Religion & Education

http://www.debateitout.com/is-religion-the-opiate-of-the-masses.html

Well I think that the teaching of religion can be very beneficial to children in the aspect of forming them into “better people”.  For example, if you keep on teach a child the difference from right and wrong, than that child will know and as he/she gets older they can learn to differentiate the two. Therefore teaching a child good values and principles from an early age is very beneficial to them, in the long run.

Also, on a less formal note, if you teach a child the simple morals, as in treat others how you would like others to treat you, or don’t lie to people it’s not the best thing to do, and respect everyone. If you  teach a child morals like these, that is something that is very beneficial to them, they CAN grow up to be respectful individuals, and teach that to their own children, and so on and so forth.

I do think that the teaching of religion can be useful and helpful in improving education, and more students learning.

For example, I know this guy who used to smoke weed all the time, party like there’s no tomorrow, drink until he would blackout; and then due to an unfortunate and terrifying series of deaths among our friends, he completely changed. He goes to church, practices in bible studies, participates in youth groups; and has quit all of his old bad habits. I bet that IF he had converted into church when he was in high school, that his education would have been better.  He may have focused more on school and to better his future rather than where the next party is going to be. That is one example that has truly impacted me, he seems so sincere about his change and I am so proud of that. 

However I would like to believe that teaching of a religion can be beneficial to everyone, but let’s be serious, there are people who believe in no God and are the nicest mort respectful people I know; and others who preach to me about God, and what I do wrong and always trying to tell someone that they are not good enough for God, and are the most ignorant, conniving, hypocrite type of people that I know.

dirilifac.blogspot.com

A very smart man once said “Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect and I don't live to be, but before you point your fingers at me, make sure your hands are clean”-Bob Marley.  

Week 12: Family & Intimate Relationships



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/58/220279254_17c20cbec5.jpg



According to Encarta English Dictionary Family is- a group of people who are closely related by birth, marriage, or adoption.

From my own experience I view family as people whom I love and are very close to. People that I can’t spend a day without speaking to or people who I cant stop thinking about.

Other than my mom and dad, I have no other BLOOD related family in USA. As a child I was extremely jealous of my friends that had a big family, with siblings and lots of cousins.  They always told me “Bruna this is not fun, you’re lucky your sisters don’t live with you.” No I’m really not, I hate it. I hate being alone, I always need to be with people. That’s why when I get older and start my own family I want a big one, I would hate for my children to go through what I went through all alone. It is extremely difficult to have your whole entire family thousands of miles away from you.  

My friends are my family, they mean the world to me and I am extremely over protective over them. I treat them as if they were my siblings. So to ME family is so much more than being just blood related. Due to the circumstances that I have lived with, I have some blood-related family who I do not even know, and could care less for, as I’m sure the feeling is mutual. I would put my close friends over some of my family; of course, not close or immediate family.

I consider one of my very close friends my cousin, and everyone even says that we look a lot alike, some even confuse us for twins. She is Portuguese as well and her family is very close to mine. Our parents are best friends, and we grew up together. We share many of the same beliefs about most topics. Our morals are pretty much the same, and we dress about the same too. I also think that because we are so close, of course we are going to act similar, considering the fact that we spend so much time together. Also, our parents act pretty similar, as far as raising us and how they would talk to us and treat us; punish us if they had to.

I think that this is for the most part true; it is pretty basic you have people who care and love one another, and are related most of the times. People who build relationships with different people and then consider them family, however every family is different. On the other hand, I think that family is a pretty complex system, since they are not all the same and each one has its own values, morals, traditions, and customs.  I can see how family can be detrimental and/or beneficial to an individual or people to certain in a society. We are often influenced by our peers, media, and from others around us.

http://parentresourcecenter.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/unhappy-family.jpg

For example, if there are two children who are best friends, if one is going through a divorce than the other will probably fear that her family will experience the same thing.

