1 Thing That Is Certain … August 10th, 2020

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Uncertainty

I feel people are frustrated and confused simply because they are not told the truth.

We have never made the planet safer by insisting that people are better than they really are.

On the other hand, we have propagated arrogance, which has led to belief in super-races, chosen people or exceptional countries that end up damaging the lives of those around them.

I have found it very comforting to understand how life works, and rather than doing commentary on how unfair it is, standing in awe of how fair the unfairness ends up being.

Please join me in the cosmic notion of uncertainty.

Life is:

1. You don’t own it, but it is in your name.

2. You don’t control it, but the steering is your job.

3. You can’t demand help, but also can’t complain.

Now, if you’re completely uncomfortable with these three stipulations, you have probably just tracked down the source of drama in your life.

But if you do comprehend them—or at least snicker—you’re on the road to understanding something very important:

There may not be a road at all.

The E Word … March 5th, 2019

THE

WORD

 

There are words that are so vile with violence and bedeviled by bigotry that they should never be written or spoken again. But there are also words, shrouded with sinister self-righteousness, which are equally poisoned.

Such is the case with our E word this week:

EXCEPTIONAL

From the Greeks feeling philosophically elevated to the Romans commanding allegiance through their powerful armies, to the Jews believing they were “the Chosen Ones,” to the touting of a Holy Roman Empire, there have always been cultures, races and faiths that have attempted to establish their dominance over fellow-humans.

I must be candid. My skin crawls whenever I hear my American brothers and sisters bolstering our national ego by referring to the United States as “exceptional.” It is the kind of blatant arrogance that made us pursue “manifest destiny,” stealing land from a native people, while simultaneously shipping in souls from Africa to become our slaves.

It is evil—not just because it is pompous and misrepresents reality, but because it works hand in hand with two other failing thoughts.

For you see, people who think they are exceptional eventually believe they are superior. And those who proclaim they are superior eventually insist they are supreme.

After World War I, the German people were devastated in morale and financially destitute. A little man came with a huge idea. He told the German people they didn’t need to be the doormat of the world. He raised the consciousness of their Germanic roots. He told them they were exceptional.

In doing so, he stirred the pride of the nation. They began to rebuild.

Once they contended that they were exceptional, the evil little fellow then told them that they were superior.

He gave them a common enemy. By the end of the 1930’s, nearly every German, in some capacity, believed that he or she was superior to a Jew.

But to go to war, the small man, who in the meantime had become their dictator, needed to convince them they were supreme—a Super Race. This became something worth dying for—at least tens of thousands of them believed so. Unfortunately, it was not a suicide mission, but also took the lives of hundreds of thousands of other people who had to break the hypnotic spell.

Yet I will tell you, preaching “exceptionalism” is not different just because it is hatched in America. The notion is already beginning to make us contend that certain individuals are superior to others, and if we’re not careful, we will start reacting as if we are supreme.

Exceptional is a word that not even God will use. The Good Book makes it clear that He is no “respecter of persons.” If God makes no distinctions among His creation, why in the hell do we think we can?

“Exceptional” is our E word—a misguided attempt to build patriotism or national pride by ignoring the beauty of commonality and the glory of “peace on Earth, good will toward men.”

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly donation for this inspirational opportunity

 

 

Cracked 5 … August 15th, 2017

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Jonathots Daily Blog

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Things Billy Joe McCrow Packed for His Weekend Rally with the Klan in Charlottesville, Virginia

A. Stars and Stripes boxers

 

B. Hair gel for his chest and back

 

C. Song book: “The Ku Klux White Album”

 

D. His “I’m part of the Super Race” T-shirt

 

E. “God Bless America” pasties for his exotic dancer girlfriend, Frieda

 

 

G-Poppers … February 5th, 2016

 Jonathots Daily Blog

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On any given Sunday, G-Pop has the honor of sitting and sharing in front of an audience that mingles Republicans and Democrats indiscriminately.

Matter of fact, the Sunday morning church service may be the last location in our great country where conservatives and liberals have to sit side-by-side and crack open a common hymn book and sing harmoniously.

One of G-Pop’s sons suggested that such an environment demands too much compromise to be of use in the “kingdom of truth.”

