Questioning Failures, Choices, and Life

 

“We are doomed to failure without a daily destruction of our various preconceptions.”

-- Taiichi Ohno

Are some people simply doomed to failure in their lives?

If they have doomed themselves to failure in their minds, yes.

How can we be sure that both heaven and hell exist?

You can’t. At least not the biblical heaven or hell. I have experienced what I could relate to as a worldly version of heaven and hell, right here on earth. There are paranormal experiences that we can rely on, but there is no real concrete proof of the biblical versions, except in Holy Scripture. This is why we rely on faith.

What is your choice, health or wealth?

Of what use is wealth if you don’t have your health?

"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." 

-- Mahatma Gandhi

What do you want for real?

A spiritual meditation and learning center, with walled gardens, walking paths, and a small coffee/snack shop.

What object or service, even if useless or not existing, do you need?

Francesco’s trying to get me into trouble with my girlfriend. It’s also illegal in most states.

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like nobody in your circle was good for you? How did you deal?

This happened to me in the military. I found a new circle. "Me first" is a great tagline. If I can’t take care of myself first, how can I ever hope to help others? If people aren’t good for you, get rid of them before something happens that you’ll regret.

"No one stays for you. Everybody stays depending on their need for you."

-- Ahlam Mosteghanemi

Have you experienced a situation where what you believed to be true turned out to be untrue? How did this experience affect you?

I believed my ex-wife married me because she loved me. 25 years later she decides to admit she never loved me, I was just a means to an end. I no longer contemplate marriage.

What's the biggest disappointment in life?

Love. Much more fun being friends and living in sin.

Have you ever got into a relationship for food?

No, but if she had offered up lunch I sure wouldn’t have refused whatever she was after.

“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”

-- Orson Welles

Can you be a wealthy doctor if you like investing?

The doctors I’ve met are very intelligent, but not many of them have been that smart. They usually have a money manager investing for them.

How do I tell my boss that her job proposition sucks?

“Boss, your job proposition sucks. This is what I was thinking, and I hope we can meet somewhere in the middle.” 

What are the top ten best things in life?

A night of exotic sex not included…

Puppies, kittens, chocolate chip ice cream, the look of innocent wonder in a child’s eyes, falling in love, being in love, a “classic” Bourbon Old Fashioned, a field of wildflowers that stretches to the horizon, and a mature woman with great legs and a skirt cut just so. But, if you’d asked for eleven…

“The best things in life are simple, abundant, and free.”

-- Debasish Mridha

Does the modern world know where to go for Good News?

Is there still such a thing? I suppose anywhere women are giving birth to life… instead of aborting it. Yeah, I know. I’m gonna get an earful from the League of the Perpetually Offended for that one.

Who saved you when you felt alone?

I’ll answer the original question: “Who was the person that saved you when you were at your lowest?” That would be me. If I felt alone, it would also be me. Save yourself, then go about saving others.

What did you do when life pushed you into the corner?

I pushed back, and I kept pushing back until life learned who was in charge. I started making better choices and decisions. Life started leaving me alone and I started to have some real fun and happiness.

"Slump, and the world slumps with you. Push, and you push alone."

-- Laurence J Peter

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