Friday, January 23, 2015
Now What?
Read the following excerpt from Evangelium Vitae, an encyclical written by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1995. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae_en.html Open the link and scoll down to the quote, "What have you done?", or NUMBER 10. Once there, read what the Saint has to say about life. What about this reading grabs you? Then, in your blog, provide us with a link to an organization that responds to an issue brought up in the encyclical. Explain how the organization that you choose helps to battle the current woes of our current society.
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This article certainly highlights the various crimes against life that are becoming increasingly prevalent today. I think that it is the first paragraph, however, that really captures the sense of pain and suffering that results from this mere disregard for human life. The initial paragraph begins with a Bible quote that reads, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground." This quotation is then compared briefly, yet profoundly, to the incessant suffering and war on life that is present in our world today. The statement claims that these voices have not ceased, yet their reasons for pleading have changed. The world is a very different place today, and this fact has made it possible for many more anti-life acts to be carried out. The very concept of life, once valued beyond understanding, has become a dispensable one.
ReplyDeleteThese days, almost everyone has chosen to take the side of either "pro-life" or "pro-choice." To me, this is completely illogical. I do not understand what would compel any living being to refuse to identify as "pro-life." The fact of the matter is, no human being on earth has the right to decide who is worth keeping, or who should be forced to leave this world. To argue this would be inhumane. Looking back through all of human history, a plethora of tragic events have taken place, and have promptly ended the lives of countless individuals. These events have been marked down and studied incessantly, in hopes that history will not repeat itself. The Holocaust, for example, is arguably the most tragic, uncomprehendingly barbaric genocides that our world has ever seen. But I do not think that many people realize that there are similar genocides taking place at this very moment. Just today, the lives of about 3000 babies have been taken by abortion. Yet this horrific act is justified, because our society has somehow convinced itself that women should be given the choice to terminate the lives of these innocent human beings. Likewise, elderly people who are incapable of functioning to the fullest extent, and therefore have been deemed "worthless," are being left idle to die. Poverty, too, is becoming a bigger issue among Americans, and is voluntarily taking the lives of those incapable of providing for themselves and their families. It is tragedies such as these that are contributing to the complete disregard for life that is becoming so common in the world today.
However, I think that the reason that this reading affected me so much was due to the repeated phrase, "what have you done?" How many times has this concept been brought up in the Bible, and how many times has it led to uncontainable pain, regret, and grief? Judas, for example, was completely incapable of overcoming his betrayal of Jesus Christ. This caused him so much grief that he was driven mad with anguish. Likewise, the soldiers who executed Jesus, upon witnessing the skies break open, became overwhelmed with regret as they cried out "what have we done?" I think that there will come a time when the world will finally come to comprehend the evils that have been caused, and have been allowed to be carried out. I think that there will come a time when all of those who have so freely disposed the concept of life, will find themselves crying out, "what have we done?"
The organization that I have chosen goes by the name of Lumos. The sole mission of this organization is to provide homes and families to children, especially those who are being overtaken by poverty, disability, or racial discrimination. This directly relates to the article's comments on life, and how every human life, regardless of race, disability, or financial state, is worth fighting for. This organization was started by J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, and has been aiding in preserving and nourishing the lives of disadvantaged children all over. Through their work, Lumos is reenforcing the importance and fragility of every human life, and relays the message that every human life is a gift from God.
Deletehttp://wearelumos.org
Mary, your comparison to the Holocaust struck me as very fitting. The mass murder of innocent people was done then for many of the same reasons it is done now. People are judged based on meaningless adjectives and then sentenced to die. Over time, these adjectives changed from religious affiliations to socioeconomic qualifiers, but the process remains the same. This process is morally wrong. No human being should have the power to decide if someone's life is worth living. Only God has power over life and death. Taking this into consideration, those performing abortions are playing at being God. They have taken it upon themselves to distribute death to the "unworthy." Such judgement will only result in death unless the judge is able to look past the faults that are present in every human being. The only one who can harbor this ability is God. God loves everyone with an unconditional love, making Him the only appropriate judge of one's life.
DeleteWhen I think about the guilt doctors must feel after taking a life, it seems hard to believe that they could allow it to happen again. The stories people tell about abortions are terrifying, and the operations are destructive. Sometimes, doctors are unsuccessful with complete removal of the child. Hands and feet are sometimes left in the womb. How can any doctor see this as a good idea? The Hippocratic Oath, the basis of every medial oath in the world, promises to uphold the dignity of human life. Going back on this oath seems to be a betrayal of medical practice. One can only hope that doctors come to realize the true nature of abortion, and return to the proper practice of medicine.