Not so.

In the realm of reconciliation and the pursuit of being a peacemaker, there are only two enemies, and only one true danger.

Separating these two enemies is the job of every good-thinking man and woman. The two enemies are arrogance and ignorance:

• Arrogance contends, “I am smarter than you.”
• And ignorance insists, “I am better than you.

Every tragedy which has befallen our species has occurred when the statesmen and spiritual leaders of our time became too busy with politics and religion, allowing arrogance and ignorance to coalesce.

As long as we keep them separated, we can address the insecurities they possess individually.

Case in point:

Racism is the merging of arrogance and ignorance–people who think they’re smarter than other people, who also have decreed that they’re better.

It happened with the Nazis–the arrogance of Germanic tribes who thought they were smarter led to the conclusion that they were better–a Super Race.

It is what festers in the Middle East.

And it is what causes us–a supposedly enlightened people–to still be struggling over issues of color, sexuality and gender, far beyond the time of reasonability.

G-Pop teaches a simple message.

He tells people clearly, “If I am smarter than you in some areas, you are certainly smarter than me in others.”

And … no one is better than anyone else.

 

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

 

 

 

Are Human Beings Basically Bad? … February 23, 2012

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It was Trent’s fourth birthday. As excited as he was about the presents and the upcoming party at  Chuck E. Cheese, what was really revving his emotional engine was the prospect of going to the park and being allowed to go to the playground on his own. Dad would be nearby–but Trent would finally be allowed to play to his heart’s content without a parent hovering over his shoulder.

 

Independence. Trent was thrilled. Arriving at the park, he leaped from the car and ran towards the playground, with all of its contraptions and possibilities. Dad perched himself on a bench nearby, reading a newspaper and sipping some coffee. It was less than ten minutes later that a woman came running towards Papa, asking him if he had a little boy on the playground. She explained that his son, Trent, had just knocked down her little daughter for no good reason.

 

Dad immediately ran over to the location of the accosting and asked Trent what had happened. At first he would not respond. So Dad threatened to take Trent away from the playground–to punishment at home. Finally, with bitter tears drizzling down his cheeks, Trent replied, “She knew how to make all the stuff on the playground work and I didn’t! So I knocked her down.”

 

Dad suddenly realized what the problem was. Even though Trent was old enough to be on the playground, because he had never used any of the equipment on his own, he was unfamiliar with how to do it right. So instead of admitting his need or watching other kids and following suit, he decided to strike out.

 

You see, friends, that is the birthing of all “bad.” Even though there are many religious people who contend that human beings are born with original sin, Jesus disagreed. He said that little children were the citizenry of heaven.  He compared them to angels. No one is born bad. No one is flawed from birth with any permanent predisposition to anything–unless they relent to it.

 

That may not be a popular view, but the alternative philosophy renders us at the mercy of either a juggernaut of genetics or a religious doctrine of human depravity. The difference between good and bad in human beings is really quite simple. If people don’t know what they’re doing and they’re not humble enough to admit it, learn from others and appreciate those teachers, they will eventually do something to hurt the folks around them–and even themselves.

 

Here is what makes human beings bad:

1. They become angry because they don’t understand. The predominant motivation for anger in our lives is a lack of comprehension about how things really work without the pursuit of a greater insight on the issue. Just like Trent, we are thrust on the playground without adequate instruction. In other words, it’s easier to be pissed off than it is to acquire knowledge.

2. They don’t understand because they refuse to imitate. I don’t know about you–when I’m baffled about something, I just look around for anybody who’s been there before and try to copy off their paper. I don’t want to look stupid and end up angry. Yet there is a silly and sappy notion in the hearts of human beings that appearing vulnerable–in need of input–makes us look ridiculous. Just for the record, I am a man, but I always stop and ask for directions. If I need help carrying something, I will not strain my legs or break my back to do it. Bad and evil enter the human heart when we refuse to honor our need for aid.

