My Sunday Thought for 09042016: God's Word, or Inspired By God?

The Bible is a collection of sacred texts in Judaism and Christianity. It is a collection of scriptures written at different times by different authors in different locations. Jews and Christians consider the books of the Bible to be a product of divine inspiration or an authoritative record of the relationship between God and humans.

-- Wikipedia, "Bible"

Let's consider what is being said in the opening quote, "Jews and Christians consider the books of the Bible to be a product of divine inspiration or an authoritative record of the relationship between God and humans."  It has been beaten into most of us that these works of Holy Scripture are the written Word of God, yet we are told by religious scholars that these "collected works" were written by men, for men.  These same scholars have concluded that at least 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament are attributable to Paul the Apostle, though no one is any more certain of this than the authorship of any other portions of scripture.  

The Holy Bible, if it represents any truth at all, can be viewed by the faithful as "an authoritative record of the relationship between God and humans."  If we consider the lack of scholarly agreement as to authorship, questionable agendas, origin of documents and stories and the condition and credibility of the same, the time between when a tale supposedly occurred before it written down, and the number of questionable translations by monks, scribes, and others who barely had command of their own language let alone the several other languages and dialects in which these tales were written, one must have an extreme faith to accept any of it as authoritative.  It is no wonder to me that over 33,000 sects of Christianity cannot agree on one interpretation.

But, Christian faith has been molded over the last 2000 plus years, since the death of Christ, to accept what our religious clergy says as authoritative.  This blind acceptance has led us down a path of death and destruction in the name of God, and was the catalysts for beautiful, astounding works of art and architecture that can make strong men weep.

"Protestantism has the method of Jesus with His secret too much left out of mind: Catholicism has His secret with His method too much left out of mind; neither has His unerring balance, His intuition, His sweet reasonableness. But both have hold of a great truth, and get from it a great power.

-- Matthew Arnold (1822-1888), poet, educator, cultural critic  

19th century religious critic and educator, Matthew Arnold says of this Holy Scripture, that Christians "have hold of a great truth, and get from it a great power."  What we all need to wrap our minds around is that the Bible, this "Holy Scripture," is simply a book, a collection of parables chosen by Christian leadership to help us understand our faith.  Holy Scripture does hold "a great truth" and, more importantly, they "get from it a great power."

"We are each a soldier of God 

firing the bullet of faith 

from the rifle of Holy Scripture."

We have all seen Christian clergy and the faithful holding the Bible out in front of them as if it is some protective shield or sword used to protect them from evil or combat the same.  Mr. Arnold is correct in that the book holds no power in and of itself but, rather, the power is what we get from it; power to build our armor and our faith within ourselves, which will make us a true sword and shield of God against evil.  Inanimate objects like scripture, cross, or icon, are focal points from which to launch the faith within us, the true power of God, against the demons sent forth against mankind.  We are each a soldier of God firing the bullet of faith from the rifle of Holy Scripture.

God handed down his Word to Moses in Ten Commandments which have been lost to all mankind.  Those Commandments, God's Word, still exists for us, downloaded into our hearts and minds before our birth.  We are inspired to remember what we already know through Holy Scripture.  We can ignore what we know, or we can embrace it.  The choice to be an inspired sword is within each of us; it always has been, as has our choice to be a sucking leech on the ass end of civilization.

The question you must ask yourself is if your faith is up to the challenge... or do you suck.

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.

Change - The Irresistible Force?

All things come out of the One and the One out of all things. ...I see nothing but Becoming. Be not deceived! It is the fault of your limited outlook and not the fault of the essence of things if you believe that you see firm land anywhere in the ocean of Becoming and Passing. You need names for things, just as if they had a rigid permanence, but the very river in which you bathe a second time is no longer the same one which you entered before. 

-- Heraclitus 

(500 B.C.ish)

Heraclitus summed this all up with, "The only thing that is constant is change."  To read his philosophy is to imagine him debating the same with Gautama Buddha.  The philosophy of the obvious is a universal concept, if you stop long enough to consider it.  We have built upon this obvious of Heraclitus by stating the only universal constant is change.  The "Big Bang" evidenced that change can even occur in a vacuum of nothingness, but then, nothing is really something, since it can be named.

Does change occur if we aren't there to witness it?  Does change surpass our senses to occur of its own accord?  Does a tree falling in the wood make a sound if there is no one there to hear it?  Can we exist and not exist, at the same time?  The paradox in the story of Schrodinger's Cat would give one pause to consider this possibility.  If I understand, correctly, the question of the existence of reality, if we are not here to witness it, even insinuates itself into the study of particles in Quantum Mechanics.

"We both step and do not step in the same rivers. We are and are not."

