Questioning Love, Punishment, Dignity, Knowing, and Cold

 

"Some people say my love is like chalk,

that I can write it on

and erase it whenever I choose.

Well, they're wrong.

I use Crayons."

-- F.A. Villari

Can love fade away from someone's heart or mind permanently?

Only if you’re an asshole that really doesn’t care. For most of us, love sticks to you like a bad memory. I was in a loveless marriage for 25 years, loveless on her part. She gave me two great kids. 25 years later she ripped my heart out. I still love her and have no reason why. Some of us can’t just flip a switch, and be done with it.

What are some examples of power and high status?

It’s supposed to be the President of the United States. But, corruption and senility seem to be the new rules.

Why do people on Quora love to make the OP feel worthless, to degrade and denounce them collectively, like a swarm of mosquitoes, all for asking a simple question?

If you don’t know what to look for, you stumble into the League of the Perpetually Offended. They hang out here a lot. Arguments and discussions are off the table for them, they simply don’t care. They prefer to be offended… perpetually. You will know them when you answer a question. They, almost immediately, bring the discussion down to the level of cursing. 

Do you ever respond aloud to a question someone asks you in an imaginary conversation going on in your head?

Yes, and I feel like an idiot.

How can we help others without anyone even knowing about it? Is it different?

Selflessness. You don’t need the shirt with a logo on it, or any free crap. Just give cash to charity, no checks. You can feed the hungry and be the breeze that no one notices. Yes, it is different.

Can someone who has a girlfriend or boyfriend who cheats, lies, or doesn’t care about them, also love someone else deeply and truly?

Yes! They have to find the special one that will love them deeply and truly.

“Hope for love, pray for love, wish for love, dream for love…but don’t put your life on hold waiting for love.”

-- Mandy Hale

How do I punish my enemies?

Beat them into submission so badly that they are erased from the genetic memory.

Is it possible to change one's belief system without others thinking he's crazy?

If they have cogent reasons for the change, no one should have questions. But, their belief system is theirs, not the others. They shouldn’t fall into the trap of other people’s approval of their life decisions. He may be crazy, but it is his life in which to be crazy.

What happens when the church is hypocritical?

What do you mean by “when”? When are they not? Hypocrisy was the primary reason I left "organized" religion.

How does one forgive when he is dead?

If he hasn’t written the apology in their Last Will and Testament, then, it’s too late.

In conversations, if you agree with everything, you come across as wishy-washy, whilst if you disagree with everything you come across as confrontational and no fun. How do you maintain a good balance between agreeing and disagreeing?

For one thing, if you agree with everything, you are agreeable. “Wishy-washy” is when you are agreeable, then, you are disagreeable on the same topic. You can’t make up your mind. You don’t have to maintain a good balance. If you disagree, disagree. If you agree, then agree. There are no rules you have to follow to be liked. Speak your mind, but you don’t have to be an ass when doing it.

What is it called when a villain thinks they are a hero?

Confused without a clue.

“In our time mass or collective production has entered our economics, our politics, even our religion, so that some nations have substituted the idea collective for the idea God. This in my time is the danger. There is great tension in the world, tension toward a breaking point, and men are unhappy and confused. At such a time it seems natural and good to me to ask myself these questions. What do I believe in? What must I fight for and what must I fight against?”

-- John Steinbeck

What is self-respect and dignity?

Well, by definition, you have “pride and confidence in yourself; a feeling that you are behaving with honor and dignity.” So, by definition, if you have self-respect you are behaving with dignity. Can’t be much simpler than that.

Can AI learn creativity from human beings?

If human beings add “creativity” to the program, then, yes.

Which elements of regret are positive, and which are negative?

Regret is always negative, even when it’s positive. You can regret that you needed to terminate the employment of someone, but it was for the good of the company. It doesn’t make you feel any better, but the company will appreciate it.

What is a boundary in a polyamorous relationship?

Consent. There must be mutual consent from all people in the relationship.

What is a premise in logic?

It really doesn’t differ due to using it in logic. “A previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion.” Because this is true, then that is also true. The premise, however, can be wrong. It can be true, but it has nothing to do with the outcome. In this case, logic is flawed.

Can God give us anything we can't handle?

Yes. The “Garden of Eden” is a prime example.

"Adam was not alone in the Garden of Eden, however, and does not deserve all the credit; much is due to Eve, the first woman, and Satan, the first consultant."

-- Mark Twain

Can you tell me something you don't want to know?

If I can tell you, then I must know it.

How do you avoid getting personal in an online argument/debate?

Don’t get into arguments or debates with anyone who is a member of the League of the Perpetually Offended. These people will try their damnedest to make it personal. Better to just bow out and let them stew in their own bullshit.

Is there an addiction to control?

They’re called control freaks. On the other end of the spectrum, we call them dictators.

What is a counter-argument to an atheist's claim that "atheists don't believe in anything"?

By definition, an “atheist” has no belief in a deity. What else they don’t believe in is up to the individual, but not believing in a deity is what makes them an atheist.

Is Christianity platonism for the masses?

Any “religious” belief, for which there is little or no proof, might be considered Platonism.

Why do I feel bad after being out and trying to seek male validation?

You are seeking validation from others which is contrary to self-respect. If you have “self-respect” you are validating yourself. Stop relying on others to validate you.

“What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.”

-- Confucius

 What does it mean when someone says "I'm not cold"?

They are comfortable, or warm. Or, they don't think they're a stone-cold bitch. 

Why are people following Trump so stupid?

Who voted for Biden?

What are the substitutes for religion and faith in one’s life?

Facts and reality. This doesn’t mean there is no faith in religion, but faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. And, does this mean our faith is misplaced? No. It simply means there is no proof to back it up, one way or the other. This is the entire reason we have faith. 

Who said "the universe is a lonely place"?

Someone who doesn’t believe in aliens.

Why do humans feel each individual is a "single entity" when science tells us it is more probable that we are one entity divided by a cloud of unknowing?

Science has been wrong more times than it should have been. It makes a premise that, down the road, people prove to be idiotic. A “cloud of unknowing” pretty much defines science at the starting line. Let’s see where this statement ends up. 

Do atheists feel any desire for a "higher power" or anything like that?

No.

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light‐years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.”

-- 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 view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, 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.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a 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 United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

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 a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He 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 personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

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