Class 10/29

In response to the Pope announcing his belief of how the big bang theory brought everything into existence, I would turn to a general conference address in 2012 by Apostle Elder Nelson to refute this claim. In speaking on the wonders of the human body, Nelson said the following:“Yet some people erroneously think that these marvelous physical attributes happened by chance or resulted from a big bang somewhere.”  He then goes on to speak of how ridiculous this way of thinking is by saying “Ask yourself, “Could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary?” The likelihood is most remote. But if so, it could never heal its own torn pages or reproduce its own newer editions!” 

As we know, the plain and precious truth of the gospel always makes perfect sense, such that even a child can comprehend.  What sounds more plausible to you; that a big bang set in motion the events that led to our creation or that it was done by a glorified human being?

With its nickname of the "God Particle," the Higgs boson particle has certainly become quite the controversial discovery. It is supposedly responsible for all the mass in the universe, and for many this brings the excitement of finally learning more about our world. But an issue surrounds it's "sexier" nickname of the god particle. Many physicists dislike the term "God particle", though many agree that it is quite an accurate name for such an important discovery. I argue that just because something has the word "God" in it doesn't mean that it has anything to do with religion. 

Class 10/20

True to its name, Garrett Hardin begins his "Lifeboat Ethics" essay by asking readers to imagine themselves in a lifeboat. There is room for sixty people on the boat, but there are currently only 50 I'm the boat. Treading water nearby are one-hundred others pleading to be allowed in the boat. The question sought to be answered is how do we save them all? Hardins response is that there is no way to save all of the people. He goes on to explain that the fifty people in the lifeboat resemble the rich countries and the swimmers are the poor countries. To some his ethics seem rude and selfish, but I agree with Hardins idea of tough love. I too believe that a poor country in need of support must learn the hard way, just as ours did  It is their responsibility to be accountable, even at the risk of losing lives and other valuable resources. 

Class 10/22

In this video we see several cute little girls dolled up in princess gear shouting the word "fuck" and spouting stats about pay inequality and sexual violence. My response to this video? Their message was received loud and clear. I think it's a creative idea to not only create awareness for women's fundamental rights while earning a profit. Yes, the company responsible for this advertisement is a for-profit company. It says so, right on their "about" page: "FCKH8.com is a for-profit T-shirt company with an activist heart and a passionate social change mission: arming thousands of people with pro-LGBT equality, anti-racism and anti-sexism T-shirts that act as 'mini-billboards' for change." But while the company is making a profit, I believe that using this positive message is not only good advertising that sets the company apart from others, but it also draws attention to real issues that plague out society today. Sure their language may be vulgar, but as they said in the video, maybe we should be less concerned about washing the little girls mouths out and more concerned with cleaning up society's stereotypical expectations and treatment of women. 

Class 10/17

It's issues such as LDS.org editing a part of the prayer in the general women's meeting that I do not understand. Why is this an issue? Why are people taking such an innocent thing so seriously? Concern would be appropriate if it were a more serious edit, for example removing a large section if a general authorities talk, but here this is not the case. It was a simple correction to a prayer given. All they were doing was ensuring that they were posting accurate information to the website to ensure there was no confusion. If this is wrong, then what are we to do when a speaker stutters, junbles hus words, or mutters an "um" during the talk? Shall we type that too? Of course not. You edit it out.

"I do not see why man should not be just as cruel as nature"

Long been the focus of many debates and arguments, I hold that Adolf Hitler is one of the most controversial leaders ever to walk the Earth. Most find it hard to believe how a man so cruel and odd looking became the leader of such a powerful country, but maybe there was an actual method in his madness. Hitler's rise to power was not through that of brute force, but through his ideas of a better, superior Germany. In 1913 through his skills as a leader, his superior public speaking, his exceptional propaganda and, his promises to the German people and the organization of the Nazi party, Hitler rose to power.

For much of the world today, the name Adolf Hitler goes hand in hand with thoughts of hatred, criminality, and just pure evil, and rightly so. But though he is responsible for the greatest genocide known to humanity, Hitler was still one of the most influential World leaders of all time. Adolf Hitler was born on the 20th of April, 1889. His schooling record was always a poor one, and in his early teens he left. He originally sought to become an artist, but in his late teen years he gained an interest in politics and history. Unfortunately this newfound interest didn't take him far in his early years, for when mother died (he was about 19 years of age) he no longer had close relatives willing to support him. He spent the next four years living on the streets and in shelters.

Around 1914 he moved to the city of Munich in southern Germany and with the outbreak of the first World War, he volunteered for service in the German army. A majority of his enlistment period was spent as a prisoner-of-war, at a camp at Traunstein before he again returned to Munich. Because he had been involved with politics, when he did return his responsibilities were that of publicity and propaganda. Hitler had success with this drawing thousands of people to his speeches and the group had changed their name to the National Socialist German Workers Party on April 1st 1920. By 1921 Hitler had virtually secured total control of the Nazi party.

The Adolf Hitler and Nazi rise to power movement happened quickly. I attribute most of this to the fact that the German nation as a whole had a bleak outlook regarding its future. For many the loss of World War I was still a very vivid memory, and with the economic depression in full effect it was a very unique opportunity for an excellent speaker that was promoting a better life for Germans and an entirely new Germany. Hitler attracted many people to his sessions, all who were eager for change in their country and who could never could have seen what was ultimately going to happen.

Albeit he was more than just a little off his rocker, Hitler was a political genius. He was able to restore Germany after it's humiliation after World War I and the treaty of Versailles and is known as one of the greatest leaders in history.

Class 10/13

In his article "Economic and Moral Progress", Gandhi makes the observation and point that while economics is continuing to experience positive progression morality has not been as such in its progression in the world.  He goes on to prove his claim by comparing individuals in society and the universal application that material or worldly possessions do not improve our lifestyle as much as the means of moral progress.  Gandhi wanted to see why the country has rapidly advanced in riches, but gone down in morality. As he sees it, society sees possessions and other economic riches as success and happiness. Most believe that the key to a well developed and successful society is through these worldly possessions, but Ghandi sees success in a much different way. He believe that a successful society puts it's moral progression before it's economics. Ghandi himself was seen as successful not because of what he owned and how much money he had, but by gaining knowledge, trusting friends and gaining wisdom from his life experiences .  

Class 10/8

The reading last night focused on material things and how they are not required to be prosperous. Wealth does not indicate Gods favor either. The moral of the chapter is that we should seek heavenly rewards rather than earthly rewards. The picture taken by Dorothea Lange is of a 32 year old impoverished woman. The photographer did not ask her name or her history. The woman had been living on frozen vegetables and birds her children killed. She had just sold the tired of her car to buy food for her children. What sticks out to me is the exchange that occurred here. The woman in the photo understood that this picture might help her while at the same time helping the photographer, so there was equality about it.

Class 10/1

Upon watching the news broadcast of "lady liberty", a woman fighter pilot who led a missile strike in Syria, I could tell that the reporter was very passionate and proud that it was a woman pilot. But I was perplexed as to why the male reporters thought it appropriate to poke fun at the stereotype that women are bad drivers. I understand that stereotypes are usually meant to be funny and seen as a joke, but I have always thought that jokes about sex, race, Religion can be offensive to many. Many argue that this is being over sensitive, but who is to decide that? It's my feelings, my personal belief.