skydiving

Saturday morning I'm going skydiving. I'm very nervous. Ive known people that have gone and they say that it is a life-changing experience. I am really scared. My parents did not want me to do it at first because they were worried i might get hurt or something might go wrong. My dad felt like i was too young to do it. He thought i should wait until I got older that way if something did happen then I had the chance to live longer. After having that conversation I started thinking, what if something bad does happen to me? I realized maybe its not a good idea after all. I'm risking my life for an adrenaline rush. Then I thought, how could i not do it? Its a chance of a life time! IM GOING SKYDIVING!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!

Evil

The past two weeks we have been discussing evil and why there is evil in the world. There are many different views and theories on why evil exists. Some philosophers feel that without evil, we would not know good. Some say we need evil to give humanity moral responsibility, or that it lets humans show themselves at their best in reacting to evil.
In my opinion i feel that evil exists so that we can really understand what it is to be good. I feel that it also gives us moral responsibility and i also feel like some bad things that happen have absolutely no purpose lol. I have a lot of mixed feelings. Bad things have happened to people I know that I don't feel like they deserved. I have had two friends pass away tragically and so many people loved them. I hate that people have to go through such tragedies and there really is no explanation for it. I don't understand! I guess I'll just try to make decisions with the best intentions and if and when something bad happens, because it somehow always does, I'll just try to stay optimistic and hope for the best.

Another bumper sticker

The other day i was driving and i saw this bumper sticker that said "I am a proud Atheist." I am not the most religious person because it was just never really apart of my life, however i do believe in God. I felt kind of sad when i read that. Then in class we have been talking alot about God and his existence. I wonder why there are atheist? I understand that we cannot point to God, we cannot say we have seen him or had a conversation with him, but how could you not believe in anything? I do not understand what they think our purpose on Earth is if they do not believe in a higher being.

History was made on November 4th 2008 in America. We now have the very first African American President! I was so ecstatic! I voted for Obama obviously and I was so happy he won. I feel as though there will be great change and finally the younger generation is getting involved and truly caring aboout the nations future. I was excited with this outcome,however, I was very upset with the outcome of one of the propositions.

Proposition 8, which is banning gay couples to marry in the state of California, was passed. The total yes votes were 52% to 48% i believe. It was a close race and i have to say i am very disappointed with the outcome. Supporters of the proposition campaigned that they are trying to restore traditional marriage and saying that children will be taught at a young age about same sex marriages. It was a good tactic to use I'll admit that, but its a load of crap. Truthfully answer, in all 7 years of elementary school, or in middle school, when did they ever speak about marriage? I know i cant recall one instance. Maybe in a private school it would be different but i would imagine whether or not this were to pass would they even speak of gay people at all!! This proposition is denying people their right to marry. It is a civil rights issue, plain and simple! Who are we to tell a person who they can and cannot marry. For all of you who voted yes, you have done nothing but make the gay community and the rest of us who support them fight harder for their rights. It is reality people, there are gay and lesbian people in this world. God loves everyone, EVERYONE, and i really don't think that he would want us to be against letting two people who love each other from getting married. Blows my mind that we can get passed racism and racial discrimination and have the first black president, but we cant get passed sexual orientation. We denied African Americans their civil rights as well as women their civil rights, and look how far we have gotten, so don't worry people gays and lesbians will get their rights. Its only a matter of time.

Halloween decorations?

On the news the other day they were doing a short story on this house that had decorations hanging from their house, literally. There was a manikin dressed as Sara Palin being hung by her neck from the front of the house. At top of their house on the roof there was a McCain manikin and it looked like he was in the chimney on fire. The residents of the house say that it is part of their Halloween decorations. The following night i was watching the news again and there was a follow up story. Apparently the neighbors did not like the decorations and felt that they were too explicit and too extreme. Neighbors put up large curtain like objects to try to cover up the decorations.
In my opinion, this is a very controversial issue. The residents said it was partly their political views and partly in the spirit of Halloween. Yea, we all have the right to express how we feel and in reality they are not breaking any laws. However, it seems to be too much. Later on in the week there was a house that had an Obama manikin with a bloody knife to his neck and a sign that said "no obama." She was asked to take it down because it was considered racist. I do not see how hanging Palin by her neck is not racism when a bloody Obama is? There is such a double standard in our society. It is getting annoying.

