Abortion

Like many, I grew up in a Christian home. My mom, dad, and sister are more religious than my brother and I. I'm more of a "Love God - Hate Religion" kind of person (if that makes sense). I believe that science and religion are mixed. Evolution happened, but it didn't happen alone. There had to have been a stronger force acting upon evolution, and I strongly believe it was God. Many people have different view points, but this is just mine.

Abortion is a topic that is extremely controversial, not just in the world, but at my house as well. Since my mom is so religious, she is very Pro-Life. She despises abortion and thinks it is one of the most horrible acts in the world today. She does not understand why people would harm an unborn child especially since many women have issues with pregnancy like miscarriages. She does not understand why people who are able to be a mother would give up that chance. She would much rather have the mother give the child up for adoption. And this is where my siblings and I come into their lives.

Since I am an adoptee and not so much of a religious person, I have a more Pro-Choice view. I am extremely happy with my life now and I would not change it. However, I don't know if I could personally put up my child for adoption. I know how many unanswered questions they live with and I've personally seen some adopted people not adapt well at all. I have to deal with abandonment issues daily and they effect my relationships with others. This is why I can see myself choosing to abort rather than having the child and putting it up for adoption.

I understand why my mother feels so strongly on this issue. But since we have had such different experiences, it is hard to see what she sees and it is hard for her to feel what I feel. We don't understand each other but yet we respect each other. The Bible tells us to cherish all lives, and I respect that. Abortion is so controversial because no one can seem to define exactly when it is illegal or not. Some people believe it is murder right away and some people believe it is murder after the baby develops more. But I'm sure you already knew that. I believe that people should be able to do what they choose to do. Mistakes happen. Freak accidents happen. If someone chooses to get an abortion, then they should deal with the consequences it brings them. They know what they are doing. I don't believe it is right to take someone's power and free will away. However, I can see someone's argument for the other side as well. It's an issue that is above my 18 year old self.

Since this topic is so controversial, I even think twice about what I would. Ultimately, I would just want the ability to decide for myself.

Feminist versus Faithful

My personal opinion on abortion is a split, fuzzy, confusion. On one hand, when I was younger I leaned toward pro-life, not due to religion (I am not religious at all), but due to my irritation induced by irresponsible people. I figured people shouldn't have sex if they can't handle the consequences. But as I grew older that argument proved more difficult to relate to. Now I find myself realizing how ridiculous it is to assume everyone will only fornicate to create babies, that's why contraceptives exist. So a complete 180 has occurred in regards to that argument, from pro-life to pro-choice.

Over the years I leaned more toward pro-choice for another reason. I had a brief introduction to abortion views before I understood the idea of women's rights and feminist acts. When I understood how much time and effort was put into women just gaining the right to choose whether or not to carry out a pregnancy. At this point I was just baffled on why any woman (Christian or not) would protest against something their own kind fought for (pro-choice). However, as I grew older I also had friends that had babies and the ol' maternal instincts kick in and I could not imagine why anyone would be so insensitive to kill a baby!

So clearly, my opinions were all over the place. This is because there are so many different "worlds" arguing what women should think about abortion, since it is much more relevant for women than men. Phrases that speak to you, make you feel guilty, make you feel empowered are thrown around to sway peoples' emotions and logic:

"A women of God appreciates all life." -religious

"Women fought for your right to choose." -historical

"A baby has a heartbeat at only x amount of days." -scientific

It seems whichever group you like to associate with, whether it be political, religious, recreational, determines your instinctive view on abortion. A controversy that came about because we invented new technologies in medicine. Some could counter-argue that God made that happen.

Video Games

Video games to me are a way of clearing my mind of whatever negative words, thoughts or feelings that I've had throughout the day without vehemently lashing out in a fit of rage. Being able to tune out my surroundings if only for mere minutes is that sole release I need in order to trudge through the rest of my day without wanting to kick a puppy. I know it sounds counterintuitive, for myself at least. I play a specific genre of games commonly known as fighting games. Ultimate Marvel Versus Capcom 3, Street Fighter IV AE, Tekken 6 BR, all of those games to me are the equivalent of taking Tylenol or Aspirin when you've got a headache. All people see when they watch these games are ways and methods of teaching your child to become violent or some lesser form of, "How to Teach Your Kids How to Become Violent Deliquents." What I see are tactics, strategy, reflexes and skill all wrapped up into minute long bouts to the finish.

I'm here to argue that video games don't make you violent and they aren't a complete waste of time.