What have I done? What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE? It seems I ask myself this question a lot. Many times its for the wrong reasons. That's not very good. But sometimes I do ask myself that question when I do something good, but not very often. I seem to ask people this question a lot too. Usually when they do something boneheaded in like a math problem and I find it in myself to correct them. Did I really go about it in the nicest manner possible? No. Do I care? No. My goal is just to let people see their mistake and feel bad about it so they don't do it again. I make mistakes, and people call me out on those. Seems I make a lot of mistakes though. People do not call me out on every single mistake. But somebody does. God always seems to notice my mistakes and call me out on them.
ReplyDeleteThat's what God did in the story at the beginning. Cain had just murdered his brother, Able, because he was able to please God and Cain could not. God called out to him and asked, "What are you doing? You can't murder another human, especially one of your own biological makeup." Cain just kinda felt bad because God called him out on a horrible mistake made out of jealousy and rage. Murdering humans is not good. Murdering any animal for the wrong reasons is not good. But humans are sacred, and thus deserve more respect than any other animal out there in the world.
So now I should finally get on with abortion segment of this blog. Saint Pope John Paul specifically mentions abortion as an example in the Evangelium Vitae, so I feel that I should write about that. Women obviously are the gender that gets pregnant. No duh. But God is what allows people to have children. If God did not want somebody to have a child, they pretty much would not be able to have a child. But using contraceptives and having abortion take it out of God's hands. Even when the Ancient Greeks used the flower silphium as a contraceptive, people spoke out that it took the process out of gods' hands. Quick note on silphium, it apparently was so effective at preventing pregnancies that the people of Cyrene farmed it to extinction. So that tells you what people thought about the gods' wishes back then. But anyway, people thought contraceptives were wrong back then, and they still are wrong today. Basically, it is murder, as Saint Pope John Paul II points out. Murder is expressly forbidden by the 5th commandment. If you wanted to learn more about that Commandment, I'll leave a link below. But we would never murder an adult in cold blood if they weren't doing anything to us (at least I hope you won't). So why would we murder a baby? The adult at least has a chance to defend themselves. The baby, not so much. So that's why I think abortion is wrong.
Something that stood out to me was the use of the story of Cain murdering Able. I particularly like this story because it is kind of like a reflection of my life, kinda. But that's a story for another time. I liked how Saint Pope John Paul II related it to the issue of abortion. It was a very effective use of the story, as he got God asking Cain what he was doing. In the same way, when a women decides to murder her own child, I feel God is asking her what she is doing. I just thought that was cool. Obviously I'll never have to make the choice whether or not to get an abortion or use contraceptives. So I don't know that I'm qualified to have an opinion on the matter. But I have an opinion anyway, because I like to be annoying like that.
DeleteThe organization I picked is Operation Rescue. They work to save the unborn and the mothers, because they can be harmed in the process of an abortion as well. They go out and stand in abortion clinic parking lots and hand out pro life fliers. I also read they are active participants in the March for Life. So that's what they do. I'll leave a link below but that's what they do. So...that's it
Fifth Commandment: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0RENPaY043o I know it says sixth commandment but don't worry about that.
Operation Rescue: http://www.operationrescue.org
Haha. Sorry everybody. I just reread my blog and realized my computer autocorrected every Abel to Able. Embarrassing. Sorry
DeleteNick, I liked the statement you made "We would never murder an adult if they weren't doing anything to us, so why would we murder a baby?" How true this is! I think that one of the saddest aspects of abortion is the fact that the baby is so helpless, and has no way of communicating with his or her mother. The baby had no way of allowing their mother to see their face, or hold their hand. If it did, I believe wholeheartedly that the mother would choose life without hesitation. However, our culture has somehow convinced women that their children are nothing more than "medical waste." Mothers are beginning to believe that the babies inside of them are incapable of feeling love - incapable of feeling pain. I just recently watched a video that my mom sent me of a twelve year old girl presenting a pro-life speech to her classmates. The girl began her speech by questioning her classmates: "What if I told you that right now, someone was choosing if you were going to live or die? What if I told you that this choice wasn't based on what you could or couldn't do, what you've done in the past, or what you will do in the future? And what if I told you that you could do nothing about it?" The girl then goes on to say that there are millions of babies in that same situation as their mothers contemplate whether or not to abort them. This thought absolutely astounded me, as I had never even considered the concept from this perspective. It is so sad to think that the lives of these innocent children are being taken from them, and not even considered for a moment. What if one of the millions of babies being killed at this very moment was one day meant to find a cure for cancer? What if one of the babies being killed right now was supposed to be the one your future child would marry? What if one of the babies being killed right now was meant to save our world from its downfall and destruction? I guess we will never really know for sure. All of this, because a child was mistaken for a choice.
