Historical Revisionism: Rewriting History For All the Wrong Reasons?

Historical revisionism involves either the legitimate scholastic re-examination of existing knowledge about a historical event, or the illegitimate distortion of the historical record... which—if it constitutes the denial of historical crimes—is also sometimes called negationism.

-- Wikipedia, "Historical revisionism (negationism)"

I first thought it would seem trivial and small for me to address comic book revisionism.  Comic books, really?  This is important in the greater scheme of things, with all else going on in the world of today?  Well, I think if one were to open their mind to the bigger picture, yes, it is.

Nick Fury has been around since 1963 when he first showed up in Marvel's, Nick Fury and His Howling Commandos.  Samuel L. Jackson plays Nick Fury in the new cinematic "Avengers" series.  No doubt you've taken note that he is black.  It is good that we have men of color starring in strong, leading roles as heroes for our young people to emulate.  The original Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is shown in the picture to the left.  My obvious concern here is, Nick Fury is not black, and never was.  So why are our fictional heroes being portrayed differently?  I think Kenneth McManus explains it very well:

"The overt display of racism came from one of my friends, a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who lived across the street from us. During an imaginary game of “airplane” in my house, said friend and I were sitting in the cockpit of our aircraft: two chairs situated in front of my brother’s chest-of-drawers. When I mentioned that it was my turn to pilot the plane, he replied that I couldn’t, "because Negroes aren’t heroes.” He then challenged me to name black people who could be deemed heroic. I could only name one—Martin Luther King. My paucity of candidates seemed to reinforce his point; in addition, Martin King’s type of valor didn’t resonate with seven-year old boys who idolized cinematic heroes such as John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Lee Van Cleef and Burt Lancaster: tough guys who settled differences with guns, knives and fists. I didn’t respond in kind and ask him to name any white heroes, somehow sensing that he carried a plethora of white men in his cultural arsenal who could fit our narrow perception of a heroic ideal. Following my initial surprise at my friend’s comment, I remember feeling a burning sense of shame at my lack of a retort to his challenge."

-- KENNETH McMANUS, "Of Heroes and Such"     

"Our narrow perception of a heroic ideal."  We need more heroes of color, plain and simple.  The story McManus relates, notwithstanding, I think cinema and literature has grown lazy and too damned eager to please the PC police simply to fill their coffers.  It is even more disturbing that minorities allow this laziness at their expense.  Let us develop some new minority heroes, heroes of color, and leave mine alone.  This is not a matter of historical revisionism, this is historical negationism.  The next thing we will see is a black Captain Ahab, or Rhett Butler, neither of which will make any sense in historical context, but, when has history ever been sacred and immune from change due to political correctness?  I could see Hollywood them sending in Will Smith as Clint Eastwood's replacement for Inspector Callahan, or Tom Cruise in a remake of Shaft which would also require rewriting the well-known theme song, but both of those would be wrong for me on several levels.  Do you think its wrong?  Well do ya, punk?

Let's take a look at the "historical" Nick Fury, according to Marvel:

Son of World War I pilot Jack Fury, Nick Fury became a legendary hero in the early years of World War II, taking missions into Europe alongside his friend Red Hargrove, under the command of Lt. Samuel Sawyer. During a mission in Holland, Fury, Hargrove and Sawyer befriended circus strongman Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan who became a close friend. Hargrove was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor that led the US to officially enter the war on December 7, 1941, Fury fought the Nazis in Northern Africa, then was reunited with Captain Sawyer, who made Sgt. Fury the leader of the US Rangers’ First Attack Squad, soon nicknamed the “Howling Commandos” for their boisterous battle cry. Dugan served as Fury’s second-in-command and became his closest friend. The Howlers occasionally worked alongside Captain America (Steve Rogers) and Bucky (James Barnes), who became significant allies. During one mission, Fury’s left eye was damaged by a grenade and his lack of medical care eventually aggravated the wound. At one point, Professor Berthold Sternberg gave Fury the “Infinity Formula,” which retarded Fury’s aging process, although it required him to take regular injections to stay alive. Late in the war, Fury joined the OSS and with the war’s end joined their post-war CIA agency.

--  http://marvel.com/universe/Fury,_Nick#ixzz3n2MNRmmh

Samuel L. Jackson, really?  Put into historical "racial" context of the day, I think not.  But people love to rewrite history to reflect a kinder, gentler story, whether it reflects the truth or not.  In the case of fictional heroes the powers that be, in no way showing any heroic qualities, have deemed it proper to rip the hero away from one generation in order to placate another.  Is this wrong?  Hell yes!  But, more to the point it evidences laziness and a total lack of creativity on the part of Marvel, and any others that can't seem to come up with quality role models without stealing someone else's culture.  What should be of concern to the black community is, I'm pretty sure, these decisions are not being made by people of color.  I remember hearing from the black community when white kids were trying to dress and act black, that they needed to "stop trying to be black" and go find their own culture.  Well, the same could be said of changing whites to black in fictional culture, go find your own.  Personally, I think people of color should be more concerned about this trend than I am, as it is just another divisive tactic, a way to subtly drive a wedge between two cultures.  Where does it stop? 

