The Light

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

-- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), minister, activist 

I hadn't thought much about this post.  I had to write.  I had the itch if you will, but I really didn't have a topic.  Most of the time this is the way I write, and it seems to get me through.  I'd say I'm possibly stretching my luck, but that ship sailed long ago.  

I took a photo the other day because I loved the way the morning light was shining through the trees; the leaves and branches filtering the brightness but failing to hold it back.  At the time I titled it, "The Light."  I used it as the imagery for this post and to possibly be the impetus for my writing.

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”

-- Og Mandino (1923-1996), author, veteran

When I opened the post again this evening, I had no intention of writing on it, I simply wanted to see if the photo required editing or sizing before I went to bed.  As it turns out, it was just right. It was just right.  The light was just right.  It was the Light!  As it is in my life, I read more into it than was there, but light has always guided me, whether I knew it or not.  And, as always seems the case, I found myself looking up, through the ceiling.  At this point, I'm usually asking God if this is a message, a gift, or a test.  By asking at least evidence my personal relationship with the Almighty.  It makes me smile.

When things were at their darkest I have turned to the light and found forgiveness.  Forgiveness for my less than serious adherence to the faith of my ancestors, and for only finding time to pray when I had a need.  My self-admitted faults are why I hold no false expectations of salvation.  I have already stated, in a previous post, I will stand for those left behind at the day of reconning.  In this way, I can show myself what God already knows, and maybe in the next life, with God's good grace, I can see the light earlier in life so as to, perhaps, find a better path.  By finding a better path at an earlier age, maybe my body won't feel so beaten up by sixty.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

-- Plato (427 BC-???), philosopher

There is always a constant reminder to me, day or night; a light to remind me of my faith.  Look into a child's eyes and you can see that light.  It is the same light you will see again in the eyes of the aged.  Somewhere in the middle of life, we tend to lose the true meaning of the light due to personal bias, agenda, stress and such.  We find the meaning, once again, as we creep closer to our next ride and find our place in line to buy a ticket.  I close my eyes at night and see the light anew, reminding me why I am, as I drift off to sleep.  Everything is known to me, everything is clear, and then I wake up.  One night I will drift off and the light will simply grow in intensity until there is nothing but, and I will finally be able to remember what I was privileged to know when I slept each night.  Maybe I will be graced with this knowledge on to the next great adventure.  One can only hope and have faith.

But, before that happens, I want to take a few more walks and catch a few more mornings in the light of day and the beauty it reveals around me.  I want to feel the sand between my toes, the warmth of the sun on my face.  I'd like to sit and watch children playing and a few pretty ladies splashing in the water.  Hey, they're splashing.  I might be sixty, but I can still appreciate the beauty of a woman splashing around as proof that God is the light of perfection... and one talented artist.

“Each day brings new opportunities, allowing you to constantly live with love—be there for others—bring a little light into someone's day. Be grateful and live each day to the fullest.”

-- Roy T. Bennett (1939-2014), CPA, businessman, politician

In the darkest moments, look for the light.  When all is hopeless, look for the light.  When the pain is too unbearable, find that inner light.  When there is absolutely nothing for you to live for, look up, and ask for the light.  We are all born with an inner light, a gift from our creator, a reminder that the creator is with us always.

You may think you've lost your light, but you haven't.  It is there, still, it always was and forever shall be.  It is the never-ending love of creation, love for you.  You will find it if you search.  It may take you until the end of this journey, as everything becomes clear, but you will find it because you never really lost it.  Don't ever think you have.  

It's a matter of hope... and undying faith.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear? 

The LORD is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

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 opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, 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. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the 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. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and 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 own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Sermon for Sunday - April 13, 2014: The Mystery that is God

"The Adherents.com collection of religious adherent statistics now has over 43,000 adherent statistic citations, for over 4,300 different faith groups, covering all countries of the world. This is not an absolutely exhaustive compilation of all such data, but it is by far the largest compilation available on the Internet."  

-- Excerpt from http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

Think about the 4,300 different faith groups.  Think about the statement that "this is not an absolutely exhaustive compilation."  I have heard numbers that stretch upwards to significantly more.  Only a dozen of these can be classified as "major" world religions, and even this number might be disputed as they argue about where to draw the line.  I think a larger larger number would take into account all of the spiritual groups that do not classify themselves as religions, per se, but I also think no one really has a firm handle on an exact number.  So, tell me, who is right? Nobody?  Everybody?  Only you?  Personally, I chalk up all these faith differences to the mystery that is God.

