Back at the Cusp of Forever: A Theoretical "Theory of Mostly Everything" Maybe

"The only thing I know for sure
is that I know nothing at all, for sure."

-- Socrates (470 BC - 399 BC), classical Greek philosopher

The more questions we answer, the more questions we discover.  The downside of intelligence is discovering how much you really don't know, about anything.  With this thought firmly planted in mind, consider the smartest people on the planet searching for an elusive theory to explain everything.   This "theory of everything" is referred to as ToE by the intelligentsia, so feel free to impress your impressables by letting it roll off your tongue while fishing with your buds and describing Billy Bob's new girlfriend as "simply a theory of everything."  They'll ask what, in God's name, are you're talking about, and this will be your opening to dazzle them with more useless knowledge.

I love reading theoretical physics.  I had contemplated, early on in college, majoring in the topic as it required no math.  I really sucked at math.  Mathematics frightened me and I'm not really sure why.  I always did poorly at it, yet I understood everything my son would bring for homework in algebra and geometry.  To this day I have yet to attain a degree for the simple lack of a basic college math course.  I have plenty of credits, just none of the required college level math.

I was reading some information, last evening, concerning the "theory of everything."  I copied an excerpt, shown below, and was going to highlight points I'd like to address.  Unfortunately, those points are rife through the short discussion.  Don't pay too much attention to the substance of it all, just consider the "negativity" they put forth concerning what they're discussing and remember this all comes from some of the most intelligent folks on the planet: 

Impossibility of being "of everything" 

Although the name "theory of everything" suggests the determinism of Laplace's quotation, this gives a very misleading impression. Determinism is frustrated by the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanical predictions, by the extreme sensitivity to initial conditions that leads to mathematical chaos, by the limitations due to event horizons, and by the extreme mathematical difficulty of applying the theory. Thus, although the current standard model of particle physics "in principle" predicts almost all known non-gravitational phenomena, in practice only a few quantitative results have been derived from the full theory (e.g., the masses of some of the simplest hadrons), and these results (especially the particle masses which are most relevant for low-energy physics) are less accurate than existing experimental measurements. The ToE would almost certainly be even harder to apply for the prediction of experimental results, and thus might be of limited use. 

A motive for seeking a ToE, apart from the pure intellectual satisfaction of completing a centuries-long quest, is that prior examples of unification have predicted new phenomena, some of which (e.g., electrical generators) have proved of great practical importance. And like in these prior examples of unification, the ToE would probably allow us to confidently define the domain of validity and residual error of low-energy approximations to the full theory.

Infinite number of onion layers

Frank Close regularly argues that the layers of nature may be like the layers of an onion, and that the number of layers might be infinite. This would imply an infinite sequence of physical theories.

The argument is not universally accepted, because it is not obvious that infinity is a concept that applies to the foundations of nature.

Impossibility of calculation 

Weinberg points out that calculating the precise motion of an actual projectile in the Earth's atmosphere is impossible. So how can we know we have an adequate theory for describing the motion of projectiles? Weinberg suggests that we know principles (Newton's laws of motion and gravitation) that work "well enough" for simple examples, like the motion of planets in empty space. These principles have worked so well on simple examples that we can be reasonably confident they will work for more complex examples. For example, although general relativity includes equations that do not have exact solutions, it is widely accepted as a valid theory because all of its equations with exact solutions have been experimentally verified. Likewise, a ToE must work for a wide range of simple examples in such a way that we can be reasonably confident it will work for every situation in physics.

-- Wikipedia, "Theory of everything"

The ToE is a "misleading impression."  Terms like "frustrated" and "mathematical chaos," as well as "limitations" and "extreme mathematical difficulty."  We are only two sentences into it.  "Only a few quantitative results have been derived," and "are less accurate," "even harder to apply," and "might be of limited use" all round off just the first paragraph.  You know what?  Bag it and go fishing.  It would seem one would have better chances of catching fish than catching this theory.  As I read all this, I had to ask myself, "What would be the point of this "theory" other than to point out the voluminous amount of crap we still don't understand?  If we ever did attain the knowledge of understanding, we would only realize that we don't.  This realization would be considered a triumph of science, a triumph of failure which moves us closer to realizing what next?

