My Sunday Thought for 071617: Falling Short

"Most people talk about the glass being half empty or full but this has a deeper meaning. To me it means to not just see ourselves as having the glass half empty or full but to consider and accept the trials, achievements, and accomplishments in life. Every stage of life is different but it is up to us to change for better or worse. Leave the rest to God.  Also, I should say failures too, since we have all fallen short - for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.  I think this is what people don't realize or accept.  The fact is that no one is perfect. It is what I struggle with when dealing with myself and others."

-- Shasha

Shasha was a young woman I met while working for an Institutional Review Board.  She always struck me as the quiet person who had an equally quiet cordiality about her.  Her personality, if not shy, was so quiet toward me that I allowed myself to blend her into the background noise of several hundred squeaky wheels in need of grease.  This was my mistake, and definitely my loss.  It has been about six years since I left the I.R.B., three years since I started this blog, and I wish I could remember when I met Shasha, but the date is nowhere to be found in the mess that is the file room of my memory.  I'm not even for certain that this isn't the first time she has commented on a My Sunday Comment; I seem to remember one other time, perhaps on Facebook, I could be wrong, however, as I am one of those who, quite often, falls short on so many things.  

The thought I do have of not knowing her better being my loss, comes from reading the comment I have included as the opener, above.  She also has a quiet depth of thought which comes across just as clearly as if she'd been behind a podium addressing an audience, quietly making conversation, or ministering to others in need.  I fear I have missed many interesting conversations by not having known her better.  If she continues to comment on what I write, perhaps it will not be too late.

The opinion she voices has much merit, in my humble view, "to not just see ourselves as having the glass half empty or full but to consider and accept the trials, achievements, and accomplishments in life."  Even those of us with an overflowing glass can stumble and fall.  Does this diminish the fullness of life?  Not at all!  Only if we fail to embrace the moment for the learning experience which it is, crying over the spilt milk without fully grasping the reality of a full carton still in the fridge.  We simply have to clean up the mess and open our eyes so we do not repeat the mistake more than twice.  I learned in the military that one mistake is a learning experience; to repeat the mistake solidifies the error, and the solution, in one's problem solving matrix; the third time is when we question whether we aren't better suited for simpler tasks; repeating for the forth time is when those above us become concerned as to whether a fifth repetition should be risked.  But, what most people in positions of authority tend to forget and "what people don't realize or accept," is clear for at least two of us, "all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God."

We constantly find ourselves preaching the laudable benefits of humility while, only minutes later, we tip our glass and once again fall short as we stand in judgment of another.  The volume of our glass is lessened by the spillage, which is painfully obvious to all around us by the transparency of our glass.  To think egotistically deny that others don't see through us simply depletes the fullness of our glass even more.  Taking a risk, with all humility, evidences a sense of character which others might be well to emulate.  

Don't be concerned about falling short as it is all about the journey, and the journey is all about experiences.  I stand here, freely admitting I fall short... constantly!  By falling short I find myself in a constant state of learning and experience.  Not all of us are rocket scientists or nuclear physicists, and not all scientists and physicists understand.  What is it they don't understand, you might ask?  It screams itself as much an exclamation as a question. 

Why!

But then, this is just another bit of confusion, another My Sunday Thought, for this Sunday, July 16.

“The only thing I know for sure is that I know nothing at all,  for sure.”

-- Socrates (470-399 BC), ancient Greek philosopher

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 another viewpoint.

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 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 23 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 an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects 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, to wage 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 Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.

Haunting Memories

Photo courtesy of Angel Torres

I am my own ghost, 

haunting the memories I love the most.

-- Anonymous

The reflection I see looks back at me, with the memories of a lifetime; physical scars are simply proof of life and less obvious, the older we get, than the aches and pains of age, yet all are products of questionable decisions in life.  Previously restful sleep is now interrupted with recurring nightmares of running faster than death at your heels and those, much slower, comrades well remembered.  Of all this, I would not trade a moment, save to spare my loved ones from the ghost, and a career spent lost and alone at the abyss; a poor choice to be sure, yet one which few cannot shy away from.  

The lucky of us claw our way back from the edge only to find we haunt the memories of our past, wondering if it was all worth the sacrifice of comrades, friends, and family, and we find, with some perverse satisfaction, these memories we haunt are the ones we love the most.  We might also haunt memories which go before; the youth of loves lost, lies told, and truths which remained unspoken to those we care about.  