Truth be told, everybody is probably right in the eyes of God.  Why?  I think it's because the followers have faith.  I temper this statement by offering the codicil that I think this only hold true for those practicing faiths that are steeped in peace, love, tolerance, understanding, forgiveness and such.  I just have a deep seeded feeling that God abhors violence.  I also think some of these hapless souls are too lost to find their way out of a brightly lit room with one door, and a map.  Which faith is right depends solely on what you choose to believe.  If God had wanted only one true religion in the world God would have removed all of the unbelievers with a mere thought.

"Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians - you are not like him."

-- Mahatma Gandhi 

There is a real problem with any religion that would dare to think their way is the only way.  There is a bigger issue when they condemn you for not adhering to their interpretation of faith.  When your belief system approves of unforgiving condemnation, filled with a lack of peace, love, tolerance and understanding, I really think it is incumbent upon you to reevaluate your faith.  When you spiritual leaders approve of this belief system, I really think it is incumbent upon you to say no.  There are no virgins waiting in heaven for lunatic suicide bombers.  Do you really think it is God's plan for 4,300 faith groups to wage jihad against each other?  Be real.

Whose fault is this?  Pointing fingers is what everyone likes to do, so let's be different and not.  This is all on God.  God made a mistake?  Not what I meant at all.  This confusion may be part of the grand scheme.  God's plan to make mankind find their way back to Paradise.  God is waiting for us to discover we haven't seen the forest for the trees.  We have read so much into the voluminous amount of scripture we have lost sight of the simplicity of God's word.  God sent Jesus in order to restate this simplistic view and we ended up with a New Testament that, once again, allows for a multitude of interpretation.  Any time you open a door for interpretation, you risk misinterpretation.  In this case we risk 4,300 misinterpretations of  "God's word" to all of mankind.  Lucky us.

So, who do you believe?  I would ask, why do you have to believe anyone?  The basis for all scripture is the basis of God - do what is right.  If you study many of the major religions you will find they have similar "paths" to enlightenment and salvation.  The "10 Commandments,"  the "Eight Fold Path," and the like.  The similarities are striking, and for good reason.  It just makes good sense to do that which is right.

"And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration...I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging & death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging & death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging & death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of aging & death...Knowing that directly, I have revealed it to monks, nuns, male lay followers & female lay followers..."

-- Nagara Sutta, on the Noble Eightfold Path

In conclusion I would have to say the best path is your path.  Learn what you can from all faith based systems.  If it sounds right, it probably is.  Develop your own belief of what is right.  If you're looking for fellowship, pick a faith that welcomes differing viewpoints without judgment.  What you believe is only important in the sense that it is peaceful, loving, understanding and forgiving.  I think it is more important to God that you believe.  Try to remember, when all else fails around you, have faith and do that which you know in your heart to be right.

"This is my simple religion.  There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy.  Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the phiosophy is kindness."

Dalai Lama

May the God of Abraham shine blessings on us all!  May your own spiritual journey be fruitful this Sunday, and forever more.

Does God Set Us Up to Fail?

As you'll probably be able to tell from this post, I'm bored and my mind tends to race when I'm bored.  If idle hands are the devil's workshop, what is an idle mind?  With that said, I give you some idle thought which I hope makes a lick of sense.

Is God everywhere?  Does God see everything?  Does God know everything?  Is our life predetermined?  Well, to hear the devout and faithful followers of the bible tell it, yes, most definitely, to all of the above.  God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  Really.  Hmmm.

So, God knows what I’m going to do before I do it.  Yet, knowing what is going to happen, God would ask a man to take his son up a mountain to build an altar so the son can be sacrificed for the glory of God.  God knows the man will do it.  God knows the man’s faith is solid.  Why this game?  God plays games?  In the Garden of Eden God gives Adam and Eve and edict.  Don’t eat the damned fruit!  God does this knowing full well that Eve is going to succumb to temptation.  God created Eve, so God already knows she has this built-in flaw.  It’s why women buy so many shoes and men look at other women.  God wired us this way.  I this is true, we have been set-up to fail, or not, from the very start.  Or, are these simply lessons?

"The blame is his who chooses:  God is blameless."  -- Plato

Herein is the rub.  God is going to give us tests for which the outcome is preordained simply to teach us lessons which God knows ahead of time we will pass or fail, because the outcome has bearing on the whole, for the express purpose of keeping the ball rolling.  God is either obsessive compulsive or bored silly.  Is this is what happens when the supreme power creates time so they will have nothing but?  God could have sat back and done nothing with all of this time.  God is an artist and an artist prefers not do nothing with something, but an artist loves to do something with nothing.  In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.  No, that’s not quite right.  In the beginning God created time, and in this time God created the heavens and the earth, in six days, and on the seventh God rested.  God what?  Rested.  God gets tired?