It would seem, as a layman reading this excerpt, that any "theory of everything" is a theoretical theory, at best.  It is the creation of a mathematical certainty, based on assumptions, like an absolute vacuum, which we well know are faulty by definition and even in the name which we give them.  They are the equations which only work if you add an x-factor to offset the non-absoluteness of the "vacuums" which must be used to prove the equation.  Use of this x-factor is an accepted admission, among their peers, that the equation really defies logic but it's simply the best we can do.  It is their "tap dance" entertaining a world they think buys into it.  It is trying to explain to the world that point nine multiplied by infinity, equals one.  There is an equation which proves this illogical conclusion to be true, without taking into account the point one multiplied by infinity, which is left hanging out in left field... just behind this equation; "smart" people understand this result is pure crap because good sense allows them the benefit of basic logic.

“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”

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

This kind of thing boggles the mind of any "smart" person.  It is a way for "smart" people to understand the difference between being smart and being "intelligent."  Intelligent people come up with this crap, and smart people understand it's just crap.  "What is one plus one?"  "Uhhhh..., you're kidding, right?"  Well, to some folks, one plus one isn't always two (Are you nodding your head or scrunching up your brow?).  What difference does any of this make in your life, anyway?

As I look into the abyss at the Cusp of Forever, I'm reminded of the atheist who insists proof of God is the responsibility of deists when, for the deist, God is a matter of having faith in something for which there is no proof.  The deist has no reason to prove that which they already know, in their heart, to be true.  The atheist cannot prove the non-existence of God any more than the deist can prove the existence, the difference being that the deist, having faith, simply doesn't care because proof is not required for faith.  They feel the responsibility for proof lies with those who have no faith, and the League of the Perpetually Offended.  The rest of us simply accept the existence of a high power in the universe regardless of hard proof.  Atheists berate the deists while the deists simply say, "We shall see what we shall see."  It is the difference between being intelligent and being smarter. 

For me, faith is proof that common sense isn't that common.  One plus one will always equals two, or you're adding one plus something else, like a vacuum.  Abigail Van Buren, "Dear Abby," once wrote, "The lack of faith is not doubt. It is certainty.”  With all I've put forth, here, the "certainty" of this is also in doubt.  What a person knows and feels can be fleeting, as it is based on experience, and we will continue to experience even after we shuffle off this mortal coil.

God looks back at our blank stares into the abyss, and winks.

“Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing. I have only begun to learn content and peace of mind since I have resolved at all risks to do this.”

-- Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), biologist, aka, "Darwin's Bulldog"

If you stare into infinity, your first realization might be that infinity, by its very definition, should be our reminder that nothing is absolute, and the lack of an absolute vacuum should prove to us that "nothing" isn't absolute, either.  There will always be something which we don't know, don't understand, or simply haven't considered; questions which beget answers which, in turn, beget more questions.  Unless you have a good grip on your reality, you can consider the abyss for only so long, before you either turn away or puke.  For the Cusp novice, "Mental Dramamine" is included in any good Cusp Survival Kit.

What we discover at the abyss is different for each of us; it can be the discovery of a path, a change of path, or the affirmation of one's current path.  For me it has been the realization of infinity, the knowledge that there are many more lives to live and so much more to learn.  There are no mistakes one needs to dwell upon, only choices and consequences which can be changed and remedied as we feel moved to do so. 

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

-- Mother Teresa (1910-1997), "Saint Teresa of Calcutta"

Time is a human construct which gives structure to physical existence, understanding that time, itself, does not exist.  The stress and worry of love, hate, success, and failure, are inconsequential as anything more than lessons to be learned to facilitate our moving forward through higher planes of existence.  Had this been explained to us, ad nauseam, from childhood, our lives would probably be better served as we would not be carrying around a butt load of useless baggage.  As it is, we spend two-thirds of this life collecting all of it and one-third, toward the end, in the realization it was a waste of "time" we might have spent better living for each moment, had we only known.

Life is not as difficult as we insist on making it.  We constantly worry over things of which we have little or no control.  We feel compelled to "keep up with the Joneses" by loading our charge cards up with debt of the latest and greatest which will be out of vogue next month.  We worry about our looks, instead of our health, and concern ourselves with our outward appearance, how we look to others, instead of surrounding ourselves with people who truly care about who we are inside.  Without imperfection we would not exist nor, do I think, we should want to.  How boring would that be? 

“Try and penetrate, with our limited means, the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible laws and connections, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend, is my religion. To that extent I am, in fact, religious.”

