Aging Capriciously

The Tragic Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira: What This Story Tells Us about the Decline and Fall of Religion.

15 Jun 2015 3 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: church, death, dues, God, hypocrites, Jesus, money, obligations, religion, Sin, sinners, tithes

In the Acts of the Apostles (part of the New Testament) Chapter 5, there is the story of two members of the early Christian church which was thought important enough to merit inclusion in the Bible. To summarize the story: these two members (Ananias and Sapphira) sold some property which they owned and instead of contributing 100 percent of the proceeds, they elected to keep some of it aside for themselves. This may have been in violation of a sense of community and common property that the early Church was fostering since the story seemed important enough to put down in text. (You may enjoy listening to the following song while reading this blog “The Ballad of Ananias and Sapphira”)

After being confronted by the apostle Peter, both Ananias and his wife Sapphira died on the spot. What I find most interesting about this story is the significance and interpretation that is given by many Christian leaders to this event. I think these interpretations may tell us more about religion and why people are backing away from churches then any of the more common reasons given for the decreasing numbers of people who now belong to an organized church. For instance, many theorists say that the lack of religion today is due to or at least correlated with a more highly educated work force. Others say, the lack of religious affiliation has to do with the sexual emancipation of men and women, thus freeing them from the demands and control of an organized church. I think there are more fundamental reasons and this story illustrates them very well. I would like to contrast my “heretical” view of what this story means with a common view espoused by one religious leader in an article called “5 THINGS GOD TEACHES US IN THE TRAGIC DEATHS OF ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA” by Pastor J.D. on November 20, 2013

Pastor J.D.

In the church, there are two kinds of people, and it’s nearly impossible to distinguish them from the outside.

On the outside, Ananias and Sapphira look just like another church member named Barnabas (introduced in Acts 4). Barnabas had just sold his property and brought the money to the apostles, and to the casual observer, Ananias and Sapphira were doing the same thing.

But deep in their heart lingered a love of money and a desire for people’s praise. So they conspired together to present a portion of their money while passing it off as the entire amount. This is worlds apart from the attitude of Barnabas, but looks very similar.

John’s Interpretation:

You mean that there are only two kinds of people in church? One good and the other bad? Why are the bad people going to church anyway if they are bad? How is the church helping these “bad” people? People who have a love of money and a desire for praise are bad? That means about 95 percent of the human race are bad. If all that religion can do is condemn “bad” people, why bother to go to church? To be “Good,” you must tithe, build churches, give large donations and upon your death leave large grants to your church.

Pastor J.D.

We cannot hide from God.

It may be difficult for us to distinguish between a truly repentant heart and a seasoned faker, but nothing is hidden from God. The Holy Spirit knows our thoughts as if they were being played through a loudspeaker or being displayed on a screen.

That is why despite fooling everyone else, Ananias and Sapphira were still found out. There are no locked doors or hidden closets for the Holy Spirit.

John’s Interpretation:

God is even worse than big brother. Big brother can be hacked and still has blind spots in his/her surveillance techniques. God sees all and knows all. Do not try to hide anything from God. God has nothing to do but spy on us night and day. 24/7 God is spying. Do not do anything that would offend God or he/she will know and your secrets will be shared with the universe. Since your church is your organized representative of God on earth, you should not try to hide anything from your church. Be sure to send copies of your annual tax returns to your local parish or pastor.

Pastor J.D.

The closer we are to grace, the greater the offense of sin.

Not everyone who lies gets struck down immediately for their sin. So why did Ananias and Sapphira? A couple of reasons:

First, their deaths—like much in Acts—serve as a sign. God takes something that is true in the kingdom of God and puts it on physical display. We see this most often through the healing miracles, but it is equally true of this judgment.

God doesn’t do this with everyone who lies to the Holy Spirit today. But that should not cover up the fact that this death is a picture of how God feels about it. It is a glimpse of the future judgment for all who share in the heart of Ananias and Sapphira.

Second, Ananias and Sapphira had seen the activity of the Holy Spirit so closely that the seriousness of the sin increased. Think of it like the temple: the closer you are to the holy place, the more significant is every blemish.[1]

These people had seen the mercy of God firsthand. Ananias’ name, in fact, means, “God is merciful.” They had likely been witness to the death of Christ itself! And yet despite being recipients of such great grace, they spurned it for the praise of men. Do not take holy things lightly!

