It has been a long time since doing this and I'm not really sure why. It's really therapeutic to be able to write down your thoughts. Especially when you are pissed off about something, which seems to be quite often with me these days. I find it much more helpful to yell at my computer screen than other people (I usually keep more friends that way). With that said, I'm just going to dive right into this...
Why is everyone more or less forced to go to college by society? It really bothers me. In our "information age" its all but impossible to get a well paying job without a college education. So many people waste four years of their life being miserable while studying something they hate. Then they graduate and never end up using their degree anyways.
Jobs have become so specialized in the past few years that most companies you work for will teach you everything you need to know anyways. So why do we need a diploma? Is it just some sort of self gratification to have a piece of paper on your wall that says you slept through four years of classes? For some I would say yes. Others don't really have a choice. If people don't have a college degree most places you go to work will laugh in your face. The next guy that comes in to apply for the job may be an idiot, but he has a college degree so he's hired. Does this moron use his college degree? Hardly, the people that hired them will get them into a training program to teach them what they need to know. Apparently now we need classes to teach people how to sit in front of a computer screen for hours and want to shoot themselves and everyone around them.
Take my father for example-not that he is stupid by any means, he is actually quite smart-he has a college degree and has probably never used it in his job. My dad has a degree in science, biology I believe, and yet he works for IBM. You might ask, does he work in a lab or something along those lines? Good guess, but no. He is a manager for an account IBM has with a Canadian bank. He facilitates conversation between both companies and makes sure the bank is happy. I would love to know what science class my dad learned these skills in.
Now I know that college is important for many people and I'm not saying anyone should not go to college. I just have problems when we make generalizations for all of society-in that everyone needs to go to college. The fact is, some people just were not meant to go to college, but they feel forced. That is what I dislike. However, I know this will never change. So we must get through these four years as painlessly as possible, and hope that in the end we absorbed something from those 8am Western Civ classes.
Peace and love.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Pray for Burma
I'm sure that by now most of you are aware of the crisis going on in Burma. For those who don't know, monks in Burma have been protesting against the military junta that rules the country. The protests have started earlier this month, but on Monday there was said to have been 100,000 people marching in protest. The military told the protesters they would use force against the marches if they continued. These warnings did not stop many of the protester as they continued in peaceful defiance against the military. On Wednesday the military began firing "warning shots" into the crowds of protesters. These warning shots killed 3 monks and one woman. Wednesday night the military raided monasteries and arrested over 200 monks in Rangoon and 500 more in the northeast. These arrests only fueled the hatred towards the military, so a reported 50,000 people protested today. During today's protests 9 people were killed as the military shot into the crowd.
As you can see the people of Burma, especially those in Rangoon, are in desperate need of prayer. Pray for a peaceful end to this conflict. Also pray for the rulers of the UN as they discuss possible action against the escalating violence. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Please, stop whatever you are doing right now and take a moment to pray for our brothers and sisters in Burma.
Peace and love.
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22
As you can see the people of Burma, especially those in Rangoon, are in desperate need of prayer. Pray for a peaceful end to this conflict. Also pray for the rulers of the UN as they discuss possible action against the escalating violence. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Please, stop whatever you are doing right now and take a moment to pray for our brothers and sisters in Burma.
Peace and love.
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22
Girl Soldier
I just started reading this book called Girl soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda's Children. It is written by Grace Akallo and Faith J. H. McDonnell. Grace is a former abductee of the LRA and now lives in the US, where she attends college. She has spoken to Congress, Amnesty Internation and World Vision, just to name a few, about the conflict in northern Uganda. Faith is an American activist who is the Religious Programs Director for the Institute on Religion an Democracy. She works to inform Christians in the US about the persecution of Christians all over the world, and is presently working to advocate for the people of southern Sudan.
The chapters alternate between Grace and Faith's writing. Grace's chapters are written about her life in Uganda, while Faith's chapters give you a historical background for the war in Uganda. I really enjoy this style of authorship because it gives you a complete picture of the war. It gives you the raw emotion of someone who has been in the center of the conflict as well as the knowledge to understand why the war is going on. Since the chapters alternate, it doesn't overload you with information or personal account. I would say that I have substantial knowledge about the conflict, but i am still learning even more from this book. I encourage anyone who is interested about the conflict, or just has an interest in international events, to check this book out. It is well worth the $12-$15 price of the book.
