Is Pope Francis a Socialist?

Socialism is a social and economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy, as well as a political theory and movement that aims at the establishment of such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to cooperative enterprises, common ownership, state ownership, citizen ownership of equity, or any combination of these. There are many varieties of socialism and there is no single definition encapsulating all of them. They differ in the type of social ownership they advocate, the degree to which they rely on markets or planning, how management is to be organised within productive institutions, and the role of the state in constructing socialism.

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism

Egalitarianism (from French égal, meaning "equal")—or, rarely, equalitarianism or equalism—is a trend of thought that favors equality for all people. Egalitarian doctrines maintain that all humans are equal in fundamental worth or social status, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term has two distinct definitions in modern English. It is defined either as a political doctrine that all people should be treated as equals and have the same political, economic, social, and civil rights or as a social philosophy advocating the removal of economic inequalities among people or the decentralization of power. Some sources define egalitarianism as the point of view that equality reflects the natural state of humanity.

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egalitarianism

I scared myself for a moment.  I read the definition of "socialism" and thought I had an issue with my own usage.  Well, yes and no.  I use it correctly when I say the current administration in this country is hell bent on turning us toward a socialist/communist form of government.  Where I err is defending Pope Francis.

People slam Pope Francis for having socialist ideals.  I found Francis, like Christ, would like to see everyone taken care of, especially the poor.  But, this is not socialism, and those that accuse him of believing in socialist ideology may be in error.  Pope Francis is actually espousing the values of "egalitarianism."

Reading the two definitions one might argue that there is not much difference between socialism and egalitarianism.  Take a closer look.  Socialism deals with social, cooperative, common, and state ownership of enterprises, whereas egalitarianism, even as a political doctrine, deals primarily with how people are treated.

I think we constantly confuse these.  Truth be known, conservative and liberals also differ greatly where socialism is concerned.  Conservatives want everything liberals want, but they differ on how to go about paying for it.  I think they can both camps are onboard with egalitarian philosophy that "equality reflects the natural state of humanity," but, once again, they differ in how to go about achieving it.  

I know my thoughts on socialist and egalitarian differences are simplistic, the subject can quickly become as boring as waiting for California blackworms make love, but I'll set my thoughts down anyway so you can mull them over.  Egalitarianism and socialism have two common problems:  Economic sustainability and getting the majority of the poor to climb aboard and give up their entitlement attitudes.  In the truly socialist or communist state everyone is poor and everyone is expected to work.  The only people that have money and position are the politicians, and corruption is rampant.  The problem, which history has proven out, is there comes a point when money runs out and people get tired of working their butts off and getting nowhere while watching their leaders and the criminal element get ahead and live the good life.  The endpoint is usually presented as revolution, collapse of society, collapse of the economy, or any/all of the above.

.So, is Pope Francis a socialist?  I don't think so.  The pope just wants what Jesus wanted, and why wouldn't he?  Like Jesus he is a man of Christian faith and follows the precepts of scripture.  To accuse him of following his faith would be like accusing a quarterback of playing football.  I don't think the pope is a socialist any more than I think most people are.  But I do believe we all have some identification with egalitarian philosophy.  Where we differ is how to go about it.



Editor's Note:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Pastor Frank Anthony Villari

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite. 

Sunday Thought, January 25, 2015: Criticism

crit·i·cize

ˈkridəˌsīz/

verb

1. 1.

   indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way.

   "states criticized the failure to provide an adequate and permanent compensation"

   synonyms:

   find fault with, censure, denounce, condemn, attack, lambaste, pillory,rail against, inveigh against, arraign, cast aspersions on, pour scorn on, disparage, denigrate, give bad press to, run down; More
2. 2.

   form and express a sophisticated judgment of (a literary or artistic work).

   "a literary text may be criticized on two grounds: the semantic and the expressive"
3. Google Definition

Have you ever considered the definition of "criticize?"  Take a moment and read it over.

We all do it, criticize, and the majority of us excuse it by falling back on definition number two, when we're so very guilty of definition number one.  Okay, the majority of us that are being honest will admit we do it for this reason.  The rest of us delude ourselves into thinking we're taking some imaginary "high road" by being judgmental asses and fall back on the kinder, gentler, second definition.  But let's consider the two distinct parts of this second definition - "form and express," and "sophisticated judgment."  Those who know me know where I'm going with this, as it isn't nuclear physics.

