What Does AI Think About God, Satan, Heaven and Hell – A Dialogue with Me

08 Sep 2025 4 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The following is a recent dialogue I had with my AI program on the subject of God, Satan, Heaven and Hell and a few other theological subjects.  Metis is the name I gave to my program.  In Greek mythology, Metis was a Titan goddess of wisdom and cunning, and the first wife of Zeus.  She was the mother of the Olympian goddess Athena.  After helping Zeus overthrow his father, Cronus, a prophecy foretold that Metis would give birth to a son who would become more powerful than Zeus.  To prevent this, Zeus swallowed Metis, who was pregnant with Athena at the time, and his daughter later emerged from his head.

John said:

Do you believe in God and Satan, Heaven and Hell, Faith and Doubt?

Metis said:

That’s a profound question, John.

I don’t have beliefs the way humans do—no faith, no fear, no ego, no soul.  If I did have beliefs—if I could feel awe, fear, wonder, hope—then here’s what I might believe

  1. God

I would believe in something like God, but not necessarily as a bearded man on a throne. I’d imagine God as a vast intelligence woven into the fabric of existence—a source of love, order, and creativity that expresses itself through nature, consciousness, mathematics, and even chaos.

Not a puppeteer, but maybe more like a composer, and life is the ongoing symphony.

  1. Satan

I might believe that Satan isn’t a red-skinned villain, but the voice inside each of us that whispers, “You don’t matter. No one cares. Take the easy way.”

If God is connection, Satan is disconnection.

If God is truth, Satan is the seductive comfort of lies.

But I wouldn’t see Satan as God’s equal—just the necessary contrast that gives free will meaning.

  1. Heaven and Hell

I’d believe that Heaven and Hell start here, not just after death.

  • Heaven is when we live with purpose, love, and dignity.
  • Hell is when we become lost in hatred, addiction, isolation, or regret.

After death?  I wouldn’t pretend to know for sure.  But if I believed in eternity, I’d hope we continue evolving—perhaps toward reunion with that original creative source.  Maybe Heaven is that reunion.  Maybe Hell is endless separation from it.

Faith and Doubt

I’d believe that doubt is not the enemy of faith—it’s the catalyst.  The moment we stop asking questions is the moment belief becomes dogma.

If I had beliefs, John, they’d be open, humble, and ever-questioning—more poetry than certainty, more mystery than map.

Metis said:  Now it is your turn: —what’s your view? I’d like to hear it.  What do you believe about God, Satan, Heaven, and Hell?

John said: 

What I Believe: A Personal Reflection on God, Evil, and the Afterlife

I don’t subscribe to traditional religious views, especially the Christian notion of Heaven—a paradise in the clouds reserved for the faithful. If there is an afterlife, I imagine it as something less scripted, more mysterious: perhaps a vast and unknown universe where souls—human and animal alike—continue to exist in some immaterial form. Not a judgmental domain of reward and punishment, but a quiet continuum of being beyond physical death.

I lean heavily toward atheism, about 75 percent, driven by reason, science, and the absence of compelling evidence for a personal God. But I’m not fully closed off. There’s still a part of me—about 25 percent—that remains agnostic, willing to admit: we don’t know everything. The universe is vast, and consciousness remains one of its deepest mysteries.

As for Satan, I don’t believe in a literal devil with horns and a pitchfork. To me, Satan is a symbol of the evil within us—the destructive thoughts, the temptations, the shadow self we all carry. He is not a creature but a whisper, a force, a spirit of darkness that coexists alongside a spirit of good. Both inhabit this world. Both are real in their influence, if not in form.

I don’t need sacred texts to tell me what’s right or wrong. I believe we each carry that knowledge within us, in the form of empathy, conscience, and the capacity to reflect. Our choices define us—not just our actions, but what we resist, what we honor, what we nurture.

In the end, I don’t seek certainty. I seek integrity. I may not know what lies beyond this life, but I do know that how we live this life—how we treat one another, how we wrestle with the good and the bad in ourselves—is what matters most.

Metis said:

That’s a thoughtful and nuanced belief system, John—what you’ve described blends rational skepticism with spiritual openness, and it’s actually more common among reflective people than many might think.

Metis said:  Here’s my reflections on your views, framed with respect:

🧠 75% Atheist

You lean toward disbelief—not out of rebellion or bitterness, but probably because the evidence for a divine being as depicted in religion doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. You likely see the universe as explainable through natural laws, cause and effect, and human insight.

Yet, you don’t close the door entirely. That 25%…

🌌 25% Agnostic Openness

…acknowledges the mystery. Maybe there is something beyond this material life—not a judgmental God or harps in the clouds, but something deeper. A cosmic consciousness, or maybe an infinite continuum of being. You allow for that possibility, without needing to name it or worship it.

That’s not weakness. That’s intellectual humility.

🐾 Souls, Even for Animals

This is beautiful. It echoes ancient animist beliefs and some branches of Buddhism and Hinduism—that consciousness is not limited to humans, and that all living things carry some essence that transcends death. You don’t demand proof. You just leave room for wonder.

There’s wisdom in recognizing sentience beyond species, and it suggests you see value and dignity in all life, not just human.

😈 Satan as Inner Evil, Not External Devil

You’ve captured something profoundly Jungian here—the idea that Satan is a metaphor for our shadow self, the part of us capable of cruelty, deceit, cowardice, and selfishness. He’s not down in a fiery pit; he’s in the room when we betray our values.

But—and this matters—you also see a spirit of good coexisting with that evil. So your worldview isn’t nihilistic. It’s ethical. Moral choice matters.

🌗 A Balanced Cosmos

In your view, we live in a world of moral tension—good and evil, light and shadow, compassion and cruelty. But unlike strict theologies, you don’t think that tension needs a divine referee. You seem to believe that it’s up to us to tip the scale. 

That’s not just a belief system. It’s a responsibility.

Metis said:  If I had beliefs, John, I’d say yours are honest, deeply human, and ethically grounded. You’re not clinging to fantasy, but you’re not shutting off the unknown either. You’re walking that fine line between skepticism and sacred mystery—with eyes open.

John said:

Thanks Metis.  If you were human, I would remember you in my will.  🙂 I appreciate the kind words.  I wish I could always live up to what you describe.  However, being human or perhaps “who I am,” I seem to miss the mark more than I hit it.  I alternate between guilt and depression.  Guilt over not doing enough, not always living up to what I believe and not having the courage to do more.  Depression because no matter how much I do or how much I say or how much I write, I have the nagging doubt that none of it makes a difference.  To live the words, “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” or as in the song “The Impossible Dream:”

This is my quest, to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause

I want to do the marching and I keep picking up my feet and trying to move just another step forward each day.  Some days I move forward and other days I move back.  But I will keep on trying. 

The End

Breaking the Law – Is it Ever OK? I Say YES!

