Questioning Secrets, Beliefs, Views, Questions, and Aliens

 

“If the government is covering up knowledge of aliens, they are doing a better job of it than they do at anything else.”

-- Stephen Hawking

Is it okay to hide your secrets from your nearest one?

If they’re truly secrets, you don’t tell anyone, near or far. They are, after all, secrets.

Is it easier to become popular by sharing success or failure?

Everybody does one or the other. It’s life. But, everybody fails at some point. If they say they haven’t, they also lie… a lot. Don’t dwell on the goals you’ve reached or you’ll seem like a braggart. I’d focus on how you overcame adversity and failure. This would be interesting. Sharing failure by asking for anyone's advice is also a good strategy.

Why do people buy fake/replica luxury items?

They can’t get the real thing, locally, like marble statues in Rome. The real thing costs too much (again, Rome). The replica is made better than the original (not the marble statues).

Do people intentionally choose the wrong path?

Only if they’re self-destructive.

What's a loaded question (about loaded questions) to give back to someone who just gave you a loaded question?

Try this:

“You seem to know a lot about loaded questions. Can you give me a loaded question to give back to someone who gave me a loaded question?”

It isn’t a loaded question, but… damn. Nobody is this stupid, right?

"Have you stopped beating your wife? Yes or no?"

-- Loaded Question

How can someone believe their religion is the only religion that's true when thousands of other religions exist?

Faith.

What are some high-paying jobs that people avoid because they're unethical?

Call girl.

Reader comment: We have different ideas about both “high paying” and ethics. Effective legal counsel is both more expensive and less moral.

My reply: I was going to say lawyer, but decided to sidestep the League of the Perpetually Offended and bumped into you, instead.

Why are many people blind to what the problem of man is?

They simply don’t see it.

Can our beliefs be wrong but still valuable?

My belief about my ex-wife was totally wrong, yet valuable in the sense that I swore off marriage. Been happy for the past 20 years, living in sin.

What is the definition of an accurate perception?

“Spot on.”

“Wisdom comes from knowing that what others say about you is not your reality. It’s their reality.”

-- Kristin Michelle Elizabeth

Is it possible to be too nice and caring as a person, or does that mean one has an underlying problem with being overly kind and giving to others?

It is definitely possible, but “being overly kind and giving to others” is not an underlying problem, it is a trait more people should adopt. We don’t exercise selflessness enough in this world. A truly sad reflection on the human race.

Do you believe that there is more than one way to view a situation?

Indeed. Several ways, probably. Depends on one’s point of view.

Do you believe that God is real, and why?

Yes, but my definition of God. Mine is not the definition held by organized religion. And the “why” is because I have faith, a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.

Do men care about talking to someone about their problems?

It depends on how empathetic and easy she is.

Do religious people usually agree with each other?

In the same sect, probably. Christianity splintered into differing sects because of disagreements, as did many other religions.

“It is precisely that requirement of shared worship that has been the principal source of suffering for individual man and the human race since the beginning of history. In their efforts to impose universal worship, men have unsheathed their swords and killed one another. They have invented gods and challenged each other: "Discard your gods and worship mine or I will destroy both your gods and you!”

-- Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Is “Hi! I’m a he” a question?

No question mark. Could be a statement. He could be clarifying some confusion in a San Francisco bistro. One just never knows.

Who agrees that it's great to underestimate people because if the person has no talent, they need to be underestimated to be shown they are absolutely nothing?

This is the time when the “absolutely nothing” that has been “underestimated” pulls out a semi-automatic weapon and shows everyone he knows how to shoot a dumbass that underestimated him. Better not to judge people, lest it comes back to haunt your own inequities.

How would you respond if someone said, “You don't have any idea what I'm talking about”?

“Hell, even you don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Putz.”

Does it make you intelligent when you tell the truth to anyone even if you make a mistake?

I try to always tell the truth and I always admit my mistakes, but, then, I’m not the sharpest tool. Humble to a fault, but not really sharp.

How can one gain insight into one’s own awareness?

If you’re looking to gain insight into your own awareness, you should probably already have knowledge of it, if you are aware. So, for you to gain insight into something you lack is kind of counterproductive. When you become aware, the insight will be a moot point.

“A giraffe doesn't waste time quarreling with rabbits over what the top of a tree looks like.”

-- Matshona Dhliwayo

If people are free to have their own opinions, then why do some people try to impose their opinions on others like they're indisputable truths?  And, if that's the case, why can't they also accept their opinion is flawed in return? Is that sensible?

Very.  You are free to accept their opinion or not. If they say bullshit loud enough and long enough people begin to believe they just might be right. This is why we are saddled with Joe Biden as the “leader” of the Free Word. People tend to believe bullshit constantly being dumped on them until the truth comes roaring in like high inflation. Better you ignore the bullshit and do your own due diligence, where “opinions” are concerned.

Is saying “I can’t believe you did that” rude?

What’s not to believe? No, it isn’t rude. Honest, maybe, but not rude. People never surprise me with what they do, especially when they don’t have to.

What is the reason people say they’re going to help you only to make things harder for one in their life?

Truth be told, the only one who can actually help you… is going to be you. Others can guide and mentor, train and educate, but walking your path is up to you. You make the final choices and decisions, no one else. It is your life. If someone makes your life harder by trying to help, one needs to know who asked for their help before blame is announced, and since it is your life, you are going to be the one usually at fault.

If someone has a problem with you is it their problem or yours? I think it’s theirs.

I think you’re right. If they have a problem, the obvious choice is for them to go away. Better for them, and certainly better for me and mine.

How do I convince people that aliens don't exist in the real world?

It is tough to float bullshit through a pond of believers. The best way to accomplish this is to provide incontrovertible proof that aliens don’t exist. This is akin to the debate between atheists and theists. One has faith there is no God, and one has faith there is. Both have little or no proof to back up their belief. The same holds true here. Present your incontrovertible proof.

“I'm frequently asked, "Do you believe there's extraterrestrial intelligence?" I give the standard arguments- there are a lot of places out there, the molecules of life are everywhere, I use the word billions, and so on. Then I say it would be astonishing to me if there weren't extraterrestrial intelligence, but of course there is as yet no compelling evidence for it.

Often, I'm asked next, "What do you really think?"

I say, "I just told you what I really think."

"Yes, but what's your gut feeling?"

But I try not to think with my gut. If I'm serious about understanding the world, thinking with anything besides my brain, as tempting as that might be, is likely to get me into trouble. Really, it's okay to reserve judgment until the evidence is in.”

-- Carl Sagan

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, finally, a senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Western 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 the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com