Aging Capriciously

God, Guns and Gays

06 Apr 2015 6 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: bigots, evangleicals. christians, fags, gays, God, guns, homophobic, homosexuals, Jesus, john persico, lesbians, right wing, sexists, zealots

Have you noticed the increase in guns in the USA? The increase in concealed carry laws and the increase in handguns sold seems to be paralleled by the increase in Gay marriage laws and the increase in Gay rights. I bet most of you did not notice this fact. I think it suggests something very obvious: Gays are pushing for more guns on the streets because “Handguns lead to more Gay rights.” That’s right folks, those people pushing for more permissive gun laws are the same people pushing for more Gay rights. Fags want guns so that we will become powerless when they take over the USA. (Listen to “Probably Gay, the Homophobia Song”)

“Any person 21 years of age or older, who is not prohibited possessor, may carry a weapon openly or concealed without the need for a license….A political subdivision may not enact any ordinance, rule or tax affecting the ownership, transportation, possession, purchase, transfer or use of firearms or ammunition. In addition, a political subdivision of this state shall not require or maintain a record, list or database containing the personally identifying information of the person who buys, sells, leaves for repair or consignment or leaves for temporary storage, any weapon owned by that person.” —- Arizona Gun Law — NRA -ILA

That’s right! It’s a plot by homosexuals (people who have only one sex) to subvert the USA and turn us into a country dominated by Gays who will have all the guns. I will bet you did not notice that the guy you just saw walking around with the big Glock strapped to his belt was a Fag! I have noticed that down here in Arizona with the most permissive gun laws in the USA that Gay men all have guns. I am worried that I will be forced to suck cock by a Gay male with a big gun and thereby turned into a raving homosexual. It is really scary. I no longer feel safe on the street at night. And did you know that it is all because of the religious right?

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
“Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

That’s right! The religious right is behind Gay rights. The religious right have created this problem with all their pompous ravings about God hating fags. Now all the fags are getting guns to protect themselves from Gay hating gun toting Christians. “When guns are allowed only Gays will have guns.” More and more we keep hearing about how God has condemned Gays to a barren-less existence. Gays cannot go to heaven. Gays will be punished. Gays cannot propagate. Gays cannot spread the word of God or at least create more Gays or something like that.

After thinking and worrying about this problem for some time, I have decided to go right to the source of the problem. That’s right, God! If my pastor, priest, rabbi, swami, minister, shaman, or imam all say that God hates Fags, then I am going to find out why. What has got God’s drawers all wadded up about Gays? Was God molested by a Fag when he was young? Or is God a closet Fag who has a subliminal hatred towards Gays because he/she (God just might be a Lesbian Fag) cannot admit his own sexuality. Which way does God roll? I have invited God down for an interview. She/he graciously accepted. The following is our conversation.

John: Thank you God for accepting my invitation to come down and talk to us today.

God: No problem John. I was just creating a few more universes. Something I do in my spare time.

John: Sounds like fun. I will bet that keeps you really busy.

God: Not as busy as you might think. It only takes about six days and then I rest on the seventh.

John: Well, I invited you here today to clarify a few points. The major point is about homosexuals, fags, lesbians and Gays.

God: Happy to answer any questions you have John.

John: Well, there are many people who believe that the Bible is your word and in the Bible are many references to your hatred and animosity towards Gay people.

God: Look John, I don’t deny that I gave some guidance to you people down here when it came to how to live a proper life, but you know as well as I do how screwed up communication can get. “He said, she said, I said” and before you know it “God is against Gays.” This Bible you talk about is not a very consistent book and much of what is in there is folklore or comes from your own twisted human interpretations of what I told the prophets.

John: Let me give you a quote directly from the Bible:

“If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them.” — Lev. 20:13

God: Did not your prophet Jesus say that I was a God of Love? Why would I want anyone to be put to death? You people down here have a penchant for killing. I gave you all free will and you use it to maim, attack, hurt, malign, and murder with any number of rationales for your actions. I created some people who are Gay and some who are straight. Do you not think that I who have the power to create Heaven and Earth could have simply not created Gay people?

John: Do you mean to say God that you could have just created all straight people and not put any Gay people on the planet Earth?

God: What do you think John? I have created stars, galaxies, planets and universes beyond your imagination. I created the first plants, animals and humans. Could I not have simply created a planet with all Gay people or all straight people? Did I need to let you have sex organs to populate your small planet? Could I not have simply created six billion humans with no penchant or ability for sexual activity?

John: Ah! I am glad you raised the issue of sexuality. Can you tell me “why did you make us sexual creatures?”

God: Isn’t the answer obvious John? Look at all the fun you have with sex! Sex is your biggest recreational activity. And sometimes you get children out of these unions and sometimes you don’t. Sex is fun anyway. It says in your Bible that sex is for procreation but millions of you have sex every night with no intention of procreation. In fact, from where I view the Earth, millions of you have sex every night with people whom you are not even married to and this when many of you are already married.

John: Why create the possibility of recreating ourselves? You could have simply made us immortal or simply replaced each of us as we died. This would have saved a lot of problems for the human race.

God: Have you not noticed how many of you love children? I wanted to make life interesting for you. What would your lives be without the children that many of you have? Your children make you into mini-gods. Parents are the gods to their children, like I am the parent to you. I am your God and I am your parent. But I never said that everybody would have children nor that there would not be many children without parents. There are good parents and bad parents. That is the free will that I created for humanity.

John: Well, Gays cannot have children through the natural birth process.

God: So what! Are there not many people who give up their children or children who do not have parents? Many of you humans are not fit to be parents.

John: Sounds like you are saying that you don’t have anything against homosexuality.

God: I created homosexuals, bisexuals, heterosexuals, asexuals and many other kinds of sexuals. These are all my creations. What is it your Bible says about God’s Creations?

“He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime.”— Ecclesiastes 3:11

I did not say I made anything ugly or anything without a purpose. You might never understand my reasons or purposes because they are beyond human understanding.

John: Well God, we have a lot of people down here speaking in your name that are preaching hatred for Gays as well as preaching many other types of hatreds.

God: I sent Jesus to straighten this all out but you simply crucified him. Nailed him to a cross.

John: Could you send someone else down to tell all these would be Christians to leave Gay people alone and let them live their own lives?

God: Look around and you will see that I already have. You humans have hard hearts unless of course one of your own is Gay and then that seems to change everything. I may have made a mistake when I gave you all free will because you seem to use it mostly for doing evil rather than doing good.

John: Would you send another flood or perhaps a large earthquake or meteor to destroy the world and start over?

God: Perhaps, but only if I thought things were so hopeless here and that everything you were doing was evil. I still see a great deal of potential in humanity. There are many good people among you who spread love and not hate. Many of you who are not Gay haters or religious bigots or racists or zealots. I would never destroy your world when there are so many good people trying to make my world a better place.

John: Then to summarize. You don’t hate Gays?

God: I have no concept of the word “hate.” You are all my creatures. Everything that crawls, digs, walks, swims or flies is something that I created and something that I love.

John: Thank you God for taking the time to meet with us today and give us your thoughts.

Time for Questions:

Do you hate Gays? Why? Do you think Gays should not be allowed to marry? Why? If you do not hate Gays, what do you do to help them in their fight against prejudice and discrimination? You cannot sit on the fence and do nothing.

Life is just beginning.

“Perhaps we should worry less about judging people for being Mormon or Baptist or Muslim or gay or straight or black or white or Latino or by their religious or political brands and worry more about electing thoughtful, serious and ethical politicians on both sides of the political isle who are willing to work together for progress.” —- Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick

“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.” —- Barack Obama

Pain and Suffering: Can We Still Be Happy?

30 Mar 2015 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: aging, death, dying, happiness, joy, pain, suffering

(The Suffering Song by the Willard Grant Conspiracy) A great song to listen to while you read my blog today.

