So two interesting things happened today. First of all, in my Honor's Class (Issues of Social Justice; a class that looks at current Social Issues from both a Secular and a Spiritual viewpoint) a guy working for some organization that hire top tier College Graduates to teach in low-income and low success level school districts all over the United States for 2 or more years. Initial thoughts: Nope, not gonna do it. Thoughts at the end of the program: Great idea. I can't do it. Why? First of all, I'm not going to effectively be able to work in Public Schools. I don't know how anyone of my faith could. There is such oppression of spirituality in some Public Schools, often especially Christian Spirituality it makes me sick. The Founding Fathers didn't want a Godless nation, they wanted a Secular Government, there is a difference. Second of all, they pay way too much. I'd feel guilty working with that kind of salary right out of University. I mean, yeah, I'd probably enjoy having the money, I'd probably use it to pay off debt from the student loans I think I'll likely end up receiving, but... I don't think I should be earning that kind of money and using it on myself. I'd feel... guilty, knowing that its significantly more than my parents have lived off of (as a family of 5!) in Bangladesh. Yeah, yeah, different standards of living etc, but you know what? Right off the bat I'm thinking: that's a lot of money to hand a new college-graduate.
I think the main thing was of course I couldn't stand to teach kids, especially anyone below the High School level, especially kids who are likely really badly educated (functional illiterates in 8th grade? Breaks my heart, I'll be honest, but I couldn't stand to teach someone like that. I need to be around people who think on my level, the level of a rather intelligent University Student). I'd be a bad teacher, combine that with students who are really far behind in their education? Yeah, I'd probably go insane.
But... on that note, I want to bring up a related idea. One of my friends mentioned how she couldn't watch the State of the Union (where the US president speaks to the members of Congress about what he wants to do that year) because Obama is such a Socialist. She claimed that “spreading the wealth” and “socialism” where not American.
Now, in all honesty, I don't give two hoots about what is or isn't American. I grew up in freaking Bangladesh and in my opinion a lot of the Gung-Ho Patriotism that Americans have is somewhat over-rated. A lot of Americanisms are unnecessary. Some of them (The American Dream?) are really cool and I like them, but at the same time, I don't really care if an idea is or isn't American, so much as is or isn't it Biblical.
So, here's a thought? What does the Bible say about caring for the Poor and Needy? What did Jesus do for the Poor? What did God command the Israelites to do for their fellows found in need? What did the early Church do in regards to their less fortunate brethern? A whole friggin' lot!
Jesus healed the sick and the poor. He show love to the desperate: the blind and lame beggars, the women sick for twelve years. He went out of his way to touch people, to love people, to heal people. He showed compassion on the forgotten.
The Old Testament has a large amount of laws regarding the Poor. If you read the story of Ruth you know that Ruth survived by “gleaning” the grain from the fields of the rich landowners. God's laws allowed people in her situation to do this and, hopefully, get enough food to survive even if one didn't have gainful employment or your own land to farm. The Bible has rules and laws that help the desperate remedy their situation, mostly involving forced labor and temporary enslavement, but the point was that someone desperate enough to steal for a living or sell all their land to eat a loaf of bread could gain some respect or skill or more land if they were willing to pay for their mistakes of financial mismanagement, or if they were willing to accept that sometimes people have hard times. God's system of Government provided for the Poor and Needy.
Finally, what did the Early Church do? Well, they did the same! In Acts we read stories of men and women who gave all they had to the poor. The literally sold everything they owned and put it as the disciples feet. The disciples then used this money to provide for the Orphans and Widows amongst them. The Church cared for the Poor and Needy just as their God commanded them.
So, with that in mind? What's our response? Is this idea of redistributing the wealth Biblical? Is the idea of making sure that we don't have a population in a chronic state of poverty? It seems to me that we have a responsibility, as followers of Christ, to walk in his footsteps. It seems to me, as scholars of the Bible, that we have a need to follow the commands of our holy text. It seems to me, that as members of the Church, we have a command to do as the early church did.
Socialism isn't American? Well possibly not. But it seems to me at some form of socialism is very much Biblical.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
End of the Year Ramblings: 2011 Edition
So this is really late, but yeah, I've been lazy this Christmas break. Apolizing in advance, but here is my end of the year ramblings I try to write up every year.
I just read through my end of the year ramblings from last year and it was interesting how I basically just focused on the last few months of 2009, not all of it. Anyways, that was a time where I was in transition: school was pretty close to over, I was finalizing decisions about university, and I was learning to say good-bye to Bangladesh. I also am reminded of how hard that last year of school was for me. Honestly, I had a lot of hard work that year, I really never understood some of the stuff I was supposed to learn in Math and Physics, and, as much as I did enjoy some aspects of Latin, I did not apply myself nearly as much as I should have in that class, mostly because I was lazy, but also because I honestly did not have a lot of time. I wanted Bs in Physics and Math, and by the grace of God, my mother and my teachers, I got those Bs, but as a result, I didn't do nearly as good in Latin as I should have. Thank God that Mr. Spotts grades easily enough.