-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955), theoretical physicist

For the spiritual or religious, our heaven and our hell exist right now.  It is our life as we define it in the moment.  The choice is ours to live in a heaven, or hell, of our own making.  No one can force it upon us, unless we buy into it.  Darkness cannot enter a house to which it has not been invited, and neither can light.  You, alone, hold the decision to throw open the curtains and welcome each new day.

The so-called "theory of everything" would seem, from the excerpt, to be theoretical, at best.  The theory creates more questions and issues than it seems to solve and, for those frequent visitors to the Cusp of Forever, this makes perfect sense.

“While we are looking for the antidote or the medicine to cure us, that is, the 'new', which can only be found by plunging deep into the Unknown, we have to go on exploring sex, books, and travel, although we know that they lead us to the abyss, which, as it happens, is the only place where the antidote can be found.”

-- Roberto Bolaño (1953-2003), novelist, poet

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 an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those 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 22 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 the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved 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, and wages 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 lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center. 

The Traffic Stop

“Traffic is only at a standstill because man isn't going anywhere.”

-- Anthony T. Hincks, author

I've only had one bad experience with a traffic stop.  Usually my friendly, respectful, and easy going nature will win the day for me.  I have found that starting off the conversation with an "it wasn't me" look on your face tends to help.  Depending on the age of the officer involved, trying to dazzle them with footwork and baffle them with bullshit usually elicits a smile and a warning.  Keep it light, keep your humor, keep it respectful and, above all, keep your pants on!

Officer:  You look surprised that I stopped you.
Driver:  No.  I mean, yes, I am.
Officer:  Why's your mouth gaped open?
Driver:  Uh, no clue.  What does "gaped" mean.
Officer:  You know, opened.
Driver:  Oh.  Can it be gaped closed?
Officer:  I don't think so.
Driver:  So, why say "gaped open" if they mean the same thing?
Officer:  Are you trying to be difficult?
Driver:  I don't think so.  Am I?
Officer:  Why are you asking me?
Driver:  Well, you stopped me.  Was I being difficult?
Officer:  No, you ran the stop sign back there.
Driver:  I did?
Officer:  You did.  Where are your pants?
Driver:  Is this a test?
Officer:  What do you mean?
Driver:  You wanna see if I'll look down?
Officer:  You have to look down to know if you're wearing pants?
Driver:  No.
Officer:  Please step out of the vehicle.
Driver:  I can't.
Officer:  Why?
Driver:  You just said I'm not wearing any pants.
Officer:  So you admit it?
Driver:  I don't remember running it, but if you say I did...
Office:  No.  You're admitting you're not wearing pants.
Driver:  No I'm not!
Officer:  Finally.
Driver:  What?
Officer:  No pants.
Driver:  What?  No! No, I'm not admitting I'm wearing pants.
Officer:  Uh huh.
Driver:  You know what I mean!
Officer:  I'm not even sure you know what you mean.  You been drinking?
Driver:  Oh crap...
Officer:  Is that a yes?
Driver:  No.  It's a NO.
Officer:  Any weapons?
Driver:  Yeah, just one.
Officer:  Where is it?
Driver:  Right here in my lap.
Officer:  No it isn't.
Driver:  Sure it is.  You've been looking at it since I rolled the window down.
Officer:  No I haven't.
Driver:  I'm pretty sure you have.
Officer:  I'm letting you off with a warning.
Driver:  For the gun or the stop sign?
Officer:  Stop sign.
Driver:  Well, thank you, officer.  Would you be so kind as to do me a favor?
Officer:  What's that?
Driver:  Reach in the back window there and hand me my pants?
Officer:  Step out of the vehicle.

My Sunday Thought for 070118: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Respect shown may not be felt.

Respect not earned is a lonely road.
Respect lost is hard found.

Respect given must be earned.

I've had to answer, many times, why I may not like a particular person; I've even been asked by the particular person I seemingly haven't liked.  I have always answered, it isn't that I don't like them, it's because they seem to care very little that I have no respect for them.  Hell, I can like you, or I can love you, and have little or no respect for you.  For that matter, I can also love you and not like you very much, at all.  Being liked, to my mind, is all about being yourself and not trying to impress someone by being who you're not.

