en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3551362 Comments by lkwalenpaulpack http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-81/#IDComment231713602 Growing up I went to church every Sunday and attended weekly religious classes until I received my conformation. Even though the older I got the more I strayed away from actually practicing my religion I still hold the same values and beliefs. The question, do you believe your Christian God supports the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is not a hard one for me to answer. I believe whole heartedly that God would not support these wars. Killing people is a sin plain and simple and that one simple fact makes it hard to think that good would support something that takes away so many lives especially something that takes away so many innocent civilian lives. Another central theme taught from an early age is love your neighbor which also goes against the concept of war and would be another reason that “our” God would not be in support of actions taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan. In my opinion to say that your religion supports this war or any war is just a way of trying to justify the situation. Wars with religious purposes or justifications date back centuries. At no point in time when I was attending church or my religious classes am I able to remember anyone saying that God was the reason for any of these forms of violence or that he would be in support of any of these extreme forms of violence. On the contrary we are taught that our God is loving, gracious, and forgiving. We are taught to pray for our loved ones and offer support. And it is this concept that I believe may bring up some confusion. As a Christian yes I do support our troops I pray for them and my church regularly has fun raisers, food drives, and other means to support troops. In our community we do many things to help give support to the people fighting, however that does not mean I support the reason they are fighting the war. In this country we pride our selves on our freedoms and rights that many other people in other parts of the world are denied. One of those coveted freedoms is freedom of religion. Therefore it was frustrating for me to hear Sam say that it is the Christian’s fighting the war. I believe that religion and war are two completely different matters and one does not justify the other nor should they be connected or viewed as interdependent. Everyone fighting in the war has different reasons for doing so and while their may be some extremist whose sole purpose may be to spread Christianity that is not the case for the majority of the troops. So while there may be a good number of Christian troops fighting in the war that does not make it a Christian war supported by “our” God. Fri, 2 Dec 2011 16:15:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/29/voices-from-the-classroom-81/#IDComment231713602 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment222963946 I was astounded when we did the example in class that really put into perspective how many people are victims of abuse. Fortunately for me I have never been a victim of sexual abuse or any type of abuse for that matter. Nor have I had a close friend or family member who has gone through this type of traumatic event, at least that I know of. Each person’s experience is unique and there are many different factors that could be keeping them quiet. Like we said in class a victim may be scared that speaking out will tear apart their family, fear that speaking out will bring more harm than good, and then on the more extreme side there are those that fear for their lives if they were to come forward. Having not gone through a traumatic event like this all I can do is imagine how difficult it must be to endure abuse let alone trying to speak out after being silenced. There are many different factors that would influence if I would speak out or not. Circumstance would be a huge factor in my decision. It would be much easier for me to speak out if I had been attacked or victimized by a random person or someone not in my family. If I was related to the person who was my abuser, especially if they were in my immediate family, that would be almost as hard to deal with as physically suffering the abuse. When being abused by a family member I would imagine that there would be a lot of guilt involved in speaking out because once you do your very foundation will be rocked to it’s core and there is no way your life can go back to the way it was. Like we talked about Tuesday in class support can mean many different things but the central theme was for victims to feel like there are people to be there for them in their time of need. Having a solid support team, I believe, is very important to someone deciding to break their silence. When going through a hard time it is always to have someone by your side, even if they have no idea what your going through sometimes just having the comfort of another person is enough. If I were to speak out I would need the complete support of my family and friends. For me this would mean them never doubting my experience no matter who it involved. Not only would I want to have family and friends to talk to but I think being able to join a support group of some sort would help me to come to terms with what had happened and be more comfortable in telling my story. Most importantly I would just want them to be there for me offering a shoulder to lean on. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:43:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-76/#IDComment222963946 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220576915 Do you really think the amount of money you make has nothing to do with how happy you are, and if so why? I would have to say that money is connected to how happy a person is. Unfortunately in our society the idea of having a lot of money and being happy have become synonymous. However the amount of money needed to make a person happy is relative, what makes one person happy does not make another person feel the same way. I do believe that you do need some level of substantial income or amount of money to be happy. By this I mean enough income to cover necessary cost like bills as well as providing for your family. Being able to cover these bases eradicates the need to worry about security. After this is covered it truly becomes a matter of personal preference concerning the amount of money needed to make a person happy. There are some people who can not be happy unless they have excessive amounts of money to spare on luxury items such as cars, clothes, and vacations. And then there are those who just need enough to get by and are content to be living in a small house with out all of the lavish extra items. Although money is important it is not the only thing that contributes to a persons happiness. What you do to make your money plays a major role in a persons happiness as well. Those people who earn extraneous amounts of income are often in careers that take up a lot of time, which in turn takes away from their personal lives with family. These people have to make a lot of sacrifices in order to keep up their life style, and for some that just is not worth it. The point I am trying to make is that the type of job people do regardless of the amount of money they makes is a big factor in their happiness. If you are going to a job you hate everyday, despite the fact that you could be making seven figures or more, it does not matter how much money you are making because you are not happy. Personally money does not matter all that much to me. During the summer I live at my beach house which is obviously a very relaxed lifestyle unaffected by the need of material items and this is always when I am at my happiest. Because of the way I was raised it has always been my dream to at some point in my life live down the shore open a surf shop with my brother and just live the simple life, and that not money is what would truly make me happy. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:10:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/09/voices-from-the-classroom-32/#IDComment220576915 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment216904198 I personally do not have a problem with people around me speaking another language. My feelings about this issue have a lot to do with how I was raised. My mother came to America from Denmark in her mid twenties and has been here ever since. With the rest of her family living in Denmark when she had my siblings and I it was a priority of hers to keep her heritage alive. I became fluent in Danish at a young age and to keep my up to speed with the language my mother would often randomly break out in Danish to keep us on our toes, and often times it would be in a public place. It is because of this background that I am more desensitized to people around me speaking another language. However I do from a young age remember sometimes getting looks from people when not speaking English. I can understand why some people may have a problem or be wary of people they can not understand for more simple reasons. It is human nature to be curious about what other people are saying especially when you do not understand the language they are speaking. And with that curiosity also comes a sense of uncertainty, people often find themselves becoming self conscious assuming the conversation is about them when it is just as likely that it pertains to the weather. In situations like these I can understand why people may be uncomfortable. Unfortunately I do believe that there are those who do take it more offensively. With current tensions surrounding immigration I think many people are quick to judge when they hear those around them speaking another language. Many times people come to the conclusion that these people are ignorant because they won’t embrace the language of the country they are living in and chose not to learn it. But there is a unique circumstance for every person. While some may not know English there are those who do and choose not to use it. When coming to a knew country there are many things to adjust to. Keeping some aspects of a previous home land and culture is an important and comforting aspect to a lot of people. Speaking their native language is one of those ways for people to hold on to their cultures. Not only that it is also comforting to hear those around you speaking a language that you are familiar with. Instead of being uncomfortable I think it gives people a certain bond. When ever I see or hear someone speaking Danish in the America I feel instantly connected to them since there are not many people from Denmark living in the United States. Fri, 4 Nov 2011 18:42:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-59/#IDComment216904198 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213559007 American’s like to think that their country was built on the hard work, freedom, and the American Dream. What most of us either fail to notice or choose to ignore is one of our country’s most important building block, the genocide of the indigenous peoples. High school education only grazes the tip of the iceberg on this topic and unless people seek further education on the subject they will most likely never understand how horrific this country’s treatment of the indigenous people really was. Last year I took English 135, a course dedicated to the history of the Native American people and the tragedies they have suffered in