Conspiracy, Theory, or Fact?

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

-- John 8:32

Are there people, agencies of the federal government, conspiring to hide the truth from the American people?  I am a firm believer that there are forces at work within our government, and around the world, which have to ability to ensure a desired outcome no matter the expense, damage, or cost to human life and liberty.  I also think that those who do not buy into this fact are delusional, believe everything they are told, are in denial, and prefer to live in the scripted world that has been laid out before them; lemmings heading for the cliff, the brainwashed masses standing in line for their cup of cyanide laced fruit punch.  But, then, this is just a theory, right?
con·spir·a·cy

kənˈspirəsē

noun

1. a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.

   "a conspiracy to destroy the government"

   synonyms:

   plot, scheme, plan, machination, ploy, trick, ruse, subterfuge; informalracket "a conspiracy to manipulate the results"

   • the action of plotting or conspiring.

     "they were cleared of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice"

     synonyms:

     plotting, collusion, intrigue, connivance, machination, collaboration; treason "conspiracy to commit murder"

These forces follow the philosophy of Master Yoda:  "Do or do not. There is no try."  If there is a conspiracy we know about, it is not part of their secret agenda.  If we knew about it, had proof about it, we would be dead.  These forces do not conspire to do a thing - they do the thing!  Theirs is not so much a plan of action as it is a decision to take the action.  The action will occur; any planning is simply a means to the inevitable end.

Whenever you're faced with an explanation of what's going on in Washington, the choice between incompetence and conspiracy, always choose incompetence.

-- Charles Krauthammer, political commentator

Our government is incapable of conspiracy, let's face it, they're incompetent not intelligent.  These forces work within or government, but are not a part of it.  They stand apart from the shackles of law that might bind their hands from performing whatever task is at hand.  If they concerned themselves with laws, they would have to conspire to circumvent said laws and, as stated before, they either do or do not, there is no conspire.

If there is any conspiracy in what these people do, it would be in keeping even their very existence from the general public.  These are the people that control the people that tell world leaders, "No."  These are the people that tell the Director of the CIA to tell the President of the United States that he, or she, does not have the need to know.  These are the agencies and programs that are so clandestine even the CIA doesn't have the need to know.  A conspiracy?  Not if what you conspired to do has become a career.  There comes a point when what you conspire to do becomes fact.  If society is still screaming "conspiracy" it is simply proof of success in that they don't have a clue.  

Area 51 is a case in point.  There are many theories about what they do out there.  Are they conspiring to do something out there?  No.  That they are doing something out there is fact, so there is no conspiracy.  That there is a conspiracy of secrecy for the area, however, is also a fact.  Do the people of the United States have a right to know what they're up to way out there in the desert?  Absolutely.  Do they have the need to know?  Probably not, and they certainly don't have the security clearance.   

A conspiracy theory is an explanatory or speculative hypothesis suggesting that two or more persons or an organization have conspired to cause or to cover up, through secret planning and deliberate action, an event or situation typically regarded as illegal or harmful.

Let's face it, if there are people that can deny the President the need to know, what chance does Joe Bag O'Doughnuts have?  Is it a conspiracy, a theory, or a fact?  Is it for the protection of our country, our way of life, or our world?  Is it to protect world freedom, or facilitate world domination? 

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

-- Lord Acton (1834-1902), historian, politician, writer 

The problem with a Presidential decree allowing a clandestine agency to act in the "best interest" of a country, in order to preserve the safety and security of said country, is the total lack of oversight to ensure the patriotic endeavor doesn't become a hidden agenda, a power grab for world domination by the super wealthy elite.

Novelist and poet, John Updike, once quipped, "America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy."  Personally, I think the American government's rare attempt at constructive thought would best not be wasted on the questionable happiness of her citizens since that particular Love Boat sailed in the 1960s and sank somewhere in the Sargasso Sea.  Anyone who buys into the current line of bullshit is treading shark infested waters.