In my case, I saw that most if not all of my friends had siblings either older or younger, I would often ask my mom “mommy why can’t I have a little brother or sister?” or “mommy why do my sisters live in Portugal, and we live here?” My own family experience has greatly impacted me, so I assume the same would go for other people in society.

http://www.shallownation.com/images/barack-obama-family-people-magazine-2008-august.jpg

As far as a positive impact on the global community, the only thing that comes to my mind is the “traditional” family of mom, dad, and children, they all give back to the community, and have made a difference in the world by creating a great charity cause and they all live happily ever after. This idea of a “perfect” type of family may positively impact people to one day have a family like that, and fall in those footsteps.

http://celebritynewsandstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/prince-william-kate-middleton.jpg

 

I feel as though the media would play a HUGE role in those, I mean look at Prince William’s wedding, which is all that I see on the TV, and to be quite honest I’m sick of it. I honestly do not care what his wedding decors look like, who his wife to be brides mate is going to be or what they are wearing.  But I’m sure that so many people are watching this and dreaming, that they have a wedding like that.

Week 11:

http://jobsanger.blogspot.com/2010/11/republicans-say-no-to-equal-pay-for.html



  On Sunday was my goddaughters’ birthday party it was a very large group of us, and a very diverse mixture. Well I decided to make my comment here, since there were some FRIENDS, some FAMILY, and some STRANGERS. Well I made my comment to see what different people’s opinion would be since it was such a large group.  Well actually most people reaction was agreeing with my comment, as they nodded their heads up and down, some people paid no attention to it, as if it were a normal thing to disrespect one’s culture or nationality, and other people just looked at me in silence. 

http://www.bilerico.com/2009/10/how_perry_bindelglass_became_the_official_bilerico.php

I sort of anticipated these reactions because well, although we try to not be biased or stereotypical, it just comes out, it seems as though it’s in our human nature to label people.  I expected people to agree, some to just sit there emotionlessly as though they didn’t hear what I said.  I didn’t really expect someone to disagree with me but I wanted someone too, therefore we could have had a debate, I wanted someone to say I was wrong and why I was wrong for saying what I said.  Well the reaction that I received after making that comment definitely demonstrates how society feels about different cultures and demonstrates that most people have an  “oh they aren’t talking about me, so who cares?” state of mind.  Most people don’t challenge what is the “social norm” as long as it isn’t about them. I on the other hand feel as though that’s not right, who are we to be judgmental to other people’s cultures are.  We are all supposed to be equal, no one is better or higher than another. In some ways i feel as though we still have a cast system in the USA. We have people who society and media help to label as better than the others. It's not fair but it is something that we have all grown accustomed too, or have we?

The unfair caste system in India.

 http://globaltwilight.edublogs.org/2011/03/27/the-indus-river-valley-what-happened-after-harappa-and-mohenjo-dara/

Racial & Ethnic Inequality

image found at rt.com

When I was in middle school and high school most people assumed that I was Hispanic, and well still till this day.  I understand why they may have thought that. The fact that my skin complexion, my dark hair, dark eyes, and since most people just generalize they assumed I was Hispanic.

Well one day this girl on the school bus was talking negatively about Hispanic people and she made a comment like “yall Spanish motherf*c%#s should go back to the country that you came from!” she was looked the direction of my friends and I, so me being that hot-headed person that I am,  said “who the f#*%, are you to say something like that and for your information I aint even Hispanic.” Well to make a long story short we were arguing and ever since that day we have NEVER got along. We had a mutual dislike, hate if you will. We both said things that were rude and appalling.  

I was extremely angry at the fact that someone would say something like that especially her because she was Black, so her ancestors came from Africa. I was enraged with anger because knowing how Black/African American’s have suffered with slavery , I would think that she would be understanding in the fact that we are all minorities.

What I have noticed through out my middle school and high scool days was that there is in fact racism within minority groups. That bothers me because I do not feel as though we should be racist to anyone, what for? We are all humans and we share the world we live on.

If I could go back to that day I most likely would not have changed a thing from that situation, when someone is being so rude and disgusting towards another race, when her ancestors were in fact IMMIGRANTS themselves, I do not see how I could react in a different way, I probably would have said the same things I did in the same manner in which I said it.  I was extremely tired of people assuming that I was Hispanic, but even more tired of people talking down on me because they thought I was Hispanic. 

image found at tarynmaxximilliandafoe.com

Sometimes I wonder, if I had different colored eyes, if I dressed differently, if I hung around with different group of friends would she have said the same thing? Would she have still assumed that I was Hispanic?

Some actions that I could have taken in order to make it conflict free manner would probably be to have sustained my composure and not have gotten so angry and yelled at her, we were at each others throats, but I most likely would have said the same thing.

All in all, I would not have changed a thing, the way that I see it is that if she was rude enough to make such a comment towards us, and we had done nothing to her that I don’t need ignorant people like that in my life.