Journal #1: Angels and Demons

"Religion is like language or dress. We gravitate toward the practices with which we were raised. In the end, though we are all proclaiming the same thing. That life has meaning. That we are grateful for that created us."

Growing up my whole life I've been taught the ways of a devote Catholic. Learning the lessons of the Bible and being expected to follow them at first seemed like the only way, the right way. But as I grow and expand my mind in the areas of science and other religions, I have started to question the true motives of religion. In "Angels and Demons", written by Dan Brown, the debate deciphering between science and religion is inevitable. At the end of it all, it comes down to looking for the great questions in life. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Why does a buttered piece of bread consistently fall and land buttered face down? I understand that if I were to be raised in a different country, the middle east for example, it is likely that my religion would be completely opposite from what it is now. I believe that it doesn't matter what religion you follow, just as long as you have something to subside the cravings of knowing the mysteries of life.

The Hazards of Neglection

If I had to re-write the title, "The Perils of Indifference", I would change it to "The Hazards of Heartlessness". It is evident in the short story "The Lottery" that standing and doing nothing while injustice is going on is extremely destructive. The stoning in the "Lottery" is relevant to the events that occurred during World War 2. Many knew what was going on with the Holocaust and chose to ignore it. People who stood by while their own friends were being taken away by the Nazis. Either people became brainwashed and actually didn't see anything wrong with what was occurring, or they were just too wrapped up and didn't feel a need to get involved. In "The Lottery" the stoning didn't even phase anyone. They just stood there watching. I agree with the author of the speech; to be neglected is so much worse than to be the victim of anger. At least with anger people are giving you the time of day.

Ignorance is Bliss

Every day as we sit in our sheltered worlds we hear about new things going on all around us. We hear about horrible things such as the current state of our troops in Afghanistan, our health care and the way doctors are treating mentally ill, and the dangerous work conditions employees are having to endure. Now that we are aware of these situations, what do we do now? Is it our duty to take action and fix these problems. I think that it is our responsibility, once we are aware of these unfortunate events, reach out to the less fortunate and do our best to prevent them from continuing. I will admit, I myself have been to a fast food restaurant since reading a passage from Fast Food Nation, even after the devastating realization of what those flat, grease-filled patties go through to get here today. I'm not proud of it, but I think I speak for most when I say that it is extremely difficult to remember the treacheries happening around us. Maybe that just means that we need to be reminded more often, instead of drifting back into our ignorant dream world. I am confidant that most people believe that it is right to do something about the wrongs in the world. I also think that people diliberately avoid learning new information in order to their own preachings. Isn't playing dumb what we do best? How can we take the blame if, "We didn't know?" It's about time that we stop talking and start doing. If we don't, then who will?

Pretty. Odd. (Review)

I have recently purchased the new album by Panic! At the Disco, "Pretty. Odd." While purchasing this album I didn't really know what to expect. Their previous CD, "A Fever you Can't Sweat Out" I found to be a new and interesting sound. Their song titles were original and a little strange. I was suprised when listening to their most recent CD; their sound was much more mellow and included more acoustic guitar. Strangely enough, the sound reminded me of "Sgt. Peppers" by the Beatles. Some may find it hard to believe but I feel that PATD really understands the sound the Beatles were able to create. What I love is that even though the sound is similar to the Beatles, you never forget you're listening to PATD. They've managed to put their own spin on a sound that is cherished internationally. I highly advise you to check out this CD, even if you have already labled the band as "Emo" or "Pop/Punk", they may suprise you.