Science vs. Religion is a very touchy topic in many different circles for obvious reasons. Although there are some religious people who are also prominent scientists, most of the time science and religion do not exactly go hand in hand.
When someone is a firm believer and user of the laws of science, these people tend to have very factual and intellectual minds. I would say that most scientific people are probably a type green or gold personality. They strictly follow the rules of science set before them and they think that everything that exists should be able to be explained scientifically somehow. For this reason, they have a very hard time believing that anything such as religion could possibly be real. To them if it cannot be scientifically proved then it must not exist.
Now on the other side of the spectrum are the religious types who live their lives based upon faith. They would be classified as more of a blue or an orange personality in my opinion. They do not always have to have cold hard facts to believe in something. For this reason, if they are able to believe that there is something in the world that is not meant to be explained but is to be believed, they might find themselves thinking that there are other things that can not be explained by science either. Because they do not believe in the explanation and logic of everything, these people will often butt heads with those who are of scientific minds.
Of course there can also be a happy medium. Some believe that there are ways to in fact prove that God exists or at least disprove that evolution happened on its own. When I was in middle school I read a book about a firm believer in evolution changing their ways and believing in God purely based upon scientific grounds. For example, the moon moves a quarter of an inch further away from the earth every year. If one is to assume this has happened consistently since the beginning of time, the earth could not possibly be as old as scientists claim because the moon would have been touching the earth at some point.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Journal 9
I think personally that organized religion causes more problems then it solves. Even personally, as a Christian, I still think that religion pushes people away rather than pulling them in. People in generally do not like to be told what they have to do or what they have to say, and they do not like being told what they cannot do either. So when you bring people into a religion and you tell them all of those things, their human reaction is going to be to rebel against the constraints and, therefore, the religion.
It has been scientifically proven that there is a place in our brains that is naturally wired to seek a higher power. Some part of us just naturally wants to believe that there is something bigger beyond what we can see. With as much trouble as there is in the world it is natural for humans to seek a way to believe that somebody who knows what they are doing is over it all and it will all be okay. This inborn instinct drives people towards other people who also believe in a higher power. Unfortunately, once the label religion is placed on what the people are doing, that is when they tend to want to get out.
The best form of belief and carrying out the requirements of said belief is in doing it yourself instead of doing it because people tell you to. In my opinion, although the church that I go to classifies me as a Christian, one should approach faith as a personal decision rather than a requirement.
It has been scientifically proven that there is a place in our brains that is naturally wired to seek a higher power. Some part of us just naturally wants to believe that there is something bigger beyond what we can see. With as much trouble as there is in the world it is natural for humans to seek a way to believe that somebody who knows what they are doing is over it all and it will all be okay. This inborn instinct drives people towards other people who also believe in a higher power. Unfortunately, once the label religion is placed on what the people are doing, that is when they tend to want to get out.
The best form of belief and carrying out the requirements of said belief is in doing it yourself instead of doing it because people tell you to. In my opinion, although the church that I go to classifies me as a Christian, one should approach faith as a personal decision rather than a requirement.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Journal 8
I thought that the clip "The Impotence of Proofreading" was an ingenius way to get the point of how important proofreading is across. A lot of the times people think that proofreading is not really necessary because even if they make a mistake here or there they will just lose a couple points and be done with it. The thing that people do not realize though is that you could get yourself into a really embarrassing situation if you do not proofread. There are so many possibilites for you to type out something embarrassing by accident and not ever realize it because the word you type is an actual word and therefore not something that the computer would detect.
It was also smart of the clip creator to use funny examples of what could go wrong to keep the viewer engaged. It's a lot easier to watch a video that is trying to explain to you some kind of important topic about writing when it is actually something interesting. Most videos of handouts we get that talk about proofreading and all of that stuff are so boring they kinda make me wanna scream a little bit. But this one I paid attention to the whole time--okay, granted it lasted like five minutes and that does not take that much of an attention span-- but still, I actually absorbed the point that they were trying to get across, and that is the whole point of the clip anyway, is it not?