-- Heraclitus

Many of us don't like change, yet we awake every morning to a different day and another chance to excel.  We are another day older, as are our houseplants, the cat, and our loved ones.  Everything around us has changed since we went to sleep.  Try as we might, the force of change moves inexorably forward, with or without us.  As with Schrodinger's poor cat, the things we do not witness either are or they are not.  The plants we forgot to water are dead, dying, or alive, and, until someone interacts with us to confirm our own existence, we either are or are not.  If we are not bearing witness to reality and change of our own making, we bear witness to the changes occurring to our reality due to changes being effected to the realities of others; ripples interacting with numerous other ripples in this human pond.

"We are and are not."  In the mid-1600s, philosopher René Descartes said, "Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum."  ("I doubt, therefore I think, and therefore I am").  By this thought, if I understand Descartes correctly, if I cease thinking I no longer am.  The only way to truly cease thinking is to die, unless  you're a Taoist monk, or if you believe in an afterlife in which case you will always be, except to those that no longer see you and therefore cannot acknowledge whether you still are... or are not.

"No man ever steps in the same river twice"

-- Heraclitus

But this is philosophy, much of it based on facts as we understand them in the now; facts prone to change as we become more knowledgeable of our universe.  Does a tree make a sound when it falls, if no one is there to hear it?  History, our experience, would evidence yes, but we have no facts to support the premise.  If we put a microphone in the woods, we can't see if it fell or not.  If we put a video camera there, we see it fall and therefore we are there and the experiment is faulty.  

What we are left with is an ever changing abundance of faith that there will be a sound, and that this river we keep stepping into, although constantly changing even as we stand in it, still leads us to our ultimate destination.  Heraclitus told us, "The road up and the road down is one and the same," it is our existence, our reality.  However, downriver is only what we have already experienced.  We cannot stand still in this river of life and expect the source to come to us, along with the blessings flowing toward us from above, especially when we have faith that upriver leads us to the source. 

I don't view change as an irresistible force, it is simply another force which works, most often it seems, to hold us back.  We must take the first step, become the catalyst for our own change, and move forward!  By taking this control we fulfill our own destiny, God's desire for us to become more than we are, as we travel our path to the source of all things. 

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

-- William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"

Well, maybe in not in Horatio's.

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 08282016: Hypocrites Remind Me of Why I Do What I Do

"Protestantism has the method of Jesus with His secret too much left out of mind: Catholicism has His secret with His method too much left out of mind; neither has His unerring balance, His intuition, His sweet reasonableness. But both have hold of a great truth, and get from it a great power.

-- Matthew Arnold (1822-1888), poet, educator, cultural critic

I get reminders from God, more often than I used to, of why I sought ordination as an interfaith minister, why I founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, and why I started "The Path," a blog discussing the personal spiritual path each of us is on.  A little more than a week ago I published a post, Faces in My Darkness because a dear friend was in anguish over her so-called "minister" talking about her behind her back and spreading untrue rumors.  A couple of days ago I posted a story about the "miracle" of how another minister, Lucy the Clown, seemed to draw the first "I love you" from a mother's autistic child.  God reminds me through the numerous emails and comments I have received, thanking me for honest, plain language posts and stories that have touched another's life in some small way, and those from those folks encouraging me to keep writing.

As many of you have read, I began this journey after yet another, of many, self-righteous Christian damned me to hell for my personal spiritual beliefs, and thrust their Bible at me like a weapon or a shield.  Their hypocrisy was another one of hundreds and broke the camel's back.  That their faith in God was minimized by having to hide behind scripture or wield it like a weapon and evidenced, for me, a lack of personal faith; personal faith which loves and praises God and Jesus Christ without the crutch of scripture which is required by many to offset crippling misinterpretations of God's "Word"  with further misinterpretations of their own.

These are people who are so wrapped up in their own heretical agenda they have forgotten it is not their place to judge the servant of another Master because they forget what they read in their own Bible, like Matthew 6:5-6, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen." And they forget also, Matthew 6:9-13, "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name..."  Yet they continue to spend money on churches for worshipping together with their countless other prayers instead of the doing for the poor and hungry - the least of us.  These are the Christian who say they have read the Bible, but they seem to have understood nothing.  They put their nose in the air as well-meaning hypocrites, constantly offended by me and always up in my grill.

One of these self-appointed "soldiers of Christ" was my latest reminder, from Himself, just the other morning.  In my role as chaplain, I occasionally stop in to visit patients twice a week.  I also do a Sunday meeting for some patients each week where we discuss various topics.  This particular morning one gentleman waved for my attention.  It took one sentence, and his obvious body language, for me to realize I was up against an old nemesis - the Christian self-righteous judge; a member of one of the 33,000 distinct Christian denominations in 238 countries, all believing their interpretation of scripture is the only correct interpretation, he would have us all condemned to hell because his belief is the right belief and everyone else is wrong.  I politely listened to him try to bait me into a "discussion," for several minutes - he was unsuccessful.  However, as I turned to leave, he did manage to have the last word by condemning me to hell for all eternity.  I dismissed the opportunity to tell him that hell would give us more opportunity to talk.  I exercised restraint and tolerance, two of the three things in my life I lack much of.  The third is patience, which is why I left before I lost it.

