Questioning Why, Opinions, Time, Genocide, Good, and Names

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."

-- Henry David Thoreau

Why am I me? Why couldn't I be another human or maybe even a bird or dog?

You are here to learn. Maybe in the next life, you can be a bird or a dog. Personally, if I had a choice, I’d shoot higher.

Why are Westerners born as clowns? Is that their nature?

We clown around and try to end wars, if we didn’t start them. It’s in our nature.

Do you agree that "questions are a mirror of a person's intellect and knowledge"?

Not all the time. Questions add to the knowledge of the individual, depending on the answers. If you ask a question about a subject you don’t know the answer to, where is the mirror?

The devil knocks on your door. He offers you a briefcase containing £100,000 in cash in exchange for your soul. Would you accept his offer?

Not enough cash, and I don’t trust the devil. I will be happy limping along through life.

When considering helping the poor, do you make distinctions among those in need, labeling some as "good" (those who are seen as deserving of help) and others as "bad" (those perceived as irresponsible or unworthy)? What is the criteria for each?

Too much work. Helping the poor is a selfless project I take on. I usually buy food for the local church soup kitchen. It is their responsibility to weed out the “irresponsible or unworthy.” I donate money and supplies to their cause.

If a relationship started based on an affair, what are the chances that it would last, knowing it started with betrayal, deceit, and destroying the unsuspecting partner of the cheater?

In my painful experience, it probably won’t.

“But looking at a photograph of oneself is not proof of an affair. And asking a question about a type of flower is not proof of an affair. These are, though, the kinds of things that fester in a person's mind until she no longer feels loved; they are the happenings that took us from a place we could have survived, even in the grave face of death that nearly killed me, too, to the place we simply could not come back from. These things became too heavy and too hurtful, habitual abuses in what once felt like the safest place in the world.”

-- Ashley Audrain

When asked a question, do you immediately provide your opinion or do you carefully think about it and/or research the answer?

At 71 years of age, I’ve been around the block. My answer isn’t immediate, but it doesn’t take very long either. My opinion is usually spot on. If it isn’t, then we lived very different lives.

Why does the vast majority of humanity lack ambition and standards, and accept whatever trash is thrown at them?

A bad upbringing... in my humble opinion.

Is it normal for people with weak arguments to disable responses on [this site]? I have mixed feelings as weak arguments are easy to demolish, but I am usually relieved that I don't have to bother doing so.

To disable responses on this site is a sign of cowardice. I move on and shake my head in disgust. If you don’t want your arguments responded to, you should go elsewhere. Better for here, however, is to put your big boy pants on and throw your opinion out there. I really dislike cowardice, can you tell?

My present is a disaster because I didn’t do things in the past for the future. What can I do?

Start doing things now for the future. It is never too late to start.

Do we need another word for "pride"? It is used in both very positive and very negative ways. What is a term for "pride" that is arrogant, bigoted, or narcissistic?

"Pride" means what it means. If you think it has another connotation, you are probably wrong. The people using it, however, might be using it in error. But I can’t think of a way you can use it negatively. People take “pride” in many things. And, to ask for another "term" for pride is not using the term, which is the point.

Would people who don't care about Remembrance Day, or are indifferent to it every year, keep it to themselves due to judgment and lack of respect for their opinion?

Other than you, who else really gives a hoot? It dregs up too much drama.

“People don't want their lives fixed. Nobody wants their problems solved. Their dramas. their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left? Just the big scary unknown.”

-- Chuck Palahniuk

Why do people want to go back in time and restart their life?

Mistakes they’ve made. I’d like to go back and not marry my ex-wife. The problem is, I have two great kids… that would not be born. “Living” is a classroom, and we are supposed to learn lessons so we don’t make the mistakes again. At 71 years of age, I have learned this lesson.

Reader comment: Not to make the mistake again, would you say you will never remarry or just be more cautious to marry a better match with yourself?

My reply: I would not go back. Marriage was a lesson I needed to learn. The fact that I would not have these great kids is a decision-maker for me.

Can someone be considered intelligent at critical thinking, although, they are bad at math?

Being good at math is optional for critical thinking. 

What is the best revenge, I mean evil/dirty to a former colleague, an employee that went out of their way to get you fired, for really…exaggerated nonsense, and joined the ship with others because you pissed off two of their friends?

