Questioning Belief and Humor

 

“Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car.”

-- Garrison Keillor

Does it help to ask questions in the time of conflict?

Having been in the military, I’d have to say yes, in order to clarify orders or understand the reasoning, which should be pretty clear at this point. A good commander would have ensured the reasoning was clear in the beginning, even though you’re going to follow any legal orders regardless of your personal feelings about the reasoning. If you have to ask a question, ask the question once and move on with the task at hand. A time of conflict, however, is not really defined as being in the heat of battle, which is a seriously bad time to be asking questions. You run a risk of being shot by the other troops for being an idiot. Well, maybe not, but they sure won’t look kindly on it.

What is the biggest "no" to tell yourself, even when you desired it?

Juggling sexual relationships. It never works out well. 

What is the "something" that you can’t believe people don’t already know about?

How the socialist/communist philosophy actually works, before thinking you’re all that:

“The useful idiots, the leftists who are idealistically believing in the beauty of the Soviet socialist or Communist or whatever system, when they get disillusioned, they become the worst enemies. That’s why my KGB instructors specifically made the point: never bother with leftists. Forget about these political prostitutes. Aim higher. They serve a purpose only at the stage of destabilization of a nation. For example, your leftists in the United States: all these professors and all these beautiful civil rights defenders. They are instrumental in the process of the subversion only to destabilize a nation. When their job is completed, they are not needed anymore. They know too much. Some of them, when they get disillusioned, when they see that Marxist-Leninists come to power—obviously they get offended—they think that they will come to power. That will never happen, of course. They will be lined up against the wall and shot.”

-- Yuri Bezmenov (1939-1993), former Soviet journalist and KGB informant

There is a reason to learn history.  It's too bad we don't teach the right parts of it.  And, it seems many are too busy rewriting it.  And, it would also seem the United States will be the next to suffer from not learning the lessons of it. 

“If you can feel that staying human is worthwhile, even when it can't have any result whatever, you've beaten them.”

-- George Orwell

Do you believe in the phrase, "if he wanted to, he would"?

It’s situational. What if he wanted to, but he can’t? What if he’s too late, or the boat sank before he got on it. What if it’s against the law? It is true as far as it goes, and then it runs into issues.

Why are well-rounded, intelligent people so rare and disfunction so common?

There’s a difference between being an "intelligent" person and a "smart" one. Uncommon is to find people who are both intelligent and smart, but when you do they’re usually “well-rounded” and, if they’re well-rounded, they’re not, very often, dysfunctional.

How do you identify your hidden talents?

Trial and error. You try something and see if it works for you. If it doesn’t, you try something else. You’ll never know if you’re a good surfer unless you get out in the ocean on a board, or a writer until you put pen to paper.

“You are unique. You have different talents and abilities. You don’t have to always follow in the footsteps of others. And most important, you should always remind yourself that you don't have to do what everyone else is doing and have a responsibility to develop the talents you have been given.”

-- Roy T. Bennett

Does “the ability to appreciate humor” mean only the ability to understand jokes told by other people?

Humor is anything that makes you laugh. My cat ran up onto the bed, this morning, heading for the nightstand. He had a misstep and did a header into the front of it. I laughed so hard I almost fell out of bed. I found it humorous that my cat is a klutz. When you can really appreciate humor is when you learn to laugh at yourself, at your own shortcomings, or when you run into a door, or spill coffee down the front of you. Better to laugh with others and find the humor in life, than to take life too seriously. Strive to be happy always!

What does it mean when you are constantly told, “I’m doing all of this for you.”?

Are they? And, if they are, do you really need them to? It means, whoever is saying it is trying to convince themselves, as much as you, that they are, and they’re looking for some appreciation. They’re probably a bit insecure. You can help them out by doing more for yourself and telling them to stop, and that you’re fine. They need to pay more attention to their own happiness… and get out of your back pocket. In this way, you can learn from your own failure or success.

Why do we trust our sense of sight so much and consider our sense of hearing to be prone to deception or error? We say "seeing is believing", but why not hearing?

A picture is, usually, worth a thousand words. What we hear is prone to the agenda of who is speaking.  What are they after? What we don’t hear is the lie, the manipulation, or the truth in what they’re trying to tell us. We see this in politics. We can listen to a President speak, but in watching him speak we can see the truth, uncertainty, or outright bullshit by watching his expression and mannerisms. But, to solidify what we only hear, we need to see what they actually do. Seeing is believing, and Actions, speak louder than words. There’s a pattern of thought here.

“We speak not only to tell other people what we think, but to tell ourselves what we think. Speech is a part of thought.”

-- Oliver Sacks

How should I approach this girl that I like? I always see her looking at me in class and I'm kinda shy and don't know how to start talking to her. how do I talk to her and get to know her without it being weird?

She’s looking at you for a reason, so you could say it’s already a bit weird. Why don’t you just walk up to her and say hi? Nothing weird in introducing yourself or asking if she’d like to go have a soda or the like. Then you can ask her about herself. Where she lives, what she likes to do, favorite movies, authors, actors, etc. Understand, she might be looking at you because she’s just as shy as you are.

Why is patience emphasized so much in all religious teachings?

Patience is a virtue, for a reason.

How do I give a great speech?

Have a point. State the point, talk about the point, and conclude with why the point is valid. Practice, practice, practice, and then, practice again, until you have it in your head and only have to glance at notes to stay on target. Do not get off on side topics. Project your voice so everyone can hear you. Do not mumble. Make eye contact with everyone so they know you are engaging with them. When you’re done, ask if there are any questions, and be prepared to answer them. If you can’t, then say so, but tell them you will look up the information and get back to them. See them afterward to write down what they’d like to know. When you’ve finished, thank your audience for their attention, and their questions. It is your speech. You are why they are there. Be in charge while giving it.

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”

--Dale Carnegie

Hello, everyone, I am 30 years old and I haven't achieved anything in my life I can't even communicate with other people I don't have a job and I know I can't do it as a whole I am a loser please guys help me suggest me something?

First of all, you are communicating with us, so let’s put that bad boy to bed. Second, you’ve made it to 30, which is an accomplishment all on its own. Put as much effort as you have, making it to 30, into getting a job doing anything, and you will have achieved that. Then, get a job doing something else, something better, and you will have achieved that, and so on, and so on.

Life is all about making choices. Good choices will make life easier and put you on your path to the next life. Bad choices will hold you back until you learn how to make better ones. It sounds like you have made the bad choice to be a loser, “I am a loser.” But, you have made a new choice, a good choice, to try and stop being a loser, which is a good first step. Remove all the alcohol, tobacco, drugs, bad friends or family, and any other drama you have let invade your life and strive to be happy always in your endeavor to achieve.

No one can really help you, You have to help yourself. People can mentor you, give advice, give you a chance, but it is up to you to listen and to walk your own path. No one can walk it for you. You have to make the right choices for yourself.

If someone tells you something you didn't know, would you answer with "indeed"?

I would answer “indeed” to something I knew or was obvious. I answer “I did not know that” or “no kidding” or “no kidding, I did not know that,” when I hear something I did now know.

Are you a Machiavellian or not?

Nope. Sicilian, with a bit of Irish and Choctaw from my mom’s side.

“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.”

-- Niccolò Machiavelli

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.