We can reconnect with friends of our youth only to realize we also haunt the alternate universe of those realities that might have been, had we spoken up, made different choices, and said I love you or I care.  We can see in some of their lives the results of poor health, the lines, wrinkles, and pains of being beaten down by life.  We constantly read the obituaries in our high school alumni periodicals, and cancel our membership to avoid the realization of our own mortality, the ticking down of our own antique clock, regardless of how many times we lie to ourselves about how young we feel; the lie that makes you heft a sack of concrete onto your shoulder and hump it over to the back of a truck, then repeat it a few times just so you can suffer from shoulder and back pain for the coming week.  This is the haunting memory of being a dumbass.

I splash water on my face and look up to lock eyes with a familiar stranger.  I see him each morning, and each morning the recognition fades a bit.  I chalk it up to the same "old-timer's" which causes me to look for the reading glasses I find in my hand or the coffee I just set down but have to go to the coffee pot before I remember I just set it down.  My mother says these are the little things which are of little importance in our lives, so we deem them too trivial to waste time with memory.  But, it's my coffee, damn it!  There are trivial things that important.

I find myself approaching 65 and knowing I have much to make up for, if not in this life then in the next.  I have splashed in the pond with reckless abandon and little concern for the ripple effect on those around me.  People I hurt or let go, things I left unsaid, things I did and didn't do, those decisions which I know, in my heart, may have changed people's lives, their futures, and their happiness.  I know that we affect life by being in it as much as we do by being out of it.  Our presence can be needed as much as it can be missed, and the people around us are needed as much as we can miss them when they're gone.

I constantly impress upon my readers the need to live in the present, the now, between the ticks of the clock.  Everything we do has effect on time and space.  If we opt to do nothing, we have opted to do something which also causes effect.  Every kind word, every door we hold open, everyone we assist, has as much good effect as our harsh words, rudeness, and indifference, have bad effect.  

Living in memory and worrying about an uncertain future is simply wasting a potential we are better served to make use of in the present.  Perhaps the consequences tomorrow of some decision you made yesterday might have been mitigated by paying attention to the present instead of worrying about something other than now and those things over which you really have little or no control.  

We bring much with us on our journey through life; most of us bring luggage and a snack.  The delicious Big Mac is our living in the now; our memories, the baggage we weigh ourselves down with for the trip.  Good memories are the shower kit of life, the necessities.  Bad memories are like the arctic clothing we packed expecting to trek through Alaska, only to find we took a wrong turn and ended up in Death Valley.  We had it or thought we needed it, only to find it would have been better to buy what we need when we arrive, in other words, to live in the present.

If one has to be haunted by memories, I suppose it's better to be haunted by those memories we love the most.  Survival is when we are left with nothing and, therefore, have nothing to lose, or everything to gain. This is probably why I truly loved survival camping, and why it takes so little, nowadays, to make me happy in life.  Taoism teaches that an empty mind is ready to be filled, and the hole in the hub, the empty space, is what makes the wheel useful.  Living in the now is what keeps the mind centered and balanced.  

By the way, is it just me or has anyone else noticed women tend to bring a significantly larger shower kit on their journey than most men?  Then again, being from Mars, who do I care about impressing enough to bring that much crap?  Just saying.

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 another viewpoint.

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 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 23 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 an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects 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, to wage 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 Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.

My Sunday Thought for 070917: Windows of the Glass House

"Well, opinions are like assholes.  Everybody has one."

-- Harry Callahan, "The Dead Pool" (1988)

"Well, opinions are like assholes.  Everybody has one."  I can't remember when, in my childhood, I first heard my father say this, but I know it was way before 'Dirty Harry' Callahan said it in the 1988 movie, The Dead Pool.  

I researched roots of the quote back to, Past and present of Wyandot County, Ohio; A record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement (1913), Edited by Abraham J. Baughman, Chicago, IL: Clarke Pub. Co., 1913, and the excerpt reads thus:  "We’ve got one at home,” whereupon Adam remarked to some by-standers, “That’s the way it is, now em nare, washing machines are like noses — everybody’s got one.”  Well, if this is the original quote it is fairly tame in comparison to the more recent south-end-of-a-donkey-headed-north version.  People have put their own spin on this throughout the years, and I can only guess my dad probably picked up the more recent version while in the Air Force during the early 1950s.  It just sounds like how a sergeant would admonish some low ranking troop's personal opinion.

