Jack takes a break and everything goes wrong...he's not allowed to have a personal life
[mood| 
tired]
[music trains, planes, and authomobiles] >
Morning, all. I really should be putting the finishing touches on my term paper (which is a piece of bullshit--I don't even understand what I wrote) but I figure that I can take a few minutes, since it's rather early and I woke up before my alarm is supposed to go off in a half-hour. Feel free to skip to Thing 2.
Thing 1: While I'm happy for Jack, finding love (even if it's with Audrey) in his lonely world, Jack & Audrey just don't compare to Tony & Michelle. There's just no fire, no passion. It's cute and all, but Tony & Michelle were heartwrenching characters with a selfless devotion to one another. Jack is just always taking care of Audrey, which is understandable because she's always in situations that she's not trained to be in. But she really is a little too whiny for me, I'm glad that Chloe has a bigger part this season--I love to see her in action. Besides the fact that when she's not acting as Chloe, she's really quite stunning. My mom and I were talking about how Jack & Kate really could have made a good couple. She was a brave civilian whom Jack trusted to pick up his daughter when she was in trouble (that was a very odd move), but it definitely shows deep trust--all developed within less than 24 hours. And I knew Miles was no good from the beginning--all he cares about is his own ass and how far up the chain he can move. And Karen Hayes & Bill Buchanan--an interesting couple. The tension's there. But nothing will EVER equal Tony & Michelle.
Thing 2 (no this is not Dr. Seuss :) SSA showed a movie last night called The God Who Wasn't There and then held a discussion afterwards. The movie was obviously propaganda but interesting nonetheless. It centered around the idea that Jesus may have never existed, citing the decades between Jesus's life and when it was documented, contradictory phrases, and even modern-day Christians' inability to explain their own religion (in certain aspects) and how it spread. It also pointed out that the story of Jesus has many similarities to earlier gods such as Zeus, Dionysus, Hercules, and Methos. Is it possible that these ideas were melded together to make one person whom the people could easily relate to? Okay--now time for my reaction. I found the film interesting and rather enlightening because I personally had wondered about the spread of Christianity and no one seemed to have an anser for me. I also thought it was cool that someone was finally outright questioning the traditional beliefs without attacking but just by asking questions. I know that being berated by questions about your faith is not fun, but I think it's important to question because it's the only way to get to the truth. Without a free mind, ready to adapt to new situations and challenges, how can you face the world each day? You cannot believe everything you hear--that's a well-known fact. So why are so many Christians afraid to question? One of the things I like best about reform Judaism is that it encourages questions, debates, new ideas. I can ask anything I want, question the existence of God even, and as long as my purpose is to learn, I am praised for my insight. I can't imagine growing up in any other situation. But there were so many people shown (even though they were obviously shown for this reason) that could only defend themselves by saying "You only have to know about Jesus. Love Jesus, that's all that matters." But there is obviously more to Christianity than just Jesus--books to be studied and interpreted, ideas to ponder...just so much more to learn than only Jesus.
There was a discussion afterwards; granted, I had to leave early, but I did get to stay for about 45 minutes of the discussion. I was kind of surprised--if there was anyone who thought about the movie like I did they certainly weren't speaking up. This guy (he seemed too old to be a student and, sorry, he stank so bad I could smell him across the room) dominated the conversation from the beginning until I left. He took it off to an angle that was not the way I thought we were going to talk about it. I forgot to mention that we got a much bigger turnout than nomal meetings because the Philosophy Club came, along with a few staunch Christians who were curious what this was all about. I was pretty excited (and scared) about the idea of talking and having people in radical opposition. I felt really intimidated throughout the whole "discussion" (if we can call it that) because the one guy dominated the entire conversation, quoting historical facts and Bible passages and whatnot. There was no way to tell if what he was saying was true or if he was just full of bullishit. I kept wanting to say something to bring the conversation back to the ideas of the movie, not specific Bible passages. By the time I was leaving, there was just a debate going on between the old-ish guy (who also shared more of his personal life than I cared to know) and the president of the Philosophy Club, who were sitting right next to each other on the other side of the room. I really wanted to talk about the ramifications of the idea that Jesus never existed. Would religion fall apart and take our society down with it? Or would it make no difference at all because people were already living in blind faith and would dismiss any scientific evidence as propaganda? What would the world be like without Jesus? These are the things I want to know, not a battle of quoting Bible passages to prove the movie wrong. I thought it would just be a jumping-off point for the discussion. And I felt so alone. I felt like if I said anything I was going to face ridicule and look ignorant. I suppose I am, to some extent, because I can't rattle off Bible verses off the top of my head to support my case and I felt like I woud crumble under pressure. And I didn't feel like interacting with that guy. He completely controlled the entire conversation! I wonder if we would have had a more diverse discussion had he not been there. I hate when people monopolize the floor. While I was there, hardly anyone from SSA actually got to even respond to his questions, He was very aggressive in his arguments. I appreciated this other girl's style much better. She was a Baptist and had come to see the move to see how the other side thought. She took meticulous notes all throughout the discussion, which makes me think that maybe she planned to use it to counter arguments of others in an attempt to convert them, but that's all just speculation. I'll have to ask Meg what happened after I left.