DeleteIn the subject of abortion, Nick, it is easier to think of rape or an unplanned child as a cross to carry. That would be terrible to be raped, but God might be testing a person. He might want to see how they will handle the situation, as he does to every person in life. God did say that life will not be easy and that people will struggle, but he also said that nobody needs to do it alone. If a women had the child, adoption is an option or good family members or friends might help.
DeleteAnother question that is asked is if a person knew that they were going to give birth to Hitler or another terrorist, would they abort them to save thousands of others. The answer to this should be no, and instead a person like that needed to grow up in a good environment. Someone needed to take charge and teach good from bad. If we were all on the same page and thought of life in the same way, many more people would be around to help. Although everyone does not understand life, many people do and they are there to help whenever they are needed.
Life is sacred, and as Catholics we believe that every life should naturally be carried out from the point of natural conception until the point of natural death. We are down here on earth and we need help because the devil can be seen almost everywhere. The other people on the earth with us are supposed to help us as we help them, and we are not supposed to harm each other. This kindness can start as small and simple as directing our bad thoughts towards good, complimenting others to make them feel worthy, or ridding of any gossip that brings us into a world of hatred. We are all striving for the same goal, and our differences should not be able to wreck each other from getting to heaven.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Cain and Abel is powerful, but who really needs help in this situation? Abel was killed out of his own control and will luckily get to go to heaven because it was not his fault. God will defend those who are weaker than the rest on earth. Cain, on the other hand, let his anger and suffering lead him to the point of murder. This can be seen in this world as everyone has faults, but morals and our consciences are fooled with all of the disgusting horrors of this world. War, poverty, and terrorism are just three huge problems that were driven by suffering.
In the subject of abortion, the babies are like Abel. Because they did not even have a chance to live in sin, they will go straight back up to God. The mothers, fathers, or anyone else who might have been the cause of the actual abortion resemble Cain. They are the people who really need our prayers both before and after abortions. They are at fault and selfishness because of their own sufferings or potential sufferings get in their way.
The truth is that because we are human, God gives us all crosses to carry. Yes, some are bigger than others, but everyone struggles with their own and none of them are easy to accept. It all depends on what we do with these struggles that will lead us closer or farther away from God. At the March For Life, I saw so many disabled people. Some were in wheelchairs, some did not have limbs, some were mentally challenged, and others were marching on crutches or in wheelchairs. It gave me hope because instead of using their suffering to do bad, they offered it up to help people who were in harder situations than they were. It was really amazing! Also, I talked to this priest at the concert Wednesday night, and he told me that God is calling us, and it is not the other way around. God wants us and all of our sufferings, no matter how big or small they are, and we just have to accept the invitations.
As the same priest told me this past week, the world will not be peaceful until there is justice. Therefore, the organization that I have chosen is is ironically called Catholics for Peace and Justice. They accept suffering as it is, but encourage those who are not satisfied with the world to act upon the issues and fix them a little at a time until all humans have dignity.
http://www.catholicsforpeaceandjustice.org
Grace, I completely agree with the fact that it is those involved in the abortions that truly need our prayers. So many times, I think that it is easy for us as Catholics to look upon those who have abortions, those who perform abortions, and even those who support abortions as bad people. We think, "How can they look at themselves in the mirror after they just knowingly killed their own child." But the truth of the matter is, many of them don't. So many women walk away from their abortions completely destroyed, seeking any form of consolation for their actions. Initially, they act in fear, and their decisions are so often reenforced by those around them. The sad thing is, not every woman is as blessed as we are. Not every woman receives the guidance and instruction that we do in regards to abortion. So many women believe that it is their only option. And for this, we cannot look upon them in hatred or disgust. As for those performing the abortions, the situation is similar. So many of these individuals truly believe that they are helping women. They feel that by providing women with an "escape" from their problem will make their lives easier. Obviously, we know that this is not the case. Many of the doctors that work at abortion clinics are simply unaware of the crime that they are committing. And it is up to us to pray that they see the light at last. We watched a very inspiring pro-life movie on the way to Washington D.C. on Thursday, and one of my favorite quotations from that movie was "hate the crime, not the criminal." I think that this quote applies exceptionally well to this situation, as we are all called to pray for an end to abortion, but also to pray for those who have not yet seen the pain that it inflicts.
