Soul Food for Thought

“What we consider the here and now, this world, it is actually just the material level that is comprehensible. The beyond is an infinite reality that is much bigger. Which this world is rooted in. In this way, our lives in this plane of existence are encompassed, surrounded, by the afterworld already. When planning I imagine that I have written my existence in this world on a sort of hard drive on the tangible (the brain), that I have also transferred this data onto the spiritual quantum field, then I could say that when I die, I do not lose this information, this consciousness. The body dies but the spiritual quantum field continues. In this way, I am immortal.”

-- Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Dürr (1929-2014), quantum physicist

Those of you who have read my posts, my thoughts dealing with time, reality, and the afterlife, will recognize, hopefully, much of my thoughts in the opening quote, above, of noted quantum physicist Prof. Hans-Peter Dürr.  Our ideas on this are so similar I could have written this quote, utilizing many more words of course.  I think he considered his larger audience and "dumbed" his thought down a bit.  When I was taught to write papers for the "general audience," I was taught to do so at a second grade level, not that everyone was incapable of understanding above this level; it was simply to ensure everyone understood.  You don't address non-medical personnel about taking a "5 cc" dose of medication; you tell them to take "one teaspoon" of it.

Trying to keep an "out in left field" thought simple while also keeping the simplified explanation of it short, well, oft times its mixing oil and water.  I have proofread briefings of some very intelligent people, then called them up and asked if they would mind if I marked it up for them, to make it a bit clearer.  They're usual response upon seeing the revised product is that I took a meat ax to it.  It is much simpler when you are both capable and able to consider your audience, then you simply write to their general level of understanding.  One, everyone will appreciate being addressed to their level so they understand.  Two, everyone will stay awake because it remains interesting.  While writing for my blog, however, I'm casting a wide net around an unknown audience, so what might take Prof. Dürr a paragraph to say, might take me an entire post.  But, I digress... again; let me try to get back on point.

A noted Canadian neurosurgeon, Wilder Penfield (1891-1976), spent most of his career in groundbreaking research as a devoted surgeon.  It is said, "He devoted much thinking to the mystery of the mind, and continued until his death in 1976 to contemplate and question whether there is a scientific basis for the existence of the human soul."   Can you imagine spending your entire life contemplating the existence of the soul, and then actually dying to find out the answer?  Perhaps for Penfield, and those like him, there is so much subconscious residual memory of their time between lives, the time they spent as a disembodied soul, they find themselves subconsciously confused and, hence, trying to discover a way back.

I gleaned the following from the website, Conservapedia on the topic of "Atheism and the origin of the universe."  I present these as a general philosophy of atheist belief, by several prominent atheists.  The common belief is fairly obvious.

Atheist Stephen Hawking claims: "Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing". Hawking further claims that the universe “popped into existence without violating the known laws of Nature".

Atheist Victor J. Stenger wrote: "Assuming the universe came from nothing, it is empty to begin with…"

The atheist philosopher Quinton Smith indicated “the most reasonable belief is that we came from nothing, by nothing, and for nothing."

Wayne Jackson wrote at the Christian Courier regarding Victor J. Stenger's hypothesis that the universe came from nothing:

"First, in defiance of one of the most elementary principles of logic, the atheist suggests that “something” (e.g., the Universe) came from “nothing;” that zero plus zero equals something greater than zero. 

Victor Stenger, an atheistic professor at the University of Hawaii, admits that “everyday experience and common sense” supports the concept that something cannot come from nothing. Nevertheless, he suggests that “common sense is often wrong, and our normal experiences are but a tiny fraction of reality”. If you want to be an atheist, you must put your “common sense” on the shelf!"

Science, not religion, is proving there is no such thing as "nothing."  The mere concept of nothing, defining nothing, giving a name to "nothing," all make "nothing" something.  There is no such thing as an absolute vacuum, void of everything.  Not trying to be a smartass, but a vacuum is chock full of nothing.   Let's consider each statement above.

Hawking state the universe will create itself from nothing due to the laws of gravity.  So, the universe used nothing and the laws of gravity in order to create itself, and did not violate the laws of nature in doing so.  Okay, Stephen admits and then ignores that nothing, gravity, and nature, by his own admission, existed for creation to have occurred?

Stenger ignores there is no such thing as nothing.

Smith indicates the existence of nothing by stating we came from it, by it, and for it.  What?

Jackson writes of Stenger as saying experience and common sense support the concept that something cannot come from nothing, and in this he speaks the truth if we acknowledge the contradiction that there is no such thing as absolute nothing.  He goes on to state a truth for the atheist:  "If you want to be an atheist, you must put your “common sense” on the shelf!"  On this, I think everyone can agree.

Now, let me get back to Prof. Dürr, a quantum physicist, a scientist.  As I have stated time and time again, science will continue to prove the existence of a higher power in the universe, a power which always was, is now, and forever shall be.  What we call this ultimate power is of little consequence to the truth that it exists.  Everything comes from it and everything, eventually, returns to it.

The English Burial Service adapts a portion of text from Genesis:  "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."  This is also adapted in the 1662 version of the Book of Common Prayer in the text of the burial service.  As you read the excerpt, try substituting "energy" or "the ultimate power" for words indicating God or Jesus:

"Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself."

There should be no question that energy cannot be "nothing."  What we call the "soul" might exist simply because we gave it a name.  Science is discovering that we lose a tangible amount of weight upon death; the soul?  There is too much about after death experience, past life memory, and the soul, which we still don't know for science to be making any concrete statements concerning them.  