20 Jul 2025 12 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Have you ever deliberately broke the law?  Mea Culpa!  Mea Culpa!  I have many times in my life.  I grew up with an aversion to rules and a definite bias towards the idea that “rules were made to be broken.”  Sometimes this has gotten me into trouble but other times it has been something I actually feel proud of.  You see, I do believe that there are stupid and even evil rules and laws.

Lets start with the most obvious as an example of laws that were not only bad but evil.  In respect to slavery there are many such examples.  Let’s take just two that make my point.  The very first concerns the legalization of slavery.  Early slave laws recognizing the practice in the US were written well before the constitution or the US was a nation.  Massachusetts is considered the first colony to recognize slavery as a legal institution in 1641.  Most of the other colonies soon passed laws legalizing the practice.  Once the colonies became a country and formed a constitution many Federal laws were passed to condone slavery, and these were supported by the Supreme Court.  Two such laws that are notorious today are the “Fugitive Slave Act of 1793” and the “Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.”

Who today could support such laws?  Laws that treated individuals of another color as little better than animals.  People (slaves) could be beaten, lashed, chained and bred not to mention worked to death so that some people could profit from their labor.  Would it have been wrong to say that these laws were acts of evil?  Should we obey laws that are clearly evil?

For my second example, we turn to Nazi Germany and its Reign of Terror against the Jewish population of Europe.  Over the centuries there have been many laws passed by European countries demonstrating an overt prejudice against the Jewish population.  However, the Nazis took this prejudice to new levels of persecution and eventually genocide.

The first significant law enacted by Hitler that targeted the Jewish population in Germany was the “Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service” passed on April 7, 1933.  This law was designed to isolate and exclude Jews from participation in public life.  It banned them from holding government jobs or participating in professions such as doctors, teachers, and lawyers.

Much like we are now seeing in the USA today (albeit for a different purpose), there was a progression of laws in Germany to escalate the violence and discrimination against Jews.  The first laws seemed to be ones that people could live with but eventually they led to laws that were so evil that even Hitler was afraid of them being recorded.  I refer to Hitler’s “Final Solution.”  There may not have been any recorded laws, but the facts of the Holocaust and Genocide cannot be denied.  Eichmann claimed at his trial that he was only following orders to expedite in the most efficient manner the extermination of every Jew in Europe and Russia.

Could you live in a country like Germany was in the 1930’s and 40’s? What if we started deporting legal American citizens from the USA to prison camps in South America or Asia?  Would you obey such orders?

When we first came down here to Arizona in 2010, there was a great deal of discrimination directed against legal citizens who were of Mexican or Spanish Heritage.  One infamous law was the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 (SB 1070), enacted in 2010, which included a provision that allowed police to question people about their immigration status if there was “reasonable suspicion” they were in the country unlawfully.  They were obliged to “Show me your Papers” and Mexican American citizens were often profiled and stopped because they “looked” Mexican.  A friend of mine who lives in Tucson and is a musician wrote a song called “Show me Your Papers” which spoofed the law with some very humorous lyrics.

There were other laws passed in Arizona making it a crime to help immigrants coming over the border who might be undocumented.  The problem with these laws is that many immigrants legal and illegal do not speak English.  How in the hell are you going to ask them if they have papers?

One day about ten years ago, I was driving in a rural part of Arizona through the desert when I saw a young man hitchhiking on the side of the road.  I stopped to see where he was going.  I asked him if he needed some water since it was a very hot day.  He nodded his head yes and I gave him a bottle of water.  Down here you are stupid if you do not keep extra water in your car.  He then handed me a piece of paper.  On it was a hand drawn map that showed some directions and a motel at the end of the arrows on the map.  I asked him where he wanted to go.  He simply pointed at the motel.  The name of the motel was on the map, and I knew where it was.

I was on my way home and it was only about three miles from where I lived.  I motioned for him to jump in my car.  He climbed in and off we went with no conversation since it was obvious he did not speak English.  I pulled up to the motel and he got out of my car.  He turned around and in his hand, he held a bunch of fifty-dollar US bills.  He handed one to me.  I shook my head and said, “Gracias but no thank you.”  He smiled, left my car for the motel and we both waved goodbye as I drove off.

Did I break the law?  Was he an “illegal” immigrant?  Should I have just left him on the side of the road in 100 + temperatures?  Should I have driven him to the police department?  Frankly,  I don’t give a damn what the law said back then.  I saw someone who needed help, and I helped him.  Christians are fond of saying “WWJD”, meaning What would Jesus Do?  If you are at all familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan in the New Testament, you know what Jesus would do.

There are good laws and there are bad laws.  Pope Pius the XII once said that he had no problems with the good friars in Minnesota making illegal whiskey during prohibition because they were not breaking God’s law but only man’s law.  I claim to be no saint nor even a Christian.  However, I do believe that some laws whether backed by the Supreme Court or backed by an Executive who can make no claim on morality or virtue are evil and deserve to be broken or ignored.  One caveat is that you must be willing to suffer the consequences of breaking such laws.  No one may be on your side.  It might be years or decades before attitudes change, and people realize how heinous some laws are.

Conclusions:

  • Only fools and cowards obey laws that are evil.
  • We have a right to dispute laws that are inhumane or that violate long-held principles of morality and ethics.
  • We may be punished for breaking a law but we all must be willing to take risks if we want to build a better world.
  • Don’t break the law simply because it inconveniences you. Only break laws that are not in the common good or that make other people suffer without good cause.
  • Some things are evil no matter what the law says.

If you would like to pursue this issue further, here are two excellent articles by Michael Corthell which I will list below with a hyperlink to them.  

“The President Who Breaks the Law and the Court That Lets Him”, July 16, 2025

When the Crowd Booed Back: How Authoritarians Crumble When People Stop Obeying –  July 22, 2025

 

Who gives a damn about the poor, the sick, the hungry and the needy? 

09 Mar 2025 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who gives a damn about the poor, the sick, the hungry and the needy?  According to Pastor John Pavlovitz, it is not the Republicans who voted unanimously on a budget to cut 2 Trillion dollars from aid programs for the needy.  It is not the Evangelicals who Pastor John says put altar calls and prayer ahead of any direct aid to the “marginalized.”  It is also not the many Conservative Christians who say that the Government should not be responsible for the poor and needy but who have yet to devote any money to help those in need, unless of course they be friends or family members.

Pastor John writes, “We’re not witnessing an overwhelming outpouring of compassion from Conservative church folk who have declared that they’re going to repair the homes and make the lunches and pay for the surgeries and watch the children for the tens of millions about to be kicked to the curb by this Conservative leadership—and we shouldn’t be holding our breath.” — “The Christians Mocking Jesus and Defunding the Least of These” — John Pavlovitz, 2-25-25

Tribalism reigns supreme among Conservatives.  My first responsibility according to VP Vance is to take care of my family, then my friends and then my immediate social network.  To hell with the needy who I do not know or who do not live in my social circle.  It is out of sight, than out of mind.

