Questioning Authority, Teachers, Balance, Fantasy, and Suffering

 

“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”

-- Mahatma Gandhi

Why is exclusion not always wrong?

Why would you exclude the KKK from a Black Lives Matter rally? Gasoline and vinegar will never mix, and one of them is explosive and the other is racist.

I told my boss that I'm going to resign, and he offered me a 9% raise if I stay. What should I do?

There are a lot of jobs out there, but, do you really want to look for work?

Can you be "creative" but not "artistic"?

To “create” is, itself, an art. How proficient you are at creating is another issue. The fact that you might not cook well, or create tasty cuisine, simply means that you’re not very good at the art of cooking. But, you are an artist, regardless of your proficiency. 

How do you respond to “I just want to be happy”?

Then, make a simple choice, to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances.

What does authority mean in a society that seems to reject it?

By what “authority” are they presuming to reject it? Mob violence is not recognized as “authority” by most sane people. Defunding the police, a symbol of the city authority, is rejected by anyone not liberal, “woke”, or a criminal, basically the hardworking majority of the city. And, I suppose this is my point. The majority of society does not reject authority, and those that do are willing to replace one system of governance for another that has already been evidenced many times, that it doesn’t work.

A reminder:

“The useful idiots, the leftists who are idealistically believing in the beauty of the Soviet socialist or Communist or whatever system, when they get disillusioned, they become the worst enemies. That’s why my KGB instructors specifically made the point: never bother with leftists. Forget about these political prostitutes. Aim higher. They serve a purpose only at the stage of destabilization of a nation. For example, your leftists in the United States: all these professors and all these beautiful civil rights defenders. They are instrumental in the process of the subversion only to destabilize a nation. When their job is completed, they are not needed anymore. They know too much. Some of them, when they get disillusioned, when they see that Marxist-Leninists come to power—obviously they get offended—they think that they will come to power. That will never happen, of course. They will be lined up against the wall and shot.” 

-- Yuri Bezmenov (1939-1993), former Soviet journalist and KGB informant

Do people take too much offense these days when none was intended or was it an innocent mistake?

There are more and more members of the League of the Perpetually Offended. They look for the offense even when none was given. I tend to ignore them.

What makes sense to you?

Change is the only true constant in the universe, and there must be universal balance.

What are those questions or problems that just boggle your mind?

Questions with no context, like, “Why?” It is a universal question that boggles everyone’s mind. Why? Because there’s no context. Why what? I shy away from answering questions like this because the League of the Perpetually Offended love to throw them out there to see what dumbass will nibble at the bait so they can be offended by the answer given.

Author comment: Actually I just like to solve problems.

My reply: Actually, you could have stated that instead of turning off "comments" so I couldn't reply to you. I was going to suggest you solve the problem posed by the question, "Why?" But, since having a conversation seems not in your wheelhouse...

If two individuals like being around each other's company and naturally are drawn to spend time with one another, in the context of labeling someone boy/girlfriend, wouldn't it be better just to go with the flow and be blessed to know one another?

One would think. Friends with benefits. I’ve always loved the concept.

Do smart people make good teachers?

I haven’t met but a handful of “smart” teachers, and they’ve all been in Mississippi. The rest of them seem enamored more with their title than teaching. Not a good thing for kids.

“People cited violation of the First Amendment when a New Jersey schoolteacher asserted that evolution and the Big Bang are not scientific and that Noah's ark carried dinosaurs. This case is not about the need to separate church and state; it's about the need to separate ignorant, scientifically illiterate people from the ranks of teachers.”

-- Neil deGrasse Tyson

What is an innovative approach to problem-solving?

I use the “5 Whys” approach in my private life and it made me realize I was more than likely the reason for all my issues. Now I can just jump to the root cause in a few questions instead of “inadvertently” shifting the blame. Check this out: 5 Whys: Getting to the Root of a Problem Quickly

What leads someone to embarrass themselves?

Not thinking before they act.

How do you find a beginning balance?

