Challenges, Learning, Truth, Sex or Love, Envy, and Advice

“Only the harshest personal experiences open our eyes to the immaculate possibilities and the splendor of our world.”

-- Kilroy J. Oldster

What gives meaning to life's challenges?

What we learn from the challenges.

How can I find the true purpose of life?

I’ll save you some time. Learning is the true purpose of life. We learn to accumulate wisdom. Many lifetimes, down the road, with all the wisdom we accumulate, we will achieve nirvana, the highest state we can attain. According to the definition, nirvana is a state of enlightenment where a person’s desires and suffering go away. So, you see, learning is the true purpose of life.

How can someone discover his destiny?

Sooner or later.

Did we become aware of our ability to reflect by learning the word reflection?

We were always aware of our ability to “reflect.” The fact that they put a name to it made the act easier to explain.

What do I do when I have no choice and have to be around idiots?

Become the light that idiots want to follow.

How do you feel when you are with a girlfriend?

Wanted. Okay, so it has nothing to do with most of my “girlfriends” being bartenders… I hope. My girlfriend of 20 years wants me.

“She's the first person to smile at me today. The first to make me feel wanted. Understood. I blink back tears. It's unknown how many students' lives librarians have saved by welcoming loners at lunch.”

-- Lisa Fipps 

In which turns of life does a person learn the most?

Emotional ones. Other turns of life are important but emotional ones add to our wisdom.

What’s the best way to live life?

To “live” life. Committing suicide is not conducive to living life. Live life and be truly happy in it. Being truly happy is constantly striving for true happiness, always and in all things, regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in.

What are some dumb things people have said about loud noises?

“Boy! That was loud!” No shit, Sherlock. 

How do atheists view the concept of free will without belief in God?

They don’t believe in God. Like everything else, it is a concept that they can take or leave… as a matter of their free will. Not believing in a “supreme power” in the universe doesn’t make them bad.

"If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room." Whose quote is that?

General Electric CEO, Jack Welch. 

Why do some people have fears?

All people have fear. It is what keeps them alive. If they put the fear out of their mind, they take the real risk of getting hurt or dying. It is better to keep a modicum of fear in their wheelhouse, just in case.

“Bran thought about it. 

'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?'

'That is the only time a man can be brave,' 

his father told him.”

-- George R.R. Martin

What are some ways to tell a story without revealing the truth?

Lie.

Theists, what's the meaning of life?

To learn as much as you can in preparation for the afterlife. In the “afterlife,” you will, again, learn as much as you can for the next “afterlife,” and so on.

I watch porn after every 2-3 days. Am I addicted?

Do you really care?

I sometimes smile and laugh to myself. Is this normal?

It is normal. It is a sign of a robust sense of humor. I do this all the time and don’t think twice about it. If people have issues with it, they all have to get a grip and develop a robust sense of humor.

How can one stop masturbating, watching porn, and overthinking?

I assume death is not an option?

What actions could humans take to defend against an invasion by orks?

Do not assume fiction is reality, that would be my take.

"A writer of fiction is really... a congenital liar who invents from his own knowledge or that of other men."

-- Ernest Hemingway

Which is more important to you, sex or love and why?

Sex is important, but when it fades away, what are you left with? True love will always be there for you, through thick or thin. You can find sex anywhere, but having true love is necessary.

How did my mom continue to transform me into a girl?

Were you not born a girl?

Is your age not how you think of yourself?

Age didn’t register on my life meter… until I got older. I view myself as an older version of myself. Older, wiser, more intelligent, and just as handsome in a 70-year-old body. 

What is the point of having any sense of morality if it’s just a subjective idea in our mind and not necessarily real?

As an idea that we made rules and laws based on, it is necessarily real, so there is a point. However, people have “free will” and, as a person with free will, you have the right to act however you feel. You can throw the thought of morality out the window. You will probably be arrested, but, what the hell? You are exercising your free will to be what you want to be.

Reader comment: Do you think that, in your “you have the right to act however you feel”, it would be more correct if the word, “right” was replaced with the word, “ability”?

My reply: If you have the ability, but don’t have the right, then you don’t have “free will” to act as you please.

What’s a term for someone who thinks they shouldn't have to bring anything to the table to get whatever they want?

Entitled. Half of the people in the United States feel this way. It is sad. 

Why is the general public so stupid that it’s scary? People just believe everything they hear, the first time, and don't question anything.

Oh! You’re discussing politics. This is how Joe Biden got elected. Nobody cared that he didn’t have a record of doing… well, anything. People are really that stupid, and now we all suffer for it.

“Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

-- Mark Twain 

Why do people envy geniuses?

Oh, hell no. If you envy a genius, you are welcome to it. I am very happy with who I am.

Why do people enjoy BDSM?

What’s not to enjoy? Role-playing is crucial in BDSM. You can be submissive or be in charge. Or, you can switch roles. Such fun! 

I have an IQ of 150-165. What do I do?

Why do you feel you have to do anything? So, you’re smart. Live life.

What does a smart person do when the majority of people are stupid?

They keep their mouth shut. People don’t need to be reminded that they’re stupid, especially not by an egotistical smart-ass who is smart enough to know better.

If you say God doesn't exist, how will you be sure?

There is no evidence one way or the other. Both sides to this issue have faith that they are right, but “faith” is the belief in something for which there is little or no proof. If theists are right, there is life everlasting, and atheists are still dead. If atheists are right, both sides to this issue will be dead. Theists are padding their bet that they are right.

Is there really a destiny?

You live it every day you are alive. Your destiny is determined by the choices and decisions you make.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”

-- William Jennings Bryan

Is it beneficial to take advice from others even though we know ourselves better than anyone else?

If you know yourself to be a dumbass, taking advice from other people might be a good thing.

Why shouldn't stupidity prevail? Aren't everyone's ideas equal?

Yes, but there are many levels of stupidity. You can start with most of the Senate and Congress and climb the ladder to reach “smarter” levels.

Is money evil or are people just stupid?

People are just stupid. Money can do a lot of good. It depends on the person.

Why do people make out God to be evil?

They listen to churches with hidden and no-so-hidden agendas. Christ, to my knowledge, never preached in a building every Sunday.

Why are all good people the same?

Other than being “good” they are all individuals, different in their ways.

Which type of people are good human beings?

Genuinely selfless people are truly good. Selfless people are like the wind. They help and then they’re gone before you can thank them.

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.”

-- Dalai Lama XIV 

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