A Question of Perpetuation

“Life is occupied in both perpetuating itself & in surpassing itself; if all it does is maintain itself, then living is only not dying, & human existence is indistinguishable from an absurd vegetation; a life justifies itself only if its effort to perpetuate itself is integrated into its surpassing & if this surpassing has no other limits than those which the subject assigns himself.”

-- Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), philosopher, social theorist, writer

Why do you think biological life aims to perpetuate itself?

Survival instinct. Even viruses mutate in order to stay alive. There is a theory, I’m not sure how factual, that viruses and bacteria utilize the “hive mind” and, in this way, they know when something is wrong, as a cure, and they begin to morph, mutate, change, in order to "up the chances" for survival. All life has this instinct to survive and to perpetuate itself.

Are we looking ahead at a full decade of chaos?

If socialism takes hold, at least a full decade. We will spend another decade repairing the damage they’ve done to our country and, hopefully, prosecuting the perpetrators.

Why do sunsets inspire you?

I’m not sure “inspire” is the right word. Sunsets make me happy. They make me smile. I love the beauty of a sunset. Every morning I give thanks for the gift from God of another beautiful day in paradise and, weather permitting, greet the day with a beautiful sunrise. When my day of making the most of the gift is over, I revel in the chance to usher out my efforts with the sight of a glorious sunset.

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

-- Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), poet, writer, philosopher 

Would you continue trying after losing more than three times in a row?

I play Freecell and Majong. I have become tenacious. I will spend several hours playing and replaying a game, multiple times, in order to prove there is a solution. I have played several thousand expert level games of each and have yet to lose. You only lose if you surrender.

What word describes someone who is slow to anger?

How about, thoughtful? 

How can someone use their learned hopelessness to positively impact their lives?

So, I have to ask, why would someone learn hopelessness? First of all, I don’t think one can “learn” hopelessness without first being truly hopeless and, if you are truly hopeless, you aren’t learning it as much as living it. Hopelessness can impact your life if you learn it and let it positively consume you. On the other hand, you can use your knowledge of hopelessness to rise above it. Besides salvaging your own life, mentoring what you’ve learned in this journey can have a serious impact on others that might be moving down that road. But, hope is something we are never without. There is always hope, until there isn’t and, if there isn’t, it is already too late to worry about it.

“Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation– the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.  One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise. This philosophy fitted on to my early adult life, when I saw the improbable, the implausible, often the "impossible," come true.”

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), writer, novelist

What will become of us? My wife is a devout Christian and I’m agnostic, yet she continues to believe I will find and accept Jesus.

She has hope. The curse of the “devout” Christian, faith, and hope. It should probably be the curse of all humankind. What will become of you? That is your choice. She will die and move on, and it sounds like she’d like you to move on with her. She loves you, and she must have a reason. The positive note, here, is that you aren’t an atheist. There is no hope for atheists. They live, they die, period. You, on the other hand, question faith. This is always a good thing. It will be interesting, on your death bed, to see if faith finally finds you.

What is necessary for life? Is the marginal benefit of a glass of water large or small?

Water, food, and oxygen. Clothing, shelter, and heat. The benefit of a single glass of water is, indeed, marginal. The benefit would be in giving you added time to find a constant supply of it.

How do you give someone space when all you want is to be close to them?

Ask yourself how it will feel to be without them. If you suffocate them, they’ll probably bolt. I’m this way, and my significant knows it. I like my space, and she knows when to give it to me. I am equally considerate. I hate it when people are “clingy” or can’t stop calling, or can’t stop insinuating themselves in every aspect of my life. If you want to be close to them, be honest with them, and then show them some consideration.

“The greatest gift you can give someone is the space to be his or herself, without the threat of you leaving.”

-- Unknown

How do I convince myself that there is no hope between me and him?

Go screw your lights out with a couple of different men. In the morning, if you don’t feel bad about what you did, there is no hope. Just saying.  But, really, if you're asking this question, there's already no hope and you realize this truth.  I'm not sure how you convince yourself of the obvious.

I’m 13 and just got my first girlfriend but don't know how to talk to her since she's my first. Can anyone help me?

