The Ethereal Goddess

Time is an ethereal and sometimes cruel goddess. In her relentless passing, she steals away our youth and vitality, often in ways that seem insignificant until we finally realize how much she has taken. Still, she is also a generous deity, who offers to replace what she has seized with a deeper wisdom and a clearer vision of life's enigmas. In this sense, time can be our most powerful ally-if we are patient enough.

-- Michael Kelleher 

I have said it over and over: Time does not exist.  It is a human invention that gives an organized structure to this plane of existence.  It has been a yoke around the neck of humanity for eons.  Reality is infinite; therefore, time must also be defined as infinite, except that there is never enough of it.  People say they have all the time in the world, yet nothing is certain in this life except death and taxes.  For all time gives us, time does little except foment stress.  In reality, time gives us nothing we don't already have, the now, and it replaces nothing we haven't earned for ourselves simply by opening our minds.

Author Dan Brown wrote, "Faith is a continuum, and we each fall on that line where we may. By attempting to rigidly classify ethereal concepts like faith, we end up debating semantics to the point where we entirely miss the obvious - that is, that we are all trying to decipher life's big mysteries, and we're each following our own paths of enlightenment."  He should have started this statement with "existence" and not "faith."  Our existence is a continuum, and we are, indeed, following our own paths of enlightenment.  We may find enlightenment in this life or in the next, or the next, for as many lives as we need to understand.  This search we are on is not intended to be a great struggle.  It simply is what it is until it isn't, and then it is what it is, again.  We need to stop trying so hard to discover the obvious.  We need to stop trying to see the forest and start enjoying the trees right in front of us.

"To achieve your ethereal state, you have to expand your thoughtless awareness."

-- Nirmala Srivastava

I looked up the definition for "ethereal" and found I can use it to define time:  Time is "an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination."  I spend hours meditating at the "Cusp of Infinity" when, in reality, only minutes have passed.  Because time is just a concept it is fluid.  Time can be whatever our minds determine.  Time is how we define it from one moment to the next. It is a tool that lets us determine the distance between the tick-tock of a clock; this space in the "now" for us to make full use of.

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.

Raise Kids to Be Successful, or Kind?

"The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted."

-- Aesop

I guess an "OpEd" came out, over the past couple of days, saying that parents should be mentoring their children to be kind more than successful.  What this editor missed is that being constantly kind is, in itself, success.  But, I don't think the OpEd was that philosophically deep.  No, basically, we are continuing to put forth the idea that parents are too inept to multitask where children are concerned.  Parents can't mentor even two qualities equally.  No surprise here.  Parents, for the most part, haven't been parenting children for years, yet we expect them to mentor kindness over success?  Well, teaching kindness is easier so I suppose this probably makes sense where young parents are concerned.  They won't have to waste their own valuable time doting over their children's needs.  Besides, real success is overrated and has been replaced by "participation" awards.  Why strive for first place, after all, when all you have to do is show up?  Yes, this just has to make a parent proud, right?

The welfare rolls are littered with people who are kind and lack the tools to be successful.  For obvious reasons, the government seems to be fine with this.  How about the government limit the duration of welfare, and then teach these folks the basics of success, and then assist them in procuring a job. 

I could write a lengthy post on this, but simply the idea put forth by this OpEd was so basically idiotic I see no reason to belabor the issue any longer than necessary.  It strikes me that this editor must have graduated from one of our country's liberal institutions of "acceptable" education.  "Higher" education, after all, would require a sense of success and these institutions can't even wrap their curriculum around "kindness" without hiding in a "safe place" on campus, so I'd assume any true concept of success would totally escape them, as well.

As a parent, if you can't teach both concepts equally, how kind are you actually being toward your children?  How prepared for the world are you mentoring them to be?  How smart does this make you look?  Suffice to say, it is possible to be both kind and successful, and it is also possible to teach both equally.  

Our kindness is our success in the realization that it is incumbent upon each of us to mentor others in our successes so they might also succeed and, thereby, enjoy the fruits of their own labors.

"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness."

-- George Sand

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. 

Merry Christmas!