I think these atheists are correct, and people of faith should all agree with them and always be mindful of nothing.  The universe popped into existence without violating any existing laws.  The universe came from nothing as it was empty to begin with.  We came from nothing, by nothing, and for nothing.  If we accept there is no such thing as absolute nothing, then there is no "defiance of one of the most elementary principles of logic" in stating that nothing plus nothing must equals something greater than nothing.  And, finally, I hate to agree all the way down the list to the bitter end but, we must agree with the atheist to put our "common sense on the shelf" as the very existence of "God" demands it.  

People of faith need to stop arguing with atheists if they continue to insist on arguing our arguments for us.  

In conclusion, it seems whatever exists might morph into something else, but it will always be a part of the creative energy of the universe.  People of faith know this and, obviously, people of little or no faith try unsuccessfully to shelve it all the while proving what people of faith, well, take on faith.  

What we all need to stop doing is ignoring the undeniable fact that there is something greater than ourselves at work in the universe simply because we call it by different names.  It really matters very little what we call it.  I suppose what matters, for some, is how much respect we give it.  I prefer to give anything that can change life, as I know it, a healthy dose of respect.  

But, this is all just my humble opinion, and I could be wrong.  My faith tells me I'm not.

What do you think? 

Editor's Note

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

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

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, 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 020418: Religion (pars tres) - Faith

“Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last church falls on the last priest.”

-- Émile Zola (1840-1902), journalist, novelist, agnostic

Note:  Welcome to part three of a three part series.  If you missed the first two parts, I have included the links so you can catch up.

Religion (pars una) - Control of the Faithful 

Religion (pars duorum) - After the Collapse

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Émile Zola was an acclaimed French novelist, a socialist and, though baptized catholic, an agnostic and critic of the Roman Catholic Church.  "Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last church falls on the last priest."  When I read his quote, I was struck by how much meaning was lost if one doesn't put it in context with another of his quotes, "When truth is buried underground it grows, it chokes, it gathers such an explosive force that on the day it bursts out, it blows up everything with it.  The truth is on the march, and nothing shall stop it.”

Like Zola, I was also baptized a Catholic, I have studied socialism, I have issues with organized religion and the church... any church, and I have been an agnostic and can probably still be defined as one by those with little understanding of faith.  According to the philosopher William L. Rowe, "agnosticism is the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist," and I agree with him.  Unlike atheists, who flat-out do not believe in any deity, agnostics simply question the existence, or non-existence, of God due to lack of evidence.  Where I part ways with the agnostic is in my faith in a particular definition of God.

“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.”

-- Mark Twain (1835-1910), author, humorist

Unlike Zola, I believe socialism only works until you run out of other people's money.  Zola addresses the correct assumption, though, that civilization cannot move forward until we address the control exerted over it by organized religion.  Religion demands a separation of church and state yet works behind the scenes to accomplish political agendas.  The historic hypocrisy of organized religion must end.  Mahatma Gandhi was right when he said, "God has no religion."  In place of misguided religion must rise the original intent of God; to recognize there is a creative force in the universe, and to love each other as we would want to be loved.  If organized religion is incapable of bringing us an understanding of this creative force, this misguided interpretation of "God" then, perhaps,  it is incumbent upon each of us to find our own peaceful interpretation of this force and develop our own spiritual belief, and our own personal relationship with it.   

“Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning...”

-- C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), novelist , religious writer

Of course, we don't have to.  Like the atheist, we can refuse to acknowledge an existence of a creative power at work in the universe.  We can simply believe everything is random and the is no rhyme or reason, no pan at work, for anything in creation; everything is here as the result of a cosmic crapshoot.  If we have no reason to believe in that for which there is no concrete evidence.  This is the philosophy of organized religion, the heresy which held back science and technology for centuries, in the name of "God."  Yet, the lack of desire by those no spiritual faith, to not search for answers to the God question, smacks of this same criminal ignorance.  Can we truly seek answers to everything and not include everything in our search?  The Council of Nicaea failed at this when they decided which scripture was worthy to be included in the Holy Bible.  Without all of the information we have to rely on the opinions of others for "truth" and, as we all know, opinions are like assholes - everybody has one. 

You can deny the existence of something for which there is no proof by the very denial of any proof to the contrary.  It is denying the existence of the forest by also denying the trees blocking it from view.  It is what it is, or it is what it isn't, but the problem with the argument is that we named it, and the minute we named it we gave it life.

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

-- C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), novelist , religious writer

Religion does not move the individual forward.  Religion is the crutch used by an individual to deny any personal responsibility for one's "salvation," if you will.  Could Mother Teresa, Saint Teresa, have accomplished all she did with the poor without her religion?  Absolutely; she had unyielding faith in a power greater than herself.  Why was Joan of Arc burned at the stake?  Because she refused to deny her unyielding faith in a power greater than herself, to the very church which demanded it this unyielding faith!  Is it any wonder people feel religion stagnates civilization?  But, we do have great evidence that an unyielding faith can work wonders.  

The current Dalai Lama, a man for which I have utmost respect, defines his own religion thus, "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."  It is through this kindness we can find our way forward through this level existence and into the next, until we reach a point where we cannot grow further.  What we really need to do is to stop confusing the term faith with religion.  We need to understand that our personal faith may, nay, must adhere to many good philosophies in order to grow and move us forward.  Our science must be anchored to an unyielding sense of faith as much as our faith is anchored to the discoveries of science.  Albert Einstein, with all of his intelligence, tried to say this but didn't understand the importance of faith over religion, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." 

