Questioning Upvotes, Gifts, Faking, Longevity, Money, and Thoughts

 

"I didn't mean I upvote as a function of who answered. I meant that I upvote by default as a way to appreciate everyone's time (except for the mentioned exception). In other words, I upvote as a function of the time dedicated to me for free, more than as a function of the content as you say. This might be wrong though."

-- Martel

Is it important to get thousands of upvotes on [this site]?

Personally, I really don’t give a shit. But, because of the “upvotes” I seem to do better. So, I publish them because I see them as a vindication - people like what I write.

What psychological fact you should know?

Physical pain is the great equalizer. Nobody likes it, and nobody wants it.

Do you feel scared and nervous to talk to famous and popular people?

Not in the least. As a member of the military Intelligence field, I came into contact with famous and popular people all the time.

 How is Bidenomics helping us?

It’s supposed to be helping us?

Why are people inclined to keep lying to themselves once they have begun? Why is it so hard for people to admit to themselves that they are just digging themselves into a deeper hole?

They begin to believe the lie. This is a ploy used by the Democratic Party. No one believes them.

Are most people poor because of bad education and life decisions? 

For the most part. Nobody needs to be poor if they don’t want to be. Perseverance in the face of failure is a tact that many people need to learn. If you lack education, educate yourself. If you make a bad decision, learn from it and make a better one. If you sit down, you can’t move forward. 

“It takes nothing to stay in poverty, but everything to break free from it.”

-- Idowu Koyenikan 

Besides love, what is the most important thing a man can give his wife?

A child.

How will I become intelligent and make all I study stick in my mind?

Concentrate, and learn what you want to learn. It isn’t that we fail, it is what we do with the failure that moves us forward in life. Learning is paramount.

Is Trump a big fat stupid idiot loser?

Only for Democrats.

What does a conscience feel like? Why do you believe you have one if you do?

A “conscience” is a reminder of what we have done right and, more importantly, what we have done wrong.

Who is called Faithful and True?

Jesus Christ.

Is it true that science disproves religion? If so, why is there not more conflict between the two in society, aside from religious fundamentalism?

Science only disproves religion if you’re an atheist or a member of the League of the Perpetually Offended.

“I believe that the teaching of evolution and science is best served by promoting the scientific method and scientific knowledge and not by attacking religious views. The latter is a futile, counterproductive battle. However, I also believe, as many denominations have also concluded, that religion is better served by promoting and evolving its respective teachings and theologies, and not by attacking science, which is definitely a losing strategy”

-- Sean B. Carroll

Alina Habba said she'd rather be pretty than smart because she can fake being smart. Has she tried faking that she's not a total c%#t?

No, she really can’t fake being smart. Smart people will see right through her.

Are more intelligent people happier as they can use their prowess to more easily achieve their goals?

True happiness has to do little with more intelligence. Achieving goals is simply attaining what you work toward. You can strive for true happiness always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances. It is a simple choice for life.

How can I sell my soul for great talent at something without being tricked (I mean in a smart way)?

No. There is no "smart way" to sell your soul.

Can Satan give you whatever you want if you ask?

Probably, but the cost of what you want is astronomical. Better you work toward owning what you want, because “free” is seldom as free as it seems, especially when Satan is involved.

Is there any way to test consciousness outside of a living brain?

Not until AI becomes conscious.

When will God make me successful?

When you earn it. God gave us all the tools we need to be successful in life, so it isn’t up to God. Attaining your goals is entirely up to you.

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;

Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men, and the love of little children;

Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;

Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;

Who has left the world better than he found it,

Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;

Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;

Whose life was an inspiration;

Whose memory a benediction.”

-- Bessie Anderson Stanley

How long does an enlightened person typically live?

As long as anybody. Being enlightened doesn’t bar you from cancer, heart disease, and the like. Nor does it make you immortal. What it will make you is… wait for it… wait… enlightened. Hey, I'm pretty good at this. Right?

How do you become a man who understands?

You live life and ask questions. If you’re lucky, you live to a ripe old age... and understand.

What motivates atheists to engage in debates about religion? Is their goal to convert others or to validate their own beliefs?

It is the same motivation that causes theists to do the same routine. I wish both sides would just shut the hell up. There is no proof either way, so to argue about it is just stupid. Both have faith in their belief, Faith, by the way, is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.

How do atheists attempt to prove a negative?

Again, they can’t prove dick, and neither can theists. They both have faith in their beliefs, but faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.

What is the best way to end a relationship with someone who is deeply in love with you and does not want to break up?

Damn… I’d have to think about that as deeply as they are in love with me. Someone who loves me that much, well, they deserve better than the time and thought I seem to have given them. To tell the truth, they deserve better than me.

How can one respond to religious individuals who claim that science cannot prove anything about God?

Science proves more about God than they care to admit.

“The statistical probability that organic structures and the most precisely harmonized reactions that typify living organisms would be generated by accident, is zero.”

-- Ilya Prigogine (Chemist-Physicist. Recipient of two Nobel Prizes in chemistry)

How much money will earning make you happy?

I strive to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of my circumstances. Money cannot buy true happiness, as much as we would like to think it will. You are only happy until the next “bigger and better” come out.

My crush only uses me for my body. What should I do?

Find someone who truly loves you.... and then, use them for their body.

What qualities make a scientist great, in addition to intelligence and hard work?

Imagination. A great scientist has to prove something, and having a great imagination might give him some “food for thought” on what he can go about proving. 

Is anyone else tried of people thinking that objective reality does not exist?

Are you asking if we tried or if we’re tired? My “objective reality” really wants to know.

Is science the only way to know the truth?

Science is the only way we can search for the truth. The only way to know the truth is to find the incontrovertible facts. Scientists are getting smart. They don’t couch their findings as conclusive. Every time they do that, someone finds new information that blows holes in their old findings. So, science is a way to “search” for the truth.

Is it possible for an atheist to be a hypocrite by claiming that there is no evidence for or against the existence of God?

That would make them more of an agnostic, than an atheist, wouldn’t it?

“It's not atheists who get stuck in my caw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We all must pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we... But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”

-- Yann Martel

How do we know that thoughts exist?

Because I just had one.

Is it possible for someone to know everything about anything? If so, what makes them unique and how do they exist?

No. Even the most intelligent are constantly learning. Only God is unique, but, according to the Bible, He screws up, as well.

What did you learn about economics?

Stay out of debt.

Can someone still love their ex if they are happy in their current relationship?

I have been in a relationship for 20 years, since my divorce in 2000. I am very happy. However, love is not something that I can “flip a switch” and turn off. I have to admit that love my ex dearly, but I just can’t be around her. The bullshit she brings with her is just too deep to swim in.

Should China expel all atheists from China?

Why would they expel most of their population?

How can someone move on from missing an ex who no longer wants to have any contact?

Hey! Right up my alley. I was married for 25 years to a woman who never loved me. I miss her, I love her, and I just can’t be around her. The “no contact” is my choice, and it has worked for 23 years. Her idea of contact is to give me a ration of shit. Every woman who knew her said I made the right choice to move on with my life. But...

“I think perhaps I will always hold a candle for you – even until it burns my hand. And when the light has long since gone …. I will be there in the darkness holding what remains, quite simply because I cannot let go.”

-- Ranata Suzuki

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