I am anything but perfect, none of us are, but at least some of us are trying to make the world a better place in our own inimitable way, instead of spewing negativity, divisiveness, and intolerance toward others.  This man's credibility would have been beyond question, for me, if he'd simply stated, "I hope you can be a better Christian than I am." 

I couldn't help but feel pity for him, and forgiveness for his lack of tolerance, love, and understanding, and for a misdirected faith which I felt was not directly his fault.  Here, after all, was a person at odds with their own mind, their own safety or the safety of others, and he was passing judgment on someone willing to listen, to give up some time, and to show him some tolerance and understanding which he was seemingly incapable of showing as a "Christian" to anyone with a differing opinion or faith.  I felt his attempt to verbally attack me was an attack on his own Christian inadequacies, his lack of true faith, and his need to be in control of something, or someone if he couldn't be in control of himself.  Most importantly, though, it seemed the reason I was there, giving of my time, totally escaped him.  I was there because his caring clergy wasn't.   I was there trying to do what I could because many clergy who took a vow to serve God seems too wrapped up in the business of running a church and were unable to find time for the least of us.  I took his attack in stride.  You get used to it after 40 years.

I think Abrahamic religions have it all backward.  God made it simple for us and we continue to complicate it.  Instead of learning to love God and Christ through scripture written by men and "inspired" by God, perhaps we should learn to know, love, and praise Christ and God first, ourselves before we can receive "inspired" scripture.  Maybe a person should understand their own strength of faith before being handed a sword and shield, words bound between two covers, which are worthless without a faith which comes from within the individual.  People need to understand it isn't the Bible, Holy Water, or any Christian symbol which holds the demons at bay; it is the faith of God within the living vessel that accomplishes the feat.  When you strip a person of the accouterments of their religion, all they have left is what God gave them, to begin with - faith!

The problem I see with the logic of my idea is that people will flee in droves from the control of the church, which the church would frown upon.  I have found through life when you learn something on your own before you get the instruction manual; you tend to have a more critical eye on which accomplishes the task better, your way or someone else's.  It doesn't mean you can't learn something new, it simply allows you the freedom to make that choice if you see it benefits you and, in this case, God and your immortal soul.  God wants us to seek the truth because the truth will set us free; the church would rather we not, for the same reason.

This might sound, to some, like I'm also standing in judgment of this person and religion as a whole... and perhaps I am.  I have, after all, held with the notion that it takes one to know one, and I have never denied my own sins, hypocrisy, and other shortcomings. No one is perfect; we can but try in this life to do what we can with that which is given, in order to do something wonderful.

I will continue to try and scoop up those Christian who have fallen, for one reason or another, by the wayside of their faith.  Mine is a ministry to convince them to not give up on God.  I try to offer them another thought on faith so that, in their future, they might find their own spiritual path once again.  My faith lies in the belief that any personal relationship with God is better than no relationship at all.
If the Christian churches are going to drive some people away from their path to God, someone has to show them a detour so they don't get lost.  Got a map?

This is just a thought, my Sunday Thought, for August 28, 2016.  What are your thoughts?

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.

Lucy the Clown - a Minister?

Last year, I answered a call to try and reinvigorate our local medical center's chaplain program.  Phone calls and a luncheon to a page of local churches netted us two new ministers, one of whom was, literally, a clown.

"Lucy the Clown" showed up, after her indoctrination, in full clown regalia, pulling a wagon full of goodies, treats, and faux flowers.  Hers was a different kind of ministry, a Christian ministry of silly happiness and smiles; a "clown ministry."  There had been slight concern if the medical center would allow a clown to roam the halls and visit patients, but that concern was swept aside with a few common sense guidelines.

So, other than smiles, happiness, and good attitude, things medical science would be the first to agree are paramount to good healing, what else could Lucy bring to the table?  After a recent incident at the reception area, shortly after she began volunteering with us, Lucy the Clown sent the following message to the Human Relations department:

"I wanted to tell you a story that will brighten your busy day. I came around the corner by the reception desk, into the waiting room, and a little girl in a pink tutu came running up to me. We talked and I gave her a goodie and asked her if she wanted to give her mom a rose. She said yes and I let her pick it out. But, I told her that she had to tell her mom she loved her when she handed it to her, and she did. I went on my way and when I passed the desk again one of the ladies got up and came to tell me the rest of the story. 

After I'd left [the little girl] the mother came up to the desk and told the lady that her daughter is autistic and doesn't show emotion, and had never told her she loved her until today! The receptionist had tears in her eyes. I said to her, now who do you think did that? It wasn't me. Can you imagine what those three words meant to that mother? I can only say, only God!