I mean, I get it. Video games nowadays are all about shooting, killing, maiming, spattering and all that gory stuff. I get where people are coming from. It's hard to overlook all that stuff. BUT, that doesn't mean that it's telling us to go out and do anything of those things. I don't see people running around with plasma swords attempting to slice up every human in sight, nor do I see kids attempting to (actually) fire balls of kinetic energy from their hands. We, as gamers, get that this stuff is fake. We don't get respawns in real life. We can't get killstreaks in real life. We don't get violent because of video games. For that, I'll delve back into my area of expertise.

Fighting games may not have any direct application to real life, but it doesn't mean that you can't apply certain aspects of it to what you're learning. In fighting games, you watch your opponent, react with appropriate countermeasures, and if you're execution is off, you won't end up on the right side of the fight. This can easily be applied to the business world. Similar to upcoming businesses in an new industry, companies need to establish initial strategies in order to build enough market share so that they can maintain their company. By watching their opponents and making sure their execution is done without errors, they are setting the groundwork for an 'attack' to either knock their competitors out or to place themselves in a position where they cannot fail. The fighting game equivalent would be winning.

The last example was shoddy. It was kind of meant to be. Generally when I try to explain that argument to people, I'm met with, "You're just saying that. People don't think like that when they're playing video games. They're just thinking about the video game." My response is normally, "No, they probably don't." Of course we don't directly apply real world applications when we're playing video games. We're having fun. We're ignoring the hazards and obligations of life for a little bit. But that also means that we're not really thinking about anything other than the video game. I don't know if you've noticed, but when people play video games, they get really into the game. Should you even walk within peripheral vision of a person playing Dance Dance Revolution, they are more likely to miss arrows than if no one was crossing their vision. As a person who has played DDR for a long time (eight years and counting), I can attest to this. What does that have to do with video games with actual violence? People perceive gamers who play video games with almost every disregard to the outside world as form of immersing themselves in the violence. To me, that is completely and utterly wrong. They're trying to win so they're shutting out all the distractions to put their full effort into the game. They're not trying to become violent. They're just trying to win.

Now, what does that last paragraph have to do with video games not being a waste of time? As I mentioned in the beginning paragraph, video games may not have any direct skill takeaways (I sadly do not dance better because of DDR), but there are parallels that can be drawn from them. My earlier connection because fighting games and business strategy being one of my examples. My other example is Pokemon. By constructing a team of 6 Pokemon that not only support and work well with each other, but possess certain roles and skill sets, to battle and defeat another opponent whose team is unknown to you. Replace Pokemon with something like "cross-functional team" and the last clause with, "collaborate with one another to plan and execute a strategy that will increase revenue and sales in the next fiscal year." Strange how that works.

I'm not saying that video games will probably make you lazier, but that doesn't mean that they're bad or that they're inherently violent. I'm just saying give them a chance and see what they're about before you pass righteous judgement.

Christianity, Science, Abortion, and Birth Control.

I grew up in a Christian home, and have a strong Christian faith. I also have some belief in science - it's my belief that science discovers the things that God created and designed. I believe that science is wrong about some things, but right on other things. I also believe that it's okay to disagree - just because I believe something doesn't mean I won't talk to you if you don't agree. These various aspects of my belief system are representative of my subject position. 

One controversial issue that I have a stance on is abortion and birth control. Everyone has their own opinion on these issues, and each individual opinion is based on that person's personal subjective position. From my position of Christianity with an acceptance of some of the findings of science, I believe that abortion is wrong and should be illegal. Birth Control methods on the other hand, I believe are acceptable and not an issue. Although I do not know all of the facts about both issues, I know enough to make an educated decision on my personal feelings towards both topics. 

The bible teaches the value of life for every single person - no matter what age, situation, status, or position. To me, this includes unborn babies and fetuses. The bible also says that murder is a sin, and is wrong. Today's culture reflects this (thankfully), but considering abortion as murder is not something that culture agrees on. Because of the findings of science relating to how early in a fetus' life it begins breathing and developing, I believe that unborn babies older than one or two days are considered alive, and the abortion of an unborn baby should be considered murder. 

The bible also teaches that sexual activity should be restricted to marriage between two people. However, in today's culture, this is not the way things work. This is an entirely separate issue which I am not going to get in to right now (as I don't truly know the "right" answer either!). Regardless, even if two people are married and only have sex with eachother, they may not wish to have a baby every time. This leads to the next aspect of this topic - Birth Control. 