Once a year we Christians are asked to remember the birth of the savior of souls of mankind.  We pay homage for the one who will sacrifice His own life for our everlasting salvation.  Once a year.  How sad is that?  Once a year most Christians celebrate the birth of Christ by going into debt purchasing expensive material things and forgetting the free spiritual peace which is ours for the asking.  What does Christmas mean to you?  Does your mind immediately go to gift buying, or do you think of Him?  I'll tell you where my mind travels first, and then you can think about it... if you wish.

"Spirit," said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, "tell me if Tiny Tim will live."

"I see a vacant seat," replied the Ghost, "in the poor chimney corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die."

"No, no," said Scrooge. "Oh no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared."

"If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race," returned the Ghost, "will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.

"Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child. Oh God! to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust."

-- Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol"

I pay little attention, during the year, to the needs of those who struggle.  I suppose my fault is in being too concerned with whether they truly struggle, or if they are content to let others struggle for them while they simply sit back and suck sustenance from the public teat which these others pay such high taxes to provide.  I tend to concern myself, instead, with those children in need.  The children of those who struggle for something better will learn a hard lesson about the value of that struggle.  The children of those parents content to live out their lives sucking from the public teat will be in real danger of following their parents down this same path of self-worthlessness unless they either discover a higher path for themselves or are mentored toward a better path.  The children are who I care about, and the same novel by Dickens was my impetus:

"They are Man’s," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!" 

"Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge.

"Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?"

I beware "Ignorance" more than I do "Want."  Ignorance is a government that forces the poor into a welfare state which demands nothing from them in return for what is given.  Ignorance is expecting those who get something for nothing will ever give back, especially when the "something" they receive for free is neverending.

I hear stories about parents who have their small children assisting them in stealing from supermarkets.  This is not parenting.  A thirteen-year-old boy was arrested for killing a female college student this week, and people will probably bemoan black-on-white violence, but I don't think race matters.  This is about parenting, being a healthy role model and teaching good values, Christian values, or Buddhist, or Islamic values.  Even moral atheist values are better than having no good moral compass at all in your life.

So... Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanuka!  Seasons greetings!  Whatever your spiritual tilt, have the best time you can this season and throughout the year.  Be tolerant of others and let them practice their peaceful spiritual beliefs in the same manner you wish to practice yours.  We are supposed to feel the "spirit of the season" which is a spirit we should exercise 24/7/365, but most of us don't.  I don't often get material presents for family or friends except for the occasional gift card.  I donate in their name, during the holiday season, to assist feeding the poor in my small town.  I don't care who they are or what they believe, as long as they believe it peacefully and leave others alone. 

So, in all humility, I offer an idea to those of us who slack off where our fellow man is concerned.  With the New Year right around the corner, most of us will give as little consideration to New Year resolutions as we do the poor, so how about making the poor, those who struggle for a better circumstance, your New Year's resolution.  In particular, those poor children who need to see the best in those adults around them.  Don't let our inept government keep throwing money at the problem instead of trying to solve it.  The solution is about creativity, not money.  The solution is about having an achievable goal, not just kicking the can down the road for the next generation to deal with.  It's about everyone putting boot to ass, including the government.  

Yes, this means you need to get off your lazy ass and do a bit of research.  Get over it.  There are already programs out there focussing on the health and welfare of "at-risk" children.  Some ensure children get at least one healthy meal during the day, even on weekends.  There are "closets" that accept donations of dress clothes for those looking toward job interviews.  There are also programs teaching young folks how to dress, act, talk, and fill out job applications and resumes.  Make a resolution you can actually keep this year and in the years to come.  Make a resolution to get involved with those who really need you - our children.  And, make a resolution to hold Christmas in your heart... all year long.

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

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 Many Lives of a Cat

Think you have nine lives, do you? I saved you once...

don't make me save you again.

-- Erin Hunter, children's author(s), "Warrior Cats"

I have been around cats all my life. I've probably been around them in all my other lives, as well.  I believe in rebirth, reincarnation, multiple lives.  I believe in the multiple realms of existence and the lessons we must learn in each so we may move forward to the final realm, the non-physical immaterial world of mind only.  Some say there are 31 planes of existence, some say 10 or 7, but if the number really matters, how far must you have progressed?  Perhaps a cat is endowed with nine lives for a reason beyond our understanding, which is why humans call it a myth, an old wives tale.  These "nine lives" of a cat might just be the initial lesson of immortality; a taste of what will ultimately be achieved at the final plane, the final realm.