Most of us can't form or express any sort of meaningful thought.  I blame this, regularly, on our poor educational system.  Nowadays, if we somehow manage to get a cogent thought out of our pie hole, it is rife with "colorful metaphors," the expletives we feel are necessary due to our inability to communicate intelligently.

Spock: Your use of language has altered since our arrival. It is currently laced with, shall we say, more colorful metaphors, "double dumb-ass on you" and so forth.
Kirk: Oh, you mean the profanity?
Spock: Yes.
Kirk: Well that's simply the way they talk here. Nobody pays any attention to you unless you swear every other word.

-- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

I run into this quite often in comments to things people post, not necessarily the cursing as much as the inability to communicate intelligently.  I have failed at this, myself, even though I have strived to be more tolerant.  This intolerance usually materializes when I get into pissing matches with sacks of hammers.  It especially grinds on me when the sack of hammers is a person I consider to be intelligent.  I keep forgetting that a sheepskin, or three, from an institution of higher learning is no guarantee of having any sense.  I have met few folks with doctorates that make any sense when it comes to life, politics, or faith.  It doesn't mean they aren't out there, I just haven't run across them or their ego keeps that degree so "in my face" that I don't recognize them.  I think there comes a point when you have to get over yourself.  What it seems to indicate is,  whether you're rich or poor, educated or not, we all have the same human failings just as we all have the same ability to overcome  them.

“I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.” 

-- Mark Twain

I've noticed two things about people that are critical, since I've had my blog and been posting online; their comments are either paragraphs long or one line with no support.  If it takes you more than a paragraph to criticize, you are trying too hard to explain your critique.  That's like having to explain a joke, when the joke just wasn't any good to begin with.  On the other hand, if it takes less than a good sentence you probably don't have a leg to stand on and probably shouldn't have jumped into the fray.  I run into this when someone critiques my post and I find out they don't post much, or not at all.  In other words, they're quick to critique but don't have the big brass ones to put their own opinions out there for the world to see.  This is like the drama critic that gets stage fright.  Those that can, do.  And those that can't, critique.  We do this, or we run into this, all the time.

"Those that can't do, teach.  And those who can't teach, teach gym."

-- Woody Allen, "Annie Hall": screenplay 

As far as "sophisticated judgment," any good scientist knows, whether good or bad, validity comes with repeatable results.  The most recent example of poor judgment can be seen in painting all of Islam with the terrorist label.  "Well, he's a Muslim!  Of course he's a terrorist!"  And the reasoning for the condemnation would be quotes from the Qur'an used as support when there are just as many quotes that contradict them, kind of like these same people do with the Bible.  Sophisticated judgment would dictate we look at both sides of an issue, talk to all of those involved, educate ourselves in the subject, and actually sound like something other than a hate mongering bigot or a braying jackass.  

We may, in time, find out Muslims are all terrorists bent on world domination, contrary to their scripture.  But, we shouldn't condemn them all until we know for sure.  It is just bad form.  But, not taking the low road seems to require being something more than human.  Many of us just can't wrap our minds around being something better than what we are.  Where Christians are concerned, many ask the question, but few can actually act on, "What would Jesus do?"  I suppose that would be contingent on how you interpret the Bible.

If you must be critical, be constructive.  For the love of God, please don't try to be creative.  Don't look for reasons to critique.  I hate it when someone asks me to critique something because I might like it at first glance and then find a reason not to when I start to delve deeper.  It's the same reason I try not to look at the ingredients on the bag of Oreos or Cheetos.  I just really don't need to know anything more than I like it.

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body; it calls attention to the development of an unhealthy state of things. If it is heeded in time, danger may be averted; if it is suppressed, a fatal distemper may develop."

-- Winston Churchill

There are times when you need to dig deeper whether you want to or not; politics, religion, and law all come to mind. Of course these would be the three taboo subjects for any friendly "debate," primarily because the criticism can be emotionally charged because everyone thinks they're right. These are the times we all need to agree to disagree. These subjects deserve some degree of emotion but, at the end of the day, you all need to shake hands and understand whatever may have been said in the spirit of the first definition of criticism, may have been laced with a bit more emotion than was needed. In this spirit of debate we all can come back to the table down the road for another round and keep the lines of communication open, and constructive.