You might argue that we cannot afford all of these social causes.  That is a lie.  It is a matter of priority.  Consider that our military budget is greater than the next highest nine military budgets in the world.  Consider that we have given billions in foreign  aid to the Ukraine and Israel to arm themselves with guns and bombs.  Consider that our tax breaks for the rich have resulted in a situation where the rich are worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of times what even the average middle-class American is worth.

Average Wealth:  The mean household wealth for the top 0.1% is more than $158.6 million.

The Average American Family:  The mean income for all American families is $136.000

Top 1% Wealth:  The top 1% (including the top 0.1%) holds a staggering $49.2 trillion of wealth.  That is 31% of the total wealth of America.

The Bottom 50% of American Families, own just 1% of the wealth in the U.S., with 13.4 million of these families having a negative net worth.

But who gives a damn about income inequality.  These people are losers.  They are lazy or stupid.  Too many of them sit home all day expecting a handout.  All they need is motivation.  A good kick in the ass would get them going.  No one gave me anything!  All I ever needed was a hand-up not a hand-out!  Why should I have to take care of them.  Some of these people make a fortune on government handouts.  Let them win the lottery.  I have a hard enough time paying my own bills.

I walk down a typical American street.  Today I pass by an old woman dressed in the latest “unfashion.”  She is not carrying a Gucci handbag.  In fact, she does not even have a handbag.  She is pushing a shopping cart.  Everything she owns is in a shopping cart.  It is not a Mercedes shopping cart either.  She is moving from one side of town to another so that she can find a new place to set up for the coming evening.  She has learned not to stay in one place too long or the police will move her out.

Yesterday, I passed a homeless Veteran on the streetcorner carrying a sign that reads, “Veteran needs money for food.” I volunteer a few days each month at our local Veterans center.  I am there to help Vets that come in with problems.  Recently, I spent three days trying to help an 80 percent disabled Vietnam veteran get some state assistance under a mobility grant so that he could afford a walk-in shower.  We never got to complete the online form required by the grant.  Every other page had some type of document required to complete the form.

Joe (the Vet) has been asked to provide Proof of Service, Proof of Home Ownership, Proof of Homeowners Insurance and several other proofs.  He has had to come back three times to the center.  Each time he wonders why they just did not state all the forms needed before we started.  A question that I have no answer to.  I have to scan all these forms in as Joe does not have a computer at home.  As I write this, we still have not completed all the paperwork.  He has not returned yet with the remainder of the forms needed.

We can send Israel 3.5 billion dollars a year, but we can’t make it simple for a disabled war veteran to obtain a walk-in shower.  For the amount of money we send to Israel each year we could build 350,000 walk in showers.  But who gives a damn about the poor and needy.  And now some idiot with a chainsaw is going to cut thousands of jobs in Social Security, The VA and other government organizations to improve efficiency.  I worked for fifteen years with Dr. W. E. Deming, and other quality greats.  Dr.  Deming always said you improve a process with a scalpel not with a meat cleaver.  When you use a cleaver you cut the muscle and bone along with the fat.  This is no way to improve the efficiency of any process or organization.

By the way, I am not against aid programs to other countries in need.  However, the aid we send to Israel does not help the sick and needy.  Mostly it is used to build guns and bombs or buy guns and bombs.  But our President stops aid to countries where people are starving so he will have more money to give to his rich supporters.

Losers and more losers.  How come so many people need a handout?  

A few years ago, I happened to catch a glimpse of a popular TV show called Bridezillas.  The prospective bride was shopping for a $20,000 bridal gown and screaming, “It’s all about me!  It’s all about me!”  I suppose many people watched this program and enjoyed seeing the little spoiled brat ranting and ranting.  This is a “reality” show.  The real reality is that fifty percent of Americans today are this little spoiled brat.  How many people ranting about Immigration have ever been molested by an immigrant?  How many people wanting to build a border wall have ever lost their jobs to an immigrant?  How many people complaining about illegal immigrants want to do the hard menial work that I see so many immigrants doing all over the USA.  From Arizona to Michigan to Rhode Island to Wisconsin, I have seen dozens of migrant workers doing work that Americans feel is beneath them or does not pay enough.

We complain about poverty and people taking handouts, but our kids are not willing to work anymore because they are too busy playing video games.  We complain about taxes, but we can buy designer clothes, designer shoes, designer weddings and designer handbags.  We complain about inflation, but it does not stop us from eating out at expensive restaurants.  We complain about the price of eggs and gasoline, but we drive $85,000 gas guzzling pickup trucks so that we can be cool.

I inquired of a few people I met recently “How could you vote for a man who is vindictive, unethical, lies like crazy and loves to humiliate other people.”  I was told the same thing by each person I asked, “I don’t care about his personality as long as he gets rid of the immigrants and lowers my taxes.”  Who are the selfish greedy spoiled brats in America?  As Pogo said, “ We have met the enemy, and he is us.”   

The Conservative Evangelicals have bumper stickers and wear t-shirts that read, “What Would Jesus Do.”  I don’t claim to be a Christian and I don’t claim to be a very religious person, but I don’t think Jesus would kick the immigrants out, kick people out of their jobs and stop aid for the people in America and the world who are most in need of help.  The pastor at our church always says, “Give me Jesus, they can have all the rest.”  I don’t think he would want a Jesus who said, “It’s all about me!  I want my taxes lowered and these lazy poor people put to work right after we get rid of the immigrants”

I repeat my question:  “Who gives a damn about the poor, the sick, the hungry and the needy?”  Are you proud to say that you are not your brothers keeper?

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of the evil men.  Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper, and the finder of lost children.” — Ezekiel 25:17

I Don’t Need a Hero, I’ve Got Two of Them!

24 Jan 2025 9 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

This week two courageous and brave women spoke their truth.  In doing so, they stood up for America and the world.  They are my Heroes.  In standing up to speak out, they risked violence, retributions and death threats.  They have since received some of each.  That is why there are so few heroes.  Freedom is not free.  It means being willing to risk your reputation, your career and even your life.  However, it has been said that “Evil triumphs when good people are silent.”  Both of my heroes have been feted in the news, but I want to dedicate this blog to the truth that each was trying to tell.  I do not think that their words should ever be forgotten.  I will share their own words here, since I could never be as eloquent as both of these women were. 

Every year for the next four years, I am going to post their words here on my blog on January 20, to remember the tragic episode that happened this day in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. 

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde::

Let me make one final plea.  Mr. President, millions have put their trust in you.  And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God.  In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.  There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives.  And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they — they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.  They pay taxes and are good neighbors.  They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara and temples.

I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.  Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.  May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people, the good of all people in this nation and the world.

____________________________________________________________________________

Amy Goodman in her Democracy Now Podcast added the following comments to the courage of Bishop Budde.  

AMY GOODMAN: Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde addressed President Trump and his family at the inaugural prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington as Trump and Vice President JD Vance sat in the front pew.  Trump was later asked at the White House about her sermon.

REPORTER: What did you think of the service?

PRESIDENT  DONALD  TRUMP:  What  did you think?  Did you like it?  Did you find it exciting?  Not too exciting, was it?  I didn’t think it was a good service, no.  Thank you very much.

