Revisiting: 'Friends along Our Path'

Since June of 2013, this is the post which has garnered the most readership, and the reasons seem obvious - it resonates.  The poetry resonates with those of us who search for meaning, want companionship and, yet, want to travel our own path.  The poem has had accolades from those suffering from PTSD at the medical center at which I am the lead Chaplain.  Who we allow into our life has some bearing on the direction of lives take.  Do they steer us, do they follow us, or are they content to keep us company and be our friends?  And, for those who have allowed us to be close, what do offer in return?

These companions are the friends we meet along our path.  Whether they are an ex-spouse, estranged parent, people who agree with us, or those who don't, they are to be cherished and remembered, loved while here and remembered when gone.  Good people or bad, they donate an impetus of change to mold who we were, are now, and who will become.

I can only hope this post has been a positive "impetus of change" for the hundreds of people who stopped by to read it.  I find myself humbled when I think so many have found my writing worthy of attention.  As always, I welcome any constructive comments my readers wish to leave either by email, or publically by using the comment section located at the bottom of the post.

Without further bloviating, I invite you to revisit, Friends along Our Path.

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The Path

This is my path.

It is not your path, it is mine.

Good or bad, it is my path.

I must travel it alone.

That is your path.

It is not mine or theirs, it is yours.

Good or bad, it is your path.

You must travel it alone.

At time our paths might intersect

Or, run parallel for a while.

We will visit, laugh, and cry.

Exchange experiences and offer advice.

At some point we may part

Perhaps to join up again

As our destination is the same

And our journey is long.

I wish for you a smooth path,

And a long, interesting, journey

Full of emotion and life,

Family and friends.

We will not arrive together,

Though our destination is the same,

But, I will wait for you, my friend

As I know you will wait for me.

I have received several requests to reprint this piece of poetry.  I used to write poetry back in the late 1970s then abandoned the habit after accumulating a "book" of it which was much too personally insightful.  Needless to say, I shredded it along with my office's past week's classified message traffic.  I have tried to start again, but the poetic muse is a shadowy phantom which seems loath to manifest itself the older I get.  Every now and then, however, my heart still overcomes my lack of material, or a special someone will spark the tinder.

Poetry, like art, is a matter of taste.  To the poet, like the artist, they are trying to communicate as much to themselves as to others.  To the academic community, poetry is defined so few can understand it:

Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language—such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre—to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning.

Poetry uses forms and conventions to suggest differential interpretation to words, or to evoke emotive responses. Devices such as assonance, alliteration,onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects. The use of ambiguity, symbolism, irony and other stylistic elements of poetic diction often leaves a poem open to multiple interpretations. Similarly figures of speech such as metaphor, simile and metonymy create a resonance between otherwise disparate images—a layering of meanings, forming connections previously not perceived. Kindred forms of resonance may exist, between individual verses, in their patterns of rhyme or rhythm.

-- Wikipedia, "Poetry"

Well, this definition really makes me want to immediately run out to Barnes & Noble for some interesting poetry to read. This definition gives some credence to Socrates who once said, "I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean."  I think we all have a general idea what poetry is.  If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.

Have you ever wondered why we remember only snippets of famous poems?  

More than five or six quatrains, the four line stanzas, is about all I can stomach, much less try to remember.  At time it seems better to just remember the "meat" of the poetry than to drown in the carbohydrates, the substance?  I think this is probably the way most of us think, and why we latch onto the most meaningful verse, as in Robert Burns' poem, A Red, Red Rose: 

O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.

Those of us that actually received a quality education will remember this piece, but can we remember the rest of it?  It isn't all that long, as poems go, yet the entirety escapes many of us.  In this way, I think poetry truly reflects our lives as we travel our path.  We remember the interesting meat of it, but the fluff seems to fall by the wayside.  When it comes to people, however, we seem to be less discerning.

Which would you be more apt to remember, the cute little girl, the loyal friend, or the jackass?  The truth is, anyone we meet can be a friend along our path as long as we are willing to treat them as we would want to be treated.  With enough tolerance, love, and understanding, even the jackass among us can be seen as a worthy friend and might even find a gentler path for themselves due to our ministries.  But, many of whom we meet are destined for the fluff pile because we just don't seem to have the time, or won't make the time, to make them a cherished memory, a part of our life and our journey.