"We do our students a disservice when we scrub history clean of unpleasant truths," Jones said "and when we present an inaccurate view of the past that promotes a simple-minded, ideologically driven point of view."

-- Jacqueline Jones, chairwoman of the University of Texas' History Department 

I grew up thinking Jesus was white.  I don't mean Caucasian, I mean go outside and get sunburn, and milky skinned, unable to exist in the desert without contracting skin cancer, lily white.  Look at all of the paintings done since before the Renaissance.  The Catholic nuns at school sure didn't clarify the misconception for me.  Is it any wonder people mistakenly thought Jesus only belonged to the Caucasian culture?  Somewhere along the line our depictions of Christ became more realistic, more historically accurate, and those factual changes to our views of Christ and the Bible  continue today as more archaeological evidence surfaces.  We exercised revisions of who Christ was due to good historical evidence through "legitimate scholastic re-examination of existing knowledge about a historical event."  When we change for this reason, it is a good thing.  To change for any other reason is simply "the illegitimate distortion of the historical record," even if we do it to fictional characters.  

"As I see it, Historical revisionism, if we allow it, can be one way of saying the Nazis really weren't all that bad.  Historical negationism is saying the Holocaust never happened.  Historical negationism is a way to replace who we are with someone we don't know in order to become something someone else wants, and that just pisses me off."

When you distort historical reality you do everyone a disservice.  So why do we do it?  I see it as a crime as old sin, and probably older.  It is all about believable bullshit, political or religious correctness, and controlling the minds of everyone else.  As I see it, historical revisionism, if we allow it, can be one way of saying the Nazis really weren't all that bad.  Historical negationism is saying the Holocaust never happened.  Historical negationism is a way to replace who we are with someone we don't know in order to become something someone else wants, and that just pisses me off.  It should anger all of us.

I suppose changing history in this way beats burning books as in the literary classics Fahrenheit 451 or 1984, both of which I'm very surprised our socialist educational system haven't banned, but then, maybe they have.  I see banning literary classics from our children's education is an ongoing way of controlling the youth of tomorrow by ensuring their minds are molded to one point of view, regardless of history.

But, then, maybe I'm wrong and George Orwell was really onto something.

“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” 

-- George Orwell, "1984"

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

My Sunday Thought for September 27, 20015: The Image of God?

We read a lot in the news of late about the Muslim edict prohibiting pictures of Muhammad (pbuh), and the extremist murderers set to kill innocents to enforce it.  I say "Muslim" because I find nowhere in the Qur'an that says Islam prohibits it.  As a matter of fact, Islam has many images of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which they do not display since the rule was created preventing the display of such.  I see this as intolerant and disrespectful of one's own people by a religion which espouses a love of peace, beauty, and mankind.    One can only then assume that this is another edict by a self-serving Imam and not another negative reflection on the religion of Islam as a whole.  Like Christianity and Judaism it would seem all things negative reflect poorly on leadership more than the religion itself.  I think that art, like spirituality, is a personal gift from God and not to be dictated by some hypocritically intolerant heretic.  But, maybe I just give God more credit.   

I have struggled with my own artistic ability for years.  My struggle was with my own lack of confidence to produce any work that would truly reflect my spirituality.  Every artist would like to be a Michelangelo, Picasso, Jules Verne, Frank Lloyd Wright, or Socrates.     Mine was one of those inner struggles you have for years, prior to the life changing epiphany that clarifies faulty thinking when you finally recognize the trees you've been gawking at as the forest you've been seeking for most of your life.

I have never produced art for anyone's approval except my own, and when I did, it received a failing grade from art instructors operating without a clue.  Art class was where I learned, truly, those that can do and those that can't... try to teach.  Art is in the eye of each individual.  An instructor can rate the student on the mechanics of art, but not on the art produced.  Are you producing your art, or the art of your instructor?  I think this is why I have always been my own worst critic.  Whether it was painting in oil, acrylic, watercolor, India ink, or drawing in pencil, carving wood, or photography, I was my own worst enemy.  I was never going to please myself until I could do some work that would speak to my spirituality.  And, my epiphany?

My artistic epiphany came when I looked at my hands.  I was massaging them because, well, after 60 years of abuse a person's hands tend to hurt occasionally... more than not.  I was blessed with these hands and I abused the gift for many years.  Even while I was creating with them, I was abusing them.  I'm certain this holds some deep, forgotten meaning in my old psychology circles which I'm just not interested in delving into.  But, I also realized that God gave me another blessing, a mind with which to use my hands to create.  Each time I used my gifts I was producing evidence of my spirituality; I was saying thank you to God for the grace of art.