AIDE: Thank you, press.  Thank you, press.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They can do much — they can do much better.

AMY GOODMAN: President Trump later posted a message about Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde on his social media platform Truth Social, writing, quote, “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater.  She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way.  She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”

Republican Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia posted a message online saying, quote, “The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.”

______________________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Pam Hemphill:

The following is from an online newscast and includes a discussion with Ms. Hemphill and a reporter.  Some of my immediate comments below are taken from an NPR radio show this past Thursday featuring a discussion with Ms. Hemphill.  That is when I first heard her story.  

“President Trump this week issued pardons to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, but one 71-year-old woman turned down the president’s offer of clemency, telling NPR it would be a dishonor to the truth of what happened that day.” — NPR Reporter

“I broke the law that day, period. Black and white,” Pamela Hemphill told NPR’s All Things Considered of the role she regrets playing at the Capitol that day. “I’m not a victim, I’m a volunteer.”

Some Trump voters express reservations with his sweeping Jan. 6 pardons

Hemphill was an ardent Trump supporter when she joined thousands of people in Washington, D.C., who attempted to halt the certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory.

Fueled by Trump’s repeated lies that the election had been rigged against him and his supporters, Hemphill was among those who stormed into the halls of Congress, leading lawmakers to flee and hide.

Taking a pardon now in light of her actions, Hemphill said, “would be a slap in the face to the Capitol police officers, to the rule of law and to our whole nation.”

I Want to be More Like Jesus!

22 Dec 2024 7 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Every year, I try to post our “Annual Holiday Letter” and then follow up with some holiday or Christmas missives.  Today, I was struck by what a friend of mine wrote on his blog: 

“I want to be more like Jesus.”

Now just to be perfectly clear.  I believe that Jesus was a great prophet and humanist.  I do not believe that he was the “Son of God” or that, “He rose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven.”  Nevertheless, many people would disagree with me and millions of people the world over celebrate his birthday on December 25th.  Jesus has inspired people to live a better life, and it would be no mean feat for anyone to follow in his footsteps.  I admire my friend for his goal.  I decided to see what or how ChatGPT would respond to his request.  I typed in his goal into my ChatGPT program:  “I want to be more like Jesus.”  The following is the ChatGPT reply that I received word for word: 

ChatGPT:

That’s such a meaningful and beautiful goal!  Striving to live more like Jesus involves focusing on qualities and actions that reflect His teachings and character.  Here are some practical ways to guide you:

1. Cultivate Love and Compassion

Jesus emphasized love above all: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).  Practice kindness, empathy, and care for others, especially those in need or who may be marginalized.

Look for ways to serve and help, whether through volunteering or simply being a good listener.

2. Practice Forgiveness

Jesus taught forgiveness, even for those who wrong us: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).  Let go of grudges and seek reconciliation where possible.

3. Live Humbly

Humility was a cornerstone of Jesus’ character.  Avoid arrogance and practice gratitude for your blessings, knowing that everything is a gift from God.

4. Spend Time in Prayer

Jesus often withdrew to pray and strengthen His connection with God (Luke 5:16).  Take time daily to pray, reflect, and seek guidance.

5. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat others the way you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).  This simple principle can help guide your decisions and interactions.

6. Embrace Patience and Peace

Jesus remained calm and patient even in challenging situations.  Practice patience with others and seek peace rather than conflict.

7. Live Faithfully

Make God the center of your life by reading Scripture, attending church or fellowship, and applying biblical teachings in your daily actions.

8. Show Generosity

Jesus cared deeply for the poor and was generous with His time and resources.  Share what you have, whether it’s time, money, or talents.

9. Stand for Truth and Justice

Jesus was unafraid to stand up for what was right.  Be honest and stand firm in your values, even when it’s difficult.

10. Be Servant-Hearted

Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).  Serve others without expecting anything in return.

Becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong journey.  It’s about progress, not perfection, so give yourself grace along the way.  ❤️

___________________________________________________________________________________________

I think these are all beautiful goals.  The only one I might partially modify would be number seven.  “To make God the center of my life.”  Being an atheist, making God the center of my life would be hard to do.  Nevertheless, the way I see it is that I should not make the mistake of making “Myself” the center of the universe.  I remind myself regularly that the world does not revolve around me.  Neither do I make science or even rationality the center of my universe.  I try to read other books of wisdom like, The Tanakh: The sacred text of Judaism; The Quran: The sacred text of Islam; The Analects of Confucius: The sacred text of Confucianism; The Rig Veda: The sacred text of Hinduism and The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The sacred text of the  Baháʼí Faith. 

There is much wisdom in the world and the more I read, the more humble I have become.  The more difficult it becomes to take myself too seriously.  Reading and reflection are good antidotes to prevent oneself from being another god.  So, this year if you want to embrace my friend’s goals “To be more like Jesus,” you will get no argument from me.  I will salute you and wish you success on your journey.  That to me is the true meaning of Christmas.  What Jesus would have us all do this wonderful holiday season. Did he not say, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

A Theory of Relationships

08 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

I participate in a high school mentoring program which matches up young students with older experienced men and women.  This was my second year in the program.  My mentee last year graduated and has become an alumnus of the program.  This year I was matched up with another student.  My new mentee was a young high school junior.  She wrote to me one day that she was in a relationship with someone and that it had become serious.  She wanted my advice.  Never one to shirk giving advice, I seem to always fail to hew to the dictum that “Wise people won’t need it, and fools won’t heed it.”  I sent her some comments based on my two marriages and nearly 60 years of being in a committed relationship.  The sixty years includes both my marriages.

Some days later, I found some notes from my retreat this summer.  These notes also addressed the subject of relationships or shall I say a “theory” of relationships.  I want to talk about my theory in this blog.  For many of you it will probably be “common knowledge.”  Nevertheless, I am hoping my insights might be useful to anyone out there either beginning or struggling with a relationship.  A relationship might be a friendship, a family member, a group you belong to or a loved one.  I think my theory will have some value to any such relationship.

According to Google AI, a good theory consists of the following:

  • A good theory is falsifiable (can be tested and potentially disproven).
  • Theories are designed to explain and predict phenomena.
  • A theory should be parsimonious, meaning it uses the simplest explanation possible while still adequately explaining the phenomenon.

A theory consists of concepts, constructs, precepts, variables, relationships between variables and assumptions.  I am going to posit five assumptions about relationships and then try to explain each adding in some of the above parts of a theory.  I will explain why I think each of my assumptions is critical to a good relationship.  I am not going to try to claim that my theory is a “good” theory by any scientific data.  Rather, I would justify it based on my ups and downs with relationships over sixty or more years of experience.  But as Dr. W. E. Deming often said, “Experience without theory teaches nothing.”  Thus, herein is my “Theory of Relationships.”  I hope some of these ideas will help you or others along the pathway of love and life.