I will go out this Sunday and make a conscious effort to meet someone new.  With any luck they might shake up my inner poetic self, but the real gift will be the memory of meeting them, and so many others, along the journey.  

The challenge for each of us is to make the time.  It takes such little effort to try it.  Make the effort, for yourself, this Sunday.  As a matter of fact, try making the effort daily to make a new acquaintance.  Whether they become a friend or not, your life will be all the richer for having known them, and for you having made the effort theirs may be richer as well.

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 learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

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

My Sunday Thought for 060417: No Other Gods

"Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil;

and now, he might stretch out his hand, 

and take also from the tree of life, 

and eat, and live forever."

-- Genesis 3:22

Those in the congregation, who follow The Path, know my opinion of scripture and how much I love to quote those passages which cause clergy to bristle.  These would be any passage or contradiction which threatens the mind control organized religion maintains over their flock.  These interpretations are numerous for those of us not willing to belly up to the Kool Aid bar for cyanide laced refreshments, or act like lemmings following clergy off a cliff, the precipice which overlooks our own personal purgatory.

The following might seem like a continuation of an earlier post, Consider, If You Will..., which was inspired by my friend Bill Folsom. In a way, it is. In another way, I hope it creates more questions than answers and, as usual, makes the reader think and consider possibilities which are hidden somewhere out in left field, in the dark recesses of thought which our faith shies away from.

With this in mind, please enjoy the following humble offering, with my sincere thanks for giving up a moment of your time to do so.

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Genesis 1:26 states, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness," which not only bodes the question of who God was talking to, but why God would be so concerned when man became all he could be, or all that God must have intended, as stated in Genesis 1:27, "in His own image."  Yet there certainly seems to be concern of overreach, of an experiment gone too far, or not well thought out.  Since we've been taught God doesn't make mistakes, I have to ask, when does God's perfection garner concern?  For the omnipotent, perfect being, to realize a mistake, might be concerning, but the fruition of a perfect plan?  So, which is it?  Inquiring minds want to know, and wanting to know, knowledge, would seem to be the path we were put on from the very beginning.

"...the man has become like one of Us," is the first hint we have that God is not alone.  Is this declaration of God, set out in Genesis 3:22, confirmation of a successful experiment or the affirmation of its failure?  Was it intended that we become as gods, or did the omnipotent gods make a mistake?  God commanded that Adam and Eve not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as though telling a child not to do something isn't temptation enough.  Yet nowhere is it written they shouldn't "take also from the tree of life, and live forever," and yet it would seem God feared this transgression as well. 

There is much discussion of what was meant by God's statement, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness," but it seems to be well clarified in Genesis 5:3, "And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image..."  The statements, at this point, stand on their own merit as evidence that God intended us to be in His own image and likeness, just as any parent intends for their child.

So, let's get this story straight, because it verily reeks of heresy (or hearsay, for those Gentiles who fear excommunication).  We have a bunch of scientists (re: gods) who are attempting to enhance the aboriginal gene pool and, oops, make a mistake, probably not the first, while creating what they hope will be the perfect "righteous" life form.  It could be that one of the scientists (let's call him Satan) willfully violated a prime protocol.  The experiment having failed, and being adverse to murdering life, the other scientist open the entrance to the laboratory (Eden) and banish Adam and Eve to fend for themselves.  The offending scientist, and those few which support his views, are also banished from the Kingdom of Heaven, never to work at Eden Laboratories ever again.

"The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled."

-- Genesis 6:6

I offered that this is "probably not the first" mistake the scientists have made, because Cain, Adam's son, kills his brother Abel and "went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.  And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch.  And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son - Enoch."  It would seem not only were Adam and Eve not the first human life forms, but there were actually enough humans to populate a city which Cain felt worth building.  One might argue, if you build it they will come.  I think he built it because - they were already there.  Could it be, the knowledge which Cain's genetic structure now possessed was the impetus which allowed him to build the city, perhaps the first city man had ever conceived?  So it might be these people were either all failed attempts, or the "gods" were enhancing existing genetic material, already available on the planet, from lesser humanoids.