Lead with that. Tell her you’re unsure of yourself. She might like the fact that you’re not only honest but vulnerable. Oh, and flowers always make up for a lack of conversation, and they might even start one. Always be respectful and polite. Yes, that means holding the door for her.

What do you think about this quote, "There is no failure, only a process which is leading us to become the greatest version of ourselves"?

Temporary failure is the best way we learn. We review what we did, we come back and try again with a different tact. True failure is when we learn nothing from the experience and simply give up. We are here to learn lessons that prepare us for the lives to come. We need to embrace the lessons we learn, rise above the barriers to success, and, yes, become the greatest versions of ourselves. Failure exists, however, for those who simply choose to give up. The “process” comes to a standstill until the lesson is learned and a different choice is made.

“There is no failure except in no longer trying.”

-- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915), writer, publisher, philosopher 

Has Barack Obama inspired more hope and optimism than any president in the United States history?

I’m not sure an “apology tour” inspires anything in the realm of hope or optimism.  After eight years he certainly did nothing to raise the standard for black Americans.

Where does "purpose and desire" belong to, the brain or the heart?

It would be romantic to think of somethings as being matters of the heart, unfortunately, all thinking begins in the brain. As a “helpless romantic,” however, I cannot help but give certain things to my heart.

What does this mean, "Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind of word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn around the life"?

Sounds like something Leo Buscaglia once said. If you’ve never had the opportunity to listen to him, some of his clips are still around the net.

It means we need to take a moment. We need to understand that our honest touch, smile, kind word, listening ear, compliment, or any other smallest act of caring, can mean so much to those in need. We overthink, or we don’t think, and while we give ourselves no credit, there is a gunshot. All we had to do was smile, offer a touch, listen, and another life might be saved.

Words of important Scientists That Can Guide Our Lives, click?

Albert Einstein had a closet full of one suit. Oh, hell no. Just because you been touted as an “important scientist” doesn’t mean you know dick about how to live life and be happy always, except, maybe, as an important scientist. I’d be more apt to pay attention to the words of an ancient Tibetan monk.

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

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

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.

Questioning Needs and Wants

 

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it" do you agree with this quote?

Yes! You should always keep an open mind. You don’t have to agree, but you should be willing to hear all sides. This is something the League of the Perpetually Offended has yet to learn. An “educated mind” usually has nothing to do with intelligence, it has more to do with being smart. We have plenty of intelligent morons out there you are evidence of this.

What are the differences between human needs and human wants?

I want ice cream, I don’t need it. I need to survive so I can fulfill my life here.

How do you snap out of your bubble and see what's going on around you?

I’m always cognizant of what’s going on around me. A friend advised me, one day, that I was being used. I told them I was aware of it, and it was my choice to allow it. I find it humorous when people think they are getting away with something when they’re really not. It shocks them later on when you say “no” to them. Allowing them to use me once is a choice, it does not require you, however, to allow it always.

Life is like driving a car. You need to be aware of what is behind you, in front of you, and coming in from the sides of you, and you have to be ready to avoid an accident before it becomes one. Where you are on the road is a choice you must make. In this way, the accident you’re in is technically your fault for not paying attention.

“You will not become aware of the world you live in if you look at it with the same attention. So don’t look, watch.”

-- Dr. Prem Jagyasi

“I love my hobbies and career more than I love people. People are so disappointing” what is your opinion on someone who says this?

I agree totally. However, I always hold out hope that people will rise above what they are and become something better, more intelligent, and then my country becomes socialist. Yep, still holding out hope.

Have you ever been praised or thanked for something you wrote, and you realized the person hadn't understood the main idea?

Happens here all the time. The members of the League of the Perpetually Offended often have a knee-jerk reaction at something I might write, missing the point and, occasionally, proving me right in the process. Bless their little hearts, you have to love them.

What is more important to be a good person, the desire to be good, or being born with a good nature? How much can you change yourself?

