Monday, May 4, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
when I grow up...
You Know You're a grown-up when...
You know you’re a grown-up when…
1) you’re able to say no, no, no! to those truly adorable platform wedge sling-backs because you’re saving for the trip to Paris you’ve always dreamed of.
2) the checker at the grocery store calls you “ma’am” and you don’t plummet into a month-long depression.
3) you say, “I know Mom meant well”—and you really mean it.
4) waffles become your dinner of choice now and then—not because there’s nothing else in the house to eat but just because you like them.
5) you figure out that Prince Charming lives in the same universe as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
6) you also realize that not all the “good ones” are married or gay.
7) a normally even-tempered friend flies off the handle at you, and rather than snarling back, you wonder if there’s something going on with her.
8) your primary feeling toward Britney is one of pity.
9) you suddenly get why your father complained so much about taxes.
10) you feel no compulsion to adopt the current sizzling-hot (and really stupid-looking) fashion trend; you know that, like a mild rash, it’ll soon go away on its own.
11) the idea of staying in is just as appealing as the idea of going out.
12) you decide to learn how to a) play the guitar, b) speak Italian, and c) scuba dive, for no other reason than your own desire.
13) rocking out along with the radio no longer embarrasses you. In fact, you turn it up.
14) the proverb “Life is short, but wide” starts to makes sense.source: Glamour Magazine 2008Some of these are really funny, but some of these are really relevant to me at this point in my life. My favorites are #3, 13, 11, and 5.
You know you’re a grown-up when…
1) you’re able to say no, no, no! to those truly adorable platform wedge sling-backs because you’re saving for the trip to Paris you’ve always dreamed of.
2) the checker at the grocery store calls you “ma’am” and you don’t plummet into a month-long depression.
3) you say, “I know Mom meant well”—and you really mean it.
4) waffles become your dinner of choice now and then—not because there’s nothing else in the house to eat but just because you like them.
5) you figure out that Prince Charming lives in the same universe as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
6) you also realize that not all the “good ones” are married or gay.
7) a normally even-tempered friend flies off the handle at you, and rather than snarling back, you wonder if there’s something going on with her.
8) your primary feeling toward Britney is one of pity.
9) you suddenly get why your father complained so much about taxes.
10) you feel no compulsion to adopt the current sizzling-hot (and really stupid-looking) fashion trend; you know that, like a mild rash, it’ll soon go away on its own.
11) the idea of staying in is just as appealing as the idea of going out.
12) you decide to learn how to a) play the guitar, b) speak Italian, and c) scuba dive, for no other reason than your own desire.
13) rocking out along with the radio no longer embarrasses you. In fact, you turn it up.
14) the proverb “Life is short, but wide” starts to makes sense.source: Glamour Magazine 2008Some of these are really funny, but some of these are really relevant to me at this point in my life. My favorites are #3, 13, 11, and 5.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Last Friday Lecture
As a Christian, I have to admit that last Friday's lecture created some doubts for my belief. When Dave talked about how the four gospels from the Bible were not in sync with each other, I felt my faith was a little shaken right there. But I have a personal relationship with God, so they were cleared up by then because I prayed and asked God on what to do with them, and He showed me to sources that would explain my doubts. For instance, I read my Bible and Chritian intellectuals' books to clear up the doubts that I had.
I feel that my faith has been strengthen because of the doubts I had after I heard last Friday lecture. Instead of being an individual who accepts a belief because he or she was taught at an early age, I realize that I made the right decision to believe in God in the first place. I appreciated how Dave really opened my mind to see Christianity from a different angle.
Response from a classmate from the Yahoo Group:
"Doubts can sometimes be harmful, breaking ones faith when there is no obtainable answer for, or against it. Blind faith can be needed to trust in what can't be seen, while embracing what can be felt. Believing that you shouldn't believe in anything you can't explain prevents you from touching anything that is greater than we are. Isn't it entirely possible that, for a believer, the rules of God lie on top of physics, rather than on the bottom, even though humans can't observe them.