"God gave you the gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say thank you?"  -- William Arthur Ward

The bible is a book of parables.  It teaches us lessons on how to live productive, meaningful lives.  It is also rife with contradiction and fallacy.  Does this detract from the value of it?  As I have said in many of my postings, no.  But it is a tome written by men.  I think we have to consider these old men with less than perfect memories, young men with possible with possible political or religious agendas, and emperors wanting to spread the faith and control the faithful along with their lands and money.  I think we have to consider the translation of these books from several languages, and the people that were doing the translating also come into question.  Consider the Inquisition as a for instance.  Would you translate something in a way that would bring you before the court?  I think it more likely that a word or a phrase might become colored by the emotions of the day.

"All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit"  -- Thomas Paine

Is the bible the cold, hard, final word of God?  Or, is it better used as a guidebook for our personal faith in an artistic supreme being that thought we were worth creating?  Are we constantly set up to fail, or not, at the whim of a supreme deity, or were we put on this Earth with the inherent tools to do what we need to survive?  I would like to think nothing is preordained, that it is up to us to make it or fail, and we have been given the power by God to be everything or be nothing.

"Raise your head up.  Go forward believing; look up and expect the answers to happen, and leave them to the power of the will of God.  If your dreams don't come true don't get depressed and most of all don't lose hope.  Always remember that God may be preparing a better dream for you to fulfill.  Remember also that in every failure and success there is always a reason.  When God closes one door, He opens another."  -- Cathy Marquez

God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  I think for the most part God steps back, as any parent would, and allows us to learn.  Sometimes we get burned.  Sometimes we create beauty and move forward.  Sometimes God needs to give us a little hint.  But for the most part I think God leaves us to our own devices.  If God had wanted us perfect why set us up to fail?  Because if everything was always perfect, what would be the point?  We would still be wearing fig leaves and scratching our butts.  We would have everything and want for nothing.  How boring would that get to be?  This is not God's plan for us, think about it.

 

Even God found the need to create.   

The Path

The Path

This is my path.

It is not your path, it is mine.

Good or bad, it is my path.

I must travel it alone.

That is your path.

It is not mine or theirs, it is yours.

Good or bad, it is your path.

You must travel it alone.

At time our paths might intersect

Or, run parallel for a while.

We will visit, laugh, and cry.

Exchange experiences and offer advice.

At some point we may part

Perhaps to join up again

As our destination is the same

And our journey is long.

I wish for you a smooth path,

And a long, interesting, journey

Full of emotion and life,

Family and friends.

We will not arrive together,

Though our destination is the same,

But, I will wait for you, my friend

As I know you will wait for me.

Life Continues at Sixty

Life continues.

I look forward to my upcoming retirement with the same great excitement I experienced with the previous two.  As with the last one to Mexico, I look forward to getting healthy again.  I will take long, daily walks with my mother and try to develop a workout program.  The only downside will be my dad’s cooking which is hard to refuse as he has the self-taught talents of any quality chef.  My assignment will be to get him to back away from the pasta and bread so his health can benefit as well.

My mother and I will hit the ground running where building her new house is concerned.  Dad will want to be involved and this will get him out of the house and on-site.  I will force him into a folding chair with an umbrella and a tall iced tea so he doesn't overdo it.

When the house is finished we will start planning the “bed and breakfast” for the current house.  It will be fairly high end and the price per night for two couples will reflect this.  The only thing we are really missing is a hot tub on the patio.  As the house in only a few blocks from the beach and the newly expanded marina, and seeing as how there are few places to stay in town, I expect this to do very well.  With any luck we can open it for seasonal “snowbirds” from the northern tier states and close during off season.

I expect to have ample time for writing my books, my blog, and continuing down my spiritual path.  I think my mother wants to do a blog on Pass Christian and the Gulf Coast in general, but isn't sure she can do it alone.  For the two of us this will be another bit of family fun.  Dad might even offer up some of his Italian recipes which utilize local fare, and his bread which is to die for.

This is living at 60.  This is the culmination of a lifetime with few regrets.  I think about my “bucket list” and find it wanting.  I’d like to see the Capitol Mall in D.C., visit all the memorials there, and finish with Vietnam Memorial.  Dad and I want to do this together.  We will cry, so a hanky is a must bring.  The only other things I’d like to accomplish are several “foody” trips, through the barbecue belt, up through Appalachia, and maybe to south Florida for some Cuban fare.  My wants are simple.

 

The only other task I have would be a small Spiritual Center on the coast, opened to all folks seeking their spiritual path, and where all religions can gather in fellowship, share thoughts, and engage in robust and creative conversation.  It would have a meditation garden as its centerpiece, and an area for weekly picnics for sharing foods and culture. This would be a fine legacy for my family to leave this world with.  This is for the future.

