Questioning other People

 

“When you are walking on water it is fear, not sharks, that sinks you.”

-- Matshona Dhliwayo

What does walking on water prove?

Either someone can do no wrong, or they might be the “second coming.” But, if they ask this question, I'd go with "can do no wrong."

Why do you think that governing the country as if it were a company is a good thing or a bad thing?

Well, for all intent, it actually is a company. It has a CEO, a board of directors, an oversight committee, a regulatory office, and 328.2 million stockholders who get a vote on how the company runs. Unfortunately, the company is in massive debt and is in the midst of a hostile takeover. The business of freedom and the pursuit of happiness has become unsustainable. Being a company, and being run like one, is not the problem. Bad leadership is.

I'm going to graduate soon. What (inspirational) quote is nice to put in the yearbook? I want a unique one.

“More than anything else, strive to be happy always.”

"High school was easy.  It was like riding a bike.  Except the bike was on fire and the ground was on fire and everything was on fire because it was hell."

-- Randey Chung

Why do you think knowing how to listen during a conversation with a person is a great gift?

Shutting your piehole and knowing how to listen is one of the most important keys to communication. Not many people know how to do this, especially not my favorite group, the League of the Perpetually Offended. Listening is a gift that escapes them, as it does many others. If we all learn to shut up and listen we might actually learn something useful, instead of the crap we’re used to. Just saying.

What do you call it when someone permits you to do something but then places unreasonable conditions upon doing it with the intent that it becomes impossible to do? Does that practice have a name?

Permission to fail.

Why has my bully started being nice to me?

Maybe the bully grew up and recognized being an ass was counter-productive to their future. Watch your back, though. It might be a trick to lull you into a sense of security before bullying you some more.

“What if the kid you bullied at school, grew up, and turned out to be the only surgeon who could save your life?”

-- Lynette Mather

Do you think the world is gonna get better in terms of morals?

We murder babies in the womb, burn down neighborhoods and businesses, gang violence is on the rise, spirituality is under attack, we have banned Dr. Seuss but allow porn on the internet, and countries are being led by octogenarians with Alzheimer's. We’re going to hell in a handbasket.

Reader's comment:  As a chaplain, as things are, would you rather someone was pagan or atheist? Which is worse for Christianity no religion or pantheism?

My reply:  I don't much care what people identify with, just do it peacefully and leave others to their own thing as well.  The League of the Perpetually Offended is incapable of this.  I am a Christian, but I identify strongly with peaceful spirituality. I’m not sure what could make Christianity suffer more than it has under its own weight. I have been moving more toward pantheism in my older age, and my spiritual philosophy has “heaven” simply as another dimension we move onto. No one really knows what awaits us, but that’s the whole point of having faith, a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. 

Why do people say things they can’t prove?

They are either too lazy to research it, they are members of the League of the Perpetually Offended, or they have undying faith in what they believe.  And, before you say it, the League of the Perpetually Offended don't necessarily believe what they say, they're just offended that you have a cogent thought.

What do you mean by the saying "No one is poor that he can't give, and no one is so rich that He can't receive?"

I mean nothing by it because I never said it. But we must put it in the original quote to better understand it.

“Nobody is so poor that he has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich that he has nothing to receive.” — Pope John Paul II

Even the poorest of us have something of ourselves to give to others. Even the richest among us are still able to receive what others might wish to give. An example? Christ was poor, but even the wealthy were able to listen if they chose to.

“There's always something to do if you don't have to work or consider the cost. It's no real fun but the rich don't know that. They never had any. They never want anything very hard except maybe somebody else's wife and that's a pretty pale desire compared with the way a plumber's wife wants new curtains for the living room.”

-- Raymond Chandler

What would be a good way to tell them that they have poor decision-making skills?

Begin by showing them the evidence. Life is about making choices and decisions. Good begets good consequences, results, and bad begets bad. We all make an occasional bad call, but if they have the poor skills you think they do, there should be much evidence to discuss with them. It isn’t rocket science, but will they listen? That is totally up to them. Try not to be too confrontational.

Can I say, "I spit my life through the mic," meaning, "I tell my life"?

Why don’t you just say “I tell my life” so everyone understands your honesty?

What are some of your biggest missed opportunities that you refused out of fear?

Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute packed by a total stranger. You’re betting his mind is on his job and not on his failing marriage. Hell, I’m happy in life, and I wouldn’t jump if I packed the chute. Do you realize how many chances you’ll have to scream on your way down, catch your breath, and scream again, and again, before you hit the last thing that goes through your mind?

“Impulsivity is something akin to spontaneously jumping out of an airplane and not realizing that you forgot something until about five seconds before impact.”

-- Craig D. Lounsbrough

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.