Regardless of our gullibility level, the question of multiple gods remains through scripture's own evidence.  Clergy is quick to interpret these stories in way which make little sense to anyone with a brain to reason.  History has forgotten God's wife, so why not attempt to erase knowledge of any other lesser gods?  It would be one way of ensuring any message or instruction passed down to us from on high is single source maintains clarity and uniformity in order to mitigate ambiguity which occurs when a message is passed through multiple sources.  If anyone wants an example, one simply has to look at media and news reporting, which can be more opinion than news, slanted to meet a particular political agenda instead of simply stating the truth per the facts as known.  In order to ensure this uniformity, God finally sends down an edict:

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me..."

-- Exodus 20:3-5

When God handed down the Ten Commandments to Moses, God began the commandments, as stated in Exodus 20:2-3, with: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”  This Commandment is the foundation for the next nine and, in particular, the first four which are summarized in Deuteronomy 6:5 as: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Agreeing with this summation, we read in Matthew 22:37-38: "Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."  One can but see the Creator's insistence that man will only seek answers and instructions from a single source, dictating loyalty and love to the same, and making all of this rule number one.

Do we violate the "no other gods" edict, this first and most holy of commandments, by making for ourselves "a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above" when we worship before an image of a crucified Jesus Christ?  I would have to say yes, but what else is new?  We read scripture and excuse our violations of it constantly.  We excuse it by our lack of understanding of everything Jesus told us while he was here on earth.  Most of this misunderstanding comes to us from ministers who spread these misunderstandings, these misinterpretations like so much cyanide laced Kool Aid.

"I love the good in all the religions and respect people's religious beliefs. But, I'm more a spiritual being rather than religious. I just have one god who has no religion. My spiritual journey has faith, discipline, courage, devotion and patience. Though I don't see the entire path, I keep putting one foot in front of the other. I fall, but I rise. I'll keep rising until I finally meet my destination."

-- Chanda Kaushik, writer, philosopher

Does this make my interpretation right?  No.  It simply evidences that I think for myself and choose to find God through my own interpretation of scripture.  I feel that we have all been set, our own path, on a path to find the great truth.  I also feel it is necessary to discover yourself, your own truth, before you can discover anything greater than yourself.  We have, indeed, become like gods, knowing of good and evil; and now, we stretch out our hand to search for the tree of everlasting life.  It was written into our genetic structure, whether by accident or design, and it is our destiny.  Personally, I think this one God is trying to show us the way, perhaps to correct a mistake or, just maybe, to show us how to become all we were intended to be.  

Maybe we should listen to Him?

"God is another name for human intelligence raised above all error and imperfection, and extended to all possible truth.

-- William Ellery Channing (1780-1842), Unitarian theologian

Is there only one God, one omnipotent and ever present deity?  Can we honestly give a name to a being we have been told has always existed and will exist forever more?  If so, how sad it must be to live a curse of forever, an eternity of being alone.  It makes me hope God does have companions, lesser gods and angels, with abilities on par with those powers which God wields to create such beauty and banish such evil in our world and the universe.  When it comes right down to it, no matter what your beliefs on God, perhaps simply living a peaceful, righteous life is all one can ask of themselves. Perhaps if we raise ourselves above all error and imperfection, we will, one day, discover the ultimate truth and, finally, understand the answer.

Until we can find the knowledge and discipline to accomplish becoming more than we currently are, we will continue chasing our tail and wondering what to do if we ever catch it.

Woof!

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 learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

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

The Repetitious Faults of Self

Chapters of My Life

Chapter 1:  I walked down the sidewalk and fell into a deep hole.  I couldn't get out and I couldn't figure out why.  It wasn't my fault.  It took a long time to get out.

Chapter 2:  I walked down the sidewalk and fell into the same hole again.  I couldn't understand.  It wasn't my fault.  I really had to struggle to get out.

Chapter 3:  I walked down the sidewalk and fell into the same hole again.  This time I understood why, and it was my fault.  This time it was easier to get out.

