shepherd of sorts, guiding others and gaining knowledge from them for my own path.

Pastor is Latin for shepherd, so this seemed the most logical and humble of the offerings.  I accepted this prefix, not title, for myself with all humility.

I would ask those with loftier "titles" to search within themselves and ask the question, "Why?"  To what end, your title?  What does it say about you to others, or to God?  Does it meet the humble requirements of humility, or is this thing for you?

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."  Matthew 16:23 

A final thought:  The next time you have some self-righteous person try to condemn you for your beliefs instead of offering creative discussion and debate, remember the quote I listed above from Romans 3:13,

"for we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Have a beautiful Sunday!

Tolerance: Spiritual or Religious?

My order, in their Guide to Divinity, recognizes 27 "faith systems," including atheism.  27 belief systems that think they are right.  My goodness!  I think they only have symbols for the ones shown above because, to list them all on a bumper sticker, the entire group would be too small to see or would stretch across the entire bumper of the car.  But, there aren't 27 faith systems in the world.

According to Philip Wilkinson's book Religions, there are only 23 major world faiths.  But he lists 34 "new religious movements" to choose from.  Using my fingers and toes I make that to be 57 movements that think they have found the correct path we all should all be following.  My own library of reference material can't even agree on a number.  So, the obvious question folks like me keep asking is, who is right?

Maybe they all are.  Maybe none of them are.  Is it important?

The running controversy would indicate it is as important as whether you are spiritual or religious, spiritual but not religious, religious but not spiritual, or spiritual and religious.  As usual I hit the net, went fishing, and pulled up some info to share and comment on.  Please feel free to chew on it, develop your own thoughts, and comment back.  Don't be shy.  No one's comment is going to be any more wrong or right than the 57 other groups.

First let's look at definitions.  Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 1967, defines them thus:

Spirituality - "the expression of the sacred." 

Religion - "a set of beliefs and practices related to the issue of what exists beyond the visible world, generally including the idea of the existence of a group of beings, an external principle or a transcendent spiritual entity."

My goodness!  Right off the bat, religion takes a bit more explaining and is a bit more complicated.  Let's go a step deeper.

ReligiousScholar.com says, "Religion is form: tradition, doctrine, rites and rituals.  Spirituality is content: communion with the divine, seeing the holy in all creatures and objects." 

Gee, the choice would see pretty clear for me.

About spirituality, Georgetown University quoted Murray and Zetner (1989) as saying this, "a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation, that strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose, even in those who do not believe in God."

On religion, Georgetown also quoted Davies, Brenner, Orloff, Sumner, and Worden (2002) as saying it is, "formed within the context of practices and rituals shared by a group to provide a framework for connectedness to God."

Georgetown goes on to state, "Some see religion as the manifestation of one's spirituality, yet a person can be spiritual without being religious.  A person can also be outwardly "religious" in performing certain actions, yet not focus on the underlying principles of spirituality."

This would explain why most people that go to church are just going through the motions.  They think that attending is enough to save them.  This is what happens when we allow others to do the work for us.

It seems that, whereas spirituality allows everyone to participate, even those who do not believe in God, religions require you be part of a group and share their particular framework in order to connect to God.  Spirituality requires you do the work for yourself, and religion does all the work for you.  Really?

As a Catholic I remember having to genuflect, make the sign of the cross, go to confession, do penance for that confession, dress up in my Sunday clothes, go to mass, etc..  A lot of work is involved in going through the motions, but little of it requires me to strive for anything other that to be relieved of the burden of having to endure a Sunday at church. 

I don't remember Jesus mentioning the need for all of that hoopla.  It seems like a lot of ritual thought up over the ages by men in search of control.  The control seems to work.

Consider another definition off the web at www.bibliotecapeyades.net, Religion vs. Spirituality:

"Religion is an institution established by man for various reasons.  Exert control, instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does.  Organized, structured religions all but remove god from the equation.  You confess your sins to a clergy member, go to elaborate churches to worship, told what to pray and when to pray it.  All those factors remove you from god."

"Spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person.  It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation.  Spirituality extends to all facets of a person's life.  Spirituality is chosen while religion is often times forced.  Spirituality is more important and better than being religious."

"True spirituality is something that is found deep within oneself.  It is your way of loving, accepting and relating to the world and people around you.  It cannot be found in a church or by believing in a certain way."

The one quote that is of particular interest for me was off of www.SpiritualityvsReligion.org:

"Universality (spiritualism) differs from One True Religion in that many followers of religion believe that their path is the only one to salvation.  Though their faith is strong for their religion, they feel that all other religions are wrong.  Converting others to their faith feels necessary.  In spirituality, the belief is that all fanaticism is false and that it is a contradiction of the nature and truth of God, which cannot be shut up in any book, or Koran or Veda or any religion."

So, there we have some definitions to work with.  Now, let's hear a few opinions.

Lillian Daniel wrote in the United Church of Christ online magazine:

"Being privately spiritual but not religious just doesn't interest me.  There is nothing challenging about having deep thoughts all by one's self.  What is interesting is doing this work in community, where other people might call you on stuff, or heaven forbid, disagree with you.  Where life with God gets rich and provocative is when you dig deeply into a tradition that you did not invent all by yourself."

Lillian is of the misguided notion that spiritual people are loners, that we don't do community service, and that we fear conflict.  Lillian, please disagree with me!  Please call me down on something!  This is called creative discussion, interpersonal communication.  We do not fear you, just don't damn us to hell for eternity because we don't see eye to eye with you.  I chose to think for myself and not be led around by a religious clergy I find difficult to even trust my children alone with.

The Jesuit priest, James Martin, says about being spiritual but not religious, "Religion is hard.  Sometimes it's just too much work.  People don't feel like it.  "I have better things to do with my time."  It's plain old laziness,"   He also states, "spirituality without religion can become a self-centered complacency divorced from the wisdom of community." 

Anything can be corrupted Br. Martin.  I would point out that religion without spirituality can result in multiple crusades to butcher thousands in the name of Christ, and thousands more weeding out the heretics during the Inquisition.  Religion is dangerous even today when following a religious leader can lead to drinking Kool-Aid laced with poison as the leader shortens your path to God without your consent.

Jennifer Walters, dean of religious life at Smith College, says, "Hymn-singing, forms of prayer and worship, teachings about social justice and forgiveness--all these things are valuable elements of religious wisdom.  Piecing it together by yourself can be done, but with great difficulty." 

So, which is it?  There is a contradiction here as Martin feels spirituality is "plain old laziness," yet Walters feels it is "great difficulty."

Well, Jennifer, nothing in life is easy and I would not expect finding a personal relationship with the Almighty to be so either.  God did not make it easy for Jesus, what makes you so special?  Again, I prefer to think for myself and develop my own close relationship with God.  I'm not one to take the easy route by letting others think for me.  I would rather have to face God and say that I was wrong than to say that I was wrong and stupid for following someone else off the cliff. 

The sad part of this whole discussion is that we now have 57 choices  of how we'd like to fail in the eyes of God (58 if you count your own personal relationship with the Almighty).

Isn't it about time religious leaders take responsibility for people leaving their churches in droves to seek a better path to a personal relationship with God?  It is always easier to blame something, or someone, for your own shortcomings as leaders.  Do something novel, don't be a leader, be a shepherd.

For me, I just find it difficult to get behind organized religions with leaders that have lower moral standards than I do.  Rape, homosexuality, sodomy, marital affairs, among religious clergy are common newsprint.  These are the same folks that edited our Bible?  Makes a person with any common sense go, "Hmmm..."

Or, is this just my opinion?

Life Editing & Proofing

 

I was interested in a religious title I had noticed when I registered on the Universal Life Church minister’s website.  At that time I asked the membership what the prefix to one minister's title, NCO, stood for.  For me, as retired military, I knew it probably wasn’t Non-Commissioned Officer, and I was right.  I was informed it stood for New Catholic Order.  This morning I had a moment to look them up on the web.  For those Catholics that haven’t, you may find it interesting especially if you are losing your faith in Catholicism.

