Questioning Responsibility, Secrets, Communication, Failure, Morals, and Atheists

“Men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine.”

-- Sigmund Freud

How much responsibility, in your opinion, does the one who carries out an immoral action, hold compared to the one who gave the order?

Not as much as the one giving the order. Both have a choice to make, but the onus is on the order.

When your money, job, safety, health, reputation, and history are transferred to nonproductive individuals who have been causing harm and setbacks to you and your community, who is negatively impacted?

I am. Everything that is mine, my money, job, safety, health, reputation, and history have been transferred to some “numb nuts” that I probably don’t know. Who do you think is going to be negatively impacted?

What are some of the skills or knowledge that you have learned or improved by achieving your goals?

Perseverance, team building, supervision, and management.

When I'm talking with someone else, my mind thinks quickly, I have more ideas, and I get answers to questions that I couldn't think of before, and more. But when I'm thinking alone, I can't get the same results. Is that normal? If not, how is it called?

It’s normal. When you are talking to someone else you have an audience and feedback. It is normal for you to “spitball” ideas and get feedback for questions. If it is just you, you have no feedback, no audience, and your mind is loping along at its regular pace. It is why teams usually get the job done better, quicker, and with fewer issues than individuals working alone.

Is mischief a form of evil?

It can be. It can also be a form of joking playfulness. The “intent” is the qualifier.

Yeah, that's all true, but don't you think when maturity hits a person it changes him a lot, and not everyone remains in the same pit forever? Mistakes can be forgiven.

I have no idea what you think is “all true.” But, when maturity hits a person, they do change. They should realize that mistakes are learning experiences that can be forgiven but not forgotten. You choose to leave the pit of misery and live an adult life with new wisdom.

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

-- 1 Corinthians 13:11

What is something that the quietest person in a room may never reveal?

The fantasy they think about concerning the beautiful woman on the couch. Most sexually based thoughts will remain secret for the “quiet” person. For the extrovert, on the other hand, they can’t wait to share their thoughts with others.

Why are a lot of people with wealthy backgrounds mostly thin?

Stress.

Why are smart people considered to be less happy than average people?

“Smart” people are usually the average people. “Intelligent” people are probably less happy than average people due to the stress of constantly having their intelligence under a microscope.

Why do people look older than me when they’re my age?

I also look younger than I am. Revel in the fact that you are aging slower.

What techniques can people use to improve accepting feedback from others?

Understand what “feedback” is, for one thing.

Feedback: Information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.

You can lope along, thinking you’re all that, or you can use the feedback to become more than you are. It is a choice most “smart” people make to improve.

Is every moral considered ethical?

Bad morals aren’t, but the good ones are.

"Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."

-- Albert Einstein

What are the factors that influence good communication?

You have to consider the clarity of the message to the understanding of the audience. For instance, there has been no communication if the audience gets lost in the techno-blab.

Can sexting be better than sex?

Hell no. 

What should teenage girls stop worrying about during sex?

Whether the guy is enjoying himself. She needs to pay more attention to whether she is enjoying herself. If she isn’t, she needs to find a real man who can bring her dreams to a climax, so to speak. The fear of getting pregnant should be constantly in their thoughts.  

Can you share your code of ethics/morals/ideals/values and the process of developing them?

Ethics and morality are closely related, and ideals and values are formed by how you view your ethics and morals. But when developing any of them, you need to pay attention to what is good and bad. What we used to think were moral judgments and principles are now thought of as ethical judgments and principles. This comes full circle when we think of the controversy concerning abortion. You either agree that murdering a baby in the womb is okay, or you see it as what it is. It is a choice that will taint your ethics and morals for some time. Killing will do that.

In developing a good personal code of ethical behavior, you need to think about what is right and wrong, or good and bad. You will either have good values or bad values. There is no “good” mix. You either embrace the good, or you embrace the bad. It is a moral and ethical choice you must make for your life and the life you bring into this world. Let us all hope you choose to have good ethics and values.