Every painting I produced of deep space was a tribute to the ultimate power in the universe; every photograph was a picture of God's creation all around me.  Every drawing was simply my way of putting a face to God.  We are so worried about drawing the image of a prophet, yet the face of God seems to escape us and be of so much less concern, and it should be.  What we all tend to forget is everything we do is a reflection of our God.  Every work of art is our way of paying homage and thanking God for a gift we tend to misuse, and abuse.  In essence, we are our creator.  We are artistic evidence of the greatest power in the universe.  Our beauty or lack thereof, is in the eye of the beholder.

In every beat of a bee's wings there we can see God.  In the smallest of creatures we should be in awe of what we see.  The task of gathering pollen and creating a sweet honey is amazing.  The ability to morph from a caterpillar into a butterfly is no less beautiful to behold.  In all of this we, of faith, can see the works of the hand of God.  Why should we not be able to see that he gave us a mind, and abilities to admire and create beauty of our own?  And why should we not attribute each work of art to the gifts we've been blessed with, and thank God daily for the opportunity to use them?

Sing, even if you think you can't.  Paint, carve, cook, bake, and build as if you were the maestro of your art.  Write your thoughts, stories, and novels, for yourself and your children, and not because you intend to publish.  Do it for those you love, but do it because you can; do it for you, and for God.  Do not concern yourself with critics.  There will always be those that critique what they don't do, or what they don't understand.  Art is a personal definition of who you are.  Let it also be a personal "thank you" for the gift. 

If you aren't walking through life in a coma, you just might see the face of God all around you.  It can be in the least likely and silliest of places.  Evidence of God shows up where we least expect it; it is all around us.  The next time you pick something up in your hands, open your mouth to speak, or simply form a creative thought, prepare to be an artist.

As far as drawing an image of God, or a prophet, how can we really think God, Allah, would bless us with an ability to create beauty and then declare using it to be a crime?  Religious leaders who preach such nonsense do God a disservice.  They should wish to praise God in every way by creating art and beauty, not by creating more reasons to hate and kill.  Yet, we see the heretics of radical "Islam" destroying the art and history of the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of their own culture and religion. How against scripture, how immature and egotistical, is this?  It is an affront to God, Allah, and all of mankind.  Their inability to create anything of beauty is surpassed only by their lust for the destruction of anything beautiful, anything innocent.

Not long ago I had an opportunity to visit an old fort on one of Mississippi's barrier islands.  I captured this image of the sun coming in one of the canon portals.  I know what I was expecting to get when I took the shot, yet there seemed to be another hand at work.  There would be no photo to evidence an old piece of Civil War history; no image of war looking out on a coast of beauty.  There would be no moral message that I might have intended.  This image would evidence a doorway to a different land; a kingdom of light.  Then again, it might just be a canon portal taken with the wrong camera settings.

What do you think?

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

My Sunday Thought for September 20, 2015: LGBT Conservatism

"Culture is not like HDTV or iPhones where the newest model is the best."

-- Star Parker, Center for Urban Renewal and Education founder

Note:  Once again, due to political content, this will not be posted to the monastery blog.  My apologies to those ministers  following my work.  Please feel free to share this post at your own peril.

I am constantly amazed by people I respect having so little tolerance for those that just want to get along.  A rabble rousing minority or individual, in a well-meaning group, can stir a pot to the point of making a complete mess of the majority of their lives, the lives of those that simply wish to move along at a quietly steady pace and accept that any change will occur in God's own good time without pissing everyone off and, thereby, incurring condemnation of the whole.  The LGBT community deals with these extreme factions in their midst more than they need to but, then, look what they have to fend off from the outside.

I want you to consider what Star Parker, founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), says in the statement above. She is all about arguing the benefits of a static, unchanging, "culture."  I agree with her to a point. Where we diverge is when she discusses this "culture." Confused?  Before you continue reading this, I ask you to read her short article from 2011, Gay Conservative Is an Oxymoron.

Now, if you read the article, you will note that Ms. Parker is a woman of color arguing that our "culture" is not open to change, "where the newest model is best." So, our culture of slavery would seem to have been perfectly acceptable? Star would seem to be an intelligent person, and her CURE group would bear out her concern for societal issues.  I got the impression, and it could be wrong, that she is a born again Christian, having straightened her life out and found a new path of helping others.  I found it interesting that her life would seem to have geared her to lean more toward Obama liberalism than conservatism, but there is a distinct lack of "gray area" which her entire slam to the LGBT community would be all about. You have to be one or the other, conservative or liberal; there is no room for compromise.  Really?  This argument comes right out of the far right, Conservative Christian, handbook.