Disregarding whether sex outside of marriage is "acceptable," it's safe to say that it happens. A lot. To almost everyone nowadays. If there were no forms of birth control, every single time two people had sex there would be another baby born 9 months later. Not everyone who has sex is prepared to care for a child - this would lead to thousands of uncared-for and underprivileged children, and a multitude of unborn babies that could potentially be murdered before birth if abortion is considered legal. Therefore, by using one of the many forms of birth control available, the lives of thousands of children are protected.

Thus it is my opinion that whether two people are married, divorced, dating, or just having sex, any time sexual intercourse occurs it is only responsible to use some form of birth control. Birth Control saves the lives of future children by making sure that children are only born to parents who are able to take care of them. I also believe that abortion should not be legal - if a baby is conceived and birth control is not used, the child should be born. "Aborting" a child in the womb is murder, and murder is illegal. 

There is no doubt that your opinion is different from mine. This collision of opinions is what makes topics like this "controversial" - few people can agree. My opinion is based on my subjective position, influenced by my faith in Christianity and an acceptance of science. If you feel strongly about this topic, please leave a comment about it. 

Paranormal Activities

Most have seen or heard of Paranormal Activities 1, 2, and 3. But have we experienced anything like it before? I know people who has had previous experiences with paranormal activities and/or known someone. Paranormal activities can sometimes be coincidence, real, haunting, unbelievable, fake, etc. But ultimately it comes down to the individual's own beliefs. My belief is that paranormal activities are real and CAN and CANNOT be proven with science. Science is only a way for humans to have data and explain the unexplained through experiments, observations, and hypothesis/thesis.

Moreover, we have t.v. shows on cable that are based on paranormal activities such as TAPS, American Horror Stories, Paranormal State, Haunted, and more. All these t.v. series are influenced and shaped by people's experiences (fake and real), the money and fame, the Paranormal Activities film series, and more. These shows also want to prove that ghosts really exists with their super scientific gears and gadgets in order to draw attention and audience and even maybe believers. Paranormal activities are what we believe in and not believe in. Something debatable would be cameras. Cameras could be our best friends and provide pictures that the eye can't see.

I believe in paranormal activities because I have previous experiences and I know relatives who has had previous experiences. I like to hear about paranormal activities and what people believe about it. My parents' religion is Shamanism and it involves spirits. Even though I don't entirely believe everything in Shamanism, I do believe that spirits live besides humans on earth and there are the good and bad ones. I believe that there are places that are haunted, people that are haunted, and spirits that roam freely.

The issue with paranormal activities are that we can never prove it is real or fake; never have actual evidence; and there are people out there who won't believe what they have been told and those that cry wolf (fake about it). As I mentioned earlier, there are those who believe and and those who does not. Films and people have mentioned and portray their own beliefs, but it all comes down to your very own beliefs. Religion plays an important role in this decision and I believe this whether or not you believe it, there is a part of you that will somehow believe in it. Also, who cares if you believe it or not. It's fun to take part of this paranormal activity. It gives you the chill and makes you think! The decision is yours.

Why I'm Single

Front and center, is where I sat. Front, because I have a personal faith with my God and trust that he will lead me though life. Center, because I believe that science is there but I don’t think that it needs to conflict with religion. In the back of the room there may be someone who is sitting in the center like me and doesn’t really have a persuasion of if they believe in science or not but are back there because they don’t believe in a god. For me it’s difficult to understand how someone can’t believe in God. Bad things do happen, people fail, there is death and problems but with God their is hope. He directs my choices, my actions, and my everything in life. With out Him, I would have nothing consistent in my life to put my trust in.

Because God is the most important part of my life and I choose to put him first, I made the decision when I was fifteen, not to date until I was ready to get married. I’m almost seventeen now (yep I'm a PSEO kid) and I don't date, compromise my standards, have friends with benefits, or have sex outside of marriage. I believe that God knows my desires and He has plans for me, if I choose to be content with him first. I did date a little before my decision and learned that now is not the time. I have other mentors in my life who have done the same or are doing the same (even at the age of 27) and it’s encouraging to see how they have been able to learn so much about themselves and know God’s plans for them in their life.

And probably you, the person in the back of the room, and along with the majority of people who read this are thinking, “Crazy. How could someone not date, make out, or have sex until they feel some 'God' is ready for them too”. They may wonder how do you know what type of people you like or don’t like if you don’t test the waters. It may be their own decision to date or be sexually active outside of marriage so that they will find acceptance of them self though others. They may not have much support in their life with family or friends so they look for that in other people to satisfy that need and wants.

