Followup: "The Hypocrisy of Acceptance?"

"One should not be too quick to judge how websites are operated and how they choose what content they want posted in their websites. If anyone wants to complain that one website or another does not allow them to post whatever they want, then, they should start up their own website and they will see that running your own website is not an easy task to control content according to the website motto. 

If anyone wants to join a website, they must agree to some TOA (terms of agreement). you can not ask the website owner to change the content just because they do not like it.

As a website owner, I am willing to tolerate some activities but not when the activities do not follow the basis in which the website was created for. No website owner should be told they have too allow any content. It is like the gay community wanting to convert a heterosexual into a gay person.

I am a Christian who will tolerate many things but there are limits. I do forgive those who cause me distress and will continue to be friends with those that cause me distress."

The above statement is a comment left as response to my latest post, The Hypocrisy of Acceptance.  You can readily tell that this is obviously one of the offended website owners.  The fact that you can easily surmise this, is part of the larger problem - denial.  I understand some more of this site's membership has bailed due to the new transparency of the site's intent which, by the way, was not made obvious or he would not have gone out of his way to woo a woman of Wicca to be one of the officers of the site and then disrespect her for being Wicca after all the work was done.  He knew what she was when he invited her in to assist in setting it up, just as he knew I wrote on subjects of controversy and never said a word to me concerning my post about the LGBT Christian community.

I feel the Terms of Agreement for a site must not run contrary to the mission statement or welcome statement on the homepage of a site.  Personally, I don't remember there being any terms of agreement, and if there were I would have scanned over them assuming they were simply "boiler plate," reflecting the intent on the welcome statement, and asking for the usual courtesies.  Again, no one ever complained about the content my posts.

No one asked the owner of this particular site to change the content.  I most certainly did not.  The owner took it upon himself to change directions in mid-stream, deleting and changing content, posts, and philosophy.  It was our understanding this site would offer a freedom to discuss, in a mature manner, those topics forbidden by the other "conservative" minister sites.  This is what I was led to believe.  The comparison made of content requests being similar to gays converting heterosexuals is pertinent only in that it mirrors the site's Christian attempt to convert the Wiccan.  This was a clear case of misunderstanding nurtured by a lack of clear communication and feedback as to the purpose of the site.  Personally, after all of this hoopla, it would seem these sites tout the "all accepted" philosophy as bait, if you will, and, once many members are inside, the doors were closed and reality set in as the smoke and mirrors were removed.  I find the tactic very reminiscent, for me, of Scientology.

But, to state one is a tolerant Christian after perpetrating this on the membership?  No, sorry, I'm not buying into this.  The final paragraph, for anyone with a background in psychology, is telling; this is narcissistic shifting of blame when the deceptive mechanisms used to achieve goals become all too apparent to the target audience.  I'm not sure that the site owners understand when they are doing this, or even care.  It does seem they fail to predict the outcome of their actions, however.

I apologize if our revelations caused this particular site owner "distress."  Honesty comes with the territory of running a website, and he should be well aware of it.  But, distress can also be also indicative of guilt.  I'm not sure that continuing to be friends with those that cause you to feel guilt, or distress, is in any way healthy, however.

My prediction for these sites is that they will, sooner than later, become populated by the same narrow-minded mainstream Christians we were all trying to escape.  These sites seem to, whether by accident or design, prey on those that are hurting and have been hurt.  They seek out those that have a need to belong and hold out the carrot of "acceptance."  As with religious and spiritual cults, they only seem to exist on the off chance no one will see through their thin veil of hypocrisy, and God help the ones that do.

The path to hell is indeed paved with good intentions.  Watch your step.


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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

The Hypocrisy of Acceptance?

"Protestantism has the method of Jesus with His secret too much left out of mind: Catholicism has His secret with His method too much left out of mind; neither has His unerring balance, His intuition, His sweet reasonableness.  But both have hold of a great truth, and get from it a great power.

-- Matthew Arnold (1822-1888), poet, educator, cultural critic

Before I even start this post I find myself at odds with the title.  With what I've dealt with the past few weeks, the terms have become near and dear.  Acceptance or tolerance?

Maybe I should explain.

Several of us, ministers, bolted from faith based "discussion" sites due to rules that were restrictive seemingly without sound reason.  But, even that isn't being completely accurate.  The reasons, though sound to the site managers, seemed to lack expected intellectual maturity to some interfaith ministers wishing to grow beyond the boundaries of "mainstream" church doctrine; doctrine many ministers found suffocating and hypocritical, and had hoped to find relief from in the Universal Life Church.  These various site managers, for all their good intentions in trying to create a different, friendlier environment, succumbed to complaints from a minority of "dark ages" clergy that probably should have stayed in the mainstream church, but... the squeaking wheel gets the grease.  The sites became the suffocating and hypocritical, closed-minded and intolerant, accusing us of fomenting conversation that any reasonable person would have seen as simple mature exchange of thoughts.  These sites became what we had left.  

