Questioning Realism, Morals, Ethics, Bullies, and Respect

"Realism has to be such high quality, you can't fake it. It's all hanging out there like the laundry."

-- Nelson Shanks

What kind of book have you read in this new normal? What "moral" have you learned from the book?

I have read many books, but not for any moral lesson. I read for the entertainment factor, so whether it has a moral or not is lost on me. I suppose if I were to find a moral, it would be to not commit a crime while Jack Reacher is around.

How do I connect to intuition and infinite intelligence?

Be intuitive and infinitely intelligent. You become “intuitive” by paying close attention to life. If you seek connection to “infinite intelligence” you’ll have to find God.

What is the appropriate punishment for someone who breaks a rule he has made himself?

He made the rule, so it is up to him to state the punishment. However, the punishment he levies on himself will be the punishment that must be levied on others who break the rule. If punishment isn’t equal for all, the system risks falling into chaos.

Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your 5-year-old self if you could go back in time, and why?

If you remember nothing else, remember 3M, IBM, Microsoft, Facebook, and Bitcoin. Why? Be real.

Why do you have doubts about the retraction of Rizal?

The fact that Rizal, himself, tried to retract his retraction says much about how love can rattle good sense, and how organized religion is heavy-handed when it comes to controlling the faithful. Regardless, however, Rizal wasn’t in his right mind when he wrote the retraction.

“Cowardice rightly understood begins with selfishness and ends with shame.”

-- José Rizal

What is something that I can't do in this life?

 Anything beyond your capability would be my guess.

How do I know if I am not being honest and loyal to myself?

Ask yourself “why” you are doing whatever it is you are questioning. Are you being honest with your answer? If not, you already have answered yourself. Being honest with yourself is about being loyal to yourself. Having said this, is whatever it is you’re doing at odds with your personal moral code of ethics? If it is at odds, then you are at odds with yourself.

If you haven’t developed a good moral personal code of ethics to stand by, you might want to. Your personal code is what defines you to those around you. It lets them know what to expect from you, and why.

What is "purpose" to you?

Why I do something. 

What finally stopped your bully?

I did. I nearly beat him to death with a tree branch. It taught me two things: I was capable of violence against another person, and I was definitely in charge of my own life. I started standing up for other “underdogs” and got the crap beat out of me, more times than not, until the novelty wore off and they grew up. 

Can we live a moral life without faith?

Yes. The moral life is all about doing the right thing, always. Even atheists can do this.

“Do you really mean to tell me the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward, or to avoid his disapproval and punishment? That's not morality, that's just sucking up, apple-polishing, looking over your shoulder at the great surveillance camera in the sky, or the still small wiretap inside your head, monitoring your every move, even your every base though.”

-- Richard Dawkins

Do you think mental illness is caused by seeing impossible things existing?

If things are existing they must not be impossible. I would think mental illness might be "caused by seeing impossible things" that do not exist. 

Reader's comment: This is very smart, too.

How do you convince your father to let you move in with him instead of living with your mother?

If he’s any kind of a real father he will be tickled pink. I know I would have been.

What should I do? I have been sleeping with my son's bully. I have allowed his bullying of my son, and I even encouraged him to do more as it turns me on knowing my son is bullied.

Right off hand, you should stop acting like an ass. You allow the bullying to continue and even encourage it. This is child abuse, and you should be ashamed. Stop sleeping with the other ass and sit down with your son a beg his forgiveness. Good luck with that.

Do you focus on a bigger title or a bigger paycheck?

Titles are all about ego. Money puts food on the table and makes life easier. Show me the money!

What would you do if a bully threatens to beat you up?

I’d kick his ass to within an inch of his life, but, approaching 70 years of age, and considering our liberal court system, I’d probably just shoot him and save my energy for sex. 

“If they don't like you for being yourself, be yourself even more.”

-- Taylor Swift

Philosophy: Why do you love wisdom?

Right off-hand, I can’t think of any moral reason not to love good wisdom. Bad wisdom, on the other hand, really isn’t wisdom except for those who think doing the right thing simply sucks.

Is being mean ever justified?

Being angry can be justified, but I see no justification for being mean. It diminishes the person in the eyes of others.

What do you do when your friend knew that you are sincere to them but still doesn't value you?

Wait. I have a “friend” that doesn’t value me? I have to ask what kind of a “friend” I have, and do some introspection on my rules for friendship.

I like most of the people I meet. I value them as fellow life forms. I will probably value them for other reasons the more I get to know them. Or, I may learn they simply suck as people. This usually happens when I’m sincere with them and they don’t value that sincerity. I have to work on my patience.

Who has failed as role models in our society?

The entire current Presidential Administration of the United States. From the top on down, nobody is doing their job. 

Can you talk without fighting in a relationship?

If you have a relationship with someone who is reasonable, yes. My ex-wife loved to spin me up for any reason. Sometimes I think she went out of her way just to piss me off so she could say I had anger issues. My issue was patience, not anger. My hands have arthritis from beating on cinderblock walls. Never hit a woman.

“You can't win an argument. You can't because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it.”

-- Dale Carnegie

What are subtle things that make people respect you more?

You get what you give. I was brought up to show everyone respect until they prove they aren’t worthy of it. This, and I have a code of ethics that I stand by, and I try, in my own humble way, to be selfless in all I do.

Does better information lead to better choices?

Yes! Just as bad information can lead us down the wrong path, good information can win the day. Having served in military intelligence for almost 23 years, the quality of information was very important to our decision-making process. How reliable the source was, played a big part in how reliable the information was. Even then, we looked for some validation of it prior to making choices or decisions. Intelligence information from higher up was still evaluated by our own staff. Too often we caught mistakes in their analysis.

How do cruel people pay for their actions?

Bad karma! Just as good karma rewards those who selflessly do good, sooner or later bad karma will visit those who are bad for all they do. You can’t be bad or cruel and not pay the piper. There must be balance.

How similar do fit, happy, young, and outgoing people think they will be in 10, 20, or 30 years' time?

10 or 20 years might show no difference, but around 30 years down the road, even though you might stay active, age will start knocking at the door. All that “outgoing” will catch up to you in aches and pains. By 65, you start lying to yourself about why you’re slowing down. I discovered why. Because I was 65 years old, that's why.

What does it mean by the phrase, "all of us desperately need something real"?

Most of us tend to live in a world of fantasy. We sit in front of technology all day then go home to sit in front of more technology. Unrealistic drama pumped into us by movies and television, fake news foisted upon us by fake newscasters, and books of fiction, all help us to escape into a world that isn’t real. Most of us live in denial of our need for reality. Most of us need to leave the house without our link to technology. We need to meet people face to face, talk to people face to face, and enjoy the company of others face to face. Most of us won’t even try it, even though all of us desperately need something real, except, maybe, Einstein.

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”

-- Albert Einstein

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