DeleteLife is so important, and Catholics should not be the only ones that realize that. In the passage from the Bible, Cain kills Abel because he believes that Abel is upsetting God. He may not be pleasing to God, but chances are that God does not want Abel to be killed because of this. God does not want anyone killed for any reason. Why? Because God realizes how sacred and special life is. So many people are denied life, not because they are killed, but because they are sick. There are many people out there with Cancer, who would love to be able to say that they can live. But, sadly many of them cannot. So many children should be born each year too, but like the sick people, they are denied that right. Aborted babies never get what they could have had because other people did not think it was necessary. So they are like Cain. Cain did not believe that Abel should live, so he killed him. Imagine if everything in the world was like that today. They could kill off people that were sick, unintelligent, or mean. And even though these are not the best traits to have, they are out of people's control and they still have every right to live. Do you ever wonder if Cain feels guilty for what he did to Abel? Does he ask himself, "What have I done?", much like the Pope talks about in the reading? I know that if I ever did an act like that, I would. I'm sure people that have abortions ask themselves the same thing. They will always wonder what would have happened if they had the baby; what would have happened if they chose life. What would the baby look like or act like? What would have the baby become? But they will never get to answer these questions. Just because someone is potentially flawed, or maybe even unwanted by you, does not mean that they are unwanted by others. If you never give them that chance, they will never get to experience that. That is sad, and a sin.
ReplyDeleteBecause of that, the charity I chose (ironically) was the Catholic Charity. It goes all around the world taking care of people and spreading the idea that life is valuable. I chose this because I really think that they are doing God's work, and are being good Catholics by doing so. They also coordinate adoptions. Someday, I hope to adopt a child, because I could never imagine going through life thinking that I was unwanted. I think it would be great to adopt a child through this charity. For those children, there mothers could have chosen abortion, but they chose life, so those children could have a life even it was not with them. I think that is the right decision, and I would love to take one of those children one day and adopt them. Catholic charities believe that each person and child is special, and deserves to know that, no matter what.
http://catholiccharitiesusa.org/press-releases/ccusa-celebrates-national-adoption-month/
Every thing in the world has a purpose. Houses are built to live in, clothes are supposed to be worn, people are supposed to be loved, and life is supposed to be lived. There are no "buts" in these sentences. There is no way for someone to rationalize that houses are built to live in, but only if they have five windows. One cannot say clothes are supposed to be wore, but only if they are yellow. These are illogical qualifiers. How can the number of windows in a house determine if it can be lived in? How does the color of clothing affect it's ability to be worn? In the same sense, placing a value on life is just as illogical. One cannot say life is supposed to be lived, but only if it has value. What gives a life value? Is it intelligence? Is it appearance? Is it athletic ability? The answer to these questions is no. Perhaps the value of life lies hidden in a combination of these values. Maybe life can be valued if someone could just make up the right mathematical formula with all the right variables. Then human beings could just plug in arbitrary numbers and see what the result is. The concept is appalling, and yet it happens in society today. Mothers have been given the power to decide the value of their unborn child's life. How can they choose? They think through an irrational and undetermined future, and arrive at a conclusion. They cannot know that this is their child's future; they just guess. Through their guessing, they defeat the purpose of life by taking it away. No one will ever know what that child could have become or how they could have changed the world. All these facts coalesce into an undeniable realization: Human beings cannot measure the value of life because life is invaluable.
DeleteOlivia, your question about guilt is one to consider. Yes, you would most likely feel guilty because you were raised to know that it is wrong. Those who do not think that it is wrong, and sometimes even think that killing is good if someone is sick, might not feel any guilt.
DeleteI always wander about giving homeless people money in the big cities for fear that they are not really homeless or just looking to buy drugs. Some people go on to tell me that as long as I believe that I am doing the good deed, it is up to them to do any great or sinful act with what I have provided them. The sin is not on me then, but on them if they do wrong. Is this what others believe about death? Do they think that they are doing what is right by killing the sick? It is something to think about, but in the end, I believe that it is important to teach those that it is not the right thing to do. They need to understand that life is beautiful and should be treated with respect and dignity. Many of the organizations that people have listed can help others realize the importance of life.
I am a firm believer that every child is conceived for a reason and that every person is to be born with a special gift. Life is truly too precious to abandon. It is so often that many families are unable to have babies, so when you are capable of having a child why should it be thrown away? Many times it can be though that the mother cannot support the child up until it's birth, but the real question should be why is the government funding abortions when they could be supporting new life. By depriving one of the ability to live, murder is written along side their name.
DeleteThis passage is a powerful reminder about the true sanctity of human life and the dangers it faces in the modern world. Life in the world today is often viewed as something expendable or even worthless. Babies are killed in the womb, the elderly are assisted in their suicide, and war is rampant. Lives are discarded based on the superficial values of the modern culture, a tragedy that should never occur.
ReplyDeletePope John Paul II uses a quote from Genesis in the beginning of this passage that grabbed my attention. "What have you done?" The Lord asks Cain. "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground." The Lord knows that Cain killed his brother unjustly because He is all knowing, but He still poses this question to Cain. This question forces Cain to look at what he has done and evaluate it. The Lord knows why Cain killed his brother, but he wants Cain to realize it for himself.
