Questioning Names, Goals, and Wants

 

“The irony is that while God doesn’t need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don’t really want Him most of the time.”

-- Francis Chan

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Note to my readers: Well, the weekly report is out, and 9,420 people read my answers this past week.  It looks like I'm averaging about 9,000 readers per week for my humble offerings.  The attacks on me by the League of the Perpetually Offended have lessened quite a bit, though I don't know why.  My opinions haven't changed.  Perhaps they don't want to waste their stolen oxygen by trying to fish where they don't get a bite.  For those who continue to read, thank you.  Whether you agree with me or not, constructive thought is precious.  Please don't weaste it.

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What is the value of wisdom when it confers no benefits to those who are deemed wiser?

The value of wisdom is, first, to the individual possessing it. Then, if people wish to make use of someone’s wisdom, they, also, might find value in it. A truly “wise” person, whom one might deem wiser, will realize the truth behind what Socrates said: “The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am not quite sure that I know that.” There is always a benefit, even in repetition.

Do you agree or disagree, and why?

I’d have to have the statement first, and then I’ll let you know.

Do you find keeping a routine to be helpful or restrictive?

Having spent a career in military intelligence, sticking to a routine can be dangerous. Better to mix it up a bit so no one knows what you’re doing or where you’ll be at any particular time. It keeps your counterparts hopping.

“If you follow the classical pattern, you are understanding the routine, the tradition, the shadow -- you are not understanding yourself.”

-- Bruce Lee

What will you do if you meet the person who discouraged you from achieving your goals after you have become very successful?

The best thing you can do is not pay any attention to people who discourage you. They have their own issues to work through. If you ignore them, you have no reason not to smile when you meet them again. Your success is not a whip to beat them with. Smile, wish them well, and move on with your life. A great part of success is learning to be happy always, even in the face of those who discourage.

I usually spend a lot of time reading books to get into the essence of things and build a solid understanding of the material. What word describes my character well?

Studious.

What are the downsides to a person having a lot of compassion for others?

Compassion is one of those “buckets” that need refilling now and then. The big downside of having too much compassion for others is forgetting to refill your bucket to the point your case ends up in a basket. Where, then, is the compassion from others for you?

“...for there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one's own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone, a pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes.”

-- Milan Kundera

Why is it so hard for you to offer another the same opportunities you were given? How is that not hypocritical?

It isn’t difficult at all and, if it is within my power to mentor them to that end, I will do so. I am a self-proclaimed hypocrite in several areas, but helping get a foot up isn’t one of them. My hypocrisy lies with, “do as I say, not as I do,” although, I do quite a bit of good. 

Is there a term or phrase for someone who thinks people will not believe the things they're saying?

A person of questionable veracity.

Have you ever had a very long grudge with a sibling and is it still in effect?

Ah! One of the many benefits of being an only child.

“Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.”

-- Anne Lamott

What are the most important life goals you want to reach?

90 years of age. That will make me the most long-lived in my ancestral line. My dad almost made it to 89, and he currently holds the title.

Why can't we have nice things?

I’ll bite. Why?

Would you support/help your friend, if they're doing something that goes against your morals/ethics? Something they know you don't agree with.

No. And, they know better than to ask. Why would a good friend ask you to bastardize your personal moral ethics? That isn’t a friend. I will do everything within that code to help them if I can, however.

“It is very unnerving to be proven wrong, particularly when you are really right and the person who is really wrong is proving you wrong and proving himself, wrongly, right.”

-- Lemony Snicket

Why is it important to make a journal or diary when you are young?

So when you say, “I was never that stupid,” you can go back and remind yourself.

What do you want to succeed at in life?

Love.

Why do you rightly or wrongly believe/think that people are not usually what they seem?

People, in general, and by design, mistake, or subconsciously, don’t tend to show everyone what they’re all about. Someone who seems very shallow might offer up the deepest conversation. The “stud” might just be looking for the “girl next door” and not a ravishing beauty. The “big guy” you think played football in high school, was probably head of the chess club. People, in general, also don’t take the time to really get to know someone, which is a shame.

“Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden.”

-- Phaedrus

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