Another reason you should make sure you proofread is because you never know when your idiot friends are going to type something they think is funny into your paper and you won't catch it. Usually they probably think you will catch it and aren't actually trying to make you look like an idiot, but sometimes that happens anyway. And chances are your teacher is not going to find it anywhere near as amusing as your friend did. (Ahem, Jesus/Paco/Matt)
It was also smart of the clip creator to use funny examples of what could go wrong to keep the viewer engaged. It's a lot easier to watch a video that is trying to explain to you some kind of important topic about writing when it is actually something interesting. Most videos of handouts we get that talk about proofreading and all of that stuff are so boring they kinda make me wanna scream a little bit. But this one I paid attention to the whole time--okay, granted it lasted like five minutes and that does not take that much of an attention span-- but still, I actually absorbed the point that they were trying to get across, and that is the whole point of the clip anyway, is it not?
Another reason you should make sure you proofread is because you never know when your idiot friends are going to type something they think is funny into your paper and you won't catch it. Usually they probably think you will catch it and aren't actually trying to make you look like an idiot, but sometimes that happens anyway. And chances are your teacher is not going to find it anywhere near as amusing as your friend did. (Ahem, Jesus/Paco/Matt)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Journal 7
The only superstitions that I really follow are not a typical superstition at all. I am kind of weird because the superstitions I believe in are ones I've made up in my own head not ones that are typical such as your black cat or broken mirror superstitions.
One of the "superstitions" that I follow is I always set my alarm clock for waking up in the morning on an odd number that does not end in five. For example, I usually wake up at 6:41, 6:43, 6:47, 6:49, or 6:51. I do not remember why exactly I started with this but I think it was because for a certain amount of time for some reason I noticed that whenever I woke up on an even minute I had a bad day and when I woke up on and odd one I had a good day. Now, obviously, since I wake up on an odd number every day and it is impossible for me to have a great day every day, I am smart enough to realize that there is no way the number I wake up on can affect my day. Nevertheless, I still hang onto that pattern or quirk, if you will, of waking up on an odd number. The thought of setting my clock for an uneven number just makes me uneasy somehow.
I guess the only other superstitions I have would be good superstitions in a way. Basically I believe that 13 and 34 are my lucky numbers. Thirty-four has been my basketball number since sixth grade and it was my mom's all the way through high school so it is special to me even if it is not necessarily lucky. The number thirteen has always just intrigued me because everybody thinks it is unlucky but I happen to like it. So instead of avoiding it like some people to do I tend to gravitate towards it. I even purposefully sit in seat thirteen on the bus whenever I can, and I'll have you know nothing bad has ever happened to me in seat thirteen.
One of the "superstitions" that I follow is I always set my alarm clock for waking up in the morning on an odd number that does not end in five. For example, I usually wake up at 6:41, 6:43, 6:47, 6:49, or 6:51. I do not remember why exactly I started with this but I think it was because for a certain amount of time for some reason I noticed that whenever I woke up on an even minute I had a bad day and when I woke up on and odd one I had a good day. Now, obviously, since I wake up on an odd number every day and it is impossible for me to have a great day every day, I am smart enough to realize that there is no way the number I wake up on can affect my day. Nevertheless, I still hang onto that pattern or quirk, if you will, of waking up on an odd number. The thought of setting my clock for an uneven number just makes me uneasy somehow.
I guess the only other superstitions I have would be good superstitions in a way. Basically I believe that 13 and 34 are my lucky numbers. Thirty-four has been my basketball number since sixth grade and it was my mom's all the way through high school so it is special to me even if it is not necessarily lucky. The number thirteen has always just intrigued me because everybody thinks it is unlucky but I happen to like it. So instead of avoiding it like some people to do I tend to gravitate towards it. I even purposefully sit in seat thirteen on the bus whenever I can, and I'll have you know nothing bad has ever happened to me in seat thirteen.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Journal 6
There are a lot of possible repercussions for blaming someone else for something they did not do. One example is that you will be find out. If the situation is something complicated it is very difficult to cover your tracks and have all of your bases covered, especially to the point where you cannot be found out if the person you blame gets really mad for being blamed. In some cases if it is not that big of a deal the person you blame might just let it go and accept responsibility because it is not something that really matters. But if it's a situation where it's something that they really do not wanna be blamed for then you could run into a lot of problems, especially if the person you blame is not exactly a pushover.