My dad's version usually comes to mind when I read opinions from those members of the League of the Perpetually Offended or, since I've been writing, people who either don't read what I write, miss the point of what I write, are too emotional about what I write, would be offended regardless of what I write, or just want to use me as their excuse to bloviate about... well, whatever, especially if I wrote it.  Regardless, though, it seems these folks usually miss the point of my post, which is not surprising when one considers the perpetually offended seem blind to any other point of view that isn't theirs.  What I'm writing usually has nothing to do with what their mind intends to read, presupposing, of course, they plan to read it at all before jumping to inane conclusions.  Whether they read the viewpoint prior to trashing it, is not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion, as it offers a large, unobstructed, picture window into their soul... and offers an indicator of whether you can trust turning your back to them.

“The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter.”

-- Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), Roman politician, lawyer

The Bard, William Shakespeare, once said, "The eyes are the window to the soul."  For most of us, our eyes do betray our soul, despite our constant attempts to draw the curtain.  I have often accepted that the eyes are windows to the mind, the transparent windows of the glass house from which far too many of us choose targets at which we will launch our rocks of judgment or perpetual offense upon these unwitting victims, once we work up the nerve to open the front door so the repetitive mindless babbling practiced upon ourselves can be heard, above the applause of the cricket, by anyone paying attention to our rant of selfish bullshit.

For those people we cannot see, those anonymous people who write down their thoughts for others to contemplate, we have to rely only on their opinions as windows into who they are.  What people seem incapable of grasping is that these opinions, like everyone else's, are just opinions, everyone has one, and most everyone thinks any opinion but their own... simply stinks.  Well, such seem to be the traits of opinions and assholes.

When I write a post I am voicing an opinion, an idea, or simply a topic for consideration. I include a short disclaimer at the end of each in an attempt to head off the perpetually offended readers by explaining my intent and asking for open, active minds, and for any and all constructive comments. Along with usually missing the entire point of my post, it would seem the disclaimer is also beyond the grasp or consideration of the perpetually offended or angry. I have been very fortunate that so many of my 31,000 worldwide readers keep returning, and that I have received so few negative and non-constructive comments from them. I have managed to only anger a few, and we all know the club to which they belong.

I would evidence the angry rhetoric of which I speak, by offering up an example by way of a recent comment, from the monastery's minister site, to my post Revisiting: Attitude Adjustment. I would, but not at the very real risk of demeaning any woman with effect than the spiteful rant she chose to launch against my humble post. Even excusing her few spelling and grammatical errors, obviously due to the emotion of the moment, I was still left feeling violated.

All I ever ask of my readers is to leave any constructive comments which may come to mind.  Constructive comments?  I'm not certain this reader read the parameters for "constructive" comments, much less cared.  I had to smile at her last sentence, however, accusing me of writing a “rant” which she seemed more adept at writing than me.  Yes, she seemed perfectly capable of spewing her own "rant" if the occasion arises, and I can only imagine the occasion must arise often.  However, I accepted her "critique" for what it was and went back to reread, for an umpteenth time, the offending post which she referred to as "the most judgmental, egotistical and sexist posts" she thinks she's ever read.  She thinks?  I tried to understand her offense at anything I had written, as most of what she accused me of was, in actuality, me trying to voice the opposite of what she seems to have misinterpreted.  I would have much preferred she knows what she’s ever read, prior to ripping me a new one over something she, by her own admission, might be unsure of.

I did not dismiss her out of hand, however.  Not trusting my own biased opinion (I am the author of the offending post, after all), I asked several trusted readers, retired military and wounded vets, to reread the post and consider the comments made by this individual.  They, too, were perplexed.  As is my norm, I thanked this critic for her "constructive" comments, opting to leave her fate, and the fate of my post, to the responses of other readers.  I have found that the many of my readers handle questionable comments better than I.

I did, as an act of contrition, edit several sentences in the post in order to do… what? I'm still unsure. It didn't change much, other than to soften my praise of those brave military personnel who have risked and given their all, putting boot to ass for God and country. I probably should have left well enough alone.

Out of the 500 total hits from around the world, on this particular post, hers was the only comment… ever. As of this date, her comment has received one constructive response and I have received nothing more from her, or anyone else, concerning the post in question.

Those who thrive on being perpetually offended also introduced political correctness, one of the most insidious forms of tyranny ever invented. Political correctness has morphed from mild and inoffensive verbal corrections (“handicapped” are now “mobility impaired”) into a monstrosity of thought control and tyranny.