I can't ever remember purchasing a cat, or a dog for that matter.  We rescued a few from the animal shelter, especially the dogs, but cats are primarily volunteers.  Dogs are cats that haven't attained the realm of "cat," as yet.  Cats show up when you least expect them, or when you are most in need of them.  They don't ask, they just appear as if to say, "Well, here I am.  When do we eat?"  We are not here to teach them much, primarily because they exist to teach us volumes.  Whatever they "learn" from us, they do so for their own entertainment, to boost our fragile ego or, perhaps, to make us shut up about whatever it is we want them to "learn" from us.  Cats exist to eat, sleep, and play.  That's it.  Playing, well, it's usually when they get into trouble.  It comes with the territory.

“A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays and for the last three he stays."

-- William Shakespeare

Cats, almost always, seem to land on their feet.  It's probably genetic.  Someone, probably a scientist, named this ability the "righting reflex" and it stuck.  This reflex presents itself about six weeks after birth.  The height of the fall seems to present more questions.  One cat fell 32 stories and was released from care 48 hours later.  doesn't seem to be an issue.  It seems that once they reach their max velocity of 60mph they relax and their body acts much like that of the flying squirrel.  Read more about this here:  Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?

Really?  32 stories?  That's about 275-foot freefall onto concrete.  We'd be scraping the bloody sludge left by a human off the sidewalk with a snow shovel but, then, we're a much heavier sack of water than a cat and have no righting reflex, not that it would help.  I wonder at what altitude the cat starts screaming as it realizes it hasn't hit that ground yet?  And, which falls faster, the cat or the contents of its bowels?  Look out below!

My favorite cartoon is of a cat standing against the wall on the 32nd-story ledge of a highrise building, and contemplating suicide while a dog is leaning on its paw in the windowsill just next to it, smiling, and telling the cat, "I don't think you've really thought this through."  The point being, the cat will have to jump eight more times.  I think suicide is pointless if you're going to end up right back at the same lesson you were supposed to be learning in the first place.

"I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through."

-- Jules Verne

The "nine lives" myth is found in many cultures dating back to early Egypt.  Some say cats actually have six or seven lives, and even twelve, but many cultures think cats defy death.  And, maybe they do.  To understand this, however, we first must wrap our minds around the fact that what we call death is simply the shedding of this mortal shell we inhabit in order to survive this reality until we move on to the next.  We never really die, we just wear out the vehicle we're riding in.  So it is with cats.

In my life, I have survived mishaps which should have ended my existence here.  Most notably, a motorcycle accident where I was thrown over the hood of the car that hit me after the car came to a complete stop.  That one kind of defied the laws of physics.  Another was rolling a wagon that sealed all the escape routes except the back hatch which I was thrown through before it sealed, as well.  The highway patrol officer said it was the only time he could ever say that not wearing a seat belt was what saved my life.

These are just two of several instances in my own life, and we all can probably think of times we were beyond lucky.  I figure I've burned through four lives so far, maybe five, and if we nine is the magic number then, at sixty-six years of age, I should be fine.  If the number of lives is six, I'd better watch my own back.  My point is that, probably, as it is with us so it is with cats.

"One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives."

-- Mark Twain

I think we're allowed to survive these "tests" in order to teach us, providing we are openminded enough to see it, that life will continue and death in this existence is simply another step along our path to something greater.

Meanwhile, a bit of advice.  You might find out that the best time to sneak up on a cat is when they're watching a train go by.  They can't hear you from all the noise, and the vibration will mask anything they might have felt.  While you might find scaring the crap out of them quite the hoot, remember that you have to sleep... sometimes, and revenge is a dish best served cold.

"Revenge is a dish best served... at every meal"

-- Grumpy Cat

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.

What You're Made Of

"Ugly giant bags of mostly water."  This is how humans are described, according to the crystalline life form in the 18th episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation."  And, when you get right down to basics, it is really what we're mostly made of.  Mostly.  Recently I had the unfortunate opportunity to pick up my dad's ashes from the mortuary after his cremation.  The bag weighed in at around 5 or 6 pounds.  No pun intended, but it speaks "volumes" about our bodily water content.  Whether we're ugly or not, however, is still in the eyes of the beholder.