-- Lucy the Clown!"

There will be much psychobabble about why a clown can bring emotion from an autistic child, and I'm sure we would all agree.  But, "Lucy" didn't have to come that day.  She didn't have to put on makeup, dress in a silly costume, and wander around in public.  She does this to answer a calling; she does this to make people smile; but, I think, most importantly, she does this to open a door to her faith for all to see and enjoy.  Does she succeed?  Did she have a positive effect on the child?  The mother? The receptionist at the front desk?  You be the judge.  Many of us follow our path with little knowledge of the good we do for others.  One mother has heard the benefit of a clown from the lips of her child.

As for me, I will continue to have faith that “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.”  I believe God works through me, through you, and through the desire of a clown to make people smile.  Bravo, Lucy!  Bravo!  

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 08212016: Are You Already Dead?

There's no such thing 

as help outside of your mind,

It's you against yourself, 

with your demons intertwined 

It's a battle, hard fought, 

but never to be won... 

Either way you end up losing 

when it's all said and done 

"Too late" came and passed 

and, of me, nothing more 

I wrote my own ending, 

and I shut my own door 

"Live your life to its fullest" 

that's what they all said, 

But what's the point in trying 

when you're already dead? 

-- Rolo, excerpt from his poem, "You're Already Dead"

"Always with the negative waves, Moriarty, always with the negative waves," a classic line from one of my favorite tongue-in-cheek movies about World War II, Kelly's Heroes (1970).  But, is Oddball right when he berates Moriarty for always having a life full of negativity?  What does it serve us, our friends and family, or society as a whole, to live our lives filled with negativity?  If your life is that crappy then, like Rolo says in his poem, what's the point in trying?  Isn't this really like living a life already dead?

Every morning, almost, I get up and send messages to my close Facebook friends and family sending my love and wishing happiness, and the best, for another day which God has created for all of us to enjoy and make the most of. Many of them wonder how I can wake up so early in the morning and be that chipper. My answer to them is coffee and, "What's the alternative?"

I really came to understand, after 60-plus years of existence, that whatever is causing your poor outlook on life is truly a result of your own poor choices.  You can cry over them or try to make life better by either making the poor consequences of those choices work for you, or make better choices.  These are lessons which show us our mistakes.  When we make mistakes we need to admit we're a dumbass, learn from the experience and laugh at ourselves, then move on with a brighter smile, knowing we have learned something new this day.  What is our alternative, to wallow in self-pity?   Shift the blame to another dumbass?  Not an option.  Our situation is of our own making even if the choice was to remain in a bad situation.

“I won't tell you that the world matters nothing, or the world's voice, or the voice of society. They matter a good deal. They matter far too much. But there are moments when one has to choose between living one's own life, fully, entirely, completely—or dragging out some false, shallow, degrading existence that the world in its hypocrisy demands. You have that moment now. Choose!”

-- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), poet, playwright, author

I have learned that each day, good or bad, is simply another chance to excel; to show God your thanks for another terrific day of life in paradise.  If you don't see this, it truly must suck being you.  Nothing in life should be as terrible as you have made it, and it is you who have made it.  Bad job?  Change it.  Bad relationship?  Change it.  Bad area to live in?  Change it.  The point is, if your life sucks, change it, but for heaven's sake stop moaning and complaining, and wallowing in self-pity for bad choices you have made and feel content to live with instead of changing your circumstances.  The rest of us just don't need to constantly be subjected to your negativity.

Now, this sounds cold and heartless but, it isn't.  It is what anyone who really loves you should be saying to you and what you should be listening to instead of being perpetually miserable when you don't have to be.  If the people you think are your friends aren't saying this to you, maybe you should consider this part of your larger problem; find friends who care enough about you to tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not.

Oddball:  Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?

Moriarty:  Crap!

-- Kelly's Heroes (1970)

 Having said all this, I will have to admit, there are times when events and emotions overtake even our best attempts at putting on a good face.  On occasion I have looked to the heavens and simply exclaimed, "Oh, crap!"  It is what you do after the exclamation which matters most.  For myself, I shake my head and smile, and then I go get a broom to clean up the mess.  So it is in life; you must learn to laugh at yourself in the direst of circumstances, and then get over it.  

One last note - I have also learned to look at people in an entirely new light, not relying simply on their outer beauty to define their inner self.  I still find myself stealing a glance at an attractive woman, but then, it evidences for me that I am not already dead.  The question still remains, "Are you?"

One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.

-- Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), former First Lady

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.

Salvation Isn't Rocket Science

Maybe Peter Pan was saying anything that came into his head because he couldn't fathom any child not having an imagination. To him it was as simple as, well, going there. I think Jesus felt the same way. Where is heaven? Don't over think it, "Second star to the right, and straight on till morning."

