Questions About Belief

 

“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”

-- Mahatma Gandhi

In regards to mental health, which phrase sounds better, "We're here for you", " You're not alone", " No more alone", or is there something better in your mind?

If you need us, we’re here to help. 

If you are Dr. Jose Rizal, do you sacrifice your own life for the country?

He didn’t sacrifice his life, he was arrested traveling on his way to Cuba to help with an epidemic. Spain was in charge in the Philippines, and he was arrested in Spain and implicated in the uprising against Spanish rule. This wasn’t as though he had a choice on whether to die or not, he was executed by firing squad, after a trial.

Does directing people undermine their sense of responsibility?

Not if your directing levies responsibility on them. What is the point of directing if they’re not vested in the completion?

"I've always had a sense of responsibility, whether I've been captain or not. But I must say that I'm both pleased and proud to be Portugal captain, despite how young I am, because I know what it means. My job is still the same though. I need to do what I do best out on the pitch, and that's score goals and help my team win."

-- Cristiano Ronaldo

Are rules set up by corporate companies legal, and can companies force employees to obey particular rules for their benefit?

As long as it doesn’t violate federal or state employment law, they can pretty much levy what they want. However, you always have the choice not to work for them. It is your life and your decision.

What are some sayings/phrases that mean one thing to a scientist, but mean something completely different to the general public?

“It isn’t possible.”

If a person is often unjustly treated and he is unable to protect himself from being unjustly treated, does it mean that he has no dignity?

If they are able to and do not, it might mean a few things, but if they are “unable to” it is different. They have no recourse unless they find a champion to stand up for them. “Unable” means they feel they don't have the choice to simply walk away from the abuse. This personal choice is something no one can take from us unless we are physically unable to escape our circumstances.  The moment you let someone deprive you of choice, you become mentally unable.  Of all this, where is the loss of dignity?

“One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized, and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.”

-- Michael J. Fox

What is the difference between "magnum opus" and "opus magnum"?

One is someone’s “greatest work” and the other is either a computer program or a rock group. 

How would you finish the sentence, “It's 2021 and we still don't…”?

…try to get along.

At what point should we start putting regulations on artificial intelligence?

The “Three Laws of Robotics,” known as Asimov's Laws, should be already in place for Artificial Intelligence" since these laws have been around since Asimov's short story "Runaround" in 1942.  If similar rules are not in place, we reap what we sow:

First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Reader comment:  On the First Law, how does it handle priority of human life? The example of the semi-truck crash where you 1 human (CEO of Tesla) would get run over and killed, or a group of 3 homeless people on the sidewalk that will get runned over and killed.

My response:  A.I. doesn’t work like that. It will run the probabilities and whoever can be more likely saved will be.  Human life - A.I. doesn't differentiate based on anything else.

“I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.”

-- Alan Turing 

What always makes consistency more difficult? Why is it hard to stick to a schedule?

Pooh happens. No matter how hard you try to plan your day, something will try to insinuate itself into your schedule. It is the nature of the beast, so to speak. Hope for the best, but plan some time for the unforeseen.

Should a good leader treat all followers equally, or purposely treat some better than others in order to gain favor with a particular group, and why?

Treating some better than others is tantamount to playing favorites, and that's the way your people will view it. Better to treat them all the same. Give credit where due, and critique when needed. Be even-handed and you people will follow you into battle.

How do I explain to others that money can actually work for you?

Live the dream! If you’re going to mentor, make sure you have practiced what you’re preaching. Ensure your own money has worked for you and use that as an example. You can use other people as examples, but you haven’t walked a mile in their shoes- you have no point of reference as to what they went through to get there.

“When you work on something that only has the capacity to make you 5 dollars, it does not matter how much harder you work – the most you will make is 5 dollars.”

-- Idowu Koyenikan

What does "blame the victim" mean?

A woman dresses provocatively for an evening out with friends. She gets raped. Her fault because of the way she dressed? There are those who will try to blame the victim, no matter how the evidence points to her innocence.

What exactly does this sentence mean, "production this year is six times greater than production last year"?

If production last year was 1, and the production this year is 6, then six times 1 equals 6. So, production is 6 times greater than 1.  However, if you're asked, of the 100 boxes you produced last year, how many more boxes did you produce this year, and you produced 600, then you produced 500 more boxes than last year? 

Just a note: My son tried to make me believe that point-nine times infinity equals one. I tried to make him understand that there is point-one times infinity lost in his equation. I finally saw the equation, years later, and, sure enough, they added an "x-factor" to make it work. Basically, the equation is crap, as any reasonable person would see. My point being? Always keep it simple.

What are the two main meanings of the phrase "We are all alone" and how specifically does the ambiguity arise?

Unless you’re using the “royal” we, “We are all alone,” is a false statement. If there are enough people, two or more, requiring the sentence to be “we” then you cannot, simply by the number of people, be alone. “I am all alone,” would be correct.

“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

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 volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.