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”

-- Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), slave, abolitionist, newspaper editor

We need to heed the words of Frederick Douglass, as we see the Supreme Court blatantly deny justice and the government enforcing poverty through failed social welfare programs and an educational system which lags behind most of the educated world because we consider participation to be a passing grade.  Every class of citizen in our society, rich and poor, understands there is a conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them for the simple reason that ignorance dictate two or three more wrongs make a right.  Our first and second amendment rights are under fire and if we lose them it will take a hard fight, a revolt, a civil war, against our own government and those that support the dismantling of our Constitution, to get them back.  Police forces freely admit they cannot protect us, and have advised citizens to arm themselves.  Our media and schools are controlled by a liberal, socialist minority elite bent on destroying our Constitution by controlling free thought and, hence, the minds of our youth.  And, finally, we have allowed our own elected government to pervert eminent domain in order to allow the confiscation of private property for the benefit of private enterprise.  

Was Frederick Douglass really able to see over 100 years into the future of our country, or was the direction we were heading as obvious as the nose on his face?

I don't believe in a conspiracy to hide the existence of extraterrestrial life.

-- David Duchovny, actor, "The X Files"

Do we know for a fact there is extraterrestrial life?  No?  Well, maybe these clandestine agencies around the world are doing a bang-up job hiding it.  Again, if they are hiding the existence of aliens from us, it is not a conspiracy any more.  If they are succeeding in their task, it becomes a fact that they are hiding the information, if they are.  And, I would think it some perverse form of denial to believe in "conspiracies" which we also readily admit, and believe, to be real and active programs.  I think it has to be one way or the other; you can't have it both ways.  Either it is a plan to deceive the public, or the public is, in fact, being deceived.  Either way, though, it would seem the smoke and mirrors, the sleight of hand at which these ultra-secret agencies are so adept, has succeeded in keeping us all confused, ignorant, or in denial - even our presidents, our world leaders.  

Gee, isn't that the point?

"The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings."

-- John F. Kennedy, "The President and the Press," April 27th, 1961

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion 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 Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

My Sunday Thought for 2/10/16: Rest In Peace

"What will your epitaph say?  What do you want people to say about you when you are gone?  See God’s face.  Feel His presence.  Trust His love.  Gifts aren’t meant to be paid for, they are meant to be passed along."

-- Robert Duvall (Johnny Crawford), "Seven Days in Utopia"

What will people say about you when you've died?  What will your epitaph say?  When it comes right down to it, why do you give a fig what it says, or what people think - you're dead!  If you cared what they thought you would have lived your life like you cared and there would be no question, right?  And from the start our seemingly meaningless lives, most of us have been taught to give great focus to what other people think of us so we aren't an embarrassment.

I think we have spent so much of our time, whether we admit to it or not, keeping up with the Joneses; trying to look like we've "made it" in our society.  In doing so we missed the only real reason we should be better than we are.  "See God’s face. Feel His presence. Trust His love. Gifts aren’t meant to be paid for, they are meant to be passed along."  

Maybe if we can walk a path that includes God we will, without even realizing it, walk a path that is all inclusive of those around us.  There will be no ego, no concern for opinion, no selfish agenda, and no fog of battle.  Better yet, what would happen if we walked a path God has already set for us?  What would our lives be like if we understood that we cannot "include" God on our path, because God is there regardless of our desire?  We cannot allow God.  We have no choice in the inclusion of God.  What would happen if we felt God's face, felt God's presence and trusted God's love for us?  What would our lives be like if we stopped trying to pay for the gifts God has endowed each of us with, and spent our short time on the earth passing those "gifts" along?  What would happen if we simply concerned ourselves, 24/7/365, with paying forward the gifts of God?

If we can accomplish this simple of all tasks, will we be able to rest in peace at life's end, or will we find that we have lived a life at peace and simply died the way we lived?

It is just a thought, my Sunday thought, for this February 10, 2016. 

