Questioning Identity, Address, Scared, Good, God, and Mental Illness

 

“I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me--they, and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could.”

-- Veronica Roth

What makes one's identity meaningful?

When you become who you are.

How can you incorporate moments of reflection and gratitude into your daily routine?

It’s like making time for prayer. You need to pick some free time to meditate on reflection and gratitude. I take a walk at about 3:00 a.m. to reflect on my life. I smile at the excellence of it. I thank my God for the experiences that have been gifted to me. I am thankful for the chance to learn from them.

Are people who are 'shouty' and loud understand that it's difficult to track what they are saying?

If they are shouty and loud, what they say may not be worth listening to.

Why Are Some People Excessively Materialistic?

Maybe they think material things will bring them true happiness. If you can’t find true happiness without material crap cluttering your life, how will all the crap help? They need to strive for true happiness always and in all things, regardless of their circumstances. It is a choice many people don’t learn. 

How can I become definitively optimistic amid problems?

“Problems” are simply life lessons you need to learn. Be optimistic in learning them.

What is something you believe strongly in, and why is it important to you?

Life. I strongly believe in life and the lessons it presents to me. The importance is obvious. From the lessons, you learn to live life. You bring those lessons to other people, and you take these lessons you learn from with you, into the next existence. In this way, we prepare ourselves for nirvana, the highest state that someone can attain. A state of enlightenment.

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

-- George Bernard Shaw

If a lady tells you where she lives, what is the answer?

“What time?”

How do you cleanse yourself from bad luck?

“Bad luck” at the poker table is the inability to play poker. There is no such thing as “bad luck.” Bad luck is what we call bad choices and decisions. The “cleansing” you are looking for, is the ability to make better choices and decisions for your life.

A co-worker is f*cking all the staff. Should I tell the owner?

Are you jealous?

What is actually wrong with asking any woman her age?

Absolutely nothing. However, it does fly in the face of a good upbringing. It is considered rude to ask a person their age. Men not so much, but a proper “lady” would rather not tell.

How can a relationship be repaired when one keeps falling in and out of love with their partner?

It can’t.

I’m a girl. Why don't guys ever let me pay?

Because it is a rule that men pay. If you pay it makes them look weak in the eyes of other men. It is a macho thing. Personally, I love it when women pay.

“To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then a woman is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with women. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than a woman?"

-- Mahatma Gandhi

How do I prepare myself for the future as an 18-year-old in 2024? Graduation is right around the corner, inflation is crazy, and college might not take me where I want to go. I'm scared as hell.

As you should be. Do you know who you want to vote for? Your vote can solve problems.

Do you know what your life purpose is?

I’m 70 years of age, and, so far, my “life purpose” has been to live. I have done that, and I have brought many people with me on the journey.

Should I be with someone who doesn’t respect me?

No.

What does it mean when you feel like someone you have feelings for is ignoring you?

It means you need to have feelings for someone else. If they ignore you, this is not a good sign for a meaningful relationship. You need to find someone that has similar feelings for you.

Any great wisdom you have heard that you would like to share?

“It is what it is until it isn’t.”

What are three benefits of setting goals?

You know what you want. You know how to get there. And you know when you will. Objective, knowledge, and timeliness.

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

-- Albert Einstein

Can a person without the Holy Spirit do good?

Yes, and atheists can do good, as well.

Apart from our efforts, timing, wisdom, etc., is success associated with luck or God?

Success is associated with the effort you put into it. There is no such thing as luck, and God gave us everything we need to succeed in life. Your life is what you make of it. Period.

Reader comment: Someone is born with hands some with no hands some with eyes some with no eyes, some with no health defect some with serious body defects some are born in rich countries some in poor countries, some in rich families some in poor families, some with good looks some with average looks don't you see anything there.

My reply: Regardless, you make your own life, with your hands or without. You decide what you can do, or not, You can travel the path you were handed, or you can sit down and do nothing. The choice is up to you.

Can you explain the concept of "God is pure being"?

“God” as the pure omnipotent power, is also made up of pure energy.

If someone refuses to give me a reason on why they believe something to be the case do I have every reason to dismiss their argument?

You can do whatever you feel like. I’d probably refuse to give you a reason, as well. Not knowing you is reason enough.

Do you know that you are nice?

I have been told that, many times. I don't let it go to my head.

Are you afraid of death? If you are not, why?

I have lived more lives than this, for one thing. I fear death because I have friends here that I don’t want to leave. I will have to find them and make friends with them again.

“Just as when we come into the world, when we die we are afraid of the unknown. But the fear is something from within us that has nothing to do with reality. Dying is like being born: just a change”

-- Isabel Allende

Why doesn't God help me already?

Are you alive? Then, God has helped you, The rest is on your shoulders.

Can someone love you when they do not love your mother?

Let’s assume “love” has nothing to do with sex. In this case, loving my mother has nothing to do with loving me. I’m more concerned with whether they love me. My mother is on her own.

How old does your teacher have to be to talk to you?

They are my teacher. They talk to me. What teacher doesn’t talk to you?

Do you ever wonder why God does what He does?

To what end? Wondering what God does will not have any effect on what God does. So, my wondering about it is a waste of precious time. It’s like wondering why a slug leaves a slime trail.

Do women politicians suck?

Suck what?

How do you prioritize tasks at the workplace?

Importance and time constraints. How important the task is might put it at the top of the list, but how soon a task must be accomplished might bump the important task down a rung. This is the very reason I was put on a salary. I needed the flexibility to get priority projects out the door.

“Stop managing time. Start prioritizing attention.”

-- Richie Norton

What is the stance of your religion on the treatment of people with mental illness?

I have no religion. I am a spiritual being who believes mental illness needs to be treated.

How do you deal with people who have God all wrong?

Their belief is not mine. We can talk, but not to the point where they feel pressure. I talk to understand, not to change their belief.

What does it mean when your partner says they are losing feelings for you?

Time to start looking for a new partner.

What is it called when you know what’s bothering you, but it’s so abstract and complex that you can’t explain it to others who want to help you? Like you try to explain it, but you don’t understand it yourself and you can’t put the pieces together.

In the South, we call that a “condition” until we find the name for it. 

What is the reason for atheists posting answers to questions related to faith?

They like to stir the pot. Personally, I wish more people would be atheists as much as I wish atheists and theists would mind their respective businesses. If you believe, then keep it to yourself. If you don’t believe it, then keep it to yourself. Neither side has any incontrovertible proof they can offer, so they should both shut the hell up.

How can someone cope with falling in love without knowing the other person's feelings?

You need to find out their feelings. Unrequited love is a bitch.

“Because, if you could love someone, and keep loving them, without being loved back... then that love had to be real. It hurt too much to be anything else.”

-- Sarah Cross

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