the construction of America. To say this class opened my eyes to what really happened through out history and what continues to happen today is an understatement. That being said I completely agree with Sam when he said that there is no easy solution to this problem. When the matter only concerns one or two generations its easy to say that we should give the land back. It was clearly taken without any due cause from the indigenous people and they have every right to reclaim their land. The problem becomes only more complicated as time goes on. Should a whole family be displaced from their home because 4 or 5 generations ago one of their family members stole the land from some one else. This only creates more problems, because even though the descendants of the original Native American are mostly likely living in poverty giving them back their land could potentially drive another family into the same situation. So while I sympathize with what the indigenous people have had to endure I feel that giving them back their land and displacing millions of other families will do more harm than good. Therefore I believe helping the indigenous people re-establish themselves is more realistic as well as beneficial. There are little things that can be done to help re-establishment take place. The use of Native American mascots is has been in debate for years and the Native American people are adamantly pushing for it to stop. All of these mascots are extremely offensive and racist. The Atlanta Braves for example have an red faced Indian for their mascot. The term “red” is much more offensive then most people realize. It derived from colonial times when bounty’s were put on Native Americans and trappers would bring their scalps for money, and the term for the scalp of an Indian and then broadened to describe all Native Americans. It is clear that the indigenous people have suffered a great deal and continue to suffer at the hands of America and it’s government. What needs to be done to re-establish them will certainly not be easy nor is it clear, but what is clear is that retributions need to be made. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:59:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/27/voices-from-the-classroom-57/#IDComment213559007 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210691325 However there is one instance in high school where I got a taste of what it would be like to have a seat at that table. I played basketball all throughout high school and while on varsity there were two twin sisters a grade above me that were of African American decent. Despite our differences in race there was a group of us that were all very close including the twins. One weekend they invited us over their house; it was a bunch of girls from the team and then some of their guy friends who also happened to be black. When I first arrived I didn’t think anything of it. As the night went on there were constantly comments being made by the twins friends like “oh you girls are so much more fun than most white people,” and things of that nature. After they left me and my friends mentioned it to them and briefly laughed about it and then never mentioned it again. Looking back I wish I had taken the time to discuss the matter in more detail and actually sit down at the race table. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:24:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210691325 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210691223 I don’t think that racism with in a society can ever be totally eradicated but there are things we can all do to make strides towards a world of more understanding. Like I said I have never sat at the race table and had an outright debate about racism and how it affects everyone differently. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:24:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210691223 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210691085 I think one of the biggest reasons for the different forms of racism is due to our country’s history with slavery and racism. Many white people feel that they have to over compensate for what happened in the past. Therefore for white people to show any form of racism towards black people is completely and utterly unacceptable. And in the same sense, due to the course of history, it is understandable why people of color choose to be more upfront in terms of racism. That is not to say that all white people are always consciously and subconsciously thinking about race as well as black people constantly talking poorly on white people, it just explains why these two very different types of racism are in existence. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:24:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210691085 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210690966 I am from an area of New Jersey that is predominantly white. Even though it is a predominantly white area there are still a variety of races living in the area. And although I have personally sat at the race table where I grew up has given me insight into the different worlds of racism. Therefore I would have to agree that latent racism is more affluent throughout the white community opposed to the black community where it is more racism is more out in the open. I would just like to point out now that anything I’m commenting on is just through my observation and perception of events surrounding me. Nothing I am staying is necessarily true or what I firmly believe in, it is just what I have picked up on. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:23:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/20/voices-from-the-classroom-52/#IDComment210690966 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207637381 The story of Abby and Brittany is an extremely unique and inspiring story. I am truly astounded at the internal strength that these two poses. For these girls everyday has the potential to be a struggle. Despite their two separate brains and control of opposite sides of their body they have learned to work and function as essentially one fully functioning body. Even though for the time being their lives are running smoothly there are many things they will have to address in both the long and near future. In the near future they will have to face questions like, can we date, how will it work when and if dating other people, and how will sex work? In the more distant future they will have to worry about things like how will they decide on a college, how will they pursue their own careers, will they be paid as individuals? These are just some of the difficult things they are going to have to figure out as they go. Freedom and determinism play a big part in Abby’s and Brittany’s lives. Determinism has played a very clear and dominant role in the girls lives. Since they have no choice but to share a body, they would die without each other, they have become physically limited in a number of ways. In this sense their biology has determined that they will always be together and forced to live shared lives. This has forced them to lead a life driven by understanding and consideration for their other half. However freewill has played an equally large part in Abby’s and Brittany’s lives. They could have become depressed at their situation and chose to live their life in sorrow and anger. Instead they have choose to live the life of a normal teenager. In order to strive to be as “normal” as possible they made the video to show everyone how they cope and to get a final word in. Although they are physically impaired from a lot of things they have made the choice to work hard and battle through it as much as they can. Their hard work has allowed them to over come their hurdles and be able to learn how to drive and even clap simultaneously. Although aspects of their lives were determined for them and continue to be the driving force of what they can and cannot do they have used their free will to make the best of their situation. They or their family do not owe the world anything and buy making this video they have given enough insight for people to begin to understand how they have decided to make the best of their situation and that the rest of the world needs to respect their decisions and allow them to live their lives. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:28:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/12/consider-the-issue-of-freedom-vs-determinism/#IDComment207637381 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204456199 Before coming to Penn State my going out attire consisted of jeans and a t shirt. There were even times if I had a game late at night were I would go home take a quick shower and go out in a sweat shirt and sweat pants. Had someone told me then that when I went off to college I would be in short skirts and heels every weekend I probably would have laughed. But after a year at Penn State I have fallen victim just like so many of the other girls that go here to the short skirt and heel phenomenon. I personally enjoy dressing up when I go out on the weekends. However I do have to say that there is a difference in how some people choose to dress up. I don’t have a problem with girls wearing tight skirts and heels. But I do think that some people take that to an extreme wearing clothes that barely cover their body and leave them way to over exposed. Whenever I am home I am always in jeans and a t shirt so going out at school is really the only time I ever get to dress up. Even if I didn’t enjoy dressing up so much I have to admit that I would still do it just because it’s what you do when you go out at Penn State. Girls feel a lot of pressure to look good when they go out. If every girl at a party is wearing nice clothes and shoes you don’t want to be the one person who shows up not looking their best. While I do admit the heels have the potential to be extremely uncomfortable at times I like they way they look and personally I don’t mind sacrificing some of my comfort for a few hours. There are times especially in the winter when I envy boys. It is kind of aggravating that all boys have to do is jump in the shower and then throw on what ever is lying around their room. No one is expecting them to wear a suit and tie to a party but I have friends who go to smaller more “preppy” schools were boys have a dress code of their own. At some other schools I know there are some boys who are always wearing kakis and a button down shirt. When I talk to them and ask why they don’t dress in a simple jeans and t shirt out fit like most of the boys here they respond they same way I do when people ask why I decided to wear a tight skirt and heels. They feel pressure to conform to what everyone else where and it just what people do there. Fri, 7 Oct 2011 18:10:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204456199 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204456002 Before coming to Penn State my going out attire consisted of jeans and a t shirt. There were even times if I had a game late at night were I would go home take a quick shower and go out in a sweat shirt and sweat pants. Had someone told me then that when I went off to college I would be in short skirts and heels every weekend I probably would have laughed. But after a year at Penn State I have fallen victim just like so many of the other girls that go here to the short skirt and heel phenomenon. I personally enjoy dressing up when I go out on the weekends. However I do