One major thing that you could lose from blaming someone else for something you did is all credibility that you might hold with the person you lie to. For example if I lied to my mom and blamed something I did on my brother and she figured it out then it would be very difficult for me to every gain her trust back. And if somewhere down the road another instance happened and this time he really was the one to blame and not me, it might be difficult for me to convince her that that time it really was not my fault.
Another reason is that you never know how the other person is going to be punished for what you blamed them for. If you blame someone for something and they get seriously reprimanded for it, if you have any trace of compassion in you whatsoever it is going to bother you as you witness what happens to them. The guilt will start to eat away at you until you cannot stand it anymore and you have to confess your guilt. And more times then not when you confess your guilt the person you lied to is going to be significantly more angry with you for lying to them then they would have been if you just told the truth in the first place.
One major thing that you could lose from blaming someone else for something you did is all credibility that you might hold with the person you lie to. For example if I lied to my mom and blamed something I did on my brother and she figured it out then it would be very difficult for me to every gain her trust back. And if somewhere down the road another instance happened and this time he really was the one to blame and not me, it might be difficult for me to convince her that that time it really was not my fault.
Another reason is that you never know how the other person is going to be punished for what you blamed them for. If you blame someone for something and they get seriously reprimanded for it, if you have any trace of compassion in you whatsoever it is going to bother you as you witness what happens to them. The guilt will start to eat away at you until you cannot stand it anymore and you have to confess your guilt. And more times then not when you confess your guilt the person you lied to is going to be significantly more angry with you for lying to them then they would have been if you just told the truth in the first place.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Journal 5
Unfortunately I think that taking away Facebook is a pretty good idea. I don't agree as much with taking away cell phones because when you take away a teenager's cell phone you take away a very important tool they probably use for more than just keeping in contact with their friends. These days cell phones are used for everything. I personally use my cell phone for keeping in contact with my friends for social reasons but also for getting in contact when I have problems with my homework. With the difficult load of classes that I have these days, that kind of situation arises pretty often. I also use my calculator for simple calculations when I am doing my homework and do not need a scientific calculator to do them. Since I always have my phone it is convenient to just use it instead of locating my calculator.
I also use my phone as a GPS at times. I have a maps app that enables me to search a certain address and it tells me how to get there and how long it is going to take me.
I also use my phone to look up anything and everything I need to look up. It's very handy for research if I do not have a computer nearby to be able to look anything up on. My parents also find themselves often asking me to look something up for them that they needed.
Also they clearly need to get into contact with me a lot because I have after-school sports and schedule changes and last-minute decisions that I have to run by them. If they took my phone away they would not be able to do that. Overall it would end up being just as much of an inconvenience and punishment to them as it was to me.
I think taking away Facebook is the best option. I am constantly on Facebook on my phone and I would feel really weird if I went several days without being on Facebook. Another smart punishment is not allowing me to go out and spend time with my friends on the weekends.
I also use my phone as a GPS at times. I have a maps app that enables me to search a certain address and it tells me how to get there and how long it is going to take me.
I also use my phone to look up anything and everything I need to look up. It's very handy for research if I do not have a computer nearby to be able to look anything up on. My parents also find themselves often asking me to look something up for them that they needed.
Also they clearly need to get into contact with me a lot because I have after-school sports and schedule changes and last-minute decisions that I have to run by them. If they took my phone away they would not be able to do that. Overall it would end up being just as much of an inconvenience and punishment to them as it was to me.
I think taking away Facebook is the best option. I am constantly on Facebook on my phone and I would feel really weird if I went several days without being on Facebook. Another smart punishment is not allowing me to go out and spend time with my friends on the weekends.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Journal 4
For the most part I actually really hate going on long car trips. My family does not have the greatest track record as far as long car trips are concerned. Usually we all end up fighting and screaming followed by not talking at all. The problem is that there are so many people in my family. There are six of us, obviously four being kids. And when you decide to go on a sixteen hour trip to Florida with four kids you are going to run into some problems as the trip progresses. First of all, about every ten minutes somebody new decides they have to go to the bathroom. Also there is the question of everybody being thirsty and hungry and tired all at different times. Somebody will want to watch a movie while somebody else wants to go to sleep and complains that the noise is too much for them while they are trying to sleep.
