Questions of God, Beauty, Lies, and Love

"Girls should respect themselves & cross their legs, but guys should keep it in their pants too. There shouldn't be double standards."

-- Unknown

Have you been trying hard enough? Or have you been trying too hard?

Hard enough. Being retired, I no longer have to try too hard.

Should our job not have to fulfill all our needs?

If you love and enjoy being a mail carrier, and you win the “Power Ball” lottery which fulfills all your needs for the rest of your life, who says you have to give up the job you love and enjoy doing?

What is the most unintelligent lie a partner has ever told you in a relationship?

I found a beige dress sock under the bed. When asked, she said it was mine. I don’t wear beige.

If you were advising a married couple who yells frequently at each other, what might you suggest to them so ‘loud aggressive shouting’ at each other can be a thing of the past?

Divorce. Of course, they might be Italian, in which case this “loud aggressive shouting” is perfectly normal, as is throwing something, like a skillet.

Why can a person be intentionally wrong?

To selflessly make somebody else be right in the eyes of another.

"You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it's not a mistake, it's a choice."

-- Steven Denn

What are the three types of decisions that can be issued?

Do this, do that, or do nothing. One might be right, but all three can be wrong. Decisions are based on the amount of pertinent information you have. The more information available, the better chance of being right.

What was that moment when you thought it can't get any better/worse than this?

It was never better than my time in Combat Intelligence, and it was never worse than going through my divorce.

How has greed helped people? How has it hurt?

Greed can help one get ahead, but it always comes at a cost to someone, including the greedy.

Why does my boyfriend carry condoms and we’ve never even used one?

You’re asking the right question, of the wrong people.

How does one avoid making stupid mistakes that may result in lifelong regret?

Critical thinking helps. Almost 70 years of life, and I only regret one stupid mistake. So, there must be something to it.

“Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgment. The subject is complex; several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, and unbiased analysis or evaluation of factual evidence.”

-- Wikipedia

Do you say "Suit yourself", "Have it your way", "That's up to you" or "As you wish" to accept anybody's own choices?

Usually management.  I find that recognizing their choice is less confrontational than berating management for making a less than intelligent choice or decision, that would be judging on my part. I’ll accept their choice and, if it falls apart around them, I smile and ask if we might try it another way. They seem to get the message. But, I also smile and congratulate them when their suck-ass choice actually works out, for no good reason. I also get a message, I keep an eye on them.

What are the attributes of happy couples?

Common interests, communication, tolerance, understanding, loyalty, commitment, friendship, and love.

Can someone like you without respecting you?

That would seem to be counterintuitive. If you don’t respect someone, what is the impetus to like them? And, on the other side, If they don’t respect me I either have some things to work out or they’re a lousy judge of character. I try not to judge, but it is hard when they get up in your grill. I find this most with the League of the Perpetually Offended.

What is something you wish humans didn't need?

Greed. 

For some, the challenges of life are a lesson in compassion. For others, the outcome is bitterness. What makes the difference in which path people choose?

Challenges in life are lessons set before us. Our challenges require us to make choices or decisions. There is no grade, per se, as we rate ourselves as “pass or fail.” If we fail it is an opportunity to learn why we failed, critique what went wrong, try again, and again, if necessary, and then move forward. If we don’t learn the lessons of this life, we may have to take the “class” again, until we do.

“Sometimes you learn, grow and give far more when your back's against the wall.”

-- Rasheed Ogunlaru

Do you like legs open during sex or not?

Isn’t “closed legs” counterproductive? One might as well be saying “no” to you.

Why are people never satisfied with their own appearance?

I’m satisfied. I mean, there isn’t anything I can do about it, without augmentation, and that would be changing who I am to become someone I’m not. Nope. What I look like is so unimportant to who I am. Love me or leave me, it is a choice. I will miss you, however, if you leave. 

Do you think you're very pretty?

Indeed! But, I remain humble, to a fault.

I want to get way more off my chest. Why?

The bra straps are still digging into your shoulders? 

Do lukewarm Christians reach for (forbidden fruit) excuses to allow themselves to sin? Did they buy Satan's comforting lies? Do they choose temptation to leave God's plan of life for spiritual death?

The shepherds fall from grace as much as the sheep. Temptation has no favorites. Hypocrisy and hidden agenda were the reasons I left organized religion. I have my own definition of God, a personal code of ethics, and when I want to go to “church” all I have to do is open the front door to enter God’s cathedral. I am a self-proclaimed hypocrite. The difference is, I don’t deny it. Do as I say, not as I do. This may be wrong, but at least you get honesty. I hate smoke and mirrors defining my personal faith. 

“We are all hypocrites. We cannot see ourselves or judge ourselves the way we see and judge others.”

-- José Emilio Pacheco

How do I get behind your pretty butt?

If you're a woman, get in line.

Reader comment:  I looked for the line and there wasn’t one.

My reply:  Touché.

How did you accept that you can't save everyone?

You can’t save anyone, all you can do is be a light in the darkness, a signpost for the lost. People have free will and they have to make the choice to be saved. They have to make the choice and they have to do the work, all you can do is be a guide on their journey. It is truly not all about the destination.

Can God test us?

Every day, and in every way. Life is simply a classroom where we learn to move forward. Either learn the lessons or get set back, to do it all again.

Why do so many people devote such a large part of their life to God when there’s no proof of his existence?

There is no proof, either way, but some choose to have faith, a belief in something greater than themselves, for which there is little or no proof.

Would women rather lose the guy they like than make the first move?

Personally, I’d like the woman to make the first move. If love is a game of chess, then each player should alternate making the first move. Just saying.

"Women's logic: When you like a guy, do nothing about it and expect him to magically know and make the first move."

-- Unknown

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