have to say that there is a difference in how some people choose to dress up. I don’t have a problem with girls wearing tight skirts and heels. But I do think that some people take that to an extreme wearing clothes that barely cover their body and leave them way to over exposed. Whenever I am home I am always in jeans and a t shirt so going out at school is really the only time I ever get to dress up. Even if I didn’t enjoy dressing up so much I have to admit that I would still do it just because it’s what you do when you go out at Penn State. Girls feel a lot of pressure to look good when they go out. If every girl at a party is wearing nice clothes and shoes you don’t want to be the one person who shows up not looking their best. While I do admit the heels have the potential to be extremely uncomfortable at times I like they way they look and personally I don’t mind sacrificing some of my comfort for a few hours. There are times especially in the winter when I envy boys. It is kind of aggravating that all boys have to do is jump in the shower and then throw on what ever is lying around their room. No one is expecting them to wear a suit and tie to a party but I have friends who go to smaller more “preppy” schools were boys have a dress code of their own. At some other schools I know there are some boys who are always wearing kakis and a button down shirt. When I talk to them and ask why they don’t dress in a simple jeans and t shirt out fit like most of the boys here they respond they same way I do when people ask why I decided to wear a tight skirt and heels. They feel pressure to conform to what everyone else where and it just what people do there. Fri, 7 Oct 2011 18:09:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/10/06/voices-from-the-classroom-40/#IDComment204456002 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-18/#IDComment201455902 I believe that people like to think that racism has be eradicated within America. And while significant strides have been made since colonial times and the civil rights movement racism is still alive and well. The very clear difference in the approaches in dealing with the bike thieves based on their race is a very predominant example of how racism still exists. Many people today when you ask them if they are racists would most likely respond adamantly that they are not. While they may not think they are there are racists actions and tendencies that have been drilled into us by media and our surroundings whether we are aware of it or not. So while I am discouraged by the staggering difference in the amount of people that questioned the black males behavior over the white males I cannot say that I am one hundred percent surprised. The people who called the police on the black male or made a scene because of his actions all swore that they were motivated to do something because of actions rather than his skin color. But if people where purely motivated by the actions of the boys then there should have been equal unrest when the white male attempted to steal the bike. I believe that the majority of people who were unsettled when seeing the black male were not acting on intended racist feelings but rather ones that society had conditioned them to believe. There were even two older black females who were later interviewed after passing by the white male and said that they dismissed his actions because he was a nice looking white male whereas had they seen a black male doing the same thing they and the rest of the public would have probably been more suspicious. Whether we like to admit it or not looks matter in our society, as proven when the busty blonde was stealing the bike. Rather than report her most men went out of their way to help her even when she admitted what her real intentions where. Women however were not blinded by her looks and were more skeptical of her actions yet never took any action. I was not surprised that men were more willing to help her yet I was surprised at the lengths they were willing to go and that they would disregard her confession. During the summer I practically live down the shore. Our main transportation while down there is bikes. Two years ago on the forth of July we rode our bikes up to the beach and left them there while going on the beach. An hour or so later we came back and my bike was missing. Needless to say I was not happy, but then to my surprise when we went to the bay later that night I saw a tall, pretty, blonde haired girl riding my bike, I knew it was mine because of a sticker I had previously put on. As soon as I saw her I confronted her and eventually got it back. This particular experience definitely opened my eyes because I’m sure had I been walking by when she stole it I would of thought nothing of it, but now I have learned not to assume so much and try and see what is really in front of me. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:12:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-18/#IDComment201455902 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196812156 I have always known that developing countries like Haiti needed help to be able to sustain themselves, regardless of if they have been affected by a natural disaster or not. After watching the videos of local people trying to earn a living and seeing the environment in which they try and do so, as well as live in it was a real eye opener. However I was completely unaware of how the presence of organizations such as UNICEF sometimes do more harm than good, especially from an entrepreneurial stand point. That being said I believe the overall goal of the Haiti project will both help the entrepreneurs of Haiti to begin to turn out more of a profit as well as opening our eyes to less fortunate parts of the world and