More Questioning of Success and Values

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,

Your thoughts become your words,

Your words become your actions,

Your actions become your habits,

Your habits become your values,

Your values become your destiny.”

-- Mahatma Gandhi

Do parents have to put in a lot of additional effort when they homeschool kids?

Yes, it’s another job. For a housewife or househusband, it’s a second job. And, it is a job where the children must learn so they can pass tests. They still must graduate.

What are some seeming impossibilities of the present age?

Traveling at the speed of light. Time travel. World peace. Meaningless sex. Okay, that would be seemingly impossible at my present age.

Can a country print as much money as it wants?

Absolutely! And, then, they can sit back and watch their economy implode. The more money you print, the less it is worth, and most money is already worthless, for all intents and purposes. We spend money based on nothing but promises and bullshit. We pay people nothing to print paper worth nothing so people can earn nothing and spend their nothing on something. How far do you think this will go before it falls apart and our nothing becomes worthless?

“If the debt which the banking companies owe be a blessing to anybody, it is to themselves alone, who are realizing a solid interest of eight or ten per cent on it. As to the public, these companies have banished all our gold and silver medium, which, before their institution, we had without interest, which never could have perished in our hands, and would have been our salvation now in the hour of war; instead of which they have given us two hundred million of froth and bubble, on which we are to pay them heavy interest, until it shall vanish into air… We are warranted, then, in affirming that this parody on the principle of ‘a public debt being a public blessing,’ and its mutation into the blessing of private instead of public debts, is as ridiculous as the original principle itself. In both cases, the truth is, that capital may be produced by industry, and accumulated by economy; but jugglers only will propose to create it by legerdemain tricks with paper.” 

--Thomas Jefferson

What are some suggestions for a successful life?

Remove all drama and debt from your life so you can focus on being exceedingly happy always!

Why does this human world go from bad to worse so stubbornly?

God help us if it went from bad to worse any easier. I suppose it goes to show that even “bad” seems to understand the problems with “worse” in our world.

Why are values important to people?

Good moral values are what we use to base our “rules of law” on. Without rules of law, we would be in a constant state of anarchy and lawlessness. Good common values are very important to a thriving society.

“Organizations, companies or individuals without core values are exactly like a boat without an anchor; it can be easily tossed to and fro following any direction the wind blows.”

-- Dr. Lucas D. Shallua

Should important people in your life tell you when you are doing something wrong?

I would hope so. Why do they think I keep them around, for their dry humor and interesting repartee? It certainly isn’t for their good looks. Just saying.

Does my dog have a destiny?

All living things have a destiny. How they fulfill that destiny has a great bearing on how far they go forward in their next life, and as what.

Do wicked people try thousands of times a day to tempt good people?

Maybe not “thousands” of times, but I think it is a given that they do constantly try. After all, they are wicked.

“The universe runs on the principle that one who can exert the most evil on other creatures runs the show.”

-- Bangambiki Habyarimana

What are the things that you don’t value in life?

As a start, the perpetually offended, racists and, in particular, racists who say they aren’t, socialism, communism, terrorists, and any other group or political system that prohibits freedom of thought.

What can you do to make your relationship last longer?

Be honest, understanding, tolerant, loving, strive to be happy always, and, above all, always listen to what they say.

Does reading make you a better person?

That depends on what you read and what you do with what, if anything, you get out of it.

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

-- Groucho Marx

“I already have enough problems. I don’t need someone adding more to it” what would you think of this quote?

Agreed! We need to be getting rid of drama, not adding to it. We’re supposed to be striving to be happy always!

What are responsibilities and duties?

Your responsibilities are your priorities that need to be taken care of. Your duties are how you take care of those priorities.

How do guilty people justify their actions?

They don’t have to, they’re guilty. Whatever bullshit they spew from their pie hole is simply to entertain their listeners, and the media are more than happy to oblige.

“Perhaps you notice how the denial is so often the preface to the justification.”

-- Christopher Hitchens

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