Once again we found ourselves intellectually persecuted and looking for other realms of religious and spiritual freedom.  New sites were formed to accommodate a freer exchange of ideas, discussion, and debate, encompassing a broader range of subjects deemed unacceptable by the previous "free thinking" sites.  But, as the old saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  Both sites I recently became affiliated with fell victim to the same hypocrisy, if not worse.  The latest outlawed any but Christian thought.  So much for "acceptance" of all who come in peace.

Having started my Congregation for Religious Tolerance, I know full well the difference between tolerance and acceptance.  One may tolerate another's peaceful beliefs without accepting them.  What is happening in these sites is blatant non-acceptance backed up by the intolerance of their "convert or else" mentality that is all too reminiscent of the Islamic heretics of ISIS, which bodes the uncomfortable question, "When do the beheadings begin?"  I do not ask this question to be flippant or make light of the horrors ISIS is visiting upon innocence.  I mention it because it seems, to me, peaceful Christians are beginning to walk that fine line between faith and terror when it comes to two groups, in particular, which they historically show little tolerance toward - Islam and the gay community.  If you want to find humor in something, it would be these two groups put in the same bucket by Christians.

I have had multiple conversations and written posts, ad nauseam, on these two subjects.  Two recent "conversations" ended with me asking the other parties when the lynching begins.  A third conversation, today, began and ended with me simply asking for judgment to be left in the hands of God.  There was agreement... just before the other party launched into another long winded diatribe to excuse yet more judgmental opinion which I think he felt the need to flaunt to prove what a good minister, a good Christian, he was being.  Really?  I should have asked him if he believed like the other mainstream "Christians" I've encountered when it comes to Islam or gays - the only good one is a dead one.

To be honest, I was afraid to ask.

Matthew Arnold addresses his thought in the quote, toward the Protestant and Catholic churches, but I feel his point is all encompassing of the Christian faith.  He is correct when he states, "But both have hold of a great truth, and get from it a great power."  A great power!  The power to mount a crusade, to form the courts of the Inquisition, to determine if one is a "witch" worthy of burning simply because they dabble in healing and science, and, of course, the power to determine who deserves to be a Christian and who gets damned for all eternity.  More to the point, it seems Christianity, whether through fault or design, continues to miss the unerring balance, intuition, and sweet reasonableness that was Jesus.  I think Mr. Arnold was remiss in not adding His love, tolerance, and understanding, to that list of attributes.  But, then, maybe it's just because my family believes in a more loving God than many of these "Christians" do.

The point that I've been trying to make is, if you're going to preface a mission statement with acceptance of all that come in peace, you should not pick and choose your membership.  It brings to mind the Methodist logo I came across during the Methodist "trial" of one of their own ministers who presided over the gay wedding of his son - "Open hearts. Open minds. Open Doors."  That is, unless you're gay, or preside over a gay wedding.  I mean, Christ's love only goes so far, right?  Gays, peaceful Islam, who else?  I'm certain there's probably a list of the unacceptable that man has determined God should not allow in heaven.  Yeah, what God really meant to say was...

I'd love to be a fly on the wall at comeuppance time when they all have to explain why they interpret God to excuse their actions.

I think we have lost the truth of our faith.  Oh, we spew the forth the words, chapter and verse.  Like the good hypocrites we are, we quickly proclaim our faith and just as quickly condemn others to hell and damnation in complete contradiction to the faith we proclaim.  I say this for one reason, and I pull that reason from the very book we hold so dear.

During a recent conversation one participant was accused of not quoting the Bible properly.  Personally, I quote the Bible because I think it is a great guidebook for life.  When I quote it, however, I go to the source so I don't muck it up.  Well, since everyone seems so tied up in quoting it, let me use two well-known verses to evidence why I feel we suffer from contradicting the faith we proclaim to have:

"Judge not, and you will not be judged.  Condemn not, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Luke 6:37 

"Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."

Matthew 7:1-2

I'm not sure my fellow minister's critique of quoting the Bible correctly is as important as knowing the Bible at all.  I have found it an interesting book of scripture, written and compiled by men that had the best of intentions while living in cultures fraught with politics, social castes, and classes.  To think their lives weren't reflected in what they wrote would be giving them credit without support of evidence.  This becomes more evident, however, as we discover and study lost gospels, and gospels deemed not worthy of inclusion in the Bible.  When we find verses that seem to be gleaned from a monks margin notes, than from any worthy text, it makes the entire document suspect.  But does this all detract from the basic message of it?  Absolutely not!  The Bible remains a text revered by the faithful as a basis for faith and life.  Just as with the Qur'an, It is how we interpret it that causes us harm.

Christianity is not a "members only club" and the fact that many presume to dictate who can worship seems offensive.  I am not a member of the Christian faith, I am a Christian.  I am not a practicing Catholic, a Protestant, Methodist, or and Evangelical.  I am a Christian.  Over twenty years of my military career my dog tags reflected my religious preference as Christian, agnostic, Buddhist, Taoist, and Not Applicable.  When I finally found myself, I realized my mother was right, as always.  I am Christian.

I leave you with one more quote, one of my favorites that I try to remember when I get into braying contests with jackasses.  I hope you will see the point.