However, a believer who pokes their eyes out, in an attempt to avoid challenging their faith, is doing themselves an injustice. One can't grow, or be confident in their faith without being willing to give the effort to research doubt-founding questions.
Although Prof. Lane often says that he is making points about general religious belief, rather than one specific one, I don't quite buy it. However, this doesn't mean I resent it. I appreciate a voice for stimulating questions. It is much more common for me now, to research a question raised about my beliefs, than before the class."
-tylersullivan636
I feel that my faith has been strengthen because of the doubts I had after I heard last Friday lecture. Instead of being an individual who accepts a belief because he or she was taught at an early age, I realize that I made the right decision to believe in God in the first place. I appreciated how Dave really opened my mind to see Christianity from a different angle.
Response from a classmate from the Yahoo Group:
"Doubts can sometimes be harmful, breaking ones faith when there is no obtainable answer for, or against it. Blind faith can be needed to trust in what can't be seen, while embracing what can be felt. Believing that you shouldn't believe in anything you can't explain prevents you from touching anything that is greater than we are. Isn't it entirely possible that, for a believer, the rules of God lie on top of physics, rather than on the bottom, even though humans can't observe them.
However, a believer who pokes their eyes out, in an attempt to avoid challenging their faith, is doing themselves an injustice. One can't grow, or be confident in their faith without being willing to give the effort to research doubt-founding questions.
Although Prof. Lane often says that he is making points about general religious belief, rather than one specific one, I don't quite buy it. However, this doesn't mean I resent it. I appreciate a voice for stimulating questions. It is much more common for me now, to research a question raised about my beliefs, than before the class."
-tylersullivan636
"Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World" reading
In "Appeal to teh Colored Citizens of the World", David Walker talks about how Christians slave owners will not be forgiven by God for the sufferings that they inflicted upon the slaves. One can argue that Christians are hypocrite by looking at Christians' past trangression toward the African Americans. One can argue that the white slave owners were similiar to the Egyptians who put the Jews into slavery. However, the problems and the trials that the slaves experienced were ways for God to reveal Himself. He wants His people to see that he is always there to help them during trials and problems.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
religion in the military
This article is about whether a pro-Christian culture permeates military. Many soldiers depend on God to comfort them. For instance, faith helps military staff to dealing and preventing depression and suicide. Having faith is like going to a free psychologist session. I strongly believes that prayers heal the body.
Even if an individual is a Christian, he can learn how to meditate which is similiar to praying.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/washington/01church.html?_r=1
Even if an individual is a Christian, he can learn how to meditate which is similiar to praying.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/washington/01church.html?_r=1
Religion and health
This article is about how doctors view religion as beneficial to patients'
health.
I want to be a nurse, and this article tells me how important is a patient's faith. Furthermore, I want to understand my patients and talk to them in a way that will not offend their religious belief. The brain is an important part of healing. Religions help the brain if a patient has a strong faith.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/health/17faith.html?scp=35&sq=religion&st=cse
health.
I want to be a nurse, and this article tells me how important is a patient's faith. Furthermore, I want to understand my patients and talk to them in a way that will not offend their religious belief. The brain is an important part of healing. Religions help the brain if a patient has a strong faith.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/health/17faith.html?scp=35&sq=religion&st=cse
coming to America means to abandon religion
I found this article about a Hispanic family abandoned their Catholic practice
after they came to the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/us/15hispanic.html?scp=22&sq=religion&st=cse
after they came to the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/us/15hispanic.html?scp=22&sq=religion&st=cse
Friday, February 20, 2009
On Religion
Today's lecture made me to rethink about religions. Professor Lane argued that the mind simulates the environment in order for humans to adapt; therefore, the human mind tricks the person in believing anything. For instance, nature is created to lie. The sand color of sting rays blends into the sand of the ocean, so that they can survive in the ocean. Because of the natural tendency for human and organisms to lie, humans project the image of their beliefs when it comes to choosing a religion. We create an illusion of the religion that we believe in.