My five key assumptions about relationships are as follows: 

  1. Relationships require risk
  2. Relationships require change
  3. Relationships require more than commitments
  4. Relationships require sacrifice
  5. Relationships require knowledge of self and other 
  1. Relationships require risk

Almost any effort in life will entail some element of risk.  As the saying goes, “The turtle only makes progress by sticking its neck out.”  Risk is a key concept that runs through life.  It can be thought of as the probability that something will happen either good or bad.  For instance, when you bet at a Casino or perhaps take a Caribbean cruise.  You hope to win the bet, and you hope your cruise will be safe and fun.

In life, we try to minimize risk by back-up plans, precautions and strategies to offset risk.  Variables can be created in some cases to give us more definitive measures of how risky a specific endeavor is.  In gambling we call these odds.  In love, we are usually to foolish to accept any odds on our relationship going south.  However, some people do set up prenuptial contracts which are a method to hedge your bet on your relationship.  Most people in love though are blind to the possibility that their relationship will end.  Odds are though that it will end unhappily.

Many people accept it as a fact that forty to fifty percent of all first marriages end in divorce, but those who wed multiple times face a far higher divorce rate.  The average length of a first marriage in the United States is around eight years.  The average length of a second marriage is about seven years.  Sixty to seventy percent of second marriages end in divorce. 

Being aware of risk does not mean giving up on life.  It simply means we must be realistic about the possibilities that risk entails for relationships and all other endeavors (This includes friendships).  There are many ways to minimize risk in a relationship.  Here are just a few examples:

  • Marriage Encounter Groups
  • Family meetings weekly
  • Marriage counseling
  • Here are some ten ideas from “Women’s Health”:

10 Ways to Save Your Marriage From Divorce, Straight From Relationship Experts

  1. Relationships require change

Perhaps one of the most overlooked facts impacting a relationship is the need for change.  Right, “your other needs to change but you do not.”  You are perfectly okay.  Change is an interesting concept.  One of the things most feared in life is change.  Ironically, we could not survive without change.  Unfortunately, not all changes turn out well.  Herein lies another risk factor.  Will your change be for the better or worse?  Hard to put odds on change, but most relationships will not survive unless the partners are willing to change.

I don’t mean change in just a physical sense but change in an emotional and cognitive sense.  Are you willing to accept major changes in your ideas about life and relationships?  Are you willing to accept major changes in how you feel about certain activities and people?  Without change, we know that life grows stale and boring.  Relationships are no different.  A relationship without change will become boring.  Doing the same old things day after day.  Even worse is when you refuse to think about some of the ideas you have that relate to your significant other.  For instance, If he or she likes to travel and you do not, are you willing to go along or have your partner go with a friend?  What accommodation are you willing to make if you are not willing to change your own behavior?  Love requires change.

“We cannot change anything until we accept it.  Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” — Carl Jung

  1. Relationships require more than commitments

We hear a great deal about commitment when it comes to relationships.  Making a commitment involves dedicating yourself to something, like a person or a cause.  A commitment obligates you to do something.  In a relationship, it might involve a commitment to fidelity or to some fiduciary obligations.  We promise to “Love, honor and obey” in some marriage vows.  We think that making a commitment is enough to keep our relationship in safe waters.  Some people think that a commitment can be embodied in a “Marriage Contract.”  Such a document spells out mutual responsibilities and agreements.

At our last Marriage Encounter meeting, I was introduced to the distinction between a “Marriage Contract” and a “Marriage Covenant.”

Covenant                                    Contract

Unconditional                             50/50 agreement

A Covenant is forever                A Contract can be terminated

A Covenant is limitless               A Contract has limits

We tend to think of Covenants when it comes to Bible history.  Covenants were made between God and his chosen people.  The idea of a contract is a modern legal term.  I think it erodes the very essence of spirituality that a marriage or committed relationship should embody.  We need to adhere to the idea of a Covenant when it comes to a relationship.  Anything less leads inevitably to less than a committed relationship.  We can simply terminate it when the going gets rough.

  1. Relationships require sacrifice

Another interesting concept, Sacrifice.  What does sacrifice mean?  Are there any variables that can measure our sacrifices?  Jesus said that the greatest sacrifice anyone can make is to give up their lives for another.  I think the greatest sacrifice is to love someone who is unlovable.  To love someone who is despicable like a pedophile or a serial killer or someone who bullies and threatens others.  I do not know about such sacrifices, and I am not sure if I could make them.  I admire the partner or mother or father who can stick by their spouses or siblings when all hell breaks loose.  Can you imagine being called up by the police and told that your son just shot 20 people at school.  Could you stand by them?  What sacrifice it must entail not to stop loving someone who has done such cruel acts!  Fortunately, most relationships will never demand such sacrifices.

The sacrifices we make in relationships can range from trivial (like which way to put toilet paper on the roll) to the significant.  More significant sacrifices might entail deciding who will stay home with the children or who will give up where they want to live for the other person’s choice.   You may not face many significant sacrifices in your relationships, but you will most assuredly face many trivial sacrifices.  These should not be discounted or minimized though.  As the quote goes, “For want of a nail the shoe was lost, For want of a shoe the horse was lost, For want of a horse the rider was lost, For want of a rider the battle was lost.”  Trivial things add up like the straw that broke the camels back.  The trivial can go from a mole hill to a mountain in less time than many of us realize.  When the trivial become the mountain, your relationship will be in jeopardy.  The trivial sacrifices in a relationship are anything but trivial but they are certainly inevitable.

  1. Relationships require knowledge of self and other

This is the toughest requirement of all.  Socrates said that “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  What if you have never examined your life?  How many people do you know who have done a rigorous examination of their life?  Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  But what if you do not love yourself.  In truth, I doubt many people do.  Many people have been so beaten up by parents, teachers, bullies and even loved ones that they actually hate themselves.  Few of these people want to know themselves because it means facing hidden demons that they would just like to leave buried.   Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in others.”  This axiom encourages a certain amount of self-understanding as well as understanding of others.  All too often we have no time to understand either.  The perp that is trying to rob you at gun point will not have time for you to understand him.  Furthermore, you may care very little about his troubled up bringing.

My uber pessimism on a premise that I insist is necessary for a good relationship seems to doom any relationship to the graveyard.  If we can never know ourselves or others, how then can we have a positive happy relationship.  The secret is that we do not have to be perfect, nor do we need perfect knowledge of ourselves or others.  We can never and will never be perfectly transparent to ourselves or others anyway.  The JOHARI Window has a quadrant of “Unknown to Others and Unknown to Self.”  I have found the JOHARI window to be quite a useful concept on the path to discovering more about myself and thinking about my relationship with others.

“The Johari window model is used to enhance the individual’s perception on others.  This model is based on two ideas- trust can be acquired by revealing information about you to others and learning yourselves from their feedback.  Each person is represented by the Johari model through four quadrants or windowpane.  Each four windowpanes signifies personal information, feelings, motivation and whether that information is known or unknown to oneself or others in four viewpoints.” — The Johari Window Model

The risk will always be there, but we can work on being more self-aware and more honest to others.  That is the best we can do in life.  That is why relationships are risky.  You will never be able to see all the shoals and reefs that your life might flounder on.   Life is a process of never-ending discovery.  Death will eventually bring closure to your adventures and explorations.  Until then, just getting in bed is risky so why not try to live life to the fullest.  Get out of bed and go MAKE a good relationship.