how we can all make an impact. When reading the article Tremor for Haiti’s Aid Industry I was shocked at the unintended consequences of national aid. The Medika Mamba product was a sustainable business in Haiti until larger producers that could turn out more product, faster, and cheaper than the Haitian version came into play. Organizations like UNICEF were buying from those larger national distributors and in turn devastating a business in a country that they are trying to help rebuild. Although Medika Mamba was eventually able to work with this larger brand I was still shocked at the situation. I’m not pretending to be an expert on the economics of products such as Medika Mamba, but with UNICEF being such a large organization it would make sense to me that they would attempt and forgo buying solely from the national distributor and dole out a little more money in order to help strengthen the economy and business of a country they are so desperately trying to help. While I believe that some of the businesses shown in the video will be more successful than others I do firmly believe that the Haiti project has the potential to allow most of the businesses to expand and become more efficient. One of the reoccurring themes I saw throughout the videos was that often times the entrepreneurs had good ideas and were very skilled but were hindered by out of date technology, lack of technology, and expensive supplies which in turn made them hike up the prices of their products. These combined factors hindered the business from being able to expand and reach maximum efficiency. Out of the videos I watched one of the businesses I think has the most potential is Figaro’s bakery business. She like many of the others has fallen victim to circumstance. It takes her a whole day to get supplies and then once she gets them she has little room for storage. To help her out would like it if my group could find a way to help her get a more efficient mode of transportation and tools that would allow her to bake more and sell her products at a lower more economic price. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:08:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/20/everyone-respond-to-this/#IDComment196812156 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-12/#IDComment194296336 The results of this poll as shown in class were close to a staggering fifty percent, if not more, of people who believed that the government had some form of involvement in the terrorist attack that shook our country to the core. While I was part of that fifty or more percent I was shocked to see that there were that many people who had similar beliefs. Despite the large amount of people who believed our country had some type of involvement everyones opinions on just how much involvement vary greatly from person to person. I have my own internal debate when it comes to this issue. Although the events of 9/11 and Perl Harbor are completely different they do bare some resemblance. Before both tragedies Americans had the impression that they were untouchable and would never be hurt on their own soil. Unfortunately it took both of these devastating events to bring us back to reality. Pearl Harbor was obviously different in that it targeted people in the army instead of civilians. The thing that interests me is that there were definite signs of possible attacks against the US. Whether these indications were ignored or or not taken seriously is up for debate. This is where I draw my connection for 9/11. The US had be involved in that area through dessert storm and shown interest in natural resources of that area, oil. Being that involved in the region prior to the attack makes it very hard for me to think that our government hadn’t received any indications that such a large scale attack was imminent. I took another sociology course over the summer in which we also discussed this topic. My teacher opened my eyes to some of the radical things governments do to keep their country running. Before taking that class there is no way I would have ever been able to say that the United States government knew about the attacks and had a possible part in their planning. I still think that our government wasn’t responsible for the attacks, but know I have a lingering thought of doubt constantly running through my mind. Even if they were not involved ignoring clear signs of trouble does not absolve them of a small portion responsibility in my eyes. My mother came to the US in her twenties so from the time I was born I have always been traveling back and forth between the US and her place of origin to stay connected with my family. Being a frequent traveler I can say with conviction that there has been a definite change in security protocols since 9/11, especially in airports. Not only has the amount of security increased but the amount of times you have to go through security has vastly increased as well. The affects can be seen outside of the US as well, especially when I was in an airport in Amsterdam this summer where security guards were fully dressed in bullet proof vests, combat attire, and carrying fully loaded automatic weapons! Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:53:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/15/voices-from-the-classroom-12/#IDComment194296336 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom-2/#IDComment191538023 There are so many different ways to classify your self that when asked, how do you classify yourself, I have to stop and think what type of classification are they looking for. You can classify yourself through your race, religion, background, political views, gender, as well as a number of other things. And even when you know under what category you are trying to define yourself, for some, it is hard to give a definitive answer. When classifying myself I start with the basics and the two easiest things to pick out about myself, I am a female and I am white. If I asked some random person to classify me being a white female are probably the first two things that come to mind because they are the most obvious. Then I move on to the more personal and intricate characteristics that make up my profile. I am fifty percent Danish and fifty percent Irish. Both of my mothers parents, as well as the rest of her side of the family, were born and raised in Denmark. She moved to the United States during her early twenties to pursue her career. A few years later she met my father and the rest is history. Both of my fathers great great grandparents moved to the United State from Ireland, so although his family had been here for several generations they kept their full Irish blood going throughout the years. Since no one on my fathers side is a direct immigrant from Ireland I do not have much of a connection with my Irish heritage, where as all of my mothers family still lives in Denmark and I spend every summer visiting. Therefore when asked where I come from I always identify with my Danish heritage over my Irish roots. As for my religion I identify as a Roman Catholic. Although my mother is Protestant she was never very religious where as my father was raised as a devote Catholic, and even attended Catholic school. So when my parents had children they made the decision to raise us as Catholics. There are some parts of what make us what we are that we have no control over. When we are born we have no say over where our ancestors came from, what physical features we will have, what gender we are, or what color our skin is. As children our religions are generally chosen for us by our parents, but as we grow older religion becomes a choice rather than something that is chosen for us. The older we get the more choice we have over what characteristics we have that define us. But at the same time the older we get the more pressure we feel to conform into what it is that society view as right or the best. Therefore while I believe that it may sometimes be easier to let people choose what it is that classifies you it is not impossible to choose for yourself. Fri, 9 Sep 2011 16:34:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/07/questions-from-the-classroom-2/#IDComment191538023 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171397 It is in that aspect that I think a lot of people choose to believe in religion. You may not believe in everything the Bible, Koran, Torah, or whatever it is you believe in says, but it’s bigger than that. Religion can give people hope and comfort in their darkest of times. It provides someone or something that is always there for you never judging. Whether people choose to believe in some higher power or not is completely up to them, but for those who do I think it is a way for them to live their lives and come to terms with the hand life deals them. Fri, 2 Sep 2011 23:19:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171397 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171339 To me it was all a big waste of time, I did not see the point in going to church when I didn’t pay attention to what was being said and didn’t even believe half of what they were saying anyway. Then half way through my sophomore year of high school my grandmother died. We had always been very close so it was especially hard for me to deal with. It was through her death that I found myself turning back to my religion. I felt comforted by the thought of my grandmother being in heaven and looking down on me. Praying for her and the rest of my family became part of my daily routine. Religion provided a way for me to cope with what was happening in my life and come to terms with it. Fri, 2 Sep 2011 23:19:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171339 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171278 I am Roman Catholic and growing up my dad dragged my siblings and I to church every Sunday as well as making sure we were enrolled in religious classes, CCD, to help us get through our communion and conformation. However the older I got the more I began to resent the commitment I had to make to my faith. Being very involved with sports Sunday was often the only day I had to sleep in so constantly being woken up early only added fuel to the fire. CCD was not helping me be more spirited either. Sitting in school for six hours was bad enough but then adding another hour and a half of listen to an old man talk about God was enough to make me fall asleep on the spot. For a long time I was disconnected with my faith and viewed it more as more of a burden than a blessing. I found myself questioning why I even believed it, I knew that God did not created the Earth in seven days and that it was pretty much impossible for Noah to fit every animal on an arch. Fri, 2 Sep 2011 23:19:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171278 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171152 Years ago religion used to be the center of people lives. It explained the unexplainable, provided a social outlet, and a way to unite a country. But as time went on and science progressed it was able to answer the unknown, technology allowed for people to do new things, and as people began moving to new areas it became almost impossible to unite large groups of people under one religion. The day to day for many pole allowed for religion to fade into the background. Today religion has become more of a choice rather than a necessity. Fri, 2 Sep 2011 23:18:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/09/01/why-do-you-follow-any-religion-at-all/#IDComment189171152