I want to talk about pain and suffering. These are subjects that are not addressed in most Western schools or colleges. In fact, they are hardly even addressed in Western theology. No one gives you the real scoop on pain and suffering. They seem to be taboo subjects in Western Culture. In “On Death and Dying,” Elizabeth Kubler Ross talked about the stages of grief that we confront when faced with the loss of a loved one. This was a revolutionary book. The subject of death seems to go along with pain and suffering. However, while we now have grief counselors and bereavement counselors who are sectarian as well as secular in orientation, the medical profession seems to leave pain and suffering to the religious realm. Most pronouncements about suffering from the theological domain seem to reflect such thoughts as follows:

“Suffering is no longer viewed as God’s divine lightning bolt intended to punish or curse the afflicted, but is understood as a divine context that is intended to radiate the glory of His love and mercy. As this reality crystallizes in the heart, people’s view of God changes. Where their Gospel-void interpretation once influenced their conclusion of God as the arbiter of pain as a means to justice, they now understand their pain as a means to understand His infinite grace resulting in the freedom to genuinely conclude He is truly a God that is good. They realize His mercy flourishing through suffering in that they were desperate in their weakness for the imputed righteousness of Christ, and that God was eager to offer it as a means to magnify His infinite love for them as they endure life in a fallen world.” — How the Mercy of God Flourishes in Suffering

Perhaps such sentiments help the true believers, but they do little or nothing to slake my pain. Maybe that is why Oxycodone and Percocet are more widely reached for these days than the Bible. Pious sentiments notwithstanding, when I am in pain, I want relief.

Let’s back up a minute or a mile though. If you are under thirty, you are probably asking “What is he talking about.” I understand the sentiment. Before I started to deal with pain more frequently in my life, I ignored these subjects just as I ignored the subject of aging or getting old. When you are young and healthy, why think about pain and suffering?

Here is my answer.

There are several good reasons to address these issues but the primary one concerns your ability to keep joy and happiness in your life along with the inevitable pain and suffering you are going to experience. The only question about the issue of pain is whether it will be over in a microsecond (as in a sudden heart attack or a car accident) or whether you will experience pain and suffering for many years of your life.

When I talk about pain and suffering there are three types or categories that you can experience. You can experience any of these at any time in your life but you will most likely experience them as you get older. The three areas in which we all experience pain and suffering are:

Cognitive or mental suffering
Emotional suffering
Physical suffering

Mental suffering concerns the thoughts, expectations and ideas that you have about life. Pessimists suffer more in this area than optimists. People with great faith may find their faith misplaced and suffer real anguish over their doubts. The suffering and pain in this area is caused by our belief systems and how we define the world and reality. You can change your belief system but you will always have some system that is subject to challenge and disconfirmation.

[As an aside here, I hate those snake oil sales people that ask you to “Defy your age.” Check into their pitches and they will tell you that you can defy the aging process but of course it will cost you about $3000 dollars for their initial evaluation and about $1500 dollars per month thereafter in supplements. My experience is that you can accomplish the same thing with a $30 dollar per month gym membership, an annual physical and depending on your needs maybe $100 dollars a month in supplements.]

Nevertheless, hormones, weight training, body building, aerobics and boot camps are not going to prevent pain and suffering. They are not going to prevent physical or mental or emotional suffering. This is THE simple fact that needs to be repeated and understood.

The second type of pain and suffering is emotional. The death of a loved one. Unrequited love. Failure to accomplish our goals. Disappointment with your favorite football team. There are hundreds of sources out there that instill emotional pain in our lives. This was one reason that Buddhism is absolutely on the mark and addresses a subject that is seldom taught in Western culture. This is the centrality of suffering and pain in our lives from the time we are born until the time we die.

Alone among the world’s religions, Buddhism locates suffering at the heart of the world. Indeed according to Buddhism, existence is suffering (dukkha). The main question that Guatama (c.566 BC – c.480 BC), the traditional founder of Buddhism, sought to answer was: “Why do pain and suffering exist?” — Buddhism

The third type of pain and suffering is physical. We know as we get older that we get more aches and pains. Athletes start at an early age experiencing the pain of broken bones, sprained muscles, torn ligaments and sometimes worse. Many people work in dangerous professions where the risk of physical injury is a daily part of their lives. Several diseases which cause great pain do not differentiate between old age and youth. Nevertheless, the specter of pain and suffering is much more evident for those of us who have passed sixty. Whether it is a relative who has died or a friend who has died in a car accident, it hardly seems that a week goes by without someone either Karen or I knows who is now in the hospital or morgue.

While I don’t want to belabor the point. I had surgery to have my prostate removed over a year ago now and then subsequently (perhaps because of the weakened tissue), I had to go in for hernia surgery. Both of these were very painful but nowhere near as painful as the infection I had from a tooth implant which for some reason my body rejected. Thus, for the past two years, I have had an uncomfortable level of pain and suffering on a daily basis. I have also watched my lover and best friend get more aches and pains as each day goes by.

There are those who describe “old age” in glowing terms: “Sageing not Aging”, “Growing old like a fine vintage wine” or “Positive Aging.” There are dozens of books out there touting us to grow older and wiser or older and more graceful or older and more fulfilled. There are a growing number of books promoting the new theory of “anti-aging.” If these pundits are trying to put a shine or marketing spin on growing old, they are doing us a grave disservice.

Aging is not a positive experience nor is it fun or painless. Aging is a process of gradually losing both mental and physical capabilities. At some point in the aging process, you will experience increasing levels of pain and suffering. You will not become a fine wine but more likely will be like an overripe orange or an overripe banana. You will become shrunken and shriveled. Your body will ache more in the mornings and after moderate exercise and just before you go to bed. Physical infirmities that once took only a day to recover from will now takes weeks, assuming you will ever recover from them. You will suffer increasing cognitive decline as you become more forgetful and you will eventually experience some degree of dementia or worse Alzheimer’s disease. You will suffer emotional pain as your friends and loved ones depart the earth before you do. Karen and I have now set up a funeral budget to cover donations and costs associated with deaths that are becoming a routine part of our lives.

Please accept what I have said as the truth. The truth will liberate you. Only the truth here will set you free. By accepting the truth about aging, you will be free to find the joy and happiness that perhaps you have never found in your life. By accepting death, you can liberate yourself from fear and worry. My Aunt Mary Leone will be 101 this coming year. She had a wonderful 100^th birthday party last year. She was recently asked “How old do you feel?” She replied: “I only feel about 85 or so.”

I want to tell you the following story about her.

One Christmas Eve eight or nine years ago, My Aunt Mary was 92 years old and was having dinner with my sister, myself and some other family members. After dinner, I was sitting with my aunt, who is also my godmother, and I asked her what she was going to do on Christmas Day. She replied “I am going to help serve dinner to the elderly people at the Senior Center.” I thought this was really funny and I replied: “Aren’t you elderly Aunt Mary?” She thought about this question for a few seconds and replied “Gee, I never think of myself as elderly.”

My Aunt has lost all of her siblings, her husband, most of her friends from childhood and two children. Yet, she has more friends now than I do. When I queried her about how she does this, she simply stated “Well, I like people and just continue to need them in my life.” Her friends are now “elderly” who are younger than she is but old by many definitions.

One of my favorite magazines is the International Travel News. This is simply the best news magazine for serious travelers in the world. I was first told about this magazine by my good friend Dr. Hana Tomasek over 20 years ago. It has helped me to plan trips to over thirty different countries and each trip was better than the last one. I still get this magazine and peruse it monthly for ideas on new trips and exciting places and events to visit. This month’s edition had an article that caught my eye called: Learning Mandarin at 76. I quote from the article:

“After attempting to learn Spanish and Portuguese in many countries in Central and South America and taking a crack at Russian in Ukraine; I decided it was time to try Chinese, specifically Mandarin. I knew that, at age of 76, it would be a challenge, but what the heck? You are only young once.” —- Ralph McCuen

Mr. Ralph McCuen went to China where he studied for a month at a Chinese language school. Costs of transportation, food, lodging, flights and all incidentals were less than $5,000 dollars. Judging from the article, he had a fantastic vacation, learned to speak some Chinese and acquired a great deal of understanding about Chinese culture. He sums the article up by stating:

“They (The Chinese) want the same things Americans want: Peace, plus an opportunity for them and their children to create a better word.”

Ralph is (in my mind) an older man who is living and not dying. We die when we stop living. We stop living when we are too afraid to try new ideas or adventures. We are already dead when all we want to do is sit on the porch until we expire or become too senile to move.

