November 24

I think that there is no way that we can totally refuse technology today so we have to find something in between to make it work.
Technology today is a very big part of our lives and very important for many things in which technology has made everything much easier. Like I work in a bank and everything is made on the computer or machines count the money. So technology really helps to take care of everything faster and with more accuracy then a person counting and adding everything up in their heads or having to write it down. So I think technology really helps everyone in this time we are in. Also now that we have cell phones and we have an emergency or a friend or family member have an emergency and need our help they can just make a quick call and get help anywhere, which really helps. It also helps that we never feel alone and can always be talking with someone in the sense that you never have to feel lonely. This really help because almost no one likes to feel like they are lonely or show other people that they are lonely, which is why even when they aren't talking with anyone, they pretend to do so. Like sometimes I have done is when I am sitting waiting for a friend at a restaurant or outside of class. I prefer for people to think that I do have friends instead of letting them think that just because I'm there alone, I have no friends.

There are many problems technology has caused as well so it’s not all a benefit to us. A couple of years people would have to use their brains a lot more and were not so dependent on technology as we are today. Today it’s harder for people to memorize anything from phone numbers to important school information needed for a test. I have met people that don't know their house numbers because they have it saved on the cell phone. Also since everything is done on the phone its harder for people to talk face to face because every time they have talked has been by phone or on the internet. Many times over text messages or on the internet we find a lot of things we can talk about or even insult people and tell them a lot of things, but face to face we are afraid to even say hi and everything gets awkward and have to make excuses to leave fast. So technology has not helped us in every aspect but instead made us shy in front of other people and made us stop using our heads as much as the people from before.

So like everything else in life it has its cons and pros so we should become a little less dependent on it in situations not needed. We should try to communicate more face to face then by text messages and just use phones for situations in which it is really needed like for work or an accident.

Social Issues (National and International)

1. Religion
2. Immigration
3. Terrorism
4. Drug Abuse
5. Alcohol Abuse
6. War in Iraq & Iran
7. Nuclear Bombs and Advancement
8. Financial Needs
9. GBLT Civil Rights
10. Abortion

Revised Proposal

Over the history of time many churches with various doctrines have been formed. It is often the case that the individual is unaware of the serious consequences this split can incur and are at many times unprepared to face these consequences. There have been many cases where this took place in history and even to this day continue to happen. In most churches, a disagreement can lead to the splitting of a large member church and it isn’t necessarily over doctrine but over structures and one’s own personal biases and beliefs. The problem this creates is that the people, who are persuaded by the unconfirmed individual to follow them, usually are unaware of whom they are following or what this person’s goals are for the church or its members. It is possible that these people are tricked into doing something that affects their own personal life or that radically changes their beliefs. I think the government should require individuals seeking a position within a faith to be well educated in their faith receiving their doctorate degree in Theology and in Counseling. It is important for a minister to be educated in counseling because they need to be able to understand people and to assess their problems.
Although the Constitution states for the freedom of religion, it is essential that the government regulate the institution of churches in the United States. The right to the freedom of religion has provided for the formation of various small denominations of a greater faith and also the formation of extreme groups that radically change people’s perspective and induce them to not just affect themselves but the community as well. Therefore the government needs to be aware of the various groups around and the potential threat they can be to society. Individuals leading should be people of good faith and morals. It has been seen, throughout history and nowadays, that many preachers and ministers have committed horrifying atrocities. For example, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda claimed to be the antichrist and tattooed the number “666” on himself as did other supporters of his preaching’s including his daughter. These people believed that it was not the sign of the devil. Another example is the Heaven’s Gate cult founded by Marshall Applewhite. The thirty-nine members were found dead and it is believed that they all committed suicide.

Proposal

Over the history of time many churches with various doctrines have been formed. It is often the case that the individual is unaware of the serious consequences this split can incur and are at many times unprepared to face these consequences. There have been many cases where this took place in history and even to this day continue to happen. In most churches, a disagreement can lead to the splitting of a large member church and it isn’t necessarily over doctrine but over structures and one’s own personal biases and beliefs. The problem this creates is that the people, who are persuaded by the unconfirmed individual to follow them, usually are unaware of whom they are following or what this person’s goals are for the church or its members. It is possible that these people are tricked into doing something that affects their own personal life or that radically changes their beliefs. I think the government should require individuals seeking a position within a faith to be well educated in their faith receiving their doctorate degree in Theology and in Counseling. It is important for a minister to be educated in counseling because they need to be able to understand people and to assess their problems.
The government needs to form a board for the regulation of churches because this is a major issue in North America especially since the Constitution states the freedom of religion. This has provided for the formation of various small denominations of a greater faith and also the formation of extreme groups that radically change people’s perspective and induce them to not just affect themselves but the community itself as well. Therefore the government needs to be aware of the various groups around and the potential threat they can be to society. Individuals leading should be people of good faith and morals. It has been seen, throughout history and nowadays, that many preachers and ministers have committed horrifying atrocities. For example, in Latin American communities this is very common. Many of the pastors in these positions have not gotten an education and are unprepared to help individuals with their problems and also some are illegal immigrants. This goes to show that the first principle to becoming a United States citizen is to be honest in every aspect of your life especially in taxes. Preachers are set as models that people follow therefore they should be a good example of what it is to be a follower of the state and a good citizen as well.