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion 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 Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

The Faceless

Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an’ blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an’ cheated by pursuit
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

-- Bob Dylan, "Chimes of Freedom"

They are as faceless as they are nameless. As people get older I think it gets worse, this thing called recognition. Soon the faces run together like too much of the wrong paint on canvas. We are the muted colors of the background used by God to make everything else look good.  This is the circumstance we brought on ourselves, after all.  We could have been one color but we had to go and make Dad angry.  When you think about it, though, it worked out pretty good; at least we have variety.  The problem with a variety of muted colors is that, pretty soon, one person starts to look like another.  The colors start to run together and there are over 7,324,782,225 of them to test our shoddy memory. "Hey, you!" is followed by "Yo! Bud!" and "Excuse me, ma'am?" or, "Oh, miss!" Don't you just hate when your wait staff wears large lettered name tags and you still can't recall their name when you need an umpteenth refill on your coffee?  And, go ahead; try to confuse me by being transgender.  Dressing like the other gender won't help to give you a face if everyone is doing it. It doesn't make you special. You are what you are.  I still one of the faceless masses who I can barely acknowledge and quickly dismiss from my mind just as easily as I can anyone else.  "They all look alike to me," is no longer a politically incorrect punchline, people are really in danger of becoming "cookie-cutter" humans.  How sad are we?

Most people are happy being average. Most are happy being faceless in a sea of faces.

-- Robert Kiyosaki, financial educator, motivational speaker

Age has nothing to do with my shoddy memory; I've never been good at remembering anything unless its important, and people generally are out to impress me with their importance, not that they have to, and they generally don't, and I wouldn't give a fig anyway since I really don't care how important someone thinks they are, unless they can put a hurt on me.

Movie stars? Met them. Generals, Admirals, Politicians, sports figures, met them too. I'm not enamored by them as much as they are by themselves. Yeah, I might recognize the currently famous, or simply act like I don't. But, even if I do, it only buys them a stool next to me at the local pub if it's unoccupied by one of the other 7,324,782,224 that I might find more interesting and less narcissistic, like the homeless guy on the curb out front.

I have kind of selective memory, I guess.  My mind is chock full of those important "crib notes" necessary for being me.  I'm like a generic brand of paper towel; I'll soak stuff up if I'm around it long enough, or if I'm really pressed.  If I absolutely have to remember, I'll pull open all the file drawers until I find the right one, and then I'm really screwed.  Dewey Decimal?  Not so much.

Most people don't walk around knowing what other people think about them, and I don't think it's healthy to know what faceless strangers who you'll never meet say about you.

-- Christina Ricci, actress

More of us are like this than I imagined and, in my humble opinion, I think we're usually more interesting.  Maybe it's because we just don't give a damn and we're not afraid to let people know.  And, having said all of this, you're still worried about being fat and unattractive?  You're still worried about feelings of inadequacy, of not standing out in the crowd?  Be real.  Whenever you feel less adequate than someone else, just try to remember that even the beautiful people are simply more of the same faceless mass of billions that inhabit this blueberry we call home.  They are nothing more than a momentary diversion from the daily grind which most people have to endure just to survive.   Fame is usually fleeting; a flash in the pan and we're on to the next hot item.  People may look at you but, fear not, they don't see you.  They just need someone to talk about behind their back for a few minutes; another anecdote for gossip.

I would love to make my music and be completely anonymous, but that doesn't work. You can't have success and be faceless.

-- Sarah McLachlan, musician

If you want someone to see you, to really see you for who you are and not as just another faceless minion of some governmental overlord, go up to them and introduce yourself.  Hey, now!  Here's a concept!  Entertainers, who think they're all that, should go up to a total stranger at the local Starbuck's and ask if they can join them.  We should all try it.  Introduce yourself and shake their hand.  Indulge yourself in small talk, the events of the day, or the weather.  You know, practice being really human.  Go to the park and sit on a bench.  Pay attention to all of the previously faceless passersby who could care less how important you are.  Think about who they are and where they're going.  It's true that you still don't know them, but you aren't just looking at them anymore, you're trying to see them, see them as something more than just more of the madding crowd cluttering everyday life, of which you are one.  Try seeing them as something else, something special... someone with a face and, hopefully, a name to remember.

Around the time Gene Hackman had just finished making "The French Connection" he was picking up a camera my dad was repairing for him.  We were late from lunch and he was just sitting out in front of the shop, in a well-worn Toyota or Datsun, reading the newspaper; just one of the guys.  I remember he was a nice guy.  He was personable; not all egotistical about being the next hot star.  We apologized for making him wait and he shrugged it off with a smile.  If you want to be a memory, be a good memory, not an egotistical ass.  Oh, and if you're the spouse of someone famous, remember you're not them, you're the spouse.  Big deal.  You won't even be known until you're caught in bed with several people and, even then, you be remembered as so-and-so's spouse who got caught playing "team sports."