This same question is posed to the whole human race. "What have you done?" The Lord asks us. "The voice of your [brothers'] blood is crying out to me from the ground." Using this same quote but attributing the reception to humanity creates a similar meaning that cannot be escaped. Humanity has been killing the innocent. Millions have been slaughtered at the hands of those who think that what they are doing is right. They rationalize the evil they perpetrate and never examine the true nature and consequences of their actions. Meanwhile, the blood of our brothers stains the earth. The Lord's question forces humanity to examine their actions. Under close scrutiny, their justifications and excuses for murder fall away, revealing only the truth. Taking a human life is wrong.
This quote can also be viewed from another perspective. Instead of using the question to blame humanity for their unjust killing, the question can blame ordinary citizens. Blame is not attributed to those who kill, but to those who did nothing to stop it. This is how the question becomes individual. What have you, personally, done about this issue? Many people content themselves with merely repeating others' opinions or watching passively as the world goes on around them. However, this is not an issue that can be resolved with passivity. Human life is not expendable, and everyone must actively take part in correcting this mistaken ideal.
Life should be a universal experience, and a gift to all human beings. Every life has potential, and those who are dismissed by society show tremendous value. Many great artists, musicians, intellects, and other great people had physical flaws that today's society may see as overwhelming. Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, and Beethoven all had some type of handicap. However, they used their lives to contribute to the betterment of society. Our world would not have some of the beauty it does today without them. In today's society, many of them may not have had a chance to live. They may have been killed because of their perceived disabilities. These people illustrate the incredible value of all human life, regardless of physical or mental capacities.
The organization I have chosen is Human Life International. This organization helps families and supports the Pro-Life movement. One aspect of this organization I appreciate is that it reaches out to families of all religions. They remain faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church, and extend these values to everyone. They help families who are in crisis, and promote life. They actively try to influence society and change the current flippant attitude towards human life.
http://www.hli.org
Life is a universal experience. People experience life, even if it is not the same experience as everyone else. You are right that many people who society may have considered crazy would have been killed, then we would not be where we are as a world today. Cain killed Abel because he believed that Abel was not pleasing to God. If we would kill everyone who was considered by us "not pleasing", then our world would be behind and we would have so many dead. Who are we to judge who is not pleasing to God? After all, God is the final judge. The Human Life international sounds like a great charity. I think that is great that they help people of all religions, yet still remain central to God's major teachings. A person should not have different views on the sanctity of life just because they are a different religion.
DeleteAshley, I agree that many people who are having abortions do not believe what they are doing is wrong. They have a mindset that this is the only possible options for them and they do not take into consideration the facts which play into the matter. Many people try to inform them on the truths, but fail because these people ignore the information. These people who have had abortions have a tendency to turn against pro-choice and turn to pro-life because their minds have been opened. I believe this article shows the truth about reality's situations of violence and bloodshed. I was moved by this and I believe that this excerpt should be publicly known to help prevent abortions and change the minds of those who read the excerpt.
DeleteThis week, I spent over 75 hours with two hundred complete strangers. Sure, I knew some people, but I made some of the greatest friends. It completely astounded me everyday, because there were so many different people, from so many different walks of life. I soon discovered after meeting so many people, that each person has their own story. It was quite amazing and after four days I found myself very attached to these people. District chorus has given me some very close friends, and taught me a very important lesson that corresponds well with this article. Each person has an important part in their life, and each person has the chance to do something great. Yet everyday, individuals are being robbed of this chance. Wether it be abortion, murder, war, or any other factor that was expressed in the reading, the basic concept and beauty of life is being denatured. So many great things could be happening in this world if life was accepted instead of feared and rejected. There are thousands of babies who are killed everyday, along with many children and individuals dying of hunger, and disease. What could be accomplished in our society if these individuals were able to live life to the fullest and have the same opportunities that we do. There could be a cure for cancer or AIDS, or there could be the world's next Elvis Presley, or the next pope. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteThe basic principle and meaning of life has completely gone awry. Life is meant to be pure and have the sole purpose of serving God. However, our society is filled of children overdosing drugs, having children themselves, and completely ignoring any religion. And while many of these people are given the best chances in life, there see so many that are not. There are thousands of children dying of malnutrition and suffering from abuse. These children would do anything to have the chances that some of these other privileged individuals have. Just as abortion is a destruction of life, drug use and premarital sexual relations falls along these same lines. The life that God had in plan for these individuals is being destroyed and completely thrown away.