"As for one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.  One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.  Let not one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.  Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls.  And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.  One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind."

Romans 14:1-5

They are gay.  They live, work, love, marry, raise children, and want to worship God as Christians.  Maybe it's time we started acting like Christians.  Heck, maybe it's time we take a page from Christian gays and started acting better.

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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

Sunday Thought, December 14, 2014: Dance Like No One's Watching!

"You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,

Love like you'll never be hurt,

Sing like there's nobody listening,

And live like it's heaven on earth."

-- Attribution Indeterminate

This photo is wrong on so many levels, I should know, I took it.  The one saving grace is that this person cares so little about what others think.  He is going to dance like there's no one watching!  When you think about it, shouldn't we all?  

There is a lot to be said for people that throw caution to the wind and live life to the fullest, not much of which is positive.  Throwing caution to the wind takes your life expectancy from the "average" to a crap shoot.  Let's face it, those people that ski glaciers, scuba dive with sharks, BASE jump, fall from perfectly good aircraft, free solo climb, kayak Class 4 - 6 whitewater, hunt alligators, and the like, all seem to be in denial about their deep lack of respect for their own life.  Don't get me wrong, I applaud their large steel huevos, I just think they've lost their minds and have a serious lack of good sense.  These are the people that once dead, crippled, or comatose, we all think, "Damn, took longer than anyone thought!"

So when I look at this guy, he seems fairly harmless to himself and those around him, not that I'd let my child anywhere near him... until he repositions that fin and moves clear of the beer cart and the porta-potties.  I'm sure the women found him just drop dead darling, though.  As for me, not so much.  I don't know this gentleman, though he brought to mind other people I do know.  None of them come close to looking as zany as he does, but they do harbor his zest for life and being themselves regardless of opinion.  This is a good thing, and I would let my children near them.

"I think people would live a little bit longer if they didn't know how old they were.  Age puts restrictions on things."

-- Karl Pilkington, radio producer, poet, podcaster

I think Karl Pilkington is wrong, and right.  Age puts restrictions on things so we will live a little bit longer.  It's called using good sense, when danger is involved.  But, other than the danger aspects, is the reason why more of us don't follow the philosophy outlined in the above quote is the fear of being judged, or looking like we're not acting our age?  People that do live life to the fullest could give a rat's patoot what others think of them, for the most part.  Take this handsome fella (please!).  Judges give him a big "8" on the Weirdometer.  I have seen stranger, but then I spent 22 years in the military, so this was fairly sedate.  Truth be known he's probably a really great guy; possibly a family man, a retired full bird colonel suffering from PTOCBD (Post Traumatic Officer Club Bar Disorder), pining for the good old days of Hunter S. Thompson, divorced three times, drives a Hummer, has a daughter in the Air Force Academy, and a stock portfolio that says, "Neener, neener, neener, life is a wiener, and I don't have to work no mo!"  But, that's just a wild guess I pulled out of my nether regions where I keep all things wild, like guesses.

When it comes right down to it, why in the world do we really care what others think of us as long as we're not hurting them, or ourselves?  Hey, if you don't have to conform to some work, school, or societal standard that enables you to live, then why not throw a little caution to the wind?  Why not follow the "dance like nobody's watching" philosophy and make the occasional fool out of yourself?  It's a lot more fun than being normal and conforming.  Not that I would know, of course... just another wild guess.

"To be heroic is to be courageous enough to die for something; to be inspirational is to be crazy enough to live life a little."

-- Criss Jami, "Venus in Arms"

I think that we spend way too much too much time conforming and worrying, being offended when what we really want to do is be a little offensive; being disgusted when what we really want is to do is be disgusting for a while, you know, like sing karaoke.

This Sunday consider blowing the minds of your relatives for Christmas.  Wear the "ugly Christmas sweater" or the flashing Christmas tie.  Put on the Santa cap and belt out a loudly obnoxious, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"  Tell the wife you'd be happy to go sing carols around the neighborhood with her, then take her for dinner or drinks and tell her you love her.  Grab the mic on the kid's karaoke unit and totally embarrass them by launching into some song you have no clue how to sing.  Wear the lampshade at the Christmas party.  Do something totally out of character... be the fun one!

Try being wrong, in a good way, on at least a few levels!

"Dance. Smile. Giggle. Marvel.  TRUST.  HOPE.  LOVE.  WISH.  BELIEVE.  Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey, and appreciate where you are at this moment instead of always focusing on how far you have to go."

-- Mandy Hale. "The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass"

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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

Birth of the Christ Remembrance Day!

I wish I could wish you all a merry Christmas when the day grows nigh but, even though Christ is in the word, it is now politically incorrect to think of it in the religious context, so the best I've come up with will be, "Happy Birth of the Christ Remembrance Day, and may God bless us, everyone!"