But, God did create us to be social creatures; to be fruitful and multiply.  We were meant to be with each other.  Okay, not necessarily to play "team sports," but to socialize.  The fact that the majority of us seem to ignore one another is contrary to our purpose and our existence here.  Our lack of ability or desire to be social, to even greet our fellow humans, much less exercise cordiality,  can be the root of psychological problems we bury, ignore, or unknowingly have to deal with daily.  Go out amongst the masses and be everything you can be.

A lot of cop shows, because they have the restraints of having a new case every episode, the victims often become these kinds of nameless, faceless plot points, and as an audience, we don't feel anything for those people.

-- Mireille Enos, actress

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.

My Sunday Thought for February 7, 2016: Internet, Enter Evil?

A knife might be a good analogy. It has the capacity to do much harm, and has killed many, many people. But when used properly it also has the capacity to make life more convenient and even to heal the dangerously ill. And despite knives' negative potential, we continue to use them in our homes—though we exercise caution and make sure they don't fall into the hands of children.

-- Moshe Goldman, "Is the Internet Evil?"

Mankind has such capacity for good, and yet we constantly strive to foment evil in our lives.  You don't agree with this comment?  Consider those that do not want internet rules and controls.  Why not?  Why not protect society from criminal, evil, and immoral practices which the internet so freely allows?  Why don't people want these controls to protect them from themselves? For the simple reason that the internet, as it is, allows them to ply their trade in criminal, evil, and immoral enterprise which is making them billions of dollars.

For many of us, not involved in these sinful excesses, we, none the less, enjoy the fruits of their labor; the products they produce on the "free" internet.  For those of us that aren't making the money and feel there should be no control, what are you involved in that you can't just as easily accomplish in a safer, policed, and controlled environment?  What illegal, or immoral, activities prohibit you from finding some reasonable middle ground for policing of the internet?  It is easy to understand why the kings of sin and vice don't want policing of their activities, but why doesn't law abiding society?

Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.

-- Ayn Rand (1905-1982), novelist

One must understand that I do not agree with government intervention in our lives.  I have a problem with policing our lives, our privacy, and living in George Orwell's world of 1984.  But, as a person with a modicum of moral character, I also see the intense evil available at our fingertips through gross misuse of the most phenomenal technology the world has ever known.  How did it get so far out of hand?  Or did it?  Was it intended, from the onset, to destroy the very fabric of our society, the world, as we know it?  Have we been looking for the anti-Christ in all the wrong places?

The internet is a logical progression of information technology.  The world and all we know is now at our fingertips.  We can research, work, purchase, entertain, communicate, worship, and so much more, from the comfort of our own space.  There is, literally, no reason to ever leave your house.  No need for social interaction, no real requirement for interpersonal communication, no reason to suffer the warmth, the physical touch, of another human being.  Life is good?

The Islamic State can recruit the insane, sociopathic, dregs of our society to assist them in murdering innocence.  Hillary Clinton can reveal beyond Top Secret information to our enemies.  Our children can hook up with predators that surf the net for the unsuspecting future molestation victims.  Evil also lurks on sites like Craig's List, looking for the ways to steal, rape, and murder those simply searching for a deal.  Such a deal!  And there are always offerings of pornography and gaming, for those searching for an escape.  There will always be those offering a means of escape, you simply have to be willing to take a bite of the apple.  Sin and vice, murder and rape, treason, libel, lies, and the worst mankind has to offer, all at the click of a mouse.  Life is good?

I think privacy is valuable. You don't have to share everything, and it's healthy to occasionally hit the pause button and ask yourself if you're oversharing. But at the end of the day, if you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to hide.

-- Ashton Kutcher, actor, producer

When I think about government intervention in my private life, I think about what I'm doing that I don't want my government to know about.  Everything we do on the internet they know about anyway.  If you want to keep secrets the internet is the last place to look for that privacy.  Everyone is so concerned about our communications being monitored, yet our laws protect us from information gleaned without due process.  Don't our laws protect us? Isn't it true that police activities cannot use information they find that doesn't relate directly to a case, nor can they come back later and investigate due to this information?  Aren't police activities, more than we realize, supposed to be very careful not to look at more than they need to for the very reason that the illegal manner in which they come about the information may squirrel up a future case?  If it isn't part of the warrant, the purpose for the search... but, what if the courts allow it?