-- Patrice Lewis, freelance writer, author

What we should all try to avoid is becoming a member of the League of the Perpetually Offended.  The perpetually offended exist in the thinnest of glass shells where the sky is always falling, nothing will ever be good enough, and they are easily seen by others as always crying, "Wolf!"  Society dares not chuck a weighty response in their direction for fear of shattering the brittle exterior of their protective castle, favoring to simply ignore them as an annoying rash better forgotten than scratched lest they become an infected appendage in need of amputation from the body of civilized society.  It is fortunate for the perpetually offended that we still value the whole as more important than the parts.

We all exist in a glass house of opinion.  When we open the front door to give voice to those opinions we risk others interpreting our opinions as rocks instead of the roses we may have intended.  Many of us prefer to keep the door closed hoping no one looks through our windows to see us in all our naked glory.  Hope against hope, most people will see right through us regardless of our attempts to hide or remain silent.  We are all, unfortunately, that transparent.  Better we should, even like my antagonist above, have the fortitude to give voice to our opinion and the strength of character to take what criticism or misinterpretation comes in the wake of it.

Our glass house is only at risk if it is breakable, and one way of mitigating breakage is to make the walls of our house flexible by trying to be open minded and acceptant of criticism no matter how unwarranted, misinterpreted, or off target, we might consider the critique to be.

“I am one of the sort that lives by throwing stones at other people's glass houses, but I never mean to put up one for them to stone.”

-- Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), abolitionist, author

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but of what use are windows in a glass house?  I would suppose one would need to let in a bit of fresh thought, from time to time, even if it isn't ours and even if we don't agree, and even if it offends us.  It is all part of being human, so we should learn to grow with it.  Maybe it's simply time for many of us to get out the Windex to clean our windows and learn to grow up and deal with the unfortunate shit which is our life, or at least buy a pair of dark sunglasses and learn to shut the front door.  As the reader states at the end of her comments, "Just something to think about." 

This post would be My Sunday Thought for the coming weekend and, as usual, it too is "just something to think about."

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 another viewpoint.

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 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 23 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 an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects 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, to wage 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 Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.

My Sunday Thought for 070217: Creationism or Evolution?

“People cited violation of the First Amendment when a New Jersey schoolteacher asserted that evolution and the Big Bang are not scientific and that Noah's ark carried dinosaurs. This case is not about the need to separate church and state; it's about the need to separate ignorant, scientifically illiterate people from the ranks of teachers.”

-- Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, author

Neil deGrasse Tyson had a hand in demoting Pluto from planetary status so, as much as I like him, he and I do not see eye to eye on at least that issue.  The problem is also getting bright, scientifically literate people into the ranks of teachers; specifically those who have the ability and desire to open their pea brains and accept there may be explanations outside of the narrow viewpoint of accepted scientific fact considering that scientific "fact" only exists until new acceptable facts present themselves.  Science is always right until it's proven wrong and, as with the practice of medicine, scientists always seem to be practicing their science.  Change is, after all, the only constant in the universe, Neil.  It might be best for us to remember the words of Socrates, "The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am not quite sure that I know that."

This definition, which applies only to the Solar System, states that a planet is a body that orbits the Sun, is massive enough for its own gravity to make it round, and has "cleared its neighbourhood" of smaller objects around its orbit. Under this new definition, Pluto and the other trans-Neptunian objects do not qualify as planets. The IAU's decision has not resolved all controversies, and while many scientists have accepted the definition, some in the astronomical community have rejected it outright.

-- Wikipedia, "Definition of Planet"

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) made a decision which not all astronomers accept, and this might be prudent when we consider astronomy's scorecard.  How can they make a statement, a definition, which "applies only to the Solar System" and nowhere else in the universe?  Is it just me, or does this seem a tad exclusive considering our assumptions concerning gravitational forces in the universe?

It would seem our distant ancestors had a better grasp on the heavens, without the use of computers and telescopes, than we do with all our modern crap.  We find ourselves constantly catching up, rediscovering what they already knew or took for granted, and proving their superior grasp all things nature.  Oh, and by the way, Neil, science is becoming confused by prehistoric paintings and carvings depicting man alongside dinosaurs.  Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to discount the Noah/dinosaur theory lest we, once again, look like "ignorant, scientifically illiterate people" instead of open minded scientist in search of truth.  Just saying.