Chapter 4:  I walked down the sidewalk and saw the same big hole.  I walked around it.  I didn't fall into that hole.

Chapter 5:  I chose another sidewalk.

-- Portia Nelson, writer

A social worker at the medical center dropped by the chaplain's office and thought I might find Portia Nelson's The Chapters of My Life of interest.  I read it and laughed.  I told her that it was, obviously, incomplete.  Portia, like many of us, would seem to be either thick as a brick... or blind.  It took her falling in the same hole three times to finally realize she was a dumbass and would be better served walking around said hole.  And then, when she finally learns the lesson, she chooses a new sidewalk for which, we can only assume, she doesn't know the location of any holes she has already shown a propensity for falling into.  I suppose the good news would be, should she fall into another hole, she will continue to recognize her propensity and, hopefully, start keeping her eyes on the path ahead of her.  

Her issue would seem to be the risk of "falling" victim to her own repetitious faults of self and, for those intelligent among us, we can mitigate this risk of repeating our faults by our acknowledgment that we, alone, are responsible for them.  But, if you haven't learned how to use a compass to show you the direction on your current path, why would you consider risking the dangers of an unknown path or blazing a new one through the wilderness?  In the case above, after three falls into the hole, I would certainly wait until day eight or nine, until I proved I could sidestep the hole at least three more times... in a row, before I felt confident enough to claim the ability of good sense and feel safe changing sidewalks.  Just saying.

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 learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

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

My Sunday Thought for 052817: Poverty - A Lack of Faith?

"To me, it's broken people."

-- Mayor Ivy Taylor

When San Antonio Mayor, Ivy Taylor, was asked what she saw as the deepest, systemic causes of generational poverty in her city, she answered, "To me, it’s broken people. People not being in relationships with their creator and therefore not being in good relationship with their families and their communities and not being productive members of society.” Mayor Taylor is a born again Christian and, in my humble opinion, grammar check notwithstanding, she is also wrong.  After all, wasn't 2017 presidential candidate Ben Carson raised in a poor family, mother working as a domestic, and with an estranged father?  He was brought up Christian and became a missionary doctor for a time before becoming one of the world's most noted brain surgeons.  Was being poor the cause of him being broken, or his mother, who worked several jobs to support the family alone?  I think not.

Mayor Taylor isn't necessarily wrong in her premise, I sure that a percentage of society are, in fact, not in relationships with their creator and, therefore, not in good relationships with their families and their communities.  But just because people are "broken" it does not necessarily follow that they are godless.  Many times circumstances overwhelm the best of us regardless of our attempts to hold back the consequences befalling us.  I would ask if she seriously thinks people live in their car with two or three kids because they choose to.  Again, I think not.  I invite you to follow this link, Texas Mayor Says Poverty Caused by Lack of Faith in God, and read the article for yourself.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

-- 1 Timothy 6:9-10

When I would feed the homeless in Olympia, I asked many of them what their circumstances were, what brought them to this point, and why they find it hard to do better.  These were people who lost jobs, and then their homes and cars, to finally find they are living off the charity of others and trying to get ahead against the rules of a society which makes returning to profitability difficult at best.  These were people who lost their way, forgot what was important in life, or simply got screwed by their employer or their country's litigiousness.  These were people who fed their children first, ensured they washed their hands, and asked the lord for help prior to breaking bread.  The truly aged, sick and lost, the truly broken, would join hands in prayer and thanks, blessing those who were feeding them, their fellow homeless, and those no longer with.  Many of them were down but, with their faith in God, trying hard not to be counted out.  The great majority didn't want to be poor, had fallen on hard times, but certainly had not lost their faith.

"Unlike their wealthier counterparts, low- and middle-income Americans — those who made less than $100,000 — gave 5% more in 2012 than in 2006, the Chronicle found. The poorest Americans — those who took home $25,000 or less — increased their giving by nearly 17%."

-- Katia Savchuk, FORBES

Now that I'm in Mississippi, I am learning my new home is steeped in religious faith, one of the poorest states in the union, and also the most charitable when one compares median income to charitable contributions, more evidence that poverty and low income not only bring the poor closer to God, but make them thankful and willing to assist others less fortunate.  To the point, I simply see no overwhelming evidence that poverty causes, for the great majority of poor, a lack of faith in God.