And now, that's all behind me. I mean, really behind me. I can say (with a smug face of course!), “ahh highschool, I remember when I did that.” To my siblings. Of course, the best thing about having a really tough time in High School, especially in classes like Advanced Composition (My 11th grade English Class) is that I'm actually having an easier time in University. Okay yes, I did get a big fat C in Math last semester, and that did really frustrate me, but I did very good in every other class I took. I think I managed to get As on all my papers in my Honors class (I got an A in the class) and that... really excited me. Why? Because, honestly, I know my writing on some of those papers was not my highest level of writing, I cut corners and my writing suffered. I love writing, and it pains me to remember that paper and remember me cutting out entire paragraphs and then leaving others in a completely unfinished state because I didn't have “time” because I was stupid and played League of Legends all night instead of writing a paper 2 people (myself and my teacher) will ever read on American Beauty. Truly a foolish move. :P
Anyways, I was prepared for college. This really made me happy. I thought college was going to be hard, not so much because college is hard, but because I had been accepted into the honors program and I was going to try and apply myself really well in my classes, because, let's face it, writing really good papers, when I know the standards that I can reach, are hard, and that learning the details of the English Language will frustrate you like no other. My American Grammar final was one of the most challenging tests I've ever taken. I got an A on the test, and when I finished it I knew that I would get an A, but it still hard, and some of the questions really through me for a loop.
But that's not all this year was about: my first semester of college and the classes I took. This year was also about saying good-bye. In June, I wrapped up my affairs here, I said good-bye to my Youth Group, to my friends in Church, to my friends at the Game Cafe, got on a plane and left. I did summer in the US: I played League of Legends, I visited family, I saw Inception at midnight (Yeah!), I went to a Transition Seminar in Colorado where I DID NOT see Demon Hunter (boo! :( ) attended Orientation, attended my Cousins wedding and started classes. Before summer it was a combination of school stress, leaving stress, and the emo-nature that both of those put me into (tip to becoming a die-hard emo: listen to depressing music while very tired around 1AM every night; then attempt to write meanginful blogs or poetry. It works. * nod *). Honestly, in hind-sight, it wasn't very exciting.
College, college... has been fun. College has been awesome. Its been different as well, and its interesting for me to get a better picture of how my own culture operates right now. I just had a conversation with my mother about a controversial subject of political and religious nature today, and it was interesting because I realized she didn't realize what the general opinion of that subject is among people my age in my demographic (that is, generally middle-class, smart, young people), and how that view is going to and is continuing to effect the United States. But its not just been that, its also been about hanging around young people, but not just young people, young Americans. Bangladesh is wonderful and the people here are wonderful, but I think its important that I learn how exactly young Americans act and think. I'm an American, I need to, at the very least, understand my own culture before I can leave that country for another. (No, I don't want to live in the US. That would be boring!)
Its also been good to be in the US because I can do things I can't do in Dhaka. My weekends in Dhaka generally involve going Youth and Church and Gaming. All of these are done at reasonable hours of the day and while fun, are not as exciting as some of the things I've done in the States. See in America, I can go to Concerts that have reasonably good bands and generally safe venues. I can see really good metal shows for 10-20 bucks. That's a good deal! Last semester I managed to see Children of Bodom (really bad lead guitar; I blame the venue, I don't believe it could have been Laiho's fault that no one could actually hear his solos), Black Label Society, Epica (amazing!), Blackguard (more amazing!), Scar Symmetry (… interesting? I dunno, not a big Scar Symmetry fan), the Agonist (… mind blown? I'm not sure if that's the right level of awesomeness somewhere between “this crowd really needs to mosh more” and “omg! Montreal actually has good music!”). This semester its garutneed I will see Fintroll and Ensferium, and if I'm lucky I'll get to see Elueveite, I'm gonna try and see Symphony X and Blackguard again after the semester ends, and hopefully catch Sabaton during the USA tour this summer, but I can't promise that.
Of course, its not just Concerts, its not just waking up with a sore neck from headbanging all night long, its also just... hanging out. One of the greatest evenings I had involved discussing AI at a Whataburger at 2AM in the morning. Another stupid trip we had was going to Wal-Mart at a similar hour. Then of course, there were the parties. I discovered that Pop and Dance music actually have their benefits, after finally getting out of the eternal metal scene that is Dhaka, Bangladesh, or at least it is amongst my friends, and entered the world of America, where Pop is king (and after that, its Rap and Alt-Rock) and the best beats are the ones you can dance, not mosh, to.
Anyways, this has been good... probably better than a lot of years before. Maybe the best year since the end of my Sophmore/Beginning of Junior year. That was a good year. But yeah, certaintly the best year since then.
I just read through my end of the year ramblings from last year and it was interesting how I basically just focused on the last few months of 2009, not all of it. Anyways, that was a time where I was in transition: school was pretty close to over, I was finalizing decisions about university, and I was learning to say good-bye to Bangladesh. I also am reminded of how hard that last year of school was for me. Honestly, I had a lot of hard work that year, I really never understood some of the stuff I was supposed to learn in Math and Physics, and, as much as I did enjoy some aspects of Latin, I did not apply myself nearly as much as I should have in that class, mostly because I was lazy, but also because I honestly did not have a lot of time. I wanted Bs in Physics and Math, and by the grace of God, my mother and my teachers, I got those Bs, but as a result, I didn't do nearly as good in Latin as I should have. Thank God that Mr. Spotts grades easily enough.