Before you continue reading, you might like to review the following, one page article - Creationist Builds Life Sized Noah's Ark. It is another viewpoint, albeit out in left ‘interpretation’ field. An alternative interpretation which can get the juices of thought flowing, if parenting is strong enough to explain all sides of a controversy so a child can see the pros and cons of scientific fact versus conjecture (aka, faith). We all have our own determination of faith where the stories in Genesis, Revelation, and the Bible as a whole are concerned. Is it the WORD of God, or the words of man inspired by God?

"Well, opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one."

-- Dirty Harry, "The Dead Pool" (1988)

Parables, like those found in scripture, are simply easy to understand explanations for more complicated ideas and philosophies, like the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments, which are so simple even a mindless moron can understand them; do or do not, will or will not, are not the stuff of rocket science, yet we need parables to muddy the waters? I prefer to think of scripture as one history of the Abrahamic faiths. Archeologists and scholars are constantly proving, disproving, discovering the truths, fallacies, and misinterpretations of what has been handed down through the ages.

Perhaps the only error in Ken Ham’s thinking, as stated in the article, is putting a definitive age of the earth at 6000 years when science recently dated a Homo erectus skull to 1.6 million years. We also have some recent evidence of hominin tool use 250,000 years ago, or 50,000 years before man arrived in Africa. On top of all this is the scientific and written historical evidence from around the world of a worldwide flood occurring about 3000 BCE. If Mr. Ham has done anything, though, he has almost proved the engineering of Noah's Ark as possible. Now we just need a flood to put that particular controversy to bed.

Noah and the flood do nothing to prove the theories of creationism or evolution. To my way of thinking, why should either theory be wrong? Even if we concede that God created the heavens and the earth in six days, resting on the seventh, science has shown God created the earth 4 billion years ago, not 6000. So why are people reconsidering their faith in organized religion? Misinterpretation of bedtime stories is why most of us with inquiring minds are waiting for the Abrahamic faithful to explain why an omnipotent being would show weakness through a need to rest, or admire His work. It stands to reason what God created is good; He is, after all, omnipotent and perfect, right? So why did God have to step back and admire work that would obviously, and always, be perfect?

Most of us find it easy to accept, through faith or science, the obvious concept that an ultimate energy in the universe created everything. This energy existed then, is now, and forever shall be (world without end, amen!). Through this creation of everything, life evolved. Aha! So, God created all life and, by extension, mankind. The question posed by science and the yet to be discovered ancestor we humorously refer to as the "missing link," is how man jumped from knuckle dragging archaic humans into anatomically modern humans 200,000 years ago, especially if the Bible holds the age of the earth at 6000 years. Have faith? Faith is what we always fall back on when we don't have answers, when we just don't know but we have to say something to keep ourselves, and others, moving inexorably forward; when we simply have to believe... in something.

Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil."

-- Genesis 3:22

Behold, we have become like one of them, plural?  Since the faithful all want to believe that God makes no mistakes, let's travel out to left field, with Mr. Ham, and spitball a "what if" for a moment. 

What if, 200,000 years ago, the genetic structure of archaic humans was reengineered and improved by another race of beings that were also created by the ultimate energy we refer to as God?  Perhaps it began earlier than anyone might imagine, using our simian ancestors, and popping in and out for a visit to occasionally tweak the product.  What if we were part of some grand experiment to speed up our evolution and develop us into a purely righteous being, without knowledge of evil and for some greater purpose, and we failed their test by breaking the only rule we were given, to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge, to not know evil?  God would have still been at the root of our creation with an expectation of us evolving slowly from primordial slime into beings with the knowledge moral righteousness only time and experience can teach.  What if who we have come to think of as 'God' are actually superior creations of God who mucked with our genetic structure for some purpose known only to them?  Now, because of some mistake, we have been endowed with superior knowledge we were never intended to possess, and that knowledge drives us, as it did our creators, to also search out the forbidden knowledge of the Tree of Life so we can eat from it, as well, and live forever... as gods.

"You ever noticed how people who believe in Creationism look really unevolved? You ever noticed that? Eyes real close together, eyebrow ridges, big furry hands and feet. "I believe God created me in one day." Yeah, looks like He rushed it."

