Questioning God and Things

"There's probably no God. Probably? That's probably non-commital. It means you feel you could be wrong. It means the faith in your statement is also questionable. It means we might all go to hell for following you. Or, it's just lights out when we die. Pardon me if I prefer to worry that you're wrong and hope for more."

-- Me

Is it bad luck to step on a grave?

I’m not sure if it’s bad luck, but it certainly smacks of a lack of respect.

When would you be perfectly happy?

I’ve been perfectly happy since about 2005 when I accepted the apology I was never going to get from my ex-wife. I forgave her and forgave myself. I have never been happier.

Is self-improvement possible without the actual need to do it?

Certainly. Every time you learn something new you improve yourself, whether you know it, or not. There’s no actual need to do it, but it happens constantly.

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”

-- Ernest Hemingway

What is the best way to respond to "I am so tired of struggling just to get by"?

Then, why don’t you try struggling to get ahead?

How do you overcome a failure mindset?

Stop failing. Start by losing the mindset. You are what you believe. Try working hard to rise above failure and strive to be more. It is what it is until it isn’t. You must make it so. 

Atheism is a lack of belief, not a belief. Why can't people understand that?

They believe there is no God. If their belief is absolute, one might say they have faith that God does not exist. Faith is simply a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. Neither atheists nor theists can prove their position, but they can have faith they are right.

Reader comment: You don’t need to hold that view to be an atheist. You might merely lack a belief in any gods, and that requires no faith.

That said, there are many gods that we can show are not accurate depictions of reality. What we cannot do is rule out all imaginable gods. There’s too many and some are unfalsifiable.

My reply: And, yet, isn’t the lack of belief in any gods simply a belief that there are no gods with whom you hold belief?

Reader reply:  No. Is bald a hair color?

My reply: Do you believe it is?  Or, do you believe it's not?

Reader reply:  No. And that’s the point. Not having hair is not the same as having a haircolor. Not having any beliefs in any gods is not the same as having a positive belief in one or many.

Note to my readers:  Confused?  I could beat this to death for another hour, but I have to go to the New Orleans airport.  Besides, neither one of us is going to budge.  I still don't know where bald being a hair color came from.  It seems to be a non-sequitor. I certainly wasn't going to tell him "hair color" is two words, not one.  I'm still trying to wrap my mind around not believing your own lack of belief.  I keep going back to my comment before the bald is not a haircolor came up: "And, yet, isn’t the lack of belief in any gods simply a belief that there are no gods with whom you hold belief?"  I swear he argued this point for me, but I could be wrong.

Oh my goodness!  Another atheist pipes in: 

Reader 2 Comment:  Not true, or at least not the whole story.

The problem begins with the idea of God, or rather the lack of a concrete, unambiguous definition of it by theists. 

I have had many discussions with theists in which their definition of god changed, seemingly according to their oratory requirements, but even so, being remarkably inconsistent. Therefore for an atheist to say “I believe God does not exist” means they need to accept a specific definition of god and I see no reason to do that, as I find no definition more credible than another.

Depending on the definitions, I can say I in fact believe such and such gods do not exist. various iterations of the Abrahamic god fall in that category. However since I do not define myself according to the beliefs of others, I prefer saying that I lack belief in any gods as entities.

My non-published response: "I prefer saying that I lack belief in any gods as entities."  What the heck does that mean, and how does that differ from "I can say I in fact believe such and such gods do not exist."  Again, he's missing two commas.

Note to my readers: I'm often asked how I can tell the League of the Perpetually Offended from other comments. Well, here is an example from a thorn in my side that just won't go away. Try to ignore his spelling of "fairies" as rules, like grammar and spelling, seem beyond their grasp: "As I said to a previous answer, you are obviously quite open to a belief in fairys and unicorns. Come to think of it you must be open to any ridiculous entity someone in their wildest dreams can come up with."  Really? It is a constant disappointment.

“Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship—be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles—is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth upfront in daily consciousness.”

-- David Foster Wallace

What would you do when you win the lottery?

Put the money in a “family trust” that pays a significant monthly dividend.

Do you believe that time can only move in one direction, from the past to the future? Why or why not?

What’s done is done. If we were to go back, we would have always gone back. Lincoln was probably shot because a time-traveler inadvertently bumped Booth. We can’t change time, we can only become a part of what we are already a part of. Or, you change the past and cease to exist because what you did causes the death of your future parents, and a new timeline begins without you. It is what it is until it isn’t, and then it is what it is… again.

Visiting the future, on the other hand, is a whole nuther mess.

What's the difference between following your heart and trusting your gut?

Your “heart” will tell you that if it makes you happy, then do it. The tightness in your gut warns you to back away. Sometimes we subconsciously see an issue, a problem, that our conscious self refuses to recognize, like the beautiful woman who’s really a 5-time divorcee, or an ax murderer.

“When the universe compels me toward the best path to take, it never leaves me with "maybe," "should I," or even "perhaps." I always know for sure when it's telling me to proceed - because everything inside me rises up to reverberate "YES!”

-- Oprah Winfrey

And... the short answers:

Is virtue the ultimate pursuit of life?

No, happiness is, virtue helps get you there.

How does one learn a new thing every day?

Read, and question everything.

My family is trying to make me stop believing in spirituality. What do I do?

How strong is your faith?

When was the last time your life felt like an adventure?

About once a week.

Why do people dream about pornography?

Really?

Can one be fulfilled at sudden release?

What fun is that?

Are you able to find anything that's hidden and secretive?

Most of the time, yes. But, this was my job.

How do I find the weakness of people I don't like and then do better than them?

Get to know them, personally.

Why do I feel empty when I know I have everything I need?

Obviously, you don’t.

There is a saying that “The youth are the leaders of tomorrow.” But the old leaders are still leading. Why is this?

Societal ignorance, and no “term limits.”

"Why does everybody think things are always contractual? I saw a shitload of questions and thought 'better keep these answers short or I'll never get to all of these'." 

-- Rob Zombie

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