Infants, for the most part, are not immediately the spawn of Satan. They have a choice to make, and that choice is parented unto them. If the parenting sucks, so goes the child, in many cases. We see on the news, more and more often, police telling someone to get on the ground multiple times. The police draw their weapons as the person continues to come at them. The person pulls a knife. The police shoot. The city is set on fire because of poor parenting, and the parents are screaming the loudest. The parents doth protest too much, methinks. 

Parents seem to be the first to deny responsibility for children with criminal tendencies. My dad told me that he and mom brought me into this world, and it is their responsibility to take me out. I sucked at criminal law, so I was a pretty good kid or I would have dared him to take me out.  He might not have done it, but he showed the he had so many other options available to him as a parent.

Life is all about choices. We need to impress this on our children. Good choices usually bring good circumstances, whereas bad choices can get you shot. Children need to be taught the benefits of good choices.

“You are only a bad person if you do bad things. That's not an acquittal. The counterpoint is that you are only a good person if you do good things.”

-- Joseph Fink

 What can I learn in the next 5 minutes that can be beneficial for my life?

You can “learn” nothing, but you can make the conscious choice to be happy always. There is nothing more important to your life than happiness.

Do you prefer to let your friends and family know your goals or keep them personal?

Why would you keep your goals secret? Afraid of people knowing you failed? There’s no secret to my goals, and oftentimes those goals will change. Failure is all about learning from your mistakes and moving forward. True failure is all about quitting. I try to rise above what people think of me, but I'd rather they not say I quit.  I'd much prefer someone say, “He tried four times before he finally got it right, but God bless him, he never gave up.”

When I do something that I know is good, what does it do to me as a person? Likewise, if I do something that I know is bad, what does it do to me as a person?

I can give you the biblical rhetoric, but the Perpetually Offended will be on me like flies to a rotting corpse. By your descriptions, you obviously know good from the bad. The question is really, why would you do something you know to be bad instead of doing good? I have always tried to live by a good moral code of ethics. You can strive mightily to do this. You will occasionally fail.

Violating your own code diminishes your opinion of yourself. This is not a good thing. I am a self-proclaimed hypocrite. Do as I say, not as I do. I figure that my soul has much to answer for already, but those I mentor might still have a chance. I don’t have many faults, but this diminishes me in my own eyes. I am working on it constantly and, perhaps in the near future, I can rise above it.

“You are not a bad person just because you were at fault this once. Grow from your faults and strive to be a better person. Being a good person isn’t a destination, it’s something we pursue all the time. Sometimes, we will fail but it’s alright.”

-- Nesta Jojoe Erskine 

Why do I have to be good? Is it part of my nature as a human being or is it a choice that I make for myself?

You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be. It is a choice you must make. The freedom of choice is part of your nature as a human being. Life is all about making good choices and decisions, basically, because good choices tend to beget good circumstances and bad choices, well, the circumstances eventually begin to suck.

How can “passion and balance” (as concepts applied to real-life situations) exist in harmony?

When I was in military intelligence I was passionate about my work. I wasn’t just good at it, I was very good at it. I came home at night because I had to get some sleep… and see my wife and kids. The “and” in the statement was my biggest problem. I had passion, I simply had no balance. My passion for work took precedence over my family. Twenty-one years later, when my marriage was over, I would learn about balance. I would also learn about stress, anger, misplaced blame, forgiveness, and accepting the apology I knew I was never going to get. Passion without balance can be costly and messy, and I’m not discussing money. You will learn much, but I’m not sure the price is worth it.

If by chance you meet a person who lost the will to live due to any forms of setbacks how will you motivate the person to make his/her life meaningful.

There is this cartoon of a cat out on the 30th-floor ledge of a building. The cat has plastered itself up against the wall and is about to commit suicide by jumping. The is a dog smiling at the cat from a nearby window. The dog says to the cat, “You really haven’t thought this through, have you?” 

The cat will have to jump 8 more times in order to die.

What if, by committing suicide, we find ourselves right back on that same ledge, time and time again, jumping and dying, jumping and dying, until we finally choose a better option? What if this is the hell we make for ourselves by not completing the assignment of life we’ve been gifted? What if this is the lesson we must learn in order to move forward and finally get off the ledge?