The organization I chose is SADD. This is the Students Against Destructive Decisions. There is currently one of these organizations here at ECC and I would encourage everyone to join because it is truly rewarding to be a part of. The point of this club is to show students the dangers that drugs, alcohol, and other destructive activities ruin human life and affect society around us. This club works to make sure that young people are able to take advantage of their opportunities and live their lives to the full potential that God intended for them.
http://www.sadd.org
I think one of the most amazing parts of life is that even though everyone experiences life, each experience is amazing and different. That is why people who abort babies constantly wonder what their baby's life would have been like. But, they can only guess. They will never know if their child would have been the next Pope or the next great scientist. Its awful when parents do this, because they are not only denying their child life, but denying the world of another life. You never know what that life could do, or what difference that child could have made.
DeleteAbbey, wouldn't the world be a better place if each person but their God given talent to work? Like you said, everyone has the abiltity to do something great, but some do not put that ability to do something great into action. If these people decided to do so, would the world have as many problems? No. If everyone's lived in the pathway of God, would the world have as many problems? No. Many people of these times do not see all of the challenges life has simply because it doesn't affect the, any way. People do not have the ,indeed that God intended them to have. If everyone did have that mindset, would the world have these problems?
DeleteYou know Abbey,not is sad that a bunch of kids are being robbed of a chance of life. It is just utterly disappointing. At your event, there could have been hundreds of more kids. But...nope. And I think that someone should do something about it. SADD is a really great organization because it helps students who may be having a tough time make the right decisions when there may be no one to help them do that. So...that's all I have to say
DeleteAbbey, I understand everything that you have just mentioned. Just think of how many more people there would be on this earth of abortions were to be stopped. Think of how many Albert Einsteins we are killing each day. Think of how many more Bill Gates we would have in the world. How about all of the Walt Disneys are being murdered each day because women think that it is okay to kill their unborn child. What about the J. K. Rowlings that are being slaughtered each day. If one really thinks about it, abortion is really just another form of the Holocaust. I would not be here writing this right now if my mother was not pro choice, and the readers would not be reading this either. "Yo Mama Was Pro Life," so why are mothers still killing their children?
DeleteMoney is a big problem in today's society, either one has too much or not enough. Few of the ones who have too much money care about the ones who do not have any. The money system in this country is so skewed it is not even funny. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. If the money were to be distributed evenly, society would not have people who cannot feed their families. There are people who are starving and out in the cold, but society tells us to ignore them. While there are people who are getting tons of money for doing nothing, there are also people who are working hard for their money but still do not have enough to feed themselves. Take the Kardashians for example. They are probably one of the most known families in the United States, and they are famous for something that one should not be famous for. They make tons of money each day just by putting their name on a brand, and no one sees them going to help the kids in Africa.
ReplyDeleteAs many people well know, there are three classes in our society: high class, middle class, and low class. Each class also had subdivisions: higher high class, middle high class, lower high class, etc. These classes put a number to people based on how much money they have. Someone once told me that the poor help the poorer and the rich help the richer. There are thousands of middle and lower class citizens that want to be helping the people who have no money, such as the children in Africa. There are hundreds of different mission trips that teenagers go on every year to support people who have been through a natural disaster, or are starving, or simply do not have a home. Even God has said that to be happy one is to give their riches to the poor. Yet there are people who are dying from starvation. A lot of people want to help those in Africa and who are suffering from natural disasters but do not have enough money to do so. Thankfully, there is an amazing organization that helps teenagers get scholarships to go on mission trips. This organization is known a Youth In Mission or YiM. Youth in Mission is a nonprofit organization that gives out scholarships to people who want to go on a mission trip but do not have enough money to do so. The way this organization works is that people donate to it online, or they can buy merchandise from it and all of the money that has been made by the merchandise or the donations goes to the scholarships. Youth in Mission really helps people to do their calling to help others in need. We all know that money can be a problem, especially if one wants to help others. Thankfully, with YiM, one does not need to worry about money.
http://www.youthinmission.org
RaeAnn, my biggest dream for next year is to attended the mission trip. I feel as if it is so,etching I have wanted to do for the longest time to help others. Money will surely be an issue for my family, will I be able to make it work? I sure hope so. The idea of this organization really makes me have hope for society in helping others who are in need. The idea that it makes many people able to go on a mission trip when they thought they couldnt because of money is amazing. It's like a little kid on chrismas to me!
DeleteI hate that we live in a world ruled by money. We are constantly judged by the contents of our wallet rather than the contents of our brains and it puts me over the edge. A great example of this is in the movie "Good Will Hunting." The kid in this movie is an absolute genius, but he never received a proper education because he was poor. What if a kid living in the slums has the cure for cancer, but we will never know because he did not have enough money to go to school? Human life, whether it be the lives of someone rich or poor, is valuable.
