Freshman year of high-school was a far different learning environment than the school I attended prior. Public high-school students have vast ethnic backgrounds, and personalities that I had never been with. Before high-school I was a student at the small Catholic school called Cathedral. For the most part my friends had the same or similar ethnic backgrounds that I had, and we all shared the same religion of Catholicism. Going into Ninth grade I was -albeit a little naive- and amazed at how many differing religious backgrounds and ethnicities all the students had, however I was greatly surprised when someone spoke out on how they thought their religious belief was right, and others were wrong.
In my freshman biology class I made a few friends and acquaintances. Among them, was the first atheist I’ve met; We’ll call him Bob. When the topic of human creation and evolution came up in class my teacher explained it is important
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What I heard did not challenge me in a insulting way, but rather a mental light bulb went off. Having seen someone in my class publicly passionately talk bad about what I had been spoon-fed for so long to be sacred was baffling. That night I thought about what I heard and I still couldn’t believe someone would say these things. I guess it was then I subconsciously tried to prove to myself my beliefs were not some “fairytale.” Quickly I would realize I couldn’t answer my own questions, and thus further sank my own doubt that was beginning to well up. Today I am still in the same boat I was in that same night four years ago. As much as I would like to believe the Bible’s stories and passages to be real, I still haven’t decided if I think they are. Quite frankly, I’ll bet it will be a very long time until I have reached my conclusion. I’m always one for proving myself wrong, but right now there is way too much anguish and suffering in this world for me to believe in a peaceful, happy ever
Jonathan Edwards use of restatement, repetition, logos, pathos, and ethos, in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” make his pastoral very persuasive. He spoke with such persuasion that his congregation are told to have screamed in terror. Even though he spoke with no emotion Edwards had to pause his preaching to request the silence of the congregation.
As a child, I grew up going to Catholic School, from Kindergarten, until eighth grade. My mother thought private school was best for my brother and I, as there’s a misconception that since you’re paying a tuition, the education is better. My mother was also Catholic at the time, so she was more comfortable with us growing up being taught religion, which should inevitably cause us to be Christians and believe in God. Years went by of me being educated on religion, and by the age of twelve, I felt guilty that I couldn’t process or accept the idea of there being a God. I came to this reality due to the fact that I didn’t feel the connection to God that our teachers taught us we should have; I didn’t feel loved by an alternate being, I felt alone, and I didn’t grasp how such a thing could be possible.
One memory that this reading brought up to me was when I was in undergrad and I was raped by someone whom I believed to be my friend. Before this incident happened I wouldn't have called myself very religious, but I trusted God and the word of God. I was very involved with church and attended very regularly. After the incident happened I no longer trusted in God. I knew he was still watching over me, but I felt betrayed and I felt that he wasn't there for me when I needed him the most. With this I struggled for a long time with trying to get over the incident and trying to just get through school. I knew there was help, but I had fallen in such a deep hole there was nothing anyone could do. I found myself not worthy of things, I drank more and more each day, and I just felt like I hit rock bottom. One day my mother thought that I should attend church service on a Sunday so I did. I went to church and talked with church family. I was scared that I was going to be judged over what I had become. It was amazing I had struggled so much that after talking to my church family and allowing God back in I saw that God was the only way. Once I had opened my eyes and heart and let the word of God and God back into my life it was a major turn around for my life.
I volunteered at Chiefland Elementary School, under Ms. Sidorenko’s supervision. After doing my twenty hours of volunteering at Chiefland Elementary School, I have gained new knowledge on how religion works in schools. If you grew up in a small town area like I did, you would know that religion around here is not a touchy subject with many people. Many faculty administrators who work in the school system happen to be Baptists or Christians. Therefore, people are able to throw in religious assessments here and there without getting into too much trouble. In this case, at this school, everyone goes to the same church or partners with each other’s churches. Before I go on, let me just say, even though I am a Christian, I think that religion shouldn’t be a topic talked during school hours. My reasoning for this is because children are there to get an education and to learn about the world around them. Teachers barely have enough time to teach the concepts that are mandatory, if we add religion it will just offend students and teachers won’t be able to get their job done. Now that society is changing and is starting to accept individuals more, I have noticed this school is having a hard time accepting that.
