Questioning Understanding, Habits, Atheists, Typing, and Masturbation

 

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

-- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Is it true that "you must understand how other people see you"?

You can either understand or don’t give a shit. I don’t give a shit. I’m good, always.

My friend told me, "Who would have guessed that high amounts of wealth and success would lead you to be the most arrogant and entitled person ever." Can too much success make arrogance? And what are the ways to find healthy humility?

The “Tao Te Ching” and other Buddhist philosophy. If you aren’t strong of will, arrogance will find a way.

Are there any examples of societies that failed because they did not reclaim their past?

The Roman Empire.

I feel guilty for taking time for myself. Is that normal?

All the time you have is yours. How you spend it is also yours. Your life, regardless of other opinions, is yours to do with as you please.

If you had 3 wishes but whatever you wish for everyone gets it like you wish for a billion dollars everyone gets it or a iPhone and everyone gets it what would you do?

Peace, happiness, and financial comfort.

I have a grandfather that hugs me a lot and touches me, but I feel uncomfortable. I don’t want to tell him anything because it could hurt his feelings. What should I do?

Tell him you are too old to be “fondled” by old men. Oh, wait… tell him you have matured and that being close is something in the past. You have grown up, and respect is what you need to be tutored in. "Hurting his feelings" went over my head. Sorry.

"It is always in season for old men to learn."

-- Aeschylus

What small daily habits have improved your overall wellness the most?

I walk a mile every morning.

Is it true that truth is not always factual and facts are not always truth?

The truth is what it is. Facts, on the other hand, can be toyed with until they don’t reflect the facts. The Democrat party does this all the time, and people keep voting for them. We will be socialist or communist by 2033. God save the United State

Why do you think I gave everyone a break for questions?

I’m still answering questions, so your “break” hasn’t taken hold.

Is everybody stupid in this whole world?

If they were, we’d still be back in the Stone Age. Lucky for us, your question doesn’t hold water. There are quite a few smart and intelligent people in this world to keep it moving forward. You might want to get on board.

If every person in the world was honest for one day, what do you think we’d learn about society?

There are a lot of dishonest people out there.

Why did so many Americans stop attending churches?

The “Bible” is one factor. The other is the fact that most people can worship in their own way. Simon Peter started this “church” thing, and it has been rife with issues ever since. If I need a consultation with my God, I go to the beach and have a silent conversation. If it were out loud, I be put in a looney bin.

“If churches saw their mission in the same way, there is no telling what might happen. What if people were invited to come tell what they already know of God instead of to learn what they are supposed to believe? What if they were blessed for what they are doing in the world instead of chastened for not doing more at church? What if church felt more like a way station than a destination? What if the church’s job were to move people out the door instead of trying to keep them in, by convincing them that God needed them more in the world than in the church?”

-- Barbara Brown Taylor

Atheists, you go outside one day, and suddenly you see all the people around you roll, jump, and sing: "Hey atheist, abandon atheism, it's very bad for you, you should believe, oh yes, you really should believe!". What would you do?

I’m not an atheist, but I would be concerned that the theists are more concerned with giving atheists a hard time, more than praising the lord. Leave atheists to their beliefs. Theists need to pay more attention to theirs.

I’ve been bullied all my life for being a quiet attractive guy. How do I stop this?

Stop hanging around the bullies. Try hanging around the ladies. Be where the bullies aren’t.

What are the most interesting facts about human behavior?

People will behave in a manner that will garner them the most friends. People like to be liked. Personally, I don’t give a shit. I behave in a manner that is selfless and giving. If people have an issue with that, move on down the road. There is nothing here for you.

Can you provide some examples of things that are true but not certain?

If they aren’t certain, then they aren’t true. They could be true, but they aren’t certain.

Is atheism what happens when the stupid believe they can think?

No. Atheism happens when people don’t believe in a “God” figure. In reality, neither side, atheist or theist, can prove their argument, until they die. Well, that isn’t really correct. If the atheist dies, that’s it. They are dead. For the theist, on the other hand, there might be a life after this. Theists like to pad their bet. They do this just in case there is a “God” they need to deal with. The problem is, theists and atheists have to die to find out. And then, we can’t tell anybody.

What should I do if I feel depressed because life slaps me around every now and then?