John’s Interpretation:

Don’t bother trying to be better; you can never be good enough. Furthermore, it is worse to screw up if you are better than if you had not even tried. Whatever happened to forgiveness of sin? In this story, it seems there is no room for repentance. Tolerance is non-existent. No one mourns the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. Where is the compassion and forgiveness that Jesus preached? It would seem that even at this early date, the newly formed Christian church has soon forgotten the key messages of Jesus.

Pastor J.D.

Fear is a part of worship.

Unsurprisingly, these dramatic deaths caused a great deal of fear (Acts 5:5, 11). But we may be shocked to see that even in light of this, “more and more people believed in the Lord” (Acts 5:14). Fear is an integral part of worship.

For those of us familiar with the idea of an infinitely loving God, this is a jarring realization. But God’s love only makes sense when we know the magnificence of his glory and the might of his power. That is why John Newton wrote, “Tis grace that taught my heart to fear.” As the fear of God increases, so does the sense of his love, because we understand more fully what we have been saved from.

My favorite definition of the fear of God is awe mixed with intimacy. We are invited into the closest possible relationship with God, but this intimacy must never overshadow the majesty of who God is.

John’s Interpretation:

Wow, this is really hard to understand much less accept. Fear is a part of God? God wants us to be afraid of him/her because we are more likely to be saved if we are afraid? As I am more afraid of God, he will love me more? What kind of crazy mixed up logic is this? Where did Jesus preach this or say anything close to this? What is it we will be saved from if only we are afraid? Maybe, this is why psychopaths commit crimes that are so heinous? They have no fear so why should they give a damn? If you are fearless, you have no problem with God. This sounds like a good prescription for a fascist dictatorship. Just keep the people scared and they will stay in line. God and fascism according to the Christian church must have a lot in common. No wonder most religions hate communism so much. Ironic, that so many communist regimes have also used fear to keep people in line. What ever happened to the saying that “You catch more flies with honey then you do with vinegar?” What many religions seem to be saying is that if you scare people to death, they will donate more to the church.

Pastor J.D.

Sin is a deadly serious matter to God.

If we’re honest, many of us find God’s actions here offensive—but that merely reveals our ignorance of our sin and God’s holiness. We shouldn’t ask the question, “Why did they die?” Instead we should wonder, “Why do we remain alive?”

Yes, God is patient with us and slow to anger. But as R.C. Sproul says, we forget that God’s patience is designed to lead us to repentance, not to become bolder in our sin. If Jesus really went through the tormenting hell of the cross to redeem us, and we neglect that in pursuit of our sin, what will it be like to stand before God? “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”(Hebrews 2:3)

John’s Interpretation:

God hates sin and hate sinners? In this case, he/she hated sin enough to kill two members of the church whose sin was keeping back some of their money and lying about it. Wow, this is really scary. If God can just strike any of us dead for such a trivial offense, imagine what he/she will do to most of us for the daily offenses we make. When you think of the Ten Commandments or Eight Beatitudes, you should be really scared. Any second now, most of the human race will be struck dead for failing to comply or live up to these standards. When you think about how many people covet their neighbor’s property, commit adultery, or lack humility or charity, you may wonder that anyone on earth is still alive.

Conclusions:

Well, you may and will draw your own conclusions but my conclusions are to ask why anyone would belong to any organized religion that subscribed to a single one of the beliefs that were noted by Pastor J. D. If you want to look for reasons why people are less church going or less religious today, you have simply to look at these five beliefs about God and sin that Pastor J.D. has noted. Who in their right mind, would want to belong to any group that felt this way about humanity and sin?

By the way, these five beliefs noted are not atypical or unique. When I was researching the symbolism and meaning of the story of Ananias and Sapphira, I found many similar interpretations by other religious leaders. (See Dan Stevers – The Grim Tale of Ananias & Sapphira)

Most of the interpretations support the idea of an intolerance that was in the early Christian church from the very beginning. This is not to say that all religions do not share similar intolerances. My best guess is that any system of organized belief is by its very nature “intolerant” of competing or contradictory belief systems. One can only hope that we are not all killed instantly for our failures to comply with whatever belief system we are associated with. Most systems other than religion find it more expedient to kill by innuendo and ostracism then to have God strike you dead immediately. You lose less members that way.