The problem with being someone you're not is that most people can't help being transparent, and the people who think they aren't transparent are usually the most transparent of all.  There is nothing wrong with transparency; our country screams for it, constantly.  The reason we all want transparency is to uncover some hidden truth which is being hidden behind someone's facade of bullshit.  The people who can pull off hiding the truth or being someone they're not are usually undercover agents or in the "confidence" game subculture of criminal society - con men.  In order to succeed as a con artist you must be able to gain your victim's trust and respect by using their trust and respect against them without the victim realizing they are being conned; the victim must be naive and gullible.

Have you ever really listened to someone "blowing smoke" up your butt?  I try not to smile too much as I hear them drone on, "Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, yadda, yadda, yadda, bullshit."  Used car salesmen are the professional transparency specialists of this group, and people you surround yourself with should never be acting like salesmen toward you.  You should surround yourself with people who are going to treat you with mutual respect and like they know you're smart enough to easily see through their bullshit when they spout out lies.

“If we’re really to give ourselves the best of ourselves, we have to be honest with the worst of ourselves.”

-- Craig D. Lounsbrough, counselor, author

In my own sphere of influence I have people who disrespect others, others whom I also know, for some perceived offense which they may have meant if, in fact, they actually did or said anything bad enough to garner this response.  It might not be that the "offended" have even been personally offended, they just use their faulty perception as a reason to exercise their lack of respect and, therefore, not like the person.  You can only shake your head at the shallowness of this.  It is typical, in my humble view, of someone who ends up showing more disrespect for themselves than for anyone else and how sad this would be for them if they were cognizant enough to understand their own transparency.  

If you don't treat others with respect how can you ever expect them to respect you?  More obvious, you certainly can't treat people like crap and then expect them to appreciate, like, and even love you.  This is a way to ensure you live a lonely, bitter existence.  Love is easier when it comes to family, even if there is a lack of respect.  They are family, after all, and love may be the only thing saving them from total meltdown or drowning in their self-imposed pool of disrespect for others.  Everyone needs to get a handle on the simple fact that respect is not something you deserve; it is something you earn, not something you can demand; something you give, not something you expect  How do you ensure you're on the right track with respect?  Treat people with the same respect you would want to be shown, if you cared.

Personally, I don't care if you respect me.  I will continue to show respect for others, as applicable, and I would expect others, who exercise respect, to call me down if I fail in my attempt.  In this way we all garner a mutual respect for honesty with each other, if for no other reason.

“I cannot compromise my respect for your love. You can keep your love, I will keep my respect.”

-- Amit Kalantri, author

Have you ever had a parent demand your respect?  Love would seem to take second seat to their desire for your respect and, yet, if they have to demand respect it seems fairly obvious they haven't earned it.  It would seem as though they want you to disrespect yourself to show your desire for their love.  If you're paying close attention, your desire for their love and approval may have been a valid assumption up until this point, then it becomes a false assumption on their part.  No one should ever demand you compromise your self-respect for any reason, and certainly not for their skewed definition of love.  No one who truly loves you would ever ask you to compromise your values.

I have always found that those people who disrespect my friends, or those people I love, disrespect me, and if they disrespect me they disrespect themselves, and if they disrespect themselves they reveal their true nature to everyone able to see the forest passed the trees.  If they're constant disrespect becomes  so obvious, they risk becoming a lonely, bitter, person.  Self-respect, by definition, "is the pride and confidence in oneself; a feeling that one is behaving with honor and dignity."  When a person disrespects you, your friends, people you love and, by extension, themselves, where does this leave their honor and dignity?  You might show them a modicum of deference through your love for them, but they certainly have no right to demand your respect, especially if they're family. 

“They cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them.”

― Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), lawyer, political activist

The best way to earn the respect of others is for you to, first, learn to respect you.  We often allow others to take our self-respect when they disrespect us and we reciprocate by disrespecting them.  It is better to confront the disrespect with an honest request for their respect and the knowledge that you will then continue to respect them in kind.  This honest confrontation is a way of maintaining you own respect while putting the onus on the offender to "clean their own house."

The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) once wrote, "Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be."  This is an idea with which I humbly disagree.  As with parents, friends, and other loved ones, I can like you, even love you, and still have a lack of respect for you.  It is incumbent upon me, however, to inform you of my lack of respect, my perception of a shortcoming on your part, or I become a party to this lack of respect, compounding the disrespect and allowing the continuation, expansion, and negative influence of disrespect.  It is always better to be immediately up front and honest.  In this way, if they have any self-respect, they will ultimately respect you and, more importantly, you will respect yourself for having given them respectful honesty.  I have to say, I fail at this constantly especially when it comes to family, yet these are the folks we should have no hesitation in being painfully honest with, if we truly love and care for them.