Life slaps most of us around. What you should do is get over it. It is what it is.

“Here's what life is—here's what life boils down to, Joe. Life boils down to brutality. It's f@#%ed. Life is brutal and f@#%ed up. You may not see it now, but I'm older than you and I can tell you.”

-- Noah Van Sciver

How is it, that I can chat with people in person without any problems for hours, but when it's online like WhatsApp, I can't keep a conversation for more than 3 minutes?

You have a problem with typing.

If you had no skills and no talents and the only thing you could do is remember people's birthdays, what would you do at that point, if you can't learn any new skills or talents?

If you are a woman, remembering birthdays is a plus. Most men could care less. They rely on the woman to keep them in check. It sounds a bit chauvinistic, but it is what it is. To each their strength.

What’s the best advice for getting into life coaching?

Get into a “Life Coaching” class and graduate... with honors.

How can I help spread acceptance of pedophiles?

You can’t. Pedophiles are already plying their trade. They really don’t need to be pointed out. Their "life expectancy" will be cut short.

How do you know that you are a toxic person yourself?

Have you read my answers?

I am 37 years old. I have no children and have never been married. What is the point of being here?

To learn. Have you been learning? Some people get into a box and can’t get out. That is fine. Learn while you’re here, and living in the next life will be so much better. Everyone wants the “golden ring” immediately, but it isn’t so easy. The point of your existence is to learn. So, do that.

“Are you unmarried? Do not bewail yourself, as if your life must be incomplete. Yours is not a higher state, as celibacy has falsely taught, but it is neither a failure nor a shame. Cease to measure yourself by human standards. Find rest in being just what your heavenly Father wills you to be. It may be that you have been kept free from the limited circle of a home, in order to pour your love on those who have no one else to love them.”

-- F.B. Meyer

Do you believe everybody is born an atheist?

Does anybody remember their birth? If you don’t, how can you know what an atheist is? Be real.

My boyfriend is 16 and I’m 14. We haven’t had our first kiss, but I think he wants to have sex. He keeps putting his hands on my inner thighs and always on my butt. Is this bad?

Yes, and sex at your age is not a good idea.

Has suffering allowed you to experience joy, in a different way? If so, can you describe this different joy you've experienced?

Suffering has shown me, that it is what it is. Suffering is all around us, and if you think you are immune, think again. You can experience suffering and be crippled by it, or you can shake your head and accept it for what it is: A moment in time. When my Mom passed, I took a moment, shed a tear, and moved on. Suffering was not going to bring her back.

What is the best thing about life for you?

Uh… living.

If the world ends, will we still aspire? Or will society collapse?

If the world ends, we will all be dead, How can we “aspire” when we’re dead? Oh, and society will end. I mean, we’re all dead. Right?

How should a person handle being ghosted by their partner?

Move on.

“Worse is loving someone who disappears and never knowing if they’ll come back. Because how do you move on if you’re not even sure they’re gone? The answer is—you don’t. When you spend most of your life chasing ghosts, eventually, you become one.”

-- J.M. Darhower

I’m a 16-year-old girl and I masturbated using a makeup brush. I feel really guilty and it’s like I’ve lost my purity now. Should I feel bad about it? I feel like I should have waited to have sex instead of doing what I did.

Masturbate away! It is the best thing next to sex… if a guy has his brains intact.

She wants to be friends with benefits but I love her…what must I do?

Give her the benefits, and love her while you’re with her. She may come around to your thinking, or she may not. But, in the meantime, you are tapping a great piece that wants you.

If you knew you were going to die, what would you do?

Die. The options are minimal. Better to get on with the next life.

What does a guy mean when he tells his girlfriend "I'll do anything for your happiness"?

He needs to go to the question that says. “As a woman, how can you tell your boyfriend you need money?” This guy is all over that.

How do those who don't have any friends spend their lives?

Alone.

Can a person who feels no guilt after doing something wrong still be considered a good person?

Only to themselves. If you do something wrong and do not make the effort to make it right, you are a bad person. The guilt you’re standing on will be evidence of that.

“He understood how the world worked—bad things happened to good people, bad people died happy in their beds. It happened every day. So why bother being good? The word itself was attached to a series of behaviors that was, at best, an abstraction..A person profited nothing from being good.”

-- Nick Cutter

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