I know there are great relationships among my high school peers and friends in college but the fact of the matter is, is that dating represents marriage in shorter terms. So if your dating a lot then breaking up a lot, how will that effect you long term? I have plenty of christian and non christian friends who are in good relationships at a young age but in doing so have had to give up something in that relationship. People normally think of the typically things you give up in order to date such as time with friends and family or the money spent. They also might have to give up opportunities to travel, time to know more about them self, the chance of meeting other people, but most importantly (how every much they put into a relationship will determine how much it will hurt when it’s over) they give up a piece of their heart.

Everyone wants to be loved, there is doubt about it. Way, way, back in the day, non-romantic relationships were very different than they are now. Nowadays, intimate relationships are saved for marriages, unless you choose to be sexually active before marriage, and our friendships now are good, but they are not truly intimate. Long ago it was more common for relationships between friends to have a deep level of intimacy, that had the potential to be life giving and very deep, yet it was not sexual.

Where are friends like that now?

The reason I do what I do is because I have friends like that. Who feed into my life and encourage me to grow in faith, stature, and godly character. For people who don’t have genuine love in their life, I can see why they choose to go beyond the boundaries of friendship and for people who don’t have faith, they may not see dating as a big deal. But for me, I choose to seek first God and his righteousness, then everything else will fall into place later, at the proper time (Matt. 6:33).

Posting Assignment #8 (due Sunday 12/4, 11:59 P.M.; comment by 11:59 Monday, 12/5) Building a theory-bridge of charity—to reach people who believe 'nonsense'

 [long post; read it carefully]

When we did our 'belief / science' spectrum in class we could all look out over our group and see—graphically—how we differed in the ways we see science, facts, rationality, spirituality, commitment to views of the world and the universe, emotion, proof—everything.  It was a moment of affirmation for many of us, because we were able to treat our many differences with complete respect.

It's not always that way.  In 'Beyond…reason,' Robin and Carl try to explain how we might understand the visceral, powerful, passionate and often ugly ways we 'construct' those whose views radically contradict ours.  They show how words (rhetoric) work to construct worlds that may never be brought into alignment.  And why it matters so much.  And why we all probably do it.

So maybe, over in the other corner from where we sat on Tuesday, are people who really don't live in the same worlds we do—though we pass on the street and sit beside each other in Al's all the time.  Maybe.

In this late blog post, we can take this further by imagining a very specific 'subject position' different from our own, identifying a very specific claim about the world on which we would probably differ, and offering that person a way to see how the differences are constructed.  And why it matters so much. 

NOT a rant.  NOT Hannity or Jon Stewart.  No sneering, eye-rolling, snarky, funny put-downs.  No preaching.  No testifying. No self-serving superiority.  No unsupported claims. No condescension—as much fun as any of that can be.

Reasoned, careful, theoretically-anchored, self-aware and charitable. 

We may never change a mind.  But we may be able to get clear how we differ.  Step one across the bridge.

1.  Identify a subject position.  The model here is 'Beyond…reason,'  but for you and your world.  Think about how Robin lays out his hard-won investment in science, ornithology, geology, mountaineering, careful driving, big words, art, representation—and how his it contrasts with the world of guys who like the grand and grandiloquent, and who read the Whitney's catalog and build trucks as art.  Detailed.  Specific.  Maybe it's your best friend or your aunt.  Maybe it's your former Pastor or Hebrew School teacher.  Maybe it's your biology teacher.

2.  Identify an issue with a specific claim in it. The MCCL billboard above has many.  One is actual science: 'embryos are just tiny babies.'  One involves gender roles and pairings; a dude with his cap on backwards, and a babe with a cute hat with a butterfly.  Science.  Sex and sexuality, of course, if you can—but really anything that falls under our big umbrella of 'Science and Culture.'   Use the claims in Andrea Tone's history of 'the pill' if you like; things like Loretta Lynn singing sexual freedom and Bad Men.  Medicalization of sexuality.  Side effects.  Birth control as a 'woman's issue' (variously). The total alteration of sex, love, marriage, families that comes about when various 'reproductive technologies' become available.  'Rights' (privacy, life).  'Hook-ups' or 'friends with benefits' (discursive technologies).  Abstinence rings, clubs or balls (discursive technologies).  Arranged marriages (discursive technologies). Celibate priesthoods  (discursive technologies).  E-Harmony  (discursive / cyber technology).  Though we're not there yet, Jill Lepore's history of Planned Parenthood politics, the Pope, and the MCCL website (next week) are full of material.  So is your life.  Get it small and specific; good issue = good blogpost.

3.  Build a bridge. Writing in any form / format that works for you, explain how and why this issue is a total stumbling block, and what needs to be done to understand the inherent conflicts.  You're explaining and showing.  You're using our work (all of it) to make the case.  Your goal is understanding—going both ways.