A Few "Left Field" Questions

I'm always very excited by something that's a curveball or from left field.

-- Kevin McKidd, actor

Is wishing Trump ill a moral transgression?

Wishing anyone ill is a moral transgression. Saying “I hope he dies in a fire” will earn you a special place in hell, regardless of who you wish it on, or why.  Better to just not hate, because all lives matter whether you believe it or not.

Who do we serve?

Ultimately? The Creator.

What are you up to?

I am reheating four lobsters for an early dinner. 

What small thing can you do to make you feel like your life matters?

Smile. If someone smiles back, life matters even more. Be happy always! It is a choice we must all make for ourselves.

“Let your ideas die, let your art die, let your fame die, let all these disappear, but you live! You are more important than your thoughts, more important than your art and your fame, you are more important than all your works! Never change life with anything else! If necessary, give up everything, everything but life!”

-- Mehmet Murat ildan, writer

What are some of the things that get worse the less you use them?

Sexual prowess. Don’t judge me.

How do you make it, not buying more than you need?

If you buy what you need, why wouldn’t you make it? If you’re not buying enough of what you need, you should probably buy more of what you need. Making it is not about having what you desire. 

What are you pursuing?

Happiness! Always happiness. It is the most important pursuit.

Can what people think of you have an effect on your life and the way you live it?

No. I’ve gotten to the point in life where what people think of me, my life, or the way I live it, means so very little to me, not that it meant much to me before. For the most part, those who judge really need to look in a mirror and take care of themselves.

“Never judge someone's character based on the words of another. Instead, study the motives behind the words of the person casting the bad judgment. An honest woman can sell tangerines all day and remain a good person until she dies, but there will always be naysayers who will try to convince you otherwise. Perhaps this woman did not give them something for free, or at a discount. Perhaps too, that she refused to stand with them when they were wrong — or just stood up for something she felt was right. And also, it could be that some bitter women are envious of her, or that she rejected the advances of some very proud men. Always trust your heart. If the Creator stood before a million men with the light of a million lamps, only a few would truly see him because truth is already alive in their hearts. Truth can only be seen by those with truth in them. He who does not have Truth in his heart, will always be blind to her.”

-- Suzy Kassem, writer, poet, philosopher

If you believe life is good and worth living, how do you justify this when it comes crashing down?

Poor planning on my part. What happens to us is all about the choices and decisions we make. The trick in life is to lean forward into the choices and decisions we make so we’re prepared for things that go a bit south on us. Make good ones, and be happy always!

How do I know if a man who doesn't like to show his feelings genuinely likes me?

Ask him.

What does "when there is no vision, there is no hope" mean?

Hope isn’t there until someone envisions it. Hope is eternal as long as someone has the faith to embrace it. 

“When we live in the past, there is no future.”

-- Anthony T. Hincks, writer, author

Do you think it is normal to feel like you are worthless and not worthy of love?

It isn’t “normal” and yet people do feel this way. The reality is that no one is worthless, and everyone is worthy of love. People make us feel worthless when God did not create us to be. Those who feel we are, need to look within themselves and ask what gives them the right to judge. We need to stop listening to others and start striving to be happy always. Make good choices and decisions, and life will work itself out.

Explain the saying "A little bit of jealousy is good." Is this true or false?

A “little bit” of jealousy is good. A “little bit” isn’t serious jealousy. It is you, liking the car your friend just bought and wishing you had one as well. Being jealous of a great hairstyle and getting one for yourself. It is seeing success and striving for your own version of it, not begrudging the success you see others getting through their own hard work. A “little bit” of jealousy is creative, as long as you don’t make it destructive. When you become destructive is when it becomes serious.

Do you agree with Saul D. Alinsky who said, “People always do the right thing for the wrong reason”?

No. Some people actually do the right thing selflessly and for the right reason. Not everyone is like Saul.

What's the difference between thoughts and real life?

Are you having those thoughts in a make-believe life? If not, those thoughts are part of your oh-so-real real life. Your real thoughts, on the other hand, are not tangible until you make them come to fruition, make them real. Until spoken, or put into action, they are just your “real” thoughts. However, even your thoughts can be counterproductive for your eternal soul. Better to keep your thoughts pure.

“Have you ever

had so much to say

that your mouth closed up tight

struggling to harness

the nuclear force

coalescing within your words?

Have you ever

had so many thoughts

churning inside you that you didn’t

dare let them escape

in case they blew you wide open?

Have you ever

been so angry that you

couldn’t look in the mirror

for fear of finding the face of evil

glaring back at you?”

― Ellen Hopkins, novelist

What is it called when you have to have everything perfect?

Impossible, because nothing is ever perfect except the Creator and people even question that.

When we’re stressed, why does nothing else really matter?

Because we’re, by nature, selfish. Having pointed this out, however, it is better for you to take a selfish moment and straighten yourself out so you are better able to selflessly help others. This is one of those times when no one should judge you, not that they have any right to judge in the first place.

The advice "be yourself" is so simplistic and reductive. Do you agree?

Yes, and it is great advice, that few people pay attention to.  

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), essayist, philosopher, 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 the 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 a chaplain at the regional medical center.