More Questions With Long and Short Answers

 

“Long week. Long month. Long life.”

-- John Green

(Long legs! Thank you, God!) 

The long answers:

Can we be certain about anything?

You can be certain that you know nothing, but, it is said that you really can’t even be certain of that.

Have you known that mean people don’t care about you?

Actually, I’ve been the recipient of the opposite. The League of the Perpetually Offended can be so mean-spirited. I suppose it comes with being offended all the time and at everything. But, they seem to take great pleasure in baiting me into answering questions just so they can rail at me. I see this as caring because, if I weren’t here, they’d have to hunt down another poor sap who would have to deal with the brunt of this newest offense - me not being around. I’ve learned to ignore them, so lots of people are probably getting a taste of them. If “mean people” didn’t care about you, how would you know they were really mean?

What are some tips on how to argue with a zealot?

Oh, yeah, nothing threatening here. Do it alone with them, or at a distance, like over the phone. Better yet, don’t.

How do you deal with people who take but never return your money?

I will confront them. They evidenced that my trust was misplaced. I don’t give my trust lightly, and this would be an admonishment by me on myself. If I can’t trust someone, I prefer to not have them around me. They will know this and probably think I have told all of our mutual friends. I haven’t, of course, that’s not who I am. But, I will run the thought up the flag pole and let the person chew on it for a while. 

Can good exist without evil? Can right exist without wrong?

You would never know one from the other without each. There must be balance in the universe.

“He felt that there is a loose balance of good and evil, and that the art of living consists in getting the greatest good out of the greatest evil.

-- Iaiá Garcia

What was the most memorable case of "instant karma" you saw when an impatient driver was laying on the horn?

The cop got out of the unmarked vehicle and ticketed them. I didn’t know a car seat could actually suck your body into it, but this big guy seemed to shrink when the cop got out of the vehicle. I laughed for ten minutes.

You wake up as God. What’s the first thing you do?

Tinkle, or fart. Or maybe tinkle and then fart… and then scratch my butt, snap my fingers for a cup a joe. Tinkle, though, first.

I have unbridled admiration for those who partner with God creating new life and bringing it into the world. Some call that "getting knocked up". How important is the way an idea is framed to our perception of that idea?

Not very. Does your “unbridled admiration for those who partner with God creating new life and bringing it into the world” have an issue with the idea of them getting “knocked up” in order to have children? For me, these are just descriptive words. Some might find them a bit rude, and that is their right. But, I feel the same way you do about anyone who chooses to bring children into this world. Murdering life in the womb without good cause serves no greater purpose. 

How is it disrespectful for a teenager (ages 12-15) to tell their parents that they (the teenagers) are the ones that they are speaking and the parents will keep their mouths shut unless they are spoken to?

Disrespectful enough that, after my “old school” dad finished laughing at the steel balls it took for me to say it, he would beat my tender ass with a belt until I saw the error of being that verbally upfront and stupid to adults.

What are the main differences, if any, between being critical and being opinionated?

Everybody has an opinion and most of them stink. A critique, for me, is an educated opinion based on someone knowing what they’re talking about in order to assist in making something better or helping out. It’s the difference between saying “you’re stupid” (an opinion) or explaining why what you did might be construed, by some, as being less than intelligent (a critique).

“If we had no faults we should not take so much pleasure in noting those of others.”

-- François de La Rochefoucauld

What are the fears that mobilize humans to protect their families from danger?

Death, injury, and pain are what mobilize me during hurricane season down on the Gulf Coast. I have to worry about my mom, my significant other, and the cats in both households.

Have you ever done something so efficiently that you were impressed? What was that experience?

Constantly, in the military. My Intelligence Division always pulled down excellent ratings for the work we did and our ability to think on our feet. My efficiency was in training great trainers in each section so we could bring great teams together in order to provide an excellent product for the aircrews and commanders. I was more impressed with my people than my own efficiency, however. How efficient you are as a manager is totally in the hands of the people who work under you. 

How do your good deeds help others to rejoice?

I assume that the 10 turkeys and canned vegetables I purchase for the soup kitchen, during Thanksgiving, help others to rejoice. I’ve never thought about it, however. I do it to help feed those in need. If they rejoice, so much the better. 

How do I become a man of integrity and ethics?

Develop a personal code of moral ethics and stand by them. “Integrity” is one of them. Loyalty, honesty, respect, and many more. There is much information online concerning personal and business ethics.

Do you believe people rise or fall to your expectation of them?

I try to have no expectation of them. I take everyone as they come. I simply let them show me who they really are. “I liked you five minutes ago, now I think you’re an ass. What’s up with that?”

“My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus."

-- Stephen W. Hawking

And, the short answers:

Why will there always be unjust people?

How will we know “just” without the “unjust”? 

What makes you the best choice?

When everyone else simply sucks.

What does being important do?

Buries you in responsibilities.

How can you instantly make someone angry?

Grope their spouse in public.

What is too much respect?

I’ll let you know when I get there.

Why can't a woman get a second husband?

She’s not really looking. I know plenty of ladies with 2nd and 3rd husbands.

Why does she stare at me, make eye contact, raise her eyebrows, and still maintain eye contact with me?

She likes you…. maybe a lot.

Who gets to decide what we do is wrong or right?

The society we choose to live in.

How should I tell my online friends that I am not a girl?

“Oh, by the way…”

What are the signs someone has no life?

Lack of a heartbeat?

I want a female succubus with me at night. How do I call her in the dream?

I think you need to bone up on the subject.

Is there a word for being attracted to ugly people?

Love.

To what extent can work make you happy?

It cost me my marriage. That happy.

How can I become a positive person? How can I develop this skill?

It isn’t a skill. Don’t be negative.

Why would you help someone else?

Because it’s the right thing to do, especially if she’s hot.

How do you respond to a girl calling you ugly?

“This, coming from a douchebag.”

“A douchebag has an image to maintain. He is not real. He is the kind of guy who will change his last name into something cooler and more impressive.”

-- Cory Duchesne

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