I think we should seriously consider changing the name of the day anyway.  We should petition Pope Francis to do this while he is head of the Catholic Church.  He's a forward thinking kind of guy that's like to shake things up a bit.  Christmas, after all, is a Catholic invention and, therefore, they should be able to do with it what they will.  It is my understanding "Mass" literally means "death sacrifice" which makes wishing anyone a "merry" Christmas kind weird, and Christ was actually born in the fall, not the middle of winter.  The pagans will be upset because we make use many pagan traditions, but this will be short lived as whatever they deem proper to call the day will continue to be celebrated "religiously" on the same day it has always been.  Christians just need to bond and come up with a better plan, a unified Christian plan, that no one will take issue with.

Nice thought?  Maybe, but somebody will always be offended as it is what some folks live for - to make otherwise happy people miserable.  If the offended have to make themselves miserable, it only seems right, to them, that the rest of us should wallow in the same pit.  This is their idea of equal treatment.

Well, poor things.  May God bless them and love them.  Someone has to.

Oh, by the way, I'll be wishing everyone a merry Christmas this year, as always.  Why start bowing to PC now?  Heck, I might even go for the real gusto... and mention Jesus.



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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

The Bend in the Road

"When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla. I wonder how the road beyond it goes--what there is of green glory and soft, checkered light and shadows--what new landscapes--what new beauties--what curves and hills and valleys further on."

Anne of the Green Gables, Chapter XXXVIII, "The Bend in the Road

As with Anne, and for the majority of the religious and spiritual folks, faith guides belief.  We have a faith that the best is yet to come.  Many of us understand that this belief, this faith, must be tempered by the complimenting belief that nothing is free.  Give a man a fish and he eats for a day but teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.  Life is not always greener on the other side of the hill, and having faith that it is won't necessarily make it so.  The odds are against it, and those willing to take the gamble have to remember that God is in charge.  God is the "house" and, one way or another, the house always wins.

Betting on the Come:  A poker term.  Betting while playing a hand that you are drawing to, rather than a hand that is the best current hand.  Betting in the hope that whatever comes next will be in your favor.  Betting or hoping you will have what you want or need when the time comes.

Have you ever heard the adage, good things come to those that wait?  It is derived from a bible verse, Lamentations 3:25.  Many people excuse inaction in life, laziness, etc., because of this saying.  But, have you read the passage in context?  What it really says is, "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who searches for Him."  A contradiction, but that is nothing new for scripture, whether Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.  In this, the hope is that you aren't just waiting for the Lord to show up.  The hope is, while you are waiting, you are actively searching for Him, His grace and love; living your life as instructed.

I much prefer another adage; God helps those that help themselves.  This is not found in biblical scripture and is attributed to either the Greek storyteller Aesop, or Benjamin Franklin.  Many find this adage to be unbiblical in its meaning and opposite of the message and intent bible that you rely totally on God to provide, that he helps those that turn to him.  They use the following passages in their argument:

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD."

-- Jeremiah 17:5 

"He who trusts in himself is a fool..."

Proverbs 28:26  

I see no contradiction with scripture here.  Being realistic, I think asking for God's assistance with our spiritual needs, for the strength to carry on in the face of overwhelming adversity, is exactly what the God, who endowed us with all the tools necessary to be "self-sufficient," would ask of us.  By asking for God's grace and assistance we show our desire and appreciation for God's gifts.  I would have to hope that God understands the downfall of relying of the charity of others, if everyone is relying on charity.  We prove time and again that the primary fault with communist and socialist philosophy is that, sooner or later, everyone is in the back of the wagon and nobody is pulling it.  However, if you ask God for the strength to pull that wagon, God will lift you up spiritually and give you the strength and wherewithal to carry on and overcome.  Ask yourself which makes more sense, that God will grace the selfish slackers riding in back, or the truly faithful pulling the cart?  Who has the greater faith?

"Things may come to those that wait, but only the things left by those that hustle."

-- Abraham Lincoln 

"How much of human life is lost in waiting?"

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I started this post stating that faith guides belief, and that we have a faith that the best is yet to come.  The playwright Tom Stoppard once said, "Life is a gamble, at terrible odds - if it was a bet, you wouldn't take it."   By the same token, you're already "in the game," so to speak.  God sat you down at the table of life and you've seen the cards you've been dealt.  You can't win if you don't play, right?  So you are faced with a choice.  Bet on the come and hope for greener pastures just around the next bend, or get up from the table.  What we can't forget is asking God's assistance in showing us the way, and getting us there.  We will not get there by standing still and selfishly expecting God to do the work for us, by betting on the come.  You have to get off your lazy ass and move!  You have to use that which God has endowed you with and work for it.

"Happiness might be just around the next bend, but you'll never know if you're still sitting at home in your driveway."

-- Susan Gale, author

If you want to bet on something, bet on your ability to make more of yourself.  Bet on your faith in something greater than yourself, and bet on that faith showing you how to weather through the rough times in your life and create something better for your future.

For some of us, there will come a time in life when we understand.  Understand what?  That is for you to understand, not for someone to explain to you.  It is for you to work at discovering, not for someone to hand to you.  The gift of knowledge is of little understanding to the person that hasn't worked for it.  I'll give you a clue, though.  When you look at that bend in the road looming ominously in the distance, it isn't that you understand what, but that you understand why.