DeleteOk Buchs. You want evenly distrubute the wealth. That's a great idea. So I assume you want to take money from the rich and give it to the poor, fabulous idea. While we are at it though, why don't we take grades that the smart people in our school get and give them to the people who are not really achieving high grades. You know, because we need to distribute the points to keep the playing surface even. We can't let the smart peopor keep getting smarter while the dumb people keep getting dumber. You are probably saying that's ridiculous. Do you know what form of government spreads the wealth around? Communism. We will not become a communist government. Ever. I refuse to allow that to happen.
DeleteI like your rebuttal. I think the theory is the socialist theory. Some do say that it leads to communism.
DeleteNow what? I just read the reading over many times thinking of more ways I could improve the world and all of it's challenges. I believe as teenagers we can do a lot to help out many of these challenges. I don't think I would have been able to think this way if I wasn't helping out the world already. I know all of you know about my relay for life team, helping out many Cancer patients. When I first started my team, many of the people at the meetings looked at me like I was crazy, because of how young I was (14) when I attended my first meeting. I was 15 when the relay itself took place. Without me knowing how much personally how Cancer patients are affected I'm not sure if I ever would have had the opportunity to make my own relay for like team. The satisfaction of helping people make my day.
ReplyDeleteThe reading really grabbed me by the repeating question, "What have you done?" This made me think what else I could do I order to improve other lives. I love finding new charities and foundations that help out many of the people who need help the most in this world. This reading made all of the situations stand out to me to see just how much needs changed in order for the world to be a peaceful, wonderful place. It shows just how much help a normal person, like us, can do to help many lives.
My organization I picked is one that covers many of the charities that need it the most. I'll post the link to the website at the end so then you can help make a difference. Anyway, the organization I picked is called "1 face." This organization proved help to many aspects in the world, which you will see on the website. What you see on the website are watches that are mostly $40, there is a $100 touchscreen one that benefits all of the charities. Each watch provides a person with something they are in need of. For example, there is a yellow watch that is called education. This watch provides 73 days of education. There are many more watches that help other groups also. The one I plan on getting is a black watch that supports 8 Cancer patients. This organization give this to the American Cancer society, which I am sport of so I feel a connection with this watch. What I really hope is that many of you find the connection between a watch and by one. My little brother found this organization last night and he couldn't decided which one he wanted so he got the $100 one that supports all causes. He said he never felt so good about spending his money on a watch. At the end it tells you how many lives you changed. My favorite part on the website is that is show you a tally of how many lives were changed today. Lastly, the watch itself is digital and the face of the watch is a mirror. This is to show that when ever you look at the time, you see your face, which reminds you that you made changes to improve the world. If that doesn't move you, I don't know what will.
Link: http://www.1face.com
Happy buying (:
Maddie, I agree with you that teenagers can make the change for their generation and future generations. Teenagers are the voice of the world and have the power to move the people of the world. Unfortunately, many teenagers do not recognize or try to change for the better. Many tend to be content with their current lives and feel they already hold enough responsibility. I think what you do is a great example of helping the world and making a change. I believe that this inspires other teenagers to want to be involved in some sort of organization that can help contribute a change to our world in the future.
DeleteI agree, Maddie. I think it's cool when organizations sell things. It is a reminder to the buyer of how they helped people by buying the item. I was watching Vanderpump Rules, which is not a very moral show, but oh well. Lisa Vanderpump was holding an event at her restaurant. The necklaces sold for hundreds of dollars, but each provided a child in Africa a year of education. I think projects like these are so cool! Everyone gets something from them.
DeleteLife is precious and a gift from God. The gift of life created out of love holds unknown truths and potentials. Each being is a sacred gift of love. A child is fragile and filled with God's plan. The gift of life is a blessing and the gift to live is unbelievable. However, with these arising ideas and images for society these blessings are abused and missed place, forgotten and left vanish. Our society tempts us with "ideal" images, explicit music, and more distractions that cause us to believe these portrayed wrongs are right. Shows and music give adolescents an image on how life should be which leads to paths which hold, alcohol, drugs, premarital sexual activities, and an abundant amount of contraceptive forms. All of these lead to unwanted pregnancy and complications. The people who are involved in these are often looking for a way out when they realize the results of their actions. For them abortion is what comes to mind as the only option or "escape".
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt grabbed me and further dug me into the pro-life organization. The article showed a comparison of violence deemed as unjust to a violence deemed as fair and human right. Euthanasia and abortion are both subjects common among a group of people, no matter their beliefs. However, both acts are wrong and immoral, they are acts of violence and bloodshed. But if these are acts of murder, why are they legal? This is what does not make sense. Many people who have abortions tend not to understand the actuality and are often left with regret. I believe that this excerpt should be made more public for society to read because this reading is so powerful if read carefully. People will understand the wrongs and consequences of these two situations. Now, many will not believe this act because they refuse to recognize the truths and they refuse to listen to the reality. It is my hope that all can recognize these dangers and help support the pro- life movement and end abortions.