Psychologically, it can be said that our circumstances define who we are.  I suppose that depends on how weak of mind you are.  I prefer to think that we're better than that, or should discover the truth of this as we mature.  Knowing we're better than our circumstances is a life lesson we should be taught by our parents, our teachers, our mentors, and for some of us, our military trainers, supervisors, and commanders.

We are defined by how we handle our circumstances, especially the bad ones.  This is what shows those around us what we are made of.  Do we cut and run, lie down and give up, or do we choose to bravely meet the enemy head-on?  And how we handle our "good" circumstances can define us, as well.  If life is perfect and we go around bragging, our nose in the air with a haughty attitude, this also defines us, to others, as "better than thou."  Your better circumstances are evidence, whether by luck or design, that you were able to succeed where many others failed.

But rather than lauding your success over others, perhaps mentoring those less fortunate so they also have an opportunity to better themselves might be a better tact and will define you to others and, more importantly, to yourself, in a much better light.

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.

And, if you look closely...

"On the left side of the painting, God is depicted from behind, extending his arm towards a bush, alluding to the plant world. On the right side, another image of God points towards the Sun with his right hand and toward the faint Moon with his left. His face expresses the force needed for the creation of the abode of living beings."

-- Wikipedia, The Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Vegetation

I'm not sure what was going through Michelangelo's mind as he painted the frescoes depicting God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  If he wanted to make a statement, I'm not sure that depicting God baring naked ass for all to see, was appropriate for the day.  I suppose it is interesting, for some, to note the great artist seems to have considered God as having no need for sustenance, for food.  If God had to eat wouldn't there be a sphincter adorning our Lord's derriere?  

Then again, perhaps Michelangelo correctly assumed such detail would be lost to those looking up from so far below the ceiling.  Really?  He didn't seem to think God's bare ass would be missed, but no one would notice the lack of a sphincter?  That was the first thing I focussed on.  God has no sphincter.

Perhaps the Christian Church of the day considered it in poor taste to show such detail?  Showing God's bare ass was okay, though?  Hmmm... and yet, it seems, no such concern for propriety seems to have prevented such small detail as little cherub "winkies" making it onto the ceiling, as did Adam's own little embarrassment.  I mean, really?  If Adam was created in God's image, does God also have a small "winkie" or was Michelangelo simply painting from the reality he saw in hand daily?  Oh, and the bottoms of God's feet seem to be browner than the rest of him.  Dirty?  God's feet get dirty?  Did the artist forget to stock enough pink paint?  And, why is God depicted as an old white guy?  Why is he old?  Does God age?  Will God really die someday?  From old age?  Such questions occupy the minds of almost no one, except those who look closer and, of course, the perpetually offended atheists.  I look closer because I have a different view of God.  Atheists are just offended, perpetually.

We forget that God describes Himself simply as "I Am" and nothing else.  We know that man was created in God's own image, or do we?  Was man created in the image God had in his mind, His physical image, His composition of energy or DNA, or something else entirely?  We don't know.  To describe God is not to describe the true God and, yet, we try to describe God constantly.

Perhaps we put too much stock in what we think we know about God and Satan, about creation and death.  People tend not to look close enough at what they see, nor be critical enough about what they hear.  Was scripture written for the understanding of the uneducated people of the day, or for those better-educated people of the future?  And, if you think about it, why is salvation so hard achieve if God handed down such clear commandments?  There are only ten of them to consider; it's not like it's rocket science.  It's not like the commandments require a lot of explanation.  Do or do not.  Pretty simple to understand, even for the modern human.  Yet, we insist on making it so much more difficult than it has to be.  Why?  And this question of "why" is the question that should occupy our thoughts before all others.  "Why" will show us the way to the what, when, and how of things.

But, is the question really important?  If you look closely, "why" will tell us much, but "why" simply is, and it will be until it isn't and, yet it always is.  History bears out that "all roads lead to Rome" unless you force a detour.  Why?  Any evil begets more evil as any good begets more good.  Any free-thought begets more free-thought and any socialism begets more socialism.  Yet, we've seen that too much of something can force a detour if it isn't tempered by good sense and moderation beforehand.

But, you have to look closely.

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.