Of course, I could be wrong in all this.  But, then, maybe I'm just too critical. 

“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” 

-- Dale Carnegie (1888-1955), "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

You're Already There

I'm already there

Take a look around

I'm the sunshine in your hair

I'm the shadow on the ground

I'm the whisper in the wind

I'm your imaginary friend

And I know I'm in your prayers

Oh I'm already there

-- Lonestar, "I'm Already There"

God is not what this song is about.  It is about a husband and father, and love of family.  But, when I look at these words, I see the spirit of God that many of us enjoy and praise.

I get emails and calls asking for guidance or advice on life issues that are hampering one's happiness, their life, their ability to move forward, or to know God.  Some want me to tell them what to do, but I think they fail to understand that none of their issues is my life, it's their life.  I can tell them what I would do in my life, but they must make the decisions on what to do in theirs.  It's like asking a stock broker what stock to buy so they can be blamed when the stock tanks.  It's your money, why would you let someone else control it?  It's the same with your life.  But, when it comes right down to it, if you were to simply ask yourself why you want, the answer would probably have to do with happiness.  Everyone is searching for happiness, and why not?  Everyone wants to be happy.  But, it would seem, many of you get so wrapped up in looking for it that you continue to overlook the truth within yourself.  

You're already there.

I say these three simple words to people and they seem to do a mental shutdown.  It's like they look at the issues in their life and wonder how any of it could possibly equate to happiness.  They build walls around themselves then wonder why nobody is visiting.  They sink into a pit of despair and look for someone to pull them out, or join them.  I think some folks just don't want to believe happiness can be as easy as admitting they are already there; happiness already exists for them, and they are the only barrier.  It's as if they feel their life's ills absolutely must be someone else's fault, or someone else's responsibility, and they don't want to admit their only way out is through accepting ownership of their own life and the happiness that already exists for them.

"Concern yourself more with accepting responsibility than with assigning blame.  Let the possibilities inspire you more than the obstacles discourage you."

-- Ralph Marston, writer

For those of you looking for God, you are blind.  Many people wonder why God has abandoned us when, if they were to look inward they would realize, we abandon ourselves; we lost faith, not only in God, but in ourselves.  God never left us, we left God.  God gave us everything we require to be happy and yet, like selfish children, we want more.  What we have a problem wrapping our selfish minds around is the concept that God gave us the ability to get more.  Don't look to God for what you already have.  Don't ask God for what is already here.  Don't blame God for your laziness in not using the talent you've been blessed with.

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or to accept the responsibility for changing them."

-- Denis Waitley, motivational speaker, writer

God, happiness, family, and friends are already here.  They exist all around us but, if you don't see them, who is to blame?  No one, it is not a matter of blame but of responsibility.  The responsibility for being happy has always been yours.  The ability for you to be happy has always been in you.  We look for that which already exists around us and bemoan our inability to see or to understand that which is right in front of our face.

If your happiness is tied to material things, you will never have enough.  If your happiness is dependent on finding someone to share your life with, friends abound around us; maybe it's your prerequisites that need massaging.  If your happiness is tied to God, God is already here, you need only open your heart for there is no greater need than God, and that need has been fulfilled since time began.

“The real opposition is that between the ego-bound man, whose existence is structured by the principle of having, and the free man, who has overcome his egocentricity.”

-- Erich Fromm(1900-1980), psychoanalyst, philosopher

We need to start realizing that everything we need is here already.  Everything else is just emotional fluff that creates want and desire, and for what?  We purchase material "stuff" to fill an imaginary void created by the fallacy of emotional despair we convince ourselves we must be suffering from.  We create our emotional issues, the majority of which are in our twisted minds.  We seem to make up stuff to justify our misery so we can gather stuff, or people, around us to make us feel better.

“How pointless life could be, what a foolish business of inventing things to love, just so you could dread losing them.” 

-- Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, poet

Whenever you wish you were, remember you already are, you just don't know it yet.  Wherever you want to be in your life, remember you're already there, you just don't know it yet.  However you want your life to turn out, remember you're already on a path, you simply have to move your feet.  Why do you wish you were?  Why do you want to be?  Why is your life so?  These answers to the "whys" in life are already in front of you and, once you open your mind to reach for them, you have started on your path.

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift.  That's why it's called the present."

-- Bil Keane (1922-2011), cartoonist, "The Family Circus" creator

Editor's Note:

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Frank Anthony Villari

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite.

Open Your Mind

"Open your mind."  It is a phrase much maligned by those with concrete beliefs, and it usually follows the other favorite, "You are so stubborn!"  But, is this wrong?

No, not necessarily.  It speaks to you having an opinion, your opinion, but at least you have one which, nowadays, is becoming an oddity.  People have become lazy and incapable of thinking for themselves.  It seems like more and more people enjoy having the opinions of other people, which is fine except they don't know why they have the opinion because it isn't theirs.  Saying you feel the way you feel because so-and-so feels that way and it sounds good to you, aren't reasons.  It's kind of like voting the political party, not the candidate.  It might also be like having faith in the scripture.  Is it your faith, or the ministers?  If he told you to drink the Kool-Aid, would you?

"I believe in having a more open mind and including others who don't share your faith and having dialogue with them.  And just having a pure heart and being a good person can bring you closer to God.  Because once you believe in one particular religion fully and not others, that requires you to start disliking people who don't share your views."

-- Ishmael Beah, author, human rights activist

People take scripture on faith, which is why they call it faith.  Whether they had religion spoon fed to them when young, or found it when they matured, faith in scripture can be a good thing.  It can be a good thing.  It can also have you moving in circles, or stop you in your tracks, which might not be a good thing.  I don't think God's intent was to have us hold up a book as a focus for our faith.  I don't have faith in the Bible, I have faith in God.  God gave us stone tablets with commandments on them.  I never read that God delivered the Bible from on high.  The Bible has way too many issue for me, too many contradictions, and leaves itself open for too much interpretation by divisive ministers whose agenda is to convince you their way is the only way.  What?  I thought God's way was the only way.  What would Jesus do?  Hello?  Better yet, ask why Jesus would do it.  We tend to muddle the obvious with too much philosophical discussion and ministerial ego.  It is what it is.

I try not to detract from the importance of scripture.  I think it has its place in kick starting belief and giving one a good foundation.  But, a foundation without a building is incomplete and a waste of what God gave us - a mind.

"Despite my firm convictions, I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds.  I have always kept an open mind, a flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for the truth."

-- Malcolm X (1925-1965), Muslim minister, human rights activist

Opening your mind doesn't only mean to be open to other ideas and to change. You can also open your mind. You can sit in your car and view the pristine setting in the woods, the wildflowers, pine trees, and the steam flowing through it, or you can get out of the car and open your mind to the smells, sounds, and texture of what you only see from the comfort and safety of the car. This is what I mean by being stopped in your tracks. You have been put on a path from birth. If you allow yourself to be spoon-fed faith you risk not moving down that path, or walking someone else's path, believing someone else's faith. Your path, like your faith, needs to be your own. If it happens to run parallel to someone else's, let it be a happy coincidence.

Open your mind to the wonder that is reality.  If you want to call it God, Mother Nature, Creation, Gaia, or Energy, have some faith in it.  Above all, question everything, even your faith, for it is through questioning we expand our knowledge about the universe, our reality, ourselves, our path, and our God.  Through knowledge we can strengthen our faith.  And it doesn't matter if you aren't the sharpest tool in the shed.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist to grasp the obvious, it usually escapes them anyway.

"I don't believe complete assimilation is possible, at least not for anyone who has an active, open mind.  Every step, every entry into the flows of existence can be seen as a beginning, a commencement of a brand new way of seeing oneself in the world.  This is the case for everyone."

-- Chang-Rae Lee, novelist, professor

Open your mind and you'll find you've been searching way too hard to find what is right in front of you.  Stop trying so hard to be happy, you're already there.  Stop trying so hard to be saved, you already have been.  Stop trying so hard to understand, it is right in front of you.  If you don't think anybody loves you, stop and ask yourself why you don't.