In Romans 14:4 we are told, "Who are you to judge a Servant who is not yours? For if he stands, he stands to his Master, and if he falls, he falls to his Master, for it is appointed to his Master to be able to establish him."  For those of little faith this "master" could be defined as the individual himself, for it is the individual who holds the ultimate responsibility to succeed or fail.  Failure can be seen as relinquishing one's self to the judgment of others.  Those of great faith, however, can also define this "master" in the same way, as they see themselves as being the masters of their own destiny.  The question we must all answer is who gave us this power to be our own masters, to stand or fall and to establish ourselves?  Was it a crapshoot, or was it ordained by a greater power that we should rise?  Why are we, and why do we have dominion over our present and our future?  Why do we have this unyielding faith that there is something greater than ourselves which keeps us moving forward though the darkest of times?

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..”

-- John Milton (1608-1674), poet, polemicist

Is it really important that we have religion?  Religion is defined, loosely, as a body of persons adhering to a generally agreed upon, particular fundamental set of beliefs and practices concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Is it more important that we have practices or beliefs?  Isn't it more important that we simply have an unyielding personal belief, a personal faith concerning a good, righteous, and peaceful moral code?  Wouldn't it seem more constructive to have a personal faith concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, as being why we're here?  If we could all agree to disagree on our beliefs, how much more might we grow?  And if we agreed among each other to search for truth wouldn't require scientific method to allow the wiggle room to say that not everything is this or that, maybe there exists a middle ground that must be taken into account?  

Maybe we all need to understand there may be no such thing as a total vacuum, or a definitive statement like... there is a God.  Sometimes things need to be viewed as they are, and sometimes that view is fuzzy.  It is what it is.  Maybe the universe is okay with agnosticism.  Maybe the "creative force" in the universe is okay with us looking for the answers which, perhaps, a search for proof of the existence of this "creative force" might provide.  This proof would not solidify one's personal faith in as much as it would expand upon one's understanding of it.  If we could all just pay attention to the unyielding faith in this search, maybe the governing of human affairs would shake itself out in the process.  Give unto the universe that which the universe demands and give unto Caesar that which Caesar's demands; if we do it correctly, shouldn't the journey for both demands ultimately take is to the same destination, regardless of what each of us wants to name it?

“If I keep observing the uranium, which means a little more than keeping my eyes on the pot on my desk and involves something akin to surrounding it with a whole system of Geiger counters, I can freeze it in such a way that it stops emitting radiation. Although Turing first suggested the idea as a theoretical construct, it turns out that it is not just mathematical fiction. Experiments in the last decade have demonstrated the real possibility of using observation to inhibit the progress of a quantum system.”

-- Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician, author

If we are not destined to ever answer these questions then why were we given a mind to ask them?  If the answers don't wish to be found then our searching will simply alert the answers to hide or remain confusing.  The results we observe might really depend on what "that which is being observed" wants us to see; the same results may always be observed differently depending on the observer.  Regardless, the human condition will have no other choice than to continue the search, it is what we do and what we have always done.

I'm have faith that all of this gives God much to chuckle about.

Editor's Note

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

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

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, 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.

What Am I Doing?

There was a piece of art posted to Facebook the other day, and it struck a chord with me.  The wording was thus:  "I would just like to publicly announce that I have no idea what I'm doing."  Good Lord, sometimes I wish I knew.  Even today, retired and sixty-four years of age, I sometimes feel like my path encounters a multitude of intersections.  I find myself staring at a mess somewhat dumbfounded.  It's like standing at a cypher lock with nine numerical buttons on it and knowing the only way inside rests in finding the nine digit combination out of the 999,999,999 possibilities.  I have found, however, a saving grace in this type of scenario is in knowing something about where you are and the people you're dealing with.

I was confronted with an example of this scenario when I reported for my second tour as the NCO in charge of a particular Intelligence Division.  Air Force Intelligence is a strange animal full of very intelligent people capable of thinking out of the box while usually forgetting the box exists. 

I stood at the entry, a security door inside the main vault door which was framed by a reinforced glass wall and in full view of an administration specialist sitting at a desk inside.  He acknowledged my presence as I held up a finger, motioning him to sit back down.  He actually sat back down; mistake number one.  I remembered warning the office in charge about the functioning alcoholic who would probably take my place when I was transferred.  Upon my return I would learn why he was the reason the "by name request" submitted for me to return when he left.

I looked back down at the 9 digit cipher lock with its three rows of three numbers.  Rapidly, before the young admin troop could realize his error of leaving me unattended, I tried the last combination which I had put into the lock several years earlier.    The combination had been changed; a bit of good news.  I tried two easy "patterns" which I figured even I could remember, if I was half in the bag.  The first one wasn't it, but the second?  Ah!  Success!  Security breached, the door opened and the admin specialist launched from his seat to demand who I was.  I handed him my orders and asked him to have all supervisors report to my office immediately and that I would show myself to the Colonel's office.

This Division had fallen from the "excellent" rating I had helped build it in into, to a marginal rating in less than three years thanks to leadership not listening.  I was about to redefine the Division's box, again.  It is usually easier to do something the second time than it is the first,  but sometimes it's hard to play nice.

So, what does any of this have to do with anything?