Peace and love
The chapters alternate between Grace and Faith's writing. Grace's chapters are written about her life in Uganda, while Faith's chapters give you a historical background for the war in Uganda. I really enjoy this style of authorship because it gives you a complete picture of the war. It gives you the raw emotion of someone who has been in the center of the conflict as well as the knowledge to understand why the war is going on. Since the chapters alternate, it doesn't overload you with information or personal account. I would say that I have substantial knowledge about the conflict, but i am still learning even more from this book. I encourage anyone who is interested about the conflict, or just has an interest in international events, to check this book out. It is well worth the $12-$15 price of the book.
Peace and love
Why are Christians afraid to die?
Why are Christians afraid to die? This may sound like a crazy question at first. Just stop and think about it. I think it is a very interesting question. It was first asked of me by a non-Christian friend when we were discussing spirituality. The discussion was in a group of 6 or so people and until that question I was actively involved in the dialogue. When my friend asked that question I just stopped and began to think about it. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I had no answer for him. I have no clue why Christians, including myself, are afraid to die. But I do have some thoughts on the question and I would like to share them with you...
I believe any Christian you talk to would say that Heaven is a better place than this earth. If that were so, then why would Christians not want to leave this wretched place for Heaven? I have wondered this over and over, and again I don't have an answer. Maybe dying is just an innate human fear. Maybe death is something we can't help but be afraid of. As I say this, however, I can think of a few people in history who showed no fear in death. Now this doesn't mean they were not afraid, it just means they didn't show their fear. There are countless stories of persecuted Christians all over the world that faced death with bravery and chose death over denying what they knew in their heart was true. Were they some type of super-Christians who really did not fear death? Many think so and I would say that those stories are some of the most amazing things I have ever heard in my life. I can't say what was going on in their mind when they died. They could very well have been scared out of their mind.
Personally I think I'm afraid of death because I feel I was put on this earth for a purpose. I don't think God puts anyone on earth for no reason. It is our job to follow God's will and fulfill our purpose. I think I was created to help the downtrodden and helpless people of the world. I really feel a call to help those who can't help themselves. I am afraid of death because I want my life to mean something. I want to fulfill this call. If I die today or tomorrow, my life will have meant little and that is what I am afraid of. Now this may be a cheap answer for my fear of death, but I can think of no other reason. Maybe I am just an irrational human being and my fear of death is unjustified.
Please, if you have any thoughts or idea's about this let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts. I would love nothing more than for you to leave a comment on this blog. Thanks for reading. Also, please visit the christianity.com forums; I have started a thread on this topic.
Peace and love.
I believe any Christian you talk to would say that Heaven is a better place than this earth. If that were so, then why would Christians not want to leave this wretched place for Heaven? I have wondered this over and over, and again I don't have an answer. Maybe dying is just an innate human fear. Maybe death is something we can't help but be afraid of. As I say this, however, I can think of a few people in history who showed no fear in death. Now this doesn't mean they were not afraid, it just means they didn't show their fear. There are countless stories of persecuted Christians all over the world that faced death with bravery and chose death over denying what they knew in their heart was true. Were they some type of super-Christians who really did not fear death? Many think so and I would say that those stories are some of the most amazing things I have ever heard in my life. I can't say what was going on in their mind when they died. They could very well have been scared out of their mind.
Personally I think I'm afraid of death because I feel I was put on this earth for a purpose. I don't think God puts anyone on earth for no reason. It is our job to follow God's will and fulfill our purpose. I think I was created to help the downtrodden and helpless people of the world. I really feel a call to help those who can't help themselves. I am afraid of death because I want my life to mean something. I want to fulfill this call. If I die today or tomorrow, my life will have meant little and that is what I am afraid of. Now this may be a cheap answer for my fear of death, but I can think of no other reason. Maybe I am just an irrational human being and my fear of death is unjustified.
Please, if you have any thoughts or idea's about this let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts. I would love nothing more than for you to leave a comment on this blog. Thanks for reading. Also, please visit the christianity.com forums; I have started a thread on this topic.
