Questioning Statements, Savior, Names, Love, Gold, and the End

 

“Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.”

-- John Wilmot

People think I always give everything to others without leaving anything for myself. I always save the best for last and that is, or would be, the masterpiece of my life, a book titled "Zen and The Art of War"? I WOULD DEDICATE IT TO MY FATHER.

Is there a real question in this, or is it a statement about your father?

My wife cheated on me more than 10 times with different people. I divorced her and now she wants to come back. Should I give her another chance?

Are you an idiot?

Should you stay with a person who won't marry you?

Why? Do they have a good reason? My ex-wife screwed me over. That is my reason.

If war came tomorrow, what would you do today?

Make love until tomorrow.

What are some things most people take for granted?

Toilet paper.

How do I stop trusting people easily?

Get screwed by them. It is the easiest way.

“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”

-- Ernest Hemingway

I am your Lord and Savior. Are you going to be humble and bow to me or do you wish to get humbled and take the Almighty shaft?

Well, this isn’t believable.

What causes someone to feel that the world is so confusing, walk around in circles, suffer from overthinking, overlap of ideas, inability to think clearly, talk to himself, or move his lips while thinking? What are the best solutions for it?

This is the norm in the military. In Intelligence I suffered through this for 23 years. I sustained some more, for the next 17 years, in the civilian sector. When I retired, it all went away. Funny how that works.

If you think you overheard something bad but are unsure if you heard it correctly.  Should you let it go?

No, you should make sure you heard it correctly. 

How often can a person survive in this world by being a decent and compassionate person?

So, is being a decent and compassionate person, is not a “go-to” thing? I have survived for 70 years by doing this, and it has been a pleasure… regardless of what my ex-wife might say.

What is the most important decision in a relationship?

Honesty. 

What do you think normality is?

It is different for all people. What is normal for you isn’t normal for me. My “normal” is to get up, and take a mile walk at 3:00 in the morning. Not “normal” for everybody. I can’t remember when I was last mad. Probably, with my ex-wife back in the late 90s. “Normality” depends on the person, and can change throughout life.

"We have normality. I repeat, we have normality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem."

-- Douglas Adams

How do you feel when people you are close to, call you bad names that you are not?

It is a sign that I need new people to be close to me. If people call me bad names that I’m not, there is something wrong with the people I hang with.

Would you want to be yourself the way you really are or the “reputation way”?

Interesting. My reputation is who I really am. To be someone else, that would be a joke.

What are the examples of positive thinking?

I can do it, even though I have tried 31 iterations, I haven’t failed. It may take me more iterations before I get it right. It will take 32… or more. The point is, I will not fail. The past iterations were part of my “learning” process. Learning is what we do in life. As long as you are learning, you have not failed. 

Why do I go through a lot in life? Can someone give an answer?

Learning. It is why we’re here, to learn.

What are three signs that your life is crying for help?

Emotion, depression, and substance abuse. These are three of a larger group of signs indicating that you may need help.

Why does the cheater who got caught in bed still deny that they’ve cheated and blame their unsuspecting partner for why they cheated? Even after the primary relationship has ended from the betrayal, they still deny it!

They have a problem owning up to their infidelity. They were caught, and they will deny it until they die. They blame the other culprit, who will give you the real story. If the “primary relationship” has ended, they are willing to destroy their life, for fun and frolic. They are a mess, and their primary relationship is better without them.

Author comment: He is no longer in my life. I forced no contact, which he fought me on. He wanted to stay friends, at the very least. Not a chance. He destroyed any foundation we had by doing what he did.

“Humans have a tendency to look for things in the places where it is easiest to search for them rather than in the places where the truth is more likely to be found.”

-- Esther Perel

Is love between people a real feeling, or is it just a system people follow?

If you have ever felt true love, you’ll know the answer to this question.

What is there that is worthwhile to care about? Why should I care about it? You are aware that everything in life is a lie.

“Life” is a classroom where you are supposed to learn. The fact that you think “everything” is a lie, shows you have not learned anything. But, wait… you have learned to speak, type, and think (albeit wrong). So, you have really done what life has meant you to do. You have learned. The fact that you question life, shows that you have learned… something worthwhile. We are here to learn, and everything else in life is superfluous to the prime objective.

Is it worse to be biased or insipid?

Insipid.

How can you tell if something is not right, or, if something seems off?

23 years in military Intelligence has taught me this. It helps if you are part of the program, but if something smells, you learn to get a whiff of it. Car dealers are the worst for making me think that something is off. A deal today is a deal tomorrow. They will balk, but they will deal. The same goes for life. You need to learn what is right, or if something is off. 

What do I say when someone thinks their opinion/words are worthless, and that they will not change anything? Thus, they believe it’s useless to try doing something. Why do they think like that?

Because they will not try, the “fault” will be pushed on others. This is their “worthless” thinking.

Can it be true that someday, you will look back and know exactly why it had to happen?

At 70 years of age, I don’t have to wait for “someday” to know why it had to happen. At my age, it is what it is, and it will usually bite you in the ass. If you don’t learn your lessons by 70 you are sleeping at the wheel.

"You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you."

-- Brian Tracy

If gold is money, what backs gold? Can you eat gold like a tomato potato taco burger or $5 Costco chicken or a Mcdonald's $5 Big Mac, make your car run like gas, or live in a gold house in NYC New York City?

Nothing backs gold. Gold backs everything else. Everything you have listed can be bought by gold or paper backed by gold. Gold makes the world work.

Why do people say, “Everything falls into place eventually”, when nothing has even started? Why do I get such things?

Shitty luck.

What makes you think you own my life?

Because you can do with your life as you choose. It is your choice. If someone else has the power of your choice, you must have given it to them. If you haven’t, then your life is for you to do as you wish. Every person is free do to as they wish.

Is fear an illusion? If so, why do we experience it? How can we overcome our fears?

It isn’t an illusion and you don’t want to “overcome” fear. Fear keeps you alive.

What do you say is the cause of life struggles?

Learning. Life is all about learning. What we go through teaches us to survive. Many people don’t see the point of learning. Maybe they will be reborn, maybe not, but they are here for a reason, and the reason is to learn. If you are reborn with all you have learned, you can learn new things and not repeat this life. It is a choice.

What’s something you believe is true that most people don’t?

God.

"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."

-- Abraham Lincoln

Is it wrong to want the world to end?

It will, but not in your lifetime.

Is there a correlation between intelligence and wisdom? Can someone be both highly intelligent and wise? How does one acquire wisdom?

There is no “correlation” between intelligence, street smarts, or a child that learns. Wisdom comes from learning. Learning is the prime directive for all sentient life on Earth. We are programmed to learn. Those who choose not to learn are left at the bus stop. Learn or not, it is a choice we all have to make. What you do with what you learn, can be wisdom. Many intelligent people are wisdom stupid.

How should I punish my spouse who has been cheating on me for 10 years?

Divorce her/him.

Do you cherish your freedom?

I volunteered for 23 years of my life, to help secure continued freedom for my country. Freedom is the only thing that is free… and priceless.

Reader comment: Thank you for your service.

My reply: It was my sincere pleasure to volunteer a bit of my life to my country. 

In the pursuit of excellence, what sacrifices are you willing to make today to secure your vision for tomorrow?

Voting. Keep the country out of the hands of incompetence.

Do you always remember to live life?

Every morning when I wake, I give thanks for another day in paradise. One needs to strive for true happiness, always and in all things, regardless of circumstances. It is a choice we should all make. If you don’t live life, what’s the point… other than learning?

"If you set your goals ridiculously high and it's a failure, you will fail above everyone else's success."

-- James Cameron

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