Just take a moment, and open your mind.  You will find the path ahead is very clear.  Now... move!  Time to get on down your path, for as Mark Twain once noted:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

Don't Look Back?

"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it."

Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Irish statesman, political philosopher

Truer words were probably spoken, but few ring as true today as they did when Edmund Burke spoke these in the 1700s.  Some people would say it is best to never look back, always move forward and don't dwell on the past.  This, too, is true, in so far as you don't misinterpret the instruction.  It doesn't say not to stay mindful of the past; it says not to dwell on it.  Like a child in a stroller, it is good for us to look back occasionally and keep certain, important, events clear in our memory.  But, the stroller keeps on moving forward as the child has no control over it.  So it is with life.  

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

-- Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), writer, cartoonist, and "Dr. Seuss"

We need to see the event, file it away, and then pay attention to life again because time continues to move inexorably forward.  If we dwell too much on one thing, life will pass us by.  But, not to clearly remember mistakes of the past dooms us to the great possibility of repeating them in future.

"Don't look back because you might fall over what is in front of you."

--Kate Williams, age 7

Making my case would be Miss Kate Williams, age seven.  I not sure Miss Kate was privy to the great works of Dr. Seuss.  If you look back and fall over something you probably won't look back again, but the reason you won't is that you remember the last time you did it and fell.  Dwelling on it might cause you to fall over something too, if you can't chew gum and walk at the same time.  Better to just let it go, but, keep it close, like a memory.  You don't have to dwell on it, but you might check the road ahead first before you look the next time.

Hitler failed at this on the Eastern Front.  He saw what he was facing against Russia and moved boldly forward without reviewing the last great army to move against Russia - the French.  Although Hitler's troops weren't decimated by Typhus prior to the battle, as had the French, they were just as poorly supplied and, like Napoleon's forces, suffered miserably from the ravages of the brutal Russian winter.  The egos of the two greatest armies Europe had seen since the Roman Empire, were their own undoing.

Our past is etched into our skin and our minds, the scars we give no mind to until they are seen, then we remember, then we move on.  But if we pick at the wound, worry over it, it will never heal.  Our scars are our proof of life, our story, and our past.  Our scars remind us of things we have done and don't wish to do again.

"Each new season grows from the leftovers from the past.  That is the essence of change, and change is the basic law."

-- Hal Borland (1900-1978), author, journalist

Do we have to look back?  It is unavoidable if we wish not to repeat mistakes. But, then, we are only human... and there's that nasty little ego to deal with.

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

   

Revisiting "Why Do I Keep Doing This?"

While transcribing a verse from my Bible today, I was reminded of one of the reasons I continue doing what I do on this blog, week after week.  I cherish this Bible as much as the positive e-mails, comments, gratitude for renewed faith and so much more which I have been graced with since I started this blog eighteen months ago.

When I wrote the previous post, Why Do I Keep Doing This?, I completely forgot to include my Bible.  Many of you might ask what is so special about mentioning it, as reading the Bible drives many to a calling.  Not I, however, as I am not big on the Bible, as many of you know.  I have issues with the so many aspects of it, but it remains the only book of faith Christians have, and even with all the questions concerning origin, contradictions, gospels not included, etc., the message it so desperately tries to impart is still valid if we interpret it correctly.  So, what makes my Bible so special?  A pink piece of paper, and a receipt, I taped on the inside cover.

As I began posting article to the blog, I found myself in need of a Bible for reference.  I wasn't looking for anything expensive, I just wanted a functional, readable volume.  I always seem to be accosted by Christians who spit chapter and verse at me like they know what they're talking about, and I needed something I could justify their quotes against.  I also found myself needing to quote in my answer.  I'm very reluctant to use biblical quotes for the same reasons I hate it when people throw biblical quotes at me.  But, I'm not using it as some shield to hold back heathen words, nor do I pound the Bible as I try to force feed a faith that I preach but do not follow.  I quote biblical verses because the message is sound, valid, and helps to explain a point.  When not in grave contradiction to itself, it can be a convincing tool.

Anyway, I'm scanning through the shelves of Bibles and Qur'ans, at the local Barnes & Noble, when my eyes catch this rich looking volume that is screaming at me to pluck it out.  From the looks of the spine, and having already priced editions less appealing to the eye, I just knew this one was going to be more than I wanted to spend but I pulled it from the shelf anyway.

