Questioning Paying and Thanking

 

“Nothing good in this world comes free! For everything, there’s a payment of time or money or soul!”

-- Kellyn Roth

How do we learn the virtue of contentment?

You don’t learn it, you become it. Contentment is the state of happiness and satisfaction. You can work toward it, but first, you simply have to make the personal conscious choice to become it. Strive to be happy always!

Does credibility pay for being credible?

Yes! Definition: “able to be believed; convincing.” It evidences your personal code of ethics. If you’re just being credible to get something in return, how selfish is that? Be credible because it’s the right thing to do. Does it pay? It doesn’t matter, just be credible. The boss at my last job wanted someone who wouldn’t “blow smoke up his ass” and tell him what they thought he wanted to hear. I laughed and told him this wouldn’t be a problem. In the military, you learn that “blowing smoke,” not being credible, can get people killed.

Why does every bad thing that happens or any slight inconvenience feel like the end of the world?

Because most of us prefer whining to simply getting over it and moving on, striving to be happy always. We become members of the League of the Perpetually Miserable, a splinter group of the League of the Perpetually Offended.

"The sky is falling, the wind is calling

Stand for something, or die in the morning." 

-- Kendrick Lamar

Who should I thank in my life?

Everyone who has helped you. Everyone who has shown you kindness or friendship, the two who gave you life, your children, or others who have brought you happiness. If you’re a theist, thank God for the gift you receive, each morning, of another day in paradise and another chance to excel in life.

Has anybody solved all his/her problems in life?

Yes. There are no problems, only lessons we have to learn. If I think I have insurmountable problems, I look at the soldiers who come back from battle without arms or legs, or a face, and see how they rise to the challenge and strive to be happy in their circumstances. Strive to be happy always! The alternative simply sucks.

Do some great scientists believe in God or supreme beings?

Does it really matter what they think? What they "believe" is not proof.  God either exists or doesn't, their “belief” has no bearing on the reality of it, or the faith others give it, or not. There is no proof either way, so those who believe, or not, have faith in a belief for which there is little or no proof.

“It may seem bizarre, but in my opinion science offers a surer path to God than religion.

People take it for granted that the physical world is both ordered and intelligible. The underlying order in nature-the laws of physics are simply accepted as given, as brute facts. Nobody asks where they came from; at least they do not do so in polite company. However, even the most atheistic scientist accepts as an act of faith that the universe is not absurd, that there is a rational basis to physical existence manifested as law-like order in nature that is at least partly comprehensible to us. So science can proceed only if the scientist adopts an essentially theological worldview.”

-- Paul Davies

What happens if you punish a good person and reward a bad person?

If the bad person has done something bad, you evidence to everyone your serious lack of good judgment. If the good person has done something bad, they aren’t that good and probably deserve the punishment. However, if you are following the “rule of law” then you have done society’s bidding or, perhaps, the law needs to be judged.

What are five significant benefits of being legally married?

Taxes, “legitimate” children, Co-ownership of material goods, legal name change, and, of course, the marriage is recognized as legal by the government and/or the church.

How do I learn and gain from science without falling prey to dogmatism?

Question everything. There is no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers. Having said that, I have seen some questionable questions, poorly asked or poorly understood. Where science is concerned, it is what it is… until it isn’t. Dogma? I don’t think so. Most of what we know is “incontrovertibly true” as of this moment. But, in the next moment…

“Curiosity and irreverence go together. Curiosity cannot exist without the other. Curiosity asks, "Is this true?" "Just because this has always been the way, is the best or right way of life, the best or right religion, political or economic value, morality?" To the questioner, nothing is sacred. He detests dogma, defies any finite definition of morality, rebels against any repression of a free, open search of ideas no matter where they may lead. He is challenging, insulting, agitating, discrediting. He stirs unrest.”

-- Saul Alinsky

Is there any reason that most workers should go back to the office from their WFH (work from home) arrangements?

How about if working from home has not worked out for the business? For instance, if work quotas have fallen short, timelines are not being met, and the like.

Why is being kicked out of modern society actually a blessing?

I’m not sure anyone is qualified to make that call. It would seem to be more of a personal choice. If you want to go, then, go. I’m not sure who would stop you unless you break some law in the process.

Why does everything have to be paid?

Everything doesn’t. If you don’t want to pay for it, go out and provide it for yourself. If you want someone else to do the work for you, it will cost you.

“Although I’m seldom aware enough to see it, the greater cost regarding that which I possess was not what I paid for it, but what someone along the way sacrificed so that I might have the opportunity to pay for it.”

-- Craig D. Lounsbrough

I chose to be single and kid-less, and to have no pets, also to have more free time than the average adult. If I do everything right chores-wise and errands-wise, I have none. In conclusion, I'm single. Where's my free time?

So, you have no responsibilities, yet you also have no free time. You’re either working too hard at the job or you’re in denial.

Author comment: LOL... Therefore, to assess that, starting today I’m using the TimeLogger app to keep track of EVERYTHING I do.  In a couple of weeks, I should have some useful statistics to chew on.

Why is a hero often dishonored in his own family?

If the “hero” is a police officer, and the family believes in defunding the police, this makes perfect sense.

Is it good to do your things only?

At the expense of not helping others? That sounds pretty selfish. I do believe, however, you should try to do your things first so you can focus on helping someone else if need be.

“Our lives are so busy, and for many of us, the demands are overwhelming. Some of us focus so much on the needs of others, we lose sight of ourselves. Stop, for one moment. Take a deep breath. Be still. Re-focus. Concentrate on improving YOUR life. One situation at a time; You can't be much good to others if you're no good to yourself. If they love you, they’ll understand.”

-- Carlos Wallace

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