“I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.”

-- Rita Mae Brown, author, activist, feminist

Author Steve Hall made another statement with which I am at odds, and it plays to Leo Tolstoy's quote, “The truest form of love is how you behave toward someone, not how you feel about them.”  The truest form of love is evidenced by the way I feel about you, not how I behave toward you.  Many people behave as though they like someone when, in reality, they like to see them burn in hell.  If you know that I am always honest in the way I behave toward you then, when I am disappointed in you, you will readily see that I am disappointed and might just exercise some self-reflection.  My show of disappointment is because I care about who you are as a person, and what you present to others reflects the respect you have for them.

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”

-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955), theoretical physicist

I have learned through the years the benefit of treating everyone with the same respect.  The "yes sir" and "No sir" I give to a general is the same I would give to a janitor, and a general taught me that.  Be firm, yet fair; explain discipline, and give credit where credit is due.  The reward you earn belongs to those who supported you; your reward was to have such great support and you can ask for nothing more than to surround yourself with people who give you their all simply because of who you are, not what you are.  This is respect.

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”

-- Lao Tzu (?? -500 BC), founder of philosophical Taoism

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 an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those 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 22 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 the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved 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, and wages 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 lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Abort! Abort! Abort!

Cecile Richards, CEO Planned Parenthood

"It could be one of the most perplexing awards ever given. Big Abortion ambassador and former Planned Parenthood CEO, Cecile Richards recently received a HUMAN RIGHTS award.

That’s right – the woman who we told you presided over the murders of over 3.5 million innocent babies in her 12 year tenure was named the most recent recipient of the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Apparently the rights of those millions of lives she helped take away – some whose body parts Planned Parenthood then reportedly sold for profit under her leadership – didn’t count.

This award would be laughable, except there’s nothing funny about it."

-- American Center for Law & Justice

Note to the reader:  This is an emotional subject and, as hard as I might try, my mind continues to move faster than good sense.  I was reminded of this shortcoming and have added a couple of "addendums" at the end of this post (in italics) to try and clarify what I think, everyone will agree, was rightly pointed out.

Cecile Richards; have you heard about this piece of work?  Well, look upon the face of evil!  Ask yourself why a segment of civilized society looks favorably on the treacherous murder of the innocent; the wholesale slaughter of our future. There is money to be made in murdering the unborn and selling their flesh.  Why are you silent?  Why aren't you raging against the dying of their light, their beautiful, unborn, innocence?  What really chaps my heinie about the CEO of this particular "final solution" is how much she looks like Julie Andrews.

Personally, I've learned to get over people who chap my heinie, I desperately try not to judge, but there is a special place in hell for people who murder children and, thank God, Julie Andrews isn't one of them.  Cecile Richards, on the other hand, is more than halfway to the 6 million Jewish deaths of men, women, and children, overseen by the Nazi regime.  I'm certain she is proud, and has a multitude of baseless reasons (re: excuses), as did the Nazis.  At the risk of painting everyone with the same broad brush, I feel that anyone excusing genocide, neonaticide, and inexcusable abortions, are co-conspirators to approving mass murder.  Making as mistake is not a valid reason.  Sorry, no "Get out of Hell Free" card for you, Cecile.  Enjoy the weenie roast!

"Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look favorably on wickedness. Why then do You look favorably On those who act treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked (Chaldean oppressors) destroy Those more righteous than they?"

-- Habakkuk 1:13

Giving this waste of humanity the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award is worse than giving Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize for doing - nothing!  How much did it cost him?  Did she buy her award, as well?  Good moral sense would dictate that either someone paid for it, or the members of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights equally sociopathic or really clueless?  Where are the civil rights for these children?  Where are the human rights for those who cannot, yet, speak for themselves?  A special place in hell?  I say, yes!

Karma:  An eternity of being murdered minutes before you're reborn, or the constant whispers of 3 million unborn voices haunting your mind until you break.  Cecile Richards is not for me to judge, however, even though it seems I have done just that.  I am only human, after all.  No, I must cede that task of judgement to the deity she seems to deny by her very heresy.

Confusing for me, however, is the current outrage, especially by supporters of this affront to human rights and moral decency, over children being separated from parents who cross into our country illegally.  Really?  This is what outrages them?  They feel nothing for the 3 million murdered babies and the selling of their flesh, but this border bullshit is what they find upsetting?  I find their soul seriously wanting, on several levels.