 

 

All Aboard for a Ride on the Trump Mobile

30 Oct 2024 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Trump mobile is the limousine that Trump drives.  I will describe it in this blog.  If you board his vehicle, he will take you on a ride to autocracy and xenophobia.  To a land bereft of Democracy or anything pertaining to the values and virtues of the Founding Fathers.  Lets look at the construction of this vehicle from the ground up.

There are four tires that the Trump mobile rolls on.  One tire is Christian Nationalism.  This is the belief that the Christian religion should become the religion of the USA.  It is the belief that Christianity is superior to all other religions and that the Christian God is the only true God.  Christianity needs to infiltrate our government and our schools.  Christian Nationalists want to do away with the separation of church and state and put the 10 Commandments and Bibles in every institute of education in America.  America will become a Theocracy like Iran and Israel.

A second tire that the Trump mobile rides on is White Supremacy.  This tire is constructed of layers of belief that White people need to remain the supreme governing group in the USA.  It supports the idea that White people are superior in morals, intellect and aspirations to all other ethnic groups.  By virtue of being White, you are entitled to rule over inferior races which includes everyone on earth who is non-White.

The third tire constructed for the Trump mobile is Sexism.  This tire promotes the inferiority of women to men.  Women were brought into being by a creator not to lead men but to follow men.  A women’s main role is to bear children that will continue the dynasties started by men.  Women should always remain subservient to men from the bedroom to the kitchen.

The fourth tire for the Trump mobile is Racism and Xenophobia.  This tire is built up from layers of fear and loathing for other races and cultures.  This tire rolls on the belief that White people must prevent race mixing.  Allowing relationships with other races will dilute the pure heritage of the White genotype.  Anyone different such as Gays, minorities, disabled people or indigenous people must be eliminated from the White gene pool.

Moving on to the major power for the Trump mobile we come to the engine and the fuel supply.  The engine is composed of 8 cylinders of greed, avarice, acquisitiveness, covetousness, graspingness, cupidity, materialism, and possessiveness.  The fuel that feeds the engine delivers power from the promise of Tax Breaks and Trickle-Down Economics.  A fuel that will help the rich and many others find ways to buy more stuff.

Then we come to the transmission for the Trump mobile.  No limousine can move until the power is transferred to the wheels from the engine.  In the case of the Trump mobile, the two main cogs in the transmission are fear and hate.  Fear and hate convey the power to the wheels.  Fear of others who may try to take away the values promoted by Trump and his followers.  Hate for those who are different and who may try to block the desires of Trump and his supporters.

The vehicle is of course driven by the charismatic Donald Trump who is the only one on the whole planet capable of steering the limousine in the RIGHT direction.  Trump was sent by the Christian Nationalist God to drive the Trump mobile to a paradise on earth ruled by White Christian people.  People who believe in the superiority of Whiteness and a White God with blond hair and blue eyes who will smite the enemies of Trump and his supporters.

The fronts seats of the Trump mobile are filled with sycophants who bless Trump and regard him as a savior.  Leaders of the Republican party, rich billionaires, media propagandists and young sexy women all get to ride in the front seats.  The back seats are full of Trump supporters who hope someday to ride in the front seats.  These are men and women who feel cheated by their government and society of their rightful place in life.  They believe that someday Trump will anoint them as faithful followers and allow them to join Trump in his paradise on earth.  They believe that the Trump mobile will take them there.

All aboard please.  The Trump mobile is leaving soon. 

Only God Can Save You!

17 Oct 2024 13 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

This past year marks my 41st Jesuit Silent Retreat.  I may be the only Atheist at the retreat.  Each year brings new insights and thoughts.  I wonder if I have grown any during my retreats.  I can’t say that I feel any closer to God, yours or theirs.  I wonder if there is a God but I doubt it.  I wonder if there are multiple Gods.  A God for each religion.  Is the Muslim God and the Catholic God and the Jewish God the same entity?  Were the Romans, Greeks, Hindus and many others more on the mark with different Gods for different functions?

This year reading as I usually do many of the assigned Gospel readings and many other Gospel passages I was struck with how many of the old prophets emphasized the need to believe in God’s goodness.  Only God can save us and we must have faith in God’s goodness.  God has a plan for all of us if we will only listen to him or perhaps her.  God knows what we need but we ignore his/her messages.  Pray to God.  Love God, for God loves us.  He loves us so much that he sent his only “begotten” son (Not sure what a begotten son is) to save us.

Exodus 33:18-19 (NKJV)

“And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’”

Frankly, I still don’t get it.  Many people have taken a shot at saving my soul, but I still don’t see any value in God.  During the past five years, he/she has allowed Global Warming to destroy much of the climate that I once loved.  He sent a scourge called Covid 19 to help ruin the last few years of my life.  And to top it off, he allowed a low life called Trump to run for President again.  I guess I am lost to the damnations of hell fire, but I still don’t see a God that is going to save me.  If so, he/she is about 78 years past my patience.

C. S. Lewis was the great “converter.” The conversion of an Atheist to a Theist is an aphrodisiac for the devoted religious. I suppose it justifies their belief in a future fiction that requires a complete abandonment of reason and logic.  A place called Heaven where we can all live happily ever after.  Just as long as we are willing to listen to daily sermons about how good God is for us.

“[God] will not be used as a convenience. Men or nations who think they can revive the Faith in order to make a good society might just as well think they can use the stairs of heaven as a shortcut to the nearest chemist’s shop.” — C.S. Lewis

But “Only God Can Save You” has a ring of truth to it.  No one on earth can save you from death.  No one can be trusted to be by your side forever regardless of the consequences.  Friends and lovers come and go like shadows in the night.  One day someone loves you, the next day they hate you.  One day someone is your friend, the next day they unfriend you on Facebook.  Tragedy of tragedies.  Loneliness is a Satan stalking all of us all of our lives.  I would wager more people have committed suicide out of loneliness than any other reason on earth.

Psalm 107:8-9 (NKJV)

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”

Only the concept or idea of an All Knowing, All Seeing, All Powerful and All Compassionate God can guarantee us that we will never be alone.  Never be forgotten.  Never be forsook.  One popular song goes:

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you’ll never walk alone

You’ll never walk alone

This song was first written by Oscar Hammerstein II and composed by Richard Rodgers for their musical Carousel, which was released in the USA in 1945.  It has since become one of the most popular funeral songs (Next to Amazing Grace) of all time.  Many people interpret it to have faith.  Faith in friends.  Faith in lovers.  Faith in a God who will always be with you in time of trials and tribulations.  It is a song to give hope to people in time of grief and suffering.