-- Tony Villari, The Path: "Second Star to the Right"

"No man comes to my Father but by me alone.”  Saith the Word in John 14:6, and yet, Christians, seemingly in contradiction, would seemingly be anchored to this scripture, their church elders or clergy, and the church itself.  Let's try to clarify this my way:  "...but by me alone."  This "Word" seems pretty clear and self-explanatory; there will be no overly interpreted scripture, no clergy, and no building (re: church) with overpriced statuary, stained glass windows, state of the art sound system and parking for 2000, and no filling the coffers (re: tithing) to pay the tab for any of it.  None of this will buy you salvation.  Salvation isn't this difficult, but these coffers of mainstream religion would dry up and the franchise managers (re: clergy) would be out of a job if people didn't believe they needed some other sinner (re: clergy... again) to intercede on their behalf.

Weren't our hearts and minds supposed to be filled with the holy spirit of the Word, so we wouldn't forget, or find the need to misinterpret, what was written; we were supposed to forever know God's law and we weren't supposed to require any assistance, other than parental, to understand what was expected of us.  God's law wasn't that difficult, it was based on good sense:  Do only good and worship your God.  Okay... define "good" and "worship."  By "define," of course, we mean to interpret?  And, thus, it begins again.

God gave us ten clues to guide us, ten "commandments" to follow, only ten.  How hard was this?  Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and Caesar has given us multiple interpretations killing of one's fellow man and coveting another's wife.  Is it felony theft or just shoplifting?  White, or blue-collar crime?  Do we honor our father and mother if they've run out and left the children in State care?  Yadda, yadda, yadda.  This confusion isn't God's fault.  God gave us the tools, on multiple occasions, to understand the simplicity of His Word, we are just really that dense, and so is Caesar.  God gave us 10 (ten) Commandments and, like the perpetually annoying creatures we are, we elaborated them into a 1500 page tome full of fine print which even folks with 20/20 vision need reading glasses to see.

Do you really want to know how to be good enough for your own salvation?  Don't be bad.  The Qur'an is about 500 pages, the Bible about 1400, and Hebrew writings I suppose would depend on which one.  The length of any Abrahamic scripture depends on versions and format.  But, what can man glean from these 2000 some odd combined pages of scripture?  Don't be bad.  Love your neighbor, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and give praise to your God.  Any interpretation is simply an attempt to say God made a mistake by not making it clear enough for the least of us to understand when, in fact, the least of us were the most important audience.  God makes mistakes?  I always look for lightening when someone intimates this, and I also take several steps away from the speaker, just in case.

What would we do without the written Word?  We could try having faith.  We might even try talking to God like God is actually our constantly guiding, ever tolerant, loving parent and disciplinarian; our omnipotent Father.  Use a little logic along with me, and ask yourself why a loving, omnipotent, force would make it so difficult for a simple people to understand otherwise simple instructions, that many followers would rather die the death of a thousand cuts than try to understand and fail due to a bad interpretation.  Wouldn't ten simple rules make much more sense?  And, wouldn't giving those rules the solid foundation based on loving others, loving God, and having faith seem more reasonable than basing them on 1900 pages, or more, of combine scripture opened to endless misinterpretation by faulty, flawed, egotistical, controlling humans?  

It's enough to make one's head explode.  The only way this kind of constant interpretation makes any sense is in government, where pages of rules and regulations are all part of dazzling us with bullshit to ensure control and obedience of the citizenry.  But God does not want this for us.  God, from the very beginning, gave us freedom of choice.  We can choose salvation, or we can choose not.  We can choose everlasting life, or we can choose not.  We can choose paradise, well... you get my drift.  You have the choice of good or evil, right or wrong.  How difficult can this be, and how difficult do you honestly think it was meant to be?  

We build beautiful cathedrals while the poor starve, and we dress up in our Sunday best so we can go to worship, and yet, according to Christianity's own "Holy" Scripture, Matthew 6:5-6, in particular, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."  Is it disheartening for the faithful when they realize their revered righteous, seem to knowingly practice hypocrisy?  And, if they don't know... well, why don't they?  Is it another case of "do as I say, not as I do" by the clergy elite?  I think a church shouldn't be construed as a place of worship but, rather, as a place of fellowship on the Sabbath.

I prefer to have faith in my loving God that made salvation an easy path.  I prefer to have faith that salvation is not, nor was ever meant to be, rocket science.  Whether you follow the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, or the Ten Commandments of Christianity, the guidelines are basically the same and, well, pretty basic.  Salvation was never intended to be hard to attain, the difficulty was always within us.  We make it as hard as we want it to be, not God.  We can damn ourselves, not God.  If we fail we have only ourselves to blame, not God.  The easy tasks are those which truly separate the wheat from the chaff and the faithful from the not.

