Answering a Call - Minister or Salesman?

Ever come across a shyster disguised as clergy?  They're pretty easy to spot.  Like a used car salesman, they act like they get a percentage on the side for each sale they bring in.  It doesn't take them long to realize they should have their own dealership.  They can tell within the first few minutes if you're worth their effort, if you aren't, they move onto the next potentially weak minded shopper searching for a "deal."  Like any good salesman, consciously or not, these salesmen believe there is a believer born every day and it's their calling to reel them, and their hard earned savings, into the fold.  Then there are the televangelists.  

Televangelists are the "As Seen on TV" spokespeople for their product.  It doesn't matter whether you need it because, before they're finished, you're going to want it.  I'm actually amazed more of them don't have Aussie accents loudly hawking with the obligatory, "If you call in your recommended tithe of just $50, or more, within the next 20 minutes, we'll throw in a second path to salvation absolutely FREE!  Just pay separate shipping and handling for the embossed, wallet sized blessing... on real paper card stock touched by Reverend Jim himself!  But, wait... order two for yourself and two for that special someone you'd love to spend an eternity with, and we'll sent you an eight by ten, autographed, color glossy of Reverend Jim blessing the faithful!"  Christians flock to this bullshit like women at a BOGO sale while Reverend Jim mugs for the camera, adjusts his gold chains, checks his Rolex, and polishes his $2000 shoes on back of his $5000 suit pant legs, all the while lusting after his beautiful protégé, not his wife, waiting outside in the limo or onboard their private jet.  

Reverend Jim's message is sound, albeit spewing from the hypocritical pie hole of a devout sinner in self-denial.  The good thing is, you won't go to the same hell as Rev Jimbo.  That's because you listened to his tripe, believed in the parts dealing with God's good Word, and donated.  There are special places in hell for his ilk.  If you donated because you sincerely believed in the message of the Lord and the money was going to do some good for humanity, and that God's countenance would shine down upon thee for your display of faith, you're probably alright.  You need to work on who you choose as a shepherd, but you're probably alright, though a whole bunch misguided.  Does this mean all televangelists are suspect?  Suspect, yes.  Guilty, maybe not.  But, they are on television, handling millions of dollars with no accounting for the cash handed over at the event center, and someone has to be paying the tab for the visible extravagance.  And how about those poor and hungry?  Well, don't the preachers only promise the money will help to continue their good work?  They just want to continue doing it in the manner to which they have become accustomed - extravagant.  Just saying.  

"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!

But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, and somehow just can't handle money!"

-- George Carlin, comedian

Most of us are searching for something, be it faith, religion, spirituality, something to believe in, something bigger than ourselves... like, God.  I don't think any of us are looking for damnation because we question a particular religious belief, sect, or denomination, unless we happen to be masochists.  We aren't looking to be sold a bill of goods, and we aren't looking to buy the first car we're shown no matter how much the salesman says we need it, unless we happen to be that gullible.  Most of us aren't sure what we're looking for, but we're all pretty sure we'll know it when we see it.  It might not be the prettiest car on the lot, and it may require some work, but in the long run it will get us where we're headed; honest, reliable, inexpensive, transportation to salvation.

We have to keep in mind that salvation really isn't as difficult as many would have us believe.  Will it require some work?  Well, that depends on how screwed up we already are.  Once you get your kit sorted out, the path ahead is pretty easy.  God didn't make it difficult, we did.  The message is clear, and free.  We allow a lot of interference to garble the message.  We think we have to pay to hear the message, understand it, or pave our way.  Don't just hear the message; focus on it and listen, and try to separate the fat from the meat.  The fat makes it tasty, but the meat is what maintains us.

“Some, in an effort to protect and preserve the gospel message, have become like the guards in that museum, fueled by fear that it could be damaged or stolen if they are not vigilant in their watch. They have mistaken the good news for an ancient artifact that needs to be protected. But that is not its nature. This kingdom is a lot more like a tree. God is looking for gardeners, not guards. A guard is trained in a defensive stance of fear and suspicion. A gardener is motivated by love and creativity.”

--Shane Hipps, pastor, author, speaker

Clergy can only deliver their interpretation of a message.  We need to listen to each interpretation, read the message ourselves, and determine our own faith.  Our own faith is what God is interested in.  We can't get to where we're going on the word of the salesman.  We have to be good stewards of our own fate, and have a strong conviction that our own faith, not our minister's, will see us through to our ultimate goal.  I'm not crazy about rappers, but Killer Mike tries to make a point here:

"God really exists, I tell you like this: 

It resides inside. 