The question all comes back to, "Why?"  What are we involved in that we don't want others to know about, especially government agencies?  Are we doing something immoral or illegal, or are we simply afraid of government overreach of their authority?  Lord knows there is ample evidence to base our fears on this kind of overreach.  Why are we afraid?

Sell your confidence at a high price, if at all; to be strong, keep your own counsel.

-- Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), author

Why are we afraid of losing privacy that we voluntarily plaster all over the World Wide Web for everyone to peruse at their leisure?  We do our banking, our stock purchases, and other business all on the internet.  We cheat on our taxes and our spouses, frequent porn sites,  join terrorist organizations, and post photos of ourselves in compromising poses, all n the internet.  We do all of this with the misguided notion that there is already some security giving us an expectation of privacy already in place.  We do this as we forget there is very little that cannot be hacked into by someone with the knowledge to do so, and they do it all the time.  Privacy?  If you want privacy, keep it private.  The best way to reveal a secret is to tell someone.

What it seems to come down to, is our sense of morality.  If we have nothing to hide, why are we hiding it?  If secrets are the devil's playground, what does that make the internet?

The internet is a tool.  Like any other tool it needs to be used properly.  A shovel is for digging, and yet it can readily be used to hit someone over the head with.  Guns don't kill people, people kill people.  The internet isn't intended to be evil; the people who use it have the capacity to make it that way.  We are human beings and, as such, our capacity for goo is boundless, but we must always be mindful of our unerring capacity to, also, screw up a wet dream.  If it can be broken, we will forever search for a way to break it.  Isn't it in our nature to do so?

The closing of a door can bring blessed privacy and comfort - the opening, terror. Conversely, the closing of a door can be a sad and final thing - the opening a wonderfully joyous moment.

-- Andy Rooney (1919-2011), writer, humorist, commentator

I think that before we allow our children on the internet, we need to ensure parental security is in place.  Yes, the easy way is to simply apply the applicable security many programs now offer.  It is easy and requires a definite lack of burdensome, time consuming parenting.  The better idea is to apply a healthy dose of burdensome, time consuming parenting, which is actually a large part of the responsibility you signed on for when you made the totally selfish decision to have children.  At this point you're probably saying you should have bought a dog.  Do us all a favor, if you can't be responsible enough for children, you certainly can't have a pet, and vice versa.  It is all about being responsible for the care, feeding, and upbringing of another life.

Take the time to parent.  Take the time to mentor.  Take the time to, not only apply the security protocols to television and computer, but sit down and explain the why of it all.  Explain the dangers to their security, morality, life, and their eternal soul.  They will hit you with, "You don't trust me!"  They are right, we don't.  We do, however, love and worry about them.  Oh, and trust?  It isn't freely handed out like so many participation trophies, it is something hard earned.  Better they learn about trust early, before they have to hold down a job, which, by the way, is another probable benefit of proper parenting.

Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.

-- James Baldwin (1924-1987), minister, writer, poet

Just a thought.

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion 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 Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

Accidental Valor

CAUTION:  What you about to read is considered by the author, me, to be a random act of bloviating.  Continue at your own peril, or run away.

How do you live with plotting the probable nuclear destruction of millions of innocent women and children? For starters you make sure it never has to become a reality. How do you ensure it doesn't? You can bring your best poker face to the table, or ensure the enemy absolutely knows, without doubt, your resolve to mercilessly annihilate them by constantly reminding them you are the biggest and baddest SOB on the planet by your actions.  Teddy Roosevelt’s early 1900’s policy of “speak softly, but a big stick” just doesn't have the psychological impact of showing the world you carry a Dillon M134D Gatling Gun so you can respond with 3000 rounds per minute of patriotic resolve.  Who talks this way?