How often do you consider your life?  How often do you think about what might have been?  I think that many folks spend way too much of this precious life bemoaning the “would, could, and should” have of their lives.  It is more important they get shed of the yolk of their past and pay attention to the “what will be” of their present and future.

Life continues.

"We have to be realistic.  If we don't win, life will continue." -- Hayden Fry, Football Coach

A World of Fools and Hypocrites?

“Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor morum over each other. Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth. Let us reflect that it is inhabited by a thousand millions of people. That these profess probably a thousand different systems of religion. That ours is but one of that thousand. That if there be but one right, and ours that one, we should wish to see the 999 wandering sects gathered into the fold of truth. But against such a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these, free enquiry must be indulged; and how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse it ourselves?”

-- Thomas Jefferson

Note to the reader:  There is a faction in the monastery I am affiliated with who would seem to desire a return to the Middle, or Dark, Ages.  At the very least, what they seem to desire is to see "ministerial opinion and quest for knowledge" thrown back to the days of the Inquisitions.  I have presented this quote, by Thomas Jefferson, as part of this post to the monastery blog site as guidance, an appeal for sanity when considering appropriate rules for blogs, discussion, and/or comments.

I think Jefferson made a valid point when he wrote, "What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites."  Indeed, is this not what we see continuing to this day in our society?  And now I see it being repeated in an online monastery that might seek to control any discussion of sex on their site.  I offer that there is a distinct difference between discussing the lewd specifics of a sexual act, or acts, and discussing the whys and wherefores of those acts as a means of understanding those that perform them, just as there is a distinct difference between fostering treason and stating the reasons why the treason is occurring.  Do we want to be a traitor?  No.  Do we want to know why treason is occurring?  Absolutely, and I believe this to be true in ministry as well.  You must discuss a subject to gain knowledge of the subject otherwise you are simply a pig staring at a wristwatch.

I think I became a minister for all the right reasons; it was an appropriate time in my life.  I had a message I thought was important because the world seemed to be in turmoil and undergoing a desire for understanding.  In particular, there seemed to be a desire to understand personal faith.  Why does our Bible seem at odds with its own content, and why do the basic tenets, the "teachings," of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, seem lost to our youth.  Perhaps blind faith has led us down a path where the meaning behind these tenets and teachings are lost in the interpretations, and misinterpretations, of their respective scripture.  Perhaps blind faith was never intended.

What we seem to find is an inability of man to interpret the teachings of God.  Why is this inability difficult for the clerics, in particular, to understand?  Because they think it needs to be interpreted for the faithful.  Well. I don't think it does.  God's word is God's word, and it is not opened for interpretation of any man egotistically proclaiming to be the chosen "voice of God on Earth."  God's word is what it is.  You cannot vote to determine or rewrite what scripture, what writings, history, or gospels, will be acceptable.  It is all information which mankind has a right to see and hear.  God wishes this and mankind flies in the face of God's wishes at each and every turn.

I want to know what is in the Vatican archives.  As a Christian, I think I have a right to know.  More importantly, mankind has a right to know, because God intended that we know.  The same holds true for all faiths.  There is no knowledge without truth, and there is no truth without proof.  Once you have seen the truth of the proof, whatever is left unsaid, unseen, and unknown, falls under the purview of personal faith.  But, first, we must strive to understand, to learn.  Intellect is a gift from God and this intellect demands that we discover what we don't know.

We call it the Dark Ages for a reason.  It was a time in human history when intellect and discovery were put on hold by religious fools and hypocrites striving to maintain control of a status quo.  

I vote we learn from history, and Thomas Jefferson, and not travel this road again.  Rule and regulations are fine as long as they don't strangle truth and prevent constructive communication.

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 opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, 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. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the 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. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and 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 own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Sermon for Sunday - April 6, 2014: Who Are You?

I found myself possessing one of the first paintings of space which I had completed in 2000, right after my divorce.  This was the first of many works of art depicting space that I would do over the next few years.  Several of them are hanging in the boardroom of a radio observatory in the Netherlands.  But this one was special as it depicted my state of mind after the divorce.  My life was black and yet, in the darkness there was beauty and life.  The meteor depicts something new in my universe, something that cannot exist - love.  Now one would say that a meteor exists, and this would be true, but not in deep space.  A meteor is what we see burning through the Earth's atmosphere.  Until it hits an atmosphere and begins to burn up and leave the marvelous tail in it's wake, it is a meteoroid.  Suffice to say a burning meteoroid cannot exist without an atmosphere.  For me the meteor was love that could not exist in my space.  It was there, but it could not exist.

Of course, I was wrong.  I didn't know that love was right under my nose.  I didn't know Teresa.  She worked for the same company and I knew who she was.  We had spoken, and I suppose one could say we were acquaintances, and I knew she had recently lost her husband to cancer.  I had already burned through several other relationships and was not really looking for emotional attachment as much as I was cheap, meaningless, sex.  Again, I didn't know Teresa.

She was a stalker.  I say this with all love.  She was s stalker in the nicest way.  She was the kind of woman I had never met before.  Whereas I was used to ferreting out the wheat from the chaff among all the women around me, Terry had her sights set on one target - me.  I had never encountered a woman that wanted me in that emotional kind of way.  She asked me over for coffee and we talked.

She knows who I am.  She knows that I will never remarry.  She knows that love is difficult for me.  She knows that commitment does not come easy for me.  She knows that, for once in my life, it is all about me.  She knows that I am what I am, I will probably never change and she would be foolish to try.  I am the worst of all worlds for a relationship; ask any woman that has ever known me.  Having said this, we have been together for around twelve years.  She has retired to her ranch in Mexico and I will be retiring to assist my parents in Mississippi.  We don't have to be together to be together.  I think this works for both of us as we both like to have our own space.

What does this have to do with my Sunday Thought?  People are what they are.  You can teach a dog new tricks but, underneath, the dog is still a dog.  A person can be a reformed alcoholic but he is still an alcoholic.  You can't quit smoking cigarettes.  You can stop for the rest of your life, and when you die we can then say you had quit.  In the meantime, there is always the chance you can pick the habit back up.  So it is with who we are.

Look at your relationships with people around you.  Do you know these people and who they are?  Do you base your feelings for them on who you want them to be, in your own mind, or on what they truly are and have never denied?  If you like or love someone you must accept them for who they are, with all of their faults and foibles.  If you can't do this then you will find yourself either alone in the world or surrounded by people just like yourself.  How much fun is that?

I have spent the better part of sixty years being what I knew others wanted me to be, or becoming another person for the sake of national security.  I lost myself somewhere along this journey and have only recently found my path again.  It is still a slippery slope and I find myself making mistakes and errors in judgment constantly.  I forgave myself, finally, for the things I have done.  I have also come to realize that people are what they are, so I will not be asking forgiveness for being who I am.  I am what I am.

"It's hard for people to see you one way, but you're really the other way, so it's kind of like, "Who am I, who are you?"  Sometimes, I confuse even myself."  

-- Nicole Polizzi

I will get back into painting when I get to Mississippi.  I will also continue to write and to piss people off in the process.  I cannot control what people think, nor do I ever want to.  You are what you are.

Who are you?  In answering this question try to remember who you are is not as important as why you are.  I think that by knowing why you are, you can get a pretty good handle on who you are.  Love yourself as you would love those around you, in spite of their faults and their mistakes.  Learn to forgive, whether it is asked for or not.  Just as Jewish and Italian mothers seem to always be in a constant state of guilt, so we as humans must be in a constant state of forgiveness.  We are, after all, only human.

Have a marvelous Sunday.

Cynicism

Diogenes Searching for an Honest Man

Attributed to Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (c.1780)

One of the first characters in philosophy which I can remember from grade school was Diogenes.  In my memory, I can still see a painting of him strolling through the market place, holding up his lantern, always proclaiming to be looking for an "honest" man.  Good luck with that.  I am also a cynic, but I believe that man can at least aspire to greater righteousness.  Being a cynic means you immediately judge yourself to be less than perfect but, then, no one is perfect, not even Diogenes.

cyn·i·cism:  

(noun)

An inclination to believe 

that people are motivated 

purely by self-interest.

I think the definition of "cynicism" is a definition of humankind.  If you're a cynic, you must be human.  No argument from me; it is our nature, right?  Are we all "motivated purely by self-interest" or is there something more?  Those that aren't cynics then, by this definition, are truly blessed.  Yet, I can't help but think that even in our altruism we are driven by self-interest.  Again, I find myself always the cynic.  

A new friend of mine recently asked me, "You must trust mankind even easier than I do. I feel you don't have a cynical bone in your body...how is that?"  This statement proved two things.  One, he doesn't really know me.  Two, he needs to read up on cynicism.

My answer to him was simple: I always try to tell the truth, as I see it.  I have great faith in mankind.  It is my faith that they will, eventually and with the best of intentions, muck everything up.  They do this because it is virtually impossible for us to keep self-interest out of anything.  Knowing this, however, it is easier for me to be amazed when things go right and less disheartening for me when they don't.  Expect nothing and you will always be amazed at the universe around you.  Expect everything and you invite disappointment.  It is what it is until it isn't, and then it is what it is again.

Expect nothing and you will always be amazed at the universe around you.  Expect everything and you invite disappointment.