Some Things Never Grow Old

Whether she's offering a prostate massage or just flipping me off, an old lady giving me the finger will always elicit a chuckle. I can attest to this because, one, you never see an old lady flipping someone off and, two, my proctologist had an East German nurse, with a heavy accent, who took way too much pleasure in my discomfort, no matter the procedure. She reminded me of a cross between Cloris Leachman, as Frau Blücher of "Young Frankenstein" fame, and the Marquis de Sade. You really had to love her or, perhaps, she only hoped.  For some, it might evidence why the doctor remained my proctologist until he retired, several years later.

Some things just never grow old, especially things which make us laugh.  How many commercials on television do we laugh at and never remember what they're advertising?  I can watch humorous videos of cats and dogs on my computer for hours, finally turning them off when my cheeks hurt from laughing.  Videos of animals and children, for the most part, but any funny video of people doing stupid stuff, without injury, will put me on the floor.  Why?  Because I've been there, done that, or soon will.  

Even some stupid stuff with injury will put me on the floor.  Like teenagers who jump their skateboards onto a handrail and end up with the rail up between their legs when they fall off, rolling on the ground, holding their throbbing package while trying not to throw up from the pain, yeah, dumbasses make me laugh a lot, especially when they try to do it again, and fail again.  We all should learn to laugh at acts of repetitious stupidity.  We'll all applaud when the skateboarders finally do the trick without injury, but also aren't surprised when we find out they're sterile.

I think we have to laugh at this stuff because there, but for the grace of God and some good sense, goes us.  We have to laugh because the alternative is, usually, too painful.  We laugh at others with full knowledge that we may have to laugh at ourselves, down the road, when we repeat the anecdotal event.  We aren't laughing at the victim, we're laughing with them.  If you can't laugh at yourself, you have no right laughing at someone else, and if you can't see the humor others see in what you've done, perhaps you need to get a life or, at the very least, stop doing stupid stuff.  

Just saying. 

Editor's Note

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

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

Just Some Thoughts

Sally Kellerman,  as Major Margaret "Hotlips" O'Houlihan

Hotlips O'Houlihan: [to Father Mulcahy, referring to Hawkeye] I wonder how a degenerated person like that could have reached a position of responsibility in the Army Medical Corps!

Father Mulcahy: [looks up from his Bible] He was drafted.

-- M.A.S.H. (1970)

1970. I was a junior in high school. Hormones were playing songs, but I didn't have much rhythm, not back then. I wasn't serious about much of anything. My grade-point average was barely able to drag me into the "C" range, so I was more concerned about what number my local draft board was going to "gift" me with when I turned 18 than I was about more than some one-night tryst. My draft number, so far, had been in the area above 300 and, if this luck continued, there was no way I was being called up for military service. Don't get me wrong, I was brought up to be a patriotic American, but I really didn't want to be part of the statistical fodder littering some irrelevant battlefield across the "pond" in Vietnam. 

The movie "M*A*S*H*" hit the big screen in 1970. I immediately fell in lust with Major Margaret "Hotlips" O'Houlihan. What red-blooded American man didn't?  She wasn't Barbi Benton but, for a realist, she seemed more like a woman who might live next door.  Accessible. 

The draft lottery gifted me the number "9" for my 18th birthday. Oh, joy. My junior-college grades were evidencing some interest in psychology and pushing me into the "B+" level, but good sense told me not to rely on a college deferment from the draft, even though Stanford was looking mighty sweet.  After no thought whatsoever, I made plans to join the Air Force.

America ended the draft a couple of weeks after I joined. I was pissed, but I wasn't sure why.  It had been my decision to join.  Woulda, coulda, shoulda; I dug my heels in and never looked back.  The "Cold War" beckoned.  Besides, I was soon to learn that it is what it is until it isn't, and then it is... again. 

As I approached my 20-year mark in the military, I couldn't help nut reflect back upon Kellerman's character of "Hotlips" and her statement about Captain "Hawkeye" Pierce, the Chief Surgeon of the 4077 M*A*S*H* unit: "I wonder how a degenerated person like that could have reached a position of responsibility in the Army Medical Corps!" I had to ask, of myself, how a degenerated person like me ever rose to a position of responsibility in Air Force Intelligence.  The Air Forde didn't seem to mind.  They kept me three years longer, just to prove it. 