I love the feel of books; it is one reason I have hesitated buying a Kindle.  There's just something about turning a page that I refuse to give up.  I even have hard copy thesaurus and dictionary at home, along with an Essential Writer's Companion.  This Bible felt good in my hands.  I saw the simple gold letters impressed on the cover and considered shelling out the big bucks.  With no price sticker on the front or back cover, I opened it up to see if they had put it inside, which would be unusual.  A small, pink sheet of paper, along with a receipt, fell out as I opened it.  I bent over to pick them up and turned the sheet over in my hand as I stood.  I read the typed note, and felt my face flush and my eyes welled up as I read the short, simple, note:

I stood there rereading the note for several minutes, long enough to finally have to wipe tears off my face before I went to the checkout counter.  I showed the cashier the book and receipt and asked if this was truly a gift.  She confirmed that it, indeed, was and asked if I had been looking for a Bible.  I nodded that I had and she commented that it looked as if someone knew I was coming.  She placed it in a bag and I thanked her.  She just smiled.

I keep both note and receipt taped inside the Bible to remind me of why I continue to keep doing what I do on my blog. 

Sometimes, God truly works in mysterious ways.  Had an angel of faith been sent to steer me to the bookstore and make sure I got the message?  I think believing so is what faith would seem to be all about.  

If the "angel" that wrote this message and the angel that steered me to it are reading this post, message received.  For those of you questioning your faith, please continue to do so.  It is through our questions that we ultimately find answers.  They may not be the answers we want, but they may be the ones we need.  

Do not ever lose heart, or your faith.  There are times when it is all we have.

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

  

Sunday Thought, January 18, 2015: A "Personal" Universe of Peace

"When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it."

-- Bernard Bailey

I think one must develop a happy place, a “personal" universe of peace and tranquility; an escape from horrors outside of your realm of influence, that stressful pinball machine so many others would define as life.  Include in this universe all those that are at peace, and then include those in need of peace.  I think you should be the sun in your universe; the gravity around which all other bodies revolve.  As each body reaches harmony within your universe, your gravitational pull will increase on them and they will move closer until their own equilibrium is reached and a stationary orbit is attained.  The sun does not do this out of some misplaced ego.  This will occur of its own accord, as though a part of some natural law of passive influence; influence which occurs, and ends, at their desire, not yours.

"Everything in the universe wants to be loved and accepted.  Our personal work is to find the love and acceptance within ourselves."

-- Shakti Gawain. author, "personal development" proponent

When these orbiting bodies are ready, they will break their orbit and leave your gravitational sphere of "passive" influence.  They will strike out on their own, or with those bodies that have been affected by their pull, and they will create their own "personal universe."

How can we do this?  Many cannot even fathom the infinite majesty of the universe much less see themselves as some universe unto themselves.  Yet, we practice this very thing throughout our lives.  We have families that revolve around a central figure, and commonly reach out to create extended families.  We have beliefs that revolve around central concepts, governments that revolve around central bodies, and financial systems that revolve around central banks.  But these are concepts within our sphere of influence.  How is it possible for us to even consider defining ourselves as a universe when even science is still defining what a universe is?

The most basic problem with mankind is that we let our ego get in our line of vision; we cannot see the forest for the trees; we try too damned hard to accomplish that which is already done, to find that which is already found, and to be that which we already are.  We find ourselves drowning in a shallow pool, when all that is required for us to do is stand, and do our "happy dance." 

"All the powers of the universe all already ours.  It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark."

-- Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), Hindu monk

Have a wonderful Sunday full of family and friends, and don't forget to dance!




Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

I Am Not Afraid of My God

I have a real problem with the concept that God put us here to satisfy some dark sadistic need to have a specie cower in fear, throughout their existence, at the very thought of him.  I would rather think that we would spend our time wanting to make our Father proud, than to worry about angering a supreme deity that could squash us at any moment.  I suppose, if you buy into the whole "fear God" thing, one would have to constantly be asking themselves, "Why?"

"To fear is to have more faith in your antagonist than in Christ."