We are given the gift of life each and every morning. Another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel in life. Setbacks are those unforeseen things we let get in our way so we can make excuses for not trying. Life is about making good choices and decisions in order to get good circumstances. Suicide or not, we will, sooner or later, have to make the right choice. Or, we can go through the stress and excruciating pain of committing suicide over and over and over and over….

Better for them to choose to be happy always. The alternative really sucks.

“Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals.  If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.”

-- Roy T. Bennett

Who agrees with me when I say that not everyone can get better because some people plateau and hit their Peak and they can never make it to the pinnacle of their profession and that this has nothing to do with free will, it's all fate?

Everyone has a choice to continue to learn and get better, but not everyone has the wherewithal to reach the peak of their profession. Unfortunately, politics, nepotism, sex, greed, and the like, all play into why some people might feel they’ve “peaked” when they’ve simply made bad choices, like working for the wrong company, the wrong boss, and, perhaps, even in the wrong field. Instead of making excuses, we need to embrace what we’ve been dealt, rise above it if possible, or move on down the road.

I probably would have agreed with you when I was young, but I’ve been around the same block enough time to recognize someone throwing out excuses for them not making it. After 22 years in the military, I had the chance to make Senior Master Sergeant. I figured that was going to be as high as I wanted to go, considering the politics involved. I was tired and I needed a change, so I retired. I spent the next 17 years with another company and wouldn’t change my decision for the world.

It is so much more important for us to learn how to be happy always, especially in the face of our own shortcomings.

As I am observing life I am learning that it is okay to have a “normal lifestyle” nothing is wrong with slow and steady, but why do I need the hustle?

I’m sorry, didn’t you just answer this?

How do you speak what you want into existence?

I want an absolutely gorgeous woman to have cheap, meaningless sex with me, right now!  Wait for it... wait... Nope, didn’t happen. I have no clue.

Has anyone said they’re going to change into a more optimist and happy person and actually do it?

Yes, indeed! I strive to be happy always because the alternative simply sucks. Life is all about learning, and learning is all about making the right choices and decisions. Instead of constantly bemoaning life, make the conscious decision to be optimistic and constantly happy in what you do, who you’re with, and life in general. I keep those with drama at arm's length. I just don’t need their drama in my life.

“Be happy about your own life and you'll be amazed at just how much more beautiful you'll find it to be.”

-- TemitOpe Ibrahim

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.

More Questions of Happiness, Success, and Choices

“Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal.”

-- Patrick Lencioni, business & leadership author

Why are people these days so hard to work together in comparison to people in the past?

People in the past were just happy to have a job, a roof over their heads, and three meals a day. Competition was for those who could afford to lose. Now, if you lose you go on unemployment or welfare, which is easier than working anyway. Someone else does the work for you and you still get paid for their labor.

Is there someone in your life that diminishes your value? How so?

They can’t diminish a value they do not control. If you let someone diminish your value, you have already done it for them. You would be well served to diminish these people from your life than to let them diminish it.

Does self-respect only come in terms of someone else’s definition or isn’t it something you have to make yourself?

There’s a reason they call it “self” respect, and not “someone else’s” respect.

“We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and—in spite of True Romance magazines—we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely—at least, not all the time—but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness.”

-- Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005), journalist, author

Have you ever felt like you were used for money?

Yes, and I kept telling her she really didn’t have to pay me.  Oh, wait, I think I misread the question.

If today was International Theft Day, what would you steal if we removed the money?

It would have to be a large precious gemstone.

Is "Fake it till you make it" a good quote?

No. It is the reason for the condition of the United States today. Too many people are faking it, especially in politics. Better you should know what your job is, know what you’re doing and, more importantly, stop whining and complaining and do the job you’re being paid to do. Congress has been paid for four years of whining and doing nothing. The people of this country, who would love to have a four-year paid vacation, ignorantly paid them to do it. Who are the real losers here? Ignorant people who think any sitting President is the real problem.  It will, almost, always be Congress.

"Don't fake it till you make it. Be real, be transparent, be authentic and be yourself"

-- Darren Hardy, author, speaker, advisor

Are you happy about 2021? Why or why not?