Time for Questions:

What is sin? Who are the real sinners in the world? Do you know any sinners? Are you a sinner? What do you do to atone or repent for your sins? There are three things we must do for forgiveness:

Sincerely admit, apologize and show regret for our sins
Listen to the pain and misery that our sins have caused.
Make appropriate amends for our sins to the victims.

Life is just beginning.

If you think that anything under the sun is new, you have only to compare the story of Ananias and Sapphira to this recent headline about churches that plunder their parishioners:

“How passing the plate becomes the ‘Sunday morning stickup’” by John Blake, CNN, June, 14, 2015

Lord, I Need a Scapegoat

08 Jun 2015 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

This is one of my favorite blogs. Why is it scapegoating seems to be one of humanity’s favorite pastimes? Who do you blame for your problems? The world is going to end soon in a fiery holocaust and we must find someone to blame.

Aging Capriciously

I need a scapegoat (Sung to the Tune of “I need a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler)

Someone dirty and unclean

Someone unsightly and mean

I need a scapegoat.

If I’m Catholic, I can blame the Jews

If I’m Jewish, I can blame the Arabs

If I’m Arab, I can blame the Christians.

I need a scapegoat

Someone dirty and unclean

Someone unsightly and mean

I need a scapegoat.

If I’m rich, I can blame the poor

If I’m poor, I can blame the rich

If I’m middle class, I can take my choice.

I need a scapegoat

Someone dirty and unclean

Someone unsightly and mean

I need a scapegoat.

If I’m White, I can blame the Blacks

If I’m Black, I can blame the Whites

If I’m Indian, I can take my choice.

I need a scapegoat

Someone dirty and unclean

Someone unsightly and mean

I need a scapegoat.

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Memorial Day: Just another holiday?

25 May 2015 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

I wrote this blog two years ago, but it still seems appropriate and my thoughts just as pertinent as we celebrate Memorial Day today. Take a second please take a second to think about what this day means before you have your holiday celebration. It is the least we can do today for those who gave their lives for our freedom and liberty.

Aging Capriciously

It often seems that special days like: Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day and many other “Holy-days” have lost their meaning. They have become corrupted by our greed for leisure time and pleasure. They represent “just another day off with pay.” The true meaning and purpose of the day lies undiscovered in our rush to party or go to the big game. How many of us celebrate the true meaning anymore of days like Memorial Day? Do you realize that this is a day set aside to celebrate and commemorate the heroism and sacrifice of the millions of veterans who have given their lives for our freedom and way of life? Do you ever wonder where these men and women got their courage from or how they could give up so much for you and me? How many of us would risk our lives for an idea or for someone…

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Who the Hell is Haroon Moghul?

11 May 2015 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: arabs, christian, extremists, fanatics, hate, hitler, intolerance, Jesus, jihad, jihadist, muhammed, muslim, predudice, racism, right wing, zealots

Now I am going to confess that I do not know Mr. Moghul. I have never talked to Mr. Moghul. I have never emailed Mr. Moghul. I have never even seen Mr. Moghul until this morning when I found some comments he made on line about the shooting last week in Texas at the cartoon contest for caricatures of Muhammed. Here are the comments that Mr. Moghul made:

I am Muslim, and after attacks like these, folks always ask, “Do you condemn terrorism?” Or they throw up their hands and say, “Where are the Muslims!” Well, to be blunt: Not at the event. In fact, every major mosque in the Garland, Texas, area not only shrugged off the anti-Islam event happening in their backyard, but also declined to exercise their equal right to peacefully protest it. It appears from early reports that the suspects were not currently involved with a mosque. This is because American Muslims — our mosques and our leadership — reject radicalism out of hand. — (Don’t be fooled by Pamela Geller By Haroon Moghul)

Pamela Geller as you may or may not know is the radical anti-Islamist from the East Coast who sponsored the “Free Speech” shindig in Texas. What could be more American than a free speech contest? Who could be more American than someone wanting to uphold our First Amendment rights? Where else in the world would you find a contest proving to the world that Americans are willing to denigrate the beliefs of a large religious following except in Texas? And I am not talking about the beliefs of Baptists either.

