Religion teaches us to do right and forbid wrong, which is something most would not argue against. It is necessary in society to regulate behavior because at the end of the day, humans are just animals with intellect. As depicted in Lord of the Flies, without a fear for the consequences of our actions we would do anything we please. We would not know right from wrong, and killing and stealing would suddenly become normal. If our actions bore no consequences, the only thing preventing us from committing crimes would be the moral compass all human beings are born with. The only problem with this is that this compass is very weak and inaccurate; what appears to be north on one person's compass is actually south on another's.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Religion in Society
Though there is argument over the effects of secularization, there is no debate that it has occurred. Over time, many western nations have slowly driven God out of public life. In the Seventeenth century, as shown by The Scarlet Letter, religion played a major role in society; It was not only visible at the personal level, but it also provided the basis for government. Now, government and religion have become separated. People have gone from following the rules of religion to submitting to the commandments of corrupt governments. If this trend continues, it could have devastating effects on our lives.
Religion teaches us to do right and forbid wrong, which is something most would not argue against. It is necessary in society to regulate behavior because at the end of the day, humans are just animals with intellect. As depicted in Lord of the Flies, without a fear for the consequences of our actions we would do anything we please. We would not know right from wrong, and killing and stealing would suddenly become normal. If our actions bore no consequences, the only thing preventing us from committing crimes would be the moral compass all human beings are born with. The only problem with this is that this compass is very weak and inaccurate; what appears to be north on one person's compass is actually south on another's.
Religion teaches us to do right and forbid wrong, which is something most would not argue against. It is necessary in society to regulate behavior because at the end of the day, humans are just animals with intellect. As depicted in Lord of the Flies, without a fear for the consequences of our actions we would do anything we please. We would not know right from wrong, and killing and stealing would suddenly become normal. If our actions bore no consequences, the only thing preventing us from committing crimes would be the moral compass all human beings are born with. The only problem with this is that this compass is very weak and inaccurate; what appears to be north on one person's compass is actually south on another's.
Monday, September 22, 2014
A World of Stereotypes
The world is filled with people of various races and backgrounds. They have different customs, different foods, and different clothing. This diversity causes misunderstanding among races and it is the reason for stereotypes. People from different parts of the world don't understand why others do things the way they do. Their lack of knowledge leads to false perceptions which, as shown in "Black Men and Public Spaces", can have negative effects to the entire community. An example of stereotyping is in our legal system. The U.S. Sentencing Commission reported that African Americans receive a 10% longer sentence than whites for the same crime (See Site). Even people who are a positive contributor to society are discriminated against because of previously held notions about their race.
In order to fix stereotypical views it is necessary for people to inform themselves about the cultures of others. Learning about the culture of others and being open-minded towards them will help to eliminate stereotypes. It will help unite the different races and cultures into one peaceful, loving species.
In order to fix stereotypical views it is necessary for people to inform themselves about the cultures of others. Learning about the culture of others and being open-minded towards them will help to eliminate stereotypes. It will help unite the different races and cultures into one peaceful, loving species.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
When Children Become the Parents
Out of everything we talked about regarding The Glass Castle, what intrigued me most was the relationship between the children of the Walls family and the parents. Many of us do not like Rex and Rose Walls because of how they neglect and leave the kids to fend for themselves. They are more interested in fulfilling their desires than they are in nurturing their children. After all, isn't it their responsibility as parents to provide for and take care of their children? Many people have no trouble pointing the finger at such parents for not taking care of their kids, but completely disregard the other stage of the relationship which occurs later on in life. The elderly are just as vulnerable as little kids are. Who takes care of them? Paid nurses.
It is becoming increasingly popular for middle aged adults to dump their parents into nursing homes. There are more than 3 times as many elderly in nursing homes today as there were in 1922 (Institute on Aging). The same mother and father who raised the 7-pound baby into an adult are now being abandoned by that very child. They say that they don't have the time or patience to take care of their parents. They say it's too hard to balance their lives with that of their parents. Many don't even care to visit their parents in the prisons called nursing homes.
Yes, it was wrong for Rex to put his alcohol ahead of his children. Yes, it was wrong for Rose to use the family's much-needed money on chocolate for herself. But just as parents are expected to take care of their children when they are young, the children should be expected to take care of their parents when they are old.
It is becoming increasingly popular for middle aged adults to dump their parents into nursing homes. There are more than 3 times as many elderly in nursing homes today as there were in 1922 (Institute on Aging). The same mother and father who raised the 7-pound baby into an adult are now being abandoned by that very child. They say that they don't have the time or patience to take care of their parents. They say it's too hard to balance their lives with that of their parents. Many don't even care to visit their parents in the prisons called nursing homes.
Yes, it was wrong for Rex to put his alcohol ahead of his children. Yes, it was wrong for Rose to use the family's much-needed money on chocolate for herself. But just as parents are expected to take care of their children when they are young, the children should be expected to take care of their parents when they are old.
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