My original conjecture was “Can we grow older and still have joy and happiness along with our inevitable pain and suffering?” I have offered two examples of individuals who are enjoying life along with their pain and suffering as evidence that this is possible. I am sure that both my Aunt Mary and Mr. McCuen have had their share of pain. However, it has not stopped them from enjoying life and continuing to face its challenges.

I ask you to think of others who exemplify the principles I am promoting here and post them in the comments section. I know that there must be thousands of people out there like my Aunt Mary and Ralph who are not letting the pain of aging take away their joy of living. I think such stories are very inspirational and in the long run they will go further than hormone therapy to help us stay happy. I can only hope that I will be able to emulate such role models as I get older. I already think it is very funny that I get a senior discount at the movies and some other venues when I am only 68. How many more perks await as I get older?

I will conclude this blog with some advice from Osho on the nature of pain in our lives and how to deal with it.

“It is very simple — pain is there because pleasure is there. Pleasure cannot exist without pain. If you want a life that is absolutely painless, then you will have to live a life that is absolutely pleasureless; they come together in one package…..Pain makes you very alert and pain makes you compassionate, sensitive to others’ pains too. Pain makes you immense, huge, big. The heart grows because of pain. It is beautiful, it has its own beauty. I am not saying seek pain; I am only saying that whenever it is there, enjoy that too.” —-Fear by Osho

One final story to end on. Two years ago while with Karen at Kentucky Music week, I stopped by a local Wal-Mart to pick up some snacks from their deli department. I particularly like the Southern Wal-Marts because some of them will carry fried chicken livers and gizzards in their deli departments. I know these are not heathy but I have no desire to live forever and will occasionally indulge in such delicacies. Longevity be damned.

Anyway, there was a young man who came to the deli counter and asked me what I wanted. I told him a ½ lb. of the fried gizzards and a ½ lb. of the fried chicken livers. I asked him how he was doing and he said “great.” I replied “Yep, it’s always a great day if you can put two feet on the side of the bed when you get up and not have any pain.” His response surprised me. He replied “It’s a good day anyway.” I went away thinking what a positive attitude to life this young man had. Much more wisdom then I had at his age. He was absolutely right. Life is good anyway, regardless of all the pain and suffering.

Time for Questions:

How do you cope with the pain and suffering in your life? How have you prepared your children to deal with the pain and suffering that they will experience? Do you agree that we can still experience joy and happiness regardless of our pain and suffering? Do we have to deny reality to accomplish this?

Life is just beginning.

“Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms you would never see the true beauty of their carvings.” ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Love Is All You Need or Is It?

23 Mar 2015 8 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

In this third of my series on the three theological virtues we will discuss the subject of Love and the role it plays in our lives. For this purpose, I thought we should go right to the source. Perhaps no one in history has done more to promote the virtue of Love than Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus brought about a revolution in thinking and an entire faith founded on the single fundamental commandment to “Love thy neighbor as you Love yourself.” Jesus called this the greatest of all commandments. (Peace, I Give You Peace — Jason Upton) A great song to listen to as you read this blog today.

“Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” —- Mark 12:31

I asked Jesus if he would visit with us to see where his teachings have gone and what his views are now concerning the state of Love in the world. Jesus agreed and for old time sake, we decided to meet in the Garden of Gethsemane. We found comfortable seats on a couple of stone benches and proceeded to talk.

John: Thank you Jesus for joining me here today. I was hoping we could get your perspective on a number of issues that I am sure you would consider important. Primary among these issues is the state of Love in the world and where your followers have taken your views on Love.

Jesus: Well, thanks John. It is a pleasure to be here with you. This spot brings back many old memories. I still remember my 12 apostles who could not stay awake even one hour to pray with me. But they meant well and were good people. Without them, my ideas would not have spread as far and wide as they have.

John: I am going to start off with a loaded question. You know I don’t believe you are a god but I do believe you are a great prophet. I remain skeptical of Christians though as I don’t see that they really have much Love in their hearts. Could you comment on the movement that bears your name and their adoption of Love as a guiding principle?

Jesus: No offense taken. I never said I was a god. I always said I was a “Son of Man.” Nevertheless, I preached Love. My concept of Love was much different than the Greek definitions which encompassed four distinct words for Love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. I think you could say that I was speaking of a more transcendental type of Love. Man’s Love has been more of the Greek varieties. The Love of which I speak is not only unconditional but universal and all inclusive.

John: You were noted to have said: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44

Jesus: Yes, I preached this often, but alas it seems to little avail.

John: Yes, I can’t say that I see too many Christians loving their enemies. I don’t even see too many Christians loving other Christians. Baptists dislike Catholics. Catholics dislike Lutherans. Lutherans dislike Episcopalians and they all dislike Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses.

Jesus: Would that it were not so but why pick on Christians? Muslims dislike Jews. Sunni’s dislike Shiites. Hindus dislike Buddhists. Few if any religions in the world embrace anyone with Love unless they are from their own tribe.

John: You mention the word “tribe.” In our day, a “tribe” is very different than it was in your time. Today a gang, cult, cabal or cartel might be considered a “tribe” by sociologists. Some people insist today that “race” is the highest or most important affiliation that anyone can have.

Jesus: Nevertheless, it was the same thing in my time. Canaanites killing Philistines. Assyrians killing Babylonians. Levites killing Samaritans. Throughout history, tribal affiliations have undone everything I tried to teach about Love and compassion.

John: Then of course, we have the rise of Nations and Nation states and perhaps more now than at any time in history, everyone is affiliated with a family, a group or tribe, an ethnic identity, a state, a nation and then finally a purpose whether it is Communism, Capitalism or Socialism. There is little Love lost or shed on anyone not in your particular identity group. And of course, even within groups there is no getting along. Are you aware of how many different groups use your name and call themselves Christian? They cannot even get along with each other never mind getting along with their enemies.

Jesus: What you say is true. I was a simple carpenter’s son but I saw the hatred and killing and I wanted to change the way people treated each other. People embraced the “idea” of my ideology but they could never really assimilate it in their hearts. But better they at least start with a correct vision and continue to strive towards it.

John: Do you really think so? Are you aware of the Rwandan massacres wherein Christians from the Hutu tribe massacred their Christian neighbors and friends from the Tutsi tribe? Of course, I think you know of the brutality and murders that have been inflicted upon Jews also by their neighbors who were professing a belief in you. Millions and millions of Jews have been murdered by their Christian neighbors.

Jesus: Yes, I know. They profess that I died on a cross for their sins, but they have little understanding or empathy to sacrifice even for people who believe as they do never mind their enemies. I am appalled by the excuses they make in my name for these atrocities. Paul had it right when he wrote:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not Love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not Love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not Love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; Love does not envy; Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” — 1 Corinthians 13

John: Yes, many people have this quote on their bedroom walls and it is a popular recitation at weddings. But you have said that words alone with not get you into heaven. I quote:

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” —- Matthew 7:21

Jesus: Yes, I meant that good intentions, prayers, and admonitions are not enough. Without deeds and actions, you will never see the Kingdom of Heaven. The pious Christian going to church on Sunday, saying prayers, tithing and reading the bible will not get into heaven if he or she trespasses on his neighbor.

John: And who is a Christian’s neighbor.

Jesus: You might remember the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I answered a similar question about “who is thy neighbor?” I replied to my disciples:

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” — Luke 10: 25-37

All of those who forgive others are thy neighbors. Those who show Love for others are thy neighbors. Those who sow compassion and not hate are thy neighbors. Those who sow discord and hate are not your neighbors. Those who kill and maim cannot do so in my name. That is an abomination to me. No true Christian can kill or hurt another intentionally in my name. That is what Love is, doing good for others and not evil. The devil wants man to do evil. I want and have always wanted humans to Love one another.

“If you Love those who Love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ Love those who Love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” — Luke 6: 27-36

John: How do you account for all these Christian ministers spewing their hatred against our so called enemies, these war chaplains sanctifying battle readiness and priests and pastors blessing those who are going into combat?

Jesus: Clearly they are false prophets and do not understand my words. I have said:

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” —Mark 9:42

John: What do you think about the killings and wars that have been done in the name of Christianity? Are these evil?