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life”

-- 1 Timothy 6:18-19

The Bible teaches us that the wealthy have an important place in God's greater plan.  Unfortunately, many of the wealthy rely on others to distribute funds to the poor, assuming that this "tithing" will purchase their spot in the kingdom.  Mere money and wealth has little effect on poverty.  Throwing money at the poor does as little to excite them to do better as it does to get one into heaven.  Truth be told, the simple act of giving money does less to make one's conscience feel better than getting one's hands busy at a soup kitchen, finding where the real need is, and personally ensuring said need is covered.  In the 12th century, Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon), taught us, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."  Yet, we still throw fish at the poor hoping it will, in some small way, make a difference.  One would think the wealthy would be educated enough to realize finding out why we have poverty is the only true route to solving it. 

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

-- Mark 10:25

If poverty is to teach us anything, perhaps it would be that the poor rely too much on their faith and not enough on the doors which God opens for them.  They ask God to deliver them from their circumstances instead of thanking God for giving them the tools to deliver themselves from their lot.  Poverty teaches the rest of us that it is not the poor who are broken but, rather, the society which creates barriers to the poor being able to help themselves, and others from being able to lend them a hand without being sued into poverty ourselves if they injure themselves while doing odd jobs.  

What I found, of those homeless I talked with, was the poor and homeless were that way for several reasons.  They were too old or truly damaged, physically or mentally, to hold down employment or and responsibilities; they want to work, are skilled, but have no permanent address, phone, etc., so no one will consider them; they are single income, single parents, working two jobs and can't seem to get ahead; or, they get enough public assistance so they never have to work again.  The latter, by in large, live life in public assistance and teach their children so do the same.

"...we are all responsible for what happens to us. It is not where we come from but where we are going that is important. There are qualities that have greater bearing upon the fate or destiny of man, irrespective of his race, background or political creed. What are they? They are the simplest things in the world within reach of all. If these things were a secret I would understand but they are not and never have been. Without hard work, focus, discipline and resilience, everyone has an excuse to blame outside factors for the situation they find themselves in."

-- Sandile Memela

Since Christians believe in hard work as a way praise God and celebrate faith, I would think this latter group might be the ones Mayor Taylor was discussing, since they're belief and faith in God is questionable by their actions of leaching off of others simply because they can, not because they need to, and we might find few atheists in the group, as well.  Do they have a lack of faith?  Possibly, but they still have faith, albeit hypocritical.  Like radical Islam, they seem to use their misguided faith as an excuse to take advantage, slack off, and/or do evil, expecting absolution from God and a free pass simply because they go to church and sing hymns, or just have a Bible lying around the house.  I suppose Christianity should feel relief that heretics never interpreted our scripture to promise 72 virgins if we blow ourselves up in the killing of innocence, but then, neither does the Qur'an.  

Is it that the poor aren't faithful, or is it simply misguided faith, a lack of true faith, or a denial of how poor their faith is?  They may not have been taught the virtues of hard work, the praise of God, and how to be righteous, by two loving parents who should have been better role models.  But even this lack of instruction is just shifting blame from where it belongs.  Responsibility always comes back to the individual.

“You can't save people from themselves. You can only try to wake them up.”

-- Karen Marie Moning

True faith is not an excuse; it is an engine, gifted to all of us by God, at birth, to help us move forward through adversity.  Maybe the poor, of whom Mayor Taylor speaks, are just in need of a tune-up.  We need to stop giving them what they need and teach them how to work for it.  We need to stop giving them free stuff and teach them that what they get needs to be paid back in kind.  Nothing in this world is free, nor did Christ ever say it would be.  A lack of faith?  Maybe it's simply a lack of incentive to do better.

If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be.

-- Deuteronomy 15:7-8

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 learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

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

My Sunday Thought for 052117: Time Is on My Side

People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect,

but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint -

it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff.