I learned, over my years in the military, that knowledge of your job is important, but knowledge of where you are and who you're with will ultimately serve you very well.  You don't have to surround yourself with the brightest, just make sure they're the best, and you had better have the respect of those "best" or all is lost.  They don't have to like you to respect you, but they'll come around when they understand you.  I never thought of myself as the brightest, but I always worked hard to be one of the best.  Sometimes the brightest aren't the best, any more than the best have to be the brightest.  Funny, how that works.

When I find my personal path faced with 999,999,999 different avenues with which to proceed, I take a breath and remember that the destination, regardless of the choice, should always remain up front in my mind.  I can usually look passed almost all the questionable choices.  If you find yourself having to take people with you for a bit, your personal integrity and clarity of purpose and communication will always be returned to you in kind.  I never asked of someone what I myself was not willing to do.  Always listen, be even handed and fair, arrive first, leave last, and pitch in to meet deadlines as needed.

There are poor workers, only poor supervisors.  Nothing is more important than the people around you except the mission at hand, the destination.  I have found this helps minimize the multitude of available paths.  As poor choices fall to the side the only logical path becomes clear.  At times it can be all in knowing which buttons to push, and in what order.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."  Having a sense of human nature, helps a great deal.

What am I doing?  Well, now that I'm retired, I take life one day at a time.  I don't worry much about a past over which I no longer have control.  I don't dwell on what the future holds, as it will come in due time regardless of whether one tries to prevent it.  I dwell in the moment, for in the moment lies whatever promise is tomorrow.  The moment contains all of that which went before and allows one to see clearly that which probably lies ahead.  The path you take to get ahead is simply a matter of choice, and the consequences of that choice will occur regardless of worry, so why worry?  Worry is the enemy of integrity, and integrity will always serve you better than worry, even in when things go awry.

We never fail, and this is an important point.  Failure is a label people apply to an absence of success.  If you have done your best, it may not have been good enough, but if you learn from the experience, even in the seeming absence of success, you have not failed.  And what if someone dies?  You need to be able to honestly state you did your best work in the face of overwhelming odds.  What if you die in the effort?  Well, there is always the next life to work out the kinks in that little piece of unpleasantness.

The point is, we never fail unless we want to.  Life is simply a series of lessons with which we glean the knowledge to continue moving forward.  The only way for a subordinate to fail is if they give up, and the only way for the supervisor to fail is to give up on the subordinate.  Nobody fails, unless they want to or someone else wants them to.  A pet peeve of mine - I hate it when someone sets me up to fail and they think I don't know it.  That really chaps my butt, and it's another reason to be the best.

Consider Captain Kirk of Star Trek, and the Kobayashi Maru "no-win" scenario.  The test is designed to be unbeatable, yet he defeats it by reprogramming the test.  Did he fail by cheating, or did he adapt and overcome, did he show ingenuity by not accepting defeat as the programmed and inevitable answer?  Did he lack integrity by outthinking the curriculum when being setup to fail, or did he succeed by doing whatever was necessary to accomplish his mission?  What would you have done?  

It is important not to fear the unknown, but to fear fearing the unknown.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated such in his First Inaugural Address to the American people, an idea which can serve all of us well in our lives today:

This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure, as it has endured, will revive and will prosper.

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory.

If we take this address and apply it to our own situations, we can read it thus:

This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need I shrink from honestly facing conditions in my life today. I will endure, as I have always endured, and I will survive and prosper.

So, first of all, I assert my own firm belief that the only thing I have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of my personal life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has joined with my own understanding and support which is essential to light and success.

Sometimes, the man made a bit of sense.

I would like to announce, publicly, that I occasionally feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but the feeling comes and goes in the blink of an eye.  The last time, and I think, with all humility, the only time I seriously didn't know what I was doing was eighteen years ago.  It is much more constructive to take the FDR philosophy and run with it.  So, first of all, I assert my own firm belief that the only thing I have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of my personal life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has joined with my own understanding and support which is essential to light and success.

How about you?

Editor's Note

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

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

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while 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 012818: 299,792,458 Meters/Second

...until it's broken.

"The speed of light in a vacuum, usually denoted c, is a fundamental constant central to much of physics, particularly Einstein’s theory of relativity. While measuring c was once considered an important experimental problem, it is now simply specified to be 299,792,458 meters per second, as the meter itself is defined in terms of light’s vacuum speed. Generally if light is not traveling at c it is because it is moving through a material. For example, light slows down when passing through glass or water." 

-- Andrew Grant, ScienceNews.org

You really can't trust speed limit signs.  The speed of light in a vacuum "is now simply specified to be 299,792,458 meters per second," or 670,616,629 miles per hour which would make the "true" maximum speed of light 186,282 miles per second, not 186,000, as stated on the "humorous" sign shown above.  If we're to believe the rest of the sign, it was created by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.  If this is NASA's idea of a law, perhaps it explains the NASA redundancy in all things, and why things in their universe sometimes go awry?

This might also be evidence of why we seem to lag behind the entire world in education and hand out participation awards as though students have done something to be proud of, like just for showing up to class.  Pass or fail is the new educational norm and to hell with being the best, at anything.  Well, why not?  We live in a society where everything is "close enough for government work," and since the government doesn't work, this all makes perfect sense.