Jesus: I can understand why so many people are waiting for me to return. However, I have never left and they do not understand that fact. Those who choose to Love and do good will be saved. They have to make this choice. Their Father and I have never taken this choice away from anyone. You cannot come to the Kingdom of God except through making this choice. I have said that I am the way and I still point the way. Mankind has to make the choice. The devil instills fear and fear drives man to make evil choices. Evil thrives on fear. Fear drives man to choose hate over Love. Love is still the way and the only choice to salvation.

John: Are you saying that people who kill or hate others will suffer eternal damnation?

Jesus: Our Father is infinitely compassionate. There is no retribution in heaven. People make their hell on earth with their choices. Choose Love and you can have heaven where ever people gather in my name. Choose hate and you choose Hell. Choose hate and you choose Evil. Choose hate and you choose eternal damnation.

John: Jesus, thank you very much for visiting with us today. I have one final question. What do you think about the other world religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism?

Jesus: I think we are all teaching the power of Love over hate. But fear gets in the way of hearing our message. Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims are all people who have been shown the way. They lose the way because of their own self-hatred and fear of others. Any of these paths can take you to salvation. There are many other paths as well that can lead anyone to salvation. There are no pagans, atheists or agnostics who cannot be saved. They all have the same choice as I gave my disciples. The way has many paths but the same gate. That gate is Love.

John: Thank you Jesus.

Time for Questions:

Are you a Christian? What makes you a Christian? Does believing that Jesus was a God make you a Christian or is it how you behave that makes you a Christian? What can we do to help bring about more love in the world? What are you doing to accomplish this goal? Is it enough to just love your family? What role does forgiveness play in your life?

Life is just beginning.

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” ― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

O Ye of Little Faith – What is the Role of Faith in our Lives?

16 Mar 2015 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: faith, fools, hope, justice, love, naive, regret, trust, trust me

Please listen to Pete Seeger’s rendition of: “You Gotta Walk That Lonesome Valley” for a musical version of what Faith is really about. Read the comments about Pete Seeger. He was a prime example of a man that had Faith.

We now come to the first of the three major theological virtues. For some reason, I decided to start with the second and end with Love. As I thought about preparing this blog on Faith, I asked myself the question, “what is the difference between Faith and trust?” Perhaps there is not a difference. I thought about how we use the words in common language. For instance we might use trust in English as follows:

Trust me!
Do you trust yourself?
Have a little trust in me.

Now if you try substituting the word “Faith” for trust, it is obvious that in the first two instances, it just does not fit:

Faith me!
Do you Faith yourself?
Have a little Faith in me.

You will notice that in the third instance, you can substitute the word Faith for the word trust. A grammarian would quickly note that the word Trust can be used either as a noun or a verb whereas the word Faith is primarily a noun and cannot usually be used as a verb.

It might be interesting to compare dictionary definitions of Faith and trust.

Faith: http://www.merriam-webster.com

Strong belief or trust in someone or something
Belief in the existence of God : strong religious feelings or beliefs
A system of religious beliefs

Trust: http://www.merriam-webster.com

Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something
Dependence on something future or contingent : hope
Reliance on future payment for property (as merchandise) delivered : credit <bought furniture on trust

I think you can readily see that there is a certain degree of overlap between the two concepts. However, Faith generally seems to convey a more sectarian or theological concept of belief whereas Trust is generally used in more secular terms. Thus, we don’t “trust” God but we have Faith in her. Faith seems to be a term that is not contingent upon any kind of physical or logical proof. We might not trust a person with our money without proof that they are “bonded” or trustworthy, but we would not expect such displays of material evidence when it comes to having Faith in God. So what is the relevance to this in our lives? What good is Faith if we can substitute trust for Faith and have more security in the long run?

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20

The answer seems to be (IMHO) that sometimes we can trust without evidence but generally we are better off trusting with some element of surety that can mitigate the risk of our Trust being unfounded or mistaken. Whereas, there is little or no evidence that can prove your need or desire to have Faith. You must have Faith like a parent has love for a child. It is unconditional. You have Faith simply because you want to believe. You have Faith because you accept something without conditions. You need no proof or evidence to support your Faith. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Should you have Faith without proof? What would a life without Faith be like? Would we be safer or happier with less Faith?

“On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions; it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property.” — Buddha

Buddha thought that Faith is a companion that we cannot ignore on our journey through life. There is a story about Mother Teresa that when she was visiting Iowa many years ago and was being interviewed by a somewhat cynical journalist; she was asked if she really thought she was making a difference to the poor in India. Her reported reply was “I am not called upon to make a difference. I am called upon to have Faith.” If that sounds somewhat evasive, consider the following professionals who toil diligently and with great dedication:

Teachers
Doctors
Psychologists
Writers
Philanthropists
Artists

There are no doubt dozens of other professionals who toil in areas that are not readily amenable to evidence that they are “making a difference.” As an educator and consultant, I can readily attest to the fact that seldom if ever is there “evidence” or concrete proof that my actions and thoughts have made a difference on my students or clients. Most of us work on day after day, motivated by one force and one force only. That force is the power of Faith.

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Each time I write a blog, I write with the hope that something I say will help someone have a better day or lead a better life. I have now written over 700 blogs and I have received about two dozen or so letters or emails telling me how much they appreciate my writing or how much it has helped them. The percentage of letters received is about 3.4 percent of the blogs I have written and whose readers have been moved to write to me or drop me a comment. And that is fine. People are busy and many times the thought of writing to a writer is something that readers never think of.

Fortunately, the 3.4 percent of respondents have been more than enough to help me keep my Faith. (Should I really need such sustenance if I have Faith?) Yes, I have Faith that my writing is making a difference to the world but alas, I have no proof for the empiricists, the materialists or the skeptics. I have to ask you as well as myself to believe that I am. It is Faith that keeps me motivated. Without Faith, life would appear to be a futile waste of time. Faith helps us to carry on when everything and everyone is saying to quit. The woman in the life raft, the athlete with a severe injury, the parents with a disabled child, the poor fighting hunger, the righteous fighting injustice are all sustained by the power of Faith.

“Faith can believe everything that we say. Belief can increase the strength Of Faith. Belief is pure, Faith is sure. Belief looks around To see the truth. Faith looks within not only to feel the truth But also to become the truth.” —- Sri Chinmoy

Time for Questions:

What do you have Faith in? What helps you to maintain your Faith? Where would you like to have more Faith? Do you think we have too much or too little Faith in the world?

Life is just beginning.

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” —- Saint Augustine

“And Now Abides Faith, Hope and Love” — Does Anyone Really Give a Damn!

09 Mar 2015 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: faith, happiness, hope, love, rushing

I like to think my major theme as a blogger is “Social and Political Commentary and Satire.” However, I often talk about justice, equality, respect, diversity, values and a whole range of subjects that can come across as religious, theological or at least speaking of morals from a high bully pulpit. Many times, my writing of these subjects has helped to clarify in my own mind what they mean to me and what relevance they have or could have in my life. (Listen to the Song “Lullaby” by SIA as you read my blog this week. The lyrics are wonderful as is her voice).

If you attend some church or temple or synagogue or mosque, you have probably been told more times than you can count how important virtues, morals, grace, ethics, and values really are. If so, my blogs may seem repetitious and like preaching to the choir. You know everything I have to say. Why is he telling me these things? Who does he think he is? My answer is simply this:

“I am a former atheist, now agnostic, taking a look at some presumptions given by others on how best to live our lives.” Any value or insights I can offer on these subjects comes from looking at them through (I Hope) a different lens. I reject most orthodoxy and usually identify with the radical elements of theory and reality. My goal is to bring more mindfulness to the world and I think we can only do that by discussing subjects that we think we understand or in many cases that we are certain we understand. My subjects for my next three blogs fit this description very well.

For the next three weeks starting today, I would like to look at the three most often described theological virtues in the world. I suddenly realized that I don’t know what they mean. It seems they should be more prominent in my life but often I only pay lip service to them. Probably like many people, I hear the words but do not know the meanings. Or I read the meanings but do not assimilate the importance in my actions and daily activities.

The three theological virtues I am referring to include:

Faith
Hope
Love

What do these three virtues mean to an agnostic? What do they mean to a world that grows less and less religious every day? What do they mean if you are not religious but view yourself as spiritual? Are they simply a remnant of Christian thinking or are they important for everyone? Come along with me as I take a journey to investigate each of these virtues and see what if any relevance they might have for the world today. By the way, if you think that these are common virtues and that everyone has Faith, Hope and Love, simply look at the newspaper today and see how many of these virtues are implicit or explicit in the actions of our leaders and “role models.”

I want to start with Hope:

Why you may ask start with Hope? Answer: I have often thought that Hope was a futile wasted effort. A fiction placed on us by spiritual leaders and politicians to help keep us docile and obedient.

Hope you will win the lottery. Buy lottery tickets!
Hope you will get a better job. Vote for me!
Hope you will make it big. Go to the casino!
Hope your cancer will be cured. Pray to the lord and put your donations in the box!
Hope the world will be a safe place for you and your children. Pay your taxes!

Hope, in my mind has been a pacifier. It keeps you running in the rat race and paying homage to those who want your Hope. God wants your Hope. Your religion wants your Hope. Your country wants your Hope. Everyone wants a piece of your Hope.

“Let’s keep hoping things will be better.”
“Let’s vote for Hope.”
“Let’s run Hope for office.”
“Let’s have the audacity to Hope.”

“Once again Hitler reduced his demand to a formal profession of faith that would be binding upon me: ‘If you could at least Hope that we have not lost! You must certainly be able to Hope … that would be enough to satisfy me.’ I did not answer.”

Speer, Inside the Third Reich: Memoirs by Albert Speer, R. Winston & C. Winston (trans.) (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1971), 452–3.

It has been said that “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Perhaps Hope is the tranquilizer that our leaders (both political and spiritual) regularly inject us with to insure our compliance and submissiveness.

What good does Hope do if all around us things are going to hell?

Do I sound skeptical? Were you expecting a plethora of exhortations to Hope, Hope, and Hope some more? We are hemorrhaging and they ask us to have Hope. Keep hoping until you bleed to death. “Hope for the best” they keep saying. Did you expect me to give you “Ten GOOD Reasons to Have Hope?” “Never give us Hope.”

To rephrase Shakespeare: I have taken here some liberty with his words.

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to praise Hope, not to bury her.”

Did you know that the three virtues are usually depicted as women? Why do you think that is?

Faith – cross, pointing upward, staff and chalice, lamp, candle, hands together with fingers extended together
Hope – anchor, harp, flaming brand, palm, hands with fingers closed interdigitated
Love – flaming heart, with children, gathering fruit, hands crossed over heart

Theological virtues from Wiki

Actually, I tell you the truth. I have come to praise the role of Hope and not to bury yours. My caveat however will be evident in this dialogue. It is simply this:

“Hope without action is futile. Action without Hope is pointless.” —- J. Persico

Yes, I quote myself. Nevertheless, let us examine my quote in more detail.

“Hope without action is futile.”

A comment that I have used a great deal is “pray to the Lord but row for the shore.” Intent without action is meaningless and hopeless. The purpose of Hope is to give us something to strive for. Hoping for success, happiness, wealth, good health or better politicians without being willing to work for these things is the ultimate in laziness, naiveté and stupidity. Have you noticed that good things come to those who are willing to work for them? Thomas Jefferson said: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

The concept of entitlement (much used to describe today’s workers) suggests that somehow our birthright or DNA entitles us to such things as money, good health, happiness and success. However, the Founding Fathers did not say we were entitled to any of these things nor does Jesus in the New Testament suggest that we are. The Declaration of Independence says we are “entitled” to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It does not say anything about an education, health care, money or success. It also uses the word “Pursuit” and not something stronger. If you want happiness, you must pursue it. This means you can Hope for happiness, but you must work for it.

The apostle James says: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” James 2:14

James might just as well have substituted the word Hope for faith. Hoping for salvation, nirvana, satori, enlightenment or any other spiritual awakening is useless if you do not take action on your Hopes and dreams.

“Action without Hope is pointless.”

Have you ever seen the energizer Bunny? He or she is an example of action without Hope. Hope kindles in us a possibility for better things. It is a dream of something that transcends our daily existence and offers us the possibility of a better tomorrow. Hopes and dreams are complimentary ideas. Few of us Hope for a worse reality than the one we may currently face. We Hope for things that we do not have. We Hope for happiness. We Hope for good health for our loved ones. We Hope for a world where people will be safe and secure.

Many people are busy everyday but they do not know why. We multitask. We shop till we drop. We watch TV nonstop on the weekends. We fight hours of daily traffic to get to our jobs. We keep moving at work to insure we will seem busy and productive. We tell everyone we know how busy we are. We retire and we become busier than ever. Once retired we are so busy we cannot figure out how we once had time for work. We have NO TIME. We even have had a song that immortalized this problem by the Guess Who: No Time . One song I particularly like that also describes this problem is by Alabama called: “I’m in a Hurry.” The following are the lyrics for the song:

I’m in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life’s no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I’m in a hurry and I don’t know why.

Don’t know why
I have to drive so fast
My car has nothing to prove
It’s not new
But it’ll do 0 to 60 in 5.2

Can’t be late
I leave plenty of time
Shaking hands with the clock
I can’t stop
I’m on a roll and I’m ready to rock

I hear a voice
That say’s I’m running behind
I better pick up my pace
It’s a race
And there ain’t no room
For someone in second place.

As we rush pointlessly about our lives, the pointlessness of our endeavors suggests that we have really nothing to do of any potential importance but we rush anyway. What some might say is that we rush to prevent our inevitable appointment with death.

“In Osho’s library, there is a book open at a page where Osho has written, in big letters, ‘The journey itself is the goal’. I used to pass that book every day, always busy with some object to be achieved. Certainly too busy to take the words in. Then one day, the meaning just hit me. Like a sledge hammer. I realized that I had spent my whole life obsessively active, always aiming for a goal, whether completion of some project, or finding a solution to some problem.” — Anando

Hope is like the temper to the steel. The blade is no good unless it is tempered. We need Hope in our lives to point us to something more than just rushing around doing things. Spending energy without focus or purpose is just what the Energizer Bunny is doing until he finally winds down.

My Conclusions:

It should be clear “I Hope” that I am not against Hope. I am for dreams and a better world. I am for looking to things as we would dream they could be and not as they are. However, I am against idle dreaming without action to help bring about the fruition of our Hopes. It has been said that you can measure a human by the breath of their dreams. I think we can also measure someone by the breadth and depth of their Hopes. Who among us simply wants to accept the reality that is and not have Hope for another world with more peace, justice, equality and happiness for everyone.

Time for Questions:

What are your biggest Hopes and dreams? What Hopes have you had come true for you or your loved ones? What do you do about your Hope to help make them a reality? Do agree that Hopes and action must go together? Why or why not?

Life is just beginning.

“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you Hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” ― Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone

What do those Black People Want Anyway?

02 Mar 2015 6 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: Affirmative Action, Blacks, discrimation, Glory, prejudice, racism, Selma, Whites

Two White men overheard talking at a coffee shop (Read while listening to Glory from Selma)

Ron: You know it seems all we hear about are Black problems these days. What do they want? Christ’s sake, we abolished slavery over 150 years ago now.

Jack: Yeah, then they got to join the military in WWI and even fight in WW II.

Ron: Yep, then all they did was complain even more. Selma and Bama marches!

Jack: Right, so we gave them the Civil Rights amendment. Thought that would make them happy!

Ron: Nope, they just complained even more. Watts riots and all. So what did we do?

Jack: Created Martin Luther King Day.

Ron: Just so. Did that make them happy?

Jack: Course not. They just whined even more. Especially after that white guy shot MLK.

Ron: So what next? Did we quite trying to make them happy?

Jack: No, you must be thinking about Obama.

Ron: Right. We even elected one of them as President of the United States of America.

Jack: Does this make them happy?

Ron: Course not. Then we get the Ferguson riots. Nothing ever makes them happy.

Jack: I wonder why they all don’t go back to Africa?

Jack: They think it’s bad here. I would like to see how they like Africa.

Ron: Maybe we could get the Republican Tea Party or the NRA to sponsor a bill that would allow them to go back and give them some kind of stipend to leave?

Jack: Not a bad idea. I don’ think the NRA or Tea Party likes Obama so much.

Joan: (A bystander on a nearby coffee seat.) Are you guys prejudiced?

Ron and Jack altogether: Course not! Some of our best friends are Black.

Joan: You sound like you are pissed off about Black people in this country.

Ron: Well, they got Affirmative Action, Obama Care, Gun Control, Drugs, but they still are not happy. Now they got this new movie Selma bringing up all that old crap about prejudice and discrimination in the South. Why can’t they just move on?

Jack: I have heard they want financial reparations for their years in slavery.

Ron: None of them living today were slaves.

Jack: My family did not own any slaves.

Ron: Neither did mine

Ron: The problem is they just don’t have the same values as White folks.

Joan: Like what would those be?

Jack: Well like Christian Values for one.

Joan: Did you know that most Black people belong to a Christian Church?

Ron: Well, they don’t seem to value education. Look at the dropout rate of Black students.

Joan: Have you ever looked at the relationship between poverty and educational attainment? It is hard to concentrate on school when you are hungry or cannot afford housing.

Jack: Hey, whose fault is that? They can work hard like the rest of us and get ahead.

Ron: I don’t see no ball or chain on their legs.

Jack: They got Affirmative Action and they still can’t finish school.

Ron: Maybe they should concentrate less on sports and more on education.

Joan: Funny you should say that, did you know that the Super Bowl this year was the most watched TV event in history. Lots of White people concentrating on sports as well. Sports is one area where you can make big money if you stand out.

Ron: What about NASCAR racing. You don’t see too many Blacks in that.

Jack: Look lady, this isn’t about prejudice. It’s about fitting in.

Ron: Yeah, we would just like them to fit in like the rest of the immigrants did. My grandparents came over and learned the language, got jobs and eventually fit right in.

Jack: Mine too.

Joan: Did your grandparents come over voluntarily or where they chained in a ships hold without adequate food for water for days and then sold to a plantation owner?

Jack: Very funny. That’s the past lady. What’s that got to do with today?

Joan: Have you ever heard the comment, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Ron: What does that mean?

Joan: It means that we must remember our culture and ancestors and learn from the mistakes of the past.

Ron: Well, what are Black people learning from the past?

Joan: You say you have some Black friends. Do you ever talk to them about their racial history?

Ron: I don’t bring up such stuff.

Jack: What’s the point in bringing back the past? Why can’t we all just live together in peace and harmony?

Ron: I got nothing against Black people that want to work hard and get ahead.

Jack: Same for me Lady.

The End:

[This blog was provoked by a conversation I was listening to this morning on Public Radio describing the Selma marches and discrimination.]

I would like to send this blog to a Facebook website I belong to and get reactions to it. I will post reactions in the section below from African Americans who belong to – Real TAUK: African American Issues.

Comments from Black Folks regarding this blog:

Wayne BanditoWms Separations, preparations, reparations, in general … we want the ability to go back create, recreate our culture, laws, religion, politics, entertainment and labor.
Why Black People Stay Persistently Poor, Broke and Struggling This is a very good article describing how poverty affects Blacks even when trying to get an education.

Time for Questions:

Do you think prejudice still exists against Black people in this country? Do you think White folks have a right to be prejudiced against Black folks? Why or why not? What do you think White people’s role should be in helping to overcome prejudice?

Life is just beginning:

Life is too short to hate. When you hate, you kill your soul. What good has hate ever done the world?

Revenge is Mine but is it Really Sweet?

23 Feb 2015 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: Lex Talionis, Professor Critchley, restorative justice, revenge, revenge is a dish best served cold, Simon Critchley

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay’, says the Lord.” — Romans 12:19

Vendetta, revenge, retribution, retaliation, payback, getting even, the concept goes by many names but it all boils down to the same thing: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

Lex Talionis. the principle or law of retaliation that a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer, as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; retributive justice.

It is interesting that if you look in the Quran, Torah or New Testament, the three major works of the three key monotheistic religions, you will find numerous threats and accusations regarding the execution of the Lex Talionis principle. However, in terms of the scholarly interpretation of the principle, most jurists or executors of the principle have preferred to rely on some form of restorative justice. Those whose job it is to interpret these writings have realized that a literal, reciprocal and physical adaption of Lex Talionis would leave the world both blind and toothless.

Gandhi: “An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.”

Why then, do our political systems and countless pundits seem to be hell bent on applying a literal interpretation of Lex Talionis to world events? There seems to be a major disconnect between our political systems and our spiritual systems. Of course, many religious people also seem blind to the fact that their very religion does not readily endorse the idea of revenge or vengeance. In the writings of Jesus:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. — Matthew 5:38-39

Back to the question, why do our nations seem to more often pursue a policy of Lex Talionis than a policy of restorative or compassionate justice? Are such principles so at odds with our basic human nature as to render them worthless? It is that possible that we can only be satisfied by tearing out the eyes or teeth of those who have done us harm?

Let us take a significant emotional event for almost every citizen of the USA. The 911 bombings. There was little doubt and probably even less discussion about any possibility of dialogue or détente with Al Qaeda. In fact, even today, I am sure that most people reading this are aghast at such a suggestion. Few voices were raised against the subsequent bombings in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Simon Critchley had this to say nearly ten years later about the US retaliation:

“Opposites attract — the awful violence of 9/11 is justified by Al Qaeda as an act of revenge that in turn justifies the violence of America’s and Bush’s revenge. My point is that revenge is an inevitably destructive motive for action. When we act out of revenge, revenge is what we will receive in return. The wheel of violence and counter-violence spins without end and leads inevitably to destruction.” —- http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/the-cycle-of-revenge/?_r=0

No doubt it took ten years before Professor Critchley felt safe to utter the above sentiments.

I have to confess, I have never been a pacifist. Those who know me would laugh at the idea. In fact most people who know me would probably think that more often than not, I have endorsed the idea of vendetta or that “revenge is a dish best served cold.” Thus, it might seem somewhat hypocritical for me to suggest that we should perhaps be looking at a different response to aggressive actions by our enemies. However, such a response might actually be more proactive than reactive. I seem to notice as I get older that proactive responses work out better than reactive responses. Does anyone really think that the USA and the rest of the world is safer today after the obscene amount of money and lives spent on our socalled “War on Terrorism.”

“A March 2011 Congressional report^[192] estimated spending related to the war through fiscal year 2011 at $1.2 trillion, and that spending through 2021 assuming a reduction to 45,000 troops would be $1.8 trillion. A June 2011 academic report^[192] covering additional areas of spending related to the war estimated it through 2011 at $2.7 trillion, and long term spending at $5.4 trillion including interest.” — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Terror

The following table shows strictly USA casualties but the total casualties including Mideast civilians, terrorists and opposing military are probably well over 200,000 people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORB_survey_of_Iraq_War_casualties)

USA Wounded or Killed in the Mideast
US Military killed	6,639
US Military wounded	50,422
US DoD Civilians killed	16
US Civilians killed (includes 9/11 and after)	3,000 +
US Civilians wounded/injured	6,000 +
Total Americans killed (military and civilian)	9,655 +
Total Americans wounded/injured	56,422 +
Total American casualties	66,077 +

A few days ago, Marie Harf, a spokesperson for the US State Department suggested that instead of killing terrorists and destroying the economies of our purported Middle East enemies, we needed to find ways to help build up their economies. Her suggestion was not simply criticized by many but was widely ridiculed for being naïve, liberal and too compassionate towards our enemies. Of course, right wing commentators had a field day with bashing her:

Rush Limbaugh: “This woman is an absolute throwback to 1960s, feel-good liberalism that is senseless. It’s chickified, it denies reality, and this is the number two spokeswoman at the State Department. Her boss is not very much more cogent.”

Sean Hannity: “Among all of the stupid things that I think I have heard about radical Islam, the State Department jobs program has to be ranked the highest among them. I mean because if that’s their mentality, Colonel, then maybe we should give people free housing, terrorists housing, and maybe we should get them Ferraris, and Obamacare. I’ve seen a lot of terrorists on TV that need dental work. Maybe free dental care. Maybe that will make them like us.”

There were few to be found on either the right or left who cared to come out and help Marie defend her comments. Her subsequent efforts at an explanation only appeared to make matters worse. Harf’s basic problem was that she wanted to attach a different perspective to the Middle East problem. A perspective that implicitly refutes the principle of Lex Talionis. If she was naive about anything, it was in assuming that she had a potential audience for a concept that remains foreign to many people. It is a concept that thinks our respective enemies might be dealt with on some other plane then revenge and retribution. It was one that does not exist for the majority of humanity since it is one that chooses to circumvent the principle of Lex Talionis.

“Lets get them Niggars!”

“What do we do when we get them?”

“Hang-em, what else!”

“Lets get them Injuns!”

“What do we do when we get em? Hang em?”

“Hangins too slow, we shoot em!”

“Lets get them Jews!”

“What do we do when we get em?” Shoot em?

“No shootins too slow, we gas em!”

Lets get them Commies!”

“What do we do when we get em? Gas em?”

“No gas is not strong enough, we bomb em!”

“Lets get them Arabs!”

“What do we do when we get em? Bomb em?”

“No bombings not precise enough, we drop a drone on em!”

“What goes around comes around” or “as you sow, so shall you reap” is the basic understanding of how karma, the law of cause and effect, works….This can seem like such a vicious cycle of action and reaction. It’s practically impossible to live in this world without doing some wrong, whether out of anger, revenge, or just inattention. The teachings of the Gita and Hinduism are all about breaking this cycle of karma and transcending the material world and regaining entrance into the spiritual world.” —-Gadadhara Pandit Dasa

Somewhere this minute, a father, friend, soldier, leader, mother, sister, brother, aunt or co-worker is planning revenge. Somewhere this minute, someone with a grudge will be planning to kill a whole bunch of people. Somewhere this minute, someone who feels the need to right the wrongs in the world, will go out and massacre a whole bunch of innocent people. Somewhere this minute, someone who feels you are wrong and they are right are planning to kill you.

Confucius said ““Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

Time for Questions.

Will Jesus’s admonition to turn the other cheek protect you or your loved ones? Will the principle of Lex Talionis help you rest easier in your bed? Will following Jesus or Lex bring back your loved ones? Which principle is more likely to help prevent future carnage and mayhem? Can we really love our enemies or is this simply a naïve idea that will never work in the real world?

Life is just beginning.

“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism.” — George Washington

My 10 Favorite Quotes for Living.

16 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

Happy Presidents Day. Karen and I are in San Francisco visiting some friends. I thought I would repost this blog since it was one of my early ones and I do not think too many of you will have read it. My niece prompted my rereading of this blog when she told me she wanted to print Santayana’s quote on her body as a tattoo. Probably reflecting my age, but I would hope my “wisdom” I advised her not to. Instead, I recommended she get the quote on a wall frame and post it in her house. Easier to change then a tattoo. Anyway, these are some of my favorite quotes and what they mean to me. Please feel free to add your posts in the comments section. I would love to know what you like.

Aging Capriciously

Some say, you can judge a person by their goals and the vision they have for the world. Others say, you should judge a person by their actions and not their words. I suggest we can judge a person by the aphorisms and thoughts that govern their behavior. Each of us from the time we were born has been told stories and parables that have left their mark on our lives. Who we are is shaped by these stories and the indelible morals they have imprinted on our lives. Often we only remember some short phrase or memorable quote from these tales but they continue to have an important impact on our lives long after we have forgotten the actual source or story they are derived from.

For my blog today, I am going to print my TOP TEN FAVORITE QUOTES of all time. If you want to judge me…

View original post 2,027 more words

Best or Better? Which is better?

09 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: 100 meter Freestyle, chess players, Total Quality Management

Years ago when I was working in the TQM or Total Quality Management consulting profession, we used to say that the “Best was the enemy of the Better.” I am not sure who this saying originated with, but the meaning was very clear. When you think you are the “Best” you have little or no motivation to be even better. Remember the Avis ad “We try harder because we are number two.” The “King of the Hill” has only one place to go and that is down. All champions know that their tenure is short lived. It does not matter whether it is chess, motorcycle racing or the world of Hollywood stardom; those who are on top today, will soon be displaced by someone who is better, smarter, faster or more talented tomorrow.

“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” ― Marvin J. Ashton

A number of years ago, I went to a Masters Swim meet. The winner in the Men’s 100 meter Freestyle division was 60 years old. They announced his winning time along with the following interesting fact. Forty years earlier, he had been captain of the Yale swim team and his time in the 100 meter freestyle was a national collegiate record. The time that he swam the 100 meter freestyle in at the master’s event was the same time as his collegiate record. He was still swimming as fast as he did forty years earlier. Nevertheless, his time in today’s event would not even quality as a high school record anyplace in the world. Times change, progress marches on. Athletes are younger, bigger, faster and smarter than years ago. Ironically, so are chess players. Look at the records of the world’s top chess players, and you will see a pattern of increasingly younger players attaining Grandmaster status.

The United States has the best workers in the world! I don’t know if this statement is true or not, but if you believe it, you are treading on thin ice. If you think your employees are smarter and better than any other group of employees, will you be motivated to train, educate and continue developing your employees? If you believe that you have the best products in the world, will you be motivated to continue improving your products or will you rest on your laurels because “you are the best?” Many organizations have developed mission and vision statements proudly proclaiming their desires to be the “Best organization in the world” or the leader or some other “Best” attribute. See the following examples:

Ameren’s mission is to generate electricity, deliver electricity and distribute natural gas in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally sound manner. Our vision is to be the recognized performance leader of the U.S. electric and gas utility industry. Being a performance leader means we will achieve operational excellence, industry-leading customer satisfaction and superior financial performance.
American Standard’s mission is to “Be the best in the eyes of our customers, employees and shareholders.”
Our mission at Avon Corporation is to operate the best specialty retail business in America, regardless of the product we sell.

The three examples above are only from the “A” company names in an alphabetical list of Fortune 500 companies. If you went through the entire list of Fortune 500 Companies, you would find dozens of other such statements with organizations proclaiming their desire to be the: Best, industry leader, provider of choice, etc. Few would challenge the merits of what sound like such high minded and laudatory goals. However, the lack of challenge is dangerous. Dr. W. E. Deming used to remind us that you are only as good as your competition. Great athletes and great performers tend to stand out when the quality of their competition is profound.

There is a certain level of “mindlessness” to any goal of being the best. It implies that once there, the game is over. You have won and you can now reap the harvest of your hard work. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ingemar Stenmark is considered to be one of the greatest skiers of all time. In some events, he is listed as the greatest. He won 86 major races in his career. At age 25, he won his last major medal! Michael Phelps set the world record for the 200 meter freestyle in 2008. Less than a year later, his record was broken by nearly a full second by Paul Biedermann. Michael Phelps is now 29 years old and is said to be trying to make a comeback. Usain Bolt holds the world’s record for the 100 meter sprint. He is now 28 years old. How much longer will Usain be on top? In the world of professional sports, 29 is considered “old age.”

“Even as a kid in drawing class, I had real ambition. I wanted to be the best in the class, but there was always some other feller who was better; so I thought, ‘It can’t be about being the best, it has to be about the drawing itself, what you do with it.’ That’s kind of stuck with me.” — Damien Hirst

Professional chess players are in many ways not much different than professional athletes. One trains his/her body, while the other trains his/her mind. The world’s top chess player today is Magnus Carlsen. He is ranked number one in the world and is the current World Chess Champion. He became a Grandmaster at the age of 13 making him the second youngest grandmaster in history. At the age of 19, he was the youngest player in history to be ranked number one in the world. He is all of 24 years old today. The current reigning youngest Grandmaster is Sergey Karjakin who in 2002 attained the record at the ripe old age of 12 years and seven months. One would think that in an area which depends on brain cells rather than muscle cells, that age and experience would trump youth and innovation. Such is not the case as history repeatedly proves. Whether in chess or sports, the advantage goes to the young.