-- D.L. Moody (1837-1899), "The Overcoming Life"

I have better things to do with the life God gave me than to worry about that which God already knows, after all, God knows everything, right?  Like any father, God hopes that we utilize the tools bestowed upon us, but knows that we will have to fall and get back up again before we finally "get it" and succeed.  Why would you fear a father that offers unconditional love?

Brad Miner, is an author and senior editor of The Catholic Thing.  I both agree and disagree with his opinions, but find his insight interesting and thought provoking.  His latest post, Afraid of God, did not disappoint.

In the article, he does what Catholics are famous for, he quotes those that Catholics have to thank for instilling this fear of God deep into our faith.  Is it any wonder why, after several thousand years, mankind has no progress toward peace and tranquility as we constantly bicker over who is more right in order not to offend God?  Is it just me, or is it more logical we might have progressed further if we had just concentrated on doing the right thing, creating beauty, and making the most out of our world?  God gave us all of the tools to make this happen, and then we let ego get in the way.  If we're not letting ego distract us, we're blaming God for falling short.  Do we really want to go there?

This seems to be a typical advertisement from religion baiters, God haters or hard liner atheists.  I don't disagree with it at all, but this is an example of both hitting the nail on the head while missing the entire piece of wood.  God gives us the tools to stop the rape of our children, but religion baiting with ads like this is not making use of those tools.  It would be like holding a bucket while standing on the dock watching everyone else bail a sinking boat and criticizing them for not having enough buckets.  The folks in the boat feel it can be saved, but you standing on the dock criticizing won't help.  You have the tools. God gave you a bucket.  Get in the boat and stop finding excuses to not take ownership over the fact that you have a bucket and are letting the boat sink.

If God steps in at every turn to rescue us from our fiascos when we're too dense to use the available tools to rescue ourselves, we would just sit in the boat and wait for God to bail us out.  When you think it out, the boat would have never been built as God would have constantly provided everything for our existence.  Oh, wait, Garden of Eden, right?  Well, we screwed that up and there are those that obviously still blame God for us not following the rules.

So, on the other hand, this advertisement is actually a statement in support of my argument.  If I could stop a child from being raped, I would, because God has given me the righteous tools to accomplish this feat.  It is a waste of God's gifts not to make use of them. 

I'm a great one for stating that, God helps those that help themselves.  But, God already has.  God has given us the tools, the knowledge, to make everything right.  We have only to start down that path to rediscovery of that which we lost.  It is like looking for the glasses that are perched on our heads.  We have them already, we simply have to look in the mirror to realize what we thought was lost was around us all the time.  Our wanting to look in the mirror, and then actually doing it, is just more trouble than constantly cursing God for not just showing us the way.

I prefer to take ownership of my time here on Earth.  It has taken time for me to understand this.  For everything we do, or don't do, there will be consequences.  Consequences can manifest in many ways, including the death and suffering of the very young and innocent.  These consequences are reminders of what has been done wrong, or right.  Death of the innocent is a necessary, albeit cruel, reminder of the wages of sin and the loss of Eden.

"Fear has to be the opposite of God because it is the opposite of love.  Fear is selfish, needy and focused on you.  It makes no sense for God to want you in fear about Him or your life. 

It comes down to this:  either God wants you to live in fear of Him, always afraid you aren't good enough and focused on yourself, or He wants you to live in love, knowing you are safe, and focused on loving other people.  Which feels more accurate to you?"

-- Kimberly Giles, "Choosing Clarity: The Path to Fearlessness"

I know what is right and what isn't.  I know what is expected of me, and I know that I have fallen short of the mark.  Does this scare me for the judgment to come?  No.  My faith in God is like my faith in my father.  I will be shown the error of my ways, given kudos for having already recognized my shortcomings, and I will be put back on the path to continue my journey and hopefully do better next time.  The only fear is in having to repeat the same task over and over again like some sack of hammers.  But, even this fear will do nothing for God's plan but slow the wheels of progress.  God's house won't get built if I keep hammering at the nails and missing the wood, and the boat will sink if I constantly complain and find fault without ever getting into the boat to bail.