"But", some say, "there will always be a difference between 0.9999... and 1." Well, sort of. Yes, at any given stop, at any given stage of the expansion, for any given finite number of 9s, there will be a difference between 0.999...9 and 1. That is, if you do the subtraction, 1 – 0.999...9 will not equal zero. But the point of the "dot, dot, dot" is that there is no end; 0.9999... is infinite. There is no "last" digit. So the "there's always a difference" argument betrays a lack of understanding of the infinite.

-- purplemath.com, "How Can 0.999... = 1?"

"But", some say, "there will always be a difference between 0.9999... and 1." And the counterpoint is to say the "argument betrays a lack of understanding of the infinite." No, I beg to disagree.  The counterpoint betrays the fact that there are mathematicians masquerading as people who understand the infinite. The 0.9999... that is infinite, has an equally infinite 0.1111... which all of these people of "higher" learning refuse to account for.

I first heard of this when my son was in high school.  One of the "teachers," a mathematician, told my son that "point nine times infinity equals one."  I'm not the sharpest tool in the mathematical shed, but point nine times infinity will always equal point nine infinity; there will always be point one infinity unaccounted for, perhaps as a future cause for imminent chaos. The professor worked it out for the kids in an equation, just to prove it (I have attached the link to the bottom of the quote, above).  

I was almost certain the equation included a lot of letters and symbols which gave plenty of "wiggle room" for the illogical bullshit to work, but it only included an r and an a.  All it took was an r and an a to destroy logic.  Mr. Spock's human half would be mortified.  

Personally, I think it's easier to just to say the intelligentsia is generally peopled by idiots, a claim which I've found hard to disprove as intelligence is more than just a high IQ.  Can you really make something be what it's not just by declaring it to be so?  I’m the first to admit that if you think something, it exists. But, in this case, I can imagine the tense conversation between soldiers during a heated battle, "Let's charge them.  My math says there's only a point nine infinity chance the guy shooting at us still has ammo in his weapon."  "Yeah?  Sounds great!  You go first."  Sometimes you have to temper what sounds good with a bit of logical good sense.

"The way that the background fields generate mass is rather like the way in which when light passes through a transparent medium like glass or water, it gets slowed down. It no longer travels with the fundamental velocity of light c."

-- Peter Ware Higgs, theoretical physicist

One has to laugh at defining anything "in terms of light's vacuum speed."  Doesn't that speed depend on what particles are in the vacuum interfering with the momentum of the light particles?  If water and glass can affect the speed of light, and gravity can bend the beam of light, then it stands to reason any sub-atomic particles might also affect light in a vacuum. How can this honestly be considered the "high end" for speed of light if we haven't measured it in a complete vacuum?  Is there any such thing as a true vacuum?  It was seem logical that physicists set themselves up to fail when they say "the speed of light in a vacuum, usually denoted c, is a fundamental constant central to much of physics."  They've already stated the speed of light is not necessarily constant, so which is it?  I would think the speed of light in a vacuum would have to be denoted as c plus or minus an unknown; the unknown being that "point nine infinity," which science had no use for, waiting to create chaos.

I guess this is why I'm not a theoretical physicist and, probably, why I dropped out of my philosophy course on logic.  Yeah, a "logic" course; I could not get it through my pea brain why, even though I got all but one of the answers right on the first multiple-guess "logic" test, the instructor would logically give me a zero.  Oh!  You want me to show how I arrived at the answer.  Well, who would a thought you’d have to show how you arrive at answers which are logical enough to simply answer?  Well, I guess a college would.   

On the bright side, military intelligence just wanted me to be right, and to keep an eye out for chaos; this I was something I could sink my teeth into, and did, for the rest of my 23 years of service.  I didn't really want to be a psychologist, anyway.  It was much more fun screwing with people's heads than fixing them.

"When you look at a vacuum in a quantum theory of fields, it isn't exactly nothing."

-- Peter Ware Higgs, theoretical physicist

All of this science has great bearing on faith, yet science decries the existence of God, even though they've discovered the "greater power" in the universe, the Higgs boson, the "God" particle.  They have hope that science will sooner or later, and with enough funding and effort, discover what they don't know.  It is what the spiritual among us already know exists.  Science needs proof, and that proof needs to be repeatable in the lab.  But what if the "proof" doesn't want to be repeatable?  Or, what if observed results dependent on what the observer wants to see?

God handing down the Ten Commandments twice should qualify, except that we've lost the evidence.  The truly spiritual just smile at the scientific method, knowing that this "proof" will just create more questions than answers and the endless search for knowledge will continue unabated.  This is a good thing.  Science demands an equation, no matter how silly, and the spiritual applaud their effort while knowing the Tao that can be described is not the eternal Tao, but the more science discovers, the more they prove the existence of a higher power at work.

“If I keep observing the uranium, which means a little more than keeping my eyes on the pot on my desk and involves something akin to surrounding it with a whole system of Geiger counters, I can freeze it in such a way that it stops emitting radiation. Although Turing first suggested the idea as a theoretical construct, it turns out that it is not just mathematical fiction. Experiments in the last decade have demonstrated the real possibility of using observation to inhibit the progress of a quantum system.”

-- Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician, author

To the spiritual, it would seem science wants to discover how to move at 299,792, 458 meters per second so they can arrive at where they already are.  Like a person speeding through traffic to be somewhere else, never realizing they are always where they are.  It bodes the question:  When they arrive at their destination, did they ever really leave where they were, or have they always been where they are?  We will soon walk on Mars... again.