Is this cynical?  Probably,  in a back door kind of way.  I knew someone you could almost always expect nothing from.  I was asked why I don't expect the best from him, and I answered that I tried, and he almost always disappoints. It was like he goes out of his way to give you nothing.  I met with him and was honest concerning my feelings about this.  I asked him to do himself a favor - prove me wrong!  I said for him to do himself a favor, be better than people expect.  Truth be known, I'm probably the only person who has ever been up front and in his face about it.  It wasn't what he wanted to hear, but it had to be said regardless.  Last I heard, he has managed to clean up his act, whether due to our discussion, of his own volition,  or perhaps, due to both.  I was happy to hear, for his own sake, that he has become more.  

There is nothing wrong with being disappointed in someone, but it does little good unless you make them aware of it and tell them why.  I think most people want to excel.  They want to do better.  I think many of us just want to be challenged by someone, or something. 

I also think most of us harbor some hidden amount of cynicism, and I've always found it in those who most strongly deny any cynicism of their own.  

Many times I've had people say I need to think positively about mankind.  Alright then, here it goes:  I am positively certain, given enough rope, anyone can hang themselves or trip on all of it and hit their head.  In either case, it will most likely be an accident.  You know, kind of like blowing the planet up.  Oops...  Perhaps this is evidence of my cynicism.  Do yourself a favor, though, and prove me wrong.  Disappoint me.  I dare you.

"If you tell the truth they only say you're cynical and it does an author no good to get a reputation for cynicism."

-- W. Somerset Maugham

Consider this statement made by Somerset Maugham, "It does an author no good to get a reputation for cynicism."  Maybe not, but Maugham's philosophy would prove out the definition of cynicism in that "people are motivated purely by self-interest."  Personally, I would rather hear from an honest cynic than an author whose opinion changes with the wind through some denial of his own cynicism.

This is just my opinion and, as flawed as it is, we know that everybody has at least one if only to protect their own self-interests.  We are cynics, after all.  

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 opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, 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. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the 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. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and 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 own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holocaust Remembrance Day
(Yom HaShoah)

"Monsters exist, but they are too few in numbers to be truly dangerous.  More dangerous are...the functionaries ready to believe and act without asking questions."  

-- Primo Levi, chemist, author, Auschwitz survivor 

CAUTION: I made this photo as small as possible to give you the choice of whether to enlarge it. At full size, it is a very disturbing reminder of absolute evil loosed upon the world. A page of history some would rather forget.

We are supposed to remember history. The reason we learn history is to try and head off the inevitability of bad history repeating itself. History is supposed to teach us to learn from our mistakes, as well as our successes. How are we to learn if we don't teach it? How are we teach if we don't remember it?

With the state of our educational system in the U.S. today, it is a wonder our children learn anything, especially when there are those who would change history for "political correctness."  For instance, an African-American helping to raise the flag at Iwo Jima.  Never happened, but it is politically correct to include this segment of society in the historical moment.  I found it humorous when watching the latest remake of The Sound of Music to see the Mother Superior of the convent was a black woman.  Really?  This story was set in Austria in the late 1930s just prior to the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany.  The premise of the Mother Superior of an Austrian convent being black during this time period would have been more interesting to follow than the novice Maria or the family Von Trapp.  Hell, Hitler would have had an aneurysm.  But I digress.

There are those who would have us believe the Holocaust never happened.  These are the same loons that claim the moon landing was filmed on a back lot in Hollywood.  We built phony showers in concentration camps and outfitted them with phony Zyklon-B gas canisters.  We dug phony mass graves and outfitted them with hundreds of phony emaciated corpses.  We built numerous phony brick and concrete furnaces and wrote reams of phony Nazi paperwork supporting the entire facade of a "Holocaust" because that's what we do in order to justify going to war against an insane dictator hell-bent on world domination.  Somehow I just don't think so.  All this kind of unreasonable talk does is prove to the rest of us there are still psychopathic "functionaries" in the world with way too much time on their hands.

"The sad and horrible conclusion is that no one cared that the Jews were being murdered. This is the Jewish lesson of the Holocaust and this is the lesson which Auschwitz taught us."

-- Ariel Sharon (1928-2014), former Israeli PM

Simon Wiesenthal once said, "God must have been on leave during the Holocaust."  Many people have asked how God could allow such evil to happen.  Did we not eat of the apple?  Did we not disobey God and, in doing so, lose paradise?  Yet, we blame the evil that men do - on God!  How human of us.  We were told by Christ in John 16:13 that there would be evil, "In the world, you will have tribulation;" and only in Christ will we find peace. 