And now, that's all behind me. I mean, really behind me. I can say (with a smug face of course!), “ahh highschool, I remember when I did that.” To my siblings. Of course, the best thing about having a really tough time in High School, especially in classes like Advanced Composition (My 11th grade English Class) is that I'm actually having an easier time in University. Okay yes, I did get a big fat C in Math last semester, and that did really frustrate me, but I did very good in every other class I took. I think I managed to get As on all my papers in my Honors class (I got an A in the class) and that... really excited me. Why? Because, honestly, I know my writing on some of those papers was not my highest level of writing, I cut corners and my writing suffered. I love writing, and it pains me to remember that paper and remember me cutting out entire paragraphs and then leaving others in a completely unfinished state because I didn't have “time” because I was stupid and played League of Legends all night instead of writing a paper 2 people (myself and my teacher) will ever read on American Beauty. Truly a foolish move. :P
Anyways, I was prepared for college. This really made me happy. I thought college was going to be hard, not so much because college is hard, but because I had been accepted into the honors program and I was going to try and apply myself really well in my classes, because, let's face it, writing really good papers, when I know the standards that I can reach, are hard, and that learning the details of the English Language will frustrate you like no other. My American Grammar final was one of the most challenging tests I've ever taken. I got an A on the test, and when I finished it I knew that I would get an A, but it still hard, and some of the questions really through me for a loop.
But that's not all this year was about: my first semester of college and the classes I took. This year was also about saying good-bye. In June, I wrapped up my affairs here, I said good-bye to my Youth Group, to my friends in Church, to my friends at the Game Cafe, got on a plane and left. I did summer in the US: I played League of Legends, I visited family, I saw Inception at midnight (Yeah!), I went to a Transition Seminar in Colorado where I DID NOT see Demon Hunter (boo! :( ) attended Orientation, attended my Cousins wedding and started classes. Before summer it was a combination of school stress, leaving stress, and the emo-nature that both of those put me into (tip to becoming a die-hard emo: listen to depressing music while very tired around 1AM every night; then attempt to write meanginful blogs or poetry. It works. * nod *). Honestly, in hind-sight, it wasn't very exciting.
College, college... has been fun. College has been awesome. Its been different as well, and its interesting for me to get a better picture of how my own culture operates right now. I just had a conversation with my mother about a controversial subject of political and religious nature today, and it was interesting because I realized she didn't realize what the general opinion of that subject is among people my age in my demographic (that is, generally middle-class, smart, young people), and how that view is going to and is continuing to effect the United States. But its not just been that, its also been about hanging around young people, but not just young people, young Americans. Bangladesh is wonderful and the people here are wonderful, but I think its important that I learn how exactly young Americans act and think. I'm an American, I need to, at the very least, understand my own culture before I can leave that country for another. (No, I don't want to live in the US. That would be boring!)
Its also been good to be in the US because I can do things I can't do in Dhaka. My weekends in Dhaka generally involve going Youth and Church and Gaming. All of these are done at reasonable hours of the day and while fun, are not as exciting as some of the things I've done in the States. See in America, I can go to Concerts that have reasonably good bands and generally safe venues. I can see really good metal shows for 10-20 bucks. That's a good deal! Last semester I managed to see Children of Bodom (really bad lead guitar; I blame the venue, I don't believe it could have been Laiho's fault that no one could actually hear his solos), Black Label Society, Epica (amazing!), Blackguard (more amazing!), Scar Symmetry (… interesting? I dunno, not a big Scar Symmetry fan), the Agonist (… mind blown? I'm not sure if that's the right level of awesomeness somewhere between “this crowd really needs to mosh more” and “omg! Montreal actually has good music!”). This semester its garutneed I will see Fintroll and Ensferium, and if I'm lucky I'll get to see Elueveite, I'm gonna try and see Symphony X and Blackguard again after the semester ends, and hopefully catch Sabaton during the USA tour this summer, but I can't promise that.
Of course, its not just Concerts, its not just waking up with a sore neck from headbanging all night long, its also just... hanging out. One of the greatest evenings I had involved discussing AI at a Whataburger at 2AM in the morning. Another stupid trip we had was going to Wal-Mart at a similar hour. Then of course, there were the parties. I discovered that Pop and Dance music actually have their benefits, after finally getting out of the eternal metal scene that is Dhaka, Bangladesh, or at least it is amongst my friends, and entered the world of America, where Pop is king (and after that, its Rap and Alt-Rock) and the best beats are the ones you can dance, not mosh, to.
Anyways, this has been good... probably better than a lot of years before. Maybe the best year since the end of my Sophmore/Beginning of Junior year. That was a good year. But yeah, certaintly the best year since then.
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