Those who think they are the best will soon be supplanted by the better. What makes one better is more than simply youth. Training, DNA, techniques, equipment, methods, diets, computers and other technologies all contribute to the constant emergence of competitors that are better, faster and smarter. In business, your competition will produce better, faster and cheaper products today than they did yesterday. The world is not and never has been static. Dynamic forces are forever changing the landscape. Anyone who thinks they have a lock on being the best is in for a big surprise. The best do not last very long. The “king or queen” of the hill gets knocked off in a nanosecond today as compared to a microsecond yesterday. Tomorrow the King or Queen will only last for a picosecond.

“I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” Ken Venturi

Those who try to be the best will never succeed for very long. Those who set their goals at being better and better will continue to develop products and services that meet the needs of their stakeholders whether these stakeholders are customers or simply admirers. No one can forever be the best but it is simply foolish to assume that once you are the best, that the job is done. In business or in life, the turtle always beats the hare because she simply keeps on trying and trying and trying. The race is not to the swift but to the diligent.

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11

Time for Questions:

Which is better, best or better? Do you think we should continually try to be better and better or should we stop when we are the best? What happens to those people who become the best? Have you ever been the best at anything? What was it like? How long did it last?

Life is just beginning

“The beginning of thought is in disagreement – not only with others but also with ourselves.” ― Eric Hoffer,

When the TRUTH Will Not Set You Free! Final Part – I Was Wrong!

26 Jan 2015 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: Accuracy, Honesty, Jerry Falwell, Jerry Springer, objective Truth

I have discovered the Truth and I was wrong, it will set you free. The philosophers, prophets, seers, wizards, warlocks and all the saints throughout history were right. The Truth will set you free. And for only 1 dollar, 1 peso, 1 ruble, 1 euro, or one penny, I will share it with you. You see, I have been giving away ideas here for too long. It is time that I like Jerry Springer, Pat Buchanan, Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell and Joel Osteen profit from my blog-evangelism. Thus, I say to you now, “send money and I will send you the Truth.” Money will give you the Truth! We all know money is the foundation of everything we stand for. The more money you have the more Truth you will have, right? Actually, wrong. Money will not give you the Truth. So put your centavos away and read on. I will share the Truth with you for free. Keep in mind though, that I am simply giving you a map to the Truth. You must find the Truth on your own and you will envy Diogenes and his search. (The Honesty Song by Billy Joel) Click on and listen while you read my blog today.

If there was one thing I learned after our jaunt through the ten crimes against humanity it is that the Truth is very elusive. I asked myself all week, why? What makes the Truth so difficult to find? Is it simply subjective and no one can ever have an objective Truth? Is there no such thing as an objective truth? An objective Truth is a Truth that can be verified, tested and accepted by all people. [Subjective Truths are always personal and cannot be verified by others. Subjective Truths are usually considered to be feelings and opinions but opinions can be objective if they involve a premise that can be verified.] After extensive pondering of these questions, I have realized that there is objective Truth, what it is and why it is so hard to find.

There are two elements to an objective Truth. You cannot have an objective Truth without both of these elements. The two elements are Honesty and Accuracy. First let’s look at honesty. Honesty is defined as:

The quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
Truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.
Freedom from deceit or fraud. www.dictionary.com

There is a certain amount of circular reasoning here. Honesty is defined as being honest? That is not very helpful. The second part of the definition is only partially correct. You can be honest and truthful e.g. I don’t like fish. That statement can be both honest and truthful if it reflects the sincere feelings of the speaker about their feelings towards fish. However, such statements about feelings are always subjective and they do not reflect any kind of objective Truth for the world. They simply reflect a personal Truth. However, statements or opinions that go beyond subjectivity become objective. These are statements that can be verified by others. Hence, they can become objective.

Objective statements such as opinions etc. may be honest but they may also be untruthful or wrong. E.g. “I think the Empire State Building is the tallest building in the world.” This statement may be an honest reflection of my beliefs but it is wrong. I may be honest in my statement but my statement is not truthful because it is incorrect. It can be verified that my belief whether honest or not is simply incorrect. The element that must exist for an objective Truth in addition to Honesty is Accuracy. Accuracy reflects how close the statement comes to reality. Accuracy can be defined as:

The condition or quality of being true, correct, or exact; freedom fromerror or defect; precision or exactness; correctness.
Chemistry, Physics. The extent to which a given measurement agreeswith the standard value for that measurement.
The degree of correctness of a quantity, expression, etc.

At this point, you might be wondering why accuracy alone is not enough for an objective Truth. The reason is that you can have accuracy without honesty but you will not have the Truth. For instance, I can say that my home was broken into by someone and I can describe some person with great accuracy. However, I may be lying about the home invasion simply to point the finger towards an innocent victim. If I am lying but accurate, the Truth does not exist. Thus, to have an objective Truth you must have both Honesty and Accuracy. This is one reason why Truth is so hard to find. There are few truly honest people.

Honesty is a very elusive quality as Diogenes discovered. Here are ten interesting facts about “Lying” (10 Research Findings about Deception That Will Blow Your Mind)

Humans are lied to as many as 200 times a day.
Humans detect lies with only 54% accuracy.
Between 75% and 82% of lies go undetected.
Of the lies we tell, 25% are for someone else’s sake.
Children begin deceiving as early as age 6 months.
Gorillas, fish, birds, even orchids engage in deception.
Avoiding eye contact is the most presumed sign of lying around the world—even though it’s false.
Law enforcement officials—including FBI agents, customs agents and judges— performed no better than the average person in detecting deception.
One in six juries reaches an incorrect verdict
Training can improve a person’s lie detection ability by 25-50%.

If it is difficult to find an honest person, the second element “Accuracy” is even more difficult to find. The reason for this is that most people treat Accuracy as though it is either on or off, it is either accurate or inaccurate. Accuracy should be thought of more in terms of a normal distribution. For every process, there is a norm or standard which we try to attain. The norm of Accuracy is 100 percent. This is a goal but when it involves humans or even the world, it will never exist.

“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” ― Spencer Johnson

“All models are wrong” says George Box. People are unreliable. Eyewitnesses at trials vary widely in their descriptions of both people and events. Even physical objects are subject to constant change. Heraclitus said “you never step in the same river twice.” The world and everything in it goes on evolving. Entropy insures that all processes eventually decay. Quantum physics proves that you cannot measure both the velocity and position of an object at the same time.

The best we can do to find Accuracy is to assume a “population distribution” of results for any given parameter and then assume with some degree of probably based on facts and verification that our parameter exists within the distribution. We will not be able to achieve 100 percent accuracy in most of life’s events. When we do, it will not last for any great length of time. We may attain it briefly but it will soon pass. In terms of people describing life, the best we can do is to strive towards a series of successive approximations. We can keep coming closer and closer to the Truth but we will never find an ultimate Truth since it is beyond our abilities to attain.

“Myth is much more important and true than history. History is just journalism and you know how reliable that is.” ― Joseph Campbell

Thus, the Truth that will set you free must combine Honesty and Accuracy and a process of never ending search for more and more accurate results. The Truth is a journey that you can choose to embark on and the ship leaves every minute of every hour of every day. Some people never get on the ship and choose to remain ignorant. Many other Truth Seekers board but soon decide that they are really tired of the journey and get off. The few who can keep their focus and dedication to the quest may someday find the Truth that will set them free at the end of the journey.

Time for Questions:

Have I helped you to find the Truth? What did you learn about Truth in the journey through history that we took? What Truths can you share with others? Please post comments etc. I would love to hear your truths.

Life is just beginning.

“We must pass through the darkness, to reach the light.” ― Albert Pike

Aging Capriciously

God, Guns and Gays

Pain and Suffering: Can We Still Be Happy?

Love Is All You Need or Is It?

O Ye of Little Faith – What is the Role of Faith in our Lives?

“And Now Abides Faith, Hope and Love” — Does Anyone Really Give a Damn!

What do those Black People Want Anyway?

Revenge is Mine but is it Really Sweet?

My 10 Favorite Quotes for Living.

Best or Better? Which is better?

When the TRUTH Will Not Set You Free! Final Part – I Was Wrong!

Photo

Dr. John Persico Jr.

Recent Posts

Follow Blog via Email

Questions about Blogging and this Website.

Archives

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Photo

Dr. John Persico Jr.

Recent Posts

Follow Blog via Email

Questions about Blogging and this Website.

Archives