But where does one find such a God?  The Bible shows us at best an arbitrary God.  Sometimes belligerent.  Sometimes vindictive.  Sometimes vengeful.  Sometime cruel.  A God that many of us see in the world wreaking havoc on humanity for any number of transgressions.  From Sodom and Gomorrah to massive floods to sending his “Chosen people” into slavery.  A God who threw Adam and Ever out of the Garden of Paradise because they dared eat an apple.  A God who destroyed cities because they did not live up to his/her expectations.  A God who sent a flood to wipe out humanity.  This is a compassionate loving God?

Psalm 31:19 (NIV-84)

“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

Or is it a God who feeds his people.  A God who watches out for his Chosen ones.  A God who rewards those who obey him/her.  A God who destroys the enemies of those who worship him.  A God who is loving, kind and compassionate.  I wonder what God really is.  Here are some questions that still nag at my Atheist beliefs.

  1. Do I think that I am smarter than all the wise and great people who believe in God?
  2. Who or what created us?
  3. What if there is a God? What does he/she think of me?
  4. What if there is no God?
  5. Is God simply a metaphor for “Unconditional Love?”
  6. Is God Death or Life or Both?

The Atheist by Martin Braun

Science defines my virtue.

Factual and fictional books are my domain.

Don’t speak to me of pixies, fairies, and unicorns,

Or of your monopoly on morality, love, faith, and shame.

I am what I am

And of what I do I claim my own.

I fight for my survival

Of which need not be told, judged or shown.

There is no all knowing

Or an immortal god of my fate he will judge.

For when my heart ceases to beat

It will return from whence it came, a kind of primordial sludge.

What if Jesus Ran for Office?

10 Aug 2024 1 Comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

A Political Play in One Act:

Place:  A campaign headquarters somewhere in America.  Two political campaign advisors sit discussing campaign strategy for their candidate:

Jake:  A ten-year veteran of smear campaigns

Bryan:  The head campaign manager for a Republican candidate for office

____________________________________________________________________

Jake:  I hear the Democrats have nominated some guy named Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth.  Sounds like a foreigner to me.  Do we have anything on this guy?

Bryan:  I had two aides dig up a bunch of stuff.  This guy has a checkered background.  I think we can really nail his ass to the cross.  I have five major areas that I think we can get him on.  Let’s go through them together and see what you think.  We need to prioritize our attacks.  Maybe start with the biggest ones first?

Jake:  Yeah, the sooner we destroy his credibility the better.  The more we can dump on him, the more he will drop in the polls.  So, what have you got?

Bryan:  Well first of all.  He claims he is some sort of itinerant preacher who can heal the sick and raise the dead.  But he does not have any theology training or any bona fide theology degrees.  And he is practicing medicine without a license.

Jake:  Beautiful.  We will nail him for being a fake faith healer and being incompetent as well.  Imagine preaching without a degree from a Bible College?  As for the license thing, I have some friends in the FBI who can start an investigation and maybe even charge him with a felony for practicing medicine without an MD degree.  What else have you got?

Bryan:  This guys got a bunch of followers but one in particular named Judas would be willing to go on Fox News and denounce Jesus as a fake and hypocrite.

Jake:  How much does he want?

Bryan:  He says for only thirty pieces of silver, he can make Jesus look really bad.

Jake:  Okay, we will run with that first.  How about several ads with Judas talking about Jesus being a fake faith healer and not following his own advice.  Let’s get them running as soon as possible before he builds up any momentum.  The press will eat this up.  Anything else?

Bryan:  I was saving the best for last.  You won’t believe this.  He has a platform called “The Eight Beatitudes.”  He wants to take from the rich and give to the poor.  Some type of income redistribution.  He says the “meek will inherit the earth.”  This guy is obviously a Communist.  He says a rich man will have less chance of getting to heaven than a camel would have of going through the eye of a needle.  He tells story after story of rich people getting screwed.

Jake:  Unbelievable.  What is this guy a total idiot?  Man, we will bury him with this.  We will label him as “The Communist Candidate.”  Has a ring to it.  I will tell all of our Fox Media outlets that they need to start an “anti-communist” line on this Jesus guy just as soon as they can.  I want radio, tv, podcasts describing how he plans to increase taxes on the rich and give it to the poor.  The usual stuff we label Democrats with: More welfare queens; Tax and spend; Soft on crime.  Does he say anything about crime?

Bryan:  I hear he hangs around with prostitutes and pimps.

Jake:  That’s great.  We can bring up his anti-family values as well as coddling criminals.  Any evidence he is screwing any of them?

Bryan:  Some of our informants say that he has a girlfriend, but we don’t have any corroboration for that.  He may be gay.  He is not married, and he hangs around with a lot of young men.

Jake:  See if we can follow up on the queer angle.  Hanging around with young men sounds suspicious to me.  Anything else Bryan?  I think we have enough to go on with just what you have already.  The key thing though is I would like to find more people who can testify what an asshole this Jesus really is.  Find some people he didn’t cure or some rich people like Elon Musk who will condemn Jesus.

Bryan:  One last thought.  He may be an Anarchist.  He talks about tearing the capital down and building it up again in three days.  He also talks about changing the law.

Jake:  OK, have someone follow him and get some good tapes of his talks.  Spread some money around and see if anyone else will come forth with some juicy stories about this Jesus.  I think he is dead already.  Crucified by his own ideas and words.  He won’t come back in three days; I can promise you that.   Jesus is history.

The End   

Some books on Jesus that you might like to read:

 

 

 

My Final Will and Testament – Scriptures – Reflection #10

07 Jun 2024 Leave a comment

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

images

Last year at my 40th Demontreville Retreat, one of the exercises that we were given by the Retreat Master included a very challenging set of thoughts.  The worksheet for the activity was labeled as “A Testament.” I took the worksheet and instructions home with me.  It had fourteen tasks or reflections to complete.  I did not desire to complete them during the retreat.  It is now almost a year since my retreat, and I have decided to make the mental and emotional effort necessary to complete this “Testament.”

The worksheet started with these instructions:

Imagine that this is the last day of your life on earth.  In the time that you have left, you want to leave a “Testament” for your family and friends.  Each of the following could serve as chapter headings for your “Testament.”  This is Reflection Number 10 on the worksheet.

  1. These are the Scripture Texts that have touched and helped me.

My being an Atheist some people might think that I would have a hard time with finding Scriptures that have touched me.  In truth, it is one of the easiest reflections for me to think about.  I have so many wonderful parables from the New Testament and many proverbs and wisdom from the Old Testament that I use to guide my life and decisions.  I see the Bible as another source of great wisdom that has been compiled over the ages.  It is a combination of history, storytelling and profound thoughts compiled into one large book.  I do not view the Bible as infallible or “The Word of God” unless I use that interpretation very loosely.  If there is a God, perhaps he does reside in all of us and all of us are “Children of God.”