And, the brain explodes...

"Heaven knows where I'll end up - but it's a safe bet that I'll never be at the top of anything!  Nor do I particularly care to be.

-- H.P. Lovecraft, author

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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

Path to Nowhere

Some folks have asked me a fairly obvious question of late.  What do you do when you look at the path ahead and see issues with continuing down it?

I went on a two day "cabin fever" road trip to Cajun country this past weekend.  I had a list of sites I wanted to visit, one of which was Avery Island where they make my favorite hot sauce.  I arrived too early to get in the gate so I opted to spend the hour cleaning my camera and shooting some photos in lieu of returning ten miles up the road to New Iberia just to turn around.

On the bayou there were some long forgotten dock works and boardwalks that offered some great subject matter.  I am always looking for blog photos to work with down the road.  This one, above, jumped out at me when I returned home.  At first glance I wasn't particularly interested in walking to the end of it in order to get a shot of the old dock pilings.  Let's face it, two boards were missing from the middle and the rest were warped and old.  The railings were also in ill-repair, but felt sturdy, and the remaining boards on the walk, although warped, were two-by-eight and solid under my weight.  One is reminded of the saying, "No guts, no glory."

I faced the bayou on the right side and side-stepped across.  I considered myself lucky that it held, not because the water was deep, it wasn't.  Dumb-smack here didn't put the camera strap around his neck and crossed holding it in one hand.  Of course my knee-jerk reaction at slipping would have been to grab the railing with both hands, if the railing was still there.  But, like I said, the crossing went well.  The photos of the pilings were not as interesting as the walk, however.

So, what do you do when you look at the path ahead and see issues with continuing down it?  As much as I would like to recommend the "no guts, no glory" answer, one has to weigh the personal safety issues and not be what I like referring to as a poster child for birth control.  In this particular case the only risk was my pride if anyone were to see me fall in.  The risk-benefit ratio was well within my personal parameters.  One has to consider this when following their path in life.  Sometimes the path ahead looks a bit dicey and you might want to do a risk-benefit analysis to see if it's really worth continuing down this path or perhaps looking for a fork in the road.

On the other hand, as in this case, I looked ahead and saw the path ended.  There were obvious dangers to continuing down a path that, ultimately, led to nowhere.  But, at the end of this path there was a beauty I wanted to experience; something of man's history on the bayou, of his coming, living, and passing on;  questions that pique one's curiosity and stir the imagination.  Why it was here and what did it look like?  Who built it?  Was it an old road, railway trestle, or boat dock?

"...we are simply passing through history.  This is history."

-- Belloq, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

Even on the "path to nowhere" one can find a rare gem, a reason for the detour, the risk, one has but to look.  Open your eyes and see.  Risk is a part of our lives.  It is who we are.  It is a genetic predisposition to curiosity which God has seen fit to endow upon us.  What a waste it is not to make use of it.

I have begun to enjoy the writings of Maya Angelou, who will be sorely missed as she passed on May of this year.  I had no idea how much more she offered the world besides being an author and poet.  I'm not sure which of the following quotes from her best plays to this idea of traveling a path to nowhere, so I offer them both:

"Open your eyes to the beauty around you, open your eyes to the wonder of life, open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself." 

"If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be."

 How amazing we can be is directly proportionate to the paths we dare to travel, the risks we dare to take.  We fail, we rise, we fail again.  We constantly stumble and fall, and we constantly rise to the challenge.  This is who we are, what we are, and, most importantly, why we are.  It is through this trial and error, traveling down these "paths to nowhere," we have moved ahead as far as we have.  We will fall again, probably due to an arrogance that comes from not appreciating these paths to nowhere and what traveling down them might have taught us about our future.

Never be too proud to take the path less traveled, or traveled not at all.

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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

Thought for Sunday, December 7, 2014: Pearl Harbor and Forgetting History

(U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ryan J. Courtade/Released)

This photo has slipped through all the "bullshit" filters and was finally caught and declared "inaccurate."  Story has it that all five carriers were ordered back to port for "routing maintenance," which is the issue in dispute.  MPR News says they have ferreted out the truth, an excerpt of which I have added below along with the link so you can read the short article.

What’s the real story? Welcome to the sequester. 

First, the picture was actually taken in mid-December, not this month. Second, none was ordered into port for “routine maintenance.” 

The USS Enterprise was retired from the Navy in January. It’s being dismantled. 

The USS Eisenhower deployed on Thursday and is on its way to the Middle East to relieve the USS Stennis, which will return to its home port on the West Coast. The Eisenhower was in port for two months to get its flight deck resurfaced. 

The USS Harry Truman was to depart on a mission to the Central Command in early February, but Navy officials asked the secretary of defense to cancel that mission, which presumably was to the Persian Gulf where the U.S. has had two aircraft carriers. Now it will have one — the Eisenhower. 

The USS Bush was not ordered into port for “routine inspections.” It had been undergoing tests of its ability to have aircraft, which it does not presently have. Its cruise was canceled because of the sequester. 

The USS Lincoln also was not ordered into port for routine maintenance. It was in port for a two-year refueling mission, which the Navy has now canceled because of the sequester cuts. 

http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2013/02/the_truth_behind_the_aircraft/

All things being equal, and knowing we can believe everything we read on the internet, I'll make the assumption their story sucks less than the one currently circulating.  They address the inaccuracy of the original story, but they do not address the vitally important point of the story.  Why they're in port is immaterial to the fact we have four aircraft carriers lined up and vulnerable to a strafing run by any incoming fighter force.  The photograph depicts what a Japanese Type 99 "Val" or Type 00 "Zero" would have seen just prior to the destruction of the American fleet at Pearl Harbor.  How could they miss?

"Always we will remember the onslaught against us." 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Pearl Harbor Speech - December 8, 1941

It would seem the U.S. Navy has forgotten "the onslaught against us."  As a military man I find this kind of seeming incompetence troubling.  I'm sure they ran the idea up the flagpole and came up with an acceptable excuse, as the military hierarchy always does, for seemingly putting these carriers in harm's way.  A sequester is not a reason, and the Navy should have balked at the idea of this ,regardless of who ordered it.  Their reasoning will fly high, until the carriers are destroyed.  "Always we will remember..."  Will we?  Always?  History repeating itself.

I would like to think we have fighters on strip alert while these ships are in port, ready at a moment's notice to take down any encroaching aircraft.  Let's hope they do a better job that the Secret Service does in protecting the White House, or the military did in protecting the Pentagon.  Rule of thumb, no matter how prepared you are, something will always go wrong.  Be prepared for what you didn't prepare for.  According to a couple of Murphy's New Military Laws:

1.  There are two kinds of naval vessels: Submarines and targets.

2.  Surprise is an event that takes place in the mind of a commander.

I will remember history this Sunday.  I will remember the lives that were lost due to our smug incompetence.  I will remember what it took to get our navy back into fighting condition after the attack.  I will remember that we did all this with a President, a Congress, a military, and a people that were capable of coming together, uniting against a threat to our existence as a nation.  As a patriot I have to hope we have the ability to do this again if, God forbid, it is required of us.  I am a bit concerned.

Of course, all of this is just an opinion.  It could be wrong.  I doubt it, but it could be.


I invite those interested in additional reading to visit last year's post on this subject.  Please follow the link to Revisiting Pearl Harbor.

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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand 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 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.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

2014 - The Slow Death of Christmas?

CHRISTMAS:  

A Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas evolved over two millennia into a worldwide religious and secular celebration, incorporating many pre-Christian, pagan traditions into the festivities along the way.  Today, Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts.

http://www.history.com/topics/christmas

This would be my father in the photo, back in the late 1950s, if memory serves.  It was when we didn't own much, but what we did own was paid for.  You'll note the "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree, sparse of limbs and, therefore, sparse of ornaments and tinsel.  Notice the homemade popcorn garland?  Dad was putting together my gift, an electric train, while the cat looks to be vomiting a fur ball.  Soon would come a conservative Christmas meal and prayers for family, friends, and the blessed Jesus.    

Church would come later, for now there was prayer.  Mom had been indoctrinated in scripture while she was growing up in Mississippi, and dad was Sicilian so he was steeped in Catholicism.  We wouldn't start going to church regularly, however, until we moved to northern California when I was nine.  He would start his own business, money would start coming in, and my parents would feel the overwhelming urge to screw me over by sending me to Catholic School.  It seems I wasn't learning much in public school and I was "high active" which, today, might be diagnosed as ADD.  Back then we found a way to funnel the energy - nuns.  It took a single Catholic nun to point out that I couldn't see ten feet in front of my face.  Oh, joy.  Black horn rimmed "birth control" glasses.  Buddy Holly, eat your heart out!

Anyone know what happens when optometrists increase the strength of your lenses over the course of years?  Your eyes continue to try and keep up.  Increase, get worse.  Increase, get worse.  Pretty soon you have coke bottle bottoms for lenses.  Thanks, to the practice of medical science I learned about gravity, by constantly catching my heavy glasses every time I bent over and they left my face. 

Where was I?  Oh, yeah...

Christmas, like Christianity, is under attack.  It is being assaulted by our old friends at the LPO, the League of the Perpetually Offended.  When it isn't under attack by them, it seems to be inadvertently attacked by people who would normally do no harm.  The Jew in Seattle that was upset there was no equal space for Judaism in the airport.  Officials removed the offending tree and the Jew cried foul.  He just wanted a space for Judaism, not to have the tree removed.  Recently it was Muslims that wanted equal time for two Islamic holy days on a school calendar.  Official took Christmas off and replaced it with something like "winter break."  The Muslims were incensed at this.  They didn't want Christmas removed; they only wanted their holy days recognized.  The message gets lost in the knee jerk reaction.  In these types of instances, the reaction usually comes from the knees attached to the jerks in charge.  The LPO tends to make more ludicrous requests than these, like asking for the removal of a manger scene displayed in front of a church.  