I didn't use to; I was a conservative hippy wannabe of the late 1960s, early 70s era with all of the, you know... peace, love, dope, roll another one just like the other one, don't Bogart that joint my friend, yadda, yadda, yadda.  That was before I was drafted and decided to join the Air Force.  Want a wakeup call?  Get involved with military intelligence and learn the stuff no one else knows.  Some of the information you learn can change your opinion politically, and morally.  It can tighten your sphincter to the point of redefining the term "pucker factor" for the rest of your life.

The Air Force isn't built to fight on the ground.  As the name would evidence, we take the fight to the air and carpet bomb the ground until it looks like the moon.  When I was in, we also planned out the targets for hundreds of nuclear missiles strikes and joked about being responsible for the lives of millions of innocent women and children.  Post Traumatic Stress is not just found on the battlefield.  PTSD finds you sitting on the couch in your underwear at 2:00 a.m., wondering if the blast from the target you plotted missed the population center; was your plot better than the allowed tolerances?  And there are the pilots which have to deliver this weapon of mass destruction.  PTSD?  Thank God we never had to prove our resolve.  

There is a notion that if our citizens pay for the gathered intelligence information, they deserve to see it.  Knowing what I came to learn, I became part of the school that firmly believes there is information you don't want to know, things you don't want to see, and disavowed Black Ops at work ensuring you enjoy that peaceful night with your family and friends.  You really don't want to know what they do.  Be satisfied and comforted in the knowledge that someone has the courage, the big Inconel 625 cojones, to do it.

There is also a question of whether what these people do is legal, lawful, moral, or even necessary.  Are you alive, speaking English, and free?  If so, thank God; shake the hand of a proud U.S. military vet.  If you don't feel the gratitude, that is the right of opinion they fought, and died, for you to have, but you might want to consider saving face by simply closing your pie hole.  Go shopping with your family feeling relatively safe in the notion that someone has paid, and is paying, for your precious freedoms by accepting a probable sentence in hell from almighty God for the actions they take to ensure you get to eat that Big Mac in peace, but don't whine about the actions of a few good men and women of whom, and what, you have no concept.

"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post."

-- Colonel Jessup, "A Few Good Men" (1992)

I considered this a strongly acted tirade by Jack Nicholson as Col. Jessup. I think the last time I was riveted to a speech like this was the one given by George C. Scott portraying Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. in Patton. But, is Col. Jessup correct? To a point, I think yes.

The point of the case depicted in the movie, as I see it, rests with excusing the death of a young Marine under the guise of honor, code, and loyalty; words and ideals which Jessup and the defendants clearly ignored in the eyes of The U.S. Military Code of Conduct and, thence, The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).  Even the military has laws to protect us from ourselves and from illegal or unconscionable orders.

The philosophy Jessup espouses of why "those walls have to be guarded by men with guns" is, in my opinion, correct and more to the point.  We need them and, if we want to admit it or not, we want them there.  Hey, better them than you, right?  After all, your taxes pay for their bravery, even if it doesn't pay for the aftermath of service; damage incurred to them mentally and physically for which a,, in all probability, quick patch is applied prior to farming the wounded warrior out to pasture.  But, then, this also should be of no concern, should it, with Obamacare and all.  They carry, and oft times publicly display, these wounds as they do their metals, all rewards for a job well done.  

Whether a soldier sees combat, the mere fact they have signed away their life for the good of the many, or the few, is already an act of accidental valor.  I say "accidental" because most of them don't realize they have already become heroes to many of us, a hero which they will forever be in denial of.  These are our national pride, our children, our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, our grandparents and great grandparents, our friends.  These are our accidental heroes which display daily, acts of accidental valor.  It might be planned, but more frequently we discover they simply found themselves being in the wrong place at the right time.

These are heroes all, patriots of a grateful nation.  God bless them, and God bless the United States of America. 

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion 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 Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

My Sunday Thought for 1/31/16: Middle Ground

middle ground  

noun 

1. an intermediate position, area, or recourse between two opposites or extremes; a halfway or neutral standpoint. 

2. middle distance. 