The following (in italics) are addendums to the original post which left out several salient points which it was felt, and rightly so, I should clarify:

Addendum 1:  Having said all of this, I am being reminded of "special circumstances" which are out of a woman's control.  Reminders from readers are probably a good thing, as I tend to overlook what I consider obvious to everyone else, especially when a subject is emotional for me.  The safety of the mother and the health of the child are good considerations when weighing an abortion.  Rape is a situation where there is no reason to wait on a decision any longer than the next day to take a "morning after" pill, and certainly no reason to wait until the definition of life has been reached.  

Personally I have no issue with abortion for a morally acceptable cause, if any cause which approves the death of a child can be morally acceptable to people of good conscience.  Women who have multiple abortions, well, my opinion as to what should be done for their lack of responsibility would seem as horrific as their decision to continue murdering children at will.  The minute you excuse the sale of tissue from these children does it become easier to find cause for more sacrifice?  How broad is the definition of unhealthy and unwanted? Is the fox guarding the hen house?  Considering the issues we see Planned Parenthood constantly grappling with, I'd say yes.  It is certainly presents enough evidence that, perhaps, the award was ill-advised.

Addendum 2:  I'd also like to add that, from my earliest "opinions" on abortion, I have felt the subject of was the purview of women.  Men have no point of reference.  We are great at being fathers, but can we really have a concept of what goes through a woman's mind when it comes to childbirth?  As for me, I have never felt comfortable trespassing on property which I have always considered private to others, and this subject, this decision, for me, has always belonged to women.  It was when late term abortion became a topic of concern that I finally woke up to some moral meat that I, as a man, could sink my teeth into.  This was soon followed by the harvesting of stem cells and the money to be made "farming" fetal tissue.  

People say that absolute power corrupts absolutely.  It was not a long stretch for me to see that when you have the power of life over death, and the real money was found in choosing death, it would be easy for this power to corrupt even the most righteous, to some extent, especially when an immoral segment of our society ensured the legality of it was maintained.

Addendum 3:  I hope this softens my condemnation, to some extent.  I understand what I wrote seemed to condemn all women with the same broad brush, which was not my intent, and I am aware my emotions often times are reflected in my writings even when I try to temper said emotions with good sense.  When it comes to murdering innocence for no good, righteous reason, my good sense is replaced with a mouth which my mother said would always get me into trouble.  She rarely is wrong.  I do try to recognize when I have erred, and my apologies to any of you I may have offended.  I do ask, however, that you revisit your reasoning and ensure it is, in fact, reasoning with which you can look yourself in the eye and say you have no moral issues in claiming ownership.

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 an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those 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 22 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 the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved 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, and wages 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 lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

My Sunday Thought for 062418: A Planet of the Apes?

“Why are there no nonhuman primates with an existing complex gestural language? One possible answer, it seems to me, is that humans have systematically exterminated those other primates who displayed signs of intelligence.”

-- Carl Sagan (1934-1996), astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author

"An Orangutan from a zoo was reintroduced to the wild in Borneo and began spear fishing after watching local fisherman..."  This tale bodes the obvious question: If the fisherman was using the spear to murder another fisherman, would the Orangutan also mimic this act?  Well, from what I've read, killing among the great apes seems to be for cause, murder not being one of them.  Having said this, the Orangutan seems to have recently garnered legal rights which, unfortunately, seem to rank them closer to us than they would, perhaps, approve.

Humans often kill their own without cause.  We have the intelligence to preplan the act of killing, of murdering another being.  How bad was it?  Bad enough that we enacted laws to prohibit such egregious activity amongst ourselves.  The law is pretty simple:  Generally, if you kill someone without cause, we reserve the right to kill you back, and even if you do have cause, we might determine the need to kill you back anyway.  Wild animals, on the other hand, seldom have the legal recourse with which to plead their case.  We will euthanize a killing animal simply for protecting itself or its territory from humans, or for killing livestock because humans have over hunted the land leaving the top of the food chain wanting.  But euthanizing primates might be changing if they're genetic relationship to man continues to be redefined as evidenced by Argentina's 2014 ruling:

