It pains me to see the church and Christianity shrouded in hate because of the Westboro Baptist Church. Being a church-goer from the age of 1, the church has always been a second home. It was a place to play and a place to learn--a place of safety. I never saw my church go out into the streets and shove the word of God down someone's throat. I never saw my church picket funerals or damn unbelievers to Hell. This isn't a church. My church helps the homeless. My church goes on missions to Haiti or some other impoverished area and host a fun activity time for kids, implementing God and Jesus whenever.
In Jonathan Edwards' sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Edwards uses fear, stemming from his vivid, fiery imagery and accusatory tone, to cause a change in the hearts of unbelievers. The sermons I hear these days are no where near as powerful as Edwards'. Jonathan Edwards focuses his attention on the wrath of God and Hell, while preachers today focus on Heaven and how good God is. The times have changed and the Westboro Baptist Church are still living in the 1600s.
This church is labeled as a hate group. Using fear to show people their sinful ways, the Westboro Baptist Church has only tainted the image of Christianity. We aren't extremists trying to dictate the beliefs of others--at least, I'm not. I strongly believe in an open mind to all religions, speaking my part when the time comes. Practice whatever religion you want; I don't see anything wrong with that.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
The Lone Edward and Kid Fistfight at School
There I was, standing around this pole outside my school, waiting for the bus to take me home. It was just like any other day of 1st grade: heading to school in the morning, making all the kids laugh, and leaving the place that I owned with an iron fist. But on this day, there was a slight change to my schedule; this guy in the 2nd grade came up to me. He called me Chinese and kept pushing at it. I roared, "I'm Korean!", rushed at him, and did what any sensible 1st grader would do. The memory is a bit blurry in my mind, but I do remember biting his arm! The day after, my principal sat both of us down and told me I could not go to the next two recesses. I cried the whole time as I sat in my desk thinking about my cannibalistic attack. It was not a good day to die. It was not a good day to die.
This was my first experience with stereotypes, and it was a pretty dumb one to be mad about. I know that there are many Asians in the world, each with their own characteristics, but we still have the same general look. In addition to that, there are over 1 billion Chinese people in the world! With those numbers, the chances that this Asian is Chinese are pretty plausible. I understand this mistake, Person-I-bit, and I am sorry for the scar that I left you.
As Sherman Alexie gave light to how Indians actually are, I feel the need to do the same with my race. Generally, I had no problems with stereotypes; it actually seems like they're true most of the time. I surrounded myself with the Chinese kids in my grade, and they were the cream of the crop: straight A students, magnificent musicians, and nervous nerds. These are my friends. On the other hand, there is me. I always thought I was the outlier. I never got the highest grade nor was I amazing at the violin. I remember getting last chair, the worst position in Orchestra, in 7th grade. At least I had a likable personality.
I built a standard for myself through the all those Asian stereotypes. I want to be smarter--better. There comes a point though, like Sherman Alexie's experiences, where I shouldn't be defined by a stereotype or the lack of meeting one. People worry too much about how everyone else is doing, and this leads to the generalizations that we all know. The focus should be on ourselves. This simple act to fight the stereotypes will make a bite into this society constructed on generalizations.
This was my first experience with stereotypes, and it was a pretty dumb one to be mad about. I know that there are many Asians in the world, each with their own characteristics, but we still have the same general look. In addition to that, there are over 1 billion Chinese people in the world! With those numbers, the chances that this Asian is Chinese are pretty plausible. I understand this mistake, Person-I-bit, and I am sorry for the scar that I left you.
As Sherman Alexie gave light to how Indians actually are, I feel the need to do the same with my race. Generally, I had no problems with stereotypes; it actually seems like they're true most of the time. I surrounded myself with the Chinese kids in my grade, and they were the cream of the crop: straight A students, magnificent musicians, and nervous nerds. These are my friends. On the other hand, there is me. I always thought I was the outlier. I never got the highest grade nor was I amazing at the violin. I remember getting last chair, the worst position in Orchestra, in 7th grade. At least I had a likable personality.
I built a standard for myself through the all those Asian stereotypes. I want to be smarter--better. There comes a point though, like Sherman Alexie's experiences, where I shouldn't be defined by a stereotype or the lack of meeting one. People worry too much about how everyone else is doing, and this leads to the generalizations that we all know. The focus should be on ourselves. This simple act to fight the stereotypes will make a bite into this society constructed on generalizations.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Uncle Ben Has Got the Power
How much power does an individual wield?
"With great power, comes great responsibility." These words, spoken by Uncle Ben to young Peter Parker and every kid known to mankind, echo the true meaning of power. Power is the influence, either good or bad, one has on a person or persons. From this statement, the amount of power someone possesses completely depends on the actions of the individual.
In all honesty, I believe that everyone has power: from all the leaders that lived to the people at the bottom of the social ladder, but there has to be a reason why we recognize presidents and prime ministers--even dictators--to have so much power in their hands. What did they do? Well, in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, the leader of Tom Sawyer's Gang, shows the power he has over the neighborhood kids. Taking these kids into a cave, he only allows them to join his gang if they "take an oath, and write his name in blood" (Twain 10). To accentuate how serious Tom's club is, the Gang has to "kill" (Twain 10) families; their only business is "robbery and murder" (Twain 11). Tom has the power--he does not mess around. His influence over Huck and friends is quite incredible, and with every command that Tom makes, the kids do not argue against him. His power did not fade either because Huck still follows Tom's orders during Jim's rescue even though a simple lift of the bed and a climb through the window would have been enough. Tom's organization, speeches, and sly-talking, along with his attracting personality, help him to become the leader he is recognized for. He is a man of power.
The most obvious example of power is Adolf Hitler. I have to ask how this man who we unarguable label as pure evil grew to rule Germany. During the time, I do know he promised to bring back Germany to its former glory. Hitler inspired millions in his campaign for reform, and in the process, he blamed the hopeless state of the country on the Jews. He sure had everyone fooled when he would make a speech for European dominance while in the background. systematically killing six million Jews. He sure had some power to convince everyone he would lead Germany to the top--of course, leaving Germany in near ruins at the end of World War II. And even now, his influence lives: antisemitism still exists and Hitler's unforgettable actions have left an imprint on the history books.
The power someone wields is directly related to the person's influential ability. Tom Sawyer and Hitler are both convincing and generally attract leadership. The line that separates them is their actions. Tom is the good guy who always looking out for his Gang while trying to get the most fun out of it, in contrast to Hitler, who had it all but was consumed by such great power. Uncle Ben knew that when someone has the abilities to make a change, it takes a great deal of care and knowledge to make the right decisions.
The most obvious example of power is Adolf Hitler. I have to ask how this man who we unarguable label as pure evil grew to rule Germany. During the time, I do know he promised to bring back Germany to its former glory. Hitler inspired millions in his campaign for reform, and in the process, he blamed the hopeless state of the country on the Jews. He sure had everyone fooled when he would make a speech for European dominance while in the background. systematically killing six million Jews. He sure had some power to convince everyone he would lead Germany to the top--of course, leaving Germany in near ruins at the end of World War II. And even now, his influence lives: antisemitism still exists and Hitler's unforgettable actions have left an imprint on the history books.
The power someone wields is directly related to the person's influential ability. Tom Sawyer and Hitler are both convincing and generally attract leadership. The line that separates them is their actions. Tom is the good guy who always looking out for his Gang while trying to get the most fun out of it, in contrast to Hitler, who had it all but was consumed by such great power. Uncle Ben knew that when someone has the abilities to make a change, it takes a great deal of care and knowledge to make the right decisions.
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