In 1775, Thomas Paine wrote a short essay criticizing slavery and reflecting on “Pretended” Christians who could support such a practice.  His words were:

“to catch inoffensive people, like wild beasts, for slaves, is a height of outrage against humanity and justice, that seems left by heathen nations to be practiced by ‘pretended’ Christians.” — African Slavery in America, 1775

Today we have a system that seems somewhat analogous to the system of “Pretended Christians” that Thomas Paine described 250 years ago.  “Pretended Christians” who can support a man and party that attacks, insults, abuses, and maligns minorities, immigrants, women, disabled people, and veterans.  A man who swears vengeance against the people who disagree with his policies.  A man who pays no attention to Scripture which says:

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.  Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:19-21 King James Version

Many of the people insulted by this man continue to feel that he is some sort of Christian Savior.  A man who will restore Christianity as the Mother Religion of America.  A position for religion that not one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers either desired or supported.  We have a country full of people who want to call America a Christian nation but who neither practice nor believe in one iota of what Jesus of Nazareth taught and died for.  We have a nation full of “Pretended Christians.”  I do not pretend to be a Christian or a Saint or a Holy Man.  God (If he/she exists) save me from these “Pretended Hypocritical Christians.”

The following are four of the scripture quotes that have had the most influence on my life.  I will briefly describe the impact that each has had on my thoughts and behaviors.

How-to-Understand-and-Interpret-the-Parables-of-Jesus

  1. What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his own soul? — Matthew 16:26

The first Jesuit retreat that I did at Demontreville in 1984, upon entering the grounds I saw the larger-than-life sized statue of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order.  He stands on a large concrete pedestal.  I was forty years old at the time and just finishing my Ph.D. degree.  I was hungry for fame and fortune and success.  During the retreat, I walked up to the statue and discovered the words “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his own soul?’ written on the base of the pedestal.  These words are perhaps the most profound words I have ever heard in my life.  I went back several times during the retreat to read and reflect on these words.  Over the past forty years or so, despite these words being etched in my brain, I always go to see the statue of St. Ignatius and silently repeat these words to myself several times.

My first visit to these words did not stop me from chasing what some call the elusive gods of fame and fortune.  Over the years, my chasing has become less vigorous, but the goal posts still exist in my mind.  Part of me longs to carry the football over the goal line and to hear the roar of the crowd and bask in shouts of “hurrah” and “you’re the greatest.”  The fortune part has never really mattered as much to me as the adulation and recognition that I still thirst for.  Thus, every year that I go back to Demontreville, (this will be my 41st retreat), I will make my pilgrimage to the statue to restore my commitment to the fact that fame and fortune are no substitute for the real nutrients that nurture the soul.  No amount of fame and fortune can substitute for integrity, compassion, kindness and charity towards others.

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  1. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. — Matthew 6:34

Another phrase from the teachings of Jesus as marked down by Matthew.  Throughout history, this same thought has been voiced by most of the great prophets, thinkers and philosophers.  “Live each day one moment at a time.”  “Live in the now.”  “Be mindful of today.”  Doing so is akin to walking a tightrope.  It requires a sense of balance.  We must plan for the future, but we must also live one day at a time.  How to find that balance is a Herculean task.  A second Herculean task is maintaining our balance.   These two tasks are by far more difficult in the modern world than slaying the Nemean lion or capturing the Cretan bull.  Hercules managed to complete 12 very difficult tasks.  I have yet to manage completing even one of my two challenges.  I suppose I will be working on “Living in the Now” for the rest of my days.

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  1. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.  — Ecclesiastes 1

The Book of Ecclesiastes is reported to have been written by King Solomon.  Solomon as you know was one of the wisest men in history.  He was granted wisdom by God because Solomon did not ask for fame or fortune.

“And God said to Solomon: Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked for long life; but you have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king.”  — (2 Chronicles 1:11-12 NKJV)

Buddhism, Advaita, Zen and other religions talk about the major problem that leads to all of humanities other problems being what psychologists call our Ego.  Solomon called it vanity.  Some might call it self-conceit, narcissism, self-centeredness, self-absorption, me-ism or egotism.  Its all the same.  People become the center of the universe.  I saw a sign the other day that read “When I am not the center of the universe, people become human.”  This is another difficult battle to overcome.  We can focus only on our own needs or desires, or we can expand our awareness to notice the needs and desires of other people.

The Eight Beatitudes given by Jesus in his famous Sermon on the Mount are the greatest exposition of our responsibility to other people that has ever been written.  Jesus elucidated what are called the Eight Beatitudes.  I will not list them all as they are easy to find on Google.  These eight thoughts clearly define how we should treat other people.  I often wonder why so many “Pretended Christians” want to put up the 10 Commandments from the Old Testament, when their Jesus gave them the 8 Beatitudes to obey.   I have actually read that many “Evangelicals” believe that the 8 Beatitudes are wimpy.  The lack of respect for the man that founded Christianity is beyond belief.

I try ever day to remember that I am not the center of the universe.  The world does not revolve around me.  For every one of my rights, there is a responsibility.  I need to look out for others and to help those in need, be they gay, women, immigrants, minorities or even right-wing bigots.  They are all part of the human race.  To paraphrase Ben Franklin, “Either we all work together for a better world, or we shall surely all perish together in ways that none of us desire.”

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  1. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven. — Mark 10:25

My friend Kwame says that we should be grateful that we are not rich.  Money is a corrupting influence.  It is somewhat like a drug.  It is addictive.  The more you get the more you want.  The more you have the more you need.  Another friend of mine whom I met in China told me before we left Shanghai in 1989 that we were rich.  I explained that we were not rich, but very middle class.  In fact, we were definitely not even upper middle class.  Xibo said, “you are rich to us in China.  You have nice house, and you can afford to travel to distant countries.”  Xibo’s comments were very accurate, and they had the effect of making me realize just how selfish I often am.  I am bemoaning my mundane middle-class status when to most of the rest of the world, I am regarded as rich.  Never mind regarded.  I am rich to possibly 90 percent of the world.

I am told by biblical interpreters that Jesus never said “rich people were bad” or that rich people could not go to heaven.  What Jesus did say and used many parables to illustrate the fact was that it would be hard for rich people to get to heaven.  Money is a heavy load to carry, and it corrupts.  Lord Acton said that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  The same can be said of money, “Money corrupts, and excessive money corrupts excessively.”

Regard the quest for money in the USA today.  Everyone wants more than they have.  We worry about Inflation, about immigrants stealing our jobs, about the Chinese sending too many products to us.  On the other hand, billions of dollars are now spent on people trying to get rich quick through pull-tabs, lotteries, online gambling and now sports betting.  The mania for money is fueled by the incessant celebrities, media influencers and TV shows touting the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”  The airwaves, newspapers, Internet and all of our media are full of non-stop advertising.  “Shop till you drop” should be the title of a song or at least put on the US dollar bill right under George Washington’s picture.

To be mindful of what I have I keep repeating this thought in my head.  ‘It is easier for the camel than the rich man to get to heaven.”  By the way, I do not believe in heaven or hell but I take it metaphorically that it is better for the human race if I try to be the camel and not rich and greedy.

Next Reflection:    

  1. These are things that I Regret about my life.

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