I love my God for giving me the opportunity to muck this life up.  I hope I learn enough so I don't muck it up as much next time around, and there will be so many next times.  This is the loving forgiving God I believe in.  All God asks is for us to do, even though God knows we might fail.  Without trial and error there can be no knowledge; without knowledge there can be no doing; without doing, no progress, and without progress we will never find God's kingdom, which is right where we left it.  We need to stop assigning blame for our short memory.

As for fearing God, I leave you with one last thought, to remind you of the thought at the start of this post, a thought which everyone fearing God should chew on:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

-- 2 Timothy 1:7

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

Teenage Transgender Suicide

"How do we respond when a teenager kills herself because her family refused to accept the gender she identified as?  The tragic story of Leelah Alcorn, a transgender girl who committed suicide after years of anguish over her family's refusal to acknowledge her, can hopefully shed some light on this question"

-- Posted on 1/5/2015 by the ULC Monastery 

How the Faithful Can Help End Transgender Suicide

These stories break my heart, and those that read my posts probably know why; my young friends that endured their own struggles at a time in our history when society lacked understanding, the gay community was just beginning to "come out" of the shadows, and AIDS was the up and coming news of the era. Even in high school I was having a problem wrapping my young mind around the notion that this was an aberration they brought upon themselves at their young age, something they needed to be cured of through years of analysis and therapy, as though this would do anything but chase the true self back into the shadows. These kids were in grade school and junior high. If they retreated into the shadows back then, they would only have to deal with it later on, as adults, after years of secrecy and personal masochism of shame, blame, and torture. The alternative for many of these kids was to stay in the light and endure the intolerance, cruelty, and non-acceptance from everyone else. For many, all of endurance would be tested at home, from the very people who should have been there for support and understanding - the parents. But, this is just my opinion.

One of these friends had parents that were very Christian, loved him, and tried their best to understand. Understand isn't the right word. They loved him dearly, but didn't accept that he couldn't be "cured," they were Christians, after all. He was ten at the time, if I remember correctly. He died of AIDS; I think he was in his late twenties or early thirties, at home with his family caring for him.

"But you can only lie about who you are for so long without going crazy."

-- Ellen Wittlinger, "Parrotfish"

I have included a link to the monastery site where the article is located; I invite you to read it.  I will not belabor this subject with my own commentary concerning someone I did not have the pleasure of meeting, except to say I agree and disagree with two points in the article.  I disagree with this paragraph:

Despite our sympathy for Leelah, we must resist the urge to posthumously turn her into a spokesperson for transgender issues.  She is, after all, ultimately responsible for her own death, though not solely responsible.  The failures of the authority figures in Leelah's life do not excuse the wrongness of her suicide.

Her feeling of being a girl trapped in a boy's body dated back to when she was four.  Whether we would like to admit it or not she is a spokesperson for youth transgender issues and to not discuss her as such would be to sweep this whole "unsavory" subject for Christians under the biblical rug and continue to watch children endure this heartache, or kill themselves to escape it.

If people of faith truly care about the well-being of transgender youth, they will stop cherry-picking Biblical passages which reinforce their bias against gender nonconformity, and instead explore passages which will teach them unconditional love.  For such passages do indeed exist.  "Anyone who does not provide for relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever", says 1 Timothy 5:8, while 1 Samuel 16:7 states that "The Lord does not look at the things people look at.  People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart".

This is a paragraph I can wrap my heart around.  We, as Christians, constantly fail our faith by "cherry picking Biblical passages which reinforce bias."  Many times we do this by misinterpreting the passage to suit our personal agenda.  We have seen how well this turns out when we look at radical Islam.  For every passage that can be interpreted negatively, there are others to contradict them.  The questions for each of us should be, who do we want our God to be?  What message do we really want to hear?

Mine is unconditional love and understanding, tolerance and sweet reasonableness.  I fear not the Lord my God. 

I was going to reprint the suicide note Leelah left.  It is telling, in so many ways, of who she was and what she went through to get to this point in her young life.  After reading it several times, I have opted to post the Snopes.com link to it instead:  http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/leelah.asp.  At the end of the note is a short blurb from the local paper concerning her death.  The police are investigating, but I think it is pretty straightforward what happened.

Note from Pastor Tony, the founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance, as well as the author and editor of "The Path," the Congregation's official blogsite:  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, 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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor