My Sunday Thought for 05152016: Your Personal Path

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, I wondered this when I saw these two similar quotes. The one above would seem to be from a gentler age, like before radical Islamic terrorism, whereas the one below would seem to be more in line with the world of today, especially in third world countries and areas of conflict.

No matter how good or bad you think life is, wake up each day and be thankful for life. Someone somewhere else is fighting to survive. 

-- Anonymous

No matter how bad I might think my day is, I always try to remember how great it is to live in a country where I don't have to fight for survival.  In most developed nations, fighting for survival is a choice, or a consequence of a choice, we have freely made.  Our destiny is what we make of it.  If we choose to live in poverty, we will remain poor.  If we choose to run with gangs we will be arrested or die.  If we choose to be homeless, we will be homeless.  All the consequences of our lives can be traced back to a decision we freely made that put us where we currently are.  Your misery is of your own making, and you have a choice to remain in misery, remain in misery and shift the blame onto someone else for your stupid decisions, or climb out of your pit of despair and find a meaningful path in life.

Nokuphiwa Phiwe, a new friend in South Africa, follows my posts and shared the anonymous quote, below, on her Facebook page; I feel the sentiment has much meaning:

I've seen better days, but I've also seen worse.  I don't have everything that I want, but I do have all I need.  I woke up with some aches and pains, but I woke up.  My life may not be perfect, but I am blessed.

If you are working and have everything you need, you are blessed on your path.  However, welfare is not a constructive path.  Welfare, for the great majority, is tantamount to taking money you haven't earned from those that have, simply because you can, because of your government encourages it.  It gives you an excuse not to work and not become a meaningful, productive, member of the society you bilk for a livelihood.  Taking money you haven't earned is, well... stealing.  Taking money as part of an endless, out of control, "leg up" program, and not working toward getting off the program is , well... like stealing, and usury.   For you to accept this program as your definition of "life path" is a waste of the life God gifted you and, unfortunately, not unexpected.   To teach your children that this is all society expects of them, is child abuse.  Some folks choose not to understand this which, unfortunately, is also not unexpected.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.

-- Buddha

I have had people ask me what they're supposed to do to end this cycle of welfare for themselves when there are no jobs available.  This is where you separate those that seriously want off the merry-go-round from those that look for an excuse to stay on the ride and abuse the system for life.  I tell them to pick up and move where the jobs are.  The answer usually starts out the same, and goes downhill rapidly, "Yeah, but...."  The sure indicator of someone that has no intent of giving up free money provided by others is the much overused, "Yeah, but..."  Reminding these folks of the depression era when fathers left families and found work to send money home, or when the entire family would hit the road and look for work on farms while living in tent cities, would fall on deaf ears.  We don't teach history in this country, and you don't have to wonder why - keep them fed, keep them stupid.  Our personal path is all about making choices and living with the consequences.

I don't know what my path is yet. I'm just walking on it.

-- Olivia Newton-John

I often talk about the League of the Perpetually Offended.  Perhaps the proper title for folks on perpetual welfare might better be the League of the Perpetually Dissatisfied.  This league is all inclusive of the intelligent and the ignorant, the dissatisfied and the offended, the entitled, the angry, the antagonistic, belligerent, etc., etc..

A man that attended one of my recent meetings had an unusual approach to life; he was a member of the League of the Perpetually Angry, Tempered by Antagonistic Belligerence; an uncomfortable personality combination for the rest of humanity to cope with, to be sure.

Anger, tempered by antagonistic belligerence, is not a constructive life path.  Nothing perpetually negative is good for the individual, those around them, or society as a whole.  God bless them, these folks are, unfortunately,  seen as the bothersome gnats of society, the "no-see-ums" in life that fill dead air time on our news networks to remind us of their less than useful existence in a world fraught with more important threats than they are offering.  We swat at them to little effect and try desperately to ignore them.

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.

-- Henry David Thoreau

Your personal life path should be constructive.  Your life is fairly insignificant if it isn't constructive.  If you find you must criticize, make it constructive criticism.  If you find inequities, sit down and offer equitable solutions which don't include just disrespecting the other viewpoints.  You have the God given right to fart; we have the God given right to ostracize you for it.  If you think the singer on stage can't sing, get up there and show us how it's done, or... shut the hell up and sit your talentless ass down so the rest of us can enjoy the endless parade of life.  Be the moral compass, the voice of reason, and the "go to" person for the good sense that is so much less than "common" in society today.

“Sometimes God will place a wall on your path to force you to go in another direction.” 

-- Suzy Kassem 

A good personal path should be smooth and free of obstructions.  The rough path we experience is of our own making.  The obstructions we encounter, we ourselves put there.  Our path is all about the choices we make and the consequences we, then, have to deal with.  Better for us to make good choices and let the consequences be the constructive evidence of our passing.

“While you'll feel compelled to charge forward it's often a gentle step back that will reveal to you where you and what you truly seek.”

-- Rasheed Ogunlaru

So, what really is a positive life path, and have we been programmed by society to define our path in societal terms?  Does debt equal happiness? Some may feel being entitled to things they haven't earned is happiness while others may feel being filthy rich can buy that happiness.  The truth is, none of this may have diddly to do with a person's life path.  Your positive life path is what you do with what you have; the positive impact, impression, and effect you have on the lives of others in order to better their lot as well as your own.

Everyone has a path to walk, whether they know it or not.  You may not know what your own path is, yet.  A life path is that journey we take between when we are conceived and when we reach the end of our journey.  Our journey does not end at death, nor does our life path.  Our journey will continue until we reach the final destination.  You may not know what your own path is until you gather enough puzzle pieces and have that "Aha!" moment.  Your path in this life might just be to peacefully gather the pieces so you're prepared for what comes next.  Your path might be just being, which, in itself can be meaningful to those looking for what you don't know you have; what they see in you that you haven't discovered, or are to humble to admit.  Even this humility can be an unknown attribute you bring to your path.  Throughout our lives we learn, shape, and morph as we search for - something.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson  

God made the universe with only one constant that can be assured - change.  The gift of change is a double edged sword.  Change can be good or bad depending on variables.  For each of us those variables deal mostly with the choices we make and the ensuing consequences.  We can live with the consequences of bad choices or we can choose to step back and try again.  We have been given the ability to learn from our mistakes, to refine our skills, up our game, to keep trying, and to constantly strive for something better.  To sit down and give up, to surrender your pride and your integrity for rewards not earned is a disrespectful waste of God's gift.  I find the notion of disrespecting an omnipotent being a tad arrogant.  For most humans, sadly, arrogance is also not unexpected.

Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment.

-- Morihei Ueshiba

Perhaps we should all take a step back and look at our personal path.  You may not know what that path is... yet, but you can judge whether the path you are on is constructive or not.  You can determine if the current path is a suitable path to follow, or if you have to make adjustments in order to find happiness. "You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment."  Or, you can always go back to pissing off God.  

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) once wrote, "L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés ou désirs" (Hell is full of good wishes or desires). But, it is also said, heaven is full of good works!  When does the wishing stop and the doing begin?

Ensure your path is headed in the right direction, and then... take the first step!

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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

My Sunday Thought for 05082016: Mother's Day

I am what I am due to her ministrations.

The rock that is always there,

The compass to find my way,

Whether I need it, or not.

My constant admirer,

as she is my constant critic.

She tasks me to be all

And wishes me only happiness.

This woman that I love

And worry almost daily.

I still come when she calls,

and I still call her "mom."

So, who's the ugly mug my mom is with? Yeah, you guessed it - me. What in God's good name happened? Really! I mean, yeah, if you ignore the fact I had to sit in a high chair to gnaw on a 'nanner, I was actually a handsome guy, back in the day. I was such a good looking little kid. Okay, I was a bit high active and I think I had undiagnosed ADD, but that's why I didn't learn a lot about a little... rather, I learned a little about much.

As I grew up, I humbly have to admit I was still a heartthrob, if I took off the black birth control glasses with the coke bottle bottom lenses, but then I was nearsighted as Mr. Magoo. Even so, mom made sure to dress me in keeping with the day's fashion, while dad taught me the virtues of a classic, natural fiber suits, the three button blue blazer, and how to tie a Windsor knot in my tie. There was no substitute or excuse, for not looking clean, neat, and affluent, whether you were affluent or not.  A hole in your jeans was a secret to be kept lest you end up with knee patches, or breaking in another uncomfortably stiff pair of denim Levis ("stone washed" was still a ways off).

She taught me, more than the church, about religion, faith, and how to have a personal, spiritual, relationship with God. She basically stressed that she had taught me right from wrong, so there was no reason for me to be stupid. Okay, almost no reason. Okay, so I failed that tidbit on occasion, but I always picked myself up and kept going which was another lesson she taught and I learned well.  She was a constant reminder to brush my teeth, wash behind my ears, and wash my hands before eating.  She did all this, most of the time, while holding down a job to help with the bills groceries, and to keep us debt free (a lesson everyone should learn).

Mom was a stickler about us having three square meals a day with all the daily recommended courses. She would always let me help in the kitchen, or at least stand on a chair so I could watch, and I actually paid pretty close attention to her cooking. I would even sit with her and watch cooking shows on television.  Graham Kerr, and Julia Child of my youth would be replaced with so many more TV kitchens and chefs throughout the coming years, though none of them could fondle a raw chicken like Julia Child.  

It wouldn't be till my twenties that I finally realized I actually liked broccoli, cottage cheese, yogurt, lamb, and even fish that weren't pieces of fish reformed into sticks, breaded, and oven ready. The fact that mom let me help out in the kitchen served me well when I moved out on my own. I was a better cook than most women I met, and found it was actually a draw for dating and relationships.  Want to meet women?  Cruise the vegetable section or the meat counter of your local supermarket.  The store is rife with women looking for a man that cooks.  It is a sad reflection of how little moms now teach their daughters.  I guess it accounts for the current glut of male chefs on TV.

Mom was the reason I can sew, cook, do laundry, iron, and keep a clean house. She tried her best, against insurmountable odds, to keep me alive, and ensured I grew up right. I did a lot of things that would make one think I had a death wish, but the things mom said always stuck in my mind and kept me from going too far.   

Yep, thanks to her I made it to 62.  I'm living in sin with my significant other, fighting against thinning hair, male pattern baldness, and a spare tire (none of this latter was mom's fault). Thanks to her I also still have all my own teeth, save for a couple of caps which are probably a result of my penchant for chewing ice (I've been told chewing ice is a sign of sexual frustration... yeah, right, so much for psychobabble bullshit).  I am still here to proudly proclaim life and health at 62, which is all more than I can say for many of my childhood friends.

In large part to her, aside from being alive and healthy, I am also happy and content.    I'm secure enough with who I am to wear a dress and a black fedora, with a flower attached, during the New Orleans Red Dress Run, and do it with a beard while smoking a stogie with good friends.  I don't sweat the small stuff and rarely give the large stuff much notice. I have made many mistakes in my life but, thanks to mom, I have survived all of them with a modicum of grace and the fortitude to continue moving forward on my path. 

Here's to all the mothers, like my daughter, that actually take time to "mother" their children and be a real parent, which is more than just a title. It is a concept that is, sadly, disappearing in our society as lazy parents become increasingly reliant on government to "parent" in their stead.

So, here's to you mom!  I love you dearly for all you've been, all you've done, and all you will do in my life.

In the course of our busy day, if we happen upon a mother being a mother, be sure and mention to them how nice it is to see a parent actually taking the responsibility seriously - and thank them!  It is becoming a lost art in this day and age.  Perhaps we should make every day Mother's Day, so we can show our appreciation for all they do, on a daily basis, to enrich our lives.

It Is What It Is?

It is what it is,

Until you make it something else.

Have you ever visited an art gallery and seen crap hanging on the wall?  I mean, really, I've seen chimpanzees that can produce crap better than the crap I've seen hanging, and at least their crap may actually have crap in it.  Though, thinking about it, maybe the human "art" does as well.  I've produced art most of my adult life.  I've sold some, but mostly I did it for the pleasure of creation.  I always shake my head when I see some of this "art" being sold, and bought, for the prices asked.  If I wanted to paint for a living, I'd do very well for myself.  But, and I can admit I'm not that good and that I am my own worst critic.

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

-- Salvador Dali

What is art?  Like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder.  For some folks, there would seem to be much beauty in crap.  Either they need glasses, or I need a better prescription, because I just don't see it.  Then, there is the artist that doesn't have any clue, except that "art lovers" generally have more money than good taste and don't know damn it about art.  This talent of this type of artist lies in putting blank canvases on the wall and daring you to see the "deep meaning" of it all.  The deep meaning is he didn't have to do any work. Whether they paint crap or paint nothing, almost all of these artists eke out a living bilking money from people that generally have the artistic tastes of ignorant sphincters.  But, then, as we all know, art reflects life.

Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.

-- Pablo Picasso

"Every good artist paints what he is."  That statement explains much.  I like, "It is what it is, until you make it something else."  I've taken works of art and painted over them, making them into something worth looking at.  I've salvage antique table tops and carved them into hanging art.  I don't purchase the piece for what the artists sees; I purchase it for the platform to create something different, something better, for me.  When I do find an artists I like, it is rare, but last month I found a woman with a talent for water color.  I had seen her work last year, during the same art festival, and knew I would purchase an item this year.  I commissioned a painting for my living room which was in dire need of some color.  I loved her easy style and, since I love to cook, I wanted "foody" art with a southern flavor.  We discussed size, about 24 x 36 inches, and what I'd like to see in it.  She painted me the perfect piece, seen below.

This art, like all art, isn't for everybody, nor is it intended to be.  This art is for me, it reflects who I am and what I enjoy.  For me it reflects cooking good food, enjoying family, a love of the sea and of the South.  It is what it is, but even in this, it is what it will become.  I still have to take it to choose the proper frame and glare proof glass, and then I have to pick the right spot to hang it.  When framed and hung in an appropriate spot.  Folks can have their own opinion of it, understanding that I really don't care what their opinion is.  It is only important that I like it.  The art was chosen as a reflection of me, their opinion of it is a reflection of who they are.

Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.

-- Jackson Pollock

So, what is the point of this post?  Life is like art.  When you take a step back and take it all in, is it really just what it is, or can you make it something better?  More importantly, I suppose, is will you make it something better?  There is no deep meaning in a blank canvas other than that it represents... nothing, and crap on a canvas represents crap on a canvas, a lack of any talent, caring, or time to spend on it.  Both an empty canvas and a canvas of crap represent the artist's attempt to take advantage of the beholder's gullibility.

Anybody can be a critic, but what has a critic done with their own canvas?  What have you done with yours?  Does your life take advantage of other people's gullibility to buy into your bullshit, or does it reflect your honest attempt to create a life others will want to emulate for themselves? Does your life, your canvas, incite others to pick up a brush and work on their own?  Our life is what we make of it, and we can always paint over our first attempt and try again until it speaks to us, until it gives us pause, and we smile.  

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

-- Pablo Picasso

It is what it is.  You actually only have control over your own life.  If something is affecting your life you have the choice to walk away.  Why worry over something of which you have no control?  To what end?  However, if you want to change it then fretting over it, being emotional about it, or ignoring it, won't change the fact that it is what it is.  Wanting change isn't enough.  You must make an honest effort to affect change, and then follow through until change occurs.  There is no time for trying if your life is on a non-existent path, miserable, isn't going anywhere, or your life low-light is pinging.  As Master Yoda says, "Try not!  Do or do not, there is no try." 

"But, I'm not as artist," you declare, and you evidence either how lazy you are to make anything better of your life, or your lack of self-confidence to affect any meaningful change.  Taking a first, tentative step, is not trying.  On the contrary, taking a first step is doing.  Taking a second step is continuing, and each step further brings you closer to effecting changes in your life which will, ultimately, put you on a path to everything God intended for you.  Or, you can finger your naval and contemplate your glaringly blank canvas through this life and into the next.  

“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.”

-- Leonardo da Vinci

And, as for suicide, think about what would happen if killing yourself simply damns you to the endless loop of finding yourself back at the beginning of your problems, still not being able to change them and ultimately killing yourself, again, only to find yourself back at the beginning, and killing yourself again, and repeating this so many times until, one day, you have an epiphany.  You realize the pain and creativity involved in killing yourself multiple ways still results in you having to relive the crap of a life you already lived, again and again, because you'll never be allowed to change the lessons of the past.  So, this time, you finally realize it was the final answer that was wrong.  You can never move forward by providing the wrong answer.  

You decide, instead, to change the present answer, which would also be your last answer; the moment when you made the decision to end it all.  This is the "Aha!" moment when you discover you've been a dumbass, pull yourself out of your pit of despair, and life starts to get better because you took the first step - forward!  Face it, would you really want to take the chance of having to go through all the crap that brought you to ending it all, over and over, again and again and again, until your dumbass finally has the epiphany?  Better to just get it right this time and be done with it so you can move on, don't you think?  Besides, who really wants to piss off the Deity by being so selfish as to kill one of God's creatures?  Yeah, that would be you.   

When do you plan on taking the first step toward being all you can be?  If not now, when?  Is your life truly doomed to only be what it is?  Or is it only because you haven't acted to affect any positive change?  And that brings me to my favorite question, "Why?"  And, try to remember, any excuses you come up with, or buy into, are your excuses.  It is your life, and they are your decisions, and your consequences.  It just might be time to stop the pity party of one.  Maybe you should think about growing up and learning to deal with shit.  What would Jesus say?  Maybe that it is what it is, only until it isn't.  Maybe that it is time for you to take the first positive step, toward something marvelous.

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

― Vincent van Gogh

But, all of this is just the humble opinion, the ramblings, of some old guy.  Who am I to judge?

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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

Answering a Call - Minister or Salesman?

Ever come across a shyster disguised as clergy?  They're pretty easy to spot.  Like a used car salesman, they act like they get a percentage on the side for each sale they bring in.  It doesn't take them long to realize they should have their own dealership.  They can tell within the first few minutes if you're worth their effort, if you aren't, they move onto the next potentially weak minded shopper searching for a "deal."  Like any good salesman, consciously or not, these salesmen believe there is a believer born every day and it's their calling to reel them, and their hard earned savings, into the fold.  Then there are the televangelists.  

Televangelists are the "As Seen on TV" spokespeople for their product.  It doesn't matter whether you need it because, before they're finished, you're going to want it.  I'm actually amazed more of them don't have Aussie accents loudly hawking with the obligatory, "If you call in your recommended tithe of just $50, or more, within the next 20 minutes, we'll throw in a second path to salvation absolutely FREE!  Just pay separate shipping and handling for the embossed, wallet sized blessing... on real paper card stock touched by Reverend Jim himself!  But, wait... order two for yourself and two for that special someone you'd love to spend an eternity with, and we'll sent you an eight by ten, autographed, color glossy of Reverend Jim blessing the faithful!"  Christians flock to this bullshit like women at a BOGO sale while Reverend Jim mugs for the camera, adjusts his gold chains, checks his Rolex, and polishes his $2000 shoes on back of his $5000 suit pant legs, all the while lusting after his beautiful protégé, not his wife, waiting outside in the limo or onboard their private jet.  

Reverend Jim's message is sound, albeit spewing from the hypocritical pie hole of a devout sinner in self-denial.  The good thing is, you won't go to the same hell as Rev Jimbo.  That's because you listened to his tripe, believed in the parts dealing with God's good Word, and donated.  There are special places in hell for his ilk.  If you donated because you sincerely believed in the message of the Lord and the money was going to do some good for humanity, and that God's countenance would shine down upon thee for your display of faith, you're probably alright.  You need to work on who you choose as a shepherd, but you're probably alright, though a whole bunch misguided.  Does this mean all televangelists are suspect?  Suspect, yes.  Guilty, maybe not.  But, they are on television, handling millions of dollars with no accounting for the cash handed over at the event center, and someone has to be paying the tab for the visible extravagance.  And how about those poor and hungry?  Well, don't the preachers only promise the money will help to continue their good work?  They just want to continue doing it in the manner to which they have become accustomed - extravagant.  Just saying.  

"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!

But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, and somehow just can't handle money!"

-- George Carlin, comedian

Most of us are searching for something, be it faith, religion, spirituality, something to believe in, something bigger than ourselves... like, God.  I don't think any of us are looking for damnation because we question a particular religious belief, sect, or denomination, unless we happen to be masochists.  We aren't looking to be sold a bill of goods, and we aren't looking to buy the first car we're shown no matter how much the salesman says we need it, unless we happen to be that gullible.  Most of us aren't sure what we're looking for, but we're all pretty sure we'll know it when we see it.  It might not be the prettiest car on the lot, and it may require some work, but in the long run it will get us where we're headed; honest, reliable, inexpensive, transportation to salvation.

We have to keep in mind that salvation really isn't as difficult as many would have us believe.  Will it require some work?  Well, that depends on how screwed up we already are.  Once you get your kit sorted out, the path ahead is pretty easy.  God didn't make it difficult, we did.  The message is clear, and free.  We allow a lot of interference to garble the message.  We think we have to pay to hear the message, understand it, or pave our way.  Don't just hear the message; focus on it and listen, and try to separate the fat from the meat.  The fat makes it tasty, but the meat is what maintains us.

“Some, in an effort to protect and preserve the gospel message, have become like the guards in that museum, fueled by fear that it could be damaged or stolen if they are not vigilant in their watch. They have mistaken the good news for an ancient artifact that needs to be protected. But that is not its nature. This kingdom is a lot more like a tree. God is looking for gardeners, not guards. A guard is trained in a defensive stance of fear and suspicion. A gardener is motivated by love and creativity.”

--Shane Hipps, pastor, author, speaker

Clergy can only deliver their interpretation of a message.  We need to listen to each interpretation, read the message ourselves, and determine our own faith.  Our own faith is what God is interested in.  We can't get to where we're going on the word of the salesman.  We have to be good stewards of our own fate, and have a strong conviction that our own faith, not our minister's, will see us through to our ultimate goal.  I'm not crazy about rappers, but Killer Mike tries to make a point here:

"God really exists, I tell you like this: 

It resides inside. 

And anybody tell you different,

Just selling you religion,

Tryin' to keep your ass in line."

-- Killer Mike, hip-hop artist

I think that, even in times before Christ, Jewish Rabbis lived a life of luxury and control from their temples.  Christ came along and threatened this control.  Christ said to give your wealth to the poor and follow Him.  Those who heard a higher calling followed the teacher.  Sometime, early on, Christianity formed a church, built cathedrals, formed a bible, built a Vatican, and within the span of a single lifetime began to forget the basics Christ taught.  Christian history isn't repeating itself; it's just continuing the 2000 year march back to the time before Christ.  What would Jesus think?  Maybe we need to cleanse the temple, again?  Or, maybe clergy just needs to remember why they came when called, and ensure the reasons were humble.

“Most televangelists, popular Christian preacher icons, and heads of those corporations that we call megachurches share an unreflective modern view of Jesus--that he translates easily and almost automatically into a modern idiom. The fact is, however, that Jesus was not a person of the twenty-first century who spoke the language of contemporary Christian America (or England or Germany or anywhere else). Jesus was inescapably and ineluctably a Jew living in first-century Palestine. He was not like us, and if we make him like us we transform the historical Jesus into a creature that we have invented for ourselves and for our own purposes. 

Jesus would not recognize himself in the preaching of most of his followers today. He knew nothing of our world. He was not a capitalist. He did not believe in free enterprise. He did not support the acquisition of wealth or the good things in life. He did not believe in massive education. He had never heard of democracy. He had nothing to do with going to church on Sunday. He knew nothing of social security, food stamps, welfare, American exceptionalism, unemployment numbers, or immigration. He had no views on tax reform, health care (apart from wanting to heal leprosy), or the welfare state. So far as we know, he expressed no opinion on the ethical issues that plague us today: abortion and reproductive rights, gay marriage, euthanasia, or bombing Iraq. His world was not ours, his concerns were not ours, and--most striking of all--his beliefs were not ours.

Jesus was a first-century Jew, and when we try to make him into a twenty-first century American we distort everything he was and everything he stood for.”

-- Bart D. Ehrman, PhD, James A. Gray Distinguished Professor , author

Faith is not a business.  Religion is not a paycheck.  You don't need to drive up to the White House in a limousine; I'd be impressed to see a minister visit the president riding up to the gate on an ass, and wearing the simple robes of a monk.  Clergy are supposed to be what they are because they answered the call of a higher authority.  Like doctors and teachers, they started out with a humble desire to serve humanity, not their BMW, the union, or the Vatican coffers, yet doctors, teachers, and clergy seem to forget the loftier goals and pure satisfaction of serving their fellow man at the behest of their Deity.

“Just because Christianity claims Jesus as its own does not mean that Jesus claims Christianity as his own. Christ does not bind himself to a religion, any more than wind binds itself to a sail.”

-- Shane Hipps, pastor, author, speaker

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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

My Sunday Thought for 05012016: Holocaust Remembrance

The Lilliput Troupe

Who is the Lilliput Troupe?  I'm in the middle of a terrific book about them called, Giants - The Dwarfs of Auschwitz.  I don't read biographies, as a rule, because I find the boringly tedious.  I will allow exceptions when it comes to the Nazis.  I picked up this book at my local bookseller, read the dust cover, and was instantly enthralled by their story.  It is more than a story of the vertically challenged.  It is a story of loved ones that looked beyond the surface, a story of family, of staying together at all costs, of strength, pride, and humiliation.  Most of all it is a story of survival.

The Nazis made it their goal to not only eradicate the "sub-human" scourge of the Jew from mankind but, also, any other less than perfect human; the retarded, the mentally and physically infirm, pretty much anyone who would not be a productive member of their society was, one way or another, put to death.  One step up from death would be slave labor, and if you became unable to labor you would be put out of your misery and, for many, this was preferable.

Dr. Joseph Mengele, the "Angel of Death," used the millions of doomed at Auschwitz-Birkenau for his personal twisted experiments to further the sick medical knowledge of the Third Reich.  The book gives a good depiction of life in constant dreaded fear of what mental and physical tortures the next day held in this camp of horrors.  A graphic movie of Mengele in the camp would make men with the strongest of constitutions taste bile.  Just reading some of the accounts, knowing and visualizing what specifics the authors weren't telling for obvious reasons, made my skin crawl, and I'm only halfway through the book.

His sick fascination with dwarfism and the chance to study a large family of dwarfs and their normal sized spouses is the only saving grace for the Ovitz family whose only crimes were to be born "different" and to be Jewish.  Marked as cursed by their own Jewish faith, the story outlines their struggle in life even before they are gathered up and shipped to the camp for final disposition.  Their story is well worth the read.

Including the 6 million Jews, an additional 13 million non-Jewish people were also murdered for a variety of reasons not the least of which was thinking you had a right to life in Adolf Hitler's Thousand Year Reich.  72,468,900 people died in WWII, including 23,637,900 military, 33,833,000 civilian, 5,907,900 Jews.  Put into some context, the Soviet Union lost 9,750,000 military, Germany lost 5,533,000 military, and Japan lost 2,120,000 military.  Compared to theses staggering numbers the U.S. lost 416,800 and Great Britain 382,700.  Now, granted, these numbers do not include all Allies and Axis nations, but it gives one some idea of our own losses compared to the enemy.  If anyone ever wondered why the Soviets spent their entire budget on weapons of war and surrounded their country by a buffer of other communist nations, one only has to look at their military and civilian losses against Nazi Germany.    

Those who follow my blog know I hold a special place in hell for the Nazi perpetrators of the "Final Solution."  For those folks young enough to be products of what our country now refers to as a "quality" education, you probably think this refers to some math problem.  You know who you are, because you'll also point to Texas when asked where Russia is located and also say that Groucho Marx is the father of Marxist philosophy.  The Nazi "Final Solution" referred to "die Endlösung der Judenfrage", the Final Solution to the Jewish Question.

JANUARY 20, 1942

WANNSEE CONFERENCE AND THE "FINAL SOLUTION"

The Wannsee Conference, a meeting between the SS (the elite guard of the Nazi state) and German government agencies, opens in Berlin. They discuss and coordinate the implementation of the "Final Solution," which is already under way. At Wannsee, the SS estimates that the "Final Solution" will involve 11 million European Jews, including those from non-occupied countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, and Great Britain. Between the fall of 1941 and the fall of 1944, the German railways transport millions of people to their deaths in killing centers in occupied Poland.

-- The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

I am not going to bore anyone with history the old folks know and the young folks should be well pissed off that their liberal education is putting a pretty face on.  I have written about this on "The Path," ad nauseam, since I began the Blog in 2013.  I even dedicated several posts specifically to the subject, and have listed the links to those:

Holocaust Remembrance Day - April 27-28, 2014  

Monday is "Holocaust Remembrance Day" 

Is there no one left to speak out?  

The Holocaust: A Museum for Tolerance  

Holocaust Remembrance Day - April 15, 2015   

Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah - Holocaust and Heroism

History never held a place in my heart until I realized we Americans constantly change history which we find distasteful or politically incorrect. We do it by removing Confederate battle flags, we do it by blaming our own Civil War on slavery, we even do it by changing the racial profiles of our comic book heroes instead of allowing a particular race to find and develop their own.

The longer our government lies to us about history, the more apt we are to buy into the bullshit. The minute we buy into the bullshit we are just a short plunge into socialism, communism, totalitarianism, and slavery. Philosopher and poet, George Santayana, once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  Ignorance may be the first step to enlightenment, but for any good military psychological operation, or PSYOP, it is also part of the larger scheme to controlling the hearts and minds of a population.  You may not be able to cure stupid, but it seems you can teach stupid to almost any American willing to listen.  Maybe it's time we all start asking questions which they, the government stooges, can't answer; questions backed up by facts, proof, and history they've forgotten or never knew existed.  Maybe it's time we all wake up and smell the bullshit.

"It is our will that this state shall endure for a thousand years. We are happy to know that the future is ours entirely!"

-- Adolf Hitler

As much as Uncle Adolf was "happy to know the future is ours entirely," I am so happy to know we kick his insane Nazi ass and took our future back.  As I look at what had to be accomplished, and sacrificed, to attain victory over the Nazis and the Japanese, I can only ponder what will have to happen against the insanity which is ISIS.  By the way, the acronym "ISIL" is only used by those who refuse to utter the words "Islamic terrorists," and I harbor no such ignorance.  If it smells like a turd, it's a turd.  Sadly, in order to ensure some semblance of a lasting peace for the world, I think the only option which comes to mind is in the form of a quote from the 2009 movie, Avatar:

"...we will blast a crater in their racial memory so deep, that they won't come within 1,000 klicks of this place ever again. And that, too, is a fact."

-- Col. Quaritch

The stories of the Holocaust are the stories of us.  They are an unfortunate reminder of our own ultimate, sometimes inevitable, ability for cruelty and evil beyond measure.  We only think we are different, however, as we keep evidencing with people and groups like ISIS, we remain at the mercy of our worst.  If you are in search of the human animal, you need look no further than your mirror.  Whenever we degrade people because of race, religion, national origin, sexual identity, or peaceful beliefs, we are lifting the lid of Pandora's Box.  When we find fault with those of lesser mental or physical capacity, we prove to the world, as much as we deny it, our own proclivity to repeat history and, once again, travel down this same railroad to evil.  Were the Nazis guilty of the Holocaust?  No more than the rest of us were guilty for allowing it.

"The sad and horrible conclusion is that no one cared that the Jews were being murdered..." nor did the world seem to care that innocence, children, the infirm, those that could not defend themselves, were being slaughtered.  The Nazi legacy lives on with their Islamic terrorist lap dogs throughout the world.  We once again refuse to get fully vested in a fight against a virus that has already breached our gates.  We were almost too late the last time.  Do we ever learn?

As for the Ovitz family, I hope I did right by them, any other survivors, and the millions of slaughtered innocent victims of the evil which continues to infect our world.  Cinco de Mayo, May 5, is also Holocaust Remembrance Day.  Not to put a damper of festivities, but it might be a nice tribute to raise a glass to all the innocents that died at the hands of insanity, and to those which helped to rid this world of this human plague.  If I have made just one of you take a moment out of your day to think, perhaps it has been worth the read.  If not?  Well, God help us for we certainly cannot help ourselves.

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

-- Ariel Sharon (1928-2014), Former Prime Minister of Israel

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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.

My Sunday Thought for 04242016: Christ for Fun and Prophet

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."

-- John 10:11-15

If your pastor is wealthier than the people he serves, is he here to serve us or are we here to serve him?  As Christians I have come to believe we're a lazy lot.  We seem to buy into the tithing, the donations, and the televangelist hype.  Want an eye opener?  Check out this link: Meet the Richest Ministers in America.  Needless to say, I have a real problem with clergy that use Jesus Christ for their own personal profit.  I'd feel a lot happier knowing there was some angelic bunko squad taking these con artists down and sending them before the high court, but when do clergy cross the line from misdemeanor skimming from the faithful to gross felony misappropriation of donated funds for personal enrichment?  

"...and I lay down my life for the sheep."  These "ministers" are making enough money, and living in the lap of luxury.  Their flock has to be totally oblivious to truly think these guys would give up all they have in order to save even one of them.  As sheep we become used to being taken care of and having others think for us.  Because of this we make ourselves blind to that which is before us.  We read scripture and ignore the Spirit of the Word which has been written across our heart and mind.  Have we forgotten Matthew, or do we choose to not understand the Spirit?

The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.…

-- Matthew 19:20-22

Does all the money given go to the betterment of mankind?  Is it used to spread the Word?  Is it used for administrative costs to facilitate the spreading of the Word?  I have to ask what the Word is lacking that it requires so much effort to spread, but is this not why God wrote it on our hearts and minds?  Is the Spirit not supposed to now be clear and accessible to all that want to hear and understand?

"...and I lay down my life for the sheep."  When I read this, my thoughts go immediately to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), and what he said after his interment in a Nazi concentration camp:  "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist.  Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.  Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me."  How soon even the righteous forget that being a shepherd, a true minister of faith, may require the ultimate sacrifice. 

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

-- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

At the end of the day, what these charlatans accomplish is to remind those of us seeking truth that only we can pave our way to salvation, and only we can walk our path.  The scripture they preach is sound in the lessons taught.  These lessons no more need to be bought than they did when Christ walked the earth.  The Word of God is free to all.  To use the Word for personal, financial, gain is heresy to the extreme, and the excuses they give for bilking those with less is an affront to the very Word they preach.  This is the very reason why I ask for no donations to spread the word of religious and spiritual tolerance.  To do so would be surrendering my ethics, and my honor.  I would be selling my soul for a golden idol which I would be placing before the very God I would use to accomplish the enrichment.  How sadly obvious is that?

True ministers have a calling.  The calling goes beyond material needs.  They work jobs in order to give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, then minister to others in order to give unto God that which is God's.  They strive to be no better than those they minister to.  Theirs is but a message of hope to those that have little.  Those seeking truth, stop to listen.  They have a choice.  It is a free choice which only they can make.  The Word can awaken in their heart and their mind, or they can ignore what they already know.  It is their path, and only they can choose which fork to take. 

I found this paragraph in an article while researching this post.  It speaks to my own beliefs concerning faith in one's self and already having the ability and tools to overcome adversity.  The idea isn't difficult to comprehend.  Putting the idea into action in one's life, however, will rely on the person believing in themselves.  Faith in one's self can be more difficult to attain than it is to see the truth in right in front them.  The paragraph reads:

"No person or spiritual system can heal you instantly, tell you what your purpose is, or tell you how to live your life. They can only, at most, give you the tools to accomplish these goals on your own. Be suspicious of anyone who tells you that you’re lacking in something and that they have the only means to correct your supposed flaws. If someone claims to have the correct answers for you in regards to spiritual or personal growth, be wary. Spiritual or internal regeneration requires consistent, uncomfortable, hard work on your part. There’s no way around this. No one can do it for you, and no one can give you an easy way out."

-- Aaron Piccirillo

There is no "easy way out," for sure.  Unless you are willing to put in the work there can be no progression to anything better in life.  My problem with people like Aaron is they tend to scare folks away from seeking spiritual enlightenment due to all of the hard work required.  More important to me would be addressing how amazed you'll be when you find out how easy it really was to arrive at where you already were and just didn't understand.  We make God's love, forgiveness, and tolerance much more difficult on ourselves than it really needs to be.  Are there "correct answers for you in regards to spiritual or personal growth" to assist you along your journey?  Probably so, but all anybody can do is guide you to information which will assist you in making your own informed decisions.  It is all about you, and your desire to discover a faith which you have already been gifted.

This Sunday, I'm going the current state of our society close consideration, especially where our faith and spirituality are concerned.  While doing so, I will remember the words of 2 Timothy 3:1-7, and I quote:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

It seems to be damned sound advice, if you ask me.  Another piece of sound advice comes not from scripture, but from a dissident, writer, philosopher, statesman, and former presidents of both Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic: 

“Keep the company of those who seek the truth, and run from those who have found it.”

– Václav Havel (1936-2011)

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 do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.