Questioning Satan, Fear, Trust, Teams, 1970, and Belief

 

“I do not pretend to be able to prove that there is no God. I equally cannot prove that Satan is a fiction. The Christian god may exist; so may the gods of Olympus, or of ancient Egypt, or of Babylon. But no one of these hypotheses is more probable than any other: they lie outside the region of even probable knowledge, and therefore there is no reason to consider any of them.”

-- Bertrand Russell

Is it fair to say that women are as evil as the devil and probably worse?

That's not very understanding of you. My ex-wife, though, is a big yes. But, my current girlfriend and I have been in bliss for 20 years.

Is it fair to say that all women are prostitutes and some are just more honest about it?

Nope. Not fair at all. 

Do we have any aspects of our lives that we do not regret? If so, what are they and why do they exist?

I came to an epiphany that everything in life is a learning situation. As such, I no longer regret anything. I accept it and learn from it. I may have to learn from it a couple of times… before it sticks.

How do I find people who will pay me for sex?

Ask around. You won’t find them sitting behind a computer.

So get this, I'm like a total neutral in the 'atheists vs religious ppl' war that's been happening since day 1. However, why do atheists demand 'physical evidence' of a god when God is not made of atoms and molecules like us people?

I could ask atheists for proof that God does not exist, and they would have the same problem theists would have. Both sides have faith in their belief, but niether side has any proof to back it up. “Faith” is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.

Who do you trust, God or human beings?

I trust that God gave me everything I need to live my life, so I trust me. I don’t trust most humans any further than I can throw them. At times, I don’t even trust me.

“Friendship- my definition- is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble.”

-- Stieg Larsson

What is fear? Imagining the future makes people afraid. Thinking about the past is like a nightmare. Fear ultimately becomes the reason people become lazy. Do you agree?

The future does not make me afraid. I look forward to it. My past is full of memories, some bad, but the bulk of them are good. Fear is not the reason people become lazy. Fear can petrify you, but not make you lazy. You are lazy because you have no goals to complete.

Do you know a joke about having no regrets?

Having no regrets is nothing to joke about.

How do I give an answer when my friend tells me that there is only hope in my life?

Faith gives birth to hope. So, you also have faith in the life you live. A life without hope is a sad life, indeed. I would smile and thank my friend for recognizing how “complete” I am. If you are a selfless person, your friends can share the “hope” you carry with you always.

I’m sick of everyone around me being so negative and complaining constantly. What should I do?

Find new people to hang around with.

Why is it that there is not much maturity difference between 10 and 11 but a lot of maturity difference at 11 to 12? What is it in the change of 12?

At 12 and 13 you should “put away childish things” and be prepared to grow up. At 13 you should be looking forward to high school.

Why is it that most people don't have a desire to work and pay for what they have? It's like, if the government could magically support everyone, 80 percent of people would go for it.

Most people work for a living. They work so they can survive, so have more, and so they can have a sense of dignity for doing a job and doing it well. The working majority pays taxes so most of the non-working minority can do nothing but suck from the public teat. Just saying.

"The man who really merits pity is the man who has been down from the start, and faces poverty with a blank, resourceless mind."

-- George Orwell

Did you know that most people are dumb and wrong, but you can trust me?

Not on a bet.

What would you do to get the highest number of upvotes on [this site]?

I will continue to do what I’ve always done - answer questions. If I get a lot of “upvotes” so be it. Greed is not in my wheelhouse, and, at 70 years of age, it will never be.

If all beings are born pure and innocent, from where does the evil come in them? What drives a person to become a criminal?

An environment can spoil the sweetest fruit.

Why are adults so boring and unoriginal?

You are hanging around with the wrong adults, or the Gulf Coast of Mississippi is a gem. We have so many young people hanging around us it seems hard to find some privacy. We love them.

I want to make the biggest decision of my life but I’m scared that it is going to hurt some people’s feelings. What should I do?