In December 2014, Argentina became the first country to recognize a non-human primate as having legal rights when it ruled that an orangutan named Sandra at the Buenos Aires Zoo must be moved to a sanctuary in Brazil in order to provide her "partial or controlled freedom". Although animal rights groups interpreted the ruling as applicable to all species in captivity, legal specialists considered the ruling only applicable to hominid apes due to their genetic similarities to humans.-- Wikipedia, "Orangutan"

The question then arises as to what our definition of humanoid is.  When do we see a simian culture as an intelligent society of living creatures?  One must reflect on what an advanced extraterrestrial "alien" culture my think of us, in similar circumstances.  Will we inhabit their zoos and will we, for lack of any other weapon, throw our feces at the onlookers for laughing and poking fun at us?  Will we scratch ourselves, pick our butts, and dutifully eat our bananas?  What is the line to be drawn, by us, for recognition of an intelligent species?  As in Argentina, our definition would seem to be changing as we learn more about the minds in the animal kingdom.

“A century ago, people laughed at the notion that we were descended from monkeys. Today, the individuals most offended by that claim are the monkeys.”

-- Jacob M. Appel, author, poet, bioethicist, physician, lawyer

So, maybe our definition should be based on some social scale?  Many studies have been done, and are ongoing, concerning social interaction among simian groups.  They have social hierarchy, structure and order, leadership, elders, soldiers, scouts, lookouts, and so on.  They court, love, play, grieve, judge, punish, ostracize, shun, and exile.  They hunt, fish, gather, and share.  They tend to raise their young communally and teach them how to survive and be a part of their social structure. So, just how different are we humans from our simian counterparts, other than advanced intelligence?  Well, I found a couple of divergent thoughts which might shed some light on just how "unique" we think we are.  See if you agree with me that Ms. Kassem's description of gorilla life seems to be debating Mr. Westoll's assertion of human uniqueness:

“Humans are unique in having the astonishing capacity to extend our sympathies far beyond the here and now. through time and space, to anywhere and anything we choose. It is our culture that decides how large and inclusive our moral circle is, but it is each of us who makes up our culture.”

-- Andrew Westoll, "Charles Taylor Prize" winning writer

“When gorillas smell danger, they run around and call out to the rest of the primates in the jungle to warn them something evil is coming. And when one of their own dies, they mourn for days while beating themselves up in sadness for failing to save that gorilla, even if the cause of death was natural. And when one colony is mourning, their chilling echoes migrate to other colonies — and those neighbors, even if they are territorial rivals, will also grieve with them. When faced with a common danger, rivals turn into allies. And when faced with death, the loss of just one gorilla becomes the loss of the entire jungle.”

-- Suzy Kassem

Another interesting study is one concerning an elephant's sense of self and, by extension, its possible sense of God.  Personally, I found this video chilling, and sad.  I can spend paragraphs explaining it, or you can follow this link and watch the interesting video for yourself:  Elephants in the Mirror - Animal Self-Consciousness.

“If we look straight and deep into a chimpanzee's eyes, an intelligent self-assured personality looks back at us. If they are animals, what must we be?”

-- Frans de Waal, primatologist, ethologist

How many more animals exhibit a sense of self beside apes, dolphins, and elephants, heaven only knows.  If having a "sense of self" is a major stepping stone to having a sense of God, then the possibility that intelligent alien life will also have a theist philosophy might be almost certain.  Granted, they might have outgrown, or have never needed, organized religion.   They might naturally accept having a personal relationship, their own definition and philosophy, of an ultimate power, a god, and how this power guides the universe.  They might have been intelligent enough from the outset to simply grasp the concept of a supreme power and accept the existence of said power as a logical part of universal reality.  It could be that animals, for all of our egotistical chest beating while declaring ourselves the most intelligent of species, will show themselves to be all the smarter for a simple acceptance which has not been over thought by theologians, philosophers, and clergy.

How closely related are ape and man?  We tend to act like apes more than men, so maybe we really aren't far apart.  The fact that they seem to live well, without all of our baggage, makes me wonder which of us is really the more civilized.  The fact that the more smarter and peaceful of the two seems unlikely to inherit the earth seems directly due to the more intelligent of the two decimating the population of the other - proof, perhaps, that the meek really will inherit the earth when the more "intelligent" destroy their own world.  We have a thirst for knowledge and a desire to be more than we are.  Perhaps apes have been around long enough to have seen what this thirst can accomplish.  Perhaps they weren't impressed.  