-- Dr. Who

Personally, I have come to the conclusion that time only exist as a construct of the mind. It is created to give some context to our plane of existence, our reality. We find a need to put events, emotions, and the other "stuff" of life into the context of past, present, or future. We can mitigate, expand, or dwell upon the consequences of the past, but the past has happened and there is nothing we can do to change it. Each moment is our present, and the present is what we use to shape our future. We live each moment for the next and this is living in the now. The future, however, being what we make of it, is susceptible to change. Our future is shaped by those choices we make in the moment of the present. We can let a person drown or we can save them, either way we have effect on their reality and the reality of those around them. We create our past, live in our present, and plan our future. One might say they just let the future happen, but isn't that, in itself, a plan?

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."

-- Winnie The Pooh

Dwelling on the past has no purpose, whereas taking action on the past does.  In order for us to grow, in the future, this action must be positive and mitigate any negativity which may have occurred.  Finding the positive in all that happens is the way of not dwelling on the past.  Our history, our past, is but a lesson to assist us with the living in the present and creating a better future.  We can opt to do nothing, yet time will continue to move forward.  Our action or inaction, during the present, will determine how we perceive the speed of time in which we live from moment to moment.  The only way to change our perception of time is to be as nothing, to go to sleep, or to die.  Yet, even in sleep, do we not dream?  Even in death, do we not experience rebirth?  Time is a construct of the mind, yet it is with us always, or at least as long as we play into it.

“It doubtless seems highly paradoxical to assert that Time is unreal, and that all statements which involve its reality are erroneous. Such an assertion involves a far greater departure from the natural position of mankind than is involved in the assertion of the unreality of Space or of the unreality of Matter. So decisive a breach with that natural position is not to be lightly accepted. And yet in all ages the belief in the unreality of time has proved singularly attractive.”

-- J.M.E. McTaggart

Albert Einstein once stated, "Time is an illusion."  Our current perception of time, however, keeps it marching inexorably forward as anything but an illusion.  What if we change our perception?  What if we were to view time from a non-linear, non-subjective, viewpoint?  What if we were able to ignore the illusion and simply - be?  What would happen if we ignored our yesterdays, didn't worry about the issues of tomorrow over which we have little or no control, and simply lived to the fullest each moment of each day as it came? 

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

-- Mother Teresa 

Time is a human construct, an infinite ruler we use to measure a requirement.  The only way time becomes stress is when someone like an employer, a customer, or ourselves, levies a requirement for something to be accomplished in short order.  There is plenty of time to accomplish any task until someone decides otherwise, or you just plain don't want to do what you've been asked.  The employer is redefining time in this instance, and is applying stress to accomplish a task.  Your choice is to accept the redefinition of time for this duration, or tell the boss to learn better time management, and pull his head out of his ass.

“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”

-- Charles Darwin

Winnie the Pooh would advise you, "If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."  If you've chosen the "pull your head out of your ass" choice with your boss, you might as well start looking for a job at your local commune so you can while away your time making daisy chains because your boss, having no fluff in his ear, has heard every word. 

“Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.”

-- Lao Tzu

Is time a created thing, a construct of the human mind?  I believe so, but then, I've always been a bit off.  I have written much about time, about wasting it, making the most of it, and about understanding how to live between the ticks of a clock.  If there is no one to perceive the passage of time, does time still pass?  If a tree falls and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise?  Perhaps the fact that we construct a theory of time is all that is required to make time exist, for without a concept our minds would simply ignore the premise.  

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

-- Gandalf

It would seem our biggest problem is spending too much time in the past and the future, and not enough time in the now.  Perhaps if we understood the value of the moment we would be more apt to stay here longer.  We will move on though this life and into the next, and the next, and so on.  One day it will occur to us that time does not exist as we understand it, as we define it.  We can enjoy our present if we are in it, memories of time gone by if we remember them, and thoughts of moments yet to come if we know how to dream, because our mind creates our reality and the time in which we exist.  I rest easy in the knowledge that time is on my side.