I noted, though, they had some proofing and editing issues.  Most sites that aren't in the business of doing business seem to suffer the same failings as my own order.  They seem to drop the ball when it comes time to edit and proofread much of what they print for public consumption.  If your aim is to attract backward country folk, this is probably nothing to worry about.  They probably can't spell and wouldn't notice anyway.  I say this with all love, my true roots being in Mississippi.  But this lack of attention to detail can give the educated person reason for pause.

It could just be me, but I would think if your aim is to offer an alternative to something, you would want to put your best foot forward and try to entice not only the common man, but a learned body of folk that would help drive the movement forward and give it credibility that will assist in making it sustainable.

I have noted this problem in many blogs and sites. My intent is not to critique the NCO or my own order, they are just an example of something we don't do well.  I try to take great care in my blog to check grammar and spelling.  I check it on two different sites, then read it over again to ensure a correctly spelled word is actually the word I intended (a trap many of us fall into thanks to spellcheck).   I probably fail as the others do, but not for want of trying.  It is just wrong when you read something that blatantly screams, “We just didn’t care!”

I think this is also pertinent in our own lives.

When was the last time you proofed and edited your life?  I think I do this every time I tri-fold my underwear and towels, and when I ensure my shirts are all hung facing the same way with the hangers hooked forward over the rod.  I do this as I wash dishes while I cook so the kitchen is clean when the meal is ready, and when I adjust my tie just so to ensure I look my best.

Most would find this anal, and it probably is.  But, isn’t this how we keep our lives in check?

Back in the day, young men that were having problems adjusting to society were given the choice of jail or the military.  Many found military structure to be their savior and continued to serve decorated, lifelong, careers.

There is something to be said for structure, for proofing and editing, for crossing the t’s, and dotting the i’s.  I think it makes us better people in the long run.  I think it bring balance into our lives.

The Gospel of John

The religious order I'm affiliated with, the Universal Life Church Monastery, wrote a piece in their newsletter on an article from The Huffington Post's Political & Religious Controversy segment.  They titled it, "The Shocking "Truth" About the Gospel of John."  

The article centered around a book by John Shelby Spong, a retired bishop of the Anglican Church in America, "The Fourth Gospel:  Tales of a Jewish Mystic."  He states in the book, "Not one of the signs (miracles) recorded in this book was, in all probability, something that actually happened, this means that Jesus never changed water into wine, fed a multitude with five loaves and two fish or raised Lazarus from the dead."

Basically he feels the Fourth Gospel was not written by John, but by at least three others over a period of 30 years.  The Universal Life Church poses the obvious question that is critical to this issue.  If John Zebadee did not write the Gospel of John, who did?  Who put the words into Jesus mouth?

This is yet another example of my issues with the Bible.  This does not detract from the purpose of the message, but it does detract from the credibility of the story.  We must understand that the Bible is a book of lessons based, in large part, on allegory. An allegory is a literary device in which characters or events represent or symbolize ideas and concepts.  The characters or events are not necessarily real.  They are intended to drive home a message.  Religiously speaking, a very important message.

Lies?  In our Bible?  Yet, we still do this in modern times.  Consider the fable, the bed time story, the fairy tale, the Internet (you certainly cannot believe everything you read on it).  Little of it is based on fact, however, the lessons to be learned are none the less valid.  Not understanding this concept of allegory would certainly effect our belief system.  We need to look past the "fairy tale" and latch onto the message.  The core message is the basis of most of our religions.

As the ULC noted in their newsletter:

"However, Spong argues, his findings do not render Christian theology obsolete by invalidating the doctrines of grace and atonement through the death and resurrection of an avatar.  Christianity's purpose, he says, is about humans becoming divine through  mystical oneness with God, not divine becoming human to be worshiped as a blood sacrifice for human sin."

Well said.