"Therefore, we might best respond by saying that God does not Will "bad" things to happen in life. Rather, "bad" things happen in the freedom that comes with the gift of life. When "bad" things happen to any of God's children, God is grieved and suffers with us, experienced most vividly in the hurt and suffering of Jesus the Christ for all humanity. Any "bad" thing which happens is never the last word. Rather, God is the deepest and last word, and that word is love and eternal life with God.

-- The Rev. Dr. Douglass M. Bailey, Episcopal priest, author 

What the Nazi regime did to the Jews during "medical experiments" was an atrocity unto itself and fairly well publicized.  But, while what happened to the Jews during WWII bears our continued attention, what is lesser known are the activities of the Japanese and their Unit 731.  Activities of this unit could teach Dr. Mengela a thing or two about sick and twisted.  Their work would make for a terrific present-day horror film.  I won't go into the graphic description but will cite as an example the amputation of a limb without anesthesia, and reattachment to the other side of the body.  I try to imagine myself on an operating table, fully conscious and no pain killers or anesthesia, watching this happen.  For more information and specifics I would recommend wikipedia.com and search "Unit 731."  A Google search will enlighten you with much more information you probably will not want to know.

If you think giving Nazi rocket scientists a free pass into the U.S. to assist with our space program was questionable, check this out.  After Japan surrendered, General MacArthur secretly granted immunity to the physicians of Japan's Unit 731 in exchange for providing the allies with their biological research.  Somehow it seems to me the world became complicit in the atrocities at this point.  Basically, these horrors are excusable as long as you give us the data.  One wonders if they were given carte blanche to continue this research as a "black program" for our government at some secret location under a large city with a sizable homeless population.  Hollywood loves this stuff.

I have said this many times before.  God has given us the tools we need; it is up to us to use them.  If we don't learn from the horrors of the past we are surely doomed to repeat them.  Is this what we want?  Look at the recent torture in Syria of women and children or the annexation of Crimea.  Our recent European history is rife with mass graves due to madmen looking for a final solution.  The horrors are still with us.  The evil still haunts us.  We repeat history by turning a blind eye and doing NOTHING!  My only response to those that think God doesn't care is, "Why should He?  We don't."

Elie Wiesel was a survivor of Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald.  He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (yes, Obama, he actually did something to deserve his), the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Gold Medal, National Humanities Medal, Medal of Liberty, and many more.  I leave this post and my readers with a quote from Mr. Wiesel and hope that we never forget, or try to rewrite, our past.

"For the dead and the living, we must bear witness."

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 opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, 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. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the 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. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and 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 own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.

Sermon for Sunday - March 23, 2014: Window to the Soul

"Ut imagio est animi voltus sic indices oculi."

-- Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.)

"The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter."  Cicero's "face" was that of a statesman, a politician, well known for his "inconsistencies and a tendency to shift his position in response to changes in political climate" Oh!  A politician!  I'll bet that played well on his face.  As a politician he would be well schooled in reading the true meaning of his contemporaries in the Roman Senate. 

Cicero's quote has simplified down through the centuries to become, "The eyes are the window to the soul."  But, are they?  How many of us can truly read a person by their eyes alone?  Hell, we try doing it via e-mail.  How silly is that?  The only way we can have good communication, and truly understand the other party, is to verbally communicate so we can listen to them.  Communication is about facial expression, voice inflection, and the eyes.  Some one can say they're frightened, but unless you see them how will you truly know how frightened they are?  And, how many times have you said something in an e-mail or a letter that has been taken in totally the wrong way?

This Sunday try turning the phone off and shutting down the computer.  Go outside into the world and communicate.  Communicate your love for God.  Communicate with some one you care about, and tell them how much you care. If they are out of town try using the phone instead of e-mail so they can at least hear your voice and you theirs.  Take some time today to practice interpersonal communication.  Throw the kids outside and make them live life while you're at it

Always remember, Cicero's statement is only valid if you are there to see the other person.

God bless us all this Sunday.

The Season of Lent

You always have to learn something new.  In my case, I usually have to re-learn some things forgotten.  One of these is the Season of Lent.  It isn't that I'm a bad Catholic, I am, but that's not the reason I've forgotten the teachings.  I was a lazy Catholic as well.

One thing I have learned while posting a blog is how much I can learn while doing research.  I also have the opportunity to re-learn that which I was too lazy to learn the first time around.  It kind of goes with what I believe about this life:  If you don't learn what is set down for you in this life, you are doomed to repeat it until you do.  So, I present to you a "crib notes" post of the Season of Lent, in celebration of Easter (as I best understand it, anyway).

Lent; Quadragesima; Fortieth

The Christian season of Lent begins 40 days prior to Easter Sunday, not including Sundays in the count.  Ash Wednesday marks the season's first day of preparations for Easter which include fasting, penance, moderation, reflection and spiritual discipline.  This is meant to prepare the faithful to receive redemption through Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday.