3. Nautical. a length of comparatively shallow water having channels on both sides.

All the definitions for "middle ground" seem to mean essentially the same thing.  When it comes to relationships, the "halfway" or "neutral" standpoint comes into play.   I have never been a fan of the neutral standpoint.  It is noncommittal and evidences fear to take a stand one way or the other.  Taking the "halfway" stand at least lets everyone know your opinion, yet allows you to meet them "halfway" in order to accomplish a common goal.  Meeting someone halfway requires some give and take from both sides.  It is a balancing of what everyone wants in order to accomplish something which is good for everyone.

I recently came across this note beside the name of a Catholic priest on an emergency call list:  "Do not call Father X during the night, and not at all unless it is one of his congregation!"  As a minister for religious tolerance I found this note troubling.  This is the type of comment which drove me from the Catholic Church, and mainstream Christianity as a whole.  For "Father X" there is a schedule for his Christianity, and there is a limit to his tolerance for those of other congregations, much less of other faiths.  It seems to me the priest is making it very clear, "There is only so much I can do, and you're not in my congregation, so you can just die without Last Rites.  I cannot be bothered with you."  Father 'X' chooses when it is appropriate to shirk his voluntarily dedicated responsibility to humanity and God.  It makes one wonder how we would have fared if Christ had taken the same tact.  He wouldn't have died on the cross for all of us, which would seem fairly certain.

Father X walks proudly down that submerged sandbar of shallow "Christian" attitudes hidden behind the thin veil of an intolerant definition of Christianity.  I have met these priests before, and their faith allows them an ego, control over a flock, a roof over their head, and an escape, as they see fit, from their true Christian responsibilities as a "man of the cloth."  He refuses to dive into the good side, to become fully vested in his chosen righteousness, and thereby risks falling into the other side which is populated by all the sharks of sin which one's ego allows to swim around them like welcomed friends.  These are the priests, ministers, and assorted clergy who build multimillion dollar cathedrals while allowing the poor to starve and go homeless, embezzle church funds, diddle little boys, frequent whore houses, cheat on their wives, smoke and become alcoholics.  They're the clergy which will deny their faith to save their own ass.  They're the clergy that preach vehemently against, yet readily fall prey to, the Seven Deadly Sins.  They are no better than the congregation they serve, but aren't they supposed to be?  Aren't they supposed to set the example?

So, where does this leave the idea of "middle ground" when it comes to Christianity?  Can a minister of God choose when and where to walk in the footsteps of Christ?  Can they pick and choose who they will show charity to and who they will condemn to hell?  I see in this attitude a revisiting of Christianity to the Dark Ages when Christian corruption and sin reigned supreme, the Church coffers were the golden idols used to wage war to fill those same coffers, and heresy was loosely interpreted by a Church which investigated and punished through unspeakable tortures, all in the name of God.  Middle ground?  I wonder.

Maybe this is something to consider as you watch your clergy, this Sunday, railing from the pulpit about the evils of sin and the benefits of charity.  Do you really know where they stand, and do they practice what they preach?

What do I know?  I'm a self-admitted sinner and hypocrite, trying to do the best I can, with what I have, to help others along their path.  I have no expectations of salvation, at least not in this life, but, then again, I have not taken a sacred vow.  I just expect more from those that do.

Of course, as always, this is just an opinion.  I could be wrong.  

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion 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 Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."

   

Who You Are

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-- Marianne Williamson, spiritual and inspirational speaker and author

"Where you're from determines who you are." Heard this commercial? Who comes up with this pseudo psychobabble? If we accept this, then if you grow up in the ghetto, you are, therefore, the ghetto. You're from a welfare family, therefore you'll always be on welfare. You're a white from Mississippi; therefore you must be a bigot. If you're a gang banger, you'll always be a gang banger, right?  Bullshit.

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

-- Maya Angelou

Who and what you want to be determines who you are.  What you've done in your life, or want to do, determines who you are, not your circumstances, not the media, and certainly not an agenda pushed by a political party that promises what they never intend to deliver in order to keep you down so they'll continue to have a large, ignorant, voting base.  Where you're from is simply the beginning of your path, just as where you are going will be the end.

"You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to GO..."

-- Dr. Seuss

The most important attribute each of us is born with is choice.  We have the ability to choose who and what we wish to be.  Our freedom of choice is something no one can take from us.  If the Holocaust teaches us anything it would be the human capacity to choose whether to live free or die.  We have the moral fortitude to choose not to live as slaves.  It is one attribute that guarantees mankind will never willingly submit to evil.