As in The Gospel of Thomas, I believe Jesus put us all to a test of faith, "Whoever finds the meaning of these words will not taste death."  And, since the time of Christ we have been struggling to see the forest for the trees.  What we seek is, and always has been, right in front of our eyes.  We have but to open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, and open our mouths to ask.  The truth has always been laid out before us.  It really isn't as hard as they would make you believe.  Have a little faith.

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 08142016: Faces in My Darkness

people I am unsure of, 

shake my hand and welcome me,

a long line of friendly greeters, 

and my head can't make sense of it all,

then the colours fade away 

and hands are withdrawn,

the procession of strangers, 

becomes a sea of cold callous creatures,

judging me and laughing at me behind my back,

now the lights are dimmed, 

I only see the shadowy silhouettes of the crowd

and in the darkness,

faces appear sinister and inhuman,

mouths full of jagged teeth, 

wearing malicious smirks,

a coldness comes over this place,

just me, 

the dark

and these creatures of cold indifference.

-- Faces in the Dark (2nd stanza), by Oliver Gould

A word to the wise... I was feeling exceptionally verbose during the writing of this post.  It ended up being about as close to a rant as I wanted to come for an article that wasn't intended to contain attitude.  Those who follow my blog will recognize my style of taking off on a tangent before coming back on topic.  I may have done this, a few times, here.  In lieu of rewriting it I have elected to leave it stand as what it is, an insight into the darkness, those issues which visit my mind, and perhaps yours as well, from time to time.  Constructive comments are, as usual, always welcomed.

Welcome to Anywhere, USA, where we, for the most part, seem to have become the cold, callous, creatures of nightmares.  Morality is defined for us by hypocrites we find orating behind pulpits while turning their backs on the least of us and encouraging those same "least of us" to follow their lead.  These are the sinister creatures which haunt many of us as we struggle to find our path or, having found it, force us to keep our eyes to the ground for fear of what we might experience should we dare pay attention to the reality of our daily lives.  These are the faces in my darkness.

Which one is Tony?  How would you know me among these others?  What would set me apart if we all looked the same?  Is one of the faces simply a reflection of me looking back from my own personal hell?  If so, I will know me from the arm which reaches forward and presents a finger to softly wipe a tear away.  How will others recognize me as one of these faceless demons?  Look for the one who comes forward, the one placing itself between you and the others of its kind. Look for the offering of a hand, reaching out to softly caress your cheek. They will know me when they see the tear run from one of the dark, seemingly sightless, eye sockets; pitch black holes which suck in all light and, by extension, everything which can be seen.  Perhaps I should focus on the more important question, "Why am I there amongst them?"

   

I don't profess to be any better or worse than others. Christ came as a man, not as a God. He was one of us, not above us. I think his message to us is, you cannot affect change from outside the box, only from within will one find the knowledge they seek to make a difference.  We cannot pick and choose the box as it will find us and we will be called into it for our full measure.  In the darkness many called will be found wanting in faith.

I look around my box, late at night or at two in the morning, and I'm not frightened anymore.  The demons which haunt my thoughts are of my own making.  They are the friends I let down and people I've treated poorly, gone now but so not forgotten.  They're familiar aircrews I may have briefed that later died on mission.  They are the soldiers inhabiting flag draped caskets, lined up in some airfield warehouse on a foreign parking ramp, begging my salute and waiting for a flight home.  They represent the ghosts of memories begging an answer to the question, "Why?"

Deeper in the darkness come the moans, whines, and other unintelligible noises of the truly evil; those ministers of religious piety that feed off parishioners and see faith as a business to line their greedy pockets or boost their own lack of substantive self with an ego based on bullshit. They preach scripture which they then ignore as if the book were little more than a door stop, yet they thrust it out before them as if it were a sword or shield not realizing their lack of true faith renders the book as impotent as waggling a bun length wiener in the face of Satan. They easily pass judgment on the actions of others while their own lives are less than laudable.

A young minister recently wrote me the following concerning another an older minister who spreads not very endearing stories about her.  Her tolerance of him is as solid as her conclusion, shown below.  The fact that his congregation buys into his actions evidences, to me, that they are, indeed, sheep in need of a better shepherd.  Inaction in the face of sin simply makes one complicit in sin.  Followers will stand, or fall, with their leader, like Reverend Jim Jones and his "Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church."  As with his congregation, brainwashed followers will drink the cyanide laced punch and rush off the cliff of oblivion, like lemmings to their death,  alongside their insane, sociopathic, "ministers."  Rumor has it, Christ would take issue with this.  Gee, ya think?

“When my head is down, does not mean I am asleep because, really, I am paying more attention than ever, not just to one thing but to all. For me it's like letting my spiritual eyes look around me so I see more and I hear more. To see me with my head down, many jump to the conclusion of sleeping, and judgement is placed, when the truth is not in that but far from it. 