On Ash Wednesday the foreheads of the faithful are marked with sacramental ashes, blessed by the Church, to humble our hearts and remind us of our limited time on this earth.  "Remember, man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."

Friday of Passion occurs the day before the start of Holy Week, the last week of Lent, sometimes referred to as Passion Week.  Friday of Passion remembers the solace and desolate emotional state of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Mary Magdalene.

Passion Week, or Holy Week,  is the week preceding Easter and begins with Palm Sunday.  It is a week set aside by Christian faithful to commemorate the Passion of Christ, Jesus who died on the cross to make amends and earn forgiveness for the sins of all mankind, rising from this death on Easter Sunday to give new life for all that would believe.  Passion Week should be a time of joy and celebration of God's love in sending His only begotten Son to die for our salvation.

Palm Sunday commemorates the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem when palm fronds were placed on His path.  Four days hence, on Holy Thursday, Christ would have the Last Supper with His disciples and just hours later Judas would betray Christ.  Holy Thursday is the oldest of the celebrations of Holy Week.  The next day, Good Friday, Jesus would be tried, tortured, and crucified.  The crucifixion would be carried out against the laws of Rome.  The crucifixion had to happen, as it was the will of God.  The Jews no more had a choice in the outcome than Christ had in dying.  It was all by the will of God, for the salvation of mankind.

Good Friday commemorates the Passion and Death of Christ by crucifixion.  It is a day of strict fasting by Catholics between the ages of 14 and 60.

Holy Saturday marks the final day of Lent, and of Passion Week.  Holy Saturday is the day the faithful prepare for Christ's Resurrection.  Also known as Joyous Saturday, it is believed by some that on this day Christ descended into Hell and performed the Harrowing of Hades, preaching to the imprisoned spirits and raising up to Paradise all those who had been held captive.

Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday are also known as the Paschal Triduum, the final three days of Lent beginning with the Last Supper until the Easter Vigil on the evening of Holy Saturday.

Christ's death saved mankind from sin and death.  Lent prepares the faithful to rise again with Him on Easter when His Resurrection reminds us of the promise of a new life on this world, and in the next.

Retirement is What a Son Does

Photo courtesy of Crystal D'Zamba

"Age is only a number, a cipher for the records. A man can't retire his experience. He must use it. 

-- Bernard M. Baruch

Unfortunately, in our lives, feces happen.  For my dad, this was a stroke.  For me, this was dad's stroke.  When someone faces death it can be a wake-up call, a life altering event.  One tends to get straight with God.  This holds true for the people that love them as well.  My mother realized she may lose him one day soon.  I realized my mother would be alone when it happens.  I also realized my dad and I haven't been fishing in a long time, and I don't want the memory of that to be my last memory of him.  I want new memories.

Dad gets sea sick, so the open water is not a good idea.  The new marina though, just blocks from the house, has benches and covered areas where we can throw a line, have a beer, and enjoy our own company and the company of others; a place to make new fishing memories to go along with those of my youth of constantly falling in the lake, stream or river.  If there's a body of water, I'm in it, and so is dad's hat as my hook would usually find it as I cast my line.  If my hook didn't find his hat it would most certainly find his ear.  Fishing with me was actually safer than hunting with me, as my shotgun barrel would inevitably find its way between my dad's legs while we hiked.  God gave me a pretty good childhood, and an even better dad.

With any luck, and with God's good grace, my being there with them will give us all another ten years or so together.  

I can only hope.

As I write this, my sciatica is acting up for the first time in years.  I was so uncomfortable last night I got little sleep.  The body is reminding me of the penalty for an active youth filled with stupidity and a lack of respect for my physical well-being.  This old boat needs to come in off the high seas and finish life in a sheltered portage before I find it dry-docked in some field.

So, in two months, I will retire for the third time in this life.  I will move to Pass Christian and purchase a lifetime fishing license from the State of Mississippi.  I will take dad fishing every day, or at least until he tells me otherwise, because this is what a son does.  I will help build them a smaller home with less maintenance requirements.  I will finish my latest novel and rewrite the first while trying to find a plot to develop for Sonny Daize, the third story line a friend of mine wants to see go forward.  I will help mom with all the cats and yard work.  Her and I will finally start a vegetable garden and, hopefully, a bed & breakfast in the old house which is just a couple of blocks from the beach, marina, and main street of this little town.  I will do this for her because this is also what a son does.  And, who knows, if the B&B takes off I may have yet another retirement in my future.

"I don't even think about a retirement program because I'm working for the Lord, for the Almighty.  And even the though the Lord's pay isn't very high, his retirement program is, you might say, out of this world."  

 -- George E. Foreman