"I love babies born and unborn"

The other day i was driving to school and i saw a bumper sticker that said "I love babies born and unborn." When i read it i got a really weird feeling. I was kind of offended. Im pro-choice so i do feel like its an individuals choice whether or not the want to have an abortion. Unexpected things in life happen like rape. A woman that has been rape does not want to have to live knowing who fathered her child and see the persons features everday of their life. I would imagine it would be so hard. Couples also have accidents as well as teenagers. Yes I do think things happen for a reason and perhaps that person was meant to have a child. However, some women are not ready to have children and simply are not capable of raising a child. This brings me back to the sticker i saw the other day. The sticker to me was kind of a slap in the face. I feel like she is trying to see people that are pro-choice are murderers and thats not fair! Its not fair to say that abortions should be illegal because you have not been in ever single persons shoes. It will always besuch a big issue! I

Our school system.

From the age of either five or six, we as Americans, are forced to start school. We start with learning basic concepts of various subjects and as we get older we expand our minds more and more. Reaching high school there are certain requirements we have to take to graduate. If college is in your future you are expected to do well in your classes. Students are taking classes such as algebra, calculas, triginometry, chemistry, anatomy, and english courses all four years. They want to provide an exceptional college application. After all that hard work, through all four years, lets say one does get accepted to the school of their choice. In orientation students take placement tests to see where they stand with standards. I ask what those standards are. Not every person is the same, some people do not test well, and alot of times people just forget. People dont just sit and study their math and english over the summer! Lets say you place in a low math and a low english. Now you have to pay for prerequiset courses that dont even count as college credit. You are also paying for the book as well. If you go to La Sierra your probably not happy since tuition is so high! Why do we work so hard in high school taking all these courses for free, and then have to take them again in college and have to pay for them! I think our school system is flawed. Its just a way for them to get more money out of you. Most classes that im taking now, i took in high school like algebra, chemisrty, and spanish. Even if you diod take certain classes in high school it doesnt matter and yhou have to take them again unless they are AP courses or other special exceptions depending on the school. It just doesnt make sense to me!

Post Modernism view on reality

In class on friday we discussed reality. Professor Devitto you asked us to try and play devils advocate against the post modernism view of reality that everyone has their own perception of what in fact is real. I agree with the post modernism view. I felt as though my reality is most likely different then another persons. The only reason why i feel that nobody could come up with an counter argument is because nobody wants to be wrong. No one wants to say that someones reality is not real because then you would have to prove what reality is. Evidence of reality is hard to prove. In class someone said reality is what you see in front of you, and professor Devitto said okay well a desk is in front of you i didnt ask you to show me that. He asked what is realtiy. I think that there is no solid absolute truth of what reality really is. Thats why people are afraid to define it. Before people relied on their faith of whatever religion it is they believed in to tell them the truth. Questioning whether or not it was true was not even a thought. Today there are people that believe in science and that their is an explanaion and a truth to things and if in fact there is no evidence or truth they wont believe it.
Having said that i agree with the post modernism view because i cant show you what reality is. All i know is what im experienceing and what is happening to me, and ultimatley you can question that too. We would be here all day if we question every aspect in life. Sitting here and trying to find answers to things that are impossible to define isnt going to pass my classes for me, get me a job, or make me a successful person. Im living my life one day at a time, thats what i know.

Does worship make you a better person?

Today LSU had our first worship of the year. Pastor Sam is a very well respected pastor at our school however he said something today in worship that really made me think. He said that by going to worship "you will be a better student, a better boy friend or girl friend, a better person." As soon as he said that i was a little upset. Coming from a non-religious background i got some what offended. I never went to church or "worship," it was not a significant part of my life. Am i a bad person because i do not worship. He felt so confident about it because he really truly believes that worshipping makes you better. I live a different lifestyle and worship has never been a part of my life and i really do not believe that it has made me a better person or a better student. I dont think by going to chapel that ive become a bad person but i really dont think its fair to say that by worshipping God you are better.