As a lifelong conservative myself, I see plenty of room for compromise.  I think where her issue really rests is in her paragraph, "I became a conservative in church. I thought I was doing okay in my previous life - scamming the welfare system, going to the beach, soaking in my welfare subsidized hot tub, treating sex as a hobby, and abortion as birth control."  I say again... Holy crap!  A liberal!  But, wait... there seemed to have been room for change. Unfortunately, "change" in her new view entitles others to be damned for all eternity if they don't meet her expectations of righteous.

Fortunately, most of us understand culture is prone to change.  Culture is a robust, vibrant, living part of our lives in which, like everything else, change is the only constant.  Change enables us to remove the worst of culture and retain the best. It is a way to stop the tribal mutilation of female genitals, worldwide slavery, chauvinism, racism, and other cultural "norms."  It is a way for religion to understand the reason for eating fish on Friday, and not eating pork at all, was a cultural necessity back when pork wasn't safe to eat, and good fish were cheap.  God bless the Vatican for waking up to reality.  Even the pope recognizes culture can change.

Ms. Parker's heart is in the right place, but she seems to have fallen prey to the rubber band effect of change.  She has snapped back so far right from center, she has become as bad as the liberals she detests by seemingly "dismissing" gay conservatives as "losers,” “clowns,” and “not relevant," an attitude which reflects that of the GOProud founder and chairman's attitude toward groups Ms. Parker finds more worthy of respect.  Thus, I find her arguments a tad hypocritical, but maybe it's just me.

LGBT conservatism in the United States is a political and social movement rooted in the LGBT community that aligns largely with the American conservative movement. The LGBT community has generally fallen to the left of the right-wing conservative movement, and has predominantly favored itself on the side of liberalism and progressives. LGBT conservatism emphasizes fiscal conservatism, libertarian conservatism, neoconservatism, strong patriotism, capitalism, and free markets.

-- Wikipedia, "LGBT Conservatism in the United States"

She accuses liberals of using "language to create reality, rather than appreciate that words have meaning that reflect reality."  We agree on this.  However, our reality is a product of our definition, and our definition is all about the wording, the language we use to describe it. Liberal or conservative, our reality needs defining and, as we grow, learn, and progress, it requires redefining.  We will, in time, and with new discoveries in science, philosophy, and even religion, re-invent the word "gay" and "marriage," and even "liberal" and "conservative."  In doing so, we will inevitably re-invent our definition of what it means to be "free."  This makes real sense for us, as our country is all about freedom.  She has the freedom to believe in what she wants; as do those she disagrees with.  

If she feels as strongly as she proclaims, we can always find a final solution to the problems she sees.  We can round up everyone that doesn't meet the definition of culturally pure, build "showers" and heat up row upon row of furnaces to rid ourselves of the difference, the cultural diversity.  She is correct when she states "that words have meaning that reflect reality."  Hitler used words to great effect and at great loss of valuable human life.  The reality of his words, however, was lost on the millions of innocents he sent to their death.  His diatribe was "language used to create reality," but a reality existing only in the minds of his sociopathic following.

Ms. Parker ends her article with a truism: "A value-neutral government is impossible. The central battle in our country today is about values and how we understand freedom. It is a battle for our very soul. And, as we learned from CPAC, it’s not a struggle that is just between Democrats and Republicans."  Again, we agree, and I have to repeat my confusion as to how such an intelligent person can be so contradictory.  

After 62 years of life I have learned many truths which Ms. Parker hasn't shaken out of her rhetoric, though she speaks to them often.  We can't blame liberals and conservatives for our ills any more than we can blame Republicans and Democrats (yes, they are four separate, sometimes inclusive, groups).  A "battle" would be an inappropriate description as our goals are similar.  

I think, therefore I am?  I want to feed the poor, so I'm a liberal?  No.  If I just wanted to hand out fish and loaves like they miraculously fill baskets without an outlay of cash, maybe so, but when the fish belong to other people it might be more prudent to give those in need a pole and teach them, those that can, how to fish, so they can be proud, productive members of society.  Generally, I think we all have the same goals for our society.  If our goal is seriously extreme, it may not speak to what we, as a society, believe.  The route we take to arrive at any reasonable goal, however, speaks volumes.  It is all about how we arrive at our destination of common values and freedom.  It is a struggle for teaching, learning, understanding, compassion, tolerance, love and forgiveness.  You know, Ms. Parker, all the best parts of spirituality, religion, and morality. 

In researching material for this post I came across an interesting item by Evelyn Schlatter, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, entitled, "18 ANTI-GAY GROUPS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA."

I have included the link at the bottom of this excerpt, and check out the underlined links within the body:

"Even as some well-known anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family moderate their views, a hard core of smaller groups, most of them religiously motivated, have continued to pump out demonizing propaganda aimed at homosexuals and other sexual minorities. These groups’ influence reaches far beyond what their size would suggest, because the “facts” they disseminate about homosexuality are often amplified by certain politicians, other groups and even news organizations. Of the 18 groups profiled below, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) will be listing 13 next year as hate groups, reflecting further research into their views; those are each marked with an asterisk. Generally, the SPLC’s listings of these groups is based on their propagation of known falsehoods — claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by scientific authorities — and repeated, groundless name-calling. Viewing homosexuality as unbiblical does not qualify organizations for listing as hate groups."

