When the Bar is Non-Existent

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."

-- Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), sculptor, painter, architect, poet

It takes more effort to keep an open mind than to close off all ideas not your own.  Yeah, you can quote me.  I think people should always set their personal bar higher than is reasonable, but they also need to be proud of whatever accomplishment they attain.  It isn't what you accomplish inasmuch as the effort you put into the accomplishment.  But what if the bar has been set so low as to seem non-existent?  I'm not talking about those people who don't strive for any loftier goals but, rather, those people who are all bluster about their philosophy and then fall short in their application.  For instance, if a group is all about not abusing others, yet when they finish berating your own thoughts you feel like they've raked you over the coals and beaten you up so badly you're left to wonder who they really are.  Some Christians do this when they use scripture as a sword or shield, yet have no true concept of the philosophy within.  They tout a lofty bar while they really have little or no bar at all.  They will always achieve the mark they aim for because their mark is all bluster and no substance.

I've known some atheists like this.  They put proof of God on the shoulders of the faithful when all they're really admitting is they can't disprove God.  The faithful have attained their bar in the guise of their undying faith, their belief in something for which there is little or no proof.  The only argument the atheist puts forth is the faith can't prove what they feel they don't have to.  I have put to the atheist that the proof or disproof of anything lies with the detractors, those without faith.  

Those that have faith could really care less about those that don't, but the fact that they do care about the souls of those without faith is more a matter of love than proving right or wrong.  If the atheist has no faith dies, and there is no God, they are dead.  If a person of faith dies, and there is no God, they are dead.  The atheist would say the faithful wasted much time which could have been put to better use.  The faithful would say love is never a waste of time.  They are both dead and, yet, can one of them be, both, dirt poor and truly wealthy?  But, what if the deist is right?  What if the humble bar they set for their personal spiritual belief turns out to be worthy of the effort?  

If God doesn't exist it makes no difference to the faithful because they still haven't wasted their time.  Their love sets the bar and they win either way.  Sometimes I think people who find a need to take away from another person's peaceful belief are actually incapable of embracing this simple concept.  It really isn't about right or wrong, it's about opening your mind, and it's about love.  I have known atheists who do understand and, even though we don't see eye to eye on faith, they are capable of not only understanding, but the tolerance, and that "sweet reasonableness" which even Christianity often times misplaces.  We should all try to keep open and active minds.  We don't have to agree with one another in order to find peaceful common ground.

If a bar is non-existent, set one.  Set your personal bar high and do so with all humility.  Expect more of yourself than of others, but don't look down upon them with some faux sense of ego.  Raise your bar, don't let your ego run into it.  No one of us is perfect, not one.  Help those who need a hand up and don't be too proud to ask for help yourself.  We will fail at much daily, and we must learn from our failures.  Tomorrow we will wake to another glorious day and another chance to excel in this life with these lessons we constantly learn, and if we are constantly setting our bar too low, we sell ourselves short and learn very little which this life has to offer.

Set your personal bar high and don't be afraid if you can't reach it right now.  Keep reaching for the stars.  Always remember that time is simply a construct of measure which has little bearing on the eternity, the forever, the infinite, which lies before you.

“Raise the bar for yourself, increase, improve and inspire others to do same. Never miss the success of each day!”

-- Israelmore Ayivor, author, inspirational speaker, blogger

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.