And anybody tell you different,

Just selling you religion,

Tryin' to keep your ass in line."

-- Killer Mike, hip-hop artist

I think that, even in times before Christ, Jewish Rabbis lived a life of luxury and control from their temples.  Christ came along and threatened this control.  Christ said to give your wealth to the poor and follow Him.  Those who heard a higher calling followed the teacher.  Sometime, early on, Christianity formed a church, built cathedrals, formed a bible, built a Vatican, and within the span of a single lifetime began to forget the basics Christ taught.  Christian history isn't repeating itself; it's just continuing the 2000 year march back to the time before Christ.  What would Jesus think?  Maybe we need to cleanse the temple, again?  Or, maybe clergy just needs to remember why they came when called, and ensure the reasons were humble.

“Most televangelists, popular Christian preacher icons, and heads of those corporations that we call megachurches share an unreflective modern view of Jesus--that he translates easily and almost automatically into a modern idiom. The fact is, however, that Jesus was not a person of the twenty-first century who spoke the language of contemporary Christian America (or England or Germany or anywhere else). Jesus was inescapably and ineluctably a Jew living in first-century Palestine. He was not like us, and if we make him like us we transform the historical Jesus into a creature that we have invented for ourselves and for our own purposes. 

Jesus would not recognize himself in the preaching of most of his followers today. He knew nothing of our world. He was not a capitalist. He did not believe in free enterprise. He did not support the acquisition of wealth or the good things in life. He did not believe in massive education. He had never heard of democracy. He had nothing to do with going to church on Sunday. He knew nothing of social security, food stamps, welfare, American exceptionalism, unemployment numbers, or immigration. He had no views on tax reform, health care (apart from wanting to heal leprosy), or the welfare state. So far as we know, he expressed no opinion on the ethical issues that plague us today: abortion and reproductive rights, gay marriage, euthanasia, or bombing Iraq. His world was not ours, his concerns were not ours, and--most striking of all--his beliefs were not ours.

Jesus was a first-century Jew, and when we try to make him into a twenty-first century American we distort everything he was and everything he stood for.”

-- Bart D. Ehrman, PhD, James A. Gray Distinguished Professor , author

Faith is not a business.  Religion is not a paycheck.  You don't need to drive up to the White House in a limousine; I'd be impressed to see a minister visit the president riding up to the gate on an ass, and wearing the simple robes of a monk.  Clergy are supposed to be what they are because they answered the call of a higher authority.  Like doctors and teachers, they started out with a humble desire to serve humanity, not their BMW, the union, or the Vatican coffers, yet doctors, teachers, and clergy seem to forget the loftier goals and pure satisfaction of serving their fellow man at the behest of their Deity.

“Just because Christianity claims Jesus as its own does not mean that Jesus claims Christianity as his own. Christ does not bind himself to a religion, any more than wind binds itself to a sail.”

-- Shane Hipps, pastor, author, speaker

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 then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

My Sunday Thought for 05012016: Holocaust Remembrance

The Lilliput Troupe

Who is the Lilliput Troupe?  I'm in the middle of a terrific book about them called, Giants - The Dwarfs of Auschwitz.  I don't read biographies, as a rule, because I find the boringly tedious.  I will allow exceptions when it comes to the Nazis.  I picked up this book at my local bookseller, read the dust cover, and was instantly enthralled by their story.  It is more than a story of the vertically challenged.  It is a story of loved ones that looked beyond the surface, a story of family, of staying together at all costs, of strength, pride, and humiliation.  Most of all it is a story of survival.

The Nazis made it their goal to not only eradicate the "sub-human" scourge of the Jew from mankind but, also, any other less than perfect human; the retarded, the mentally and physically infirm, pretty much anyone who would not be a productive member of their society was, one way or another, put to death.  One step up from death would be slave labor, and if you became unable to labor you would be put out of your misery and, for many, this was preferable.

Dr. Joseph Mengele, the "Angel of Death," used the millions of doomed at Auschwitz-Birkenau for his personal twisted experiments to further the sick medical knowledge of the Third Reich.  The book gives a good depiction of life in constant dreaded fear of what mental and physical tortures the next day held in this camp of horrors.  A graphic movie of Mengele in the camp would make men with the strongest of constitutions taste bile.  Just reading some of the accounts, knowing and visualizing what specifics the authors weren't telling for obvious reasons, made my skin crawl, and I'm only halfway through the book.