The organization I choose was the Elk County Rights to Life. This organization is a local organization which helps raise money to support the pro-life movement. The reason I chose this group was because my aunt is involved, and she asked me to draw a picture for the organization. I stippled a picture of an infant which is found on the inside of the cards. Inside these cards is an acknowledgment which enables you to donate money to the organization in contribution an individual. This organization is apart of the Rights to Life organization, which is the largest and most known pro-life organization. http://www.nrlc.org
Sydney, I agree with you. So many women seem to think that the killing of their baby will solve all their problems for them and that they can escape from it. However, I have heard many stories of women who have had abortions and now have to deal with that fact everyday. It is not an escape for them anymore, it is prison. They are stuck with the knowledge of knowing that they took an innocent life away. They will always have to wonder what their child could have turned out to be. And while many mothers say that they could not give their child the best life, this is not true. I was having a debate about abortion with someone the other day and the one thing I kept come back to was that any life a child is given is better than no life at all.
DeletePope John Paul II wrote Evangelium Vitae to outline the crimes committed by humans against each other. He uses an allusion of Ablel and Cain from the bible to show how God the Father frowned upon the killing of his creation. The question "what have you done" seems to serve more than just asking a question. I feel as if there will come a day when God will ask us at the end of our lives, "what have you done?" I hope I do not have to answer with tons of guilt, but instead to say I made a difference to combat the blood spill of his people.
ReplyDeleteMy organization of choice is Doctors of the World. Their goal is to provide care to the most vulnerable populations. Their core belief is healthcare is a human right, not a privilege for those who can afford it. They also offer education and testing for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDs, hepatitis C, malaria. This is really important to me because personally because I am really involved with raising awareness for rape culture, which can lead to the contraction of AIDS. It is a huge problem because of young females all over the world being forced into sex work. It may not seem like a problem, but human trafficking is also the fastest growing crime in the United States. I have watched numerous documentaries on what kind of females they target and how they go about it to educate myself in order to raise awareness for the rest of the population. That is a huge reason why this organization is important. I also love how this organization goes above and beyond the essential needs of shelter and food. They make it a priority to provide psychological assistance. They are currently providing psychological help to refugees in Syria. This is not only an organization that is helping in third world countries throughout the world, they also have a center in New York for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
http://doctorsoftheworld.org
I feel as though it can be an easy question to ask what has been done, but the real difficulty lies in the answer to the question. It can not just be simplified as murder when one loses their life anymore, because there is just too many types of murder. When the idea of slaughter is shown, I for one visualize a man or woman holding a gun or a machete and wearing dirty disgusting clothing. However, now these murderers can be seen in surgical clothing or in suits administering lethal injections in a prison. A murderer is someone who takes away human life and value. These people can also be those degrading the people of lower social class. The reading stated, "What of the spreading of death caused by reckless tampering with the world's ecological balance, by the criminal spread of drugs, or by the promotion of certain kinds of sexual activity which, besides being morally unacceptable, also involve grave risks to life?" Those kids who are going into drugs as well as other activities have fallen victim to society and its problems. Their hopes for their future have been essentially murdered as well.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though one of the many arguments that is brought up with people in support of the Pro-Choice movement is: "Well, what if the women was raped?" I firmly believe that their is always an alternative in that situation. I was introduced to the awful realization that rape does exist after watching Law and Order: SVU extensively and the more I look into it I realize how much I hate society. I hate that we live in a world were bad things can happen and that no one thinks twice about the damage they cause. Those women, and occasionally men, have to go through trauma for the rest of their lives. The organization that I found was Pandora's Project, which allows healing support to victims and their loved ones during a time of coping. The link to their website is here: http://pandys.org
Jenna, I am also aware of the problem with abortion in society and the excuses that the women give. Although rape is very real in this world it should not be used as an excuse to take someone's life. I am as one would say "very prolife." I do not hate the people who abort their children but I do not agree with the concept that it is okay to do so. It was not the baby's fault that the women got raped. Another excuse that women use to abort babies would be something like "it's my body and I should get to do with it what I want," but this is a lie. It's not just "your" body, it is also the baby's body. Abortion should not be allowed anywhere because, contrary to some's beliefs, it is murder.
DeleteI agree, Jenna, rape is a serious issue in today's society which strips victims of their dignity and respect. the chances of dying while playing Russian roulette is one in six, yet the chances of a woman being raped is one in five. It's absurb to think it is more dangerous to be a woman than to play such a dangerous game. Your correlation of rape to CAI reminds me of a foundation I support called, the Joyful Heart Foundation. It was founded by Olivia Benson from Law and Order. Her character on the show caused viewers to share their stories with her of their experience. She now sends victims of sexual assault on healing retreats to Hawaii
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