I was never one to take life too seriously. After all, the girls in the Intelligence Division didn't go out of their way to dress up a Barbie doll in a black dominatrix outfit, replete with boots, whip, and such, as a retirement gift for just any Master Sergeant. I'd like to think my people appreciated me and my work philosophy of "work hard, party hard, and take care of your people." We weren't as loose as the folks on M*A*S*H*, but I made sure we all had as much fun as possible while we enjoyed being one of the very best at what we did.  The downside of all this?  My military career helped to destroy my marriage.  There was a life lesson here, as well:  Don't pay more attention to work than to your family.  Certainly, don't have more fun at work, and don't have a job you can't share with them due to high-level security issues, either. 

I found life after military service about five years before my divorce. Yes, I hadn't learned the lesson yet.  I put myself full-bore into that job, as well. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks.  Twenty years later, I filed for Social Security and retired for good.  I forgave her trespasses by accepting the apology I never got, and then I learned to forgive myself for being so selfish and ever expecting one.  We were both at fault, and I bore the lion's share of the blame.  I also learned that I'm not the marrying kind. 

So, where am I now?  Still not married, but I am in a longterm relationship that works.  Still retired, but keeping busy ministering folks through my blog and volunteering as a chaplain at the local medical center, a chaplaincy which I've cut back on after my father's passing.  I dabble in woodwork and constantly consider picking up brush and canvas again or going fishing.  I think about that Barbie doll, occasionally, and wonder how I let twenty-five years blow passed me like I was standing still.  Life seems to move faster the older you get, but, like time, that acceleration is just imagined.

Technology has allowed me to rediscover my cherished past.  I found a "joy" I thought I had lost, and many other old friends as well.  Technology allows me to keep close those few people I hold dear to my heart and those I have held dear in lives past.  And, there lies the final lesson: Time.

Where am I?  I am now.  I exist.  Is anything else really more important than the fact that we exist, now?  Perhaps the realization that we always will, and always have.  Time, being a human construct, gives structure to this reality, but it really doesn't seem to have any purpose other than to stress people out.  Life is, whether we recognize time or not.  I live life for each moment, as much as I can, and try not to plan the next moment any more than necessary to please government requirements or those around me.  When I consider the concept of time, I smile at my knowledge that the "next great adventure" is only a moment away.

I will enter the next reality knowing that I bring this life with me, as I have before, and will do so again, and again.  Those we love, we love, now and in the next moment.  On the infinite canvas of reality, there are many lessons to be learned.  One lesson is that love is.  Love might change, but love always is.  Some folks foolishly think there is a magic switch to turn love off.  The anger and frustration one might feel is not a switch, it is a change.  If you don't feel the change, then it wasn't really a loving relationship.  It was probably just using someone to satisfy some urge and, no, that is not okay, not right.  It is always better to be with the one you love or, at the very least, truly love the one you're with; an homage to Stephen Stills.

I can only define life in one way:  It is what it is until it isn't, and then it is what it is... again.  Life, any life, is constructed of the choices we make at any moment.  The consequences of those choices define the next moment.  These moments, if we string them together, define our concept of time.  We know our past.  We live in the now.  We try, sometimes too desperately, to predict our future.  The only "time" that is written exists behind us.  The only "future" exists as a concept in our minds to be written once, and if, it occurs.  The only constant concept is change, and we all tend to change our minds constantly.   

Revel in that which has gone before so can you learn the lessons of mistakes and successes.  Make good choices now so the consequences of the next moment, the future, might be brighter.  There are no guarantees in reality except the change which happens now.  All we can really do is be the impetus for that change.

I stand at the cusp of infinity, where everything is not.  I stand at the edge of the void and fearlessly stare down into it, prepared to step off.  The void stares back, and I smile with the knowledge that I am prepared for nothing.  It is what it is until it isn't, and then, voila!  It is...

...and I am.

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.

Happiness, the Past, and Anxiety - Part 2

"The past is yesterday, so pay no more attention to it than a memory and a lesson. Pay attention to now, for this moment is how we will live the next."

As a prelude to reading this offering, I invite you to read "Part 1" at this link:  "Happiness, the Past, and Anxiety.