-- https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/18-anti-gay-groups-and-their-propaganda

Is Star Parker's article to be simply relegated to religiously motivated "demonizing propaganda?"  Or, does what she state strike a chord within us?  I think this is a question for each of us to ponder as we travel along our path to enlightenment.

As for me, I like a bit of wiggle room; a bit of gray area.  I think it allows us to disagree, yet be tolerant of other opinions.  The gray area puts condemnation back in the hands of God which, according to scripture, is where it truly belongs; lest the accuser find themselves on the receiving end of the wrath they fear for others.

Note:  For those readers interested in more information about the gay conservative movement, I came across the following sites during research:

http://www.gaypatriot.net/category/gay-conservatives/
http://www.logcabin.org/

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

Correlation of High Religiosity In America with Everything Bad - My Response

"What this post shows is how easy just putting a graph on a web page influences people’s ideas. Most posters seem to have taken it at face value. I saw a survey about two years ago that indicated something quite different about America. It too looked quite professional but I can’t locate it now. The suggestion is that at least one of these surveys is fairly incorrect. In any case, a web search for ‘why most research is wrong’ makes interesting reading."

-- John HH, Comment to  Richard Dawkins ""The Great Decline"

(Note:  Please reference the following article:  Correlation of High Religiosity in America with Everything Bad.)

Having read through this article I find little to agree with except that Bill O'Reilly goes a bit overboard when it comes to Christianity.  No surprise here, knowing what Mr. Coyne says about his upbringing and education as a Catholic.  The article itself is rife with accurate graphs and charts.  Unfortunately, he then bases his argument on little more than those statistics.  The reasons for those statistics seem to be left wanting where this author is concerned.  For every argument he presents, there can be an equally convincing argument against, especially when you try to dazzle the readers with graphs, charts, and one sided spin.  As liberal articles go, and I'm pretty sure it is, this was a typically sad attempt to spin hatred toward religion for no other reason than this person is obviously not religious.  The fact that he dislikes religion morphs into politics, and his dislike for conservatives, with his ending statement, "The solution is easy: vote out the conservatives and loosen the grip of faith on America."  Facts need to be accurate, which is tough to do, and I think he spins them too far south.  We are all guilty of inaccuracy, me included.

I'll let you chew on this graphic,below, which I stumbled upon with little effort.  Put it up against his opinion of the southern state's political tilt.  Overwhelmingly Republican?  My God!  If you look at this chart how does one explain Obama even being in the White House?  Religion?  Atheism?  His argument seems to deflate the more one looks past the trees to the forest.  The people that truly control this country are not residing in the red or grey states.  I believe those votes come from the western and eastern seaboards.  The denser the population, the more control you can exert.  Not sure if this is rocket science. 

I tried to overlook the bad grammar and poor spelling; again this seems the norm for attack drivel.  I was amazed to find the word "religiosity" is actually a word, considering the other simpler words which were wrong.  People writing articles need to learn how to use spell check, though I'm not sure if this is part of Common Core curriculum.

Of more interesting note, than the accurate charts without reasonable context, were the reader's comments found at the bottom of this piece.  If you didn't read the comments I recommend going back for a look.  I found them revealing.  

The Religion News Service posted an article by Tobin Grant, political science professor at Southern Illinois University and associate editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.  The article can be read at Religiosity In One Graph:

In 2013, we saw continued declines in religiosity. The importance of religion in people’s lives? Down. Church attendance? Down. People who say they are “no religion”? Up. The result: 2013 had the lowest level of religiosity of any year we can measure. 

Overall, the hundreds of survey measures point to the same drop in religion: If the 1950s were another Great Awakening, this is the Great Decline.

-- Tobin Grant

If we accept what Tobin Grant says above as true, and I think it is, any concern about political control of our country by religion would seem to be misplaced.  In a few more years we can all sit back smile when the godless are in power and the country spirals out of control.  Oh, wait... that would be now wouldn't it?  It never ceases to amaze that those in control blame those not in control for their control of what those in control can't.  But, then, maybe it's just me.

The world continues to turn.

"You know, they are fooling us, there is no God… all this talk about God is sheer nonsense.... Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem... It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."

-- Joseph Stalin (1878-1953), Marxist leader of the Soviet Union

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

My Sunday Thought for September 13, 2015: How Good Is It to Have Faith?

"It’s sad that so many radicals destroy the intended purpose of so many religions originally practiced for personal enlightenment. Remember when the Catholics invaded the new world and slaughtered masses of the inhabitants in the name of god, even had biological warfare back then, crazy. It is hard to explain how good it is to have faith in your life, when our world focuses on those who are not truly acting on its teachings."