His sick fascination with dwarfism and the chance to study a large family of dwarfs and their normal sized spouses is the only saving grace for the Ovitz family whose only crimes were to be born "different" and to be Jewish.  Marked as cursed by their own Jewish faith, the story outlines their struggle in life even before they are gathered up and shipped to the camp for final disposition.  Their story is well worth the read.

Including the 6 million Jews, an additional 13 million non-Jewish people were also murdered for a variety of reasons not the least of which was thinking you had a right to life in Adolf Hitler's Thousand Year Reich.  72,468,900 people died in WWII, including 23,637,900 military, 33,833,000 civilian, 5,907,900 Jews.  Put into some context, the Soviet Union lost 9,750,000 military, Germany lost 5,533,000 military, and Japan lost 2,120,000 military.  Compared to theses staggering numbers the U.S. lost 416,800 and Great Britain 382,700.  Now, granted, these numbers do not include all Allies and Axis nations, but it gives one some idea of our own losses compared to the enemy.  If anyone ever wondered why the Soviets spent their entire budget on weapons of war and surrounded their country by a buffer of other communist nations, one only has to look at their military and civilian losses against Nazi Germany.    

Those who follow my blog know I hold a special place in hell for the Nazi perpetrators of the "Final Solution."  For those folks young enough to be products of what our country now refers to as a "quality" education, you probably think this refers to some math problem.  You know who you are, because you'll also point to Texas when asked where Russia is located and also say that Groucho Marx is the father of Marxist philosophy.  The Nazi "Final Solution" referred to "die Endlösung der Judenfrage", the Final Solution to the Jewish Question.

JANUARY 20, 1942

WANNSEE CONFERENCE AND THE "FINAL SOLUTION"

The Wannsee Conference, a meeting between the SS (the elite guard of the Nazi state) and German government agencies, opens in Berlin. They discuss and coordinate the implementation of the "Final Solution," which is already under way. At Wannsee, the SS estimates that the "Final Solution" will involve 11 million European Jews, including those from non-occupied countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, and Great Britain. Between the fall of 1941 and the fall of 1944, the German railways transport millions of people to their deaths in killing centers in occupied Poland.

-- The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

I am not going to bore anyone with history the old folks know and the young folks should be well pissed off that their liberal education is putting a pretty face on.  I have written about this on "The Path," ad nauseam, since I began the Blog in 2013.  I even dedicated several posts specifically to the subject, and have listed the links to those:

Holocaust Remembrance Day - April 27-28, 2014  

Monday is "Holocaust Remembrance Day" 

Is there no one left to speak out?  

The Holocaust: A Museum for Tolerance  

Holocaust Remembrance Day - April 15, 2015   

Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah - Holocaust and Heroism

History never held a place in my heart until I realized we Americans constantly change history which we find distasteful or politically incorrect. We do it by removing Confederate battle flags, we do it by blaming our own Civil War on slavery, we even do it by changing the racial profiles of our comic book heroes instead of allowing a particular race to find and develop their own.

The longer our government lies to us about history, the more apt we are to buy into the bullshit. The minute we buy into the bullshit we are just a short plunge into socialism, communism, totalitarianism, and slavery. Philosopher and poet, George Santayana, once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  Ignorance may be the first step to enlightenment, but for any good military psychological operation, or PSYOP, it is also part of the larger scheme to controlling the hearts and minds of a population.  You may not be able to cure stupid, but it seems you can teach stupid to almost any American willing to listen.  Maybe it's time we all start asking questions which they, the government stooges, can't answer; questions backed up by facts, proof, and history they've forgotten or never knew existed.  Maybe it's time we all wake up and smell the bullshit.

"It is our will that this state shall endure for a thousand years. We are happy to know that the future is ours entirely!"

-- Adolf Hitler

As much as Uncle Adolf was "happy to know the future is ours entirely," I am so happy to know we kick his insane Nazi ass and took our future back.  As I look at what had to be accomplished, and sacrificed, to attain victory over the Nazis and the Japanese, I can only ponder what will have to happen against the insanity which is ISIS.  By the way, the acronym "ISIL" is only used by those who refuse to utter the words "Islamic terrorists," and I harbor no such ignorance.  If it smells like a turd, it's a turd.  Sadly, in order to ensure some semblance of a lasting peace for the world, I think the only option which comes to mind is in the form of a quote from the 2009 movie, Avatar:

"...we will blast a crater in their racial memory so deep, that they won't come within 1,000 klicks of this place ever again. And that, too, is a fact."

