Questions of Destiny, Decisions, and Ethics

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

-- Gautama Buddha

In what sense is an indecisive person considered driftwood?

If they ultimately just go with the flow?

Do you think that "never say never" should be everyone's motto?

You shouldn’t ever say “never” because, the moment you say it, someone out there will work hard to prove you wrong. Better to leave the door of doubt open, just a crack, so you don’t get caught being so very wrong.

Why should a good life be chiefly valued?

All life should be valued, but the question addresses being “chiefly” valued. I suppose I have to ask, why would you place living a bad life above a living good life? Why would I value Hitler above Gandhi?

I value Gandhi because he valued life, peace, and righteousness. His thoughts were constructive for the world. Hitler, on the other hand, valued killing all that wasn’t his idea of pure Arian heritage, which is counterintuitive since he, himself, was not of pure Arian heritage. Millions of innocents died to forward the philosophy of this insane leader.

No. One should always value life, but to put a bad life above a good life is simply not acceptable to me. Now, if the good life makes the righteous choice to save the bad life, this would be evidence of why this good life is so very good.

"If you truly believe in the value of life, you care about all of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society."

-- Joni Eareckson Tada

Can you show us a picture that demonstrates how money can’t buy taste?

No, because someone’s taste is a personal thing. What you like, I might not. What you blow money on, I might not think is worth the cost. What money “can’t buy” is true happiness. You might not have any taste, whatsoever, and yet, still, be the happiest person on earth. So, having said all of this, a picture will not demonstrate anything but my personal bias.

What's truly surprising for you?

A senile old man with a dodgy memory being the President of the free world, and a woman who failed miserably in the polls is the Vice-President. What is surprising for me is that anyone in the United States can actually claim to be awake and cognizant of what’s going on around them. It is what it is, I suppose.

Why is it important to be ethical in communication for everyday life?

What if the sky is always falling or you constantly cry “Wolf!” to those around you? Pretty soon no one will listen to you.

Everything you communicate needs to be well thought out, constructive, and ethical. How, why, and what you communicate is a reflection of who you are to those around you. If you don’t value this, you will soon become a member of the League of the Perpetually Offended, and we will not expect any constructive and cogent thought to issue from your pie hole.

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't being said. The art of reading between the lines is a lifelong quest of the wise.

-- Shannon L. Alder

How do you acquire wisdom?

Pay attention to life.

When you are faced with two decisions, how do you make the right choice?

Which one meets my personal “morally ethical” requirements? It matters little how good the two decisions are. It matters much how ethical they are. Always strive to do make the best morally right and ethical decision possible.

How is honor always earned?

Strive to be always honorable. Let’s look a the definition: A person or thing that brings credit. Adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct. This is not too difficult for those of us who adhere to a “personal code of moral ethics.” Consistently ethical conduct is one way to ensure you always act in an honorable and respectful manner. Honor isn’t earned as much as it is lived. Be honorable always.

Men and women in the military are supposed to reflect this sense of honor throughout their military careers. Many learn a code they may never have considered. Many tout that they have it, yet act like they have no clue. Those who adhere strongly to their code will, more than likely, bring it with them through the rest of their life.

True honor has no time limit; once you have it, it is very hard to shake it off. Those who spend a career in the military know this better than most, but those who have given much for God, country, mom, and apple pie, also have a pretty good grip on the concept and, if they’ve given their all, God bless them.

“The most tragic thing in the world is a man of genius who is not a man of honor.”

-- George Bernard Shaw

In times when the world is becoming more uncertain and volatile, what could average joe or above can do to adapt and thrive in the future? Not just financially, but in other aspects of life as well like where to move/immigrate.

Rise above it all and be the instrument for change. The “average Joe” can be the voice of reason, of change, or one of the silent cowards who go along to get along.

Moving or migration is just a way of saying you have no reason to stay and fight. It has no importance for you. If your world has no importance for you where you are, what importance will it have for you where you move? We have people coming into the United States who want our freedom so they can change this country into the hell they just escaped from. What sense does this make? 

Freedom is just another word unless you’ve sacrificed to keep it. If you want to live, adapt. If you want to thrive in the future, be the impetus for change in the now. “Average Joe” isn’t so average if they stand for something.

Were there instances when you thought you could have used reason better in making a decision rather than your own experiences and vice versa? What are those instances?

Where did you learn your reason? I learned mine by success and failure, by learning through experiences. Could I have used better reasoning? Probably, when I was much younger and didn’t have the knowledge and experience I have learned from through my life. I have had a few poor instances, like my waste of a 25-year marriage and some stock investments, but I have had so many more good instances where my reasoning was significantly more sound. 

How will you explain the phrase uttered by Socrates: "What makes a human person unknowledgeable is the fact that he knows nothing and yet he did not know that he knew nothing"?

If you don’t know yourself, you know nothing. And, if you don’t know yourself, of what use to you is the knowledge you think you know?

“The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am not quite sure that I know that.”

-- Socrates

A year on, how is life better for you?

Barring the death of my aging mother or a devastating hurricane on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, life will be glorious, as always.

The phrase "thinking outside the box" is defined as thinking in an original or creative way. But what about those who prefer to think inside the box? What are the pros/cons of living life this way?

If you stay “inside the box” you limit yourself to those things already tried and true, to those things already known. There is no discovery, no new knowledge. The big “pro” is that you remain safe. The big “con” is that you remain safe because you’ve taken no risks to, maybe, discover something, learn something new that isn't "inside the box."

Reader comment:  And there’s no guarantee that the box will continue to be “safe.”

My reply:  Not if the “League of the Perpetually Offended” has anything to say about it. 

Is it our destiny to change destiny?

Wha…what? Destiny is what it is. If you think you’ve changed destiny, you really haven’t. You end up right where destiny was always going to bring you. It is what it is until it isn’t and, even then, it is what it is - your destiny.

"They often say, 'What's the point in astrology if you can't change your destiny?'. Well, it's true that you can't change your destiny, but still, it helps knowing about gravity."

-- Kedar Joshi

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