You have been busy. The best revenge is to do better at your next job, get promoted, and forget this putz. What they did was a lesson for you. Learn the lesson and succeed at your next job.

Why can't people tell that I'm asking questions for them to write reports, rather than for me to learn the answers (most of which I already know)?

You are wasting your time. People are answering questions because they think they know the answers, not because they want to write reports about crap you already know.

How do wealth and power, in general, affect your ability to reason and think clearly?

Not as good as if I needed the ability to think clearly if I were poor. Wealth and power can negatively affect your reasoning. Think about Hitler. The world would have been better if he put his talent into writing more books. He was a lesson we needed to learn.

What role does forgiveness play in overcoming betrayal, and can true love exist without it?

True love will be difficult without forgiveness. 

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

-- Mahatma Gandhi

Would you wipe out a whole group of people because you disagree with their religion?

Genocide? I think not, unless they want to wipe out my people, because of our beliefs. What they believe is their belief. It is what it is, so be it.

Who is credited with saying, "The greatest hero is a humble man."?

I have no idea, but… it is very true.

Don't atheists realize that God is so immensely powerful, it is impossible to cancel Him, no matter what vile hate they spew?

Atheists don’t recognize “God,” specifically as a deity. Atheists don’t believe in deities, at all. So, for you to ask these questions is kind of a waste of time. They spew hate because theists keep nitpicking them. If everybody would shut the hell up, we’d all be better off. The basic truth is that neither theists nor atheists can prove their beliefs.

Can atheists provide a simple and clear explanation for why they choose to not believe in a higher power?

I am a theist. So I ask this: Do you believe in fairies? Have you ever seen one?

Can we learn anything positive from human history, or has it been a series of mistakes?

Your question answers itself. We learn from human history, whether it has been a series of mistakes or successes. The only reason we are here is to learn, and we learn from our successes, as well as our mistakes.

How can you effectively address someone who is bothering you about something they don't fully understand the impact of?

You explain it to them, in detail. If they still don’t understand, wait till they see the impact.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

-- Carl Gustav Jung

Why isn't everyone a good person?

Balance. There must be balance in the universe. Where there is good, there must be bad. Where there is light, there must be darkness. Balance is necessary, so we know the opposite.

What made you not give a damn about someone anymore?

Her cheating and my divorce. Ta-da!

Why do you think, it is important to be a "good" person?

Karma. I don’t want karma hunting me down to make me pay for my sins. It is better to be a good person than to have “karma” hanging over your head... always.

Who do you take seriously in this world?

Myself.

Do you think it's possible to be an atheist, without searching for answers about a higher power?

As a theist, I see that atheists seek answers about a higher power. They just don’t name it “God,” like theists do. They make up a “reasonable” theory to explain why a particular “higher power” exists.

Should atheists have a unified stance on the origin of gods?

If they can’t prove it, what is still the point? Neither side has "proof" of their belief.

"Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof."

-- John Kenneth Galbraith

My "ex" calls me Sunshine. And, recently, I found out that he has a girlfriend. Why does he call me that?

Maybe he is being facetious. You are his “ex.” But, maybe, you forgot this little point. 

What is the difference between being clever, intelligent, wise, or smart? Why do some people seem "more clever" than others in similar situations?

You can be “clever” if you are intelligent, wise, or smart. Some people seem more clever in similar situations… because they are. Being “clever” has to do with what you have learned, and has little to do with what people choose to call you.

Is it possible to ruminate and obsess over every single word and sentence and feel like you don't understand it and need clarification on the simplest of things?

I had this in Air Force Intelligence. It concerned me they made it through tech school.

As a leader how can you ignite passion and purpose in your followers?

In a group meeting, ask their opinion of what they are doing. People like to know their "opinions" count. A leader can listen to opinions, weigh them, and make some of them come to fruition.

Is it more important for you to act on your beliefs or to speak about them?

If you don’t have the balls to act on them, you shouldn't discuss them.

What are some arguments against atheism that do not involve religious beliefs or faith-based ideas?

The only argument against atheism has to do with facts. The problem with atheism and theism is that they have no “facts” to back up their argument. If they did, there would be no discussion.

“The world, we are told, was made especially for man — a presumption not supported by all the facts.”

-- John Muir

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