-- Bill Hicks (1961-1994), comedian, social critic, satirist

Knowing what we have learned about genetic engineering, the question might be why these superior beings didn't just create us using their own genetic material.  Well, "man has become like us, knowing of good and evil," might hold the answer.  Perhaps, their own genetic material was flawed.  They saw their own knowledge of evil as the barrier to their own perfection.  They may have discovered that, once you have tasted of the fruit, righteousness becomes a cloud which obscures true perfection.  Maybe, in their own way, they were searching, through us, for an alternate path to the perfection which they, also, envisioned our mutual creator to be.  They were searching for the knowledge which would allow them to crossover from their finite physical existence into the realm of the infinite by using genetically enhanced avatars as vehicles for their essence.  They might have been dying, and the illusion of time was becoming all too real, and it was running out.

“According to the Buddha's teaching the beginning of the life-stream of living beings is unthinkable. The believer in the creation of life by God may be astonished at this reply. But if you were to ask him 'What is the beginning of God?' he would answer without hesitation 'God has no beginning', and he is not astonished at his own reply.”

-- Walpola Rahula (1907-1997), Buddhist monk, scholar

Creationism or evolution?  Or, perhaps a bit of both?  Like these superior beings, we now find ourselves on the same mission, a mission to discover the one true God.  Not the 'god' who made a mistake and mucked up the great experiment, giving us the knowledge of our own universe, but, rather, the ultimate creative force and the knowledge of everything.  Whether we accept the concept of 'intervention' or simply have faith in God, like our 'creators' we search for the knowledge which will allow us to crossover into the realm of the infinite and finally become as gods, as one with the ultimate power  - our one, true, creator. 

This is all just my humble opinion from somewhere out in left field, My Sunday Thought, and, as usual, I could be wrong.  I hope you discover, buried somewhere throughout my rambling, food for your own thoughts.  Your constructive thoughts and opinions are the stuff which others might be interested in reading, so be sure to leave them in the form of constructive comments and email.  By constructive comments, I mean the use of language not, in the words of Mr. Spock, "currently laced with, shall we say, more colorful metaphors, 'double dumbass on you' and so forth."

“I approach the creation-evolution dispute not as a scientist but as a problem of law, which means among other things that I know something about the ways that words are used in arguments. What first drew my attention to the question was the way the rules of argument seemed to be structured to make it impossible to question whether what we are being told about evolution is really true. For example, the Academy's rule against negative argument automatically eliminates the possibility that science has not discovered how complex organisms could have developed. However wrong the current answer may be, it stands until a better answer arrives. It is as if a criminal defendant were not allowed to present an alibi unless he could also show who did commit the crime.”

Phillip E. Johnson, Darwin on Trial

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 another viewpoint.

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 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 23 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 an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects 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, to wage 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 Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.

My Sunday Thought for 062517: Speaketh to Me, Oh Work of Art!

Anyone can throw crap on a canvas and attempt to call it art,  

because what they see is art.  

All I see is crap on a canvas.

Art, much like beauty, is an interesting animal.  H.G. Wells once said, "Beauty is in the heart of the beholder."  Whether it is the written word, drawing, painting, sculpture or music, the beauty of our art, like beauty, also rests in the heart of the beholder.

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection."

-- Michelangelo (1475-1564), artist, sculptor

Not to be indelicate, but have you ever really noticed the nude male sculptures of ancient Rome and Greece?  I mean, these are gods and heroes, right?  Yet they are depicted with, well, tiny packages.  Back in the day a Hellenistic or Roman sculptor sculpted what was seen, for better or worse, and we are usually treated to historically realistic depictions of the human form, however emasculating it may be portrayed.  It is hard for me to critique realistic depictions for anything more than the artist's ability.  I mean, it is what it is, and this honest imagery continued until the mid-1800s when our view of art and reality gets lost out in left field.  Reality is, once again, redefined by the mind's eye.  When I look at the works of some of the greats from this period to present, I'm more apt to think our taste was redefined by the British import of marijuana and opium to the western world.

“One cannot create an art that speaks to me when one has nothing to say.”

-- Andre Malraux (1901-1976), art theorist, author, statesman

And then, BAM!  Enter impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, expressionism, cubism, futurism, supremativism, constructivism, deconstructivism, de stijl, dada, surrealism, postmodernism, neoclassicism, et al.  We find ourselves having to judge not just an artist ability, but what in God's holy name the artist is trying to say to the observer; what is the, all too often, hidden message?  What does the work say to us and how are we affected?  

We get caught up in the culture of art and soon find ourselves with our noses stuck high up in the air as we pride ourselves in knowing what school, technique, and period of any particular artist.  I have come to my own obvious conclusion:  Anyone can throw crap on a canvas and attempt to call it art, because what they see is art.  What I see might be better defined as crap on canvas that some talentless schmuck, thinking they're worthy, wants some other poor schmuck, with questionable taste, to pay good money for.  