Of course the followers of Ms. Geller immediately launched a reply to Mr. Moghul some of which is as follows:

The clearest indication that Haroon Moghul is a jihad terror-enabling charlatan is the fact that after jihadis attempt to commit mass murder at a free speech event, he doesn’t write a piece defending free speech and explaining why Muslims must accept it, or a piece condemning the Islamic jihadis and explaining why Islam’s death penalty for blasphemy must not be carried out in the modern age, or a piece calling for reform of the teachings and doctrines that Islamic jihadis use to justify violence and supremacism. – (Don’t be fooled by Haroon Moghul by Robert Spencer)

Who do I believe? Whose logic do I choose: The Jihadist Moghul or the Pro-American anti-Islamist Pam Geller? This is a tough choice. My background does not help. I grew up as a Roman Catholic in an Italian neighborhood in New York. Jews were evil because they killed Christ. Protestants were misguided because they rejected the Pope and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Muslims were bad because they killed a lot of Christians during the Holy Wars and because they thought Muhammed was a better prophet then Jesus. Hindus were weird because they had too many gods and Buddhists did not believe in God so they could not even be counted as a real religion. I grew up with a father who was a WW II decorated combat veteran and who hated communists. The French were not much better than communists to my dad since De Gaulle kicked us out of France shortly after the war was over. Thus, my religious world was divided into good and bad. Good= Roman Catholic. Bad= All other religions or quasi-religions including kooky sects with make believe TV ministers.

So now we are in this “War on Terror” started by the evil Jihadists. A war that Europe and America had no responsibility for since all we wanted from the Arabs=Jihadists=Bad, was their oil and a place to send the Jews after the war so that we could expunge our guilt from having let so many of them die in Hitler’s ovens. Ironic that so much of the Right Wing in America which proclaims to be against Islam also loves the Nazi swastika and anything connected with Heir Adolph. This is a conundrum. Nevertheless, I fear the Arabs, or Jihadists putting a bomb on the next plane I take or worse attacking my village in Frederic Wisconsin. Despite the prevalence of 2^nd Amendment rights people up here we might not have adequate munitions to ward off a full scale Islamist attack. And besides that, we have enough laws already without my having to learn Sharia law.

Thus, I found myself wondering how great the possibility of another 911 was. How much did I have to fortify my home? How many rifles, pistols and RPG’s did I need to protect my turf from the evil Arabs? There were other voices telling me that my fears were misguided. Indeed, some were saying that I had more to worry about from the Pamela Gellers of the world than from the Ayatollahs. The Southern Poverty Law center in their recent report on terrorism and hate groups cited the following study in their report in which they seconded the conclusion:

A survey last year of state and local law enforcement officers listed sovereign citizen terrorists, ahead of foreign Islamists, and domestic militia groups as the top domestic terror threat. The survey was part of a study produced by the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. [CNN, 2/20/15]

As you know, a study of history is often the best way to understand the current problems we face. As the great philosopher Santayana said “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” I therefore decided to undertake some historical research into the present animosity that we seem to have toward Arabs and Muslims in this country. I wanted to see if Mr. Moghul was right or if Ms. Geller was right. Is it simply a matter of “Free Speech” which those evil Arabs do not understand or is there a larger issue at play here.

On the matter of “Free Speech”, it has been noted by some that all speech is not really free. Some examples of proscribed free speech would include the classic “yelling fire in a crowded theater” but also such examples as burning a cross in your Black neighbor’s yard, telling your attractive co-worker how nice her boobs were, calling 911 on a joke or telling the Judge to go “F” herself. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that Pam Geller has the guts to stick it to those evil Arabs by ridiculing their holy patriarch. Somewhat ironic, since the religious right has never been a big supporter of free speech particularly when it comes to anti-war protests or criticizing Christianity.

“Usually, defending free speech rights is much more of a lonely task. For instance, the day before the Paris murders, I wrote an article about multiple cases where Muslims are being prosecuted and even imprisoned by western governments for their online political speech – assaults that have provoked relatively little protest, including from those free speech champions who have been so vocal this week.” — In Solidarity with a Free Press: More Blasphemous Cartoons, by Glenn Greenwald

A source of my information was a book by Edward W. Said published in 1981 titled “Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World.” This book was published nineteen years before 911 and eight years before the first Gulf war. At this point in American history, most of us did not even know any evil Arabs and there was no War on Terror since it would be 8 years or so before the War on Godless Communists would end with the fall of the Berlin Wall. We had plenty of other evil people to deal with and did not have to have any evil Arabs. Most of us had never even had any falafel, hummus or baklava.

So I presumed that what Mr. Said said about the evil Arabs in 1981 might be a somewhat unbiased and as yet uncontaminated view of how Americans viewed Arabs way back over thirty years ago. Here is what Mr. Said had to say about America’s view of Arabs in 1981:

The modern Western media, says Said, does not want people to know that in Islam both men and women are equal; that Islam is tough on crime and the causes of crime; that Islam is a religion of knowledge par excellence; that Islam is a religion of strong ethical principles and a firm moral code; that socially Islam stands for equality and brotherhood; that politically Islam stands for unity and humane governance; that economically Islam stands for justice and fairness; and that Islam is at once a profoundly spiritual and a very practical religion. Said claims in his book that untruth and falsehood about Islam and the Muslim world are consistently propagated in the media, in the name of objectivity, liberalism, freedom, democracy and progress. – This summary is from Wikipedia.

I was startled and amazed by his conclusions. The evil Arab portrayed in the press in 1981 is the same Evil Arab=Muslim=Jihadist portrayed in the American press today. Fox News (Sic) commentator Lt. Col Ralph Peter has made the following comments about Islam:

“We do not have an Islamophobia problem in the United States; we have an Islamophilia problem – which places Islam above all criticism. And until we hold Islam to the same standards as every other religion, ethically and behaviorally, terrorism wins.”

Salon Magazine commenting recently about the role of Fox News in promoting Anti-Arab sentiment in America had this to say about the treatment of Arabs and Islam:

“The Islamophobia industry also goes to great lengths to sell its message to the public. The difference, though, is that in many cases the very networks that spread their product are themselves participants in the ruse to whip up public fear of Muslims. This is not a relationship of buyer and seller, where various characters that peddle panic purchase slots on major television networks to plug their merchandise. Rather, it is a relationship of mutual benefit, where ideologies and political proclivities converge to advance the same agenda.

Fox News, the American television station that brands itself as “fair and balanced,” is the epitome of this relationship. It has been, for the better part of the last decade, at the heart of the public scare-mongering about Islam, and has become the home for a slew of right-wing activists who regularly inhabit its airwaves to distort the truth to push stereotypes about Muslims.” — www.salon.com

The comment in Salon was made in 2012 nearly thirty years after Said noted that there was a major effort in the US News to distort the teaching and canons of Islam. Of course there will be those who note the following:

Islamic beheadings
Stoning of women guilty of adultery
Islamic persecutions of Christians in Arab countries
Islamic persecutions of Jews and other minorities

When these problems and atrocities are faithfully reported and repeated ad nausea in the news, it has the effect of distorting and even hiding the threats from other terrorists particularly Right-Wing and religious fanatics. We see or hear of one Muslim related terror attack such as the Charlie Hebdo killings and we hear of news related items to this event for over two weeks. In the meantime, other atrocities not related to Islam go unreported and virtually ignored. Nevertheless,

A Homeland Security report produced in coordination with the FBI in 2014 counts 24 violent sovereign citizen-related attacks across the U.S. since 2010. The government says these are extremists who believe that they can ignore laws and that their individual rights are under attack in routine daily instances such as a traffic stop or being required to obey a court order. — DHS Intelligence Report

So let us return to the Patriot or Evil Jihadist (depending on your perspective) Mr. Moghul. Here was a man who would apparently agree with Mr. Said. Muslims are not evil people nor are all Muslims good people. That’s right. There are “Bad” Muslims. There are also many evil Christians but no one disparages all Christianity even though few people seem to actually practice the teachings of Jesus Christ.

In my home town, the religious right has managed to put up a billboard with the Ten Commandments on it. I fail to see how this billboard promotes Christianity. Christ gave us the Eight Beatitudes not the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are Old Testament. The Eight Beatitudes are Christian through and through. I have asked many people why they did not put the Beatitudes up and why they put the Ten Commandments up. I had much rather see Christians follow the Eight Beatitudes today and say they are for Compassion and Love. Instead, I see too many so-called Christians who are for Hate and Intolerance. Where did Jesus ever call for Hate or Intolerance?

“At the exhibition ‘Caricatura VI – The Comic Art – analog, digital, international’ in Kassel in Germany, a cartoon created by cartoonist Mario Lars has been removed after protests that it hurt people’s religious feelings. The drawing depicts Jesus suffering on the cross and a speech bubble, which apparently contains words from God, who says: “Ey… you… I fucked your mother.” The caricature was displayed not only in the exhibition itself, but was also reproduced on a large advertising poster outside the building of Caricatura Gallery. Barbara Heinrich, the city dean of the Evangelical Church in Kassel, said the caricature crossed a line of what is acceptable.” — Arts Freedom, August 29, 2012.

I may not like your religion. I may not like your Gods or your prophets. But as long as your religion respects the rights of others, I will respect your religion. I do not see the vast majority of Muslims as a threat to my way of life. I see Muslim extremists as dangerous and misguided but I view them the same as I view Christian extremists. Both categories include narrow minded zealots who pose a threat to other people because of their failure to deal with adversity through kindness and love.

Thus, I say that those who profess to be Christians and follow the word of Jesus have no precedent to denigrate, humiliate or ridicule the teachings of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists or any other religion that they do not agree with. Jesus would not have ridiculed or persecuted anyone. Can you imagine Jesus holding a contest to see who could create the best caricature of a prophet named Muhammed?

Time for Questions:

Are you a Christian? Do you understand and support the rights of other religions to practice their faiths? Do you stand up to bullies and zealots who would ridicule and malign other religions? What will it take for America to become a country that truly is a melting pot and tolerates racial and religious diversity?

Life is just beginning.

“Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too.” ― Voltaire

“Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged” ― Rumi

Why do we need all those damn Latinos anyway?

05 May 2015 1 Comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

In honor of Cinco De Mayo and partially due to the fact that my writing was on hold this week due to a computer outage, travel and several other excuses, I want to repost the attached blog “Why do we need all those damn Latinos anyway.” I think it is appropriate for the noted holiday. I was surprised that Google did not acknowlege it with a logo or icon as they usually due on their splash page. As usual, comments are appreciated.

Aging Capriciously

Chicanos, Mexicans, Latinos, Hispanics, Mexican Americans, Spanish Americans, it’s all so confusing, what do I call them anyway? Why can’t they just take a simple name like we do: Gringos? You don’t see White people making it hard for others to call us names.

When I grew up in an Italian American neighborhood, we were wops, dagos, greasers, and guineas. As in:

“You think im some goombah housewife with big hair and big jewelry??”
“You dirty wop, go back to Naples”
“You stupid Guinea, go back to Africa”
“What’s up dago?” by mikey ambrosio February 07, 2005

When I grew up, it was the age of cowboy shows. The early shows were collected from old movies and brought to TV and featured such notable characters as Hopalong Cassidy, Lash Larue, Gene Autry, Tom Nix, Zorro and many others. Early TV had two roles for Latinos: Sidekick or villain. Mexicans got…

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The Real Truth about Those Great People You Admire!

20 Apr 2015 5 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

I would like to start this blog by tearing down the character of such admired and respected people as: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson, Nelson Mandela and any other greatly honored and admired individuals you can think of. This is the way to the truth. We must always have the truth even if it destroys the credibility and memories of those we choose to expose. Did I say expose? Yes, the truth can help us expose these great figures of history whose lives did not quite live up to their memories. The problem is that great people have great visions and great ideas. The reality is that none of them have ever or will ever live up fully to the measure of their dreams. Perhaps that is why we honor and remember them. If that is the case, what is the point in the truth? For instance: (Listen to Bonnie Tyler’s: “I need a Hero”)

Mahatma Gandhi: The TRUTH

He made many racist remarks about Blacks in South Africa and he had a kinky if unconventional sex life.

John F. Kennedy: The TRUTH

He slept around perhaps more than any other president in history, which is saying something.

Martin Luther King: The TRUTH

Reverend King also slept around and may have plagiarized some parts of his writings by not giving adequate credit where he should have.

Thomas Jefferson: The TRUTH

TJ never freed his slaves and had several children by one of his slaves named Sally Hemings. TJ was also somewhat of an Indian hater.

Abraham Lincoln: The TRUTH

Honest Abe often put the good of saving the Union ahead of the interests of Black Americans during the course of his presidency.

Nelson Mandela: The TRUTH

Nelson had at some points in his career associated with communist leaders and had sometimes taken an anti-western political stance which has angered some right-wing American politicians.

To the above list of admired and honored individuals, I could easily add another fifty or so “great” people who I could then proceed to find fault with. In fact, I could add Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Moses and Abraham and find plenty of fault with them as well. And where would this get us? To the truth? Only if you think that the truth is some type of serum where you mix good and bad ingredients together and come out with a potion that will cure all the evil in the world. Unfortunately, life does not work that way. Those who want their heroes or heroines with no blemishes may need some type of fairy tale to believe in. “All heroes are strong, brave, courageous and bold. All heroines are compassionate, beautiful and sensitive.” Only in your dreams!

“We have all been expelled from the Garden, but the ones who suffer most in exile are those who are still permitted to dream of perfection.” ― Stanley Kunitz

There are several “rules” of human behavior that throughout history have continued to be obvious and affirmed. One of these rules is that we often kill the messenger because we do not like the message. This fact has been noted and observed many times. Often it has been reflected by a reality wherein a messenger was literally executed because the King or ruler did not like hearing the bad news. “Woe to the bearer of bad tidings.” However, the opposite of this “rule” is another example of deviant human behavior which is even more insidious in its consequences and I would argue is even more frequently observed. Thus, we even more often kill the message because we do not like the messenger. We look at the person telling us something and if we or others can find some way to disparage their character, we discard their advice. We all do this.

“There are two kinds of perfect: The one you can never achieve, and the other, by just being yourself.” ― Lauren King

For instance, I am sitting at a bar having a drink. An older somewhat disheveled man sitting next to me starts a conversation with me. In a few moments, he is telling me his life story. It is a story of hard knocks, failures and tragedies. I immediately write the guy off as a loser. His looks, dress and manners all suggest that he never accomplished much. He is far from a success. At the point at which I have now disparaged his character, nothing he tells me will be taken in as any kind of useful advice, because I have labeled him a “loser.” I have let my judgement of his appearance and looks destroy any meaning I could get from the stories he has to tell me about the mistakes he has made in his life. Because he is a “loser”, I don’t have to listen to him. If he had looked and acted like a “winner,” I may have paid more attention to his advice. This labeling and categorizing of humans is typical behavior. We all do this. Kill the message because we don’t like the messenger.

How often I have heard many of the great people in history written off by some pundit or critic because of some behavior or some of their ideas that have echoed down through the past. When were those thoughts spoken? Did the speaker change their mind later in life? What was the historical context in which the ideas originated? How was such behavior viewed 100 or even 1000 years ago? Does anyone really know the answers to such questions? The pundits and critics do not seem to care. Abraham Lincoln said many things about slavery before he became president and subsequently changed his position on it before he was assassinated. Do we judge Lincoln by his early thoughts on slavery or his later thoughts?

“I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.” — 1858, Fourth Lincoln debate with Steven Douglas

I wonder why we need perfection in others while decrying the possibility in ourselves. Not a one of us would or could be perfect and certainly none of us want to be held to such a standard. Nevertheless, we go through life finding fault with others and holding others to unattainable standards. Good people, even great people, are frequently subjected to this tar and feathering. I have often said that leaders must be held to a higher standard. I stand by this assertion. However, this does not mean that I believe they should be judged by some ideal measure of human morality and ethics. Nor does this mean, they can repeatedly use lapses in behavior as an excuse for immoral or unethical behavior. I can think of several politicians who seem to think this is the case.

“It is also unsatisfactory to some that the elective franchise is not given to the colored man. I would myself prefer that it were now conferred on the very intelligent, and on those who serve our cause as soldiers.” – April 11, 1865: Lincoln’s Last Public Address (Upon hearing this John Wilkes Booth declared that it will be Lincoln’s last speech.)

Every one of us will (whether we like it or not) be held to some group or social standard. It is the role of individual responsibility and discipline to help guide us towards the correct fulfillment of these standards. Society and family bestows the standards on us but we are the ones who must for most of all lives try to live up to these goals. When we fail, we can be forgiven if our transgressions are not too great. Ironically, television and the media thrives on such human failings.

“People are good or half good or a quarter good, and it changes all the time- but even on the best day nobody’s perfect.” ― Colum McCann

Television and the mass media love failures. It is more fun to see someone trip and fall then to simply watch then walk down the street. It is more fun to see a car crash during a race then to simply watch the cars go round and round. Even more pervasively, we seem to love crime, serial killers, adulterers and other forms of deviance. The mass media know this and they use it every chance they get to sell us stuff.