practical proposal

I decided to write on the requirements to become an ordained minister or pastor. A minister, apparently, is only required to be called by God to speak on behalf of him to his people, but this is very controversial because these men may not be knowledgeable in every area. For example, many people decide to seek God when they are facing difficulties. They do need spiritual guidance as well as pastoral counseling. Pastors should be required to have a doctoral degree in theology as well as in counseling to be of service to people who seek help in the church. They especially need it when addressing the word of God so that any potential errors can be eliminated to avoid any confusions within the church. The United States can require all ministers that would like to be head of a church and ordained by the state to have a degree in theology and in psychology so that with this knowledge along with the calling by God they can lead people. This proposal can stop the opening of so many churches and of so many new doctrines that can lead people to commit extreme acts as is seen lately in the news or in the past. The costs can be pretty high depending on what school they decide to attend. The costs would be mostly for the ordained minister or pastor because they would have to go back to school to get the degrees needed in order to become a minister or pastor. This problem has not been resolved because of the belief of separation of church and state. The government does not get involved in the control of how churches are governed and how they replace ministers that have left to guided the masses. Also people just go out and rent a small building or shopping center and put a name on it and the government does not even check what is being opened up. So the only ones that can take care of this problem is the United States government who can regulate and ask for licenses to open a church and make degrees, also be required. So I think the government can get something out of it and also schools while at the same time helping out all the people that may later attend the churches. So I think it would be very helpful for a lot of people and everyone can be happy.

Blog for thurs 22

To me a couple of stories like Miner meltdown continues to cause major headaches for UH, Find Balancing for parents, or The Man charged with 16-yr old slaying. Well some stick out to me because of the picture that is shown or if the topic interests me and I just want to read a little more about it. So I usually go in and try to read about it but if it doesn't go to the point i'll just go right back out and look for something more. Like for the football one I went in to see what it is that actually haunts UH, and its the fact that that A team from MIner is keeping them from being in the top 10. Also I like another one called The people's game because I saw Beckham's name on it. I don't really see what other people see in him but they say he is a big contribution to people liking soccer a little more in the U.S.
The way I would start it is "Is American soccer more interested in turning a profit then advancing the sport?" I would say this is a good question to start off because Beckham is getting stadiums full even though he really doesn't play or sometimes wont even be noticed when he is playing because he won't do anything.
If I was to look for information of why this is happening, I would probably have to ask the MLA of what they want to attain by having him there, and if all they want is to make a profit instead of advancing the sport or as Beckham put it "making soccer the biggest sport in America.
Some of the topics I'm interested are in why there is so much traffic on 290? Also why can't they have longer lunches at Bank of America because 30 minutes isn't enough time? Why don't teachers use microfones if they have a large class and they talk very soft?

For the first causal paper I have chosen the topic of genital mutilation. The research question is: What causes societies in Africa, mainly Egypt, and the Middle East to practice genital mutilation, particularly in women? The interest this topic arises is the reasons most of these societies give for the practice when it is rather unhealthy to a lot of women. An example of this is that women who are genitally mutilated are told that that is the only way they will find a husband or that their husband likes that they be sealed to ensure that they are virgins. I am a firm believer in what the Bible says about harm done to the body (basically prohibited). In 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 Paul wrote for us, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body." So far I have thought about writing about the practice and why these societies hold this practice and what are some of the consequences that have affected many women in these societies. Also it is interesting to see how this rarely affects the men in these societies. In 2007, I went on a tour to Israel and Egypt and I got firsthand observation of what position a woman seems to hold in those societies. Well basically they have no power and no say in society and are confined to their husbands more as property than as a help, which was God’s original intent in Genesis 2:20.

September 15 Glee

The television show Glee in my opinion is breaking new ground, although in some ways it still rehashes old stereotypes and stock characters. In this first episode, we encounter a high school which is ruled by the jocks and cheerleaders and everyone else does not matter to the principal. This has been very uncommon in television shows but very popular in movies such as She's All That or Bring it On. In Glee we see a professor who is interested in getting students to feel motivated and follow their own dreams. Most other television shows are focused on the students rather than on the adults who should be there to help the students pull through the adversities of life and the moments of depression so that they can achieve their full potential. Currently on television we see shows such as Smallville and Supernatural. In Smallville, the show is mostly about Clark, a figment of Superman, who is trying to live a normal live as a normal kid, falling in and out of love, but also saving his friends and family members from the threat that is posed from his past. The Supernatural show is about two brothers who are in search of discovering the supernatural things that govern their world to bring order to the world by eliminating any threat that is posed. As we can see, Glee is completely focused on a club that accepts everybody and anybody who is willing to join. It is very difficult at first because you can see the rivarly that is always present between human beings and the fear people experience when they think they are going to be humilated by their peers. The professor is trying to get everyone together so that the club can put on a good show and does whatever he has to do to get the students he needs to join. We can see that, although he felt bad about it, he pushed a student to join the club by black mailing him into losing everything he had and terminating in explusion because he found a pack of marijuana in his locker, which he had placed there in order to accuse him. The student did like music but since he is a jock he was afraid that he would be shamed by his friends. This feeling is common among adolescents because they want to feel accepted by their peers. This show is very similar to the movies that have been produced in the pop culture but it is very different in the shows that have been airing along with it.