As for myself, I failed my structured art classes, and then went on, self-taught, to have several of my works hanging in Europe.  I'm not sure my instructors can say as much, but then, that is art for you.  Those that can, do.  Those that can't, teach.  Show me someone with a degree in art, today, and I'll show you a bartender or a teacher, and the bartender is making much more money.  Was I any good at painting?  A few people seemed to think so, but I didn't give up my day job.  I also haven't touched a paintbrush in 15 years, to do anything more than paint a house.  I get bored easily. 

"Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced."

-- Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910),  author

Some have said I should try to be charitable in my critique of folks artistic endeavors.  I am trying, but my mouth all too often jumps ahead of my brain.  Like most people, however, I like what I like and see no reason to blow smoke up someone's haughty ass just to make them feel better.  I expect no less for my artistic endeavors and, as I am my own worst critic, have received none.  I have tried to read art critiques full of colorful language (re: art speak) about use of color, lighting, brush technique, and yadda, yadda, yadda.  All this bullshit comes down to one important question:  Do you like it?  Don't try to overthink it; why you like it is of secondary importance to the fact that it speaks to your soul, even if you don't understand the language.  I've seen chimpanzees and elephants express themselves on canvas better than most 'artists' can.  Just saying.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." 

-- Edgar Degas (1834-1917), artist, sculptor

A painter paints, but artists bear their souls to their audience.  Anyone can speak to a crowd, but it takes a true communicator to reach them.  As in any communication one needs to first consider their audience, the social context and the education, the message and the receiver.  If you simply want to paint, then do so and be the best 'painter' you can be.  Painters can accomplish a landscape painting in an hour which is suitable to hang in any hotel room; an artist needs time to do God's work justice.

I have never been proficient at drawing people, the talent escapes me because I overthink it.  I worry over the process way too much instead of just jumping in and taking the risk at offense.  Edgar Degas explains the issue for most artists very well in two quotes:

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do.""Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things."

When you are your own worst critic the difficulty is always right in your face, the concern is always that you no longer know what you are doing, if you ever did, and you rely on a strength of inner faith to guide your hand and "do good things."  Such it is in life as well, and art is nothing if it is not a reflection of life.  Our art keeps us honest, whether it be our handicraft, our trade, our hobby, our relationships, or our faith.  

"Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad."

-- Salvador Dali (1904-1989), artist

In a sense, life itself is an art form to be mastered and, yet, you will have to come to the realization that you have no idea what you are doing before you can finally do good things. Lao Tsu says, "People usually fail when they are on the verge of success. So give as much care to the end as to the beginning; there will be no failure."  I think the fear of failure is mitigated when you let go of your desires for success and simply apply yourself to the task at hand.  The canvas is finite and will fill in due time.  Mistakes disappear with another coat of paint or a change to our desired outcome and, many times, simply take us to where we should have gone originally.  Failure is a judgment reserved for us to make on ourselves.  Better we should see our attempt as a continuing process of learning than to judge the success or failure. 

"Are you really sure that a floor can't also be a ceiling?"

-- M.C. Escher (1898-1972), graphic artist

Life is our personal work of art.  Life speaks to us, or not, depending on how much soul we invest into it.  It is our life, our canvas, not someone else's.  Paint your canvas because it is what you want to do, and don't be concerned about what others think.  If they like it, that's great; if not, it isn't their canvas so don't be too concerned about it.  Do we happily paint our canvas as a reflection of who we are, or do we simply throw a bucket of paint on it hoping someone will be moved by our "attempt" at a literal crap shoot of making something out of nothing?  Don't worry about what a thoughtless critic thinks, throw the fricking paint, you monkey!  You'll never know if you haven't painted crap until you fill a canvas with it.

Learning begins when you have the strength of character to pick up the brush.  I will be there to look at it and exclaim, "Speaketh to me, oh work of art!"  The eye sees much better than it hears.  

But, this is just My Sunday Thought, and I could be wrong.  I leave you with another thought, inspired by graphic artist M.C. Escher, through his quote I used, above:  Is life creationism or evolution, and are you really sure it can't be both?  

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 another viewpoint.

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 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 23 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 an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects 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, to wage 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 Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center. 

My Sunday Thought: Revisiting 'How Are You Today?'