Our eyes of the flesh see many things, but we must be careful, because it's dangerous ground. Those eyes will fool you; they cause judgement and false witness, so be careful. What you see is not always what you see, then if you go talk about someone, or something they do, or you think you see them do, be careful. You could be false witnessing, lying, and causing division without even knowing it. 

Be careful, children of God, the devil’s out to kill steal and destroy, and yes he's sneaky, but be careful. Watch what you say, hear, or do.”

Clergy hold the book up and quote from verse, yet few of these "men of the cloth" comprehend the truth of scripture.  The Bible is just a book; a tangible creation of man which we all assume is based on the Word of God.  But what if scripture didn't exist?  What if a group like the Nazis had been able to destroy all religious texts?  What then?  Perhaps we would discover the meaning of true faith.

We have followed the lead of our clergy for over two millennia.  We have forgiven them countless transgressions of faith which they have seen fit to damn us with; the Crusades, Inquisition, and that little bit of unpleasantness in Salem.  The basis for all of these can plainly be found in scripture, right?  Yet, we all seem to continue our weekly sojourns to worship at the behest of these very same churches and clergy.  I say we have to pause and ask ourselves, "Why?"  Are they truly doing God's work, or are they doing their own?  If they aren't practicing what they preach outside of church, how can they be preaching to the masses inside? Where is their credibility, and why don't we care?  

Our actions are a reflection of our soul, and no matter how much paint you throw on an evil wall, it is still just an evil, painted, wall.  And, even if you can't see the evil in the wall, those who experienced it will always remember the evil wall. It exists, somewhere, under all that paint.  Better to tear down the evil wall and rebuild a beautiful new one.  We will, all of us, have to answer for following false prophets, with personal agendas, disguised as clergy.

We have become programmed to believe all the bullshit we are spoon-fed and to question none of it.  All one has to do is look at the state of the world around us in order to see our new nightmares.

We have become so hypnotized by the constant drone of the media buzz to the point that our leaders could shoot someone on national television, in full view of the entire nation, and their blinded followers would deny they did it with such vehemence even the courts would question their own eyes and shy away from the case.

Our next door neighbors are probable terrorists allowed to cross into this country along with thousands of unvetted, albeit law abiding, refugees; our leaders constantly lie about the lies they told about lying and feed off of our ignorance and gullibility, hoping we're too stupid to keep up with their tap dance; these are the same leaders that allow illegal aliens, convicted of murder and other felonies, to be released back into our society so they can continue their unchecked lifestyle of rape, murder, and theft while minority policeman are being murdered by minority criminals who have it out for white policemen due to the phrase "black lives matter."   "Black Lives Matter" seems to have become the catalyst  and rallying cry for the anarchists, the lunatic fringe, and the likes of "Reverend" Al Sharpton, who all use it to further enflame disenchanted black citizens to burn down their own minority neighborhoods with a "Christian" zeal mankind hasn't experienced for centuries and then blame it on someone other than themselves, seemingly all because of a slavery most of us weren't around for, and most of them never experienced.

All of this is enough to make your head explode.  Is it any wonder I'm purchasing yet another firearm for home security?  Is there inequality in this country?  Sure there is.  It affects women, races, sexual orientation, religious belief, and basically everything else the Equal Rights Amendment was supposed to solve.  More work definitely has to be done on behalf of all of us, so... get over yourself and try helping instead of making things so much worse.  That darkness we see faces in?  We are slipping further into it everyday due to our selfish attitudes toward one another.

We kill our children the moment prior to birth as if it really sidesteps the sin of murder in the eyes of God, and what babies do survive we send into war as babies, to die as babies, anyway.  We are a society at war with our own children before they are even born.

These are the dead or dying faces in your own darkness which should haunt you, as well; the faceless millions of children, our dead or dying legacy of failure.  If we haven't condoned their outright slaughter, as parents we no longer raise them to be responsible, productive adults in our society, the State does.  We no longer educate our children to be intelligent and think for themselves, the State does... which is why they point to Texas when asked where Russia is on the map.  Our children have become orphans with family.

We no longer have to worry about our salvation; our ministers handle that... if they can find the time when they aren't running the business of their church.  Everyone, including clergy, forgets that you can't be thrown a life preserver when it comes to life or salvation; you need to learn to swim.  This is why we were told, in this same scripture, not to go to church but, rather, to pray silently and in the privacy of our own room, and to be mature, productive members of society.  

Is there any wonder we are haunted by faceless beings suffering for their own sins of which they would visit upon the rest of us?  Be aware they exist, and rise above them, these faces in the dark.  Our path should take us far from hypocrites in denial, but there are times we cannot avoid the inevitable.  We find it necessary to climb down into their pit in order to sort them out, the wheat from the chaff, the innocent lost who follow self-righteous leaders more lost than they.  We must keep our eye on the ball, on the light, stay for those who might be saved and try not to stress over having to leave those we cannot.  It was never in our control to do so.  Grab who we can and count our blessings; try to put the rest behind us and pay attention to the glory along the road ahead.  