With threats coming from all sides, believe it or not, Christianity usually finds support from pagans, Wicca, and the Church of Satan.  Fortunately, the LPO, for all their efforts, usually lose their battles in court.  Unfortunately, Christianity now has a newer, more destructive, enemy... ISIS, and all the other Islamic heretics perpetrating acts of terror on innocents, like when they behead children and cut five year olds in half just for being a Christian.  These are not acts that would be condoned by Muhammad or Allah.  This is not Islam.

This is not an attack on Christmas, not directly, but an attack on Christianity, and Christ.  This would be the same Christ mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, with reverence, twenty-five times.  Islam is at odds with Christianity?  No.  Nor is it at odds with Judaism.  These are terrorists, and their affiliation with Islam is an offense to Allah.

"You have freedom of religion given by God to believe in what you believe in. But in a world where conflict is increasing, a Muslim should be a bridge- builder and a peacemaker. It was due to the Muslim practice of Islamic ideals of respect and tolerance that the key of the holiest Christian Shrine in Jerusalem, the church of the Holy Sepulcher, remains entrusted with a Muslim family, as it has been for over 1400 years."

-- Abdul Malik Mujahid, "Treating Christmas with Respect"

http://www.soundvision.com/info/christmas/ctreat.asp

"Many Christians are unaware that the true spirit of reverence which Muslims display towards Jesus (pbuh) and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of their faith as prescribed in the Holy Quran. Most do not know that a Muslim does not take the name of Jesus (pbuh), without saying Eesa alai-hiss-salaam i.e. (Jesus peace be upon him).

Many Christians do not know that in the Holy Qur'an Jesus (pbuh) is mentioned by name twenty-five times."

Jesus in Islam and Christmas, 

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC0312-2171 

This notwithstanding, many of you probably read the title for this post and said, what the hell, Christmas is alive and well.  Is it?  reread the definition at the top of this post.  Christmas has evolved.  It is now a time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts.  That's what it is, according to History.com.  But, truth be known, that is what it's become for the majority of Christians, as well.  If you're really devout you might mumble a "happy birthday" to Jesus, even if it's just at Christmas dinner.  That's if you actually sit down at the table for dinner, an exercise few make time for anymore and one reason for the demise of the American family.

Is Christmas dead?  No.  Christmas is alive and well in the hearts of atheists, and non-Christians, everywhere.  It is a time for friends and family, commercialization and consumerism.  No?  Ask yourself when was the last time you actually sent a letter for Christmas instead of a purchased card.  When was the last time you actually took the time to write more than a few lines on a card that you didn't write to fifty other people?  When was the last time you actually sent that many cards?  And did you give more to the hungry than you put under the tree?  When was the last time you actually thought about the true meaning of Christmas?

Christmas isn't dead, yet.  It is dying a slow, painful death.  Who is to blame?  All of the perpetually offended we pay way too much attention to, just so they can go on being offended over...anything, and nothing?  No.  They are given way too much credit.  Like an annoying fly, one must remember they only exist because no one has swatted them yet.  Is it ISIS and other terrorists?  No.  Christianity, like Judaism and other religions that have suffered the tyranny of intolerance, has weathered worse vermin than this for two thousand years and more.  No.  Christmas is dying because we, all of us, fall victim to one, or all, of the seven deadly sins, and we do so while fighting amongst ourselves.  Racism, sexism, and intolerance, eat at us daily.  It is reality TV, without the TV (which was probably stolen out of your shopping cart during Black Friday).

My parents and I will be celebrating a quiet Christmas this year.  We will have a conservative dinner and open the few gifts which we will put under a small, non-descript, tree.  We have come full circle at my house, only now I am here assisting my parents instead of them raising me.  We will praise the Lord, and I might even take mom to church for Mass.  I will be thankful for the gifts I have been blessed with, my children, grandchildren, their extended family, and my mother and my father.  I will say prayers for all of them, and I will ask God's grace for all of my friends, past and present, that struggle daily to find some inner peace.  I will also send more food to the soup kitchen to feed those less fortunate, for what is Christmas if it isn't a celebration of life? 

Christmas is in the heart.  It is a Christian holy day honoring the birth of Jesus Christ.  That we do anything else on this day is insignificant to remembering why we honor the day.  We should honor the day always, and keep the spirit alive in our hearts throughout the year.  

Christmas will never die, any more than Christianity will.  Where two or three are assembled in His name, there He is in the midst of them.  Have faith.  Have love.  Have tolerance.  Have forgiveness.  Have understanding and reasonableness.  Strive to carry Christmas in your heart throughout the year.  

If all of that fails you, have Christ. 


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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor

Sunday Thought - November 30, 2014: Ferguson, MO - Boots on the Ground, or Let It Burn?

From the picture above I think we can conclude that these folks at least know what they are.  They can continue to be what they are if the can learn what the word STOP means when a police officer says it.  They can pad the bets on living if they don't steal, grab for an officer's gun and push around those smaller than they are, or act like a sociopath. 