“With determination, it is possible to block out the negative things and enjoy the positive ones, despite the cons. Most importantly, it is possible to dance through everything pernicious.”

-- Sarah Todd Hammer, author

The year is 2013, mid-June.

So, I'm in the supermarket buying a few groceries prior to stopping by customer service to get a couple of lottery tickets.  In front of me, at checkout, is a girl of about 20 years of age, lying almost prone, in a motorized wheel chair.  Her upper body was raised just enough so she could look forward to maneuver the chair with controls located at the end of the arms.  Her hands were slightly gnarled, her voice slightly slurred, and I can only assume what malady might be affecting her.  I had to roughly estimate her age at around 20 because whatever she suffered from made it difficult to get any more specific.  After years of disuse the body undergoes ravages beyond my knowledge or imagination; it is the hell of being a prisoner in your own body, when the body seems to be shutting down and the mind is helpless to stop it.

“Even the littlest things were now a challenge, one I didn't understand.”

-- Sarah Todd Hammer

She opened her small purse, preparing to put away her charge car and receipt as the checker set them on the counter - flat.  She gave the checker a quick accusatory glance which seemed to say, "Really?"  The checker was either oblivious to the fact that the young woman would have to struggle to pick them up from her position, or was afraid to hand the to her for fear of contracting whatever nightmare was going through her pea sized brain.  I'll be charitable and assume she was oblivious.

As the woman reached out with her crippled hand I could see she was working the mechanics of this exercise the rest of us take for granted.  I thought, "Well, this isn't going to work."  How was she going to easily pick these flat items from the flat surface when she can barely raise her arm and the surface is almost above her eyesight?

“I often wished that more people understood the invisible side of things. Even the people who seemed to understand, didn't really.”

-- Jennifer Starzec

I moved forward and offered, "May I?"  She smiled as I gathered up her items and handed them to her.  She cocked her head toward me and thanked me asking, "How are you today?"  How am I?  Today?  Really?  How bad could my day be?  I found my voice which had retreated behind the wall of sympathy where I store my tears.  I told her that I was fine and thanked her for asking.  She smiled - again.  With her small bag in her lap she raised her fingers enough to wave as she rolled toward the exit.

I was pulling out of the parking lot when I saw her maneuvering the chair across the parking lot entrance and onto the sidewalk along the main avenue.  She was alone, self-sufficient, and possessing of a kind word, a smile, and a life.  I forgot to purchase the lottery tickets.  How am I today?  Her question would stay with me for the rest of my life, a memory of someone stricken in youth, yet possessed of an ability to affect the lives of others in a positive way.  God bless her.    I was crying as I drove home. 

How are you today? 

How, truly bad, is your day today?  I may never have another bad day again without thinking of this young lady and realizing my concerns and woes are nothing except proof of life; a task to be surmounted with a smile, a kind word, character and, just perhaps, the occasional charity of a stranger.

“To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.”

-- John Ruskin (1819-1900), social thinker, art critic

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 another viewpoint.

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 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 23 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 an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects 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, to wage 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 Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.

Murder of Innocence

"The faithful of any religion must understand, the only way innocence can be purposefully removed from our midst, is by God, not by 'God's will' as interpreted by man, but BY God. This does not preclude removing evil, it simply protects the innocent from the hands of those meaning to do them harm.  Any individual, any cleric, claiming acts of evil as being the 'will' of God, or acting as the hand of God in the commission of evil, is a heretic. 

Any individual, group, or army, hiding behind a mask, or lies, while committing acts of terror, are nothing more than cowardly murderers not worthy of quarter. If a group or army wishes to declare war, they need to put on the trappings of honorable soldiers and present themselves on the battlefield to prove their strength of character, belief, and faith for all to see. If you can't do this, you have no honor, you deserve no respect, and your 'soldiers' are the same sick, cowardly sociopaths as their leaders. 

These are the insane animals who murder helpless women and children. These are the cowards using hospitals and the innocent as shields on the, otherwise honorable, field of battle. This evil trash of hell deserves no quarter from decent people.  Again, I cannot stress enough my opinion that these are heretics, not the faithful of any loving, peaceful god, not Allah, and certainly not the true followers of Christ or Muhammad (pbuh). These are liars, murderers, butchers, and sociopaths, hiding behind faith and utilizing their own heresy for the express purpose of destroying all beauty in God's world.  

Of course, I could be wrong... but I sincerely doubt it."

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 another viewpoint.

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 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 23 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 an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects 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, to wage 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 Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.