It is all we can do for the faces in our darkness.

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.

Touch

"Many people are alive but don't touch the miracle of being alive." 

-- Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, lecturer, poet

Our path begins at life, our journey, begins with a single touch.  For most of us it will be in the gentle touch of our mother, for others in the kindness shown by a stranger.  Is it the simple act of reaching out to something or someone?  Is it about how we reach out and the emotion we put into the act?  Is it how we interpret touching?  I think one thing is certain, we are all "touched" in one way or another; we can only hope it is for the better.

I was impressed by a Catholic priest, recently, who came to the medical center for a "Blessing of the Hands" of the medical staff and volunteers.  He was all of five foot nothing with the thick African accent of his homeland.  I am not big on Catholic priests, an unfortunate opinion formed from a couple of years in Catholic grade school, Catechism, and catching the tail end of the Latin language in Mass.  You haven't experience Mass as a Catholic until you have to sit through the long, boring ceremony listening to it from an older than Christ priest speaking in Latin with a heavy Irish brogue.  Just shoot me now.

“Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone's hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.”

-- Vera Nazarian, author

This priest, however, was something different.  This small man had a toothy smile which lit up the hospital foyer as he entered.  He shook my hand with both of his, and made everyone he touched feel special... just for being alive.  The emotion he displayed when speaking about doctors, nurses, and the volunteers was palpable.  Yes, it was his persona, but it was also his touch.  It was as if his small frame was charged with a palpable, spiritual calm; a subtle, peaceful energy of love for mankind I have never had the joy of experiencing before.  If this was a representative of Christ on earth, I can only imagine the aura of Christ Himself.  How absolutely marvelous this must have been.

The great lecturer, and academician, Dr. Leo Buscaglia, was capable of making one feel love and life through his energetic presentations.  He would wear me out just watching him speak, and does so today, years after his death, as I continue to enjoy his many lectures online.  Perspiring from the intensity of his lecture, he was constantly wiping his brow and face with a handkerchief.  I was so riveted by his lecture I would find myself having to wipe my own brow and eyes, as if listening had become an energetic activity and I was trying to keep up.  His was a proof that words also have the ability to touch others.  It was proof that, for many of us, you can truly have faith in something you cannot feel or touch.  Leo had the gift, the ability to reach inside of us and flick on that switch so many of us could not see.  

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

-- Leo Buscaglia

How do we "touch the miracle of being alive" or, if we even know, explain it to others?  I think the concept would be like explaining why we lie to people who know concept of anything other than truth, or trying to explain God when we have never been in the presence of God.  I think the Buddhists touch on it when they try to explain the Tao:

Within the context of traditional Chinese philosophy and religion, the Tao is the intuitive knowing of "life" that cannot be grasped full-heartedly as just a concept but is known nonetheless through actual living experience of one's everyday being.

Laozi in the Tao Te Ching explains that the Tao is not a 'name' for a 'thing' but the underlying natural order of the Universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe due to it being non conceptual yet evident' in one's being of aliveness. The Tao is "eternally nameless” and to be distinguished from the countless 'named' things which are considered to be its manifestations, the reality of life before its descriptions of it.

-- Wikipedia, "Tao"

Even in their own philosophy they fully admit explaining the Tao is an exercise in describing the indescribable, and even if it could be done you would have not described it.  As Christians we learn, like the Taoist we must be "free of desire" in order to observe the wonders of God, because if we are full of desire we will only see the manifestations of those wonders.  I see this as why many Christians focus so much on the word of scripture instead of the spirit which manifested it.  I think there comes a point when we cross the fine line between looking upon the Bible as Holy Scripture, or as idolatry on par with God.

The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao

The name that can be named is not the eternal name

The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth

The named is the mother of myriad things 

Thus, constantly free of desire

One observes its wonders

Constantly filled with desire

One observes its manifestations 

These two emerge together but differ in name

The unity is said to be the mystery

Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders

-- Laozi (??? - 531 BC), "Tao Te Ching"

 As humans we live for the touch of other humans.  Barring that, we live for the touch of another living creature.  Even a loner appreciates the occasional time with others, even if those others are creatures of the woodland.  Our lives revolve around touch, or being touched, whether it is physically or mentally.  We can be touched by what we hear as well as what we see, and can touch others by what we say and what we do.  As spiritual beings we overcome our fears through faith, and our desire to stand back by our overwhelming need to help our neighbor.  It is who we are; touching, hands on, a part of God's creation.  To be anything else would weigh heavily on our conscience, no matter our excuse.  

I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn't touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God.

-- Mother Teresa

We exist, and by existing we touch, and by touching we become, for better or worse, a part of what was, is now, and what will be.

In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.

-- Leonardo da Vinci

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.