Science is always searching for the answers to where we come from and where we're going.  The best answer is usually the easiest:  I came from back there, and I'm going that way.  Why we are from back then, will explain why we are here, now. Why we are here now has great bearing on why we are going forward.  Always ask why, not what.  The what is already known and is rarely impressive.  The why, on the other hand, will almost always explain what really happened when a situation goes south.

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

-- Steve Jobs (1955-2011), pioneer of the PC revolution

The rules of spacetime will be bent or broken by a researcher not willing to be anchored to the impossible.  The maximum speed of light will be broken, gravity will be defied, we will visit other stars and we will come to understand that time does not exist and we have always lived forever.  Somewhere in all this we might, finally, understand the why of everything.  All of this will happen because someone will have considered the possibilities, and the minute we set thoughts in motion we begin to move from theory to fact.  The "impossible," is like "time," a human construct to inhibit progress while, at the same time, giving impetus to our desires for discovery and accomplishment.

Time and the impossible do not exist. We will continue to prove the impossible as possible, and if we must have time, we should make the most of it now.  There is, after all, no time more important than the present, if there is any time at all.

As for me, I'm going to move at the "speed of smell" back to the kitchen and make myself another martini.  I am, as usual, not in a vacuum or in possession of a whole system of Geiger counters, and just in no rush.  However, according to Graham's Law, I understand the "speed of smell" of a fart is faster than the "speed of smell" of a rose.  I not sure what that has to do with the speed of light; it would have to do more with someone actually taking the time to write a lengthy article about it, and me being glad I finished this post when I did.  Salute!

"It is what it is and it ain't what it ain't, 

unless it ain't what it is or is what it ain't."

Editor's Note

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

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

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, 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.

Seeker of Truth?

“If there’s anything that people have commonly misunderstood about [Bob] Dylan it’s that he’s not a dispenser of knowledge, he’s a seeker of truth. To understand Dylan is to truly appreciate the ongoing complexity that is his relationship to God. We shouldn’t simply see this as a period where he suddenly, briefly, ‘went Christian.’ Dylan’s spiritual quest is constant, as is his willingness to scrap his identity and start all over again...”

-- Aaron Carnes, writer 

I never stopped to think about what I am.  Maybe that's because I'm too wrapped up in why I am.  I'm already pretty sure of the what, I mean, its right here, right now.  If I knew the why, however, I'd probably give the what more attention but, why?  Life isn't so much about discovering what or who you are, as much as its about discovering why you are.

An old lieutenant friend of mine, from when we were both in Air Force Intelligence, reads my posts occasionally.  Then, as now, he was very religious.  He was also convinced that filling the back of his truck with game birds and fish was simply his way of following God's plan for mankind:  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." 

I still can't get the humorous vision I had of my tall, lanky, friend, "hanging ten," on the closed gate of his truck, assuming the "arms outstretched martyr position," just before he swan dives face first into the truck bed full of dominated wildlife.  He would segue from my comments about his blood thirsty Christendom by asking me if I was going to keep sitting on the fence where Christ and God were concerned.  I'd cock an eyebrow at him and just smile.  

When he got out of the service my friend became the minister he was always meant to be.  He moved away to the "northern tier," but still chimes in, now and again, if for no other reason that to lovingly bust my chops.  Yes, he still exercises his dominion cum blood lust over "every creeping thing that creepeth."  He, posed a question about me after my recent blog post, Religion - Control of the Faithful?:

Friend: Guru, Sage, Philosopher or Quasi-monk - which are you?
Me: Seeker of truth, humble Diogenesian, one who bears considerable watching...
Friend: I agree with the "watching" part.

Which am I?  After 40 years, give or take, He's still trying to figure out what I am; well, search me.  We both agree, however, that I do bear considerable watching... still.  The nuns from St. Angela's Catholic School would probably agree, as well.  I mean, how can anyone take me seriously when I occasionally use a picture of me as a toddler, eating a banana in a highchair, as the "Editor's Note" at the bottom of my posts?  Yeah, I used it at the bottom of this one, as well.

Searching for what I am took me through Catholicism, to Protestantism, to agnosticism, to Mahayana Buddhism, to Zen, to Taoism, and back to Christianity with an emphasis on personal spirituality vice an organized "church."  I even gave Scientology a shot for a couple of weeks; it took me that long to see through their bullshit (shame on me for taking so long).  During my 23 years of military service, the "religious preference" data listed on my dog tags updated more than my annual vehicle tabs.

It took the implosion of my marriage and losing everything I owned and held dear, including the custody of my children, for me to lose sight of the truth which I had come to understand - life is not about what.  I forgot that for a while, as I learned how to hate for the first time in my life.

Hate is an emotion I recommend everyone stay away from.  Hate eats you from the inside out.  My "hate decade" was not time well spent, except in shaking it.  When I let go of the hate I rediscovered the why of everything that went before, and it enabled me to set the stage for everything that was to come.  Why?  When one door closes, another opens; when you leave one spot, you must arrive at another; as a glass empties of one thing it is also refilling with another.  There is purpose in everything, and nature abhors a vacuum.    

Like Bob Dylan, what people have commonly misunderstood about me is that I have no intent to appear like a "dispenser of knowledge."  I consider myself only a seeker of truth; seeking to answer the why of things and not the, all too obvious, what of them.  Interesting information found, I try to share, and when I share I look for constructive feedback.  This feedback allows me yet another avenue to, like Dylan, "truly appreciate the ongoing complexity" that is my relationship to God and the universe.  This is my path, and I freely share it with any who have time to listen.