The impetus for "Part 1" was the deluge of requests for my opinion, or answers, to questions put to me from many of the Quora members.  The opening paragraph for "Part 1" stated, "I've been answering a lot of questions addressed to me from an online site called "Quora."  Questions from Quora members can be addressed to the general public or to an individual who has answered like questions before.  Those addressed toward me are usually concerned with happiness, the past, or anxiety."

I probably answered 75 questions, or so, over several weeks, before the League of the Perpetually Offended (Quora) dropped the hammer on me.  At first, their complaint was simply that I didn't reference my "stock answer," concerning happiness, to the originator.  Well, I explained I didn't reference myself because I considered it obvious, by the lack of a reference, that I was the originator.  So, I began prefacing my "stock answer" by stating it was my stock answer to the question being asked.  A week later their complaint was something more ambiguous and, even though they didn't explain what it was, they stated that whatever it was violated some rule.  This is when I discovered there were so many rules you'd wonder why anyone would bother taking time to post an answer, and rules clarity seems to escape the whole process.  Unsubscribing from this site was even a confusing task.

Socialists are pretty transparent by the fact that they flaunt rules they don't elaborate on so they can force out those who don't meet their hidden requirements, their agenda.  Again, clarity seems to escape them.  Fine.  My happiness is not based on the past and has no room for any anxiety they may think they may be causing me or, more importantly, their own members who seek answers.  And right there is the point I always try to make, so I'll repeat my "stock" answer for those who didn't bother to read "Part 1" prior to reading this:

There is no miracle for happiness, as happiness is a miracle. We are born innocent and have happiness within us. The world, society, and culture, can either support our happiness or try to take it from us. You can’t find elsewhere what you already have inside. Get rid of all the drama in life, stop listening to those who would hold you back, especially family, friends, and government. Discover inside of you that happiness which you have had all the time, since birth.

Whether rich or poor, happiness is a frame of mind and a choice each of us must make for our life. It is the choice to exercise our freedom of thought, freedom no one may take from us, our freedom of choice to pursue personal happiness that others think they can take away from us and put in the hands of the government. I think the poor have a unique view of happiness that may not include riches. I think the rich have a responsibility to assist others in their own pursuit of happiness. This doesn’t mean the rich must turn over their wealth to those who haven’t earned it, but I think there is a moral responsibility for those who have “made it” to assist others to become more than they are through mentoring and other non-monetary support, like education and housing projects.

No matter what financial or societal status, life is full of challenges and lessons. We should wake up every morning and thank God for the gift of another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel in our life. We need to learn to be happy in failure, as understanding and embracing our failure is the best way we can learn to move forward in this life and the next.

But, perhaps it’s better to ignore outside stimuli and for everyone to just make a selfless personal choice to be happy always!

Socialist philosopher, Karl Marx, once wrote "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people... The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo."  That referenced "vale of tears" is searching for truth and, as hard as they might try, socialism cannot hold back the truth from the people, from their freedom of thought.  The real test is being strong enough to defend your freedom of thought and not let anyone take it from you.  Don't let them prevent you from searching out truth and happiness.  It would seem by their actions, as much as Quora would like answers to its member's concerns, they are less concerned about their member's happiness than they are about the members marching in lockstep with some "hidden" thought process.

Now, they might say some of my answers offered no real direction.  I would point to question which were so vague as to rate a simple "yes" or "no" without an explanation they didn't ask for.  For instance, asking if I "woke up happy today" would rate a "yes" from me.  They didn't ask me "why" I woke up happy, so I felt no obligation to offer it. 

The members of Quora obviously liked my opinions and answers, as the number of requests thrown my way seemed to multiply exponentially as did the number of "upvotes" given to my answers.  Like the current congressional impeachment inquiry, but truth and evidence really have no bearing on the League.  The mere fact that members liked my responses seems to have been enough for those policing the site to be offended by my style and judge me unacceptable.  As for me, I really don't care about those policing Quora as much as I care about those souls looking for some answers to life which I, in all humility, tried to offer in my own inimitable way.  My information is out there if the members care to look me up.  Again, I can't say more than to quote myself:

"But, perhaps it’s better to ignore outside stimuli and for everyone to just make a selfless personal choice to be happy always!"

There it is.

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.