-- Anonymous comment on, My Sunday Thought for August 23, 2015: Radical "Islam"

Many of my posts are the result of reader's comments or questions; the result of friends seeking guidance, or not.  I was happy to see this reader, when commenting, left Islam as a given in their statement I used as the opening for this post.  Catholics, though guiltier than most Christian sects, should have simply been grouped with other Christians for crimes against humanity.  As stated, "radicals" are to blame, in any religion.  Radicals are to blame in most any group, seemingly representing "good," where evil inevitably rears its ugly head.  It would seem all of the Abrahamic religions have had their fair share of evil doers.  Perhaps it is God's curse for reading more into what was said, and adding more rules to those which were given.  There were only two, after all:

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

-- Mark 12:29-31

And yet, counsels decided we needed a bible full of scripture, heaped upon Hebrew scripture, in order to surmount mankind's combined stupidity that he might understand the two rules.  Instead of "interpreting" two simple commands, Christianity handed mankind of the 4th century A.D. a laptop without a user's manual.  As my uncle might be quick to point out, it would have been like a pig staring at a wristwatch.  But, without 1500 odd pages of contradicting philosophy, confusion and obfuscation, controlling the minds of the masses for unquestioning obedience and monetary gain would have been nigh impossible.  How could the Church control minds of the asses with only 'love God and love your neighbor as yourself?'  This is fine to control the hearts of the people, but to control the mind you need reams of hellfire and brimstone; an unforgiving, punishing, and vengeful God.  Was the Bible required by the church in order to excuse the atrocities it would visit upon mankind in the name of God?  One has to wonder.

And now we have "radical Islam" to deal with.  As if the Christians totally mucking up God's word wasn't enough for the Abrahamic religions, The Ayatollah Khomeini and other radical "Islamic" clerics with personal agendas for world domination, in lieu of the greater glory of Allah, have chosen to ignore lessons learned from Christian atrocities and visit upon mankind all new horrors in the name of God.  Lucky us.  It is no mystery when my readers make comments like, "It is hard to explain how good it is to have faith in your life, when our world focuses on those who are not truly acting on its teachings."  

How good is it to have faith in your life?  Have you even considered the question in your own life?  I would love to hear answers from all of my readers.  These are the answers we all need to hear and consider.  Your task for this coming Sunday is to answer the question and send it to me.  I will try to post as many as possible.  Your task for after Sunday is to continue to ask yourself the question daily, and share your answer with those around you who wish to listen.  It is about building our faith, our love, and our understanding of the only two rules God ever gave us. 

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

-- Mark 12:29-31

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

The Best Sermons Are Lived!

anecdote [an-ik-doht]; noun 

1. a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature.

2. a short, obscure historical or biographical account.

3. an account regarded as unreliable or hearsay.

Well, there should be no mystery as to where I'm going with this definition, so...

We can regard the Christian scripture, the Bible, and by this definition most of the Islamic Qur'an and the Hebrew Tanakh, as anecdotal.  Most of the accounts in all three works meet at least one of these criteria, if not all three, to be considered a collection of anecdotes.

Nope.  No mystery at all.

But the holy scriptures of Abrahamic religions, though largely anecdotal, provide a foundation for three of the largest religions in the world.  Foundations based on faith in one God, and a belief in the basic good of mankind.  The stories are largely anecdotal because this was the easiest way to convey a message, an idea, back in the time.  This method still holds true today as we constantly endure long, tedious sermons which our ministers strive to make meaningful and interesting.  Not an easy task for them, especially if they haven't gotten out amongst the people, to be a part of life.  Sermons are easier for those that have stumbled, fallen, and gotten back to their feet.  Lessons are easier to teach when you've actually experienced that of which you speak.

My friend Nyal sent me an email which I have attached below.  I think it has some meaning here.  One can try to make up a sermon, or one can draw from experience.  It has been my experience that interesting, humorous, and meaningful anecdotes occur in our lives constantly, we simply have to watch for them and understand what God is trying to tell us.

Understanding God's message is not the difficult part.  It is so easy all the Bible does is confuse and obfuscate the simplicity of it.  Slowing down your life, so you actually pay attention and see the message, which is a talent we all need to learn.  Once we can see it we can actually hear it.  God is literally a pain in the ass with messages.  Our spiritual phone is ringing constantly and we have, by choice or design, opted to selectively ignore the constant ringing.  Shame on us.

Put down your cell phone, your pad, or computer, and turn off the television and video game.  Go have a cup of coffee downtown, walk in the park, smile at a stranger, say hello and thank you, open the door for an elderly person or the handicapped.  Take a precious moment out of your day to practice being social, face to face, with the rest of humanity.  Socializing, it is a concept many of us are forgetting.  We were never meant to be alone.

THE BEST SERMONS ARE LIVED.... 

1. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I'm working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, "Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile."

2. Today, I asked my mentor - a very successful business man in his 70's- what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, "Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing." 

3. Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn't recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, "On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center." 

4. Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face. 

5. Today at 7 AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3 PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job. I start tomorrow.

6. Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother's hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, "I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often." 

7. Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.

8. Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, "Why?" She replied, "So you can help me save the planet." I chuckled again and asked, "And why do you want to save the planet?"  "Because that's where I keep all my stuff," she said. 

9. Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, "I hope you feel better soon."

10. Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn't eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, "We can share it….”

The best sermons are lived, not preached... 

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

My Sunday Thought for September 6, 2015: Patriot Day - 9/11

A patriot is ever mindful of what is at risk.  Death is an afterthought to the possible loss of God, country, family, and a way of life.  Why are we going to war?  Why, for "mom, apple pie, and the girl next door," of course!

Apple Pie looks good posing as a flag pole, doesn't she?  Or, is she the girl next door?  Does it really matter?  Well, not to me.  Am I a patriot?  Oh, hell yes!  But, what is a patriot?  Conservatives and Liberals and will differ on the answer, and this should come as no surprise, since they represent the hawks and doves, respectively.  This is a good thing as we need balance in our government.

The two factions, no... all the factions, the differing parties, are supposed to reflect the wants and desires of the people they represent.  They're supposed to.  I really don't think they've represented anything but their own self-interests for a long time now, and we, regardless of party affiliation (if any) continue to allow them to dictate to us.  Our government representatives realized, some time back, that they can lie to us and we will allow them to show us into the "showers" like the fat, lazy, trusting (re: gullible) sheep we have grown into, never thinking for a moment as to why they aren't following us in, or leading the way.  Election years are simply another opportunity for us to belly up to the bar as they serve us up another cup of their cyanide laced Kool Aid.  They are slowly killing us, and our country, and we just don't seem to care, because when we do care, there is always a new line of bullshit to placate us.  

I'm drifting off track a bit.  Where was I?  Oh, yeah... patriots.

We see each side, hawks and doves, in the dictionary definition.  A patriot is defined as a noun, and chiefly British: "A person who loves and strongly supports or fights for his or her country."  Well, personally, I think this definition, for most patriots, really sucks.  There can be no "or" for a patriot.  A patriot loves, strongly supports, and is willing to fight, and die if need be, for their country.  "Or" simply gives the coward an out for not stepping up, if their able, to be counted, to be a good citizen, to give back for all the freedom they enjoy.  How can one strongly support their country, yet not be willing to fight for it?  Willing to fight means you're willing to die to protect everything we hold dear.  But, a willingness to sacrifice one's life is not a reflection of one's intent to die.

The muster-roll of the dead may be a monument of governmental incapacity as well as a certificate of patriotism and courage. It is always glorious for the other man to die for his country,—at least the survivor says so; but the fact that his life has been needlessly thrown away is calculated to throw some doubt on the subject. A civilized nation cannot afford to throw away a single life.

-- 1883 “The United Service: A Monthly Review of Military and Naval Affairs”

So, Johnny, keep your barrel bright,

And go where you are told to go,

And when you meet, by day or night,

Our friend the enemy, lay him low;

And you must neither boast nor quake,

Though big guns roar and whizz-bangs whizz—

Don’t die for your dear country’s sake,

But let the other chap die for his.

-- Thomas William Hodgson Crosland (1917), “Dying for Your Country”

“No dumb bastard ever won a war by going out and dying for his country. He won it by making some other dumb bastard die for his country.”

-- Gen. George S. Patton (1942)

If we aren't willing to give our all, what does this say about us?   What kind of a deterrent do we present to the enemy at the gate if we cower in fear of doing what we know to be right?  Even conscientious objectors volunteer as medics during wartime, and the fact that they were on the front lines willing to die in order to save lives, made them patriots.

We have recently witnessed the fruits of cowardice, while engaging the enemy, when Iraqi forces ran away with their tails tucked snugly between their legs virtually handing their country over to ISIS.  I look forward to bearing witness for the kinder and gentler of us when ISIS comes to America.  It will be interesting to see how fast some of us sacrifice our gentle nobility when an insane Islamic heretic is running toward their wife and baby with a machete.  This is when it gets real.  The enemy won't be wielding the blade in hopes of carving Christmas ham, unless your name happens to be Christmas Ham, in which case, well... it really sucks being you.

One question in my mind, which I hardly dare mention in public, is whether patriotism has, overall, been a force for good or evil in the world. Patriotism is rampant in war and there are some good things about it. Just as self-respect and pride bring out the best in an individual, pride in family, pride in teammates, pride in hometown bring out the best in groups of people. War brings out the kind of pride in country that encourages its citizens in the direction of excellence and it encourages them to be ready to die for it. At no time do people work so well together to achieve the same goal as they do in wartime. Maybe that's enough to make patriotism eligible to be considered a virtue.

-- Andy Rooney

As much as the military, our first responders risk and give their all on a daily basis as they confront superheated infernos, and criminals wearing body armor while firing fully automatic weapons of war they procured from an FBI sting operation gone bad.  These are the men and women on the front lines here at home, trying to save lives and keep us safe as they are ducking bullets from some sociopathic sniper with a military grade night vision scope.

There was a time when we could look to our leaders in government to define patriotism.  We could rest assured they, of all people, would try to do the right thing.  Our government has become infected with self-serving criminals, liars at best, and traitors at worst.  It tests our loyalty.  Mark Twain said, "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."  Our government lies to us constantly, and we sit back and take it because it's the best thing we have.  Really?  One of our Founding Fathers had this to say about expectations of government and simply taking what they say at face value:

“The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure.”

-- Thomas Jefferson

Does this necessarily mean we must always revolt to incite change?  Yes!  Our revolt comes in the form of our vote.  Voting is the exercise of the quiet patriot.  If we do nothing else in support of our country, we must always vote.  It is through our vote that we show our individualism, our unity, our differences, and a belief in our political system as a force for good in the world.  Politicians need to be reminded often that the only true constant in the universe is change.

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”

-- Theodore Roosevelt

Aristotle wrote, "It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen."  One doesn't have to look hard to see the good people, good citizens, bad citizens, and traitors all around us.  They, for the most part, don't seem to find it a necessity to hide.  And, why should they?  We have become a society that accepts the good with the bad, mediocrity has become an expectation, and failure a reason to quit.  We also seem to have become suspicious, paranoid, and tentative.  Welcome to the America where, in the words of Fred Foster and Kris Kristofferson, "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."  And still, we continue dipping into the "bottomless" well and giving it all away.

One virtue Americans hold dear is our capacity for compassion.  We continue to volunteer, to "fight" for those unable to fight for themselves.  We step up for the disasters here and abroad.  With all we have done that is good around the world, all of the countries we have assisted, it is no wonder we are appalled when we find ourselves attacked by an enemy on our own soil.  How dare they!  How dare they?  We are weaker than we have ever been.  How dare they?  How dare they not?  

Maybe they are held back by a realization that, regardless of our ineffective government and the differences among us, if they attack our country again we'll step up as one people and kick their heretical asses hard enough to shatter their sad interpretation of the Qur'an so it will again become one of peace, love, and understanding.  Maybe they realize it is better to rattle a sabre from afar than to have the sabre sheathed up their wazoo, next to their head, so no one will ever hear it again, except them.  Ouch!  But, then, I’m a hawk.  I could be wrong. 

 When author Edward Bulwer-Lytton penned Cardinal Richelieu, in 1839, the pen was "mightier than the sword" only in that it would save Richelieu’s own pathetic life.  Any fool knows a pen will never stand against insane, sociopathic, terrorists armed with machetes, a misguided interpretation of jihad, and the belief that they can commit any sin against innocence as long as it forwards their personal murderous agenda to take over the world.  A pen?  Be real!  Agreements and treaties are only as honorable as the people signing them, ask any American indian.

On September 11, we will remember the terrorist attacks on our own soil.  We will have an opportunity to reflect on what it means to think you are above it all, untouchable, secure, and safe.  You will have an opportunity to ask yourself what you hold dear, are willing to sacrifice, and what, or who. you are willing to die for.  

The World Trade Center was not the only target.  The Pentagon took a hit from the third plane.  Those that died, and the first responders, are not the only heroes.  If we look for bravery, beyond a first responder's responsibility to do their job, we must look to the civilian passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, the fourth plane.  Flight 93 should give us all a moment of pause.

“There is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends.”

-- John 15:13

As we remember the events of September 11, let us not forget who we are and what we represent.  We must all strive to be heroes; we must strive to be patriots, and we must never forget to always strive to be Americans.  It is who we are.    

Patriot Day is a day the US remembers the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This day is commonly referred to as "9-11" ("Nine-Eleven"). It is believed that 2,977 people died in the attacks. President George W. Bush proclaimed September 11th Patriot Day in 2002.

Facts about Patriot Day (Sept 11)

• On September 11th, US Flags should be flown at half mast - both on US soil and abroad.

• A moment of silence is held at 8:46 a.m. (EST) across the nation - commemorating the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

• The National September 11 Memorial and Museum takes up over half of the destroyed World Trade Center site. It contains bronze parapets inscribed with the names of those killed on September 11, 2001 and those killed in the 1993 World Trade Center attack.

• Cleaning up Ground Zero, as the World Trade Center was renamed, took 18 months and 19 days, and was completed in May of 2002.

• The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were once the tallest buildings in the world, and contained enough concrete to build a sidewalk from New York City to Washington D.C.

Patriot-Day - 9/11 

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."