Then there is the question of who gets to sit in the front seat and the back seat of the car. Everybody always wants to sit in the front seat because supposedly it is the best place to be. But then those who are banished to the back are mad that they are back there so they get revenge by kicking the seat of the person sitting in front of them. Then, of course, comes the yelling for mom to tell them to stop and then mom gets mad which makes dad mad which makes the entire car corrupt into a huge angry fury. It's a good time.
I think the only thing long car trips have done for me is make me realize that movies lie and they are not in fact bonding experiences. Nobody learns anything like they do in movies and everybody does not have a newfound respect for each other at the end. On the contrary, when you get back everybody is mad and hates each other's guts and it's just an all-around good time. When I grow up and have a family we are definitely taking a plane so we can actually at least tolerate each other for at least the beginning of our vacation.
Then there is the question of who gets to sit in the front seat and the back seat of the car. Everybody always wants to sit in the front seat because supposedly it is the best place to be. But then those who are banished to the back are mad that they are back there so they get revenge by kicking the seat of the person sitting in front of them. Then, of course, comes the yelling for mom to tell them to stop and then mom gets mad which makes dad mad which makes the entire car corrupt into a huge angry fury. It's a good time.
I think the only thing long car trips have done for me is make me realize that movies lie and they are not in fact bonding experiences. Nobody learns anything like they do in movies and everybody does not have a newfound respect for each other at the end. On the contrary, when you get back everybody is mad and hates each other's guts and it's just an all-around good time. When I grow up and have a family we are definitely taking a plane so we can actually at least tolerate each other for at least the beginning of our vacation.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Journal 3
It would obviously be incredibly scary to be held hostage in any form, but I think in a way it could also be fun. When I get scared I become somewhat of a smart alack and that would probably get me into trouble in that sort of case, but maybe I would get so annoying they would just decide to let me go. Or they would kill me. Then there is that.
Truthfully I think I would be pretty scared if I got kidnapped. I'm pretty good in high pressure situations though so I think I would end up coming with something. It would probably be something crazy that only had like a .01% chance of working but at least it would be something. I'd like to think I wouldn't be so scared that I'd just sit around doing nothing. I would also like to think that I wouldn't just submit to whatever my captor wanted me to do and go along with whatever they said. I'm not built to take orders very well. I would like to think I would hold onto my beliefs through everything even if I was tortured or whatever.
There is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that says that you never know how strong a woman is until you put her in hot water. I have always found this quote incredibly insightful and I think that it would definitely apply in this instance. Because the truth is, no matter how I think I would respond in a high-pressure situation such as being kidnapped, you can never truly know until the situation actually happens to you. For all you know it could end up going the exact opposite way of what you expected. Maybe I would be have more clarity and be braver than I think in that situation, or perhaps I would be more of a coward and instead ashamed of the way I would handle it. Who really knows?
Truthfully I think I would be pretty scared if I got kidnapped. I'm pretty good in high pressure situations though so I think I would end up coming with something. It would probably be something crazy that only had like a .01% chance of working but at least it would be something. I'd like to think I wouldn't be so scared that I'd just sit around doing nothing. I would also like to think that I wouldn't just submit to whatever my captor wanted me to do and go along with whatever they said. I'm not built to take orders very well. I would like to think I would hold onto my beliefs through everything even if I was tortured or whatever.
There is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that says that you never know how strong a woman is until you put her in hot water. I have always found this quote incredibly insightful and I think that it would definitely apply in this instance. Because the truth is, no matter how I think I would respond in a high-pressure situation such as being kidnapped, you can never truly know until the situation actually happens to you. For all you know it could end up going the exact opposite way of what you expected. Maybe I would be have more clarity and be braver than I think in that situation, or perhaps I would be more of a coward and instead ashamed of the way I would handle it. Who really knows?
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