3. And the reason we don’t imitate is that we were taught that it’s weak to do so. I cannot think of any greater reason that evil flourishes except that people are frightened of appearing less. It’s how Hitler controlled Germany. They were a country beset by difficulties after World War I and he taught them that they were a super-race that needed to rule the world, and dispelled all notions of need. It doesn’t do any good to preach a gospel that says “the meek shall inherit the earth;” “when we are weak we are strong;” and “confess your faults one to another,” when the brunt of society is screaming “self-esteem” and “self-reliance.” You can take perfectly good people and ruin their lives by convincing them they should be angry because they don’t understand, and see them continue to misunderstand because they fear imitating others–because the imitation of others would be a sign of weakness.

 

Can it really be that simple? Absolutely. All “bad people” are angry because they don’t understand; they don’t understand because they don’t want to imitate, and they were taught not to imitate because it made them look weak.  So are people naturally bad? Are they born in original sin? No. It is an outgrowth of a foolish rendition of pride in one’s work which leaves out a learning curve and garnering knowledge from others.

 

Here, on the other hand, is how you make good people. Teach them to:

 

1. Watch for winners. Look out for folks who are doing it right and get to the business of studying their procedure. It would be  wonderful if we actually would follow “what would Jesus do”–if we would first study the style of Jesus. But instead, we assume that Jesus would react like the typical American. He doesn’t. If you want to be a “good person,” you’ve got to start watching for winners and turning your back on the losers.

2. Appreciate and apply. When you come across a winner, make sure you walk up and congratulate him or her on the discovery and then honor the effort by applying it in your own life. I am not a rock–I am a sponge. When I see good things happening, I absorb them. When I read the scriptures and there’s something in there that is tender-hearted towards humanity, I own it. I appreciate and express thankfulness, and then I apply it in my own life as a tribute to the beauty. There is no goodness in life without imitating powerful ideas.

3. And finally, be grateful to your brothers and sisters. Not every meaningful experience in your life will happen in your own family or genetic lineage. You will need emotional and spiritual boosts from many travelers. So when you meet people for the first time, instead of treating them as strangers, be prepared to receive fresh spirit from their journey. Be grateful for your brothers and sisters.

 

So are people basically “bad?”  No–they have to be taught to be angry because they don’t understand, and to refuse to understand because they don’t want to imitate, and that imitation makes them feel weak.

 

But as for me and my house, we’re going to watch for winners, appreciate those champions, apply those precepts into our lives and be grateful for all of our brothers and sisters. The choice is ours–as it should be.

 

People aren’t bad; ignorance is bad–especially when it’s backed up with arrogance and cemented by reverence.

 

So that’s the first step in our I.G.P.–evaluating our society on intelligence, growth and progress. So what’s the next question? What shall we talk about on the morrow? How about this one:

 

Is God mean?

 

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Sitting One

 I died today. 

I didn’t expect it to happen.  Then again, I did—well, not really.

No, I certainly didn’t expect it.

I’ve had moments of clarity in my life.  Amazingly enough, many of them were in the midst of a dream. For a brief second I would know the meaning of life or the missing treatment to cure cancer.  And then as quickly as it popped into my mind it was gone. I really don’t recollect dying.  Just this unbelievable sense of clear headedness—like walking into a room newly painted and knowing by the odor and brightness that the color on the wall is so splattering new that you should be careful not to touch it for fear of smearing the design. The greatest revelation of all? 

Twenty-five miles in the sky time ceases to exist.

The planet Pluto takes two hundred and forty-eight years to circle the sun. It doesn’t give a damn. 

The day of my death was the day I became free of the only burden I really ever had.  TIME.

Useless.

Time is fussy.  Time is worry. 

Time is fear.  Time is the culprit causing human-types to recoil from pending generosity. 

There just was never enough time. 

Time would not allow it.  Remember—“if time permits …”

Why if time permits?  Why not if I permit?  Why not if I dream?  Why not if I want?  Why does time get to dictate to me my passage? 

It was time that robbed me of my soulful nature.    It was time that convinced me that my selfishness was needed. 

I didn’t die. The clock in me died, leaving spirit to tick on.  

So why don’t we see the farce of time?  Why do we allow ourselves to fall under the power of the cruel despot?  Yes, time is a relentless master—very little wage for much demand.

I died today. 

Actually … a piece of time named after me was cast away.