“I sit beside the fire and think

Of all that I have seen

Of meadow flowers and butterflies

In summers that have been

Of yellow leaves and gossamer

In autumns that there were

With morning mist and silver sun

And wind upon my hair

I sit beside the fire and think

Of how the world will be

When winter comes without a spring

That I shall ever see

For still there are so many things

That I have never seen

In every wood in every spring

There is a different green

I sit beside the fire and think

Of people long ago

And people that will see a world

That I shall never know

But all the while I sit and think

Of times there were before

I listen for returning feet

And voices at the door”

-- J.R.R. Tolkien

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 learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

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

My Sunday Thought for 051417: The Ineffable Mystery

"The ultimate truth must remain an ineffable mystery."

-- Roger Shattuck (1923-2005), "Forbidden Knowledge"

Is the mind a terrible thing to waste, or is the mind simply... a terrible thing?  The more we discover about our universe, the more we discover about our own ignorance and our own negativity toward that same desire to discover.  We are finding out, through archeology, just how many times civilizations have reached the heights of philosophy and the sciences, conquered knowledge, and lost that knowledge through war and intolerance.  How far would we have progressed if this lost knowledge had been protected, used, and built upon by greater minds of following generations?

"Everything changes and nothing remains still... You cannot step twice into the same stream... The only thing that is constant is change."

-- Heraclitus (535-475 BC), Socratic Greek philosopher

For centuries, however, protection of this knowledge has been defined as preventing any change to the status quo - don't rock the boat.  The Earth was flat and the center of the universe to the "civilized" world, even though the astronomical prowess of 'savage' indigenous cultures everywhere seemed to know this not to be the case, even as 'civilized' science was seen as witchcraft if it deviated from Christian or orthodox thought.  Even scientists in the enlightened age leading up to the 20th century were hard pressed to allow new insights to shake the cage of orthodoxy.  Most notably, for the layperson, science found itself having to keep pushing back the date of mankind's civilization; 2000 BCE became 4000, then 6000, then 10,000, and yet we keep making definitive conclusions of the date of mankind's awakening without definitive facts to support them. 

We have the hardest time giving ourselves any wiggle room for change.  Scientists are all about the definite and things proven or that can be proven, "Civilization is began about 4000 years ago," instead of being honest and saying, "As of this moment, we can find evidence to support X date, but we are still looking for more evidence which may push this date back even further - we just don't know for certain."  

Antigravity has been shelved by most reputable organizations.  For instance, one article, Feeling Antigravity's Pull, has NASA physicist Ron Koczor saying "Don't call it antigravity research.  Call it 'gravity modification.' 'Gravity anomalies.' Anything but antigravity. That's a red flag."  The article goes on to state, "When people find out that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has researchers working on sci-fi stuff like antigravity—or rather, "gravity modification"—the red flags do indeed start waving. Reputable scientists like Koczor earn polite disdain from colleagues (or worse, from funders of research). But truth's truth: NASA has been studying the manipulation of gravity for at least 10 years, as have nongovernment researchers."  Scientists worldwide have suffered this same slap in the face when broaching antigravity research.  This same 'polite disdain' from colleagues has been visited upon the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

“The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am not quite sure that I know that.”

-- Socrates (469-399 BCE), philosopher

It always seemed to me that Christianity and scripture historically pushed back against knowledge and allowing 'commoners' to be anything more than, well... ignorant sheep.  Religious leaders are, more times than not, not the founders of their religions.  These 'leaders' are simply the pious few who fall prey to greed, ego and, by extension, control of mindless followers.  I say 'mindless' because of enough historical evidence proving people who have freedom of thought cannot be controlled, unless they desire it.  There is a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who explains this best:

"Every religion consists of not only the teachings of the founder of that religion but also the rites and ceremonies which have grown up around the basic core of the teachings. These rituals and ceremonies have their origins in the cultural practices of the people who accepted the religion. Usually the founders of the great religions do not lay down precise rules about the rituals to be observed. But religious leaders who come after them formalize the religion and set up exacting codes of behavior which the followers are not allowed to deviate from."

-- K. Sri Dhammananda (1919-2006), Buddhist monk and scholar

We are just now discovering, or rediscovering, what ancient cultures seemed to grasp, that the human mind possesses a power greater than only few have ever thought, but many have certainly dreamt.  Physics is now looking at thought as a measurable energy and, if this is true, it opens the real possibility that the soul is, in fact, that measurable weight which we lose immediately upon death.