It is my fervent hope that, perhaps, my questions and opinions might be the impetus for others to discover their own path, their own continually changing relationship to God and the universe, while their own opinions give me fuel for my own efforts and ideas for future postings on my blog.  I am humbled by the recent past, when a few folks  informed me that something I said allowed them to move closer to God again, with a new on spirituality view and a realization that, perhaps, salvation might not be as difficult or scary as many have led them to believe.

After occasional discussions with total strangers, they have voiced interest in attending religious service at my church.  I thought that's what we were just doing.  Their comment elicits chuckles from friends who know my answer.  The world is our synagogue.  As Jesus stated, "For where two or three are assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  And, where you are alone, you are not, for God is with us always.  I have to remind these folks I talk to, these fellow seekers who wish to attend some religious service in order to listen to more of my thoughts, of simple verses in their own scripture which they seem confused about, simple verses which are opened to little, if any, interpretation:

"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."

-- Matthew 6:5-6

Is the church, a place for worship and prayer, or is it a place for fellowship and research, a place to seek the truth?  I offer that it is truly the latter which God prefers.

If you seek the truth, you need go no farther than the nose on your face. Use your eyes and ears, for those who have eyes must see and those who have ears must listen.  The truth is all around us, in our face daily and only hidden from us by our own inability, prejudices, or simple lack of desire, to see the forest for the trees.  You can't just listen to you minister and expect the earth to move, you must do you own due diligence and be your own best advocate.  Didymos Judas Thomas recorded, "Jesus said, 'Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will rule over all.'"  

Many are not even aware of the Gospel of Thomas, or the Gospel of Mary, or many of the other lost books and writings left out of scripture for any number of reasons or hidden agendas.  These writing are no more or less legitimate; no more or less inspired by God, than the two thirds of the New Testament which were written by one "apostle" who was not even alive when Christ walked the earth.  Were you aware of this?

Is it any wonder there are 33,000 sects of just Christianity in the world, and it grows every year?  It is evidence that the written word is very susceptible to interpretation, especially when all available information hasn't been included and there is already contradiction within the available document pages, questionable translations of those pages between languages that don't directly translate into one another, incomplete pages or pieced together original text of which the authorship is also in question.  Whew!  Really?  Well, my interpretation would probably bring the number of sects to 33,001... plus.  

I continue my quest, as Jesus Christ suggested. At this moment I await my copy of an updated current translation of the Old Testament. I will continue to search for answers, and I invite all to join me by embarking on their own quest, their own path, to seek their own answers and truth concerning the why of everything. The "why" of everything is the purview of theoretical physicists and their research into quantum mechanics and string theory. Let's open our minds and see who finds the answer first, shall we?

"These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded. And he said, 'Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.'"

-- Gospel of Thomas

Editor's Note

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

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

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, 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 012118: Religion (pars duorum) - After the Collapse

“Every day, people are straying away from the church and going back to God.” 

-- Lenny Bruce (1925-1966), comedian, writer, social critic

What will happen if everything we ever believed about religion is proved to be false?  What happens if the Vatican cannot keep the lid on an ultimate truth they may have been hiding since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?  What if Christ himself was nothing more than an elaborate hoax?  What will happen?  Many believe it will be the collapse of civilization, a reason for death and destruction, suicide on a massive scale.  Chicken Little will have been proved right, and the League of the Perpetually Offended, the atheists, will be dancing in the streets.  Well, maybe this all depends on how you define your personal faith in God.  But, first, maybe it should ultimately boil down to your definition of God.

As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire. Within it there were figures resembling four living beings.  And this was their appearance: they had human form.

-- Ezekiel 1:4-5

The year is 2030.  Aliens have landed their trans-dimensional ships in most major capitals of the world.  We are no longer alone in the universe; in fact, we're fairly low on the food chain.  When the alien beings emerge... they aren't short gray beings with large bug eyes.  Actually, they look a lot like... angels, sans the wings, of course.  They are tall, slender, humanoid, and they smile way too much.  Over the next few days they address the world with how they have guided mankind with their "angelic" meddling and, oh yes, even virgin births of prophets and teachers, even Adam and Eve.  Religion isn't in crisis, religion is collapsing.

Oh, there will be apologies all round for the "deity" confusion, "Sorry about that," and "Our bad, but we're here to make it all up to you," the aliens say.  And our slack jawed representatives will look at them with glazed eyes, on the verge of tears, and stutter, "B... bu... but, what of G.. God?"

Okay, this is all out there in my favorite area of the ball field, you know, the left, where nothing that makes sense ever happens.  It is a scenario out of grade B science fiction genre, but it hopefully helps to make my point:  Just because religion is somehow proved to be based on false premises, does our faith have to follow?

We know what is good, it is written in the Commandments. But God is not contained only in the Commandments, you know; they are only an infinitesimal part of Him. A man may abide by the Commandments and be far from God.”

― Hermann Hesse

I, for one, give little credence to the Christian Church.  Scripture can come and go, be rewritten hundreds of times and mistranslated a hundred more.  We can pick and choose those pages we'd like to include and toss the other "Words of God" out with the baby.  Ultimately, there is only one true WORD of God, and it is written in stone.  Right?  The Ten Commandments (it always was ten, right?), those two blocks of stone that Moses brought down from on high.  And, they're stored... where?  And there's the Ark of the Covenant, of course, which is stored... where? These two items which, together, constitute the holiest object in the Hebrew religion are stored where?  How about the Staff of Moses?  The crucifix Christ was nailed to?  The nails?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?  Hell, we can't even ensure the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin.