A majority of my friends are Christians. We come from families that have been raised in church and portray the typical “American family”. As A&M Consolidated High School is a public school, there are various religions that are represented among students. This was made evident one day as our lunchroom discussion following World History class began a debate about whose religious beliefs were right. My first instinct was to lash out and begin justifying my Christian beliefs full force
I grew up as a Catholic in Vietnam. I have never been in an environment truly united with faith outside of church. As I went to school, we Catholic students were surrounded and outnumbered by other religions or non-believers or agnostics. Though we usually receive an understanding and tolerating stance, some still find it a “cool” and funny act to tease or make fun of one’s religion and beliefs. At sixteen I traveled to America hoping I’ll get a better education. Here, I was introduced to a whole new environment: most of the people were Christians. The opportunity not only boosted my confidence but also enriched my knowledge and understanding in Christian belief. For the first time, it felt like “home” (I found no better way to express this
I went to Catholic school because my great-grandmother influenced my mother to do so, arguing that the values that I would learn there would not compare to anything else. As a single mother, she took as many advices as possible on how to raise me, especially coming from the most important person for her. However, my mother has never considered herself a devout catholic, or religious person whatsoever, and although she enrolled me in Catholic school she tried to give me as much religious freedom as possible so that I could find my own spirituality when the right time merited it. I was raised with a hybrid of religious and liberal values, and while I consider to have a strong pillar of moral values based on what I learned in Catholic school,
Just recently in my ninth grade biology class, we discuss the topic of evolution. Evolution is a highly debatable topic where some people believe in the evolution theory or a Divine Creator. My biology teacher asked “ Raise your hand if you believe in a Divine Creator.”. I grew up in a Christian church with mostly Christian friends and parents. Therefore, I raised my hand and so did my friends.
The pressures of keeping up grades, fitting in, and making sure you have the latest and greatest iPhone, start getting heavy after time. Difference of religion, if you are or aren’t religious, can add more weight on one’s shoulders, eventually breaking them. Think back to the Columbine shooting. Two teenagers killed 13 people just because they publicized the fact that they were Christians (#1 P6), then continued to injure 30 others before taking their own lives. Those kids broke 18 gun laws going into that school. More laws wouldn’t have made a
One of the most positive things about being an American is the ability to interact in “the melting pot” of various cultures all around. While most of us obviously identify with our own specific culture, the variety within our society is extremely diverse, allowing intercultural communication and presents a learning experience for those who are able to communicate and with one another. When observing and interacting with cultures other than my own, I am able to identify some similarities, as well as the differences from their culture to mine. Throughout this semester we have learned so many things about different cultures and worldviews, I have begun to learn a lot more about myself and my personal religious views. I have never followed a religious practice on my own choice, but it is encouraging to see how it positively impacts others in my life.
As an American citizen with almost unlimited freedom of religion in this country, I have taken full advantage of this freedom that has been graciously given to me for free just for being born in the land of the free and the home of the brave. As a young child until the end of my junior high school education I attended a Christian school, and throughout the span of my high school career I attended a Lutheran school. Both of these schools had an impact on my religiously, and as the person I have developed into today. Although there were similarities between each of the schools I attended, there were also clear differences between them. Like schools, religions also have differences between them, such as the god or spiritual presence which
First, as a Christian, I must acknowledge that I understand the privileges associated with Christianity, such as school schedules aligning with Christian holidays and the ability to wear a cross necklace without ridicule or stares (Schlosser, 2013). Although I am a member of the dominant group for religion, I understand the feeling of oppression by the non-Protestant Christians, because I am a member of the subordinate groups in relation to my race and gender. Thus, as I reflect on religious oppression, I desire to ensure my classroom is welcoming to all religious groups and want my students to feel “whole and healthy” (Nasir & Al-Amin,
Although Canada is a multiculturalist nation practicing secularism, there are still struggles on religious diversity in schools. Consequently, segregation of students’ base on their religious beliefs precedes typecasting, thus a division in social groups happens. Students when singled out from their peers can have an adverse effect on their self-esteem, more importantly, when they have difficulties adapting in a new and diverse school community. More likely when teachers ask students to say some insights or overview about their religion, some students may cringe from getting too much attention, hence making them feel uncomfortable. For that reason, handling issues of diversity with sensitivity can make students feel safe and prone to learn
How much power do women have in our society? Many people argue that women do not really posses much power or contribute to our society. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tries to emphasize the ways women in the novel control and contribute to their society. Female power is when a woman has or lacks control of herself or others. Moreover, female power in the novel is seen through the three perspectives of Scout, Mayella, and Miss Stephanie. Throughout the county of Maycomb, the theme of female power is seen through isolation, fear, and education.
The theory of evolution, as set forth by Charles Darwin in 1859, stated that all plant and animal life evolved over long periods of time from simple to more complicated forms through mutation and adaptation. He also taught that only the fittest of each species would survive. He further postulated that the first living cell evolved in a "warm warm little pond" and that it took billions of years for the present diversity of living things to evolve. At the time, it was thought that the few "missing links" in the fossil record would be soon filled.(Darwin, 1927 ). Today, however, there is today a considerable body of scientific evidence that refutes this entire theory.