More Questions of Ethics and Morality

 

“It is not enough to be nice; you have to be good. We are attracted by nice people, but only on the assumption that their niceness is a sign of goodness.”

-- Roger Scruton

Does traveling to another country make you more creative, open-minded, and humble? Why or why not?

I traveled to numerous countries in the military and always viewed it as a learning experience. We have so much and the third and fourth-world countries I visited had so little it makes one humble. Lepers begging on corners made me angry about the pan-handlers here in the states. Many people have no clue what being truly needy is all about, or why they should really be offended. You see people lying in gutters and have no idea if they’re alive or not. Yes, humble, open-minded, creative, humble, and so much more.

Does long-term secrecy feel more immoral than immediate transparency even if the content of disclosure is identical?

It depends on if the secret you’re keeping is in line with your personal moral ethics. If it is, then you are doing a good thing and holding to your ethics.

Who are usually happier and why, average or poor kind-hearted people, or rich cruel and corrupt people?

It matters little if you are rich or poor. What matters is being kindhearted. Why are people cruel or corrupt? What drives these traits in people? They might say they’re happy, but ask yourself, how can they truly be happy being cruel or corrupt? In reality, they are small people pretending to have something they can never attain - happiness. True happiness is not about riches, nor is it about control. True happiness is about being selfless in what you do. It is about how you treat others, about how you rise above all you have in order to be the light in the darkness.

“Happy people are a great hope to all the unhappy people because a path of success can always be used by the people who couldn’t find such a path yet!”

-- Mehmet Murat ildan

How are good intentions and bad ideas setting up an entire generation for failure?

Socialism. Good intention, bad idea. Socialism never works out for anyone but the rich, and we seem to never learn this. Probably, because they don’t teach the ramifications of it in school anymore.

What would be an unconventional way to finish this sentence, "Is it true the measure of a person's ________ is by the company they keep?"

Character.

Does elegance/class give people a feeling of "you cannot ruin/offend me"?

I don’t have elegance or class, and the best have tried to ruin or offend me. I simply ignore them or leave them to karma.

“Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure-footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life. ”

-- Ann Landers

Is anyone at the point of no return?

Yeah, probably so. At 67 years of age, I have two retirements behind me and a mother I have to take care of. When you’ve done the right thing most of your life, don’t ever look back. The past is gone, and the future may not even be. The present is all we really have so strive to be happy in it always.

What “types” of people are the ones that do not accept no for an answer?

People who are about to become a pain in the ass.

Is it virtuous or generous to give away that which you did not pay money for but receive from others by standing in line? Is it generous if your investment was your time instead of money?

It is both generous and virtuous. A selfless investment of time, however, is something money should never pay for. Also, being selfless, one should not look at what they do for others as either generous or an investment. To do so kind of changes the selflessness to selfishness and hints that you expect something in return, instead of being humble.

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

-- Kahlil Gibran

What would be a "good reason" to dislike your own country?

If it turned socialist, Congress trashed the Constitution, Congress trashed the “rule of law,” or people elected a President suffering from Alzheimer's. Right now we’re two down and two to go.

Can bad quotes even exist?

Oh, my goodness, yes! Everyone loves to quote out of context which makes it even worse. The “one sentence” is actually part of a larger paragraph stating what they really meant to say. People do this all the time with Martin Luther King, Jr., and it just angers his niece.

Do you care about rich people?

Only if they don’t care about the rest of us. Nobody should be forced to spend their money the way other people think they should, that is simply wrong. However, the rich should give some of their wealth to help others because it is the right thing for them to do. It is morally and ethically the right thing for them to do. If they choose not to, this is on them. Those wealthy who already have a selfless concern for others, I don’t even give a second thought. Their reward awaits them at the end.

“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

Do you think you have a different way of thinking than others?

I think my brain is wired somewhat differently than most people. I’m not sure how good this is, though. I don’t, as much, think out of the box as I’ve never really been in the box, to begin with. One reason I still have an archaic “flip” phone is that everyone else doesn’t. People have tried to put me in the box, but I either go kicking and screaming, or relent and go as if they’ve won, knowing that they haven’t, and then do information gathering that benefits myself or others.

I will say that the military had a profound effect on my thinking, in that I really didn’t have to change my thinking. Military intelligence is all about letting you think out of the box. This is one reason I loved my job - they let me be me, though I’m still not certain, from one moment to the next, who “me” is. What they taught me was to listen, to watch, and to be aware. To speak only after thinking, not to argue, let people make their own mistakes, and not to revel in being right when they do. A mistake is just a learning experience. We all make them.

People who think differently, in my opinion, always try to “fit in” with their contemporaries. We wear whatever face keeps the drama from our door and the happiness bountiful. Job #1 is remembering who we really are, while we go about caring for those around us. This is why I take a few days for myself, now and then, to go somewhere and remember “me” for a bit, and remember that humility is a trait to be cherished.

How many types of "significance" are there?

Really significant, kind of significant, and not really significant. Is this another trick question?

What is your current golden rule when it comes to living life as a rectangle?

I’ve never been a rectangle, so I’m not sure how living life as one would feel. I would assume, in any life, the “golden rule” would still be to strive to be happy always and to adhere to morally ethical principles.  Isn't being a "rectangle" just putting yourself in a box?  Seems a bit limiting.

“If you contemplate the Golden Rule, it turns out to be an injunction to live by grace rather than by what you think other people deserve.”

-- Deepak Chopra

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