Abrahamic religions have nothing to prove their faith but a collection of stories, handed down word of mouth until someone put them down in writing.  We find ourselves having to prove the accuracy of scripture through archeological evidence.  The New Testament also has the less than laudable evidence which comes from being written down decades, if not centuries after Christ's death, and almost two-thirds of those "parables" are attributed to one "apostle" who didn't even live during the time of Christ!  Maybe I have this all wrong, but it seems to me that our faith is built on nothing... except faith.

Perhaps God made certain the Commandments would be lost for all time.  God placed everything we need to know into our hearts and minds, because we've proven the written word confuses the simple minded and is open to poor interpretation by the ignorant and those with hidden agendas.  Are people basically too stupid to understand ten rules written for basic people?

I love folks that tell me they don't need the Ten Commandments in order to understand how to be morally righteous.  Well, I don't think anyone ever said they did, and maybe this is what they fail to understand.  Moral laws have been around since mankind began to have cogent thought.  You can live a righteous life and have never heard of the Commandments; the concept of morality and righteousness was gifted into the hearts and minds of all by God.  The moral choices you make, then, are entirely up to you.  The consequences which follow, on the other hand...  

Now, everybody is probably ready to string me up for attacking their faith.  Well, hold on, I'm not attacking your faith; I'm attacking a misguided idea of religion.  I have repeated the following many times, and I'm going to repeat it again:  As I understand it, there are 33,000 sects of Christianity, just Christianity, in the world today, and that number grows each year.  Each of these sects' thinks they're interpretation of scripture is correct and everyone else's is wrong.  So, yes, I have issues with organized religion.

Ministers seem to step around those passages which don't fit their personal interpretation.  Heck, the incident which initially put me on my current path was a minister's wife judging me.  If the minister doesn't judge for God, what made her think she can?  Her own scripture cites, "There is no one righteous, not even one," and also, "Who are you to judge a Servant who is not yours? For if he stands, he stands to his Master, and if he falls, he falls to his Master, for it is appointed to his Master to be able to establish him."  And this last, on its own, would seem to earn me some modicum of tolerance for any unintended slight she might have felt.  I not only forgave her in my heart, I appreciated her for pushing me further down my path.  What would Jesus have done, or do we really know?  

"Now faith is the conviction concerning those things that are in hope, as if it were these things in action, and the revelation of those things that are unseen;"

-- Hebrews 11:1

It would seem a person's faith is built on nothing, except faith alone.  To put it another way, the very foundation of faith is faith itself.  According to the dictionary, "faith" is my belief, trust, and loyalty to God; my firm belief, with an exceptionally strong conviction, in something for which there is no proof.  The atheist would say the burden of this proof for God lies with the faithful.  What the atheist either refuses to understand, or is incapable of understanding, is the basic concept behind faith, that faith, by its very definition, has no need of proof.  The burden of any proof of God, therefore, lies not with the faithful, but with the faithless, because the faithful, in their hearts and minds, already know.

But let's take another look at the condensed dictionary definition of faith: Faith is my belief, trust, and loyalty to God.  My personal belief, trust, and loyalty, are to God and not to a church or some hierarchal clergy.  And it is "my firm belief, with an exceptionally strong conviction, in something for which there is no proof."  Something created everything.  We can call this something God, or we can call it a mysterious energy yet to be discovered, a "God" particle.  This energy was, is now, and forever shall be, world without end.  We were created from this energy, in its own image, and we will return to this energy when we leave this life to begin the next.

Faith consists in being vitally concerned with that ultimate reality to which I give the symbolical name of god. Whoever reflects earnestly on the meaning of life is on the verge of an act of faith.

-- Paul Tillich

The real point is that it doesn't really matter what we call this energy, as long as we have faith that it exists, and that this energy set everything in motion and works with a purpose to accomplish... everything.  Science, by accident or design, keeps proving the existence of something greater at work in the universe, much to the chagrin of the atheist.  God bless the atheists!  Truth be told, atheists are the best proof for people of faith.

The perpetually offended keep referencing the less than laudable past of religion as the reason why religion is an unnecessary evil in the world.  For the most part, I would tend to agree; organized religion has done little to promote world peace, and what little good they do has been, historically, offset by the bad.  People of true faith, however, should not be confused with religion.  More and more, people of faith are coming out against being labeled as "religious."  I, myself, identify as a Christian and, then, qualify the statement so everyone understands I am a follower of Christ, not of the Christian Church.

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.”

-- Ephesians 1:11

The truly faithful can be stripped of their icons, their scripture, their saints, even their savior, but faith is the intangible power which no one can take away without permission.  Faith, for the believer, is about trust and loyalty; it is a state of mind.  It is about choosing when and how you leave this world, knowing that you will live forever, regardless, because there is a greater power at work that always has your back.  Do you allow your captors to lead you like sheep into the "showers" or do you charge the guards and choose to die on your own terms?  Faith, like life, is about choices and consequences.

So, after the collapse of religion the faithful will be left with the only two things they've truly ever had - faith and God.  What more can one ask for, when nothing more was actually promised?  

Maybe someone should point this out, maybe on Sunday, and then go take a walk on the beach with God... and talk.

Editor's Note

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

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

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, 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.