Who’s life are you living, yours or theirs? 

Is panhandling something that only homeless people are entitled to do to collect money from pedestrians or you can do it too if you want some spare money to buy things like cigarettes, beers, etc if you haven't got any money?

Anybody can do it. It shows a serious lack of respect for one’s self, but you can do it if it doesn’t matter to you.

“You'd be surprised how difficult it is to ask alms of a stranger when you've never done it before, what a psychological barrier separates the honest man from the panhandler.”

-- Cornell Woolrich 

How can you commend a high achievement by someone who achieves as a member of a team?

You commend the team and single out a “special mention” for the individual.

Why do people only live to be 100 years old?

Some live much longer than that. Someone is telling you bullshit. There are WW-II veterans still with us who are over 100 years of age.

I feel no one understands me. I want someone to talk about my problem, and help find solutions for me. Can anyone?

So, you have to state the problem to see if someone can help you with it.

Can I name my child faith if I want them to be religious?

You can name your child whatever you decide to name them and for any reason. But if you’re going to pick a name, you might want to capitalize the first letter, if it’s in English. Your question can be confusing, otherwise. Just saying.

Gawd there are so many assholes on [this site], why does anyone visit here?

You can’t answer this?

How do you find independence when in a marriage?

Marriage doesn’t end your independence. You have more responsibility to care for, love, and protect your best friend and partner that you’ve married. Other than this, you still have your independence. If you don’t have some “me” time the marriage will sour for one or both of you.

“In the true married relationship, the independence of husband and wife will be equal, their dependence mutual, and their obligations reciprocal.”

-- Lucretia Mott

What would you do if you saw a person born in the 1970s?

I would give him a big hug. That would be my son.

Reader comment: I see them every day

My reply: Bingo. Strange question.

How do you get even with a man who has wronged you?

Find a better man. Karma will take care of the man who wronged you. If you get even with him, that puts you on Karma’s list, and Karma has enough to do without you on the list. Find better people to associate with. Besides, nothing pisses off a man more than being ignored, especially in favor of a better man.

Who is more evil than Satan?

My ex-wife.

What pushes a married man to cheat?

The same things that push a wife to cheat. A lack of quality marital sex would do it. Or, a wife who cheated first. That would do it for any man. Divorce follows.

My boyfriend is leaving me for a girl he's been cheating on me with. What do I do?

Find a better man. That’ll piss him off.

Me and my girlfriend took a break and she had sex with a guy 3 times and now we are working it out but I keep thinking about them having sex and how big he possibly was with her?

You both took a break and she had fun. You are “working it out,” but you keep thinking about her and him. This isn’t “working it out.” It’s more like trying to trust a cheater. Will you ever trust her again?

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”

-- Friedrich Nietzsche 

How much of what we say should be believed?

It differs for each individual, and a few never lie at all.

I just found out my boyfriend is a married man with a kid. Should I tell his wife?

He is her problem, but you're asking the right question. You are a problem for Karma. The best thing you can do is call it off and move on with someone you know doesn’t have baggage. Karma will forget about you if you do the right thing. Don’t get any more involved with this couple than you already are.

How do you know when he’s into you?

It depends on how big he is.

I'm in this relationship with a girl and I really like her. I'm a Christian and she is a non-Christian. What should I do?

She is the one you have a relationship with, you should talk to her about it. I’m spiritual and my girlfriend is Catholic. We get along great because I don’t care what she is as long as she doesn’t force me into an “organized” church.

How might finances contribute to a rise in one's stress level?

It depends on how far into debt you are. Stay out of debt.

He doesn’t want to marry me after 7 years, should I be worried?

I haven’t married my girlfriend after 20 years of living together. It is a piece of paper. It means so much less than your dedication to her. If this relationship makes you feel uncomfortable, talk to him about it. I went through a nasty divorce and she knows marriage is wrong for me.

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.”

-- Khalil Gibran

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