The earth will always abide, as will nature.  It is man who will ultimately have to choose a different path or risk going down in some future history as another dead end branch of the human evolutionary tree.  And what if man fails?  Who will be the new custodians of the earth?  If any primates are allowed to survive, it would seem well likely mankind would have foretold their own doom, on feature films.  The earth may, in fact, become a "planet of the apes." 

“No existing form of anthropoid ape is even remotely related to the stock which has given rise to man.”

-- Henry Fairfield Osborn (1857-1935), geologist, paleontologist, eugenist

The quote above has been proven wrong, and yet it is so very right, as far as the apes are concerned.  The dichotomy would seem dependent on whether you're ape or man.  Sometimes I wonder if animals hide how intelligent they really are, acting like primitive brutes to disguise their true nature.  Next time you're visiting the Great Ape exhibit at your local zoo and a gorilla throws his excrement at you, consider yourself lucky he didn't have the makings for a spear.  If he seems to be scratching his privates he's probably looking passed you to your wife or girlfriend, so try to have some respect; you're probably related. 

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 and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those 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 a world renowned 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 lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

"NO GAYS ALLOWED!"

“As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty...”

-- Abraham Lincoln

There comes a point when one has to say, "Methinks thou protesteth too much!"  In other words, what are you, yourself, hiding that you must balk so loudly or judge others so harshly?  And the mere fact that your Christian hypocrisy would deign to judge others is, in itself, telling of what kind of faux Christian you truly are.  Contrary to the teachings of scripture, Christians judge their fellows constantly; the answer as to "why" might be found in those clergy who guide them.  For clergy to advise parishioners to "do as I say, not as I do," is obvious hypocrisy; if the tree is rotten, we can expect no less of the fruit it bears.  So it is with all who judge.

“I hate organized religion. I hate that people use it to justify their crappy, bigoted beliefs.”

-- Hannah Harrington, author, Professor of Old Testament

Grainger County, Tennessee business owner, Jeff Amyx, would seem to be a rotten apple.  His Christianity harkens back to the days of the KKK, as evidenced by the photo, shown above.  His sign of "NO GAYS ALLOWED" might as well say "WHITES ONLY" and the tee shirt he's holding just rubs salt in a wound we wrongly thought was healing.  His wide smile in thinking his Christian faith excuses his bigotry is further evidence of a sickness he won't soon be cured of.  The photo also indicates he has a license, issued by Tennessee, to sell hunting and fishing licenses.  The state might want to consider whether a renowned bigot should be issued a license where it appears he represents the state.  Just saying. 

“It is nonsense for the Government to allow any loopholes for religious homophobia. Bigotry is bigotry whether it's dressed up in the language of faith or not.”

-- Giles Fraser, Anglican priest, journalist

The recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Christian baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple was spot on, as it protected his Christian beliefs.  The baker, however, was perfectly fine with doing business with the gay couple; he simply could not, in good Christian conscience, make them a "wedding" cake.  Jeff Amyx, on the other hand is simply an old school hater whom one can imagine in a white hood, lynching Negroes out back in the woods.

“...racist thought and action says far more about the person they come from than the person they are directed at.”

-- Chris Crutcher, novelist, therapist

The best a tolerant society can hope for is customers to see the sign as an admission of his desire to commit crimes against our humanity.  Customers might want to shun his business and purchase their wares elsewhere, as a message that they do not agree with his sentiment; if he's the only game in town, try the internet for purchasing.  I would think that anyone to frequenting his establishment is admitting agreement with his hate and bigotry.  Are they Christians?  Then it will also be an admission of their lifelong hypocrisy.  Has their clergy addressed the issue?  If not, isn't this a sign of an infection which is eating away at the very foundation of Abrahamic faith?  Who are they to judge?

“My parents taught me never to judge others based on whom they love, what color their skin is, or their religion. Why make life miserable for someone when you could be using your energy for good? We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful. When you hear people making hateful comments, stand up to them. Point out what a waste it is to hate, and you could open their eyes.”

-- Taylor Swift, singer, songwriter

Left unchecked, we can expect other signs to crop up in businesses prohibiting blacks, Jews, Muslims, fat people, women, Christians, straights, the elderly, and other groups, until we find ourselves reliving the sad era of segregation the likes of which we have only seen in the Nazi Third Reich. 

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

-- Maya Angelou (1928-2014), poet, author, civil rights activist

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 an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those 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 22 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 the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved 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, and wages 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 lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.