Questioning the Good, Bad, God, and Satan

"Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling. Notice any labels you attach to crying or feeling vulnerable. Let go of the labels. Just feel what you are feeling, all the while cultivating moment-to-moment awareness, riding the waves of “up” and “down,” “good” and “bad,” “weak” and “strong,” until you see that they are all inadequate to fully describe your experience. Be with the experience itself. Trust in your deepest strength of all: to be present, to be wakeful."

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Why do some people who do not limit themselves in anything not get better?

What are they focused on, not limiting themselves, or getting better? Life is about making choices. You can choose to do both, and your focus is divided. Or, you can choose to do one, and do it very well because you have complete focus on your goal. For me, I feel no need to get better because I have no goals I not already fulfilled and I already focus my energy on being happy always. Focus on being happy, the rest will take of itself.

Which would you prefer, good and bad days, with heartlessness causing suffering, or neither good nor bad, with mindlessness perpetuating further frustrations?

I choose neither of those. Life is about making better choices than that. I prefer to keep drama at arm’s length. Whether the days are good or bad, strive to be happy always. Having said all of this, I’m not averse to spanking those who feel they need it. Just saying.

How do you personally make a decision?

I weigh all aspects of it, the good and bad points, the effect it will have, and if it’s really important, I will do in-depth due diligence to determine a proper course of action. Unless the decision is political or financial, however, I just choose. I eat something I’ve never tried, or do something out of the ordinary. Sometimes I feel like gambling, and life is a marvelous crapshoot.

“If you obsess over whether you are making the right decision, you are basically assuming that the universe will reward you for one thing and punish you for another.

The universe has no fixed agenda. Once you make any decision, it works around that decision. There is no right or wrong, only a series of possibilities that shift with each thought, feeling, and action that you experience.

If this sounds too mystical, refer again to the body. Every significant vital sign- body temperature, heart rate, oxygen consumption, hormone level, brain activity, and so on- alters the moment you decide to do anything… decisions are signals telling your body, mind, and environment to move in a certain direction.”

-- Deepak Chopra

Do we live in Satan's perception because of Adam and Eve? Does man's carnal mind use the same perception? Did Christ give us The Way out of Satan's perception? Did man's original sin give Satan authority to observe and become a lowercase god?

Yes.

What do you call it when a character knows something that they couldn't possibly know?

A good guess. Or, the writer wasn’t paying attention to detail. Or, the writer was taking advantage of the reader not paying attention to detail. But, I go with a good guess.

If God is not in the heart of a man, will Satan replace it?

Not necessarily. Satan can only enter if invited. If a person does not accept God, yet chooses to lead a moral and ethical path, Satan will also be denied.

“The heart of man is vulnerable to negativity, but it could be easily fortified with positivity”

-- Michael Bassey Johnson

In a fight, do you prefer to be taller, or to be shorter but stronger?

I always cheer on the underdog, so shorter and stronger. But, given another choice, I’d rather be smarter. A smart person will try to find a middle road to avoid the fight altogether or end the fight as soon as possible. The kneecap comes to mind.

Oscar Wilde said "It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious." What do you think, do you divide people as Wilde has suggested?

Considering Wilde’s lifestyle, this is no surprise. Personally, I’d use all four if I ever choose to judge. I’ve certainly met the charming and bad, as well as the good and, yet, tedious.

Why can't you be bad?

Oh, I can be bad. I can be very bad. But being bad or good is a choice. Bad can be tasty, but expensive. Good can also be tasty, but not always as exciting. Being a “self-proclaimed” hypocrite, I try to find a middle ground so as to not be a glutton, or bored.  Spankings will commence!

“People who cease to believe in God or goodness altogether still believe in the devil... Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.”

-- Anne Rice

Knowledge answers what, wisdom answers how, imagination answers?

I have issues with “knowledge“ and “wisdom” answering what and how, but “imagination” answers what might be. Wisdom seeks.  Knowledge answers.  Imagination dreams.  You must be wise enough to seek knowledge and knowledgeable enough to imagine what might be.

Why is it that I can argue better on the internet, and articulate my thoughts better in text, but when I argue in real life, it's harder to get my points across?

Time to think comes to mind. When arguing we have so much to say but have a problem with enough time to put it in any sensible order. We on our pie hole and make little sense. Better not to argue. Discussion allows a bit more time for constructive thought, and an ability to come back and clarify.

Why would someone point the top of a cell phone at you?

Because they're incapable of communicating without holding it? God forbid they should have to put it down for any length of time and actually hold a face-to-face conversation without interruptions. Or, maybe they’re pretending it's a Star Trek phaser. I use my “flip” phone to beam up and scan for cancer.

"When used in tandem, two communicators could produce a sonic disruption by using sound beams to create a sympathetic vibration in an unstable object, such as a cliff face." Ever seen a couple in a restaurant using their communicators? Watching this, I think two of them have the ability to produce a sonic disruption by creating pathetic vibrations in an unstable relationship. Just saying.

“Edison and a few others had been working on improvements to Alexander Bell’s initial “telephone” device. Tesla was attempting to make the devices work without the aid of any wires at all. One didn’t have to be much of a scientist to know that this was absurd. Even if by some miracle Tesla managed to make them function, who in the world would have any use for them?”

-- Graham Moore

What is the meaning of the quote ''You can't always control who walks into your life, but you can always control which window you throw them out''?

We have the choice to accept them in our life or show them the door. Just because they choose to insinuate themselves into our life doesn’t mean we have to let them.  Never give up you right to choose.

If someone worked hard on something that is artistic and creative and they want to show it to people (in-person, social media, etc.) after they are done, would you consider that a form of bragging or “look at me”? Is this a problem?

If you don't put it out there how will you ever know?  It depends on how they approach it. “Look what I’ve done. I’d like some honest opinions on it.” “I’m thinking about taking this up as a hobby. Worth my effort?” "Does anyone think these will sell?”

I did this when I started making themed chess boards. I was wondering how sellable they were. I wanted honest critiques.  A few people just put their work out there and then grit their teeth waiting for their world to fall in.

Is it true that the Internet has eroded the sense of belonging?

Certainly not for cults and terrorist organizations, or people that would otherwise genuinely not belong. I have joined several local sites that keep us all up to date on events, finding lost pets, and the like. It depends on how you use it, and if you use it to the full potential. The internet is simply a tool, another way to communicate, especially to larger groups of people. Some folks would use it to destroy, while most will use it to build better relationships with groups of people. What it has eroded is face-to-face communication.  Again, it depends on how you use the tool provided to you.

"People enjoy the interaction on the Internet, and the feeling of belonging to a group that does something interesting: that's how some software projects are born."

-- Linus Torvalds

 

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.