I’m a 15-year-old girl and always want to have sex. Is that normal? How can I stop feeling this way?

Think about a 15-year-old girl with a baby, or having an abortion. If that doesn’t cure it, you are probably doomed to be on welfare. Lucky you. Your future just got dimmer.

How does one come up with a plan?

A “plan” is a process that brings you from here to there. From a beginning to an endpoint - to fruition. A “good” plan negates the negatives in the process. It considers the dangers, problems, attitudes, regulations, and the like, and takes you from here to there with little or no problem. You start by listing the steps in the process. Then you think of all the problems in each step. Then you solve all the problems in each step. What you have at the end is a good and safe plan that has minimized or negated issues. 

“If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.”

-- Yogi Berra

Can anyone give me advice to failure? Who will try again?

Do nothing. If you do nothing, you won't need to try again. You will fail.

What is the difference between having sex with a teenager vs a mature lady, physically and psychologically?

With one, you are the teacher, and with the other, you are the student. Both present obvious physical and psychological differences.

What factors contribute to the intelligence and perceived stupidity in the UK?

A question better answered by the Australians.

How would a gun owner react if I started beating the shit out of him while demanding he hand me his gun?

He fears for his life, so he would hand you his gun while he knifes you in the gut so he can take his gun back.

How can one handle a situation where someone says they are listening but does not act or respond?

Walk away. They simply don’t give a fig.

How do I say, "That’s okay, I’ll stick to my first plan."?

“That really sucks. I’ll go with this." Don’t mince words, it confuses the common folk. If you're staying with your first plan, there must be a reason. Does their plan suck? Say what you think.

“The true definition of mental illness is when the majority of your time is spent in the past or future, but rarely living in the realism of NOW.”

-- Shannon L. Alder

What is one ideal or moral value that you believe should apply universally? Why do you think this value is important?

Do what is morally right. The “importance” is self-explanatory.

What's the point of living if I can't have the life I want?

If you want a specific life, you need to work for it. Work harder. If you end your life, what happens when you end up right back where you are? Sooner or later you will catch a clue. Any day on this side of the dirt is a great day to be alive.

Do men need to be polite after understanding what women want?

Yes. Or, you can admit you were stupid, from the start.

How do you handle a situation when you are not ready?

In football parlance, you fall back and punt. You make the best of a bad situation. You get ready while you start the mission. It can go only two ways, good or bad, and I do not like to look bad, so it had better go good.

Why does everyone try to be #1? What does it beget?

#3.

 How should a guy respond if he is called "too kind"?

“Okay, well, I can be a total asshole, but something tells me you probably wouldn’t like that, either.”

“When we are nice to others, we generally lose all claim to their respect.”

-- Marcel Proust

How would atheists and non-believers react to a world without gods? Would it terrify them or bring them comfort?

If they don’t believe in gods, why would it terrify them more than now?

What does it mean when someone says, “He doesn't deserve you.”?

It means the guy isn’t all that, and someone realizes that the other person is better than he is. If he were a better man, perhaps he would deserve what he has. But, to this other person, he doesn’t deserve who he has.

In what situations is it acceptable to be called by the wrong name?

When your gang is robbing a bank.

Why does God allow so much cruelty in the world?

God doesn’t allow it. God gave man the tools to do what is right. If man chooses to do what is wrong, it is on man’s head, not God’s. Karma will make man pay for his arrogance, sooner or later.

Why are some people good at mathematics but they are not good at logical thinking?

Math has nothing to do with emotions. Logic, on the other hand...

Can there be a difference of opinion on what is considered ethically right or wrong? How can we determine what is ethically correct or incorrect?

There can be, but the naysayer is kidding themself. What is right is right. An example would be the right to an abortion, murdering life in the womb. Is it ethical, or not? Doctors no longer take the “Hippocratic Oath” due the the multiple violations they incur. Better that they simply wing it, and let the courts decide on ethics and morals.

“I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”

-- Ronald Reagan

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 in 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