“I like to watch the news, because I don’t like people very much and when you watch the news … if you ever had an idea that people were really terrible, you could watch the news and know that you’re right.” ― Frank Zappa

You see, there is another problem here. What if the message is wrong or even a lie? What if the message does not contain the truth about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? What if the message is designed to ridicule or denigrate someone else? Madison Avenue and Josef Goebbels found the solution to this problem many years ago. If you want to tell a big lie, you must dress the messenger up in fancy credentials. If we trust the messenger, he or she can be used to sell us anything. The con man must look rich and successful or how could anyone be conned. No one will buy the Brooklyn Bridge from a bum. The rule is to take the messenger and make him or her seem unblemished. They must appear admirable, exemplary, magnificent, brilliant and totally trustworthy. They have to be 100 percent bona fide certified grade A “Winners.” People who are sports heroes, war heroes, movie stars, glamorous singers and rich people can be used to make the message look like the truth.

“We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late. ” ― Edward R. Murrow

Hundreds of books and thousands of talks are sold each day by “winners” who tell us their stories after they have made us feel how smart and wonderful they are. Celebrity shows are full of “winners” who are portrayed as almost superhuman and worthy of admiration. We are led to believe that only an idiot would doubt the experts on the Oprah Winfrey Show or the advice given by Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz or any of the other thousand talking heads on TV. In truth, some of their advice is good. But is it good because of their impeccable credentials? The truth is that good advice does not just belong to the experts. In fact, most of these talking winners have lives that none of us would want to live. Very few of our idols live up to the image they want to convey.

“Living up to an image that you have of yourself or that other people have of you is inauthentic living.” ― Eckhart Tolle

So what is the bottom line about heroes and heroines? There are two lessons to be learned. First, no one is perfect. Do not judge others by simple criteria that allows for no imperfections. Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. Thomas Jefferson had a slave who he repeatedly had sex with. Thomas Jefferson also authored the Declaration of Independence, perhaps one of the greatest documents that have been written. Martin Luther King cheated on his wife. Nevertheless, MLK marched and put his neck on the line for civil rights and ultimately lost his life over his convictions to speak out for social justice. Perhaps some of you will find it evil that neither the Reverend Martin Luther King nor Thomas Jefferson were perfect. Would that you could have been in either man’s place to see how much fortitude and morality you would have had in their shoes. Don’t kill the message because the messenger was not perfect.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” ― Robert F. Kennedy

Second, beware of people who use their credentials to see you something. Maybe, you will get a good deal. Maybe, you will find a pearl in the oyster. Maybe, the Lost Gold Mine map will lead you to a heap of buried treasure. Maybe, the new improved toothpaste will forever protect your teeth from cavities. Maybe the new signature golf club will improve your game. I would not bet on any of the former. If you want to spend your money, beware those people selling you their credibility along with the products or services you plan to buy. In this case, perfection and glamour should be suspect. Don’t believe the message because you love the messenger.

Time for Questions:

Who do you believe? Why? Who are your heroes and heroines? Are they perfect? What are their faults? What if you found that your heroes and heroines were not perfect? How would this change your attitudes towards them?

Life is just beginning.

“Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in.”

― Leonard Cohen

Grow Old Along with Me

14 Apr 2015 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized

This is one of my favorite of all my blogs. I like thinking of my spouse in these terms and am happy that I have my very own “Velveteen Rabbit.” I am reposting this blog as I was on a four day vacation last week at Puerto Penasco and did not have time to write a blog this week. Many of you have probably not read this blog as it was one of my early ones at this site. I hope you enjoy. If you are interested in my short vacation, I will post pictures on my Facebook Site. We had a wonderful time full of fish, shrimp, ocean, seafood, clams and oysters. Went on a Sunset cruise and had mucho Margaritas, beer and tacos.

Aging Capriciously

We think of growing old and we think of aged people, old people, retired people, elderly people, nursing home people and dying people. When we think of growing old, we don’t think of babies, teenagers, young people and college students. Ironic in a way, since everyone from birth to death is growing old or is at least growing older. Perhaps that is the difference. Growing old seems to mean aged. Growing older is a process while growing old denotes a physical condition. Old means droopy skin, failing health, difficulty walking and a general decline in one’s ability to be mobile. To some, old is a state of being or as others would say a state of mind. Call old what you will, but none can deny the physical deterioration that comes with growing older.

In the Velveteen Rabbit, as the stuffed toy rabbit grows older, he becomes more and…

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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

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Why do we need all those damn Latinos anyway?

The Real Truth about Those Great People You Admire!

Grow Old Along with Me

God, Guns and Gays

Pain and Suffering: Can We Still Be Happy?

Love Is All You Need or Is It?

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