The following article came across my Facebook page the other day and, as much as we are all tired of hearing about the criminals acting out in Ferguson, I thought I'd share it:

http://viral.buzz/kkk-resurgence-in-ferguson-and-you-thought-things-couldnt-get-worse/

My comment to the article was the following:

Okay, so we have the police trying to control the terrorists, the terrorists being threatened by the KKK, another group of terrorists terrorizing the police and the KKK in order to protect the original terrorists, homegrown Islamic terrorists threatening to hit unknown targets, and ISIS terrorists promising to plant their flag on the Capitol. Here's just a thought. Let Ferguson play out and "burn baby burn." Let the KKK and these terrorists have at each other and we'll deal with the winner down the road. This will cut the legs out from under Anonymous. It also leaves the rest of us free to handle the real threat of ISIS and the homegrown murdering heretics. Just a thought.

I know I left out the Black Panthers, but really, without the left calling the shots for them, they are fairly impotent. They have been relegated to enforcement thugs, evidenced by their threatening people at polling places and the AG turning a blind eye to it. The left has it's hands full putting out all the fires they've started in Washington right now to really care about feeding their dogs new assignments, but if they'd like to join the fray I'm sure the KKK and the Ferguson terrorists won't mind a bit.

And, yes, I was being flippant.  This whole situation is ridiculous.  When a student from UCLA lectures an older, black, police officer on what racism means, the educational system in this country needs to take a hard look at their curriculum.  But, this lack of quality education has just added to a situation already spinning out of control.  Authorities should declare martial law and put an end to it.  Civil rights for these criminals should be curtailed and the law abiding population should be protected.  The situation here went south the minute after the stepfather yelled to burn the bitch down.  He should be immediately taken into custody, tried, and convicted of crimes too numerous to list.  To make this situation even worse, I heard on the news this morning that the communist party from New York is now onsite.  Oh, joy... more socialists.

The problem here isn't that a police officer shot a black man in the commission of a crime, attacking said police officer but, rather, the anarchist attitudes and decay of the family unit that permeates our society as a whole.  Ferguson is not a lesson on black crime in poor neighborhoods.  The protesters and criminals that have come out of the woodwork in response to the killing of this young criminal, white, black, Hispanic, communist, KKK, Black Panthers, Anonymous, and all the others not from Ferguson, are evidence of the much larger problem.  This is not free speech.  This is anarchy.  This is burning property and hurting innocent people when all the evidence, the facts, shows Mike Brown to be a thug, and a criminal.  This is a lack of respect for the rule of law and the perpetrators should be dealt with harshly.   

What has happened in Ferguson is a reflection of the deterioration of American values, family values, religious values, and the laws of our society.  For too long we have bowed to the minority in this country that find fault at every turn.  Like putting too much water in lemonade, the flavor has dissipated.  We have thinned our laws to the point of non-existence; to the point where, for many, they are meaningless and become more like guidelines than something of substance.  For the law abiding, we hope an officer shows up when we call for help, but deep inside we know if they do it will oft times be too late.

If the grand jury had been comprised of equal parts black and white, would it have made a difference?  Probably not.  This crowd was an unstable explosive waiting for a match which came in the form of the step-fathers exclamation to burn it all down.  This was blatant disrespect for the laws of our country that began with Mike Brown and his family of "upstanding" role models.  This continues to be a disregard for the truth behind the evidence and testimony that shows what really went down during the incident, and the lies that were revealed when witnesses began  changing the stories and coming forward with the truth that many didn't even witness anything.  What the black community in Ferguson needs to address has more to do with truth than with justice, because the truth will set you free.  I hate to be cold, but Mike Brown's real father seems to be the only voice of reason in this insanity, and I find the difference in attitudes between him and the stepfather interesting.  Perhaps evidence of why the marriage failed; why this family unit collapsed?  

We, all of us, need to work on family values.  We need to work on keeping families together and not making divorce or abandonment a matter of fact.  We need to sit down with family for our meals and discuss the day's activities and news.  We need to have meaningful discussion and debate over things that happen in our country.  We need to ensure our young people are brought up to think for themselves and not believe the hype.  We need to show them there is a process for grievances that is peaceful so the protest is not worse than the crime it stands for, and so innocence doesn't suffer the effects of intentional, or unintentional, criminal stupidity.

My own marriage collapsed in on itself, but only after I spent fifteen years trying to hold it together.  It was long enough to ensure the kids could make their own sound and moral judgments.  Sometimes things just don't work out, but that does not excuse you from your responsibilities to your family or to society.

Do we need more boots on the ground in Ferguson, or should we just let the "bitch" burn?  I don't know.  As an interfaith minister I can only judge the inaction of the community as a whole to prevent their community, their neighbors, from being torched.  I can only judge the obvious lack of Christian, and other religious and societal values evidenced by the protesters.

Will we learn from Ferguson?  Probably not, when you consider that we, as a society, are also beginning to spin out of control.  History will continue to repeat until mankind learns from it.  Are we not traveling down the same path as Rome?  

We already seem to be burning.

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

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion.  It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other.  An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth.  After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human.  God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.
  

Frank Anthony Villari, Pastor