Peace and love.
Uganda
So if you couldn't tell from all the links and banners in my blog I am really into Africa, especially Uganda. I got involved with an organization called Invisible Children (see side banner and footer) back in early 2006. My college showed a documentary called Invisible Children: Rough Cut which was filmed by three young guys (Jason Russell, Laren Poole, Bobby Bailey) after they witnessed firsthand the atrocities of the war in Uganda. For those of you that don't know, there has been a war going on in Northern Uganda for over 20 years between a rebel army called the Lord's Resistance Army and the government forces. The LRA started off with the goal of overthrowing the government and President Yoweri Museveni. In the early 1994 the LRA started to run out of fighters and so their commander, Joseph Kony, ordered the men to start abducting children to fight for them. Ever since then the LRA has terrorizing the Acholi people of Northern Uganda. Children have been abducted at night and forced to kill other people, including their own family members. They brainwash the children and force them to fight for the LRA. Those who refuse to fight or are too weak are killed. What makes this even harder to understand is that Joseph Kony himself is Acholi. He is massacring thousands of his own people.
To avoid from being abducted children would walk from their villages into more populated cities to sleep. The cities provided more protection because of increased police force and guards. For years children came by the thousands to cities in order to avoid being abducted. This is what the three filmmakers saw when they were in Uganda. They witnessed the children walking to town ever night and they decided to find out more. What they uncovered is known as the largest genocide of the 90's. To read more about the atrocities of the LRA visit this think to BBC News and read about the affect this was has had on people and villages as a whole.
Thankfully the fighting has back off a great deal and most children no longer have to commute into cities. Peace talks between the LRA and the Ugandan government began in Juba, Sudan in 2006, but they have not been very successful. The LRA still exists and there are smaller attacks that still go on today. Joseph Kony is hiding in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo and will not come out for the peace talks. This is because the International Criminal Court has a warrant out for Joseph Kony. If he comes out of hiding he will be arrested. This has been a great hindrance to the peace talks because without Kony the peace talks don't get very far. Many supporters of the peace talks want the ICC to drop any charges against him so that Kony will come out of hiding and join the peace talks. They are willing to offer Kony amnesty if he is able to end the war and bring peace back to Uganda.
I tell you all of this because I believe knowledge empowers people. Please don't forget the people of Northern Uganda. They need the help of our government to help end this conflict. The best thing we can do is write to our senators and President Bush and encourage them to push for and end to this war. The U.S. is a big influence on Uganda and if we say we want this war to end I have no doubt that the government will do anything it can to end the war. So please, don't ignore this problem...tell others and take a stand for the people of Uganda.
Peace and love.
To avoid from being abducted children would walk from their villages into more populated cities to sleep. The cities provided more protection because of increased police force and guards. For years children came by the thousands to cities in order to avoid being abducted. This is what the three filmmakers saw when they were in Uganda. They witnessed the children walking to town ever night and they decided to find out more. What they uncovered is known as the largest genocide of the 90's. To read more about the atrocities of the LRA visit this think to BBC News and read about the affect this was has had on people and villages as a whole.
Thankfully the fighting has back off a great deal and most children no longer have to commute into cities. Peace talks between the LRA and the Ugandan government began in Juba, Sudan in 2006, but they have not been very successful. The LRA still exists and there are smaller attacks that still go on today. Joseph Kony is hiding in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo and will not come out for the peace talks. This is because the International Criminal Court has a warrant out for Joseph Kony. If he comes out of hiding he will be arrested. This has been a great hindrance to the peace talks because without Kony the peace talks don't get very far. Many supporters of the peace talks want the ICC to drop any charges against him so that Kony will come out of hiding and join the peace talks. They are willing to offer Kony amnesty if he is able to end the war and bring peace back to Uganda.
I tell you all of this because I believe knowledge empowers people. Please don't forget the people of Northern Uganda. They need the help of our government to help end this conflict. The best thing we can do is write to our senators and President Bush and encourage them to push for and end to this war. The U.S. is a big influence on Uganda and if we say we want this war to end I have no doubt that the government will do anything it can to end the war. So please, don't ignore this problem...tell others and take a stand for the people of Uganda.
Peace and love.
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