You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.

-- Maya Angelou

Anyone who believes that where you're from determines who you are will always be lost.  They will always be a victim of their own inaction and never become more than they are.  They will always be the slave of some gang, some heretical extremist religious cult, some credit company, some state aid or federal aid agency (aka, welfare), someone's lapdog, someone's... bitch, someone else's idea of who they should be.  Basically, they will remain a victim of everything they should be trying to escape.  But, then, it has become a well understood fact that you can't cure stupid, the afflicted have to want to change, and as long as they are offered a way to remain complacent burdens on society, they will continue to delude themselves that they are anything but.  You can't save people from themselves.  Like any other addiction, being something less than your potential is just, well... easier.

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.

-- Maya Angelou

There are those that will read this and become inflamed over my comments, instead of looking passed the comments to see who and what they are.  They will say, "But, I'm trying."  Are you holding down three part-time jobs?  "The schools aren't offering me, or my children, the education to better our lot."  Are you making them, or yourself, learn at home, or is the computer for email and playing games?  "I need the food stamps or we'll starve."  And the entirety of your basket at checkout is comprised of healthy foodstuffs?

The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.

-- Vince Lombardi

Presidential candidate Ben Carson offers us some insight into what a poor, fairly illiterate, mother can accomplish, with very little, when her priorities are in proper alignment.  She can work her fingers to the bone as an example to her children.  She can ensure they toe the line in school.  And, she can offer the world a renowned neurosurgeon and political candidate for change.   She can accomplish wonders, for the betterment of mankind, albeit unknown to her at the time. Those that would find fault with her accomplishments, or his, are the same people that hold minorities, or themselves, down.  They're the same people that make excuses for why things never change and why the government needs to control their thinking, which isn't really difficult with lemmings.  But do you have to be a neurosurgeon?  Is it really rocket science?  No. 

My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.

-- Maya Angelou

It is what the intelligentsia now refer to as making a "paradigm shift," a shift in our basic concepts and practices; a profound change in our life model, our thinking, and our perception of our reality.  Basically, we simply have to make a conscious effort to say no to all things we are doing wrong in our lives, and take ownership of all the negativity.  We have either created our circumstances, or made the conscious decision to remain in our circumstances.  We have done this, not someone else.  It is our bad, and we have only ourselves to blame.  

This doesn't mean you can go off on a crusade against what, or who, you feel is the cause of ills in your life in an effort to solve the issues.  This would be, again, simply assigning blame to the decision you made to allow these causes to rule your decision making.  We have to wrap our mind around accepting full responsibility for our lives.  We have to, finally, become aware that we are in charge of our lives.  Only when we do this can we finally see the positive path that has always lain before us.

We are free to choose who and what we wish to be. We are Light alone. We are shape-shifters. We become what we choose to become in an effort to discover the Truth of who we are. We grow into our Truth. We grow into our soul.

-- Lauren Zimmerman

There is nothing I find more disagreeable than someone I work with being dissatisfied with their situation.  You have a job, so do it.  If you don't like the job, leave.  If you can't leave, why?  Bills?  Mortgage?  Ah!  Decisions you made that prevent you from living a happy, productive, life.  Now you find yourself in the less than enviable position of indentured servant (aka, slave), until you pay off the bills... which will never be paid off.

Who are you?  You are what you want to be, and if you aren't... then you must be satisfied with what you are.  Don't bitch, moan, and complain about the circumstance you put yourself into.  Don't try to shift the blame on others for the bad decisions you, yourself, have made that keep you down or miserable, because the people around you see right through this immature attempt to look blameless for your circumstance.  

Accept responsibility for who you are.  Accept that you owe, are indebted, for mistakes you've made, luxuries you wanted or needed.  Accept that you have to pay for the mistakes or debts.  Accept responsibility for your life, even if your assets belong to someone else due to your decisions.  Accept responsibility for your life, the life you've made, even if it isn't perfect, and you'll find there is some pride in ownership.  Then you might learn to understand...

I'd seen my father. He was a poor man, and I watched him do astonishing things.

-- Sidney Poitier

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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion 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 (aka, Pastor Tony)

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