-- Col. Quaritch

The stories of the Holocaust are the stories of us.  They are an unfortunate reminder of our own ultimate, sometimes inevitable, ability for cruelty and evil beyond measure.  We only think we are different, however, as we keep evidencing with people and groups like ISIS, we remain at the mercy of our worst.  If you are in search of the human animal, you need look no further than your mirror.  Whenever we degrade people because of race, religion, national origin, sexual identity, or peaceful beliefs, we are lifting the lid of Pandora's Box.  When we find fault with those of lesser mental or physical capacity, we prove to the world, as much as we deny it, our own proclivity to repeat history and, once again, travel down this same railroad to evil.  Were the Nazis guilty of the Holocaust?  No more than the rest of us were guilty for allowing it.

"The sad and horrible conclusion is that no one cared that the Jews were being murdered..." nor did the world seem to care that innocence, children, the infirm, those that could not defend themselves, were being slaughtered.  The Nazi legacy lives on with their Islamic terrorist lap dogs throughout the world.  We once again refuse to get fully vested in a fight against a virus that has already breached our gates.  We were almost too late the last time.  Do we ever learn?

As for the Ovitz family, I hope I did right by them, any other survivors, and the millions of slaughtered innocent victims of the evil which continues to infect our world.  Cinco de Mayo, May 5, is also Holocaust Remembrance Day.  Not to put a damper of festivities, but it might be a nice tribute to raise a glass to all the innocents that died at the hands of insanity, and to those which helped to rid this world of this human plague.  If I have made just one of you take a moment out of your day to think, perhaps it has been worth the read.  If not?  Well, God help us for we certainly cannot help ourselves.

The sad and horrible conclusion is that no one cared that Jews were being murdered... This is the Jewish lesson of the Holocaust and this is the lesson which Auschwitz taught us.

-- Ariel Sharon (1928-2014), Former Prime Minister of Israel

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 then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

My Sunday Thought for 04242016: Christ for Fun and Prophet

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."

-- John 10:11-15

If your pastor is wealthier than the people he serves, is he here to serve us or are we here to serve him?  As Christians I have come to believe we're a lazy lot.  We seem to buy into the tithing, the donations, and the televangelist hype.  Want an eye opener?  Check out this link: Meet the Richest Ministers in America.  Needless to say, I have a real problem with clergy that use Jesus Christ for their own personal profit.  I'd feel a lot happier knowing there was some angelic bunko squad taking these con artists down and sending them before the high court, but when do clergy cross the line from misdemeanor skimming from the faithful to gross felony misappropriation of donated funds for personal enrichment?  

"...and I lay down my life for the sheep."  These "ministers" are making enough money, and living in the lap of luxury.  Their flock has to be totally oblivious to truly think these guys would give up all they have in order to save even one of them.  As sheep we become used to being taken care of and having others think for us.  Because of this we make ourselves blind to that which is before us.  We read scripture and ignore the Spirit of the Word which has been written across our heart and mind.  Have we forgotten Matthew, or do we choose to not understand the Spirit?

The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.…

-- Matthew 19:20-22

Does all the money given go to the betterment of mankind?  Is it used to spread the Word?  Is it used for administrative costs to facilitate the spreading of the Word?  I have to ask what the Word is lacking that it requires so much effort to spread, but is this not why God wrote it on our hearts and minds?  Is the Spirit not supposed to now be clear and accessible to all that want to hear and understand?

"...and I lay down my life for the sheep."  When I read this, my thoughts go immediately to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), and what he said after his interment in a Nazi concentration camp:  "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist.  Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.  Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me."  How soon even the righteous forget that being a shepherd, a true minister of faith, may require the ultimate sacrifice. 

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

-- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

At the end of the day, what these charlatans accomplish is to remind those of us seeking truth that only we can pave our way to salvation, and only we can walk our path.  The scripture they preach is sound in the lessons taught.  These lessons no more need to be bought than they did when Christ walked the earth.  The Word of God is free to all.  To use the Word for personal, financial, gain is heresy to the extreme, and the excuses they give for bilking those with less is an affront to the very Word they preach.  This is the very reason why I ask for no donations to spread the word of religious and spiritual tolerance.  To do so would be surrendering my ethics, and my honor.  I would be selling my soul for a golden idol which I would be placing before the very God I would use to accomplish the enrichment.  How sadly obvious is that?

True ministers have a calling.  The calling goes beyond material needs.  They work jobs in order to give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, then minister to others in order to give unto God that which is God's.  They strive to be no better than those they minister to.  Theirs is but a message of hope to those that have little.  Those seeking truth, stop to listen.  They have a choice.  It is a free choice which only they can make.  The Word can awaken in their heart and their mind, or they can ignore what they already know.  It is their path, and only they can choose which fork to take. 

I found this paragraph in an article while researching this post.  It speaks to my own beliefs concerning faith in one's self and already having the ability and tools to overcome adversity.  The idea isn't difficult to comprehend.  Putting the idea into action in one's life, however, will rely on the person believing in themselves.  Faith in one's self can be more difficult to attain than it is to see the truth in right in front them.  The paragraph reads:

"No person or spiritual system can heal you instantly, tell you what your purpose is, or tell you how to live your life. They can only, at most, give you the tools to accomplish these goals on your own. Be suspicious of anyone who tells you that you’re lacking in something and that they have the only means to correct your supposed flaws. If someone claims to have the correct answers for you in regards to spiritual or personal growth, be wary. Spiritual or internal regeneration requires consistent, uncomfortable, hard work on your part. There’s no way around this. No one can do it for you, and no one can give you an easy way out."

-- Aaron Piccirillo

There is no "easy way out," for sure.  Unless you are willing to put in the work there can be no progression to anything better in life.  My problem with people like Aaron is they tend to scare folks away from seeking spiritual enlightenment due to all of the hard work required.  More important to me would be addressing how amazed you'll be when you find out how easy it really was to arrive at where you already were and just didn't understand.  We make God's love, forgiveness, and tolerance much more difficult on ourselves than it really needs to be.  Are there "correct answers for you in regards to spiritual or personal growth" to assist you along your journey?  Probably so, but all anybody can do is guide you to information which will assist you in making your own informed decisions.  It is all about you, and your desire to discover a faith which you have already been gifted.

This Sunday, I'm going the current state of our society close consideration, especially where our faith and spirituality are concerned.  While doing so, I will remember the words of 2 Timothy 3:1-7, and I quote:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

It seems to be damned sound advice, if you ask me.  Another piece of sound advice comes not from scripture, but from a dissident, writer, philosopher, statesman, and former presidents of both Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic: 

“Keep the company of those who seek the truth, and run from those who have found it.”

– Václav Havel (1936-2011)

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 then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

I Do This for You

Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.  And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!"  And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

--Mark 10:50-52

This quote from Mark 10:50-52, is but a parable of Jesus healing Bartimaeus. We are all blind to the strength of faith within us. We truly tend to not see the forest for the trees. What you want, you already have. Once you fully accept this gift, the existence of your own unquestioning faith, it will make you well.

People constantly tell me their faith isn't strong, or my faith is stronger than theirs. We all have the same faith. Faith was written across the hearts and minds of mankind because we kept misinterpreting the written Word. Instead of giving us laws to write down and argue over, God gave us the spirit of the law so we would always know, in our hearts and minds, that which is right and required of us. This "Holy Spirit" is in each and every one of us. Then, just to prove our continuing lack of respect for God's wishes we, yet again, wrote the Word down, this time as a New Testament.  This new interpretation inevitably resulted in us, once again, arguing over what God really meant.   

This is what we do.  We argue over interpretations of other folks interpretations of scriptural parables, and then base a religion on the interpretations we can't agree on.  You just can't cure stupid, which is probably why it seems God has abandoned us. But, then, God doesn't do things for no good reason. God always has a plan.

“Even the least among you can do all that I have done, and greater things”

-- John, 14:12

Because we each have the spirit, it is incumbent upon each of us to do our own praise to God. Having a priest or minister, clergy, pray for us or lead us in prayer, is not what was intended. It is our responsibility, our gratitude, our praise which God wants to hear, and it is the only praise that will pave our path to the kingdom. Why would you be rewarded for someone else's work on your behalf?

I have been asked, many times, to pray for someone, or their loved one, because my faith is "stronger" than those asking me. I was asked this again, just the other day, by someone I dearly care about. I think my response to their request is pertinent to taking responsibility for one's own soul:

"I will do this for you, however, and you saw this coming, your faith is already there. The mere fact you are asking me, because you think God would listen to me more, evidences your faith. Think of your brother as YOUR test, not his. Maybe God wants to see what it takes for YOU to admit the strength of a faith you already have. Will it help? It might not. Maybe God has other plans for your brother that is beyond our scope to understand. I will do this for you because you are my dear friend, and you have asked, but it is really up to you to find the strength, I cannot find it for you."

Many times in our lives we feel helpless when confronted by what we see as insurmountable tests levied by God on our friends, family, and loved ones. Many times we misunderstand the target of those tests. We assume the test was meant for them when, in reality, the test is our own. Many times it is God's way of reminding us that we stand or fall, succeed or fail, live or die, based on the strength of our own faith. We are tasked to exercise our faith constantly, not just on Sundays. Our faith isn't attached to a light switch. Faith must be 24/7/365, no matter how strong we feel it is. It is with our own faith, not through the faith of others, great things can be accomplished. Others may support us, but it is up to us to succeed or fail. It is our faith, and our faith alone, which stands to be measured and tested.

I Do This for You

I do this for you

Because you not yet see

I will have faith for you

Till you set yours free

I do this for you,

Though no grace I earn

This task you must do

Before the pyres burn

I do this for you,

This prayer I say

And I will hold this girl

For another day

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 then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

Child of Man, Face of God - Part III

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

-- Jeremiah 1:4-5

In the age of the second coming, which face of the less of us will we protect?  Which child of God, this time, will we deny three times?  And we place so much faith in a book written by men and touted as the Word of God; will we accept its sexist tone to deny that the Christ may reappear as female?  Will we fail at this test of tolerance as well?  The face of God will once again appear as a child before us.  Which child will we choose to accept or deny?  Who among the lesser of us will be appointed as a prophet to the nations?

There is no child born of woman that does not have sinful nature.  Does not have a sinful nature is not to say they are born with sin, but they are born with a sinful nature.  Hence the adage, "Spare the rod and spoil the child."  All children need guidance to remain on the right path, lest they stray.  Even Jesus had to test his mettle, as it is one thing to have knowledge of something and yet another to have experience of something.  To know you have done wrong, admit to the same, and to repent, will oft times avoid the wrath of that damned rod.

Children left to their own devices, without guidance or role model, will easily stray to the inviting side of evil.  Even a Pit Bull Terrier is born to be one of two natures.  It can be love and family oriented, which it prefers, or it can be taught a meanness that can kill.  The difference between the dog and the child is the child's ability to choose that which it prefers; that which it inherently knows and has been taught is righteous and moral.  This is why if you look into the eyes of a child that has sinned you will see the soul of a child in crisis with that which it knows is right.  It may be a child of man, but you will see, through the eyes, the face of God reaching out to you.  It is up to you to deny or accept the plea.

The child's soul left too long in the darkness will be like a festering wound.  Caught in time it may recover with a healthy dose of love and attention.  Left too long, or if the infection goes undiagnosed, the harder it will be to reverse damage to the soul.  Woe to any soul requiring amputation, and woe to the society that allows it.

Today we are seriously concerned about the Zika virus and its effect on an unborn fetus, yet our young people have been at risk of spiritual and moral infection for decades due to the growing lack of parenting, one parent households, abandonment, and more which society condones by turning a blind eye.  As a society we should be ashamed.  As people of faith, we should be ashamed and appalled as children walk the streets at risk, or die alone of violence and hunger.  We have to ask ourselves, which of these lost children would be our savior?  Which of these lost faces will we look at and see the face of God?

Click here for: Child of Man Face of God - Part I or Child of Man, Face of God - Part II

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 then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

Child of Man, Face of God - Part II

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys...

The children of the depression carried all of the hopes for a better future, better times, and a great society.  A great majority would find themselves fighting in WWII or working the factories in support of that war effort.  When it was over, we would enjoy a resurgence of American pride and plenty.  We would finally realize the dreams of a car in every garage, a chicken in every pot, and the house that goes along with it.  We would finally, in the mid-1960s become the Great Society.  Really?  It doesn't matter the century, decade, or year which a government outlines programs based on bullshit, when the programs finally launch they still smell just as bad.  Like missiles with built-in, American made, intentionally malfunctioning guidance systems, they go everywhere but where we were led to believe they would end up.  All we prove is how continually gullible we are, and all we do is harm our children.  

Look closely at the soup kitchen photo above; a sad reminder of mistakes made in our past.  Now, check out the photo below.

History isn't repeating itself, history never really changed.  We never learn anything except how to exacerbate a problem.  We vote morons into office to assist us in our efforts to continually fail.  We seem to enjoy voting these incompetents into positions of authority so they can spend our money and live better than we do; we must, because we keep on voting them in.  

Our children keep on suffering for this inability to vote in quality leadership.  We send them to colleges and universities, we can't afford, so instructors well versed in failure can instruct our children how to carry on this same tradition of failure.  Government wins by creating a society of young people brought up to believe said government is better than it is.  Like an addictive Everything Drug, our children are given everything and are expected to produce nothing.  The drug is bought on credit because society is broke.  This Everything Drug is given away with government's full knowledge that this young society will never be able to pay the drug lord, the government, back for everything given.  Our children become indentured servants to the government we put in place, and they don't much care because they're hooked.  They become whores for their votes until such time as government either takes over completely, or implodes from massive, uncontrollable debt.  Our children will love us, right?  Of course, because we have allowed our children to become numb to being screwed over.  "It's okay; just give me more of everything."

"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him."

-- Psalm 127:3

But, what does all of this have to do with children and God?  According to Nelson Mandela, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."  Children are a gift, a heritage, to mankind from the Lord.  They are a reward which we have endeavored to corrupt through our abuse.  We have forgotten what Christ said about how to treat these gifts of God, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  The point is driven home with, “And everyone who commits an offense against one of these little ones who believe in me, it were profitable for him that a donkey's millstone would be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the depths of the sea.”

And yet, we support government programs which rewards poverty and stagnates initiative.  We allow parents to continue not progressing forward as productive members of society, not making of themselves everything the Lord intended, and to abuse their children by blatantly teaching them, encouraging them, to follow in their footsteps to nowhere as if this abuse reflects some twisted praise of God to be further rewarded by the Almighty.  The rest of us shake our heads at this lack of parenting, yet we give passive encouragement for abuse by not curtailing the programs which, in themselves, encourage continued abuse.  Not one of us is immune to culpability for what we do in the face of God for these gifts of life, our heritage, not one of us.  Where one child fails, so fail us all!  It makes one well up with pride, doesn't it?

I challenge everyone to visit a shelter for youth in this country, and not a government controlled excuse for one.  Visit a shelter run by people who really care, if you can find one.  Ask those people about the youth they are there to assist.  Volunteer at a soup kitchen.  Meet some of the young people.  Meet their parents, if they're there as a homeless family.  Ask your questions of them.  Listen to their stories, their hopes and fears.  Dare to look into their eyes, if your conscience can handle it.  Dare to look for the face of God and, if you think you see a glimmer of it, dare to see passed it to what the future holds, and remember this poem by John Donne:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Click here to continue:  Child of Man, Face of God - Part III

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 then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

Child of Man, Face of God - Part I

 For the inheritance of Lord Jehovah is children, the reward of the fruit of the womb. 

 -- Psalm 127:3

History tells us 1.5 million children were slaughtered during the Holocaust.  People try to soften the description by calling it murder.  When 1.5 million children are gassed, cremated in ovens or dumped in mass graves, to call it murder is compounding the slaughter of innocence with a healthy dose of bullshit.  To say it was directly or as a direct consequence of Nazi actions is letting the Nazis off easy for the sake of history.  These genocidal sociopaths had no place in their new world order for the sick, the infirm, the physically or mentally deficient, or the Jew.  Sound familiar?  

History repeats itself because we don't teach real history; we teach a softer, kinder, sadly imperfect fairy tale that won't give children nightmares.  Enter the Nazi legacy of radical Islamic terrorism.  Oh, yes!  Check out this link for an eye opening history lesson: Al Qaeda Terrorists Nazi Connection

We've all been victims of Nazi smoke and mirrors.  It is a dirty little secret that escapes occasionally from the allied countries of WWII that are complicit in a sick, twisted whitewashing of a dark time in world history.  Is it really any surprise that the Nazi "final solution" has continued under the leadership of Al Qaeda?  Should we really be surprised to hear of atrocities against women and children?  Hundreds of children are being slaughtered and/or having offenses committed against them by ISIS, while hundreds more are being psychologically twisted to the insanity that is the sociopathic Islamic heresy of ISIS by being forced to fight, rape, and murder alongside them in the name of Allah.  The only differences in this new threat to innocence and the Nazi scourge is the efficiency of the killing machine, and the heresy of doing it all in God's name; slaughter of God's innocent creations is still slaughter, and the slaughter of women, children, and innocence is still heresy.

“And everyone who commits an offense against one of these little ones who believe in me, it were profitable for him that a donkey's millstone would be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the depths of the sea.”

-- Matthew 18:6

Have you ever seen the children in a cancer treatment center, or a children's hospital?  It always amazes me how much better they deal with life, knowing the likelihood of their impending death.  Adults and family are falling apart around them while they act as the calming influence.  How mature is that?  They have lived too short of a life to have become fearful of losing... Losing what?  Everything?  They come into this world with a child's innocence and, before adults can ruin them, they leave just as innocent as the day they were born.  And, during the short time these special children are with us, they teach us so much about life and God, if we are willing to listen.

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”

-- Angela Schwindt, author and Homeschooling Mom

One of the reason children are so important to me, other than having my rights to be a parent ripped away from me, is my realization of how important being blessed by God to even be a parent was.  I let that opportunity slip through my fingers.  I have the title of parent only by virtue that I sired two great kids, but my job, my divorce, and my ignorance were roadblocks to earning that title.

Some of us are ordered by the court system of this country to surrender our rights to be parents to a spouse that has as much interest in the child's welfare as they had in building a marriage and a family.  The child is considered a mistake or a pawn to be used as leverage to get as much as the custodial parent can before the child comes of age and the vault to free money is closed.  This isn't parenting.  I don't think anyone is prepared to be a parent unless they have lost their rights to be a parent.  

I think this is why I care about children.  I think this is why deadbeat parents and parents that simply abandon their children piss me off so.  You learn to hate the accusatory looks fathers get from child support officers, and the way they treat you as less than deserving of their respect.  Deadbeat parents make those of us who truly care really look guilty. 

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

-- Mark 10:13-16

I feel for children that have no loving father, no loving parents, and I really feel for children that are being used as pawns by their custodial parent just to bilk money from the other parent that would much rather have the children in a loving home with two loving parents.  These kids might as well be in paid foster care for all the court system cares.  Whether the child ends up with an immoral parent is of little concern.  The scales of justice are indeed blind.  If all of this isn't committing an offense against the child, then what is?  People that use children for profit have no right to be parents of children.  For all intents and purposes they are whoring their children out, and they should be ashamed for it.

Dear God,

I just want someone to love me, someone to talk to when I need to talk.  Someone to cry on when I need to cry.  Most of all someone to love me and walk as far as they wish through my life.  Amen.

-- Prayer from a homeless child

If you want an eye opener, don't listen to what street kids have to say.  Their words are colored by disappointment and their situation.  Read what they write.  Read what they write about feelings, and their wants, hopes, and desires.  I have looked into the face of a homeless child and seen the lack of trust and the anger, the wheels turning to determine how best to use me to their advantage.  I have also looked into their eyes and found fear and hurt, the pleading soul in the child I was looking for.  Many parents don't lose the child because they want too, they lose the child because they have never been taught how to parent, or how to love.

A child comes into this world innocent, ready to be taught the moral lessons needed to find their path into the next life.  They are born innocent, but with the capacity for free choice.  Their choices, if not guided with good parenting and advice, can lead them down some dark paths.  What we do to them as they grow determines who they will become as adults.  They need love and they also need discipline.  They need a good balance of emotion to prepare them for an ugly, dangerous, world that awaits them, while also being able to appreciate all the beauty and love.

“A child needs both to be hugged and unhugged. The hug lets her know she is valuable. The unhug lets her know that she is viable. If you’re always shoving your child away, they will cling to you for love. If you’re always holding them closer, they will cling to you for fear.”

-- Polly Berrien Berends, children's book author

When I look into the face of a child, I see the many faces of an emotional God.  In children of want, I see a face that asks the question of Christ, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?"  And, in this face, I understand that each of us is in shame.  Each of us turns our back on the least of us.

The next time you see a street kid, the next time you avert your eyes a make to turn away so as not to be bothered, realize that there stands the message from an accusing God.  These are the children of men, the gift of a loving God.  Dare we abandon them?  Dare we even consider turning from them?  Maybe we should learn to think twice, for in these children is the reflection of our future.  Is this really what we want our future to be?  Maybe we would be better served going after those that abandoned them in the first place.  These "parents" are the real architects, the real threat, the real warning of the imminent downfall to the future of mankind.  We have met the enemy and it is us.  

Where baby boomers ruined the country, millennials, ill-equipped from lack of parenting and quality education,  and  will be left to wallow in the devastation left by unions, corrupt politics, a liberal legal system spinning out of control, and threats to world peace and freedom.  If ever there was a time for the second coming of Christ...  

Maybe our prayers to God are the best legacy we can leave these kids.  And we might think about asking them for forgiveness.

Just saying.

The power of words is that a life can be launched with as little as a single phrase, an uplifting word or an act of kindness.

Think of the power we wield and the impact we can make if we become more intentional about encouraging our children.

Our words are often the very things that help create future dreams. And sometimes those dreams are to be just like us.

-- Anonymous 

Click here to continue:  Child of Man, Face of God - Part II

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 then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.