Questions of God, Satan, Good, and Evil

 

"Inside each of us, there is the seed of both good and evil. It's a constant struggle as to which one will win. And one cannot exist without the other."

-- Eric Burdon

How do you stop giving importance to “perfection”?

You have to realize there is no such thing as perfection. Everything changes. There is, however, the best you can do. Never stop giving importance to trying to give 100% of yourself to whatever your goal might be, and always strive to be happy in your endeavors. This is how you succeed. Your “idea” of perfection will always be someone else’s target to try and perfect, and then their product becomes the new target, and so on.

Is any "potential" simpler than the "actual"?

There is always a “potentially simpler” for anything, but whether the desired quality is up to par is another question.

What is your best quote? Why?

It Is What It Is

Reality is what it is, and what it ain't, it ain't.

Sometimes, what it is it ain't, and what it ain't, well... it is.

Other times it is nothing, and then it ain't nothing.

But, if it is nothing, it ain't, and if it ain't nothing, it is.

Acknowledging nothing gives nothing existence;

Therefore, whether it is or it ain't, it must be,

Because even nothing that ain't, already is. — F.A. Villari

My father always hated the phrase, “It is what it is.” I told him it was because he didn’t understand it. He asked me to explain it to him, so I did. He still didn’t get it.  Maybe it was the "aints" that confused him.

“What comes, when it comes, will be what it is.”

-- Alberto Caeiro 

Can repetitive thinking feed your ego?

So, let me get this straight. If I keep repeating what I think I will feel better about myself? Am I so simple-minded to remember what I thought the first time that I must keep repeating it? I don’t see how this will be an ego builder.  But, maybe I didn't understand the question.  Can you repeat it?

Can you be in love with someone while having a serious life struggle, anxiety, medical issues, and pain?

Please! And, if they love you back, they can be the only anchor you have to reality.

Why do other people take advantage of someone with so little to take?

Power and stupidity. Sometimes, I wonder if you can’t have one without the other. It seems, especially in politics, once you get into power you become an idiot. Of course, this presupposes that you aren’t already suffering from a mental malady and, if you are, it doesn’t say much for the people who put you in power… or, does it? I've been witness to those with so little left to take, vote people into office who will finish them off. Very sad.

“God thundered again and again through the prophets that worship in the context of mistreatment of the poor and disadvantaged is an outrage.”

-- Ronald J. Sider

Should anyone believe in religion? Why?

I prescribe to the philosophy which is Christianity, tempered with Taoism, but not to any “church” or “religion” as it is defined, “a particular system of faith and worship.” I find most organized religions exist as a means of control. They seem to feed on the needs of the faithful. I prefer to follow my own path, define my own loving God, and look to the words of Christ to determine my own belief in what He said, and to the only words of God written in stone, the Ten Commandments. Because My spirituality is always searching for truth, I will continue to be strong in faith.

What is wrong with me? Why do I get ignored? People don't care about me at all.

Why should you care if people care about you? Do you care about yourself? This is more important in life. What others think about you… not so much.

Have a strong moral code of ethics. Help those who cannot help themselves. Care for others who need your help, and even those who might not. But, most importantly, you must care about yourself. If you are selflessly doing for those around you, you become a force that cannot be ignored.

Always be humble. Always be helpful. Always cherish your personal moral code of moral ethics and let no one take them away from you. All of this will define who and why you are to those around you. There is nothing wrong with you other than, perhaps, you’re trying too hard to get what you really don’t need.

Do you believe the Devil/Satan exists?

There must be balance in the universe. If I believe in good I must believe in evil. If I don’t believe in one, how can I define the other? How would we know light without darkness, or sweet without sour? Evil exists and, being a deist who has faith in the existence of God, I must, therefore, have faith there exists an anti-God.

If there is no God, the labels 'good' and 'evil' are merely opinions. They are substitutes for 'I like it' and 'I don't like it.' They are not objective realities.

-- Dennis Prager

Which part of your past would you like to relive?

My marriage. I’d like to wait until I’m ready and then marry the right woman. I’d like to relive those 20 years in loving bliss and not in a constant state of battle.

Does it even matter in the end?

It matters for the next beginning. The lessons we are supposed to learn in this life are presented to each of us as preparation for what comes next. If we don’t learn our lessons we will have to relive this life until we do. We, in essence, create our own “hell” on earth. Each life we live matters to what we do next and, eventually, to how soon we reach the final level of existence.

What questions are important?

All questions are important to the person asking them. There are, also, no stupid questions, just stupid answers which make us look simple-minded when we have to ask the questions again.

“To seek truth requires one to ask the right questions. Those void of truth never asks about anything because their ego and arrogance prevent them from doing so. Therefore, they will always remain ignorant. Those on the right path to Truth are extremely heart-driven and childlike in their quest, always asking questions, always wanting to understand and know everything — and are not afraid to admit they don't know something. However, every truth seeker does need to break down their ego first to see Truth. If the mind is in the way, the heart won't see anything.”

-- Suzy Kassem

Whenever I try to have a conversation with someone, I'm barely understood. I'm very inarticulate and whenever I try to spell out a sentence, at its end I forget what I was saying in the beginning. I have to write to be understood. what should I do?

Become a very good writer! This seems, from your question, what you’re good at doing, though I’d pay more attention to grammar checks (you missed a capital at the beginning of the last sentence).

As you write more and more, your conversations will become less confusing and inarticulate. You will find yourself remembering the beginning, enjoying the middle, and concluding your story without an issue.

What do you call those who give up their rationale?

Critical thinkers? Smart? They’ve thought through their logical basis for a course of action and found it wanting. A new and, hopefully, better rationale is forthcoming. 

What does the quote “the knowledge of the past stays with you to let go is to release all images and emotion” mean?

It means exactly what it says, you, basically, forget the past. I don’t prescribe to this in its entirety. These images and emotions, though not always pleasant, are how we remember the lessons of our past so we can avoid the negative or repeat the positive. Instead of letting go of the past, we need to learn how to deal with the fallout the past leaves with us. This is how we will grow and become ready for the lives yet to come.

"The only use of a knowledge of the past is to equip us for the present. The present contains all that there is. It is holy ground; for it is the past, and it is the future."

-- Alfred North Whitehead

 

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.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com