“Zero out” your scale is the only way I know how to do this. When I went through my divorce I lost everything, even my kids. I was forced to start over from scratch. I accepted the drama forced on me and added some good things to balance them out. I’ve done this ever since. Something bad, something good. Something good, and I have room for the drama of my choosing. It is my life, so I choose what I give and take. This "balance" works for me.

What made you laugh?

Commercials on television make me laugh so hard I don’t even remember what the commercial was for.

Do people tend to avoid things that they're not good at?

Unless it interests me, or I simply need to learn it, I do avoid those things I’m not good at. There are so many other things I need to do than waste my effort on things that have no useful function in my wheelhouse.

“A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do.”

-- Bill Watterson

How do you convince someone that your decision to destroy something is actually worth more to you emotionally than the material dollar value of the said object?

Is it a person or an inanimate object? I only ask this because your need to “convince someone” of your decision to destroy, sounds as if it might escalate to humans or animals. It seems to me that “convincing” is just asking for validation that the destruction is okay. How about just giving the object of this violence to someone else?

Author comment:  Someone has possession of objects (vintage radios and such like) that I want to be destroyed. I was/am emotionally invested in these, and can not let go until they no longer exist. It's hard to talk to someone brought up in an era where everything has value and money was more important.

My reply:  Ah! Context brings more light into the room. Thank you! 

Which genre of fiction requires the most imagination?

Fantasy.

How do I build real relationships at work?

If your picture is real, I find this question hard to understand, unless you have a hard time separating the wheat from the chaff. You might need to instigate relationships by inviting people to go to lunch together, or drinks after work. You build real relationships with people by trial and error. There is no magic wand, it’s done the old-fashioned way - work.

How do you reply to human X, when X said: "If not because of X, why would I do Y?"?

So, you want to know how to reply to John, when John said, “If not because of me, why would I do Jane?” Is this about right?

Why is Carl Sagan so highly respected when on the grand scale of things he practically accomplished nothing?

Well, maybe you have your facts wrong:

“He made crucial contributions in popularizing astronomy to the public. He authored over 600 scientific papers and wrote several books about astronomy and natural sciences. He also gained worldwide fame for narrating and writing the popular 1980 television series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage”.

Sagan authored more than 20 books about space and the universe. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his work. His TV series Cosmos still remains one of the most-watched shows in television history. Sagan helped NASA with U.S. space missions to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. Particularly, his discovery of the high surface temperatures of the planet Venus is highly regarded. He also worked on understanding the atmospheres of Venus and Jupiter and seasonal changes on Mars.

The 1997 film Contact has been inspired by Sagan’s book of the same name. Contrary to the popular belief that aliens would be destructive to mankind, Sagan advocated that aliens would be friendly and good-natured.

Sagan is known to have been one of the earliest scientists to propose that there might be life on other planets. He encouraged NASA to explore the solar system for signs of life. He received the Public Welfare Medal, the highest award of the National Academy of Sciences, in 1994.

In his last written works, Sagan contended that the possibilities of extraterrestrial space vehicles visiting Earth are vanishingly small.”

--Biography, Facts and Pictures

How can you talk about yourself without being conceited?

Understand that many people have done so much better than you. Any “conceit” you feel is simply you not wanting to own that fact. For instance, I am simply a humble pastor trying to help people understand happiness. I’m not the best, but there are few truly happy out there to spread the word. I do what I can.

What’s the best way to deal with people who are just out to prove you wrong?

The League of the Perpetually Offended. I ignore them. No matter what you say, they are offended. If you really want to piss them off, agree with them.

Will humans always help those in need?

No. Some humans will, but not all. The evidence is playing out across New York City with muggings, shootings, and smash-and-grab theft. The “low life” in NYC really doesn’t care about anyone but themselves. Their lives matter. If they happen to be black, or another minority, is a side note to the bigger issue of rampant crime.

Why is hypocrisy considered a mental condition?

Don’t do as I do, do as I say, is a mental condition? Oh, crap.

Which quote about suffering inspires you?

I think this one works:

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

-- Saint Teresa of Calcutta

 

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