As a sociology major, I believe that the social factors have bigger influences on me than my biological factors and inner self. Therefore, as a Christian, the reason for my belief in God does not come from simulation; it comes from experiences with people and life. Yes, I agree that my mind does simulate in order to survive, but the social factors have a greater influence when I choose to believe in a religion. Whatever I believe is influenced by the people I hang out with, the experiences I had, and et cetera.
As a sociology major, I believe that the social factors have bigger influences on me than my biological factors and inner self. Therefore, as a Christian, the reason for my belief in God does not come from simulation; it comes from experiences with people and life. Yes, I agree that my mind does simulate in order to survive, but the social factors have a greater influence when I choose to believe in a religion. Whatever I believe is influenced by the people I hang out with, the experiences I had, and et cetera.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
From Biochemisty to Religion
Professor Lane did a great job in lecture today. Religion diversity is a very broad and big topic, so in order to understand it, we have to understand physics and chemistry first. He really made me rethink about life in generally. I have to understand the molecular and the simplest rule of nature in order to understand bigger ideas. I took chemistry and biology classes before, but I did not understand how they connected to other classes of mine such as Sociology, Psychology, and other social science classes. Now that I see the connection, this motivates me to learn science again, so that I can have a better understanding of life.
Monday, February 16, 2009
favorite quotes
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33
"You cannot be anything you want to be-- but you can be a lot more of who you already are."
"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."
-Ben Sweetland
"Sometimes, all we need is a hand to hold and a heart to understand"
These quotes show what I believe in. It does not have to be a religion. It can be my belief in other people. Religion is relative to people. It can be a belief in a god or in anything such as clounds.
"You cannot be anything you want to be-- but you can be a lot more of who you already are."
"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."
-Ben Sweetland
"Sometimes, all we need is a hand to hold and a heart to understand"
These quotes show what I believe in. It does not have to be a religion. It can be my belief in other people. Religion is relative to people. It can be a belief in a god or in anything such as clounds.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Religion, History, and the movie "Valkerie"
Then we watched the movie "Valkerie". The movie was about German soldiers who tried to assasinate Adolf Hitler but failed. These men risked their lives to save millions of Jews, Germans, and their families from the evil regime of Hilter. They put bombs inside rooms that Hitler was working and bribed top and close SS commanders of Hilter in order for their mission to be successful. They interacted with Hilter and persuaded him to sign a bill that would allow them to take power when Hitler died. At the end of the movie, they were shot to death by the SS army for the act of treason. This was the last attempt at assasinated Hitler in 1944. One year later, the Allies won WWÌI and Hitler killed himself after he realized that he lost the war.
History has always been one of my favorite movie genre. True stories help me to understand and change my perspective toward people and life. The heroic acts in the movie "Valkerie" show that justice will always stand. In the midst of chaos and confusion, people will forget that there is justice, but we need to keep the hope alive. Hope keeps people going and presevere. It is like a drop of water that a plant needs to sustain itself. When there is hope, we know that justice will present itself in the future.
Having hope is like having a religion. The believers do not need to believe in any specific god.
History has always been one of my favorite movie genre. True stories help me to understand and change my perspective toward people and life. The heroic acts in the movie "Valkerie" show that justice will always stand. In the midst of chaos and confusion, people will forget that there is justice, but we need to keep the hope alive. Hope keeps people going and presevere. It is like a drop of water that a plant needs to sustain itself. When there is hope, we know that justice will present itself in the future.
Having hope is like having a religion. The believers do not need to believe in any specific god.
Friday, February 13, 2009
my first blog
My Religion Diversity class professor requires everyone in the class to create a Blog. I hope I will continue to comeback and update my blog when I finish taking the class.
This is my first religion class, and I am very excited to learn about the the different religious perspectives. As a Christian, I believe that I should expose myself to other religion. This allows me to understand God, life, and the world better. There will no doubt be times when I will question my religion, but if I solve the mystery, then my faith will be stronger.
This is my first religion class, and I am very excited to learn about the the different religious perspectives. As a Christian, I believe that I should expose myself to other religion. This allows me to understand God, life, and the world better. There will no doubt be times when I will question my religion, but if I solve the mystery, then my faith will be stronger.
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