I woke up this morning. What’s not to be happy? I thanked God for the gift of another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel. I still strive to be happy always! The alternative simply sucks.

Can you be strong and at the same time weak?

Ever heard of a fireman braving the flames of a burning building to save a litter of kittens?

What is your philosophy of life that you follow and it brought wonderful results for you?

Never waiver from your code of ethics; hard work, honesty, loyalty, fairness, and the like.

Should we praise people more than they deserve?

Why? False praise might make them think they are more than they are. Better to give the right amount of praise so they keep on trying to excel. When they truly deserve it they will know, and so will everyone else.

“The trouble with most of us is that we'd rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”

-- Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), minister, author 

What do you think of the following concepts: that water isn't wet, it makes other things wet and that fire is not a thing, it's an event? Can you share similar 'mind-bending' ideas you've heard?

It goes along with the concept that nothing is real until we experience and acknowledge it. This goes to the story of the blind men feeling the elephant and describing what it is. Except, it is still an elephant regardless of what they describe or experience. These “mind-bending” ideas are just that, mind-bending, but they don’t change the reality of what is. If you close your eyes and don’t realize you’ve walked off a cliff, not opening your eyes will not change the reality of what happens at the bottom.

What is the most embarrassing situation that you have woken up to?

Having been so plastered the night before that you don’t remember how you woke up next to a strange woman, much less what her name is.

If you put someone alive in 1800 in the year 1900 and also 1700, which one would seem the most familiar to them, and which would they have an easier time living in?

1700, pre-industrial revolution era. !900 would have them dealing with machines and technology that they certainly would not be familiar with.

“Every new age has at its disposal everything that was fine in all past ages, and its greatness depends on how well it recognizes and preserves and brings to the aid of its own enlightenment whatever worthy and true things the dead have left on earth behind them.”

-- Booth Tarkington (1869-1946), novelist

What are the core factors for right and wrong decisions? Explain with real-life examples?

Knowledge and good sense. When crossing a street you pay attention to traffic, traffic signals, and look both ways to double-check. We do this because history bears out what happens when we don’t. We have historical knowledge which we pass on, and, hopefully, a modicum of good sense that tells us what happens when we ignore what we know to be true. Life is all about making good choices and decisions, and we do this through learning. Or, we used to do this through learning. No one teaches good sense anymore, so it is often left up to the individual.

Do you believe 2021 will be a better year for you?

No. My country will go backward in time, losing all the gains we’ve recently made. We should make Chinese the mandatory language course in grade school.

What are some truths that you learned in 2020 and want to share with people?

When elections are rigged, you no longer have a free society. Messing with an election should be on par with treason, and all involved should be jailed and the leaders shot. America has lasted longer than most and, as Jefferson might recommend, is in need of a revolution to refresh the tree of liberty. We need to roll Madam Guillotine onto the Capitol steps and show the members of our government what happens when they don’t act in our best interest. Then we should enshrine the guillotine, where it stands, as a reminder to future “lawmakers” of the consequences of trifling with our Constitution.  Just saying.

“Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”

-- Mark Twain (1835-1910), writer, humorist, publisher

What makes New Year's Day different from other days of the year?

Uh… it is the only first day of the new year? Is this another trick question?

Who depends on you?

My mother. As she approaches 87 years of age, and since my dad passed in 2019, she depends on me to do those things dad would have done. This is why I came back after my dad’s first stroke, knowing the inevitable was close at hand. It is, after all, what a son does.

Would you sacrifice more of yourself for wealth or status?

No. Nothing is more important than real personal happiness. I don’t think wealth or status can hold up to that.

What is something that has more value than money?

True happiness.

What is the least to the greatest?

If they are truly great, they will recognize the need for compassion and the need of the least for a hand up, instead of a handout.

A just society is not one built on fear or repression or vengeance or exclusion, but one built on love. Love for our families. Love for our neighbors. Love for the least among us. Love for those who look different or worship differently. Love for those we don't even know.

-- John Legend, singer, songwriter

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.