I love to throw Descartes around, whenever the chance arises.  Whenever I get close to discussing our path to discover that which is forgotten, René always seem to pop into my head.  I find the idea of his dictum being "a first step in demonstrating the attainability of certain knowledge" as an interesting point to ponder.   

Cogito, ergo sum, (Latin: “I think, therefore I am) dictum coined by the French philosopher René Descartes in his Discourse on Method (1637) as a first step in demonstrating the attainability of certain knowledge. It is the only statement to survive the test of his methodic doubt. The statement is indubitable, as Descartes argued in the second of his six Meditations on First Philosophy (1641), because even if an all-powerful demon were to try to deceive him into thinking that he exists when he does not, he would have to exist in order for the demon to deceive him. Therefore, whenever he thinks, he exists. Furthermore, as he argued in his replies to critics in the second edition (1642) of the Meditations, the statement “I am” (sum) expresses an immediate intuition, not the conclusion of a piece of reasoning (regarding the steps of which he could be deceived), and is thus indubitable. However, in a later work, the Principles of Philosophy (1644), Descartes suggested that the cogito is indeed the conclusion of a syllogism whose premises include the propositions that he is thinking and that whatever thinks must exist.

-- Encyclopædia Britannica

Whenever we think, we exist and. therefore, whatever thinks must exist.  Philosophy, of 1637, melds with the new theoretical physics of today with a possibility that what we think might also, therefore, exist.  It makes my mind want to explode when I consider the ramifications, and the possibility that ancient magic might not be fable.  The power of the human mind is running on idle.

There are forbidden mysteries and knowledge, kept from mankind by the 'intelligentsia' for the greater good, and which we are just now beginning to uncover.  This has been our forgotten task, levied upon us by our God when we were given the freedom of choice - eat of the apple, or don't.

According to scripture, only the gods know of good and evil, yet the one God among all others placed the Tree of Life with us in the Garden of Eden as a lesson to us of choices and consequences.  Why else put it there?  It was one thing for children to learn there was evil as well as good, two sides to every coin, but with the knowledge of choice comes, also, the ability to gather more knowledge from the Tree.  It was the ability to expand our knowledge beyond our young age which had the gods concerned; with great knowledge comes great responsibility.  We were not ready.

The parable makes me wonder, however, if we were advanced enough as constructs to make a conscious decision to reach for more knowledge instead of just doing as we were programmed, or if a mistake was, in fact, made by one of the designers on the team, some lesser god, who might have gone out for coffee and left knowledge where we could easily access it.  If this lesser god was Satan, it would explain the extreme punishment of being banished from heaven and, perhaps, the God above gods, recognizing the grievousness of the error, took personal control of the experiment, placing Himself in direct line of control by ensuring mankind would answer to no other god but Him from that point on.  But one would have to admit that, according to scripture, the damage was already done - "Behold, the man has become like one of us..."

"Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil..."

-- Genesis 3:22

If we have become as gods, this would answer an ineffable mystery which has haunted mankind for countless millennia - Who are we?  If we are, in fact, gods created in the image of our maker, then the question has already been answered by the God who created us, if we but open our eyes and see, because our answer to who we are is the same as His:

“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you’, and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’... this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”  In revealing his mysterious name, YHWH (”I AM HE WHO IS”, “I AM WHO AM” or “I AM WHO I AM”), God says who he is and by what name he is to be called.

-- The Catechism of the Catholic Church (205-206)

In 1637 René Descartes (1596-1650), French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, wrote in his Discourse on the Method, "Je pense, donc je suis";  I think, therefore, I am.  Philosophers have come to grips with this basic idea and we have tried to understand just what it means.  We are what we are, and if we become so much more we will still only be that which we are.  The answer to the question is for the person asking the question to determine for themselves.  Who am I? The answer is one only you can be.  Who are we?  This answer, also, is one only we can be, and we are still striving to be all of it.

"I yam what's I yam, 

And that's all what's I am..."

-- Lyrics to "Popeye the Sailor Man"

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 learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

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