I was soooo tired then and even more tired now but the paper must be finished and I have two exams I am beyond unready for on Friday. But I think being dizzy and blurry-eyed means I might not be in the best shape to read this paper. Maybe I'll give myself another hour. My body feels really heavy, especially my head. Okay, so its a sleep-then-work day. Sounds like every other day to me. And I'm out.
tired]
[music trains, planes, and authomobiles] >
Morning, all. I really should be putting the finishing touches on my term paper (which is a piece of bullshit--I don't even understand what I wrote) but I figure that I can take a few minutes, since it's rather early and I woke up before my alarm is supposed to go off in a half-hour. Feel free to skip to Thing 2.
Thing 1: While I'm happy for Jack, finding love (even if it's with Audrey) in his lonely world, Jack & Audrey just don't compare to Tony & Michelle. There's just no fire, no passion. It's cute and all, but Tony & Michelle were heartwrenching characters with a selfless devotion to one another. Jack is just always taking care of Audrey, which is understandable because she's always in situations that she's not trained to be in. But she really is a little too whiny for me, I'm glad that Chloe has a bigger part this season--I love to see her in action. Besides the fact that when she's not acting as Chloe, she's really quite stunning. My mom and I were talking about how Jack & Kate really could have made a good couple. She was a brave civilian whom Jack trusted to pick up his daughter when she was in trouble (that was a very odd move), but it definitely shows deep trust--all developed within less than 24 hours. And I knew Miles was no good from the beginning--all he cares about is his own ass and how far up the chain he can move. And Karen Hayes & Bill Buchanan--an interesting couple. The tension's there. But nothing will EVER equal Tony & Michelle.
Thing 2 (no this is not Dr. Seuss :) SSA showed a movie last night called The God Who Wasn't There and then held a discussion afterwards. The movie was obviously propaganda but interesting nonetheless. It centered around the idea that Jesus may have never existed, citing the decades between Jesus's life and when it was documented, contradictory phrases, and even modern-day Christians' inability to explain their own religion (in certain aspects) and how it spread. It also pointed out that the story of Jesus has many similarities to earlier gods such as Zeus, Dionysus, Hercules, and Methos. Is it possible that these ideas were melded together to make one person whom the people could easily relate to? Okay--now time for my reaction. I found the film interesting and rather enlightening because I personally had wondered about the spread of Christianity and no one seemed to have an anser for me. I also thought it was cool that someone was finally outright questioning the traditional beliefs without attacking but just by asking questions. I know that being berated by questions about your faith is not fun, but I think it's important to question because it's the only way to get to the truth. Without a free mind, ready to adapt to new situations and challenges, how can you face the world each day? You cannot believe everything you hear--that's a well-known fact. So why are so many Christians afraid to question? One of the things I like best about reform Judaism is that it encourages questions, debates, new ideas. I can ask anything I want, question the existence of God even, and as long as my purpose is to learn, I am praised for my insight. I can't imagine growing up in any other situation. But there were so many people shown (even though they were obviously shown for this reason) that could only defend themselves by saying "You only have to know about Jesus. Love Jesus, that's all that matters." But there is obviously more to Christianity than just Jesus--books to be studied and interpreted, ideas to ponder...just so much more to learn than only Jesus.
There was a discussion afterwards; granted, I had to leave early, but I did get to stay for about 45 minutes of the discussion. I was kind of surprised--if there was anyone who thought about the movie like I did they certainly weren't speaking up. This guy (he seemed too old to be a student and, sorry, he stank so bad I could smell him across the room) dominated the conversation from the beginning until I left. He took it off to an angle that was not the way I thought we were going to talk about it. I forgot to mention that we got a much bigger turnout than nomal meetings because the Philosophy Club came, along with a few staunch Christians who were curious what this was all about. I was pretty excited (and scared) about the idea of talking and having people in radical opposition. I felt really intimidated throughout the whole "discussion" (if we can call it that) because the one guy dominated the entire conversation, quoting historical facts and Bible passages and whatnot. There was no way to tell if what he was saying was true or if he was just full of bullishit. I kept wanting to say something to bring the conversation back to the ideas of the movie, not specific Bible passages. By the time I was leaving, there was just a debate going on between the old-ish guy (who also shared more of his personal life than I cared to know) and the president of the Philosophy Club, who were sitting right next to each other on the other side of the room. I really wanted to talk about the ramifications of the idea that Jesus never existed. Would religion fall apart and take our society down with it? Or would it make no difference at all because people were already living in blind faith and would dismiss any scientific evidence as propaganda? What would the world be like without Jesus? These are the things I want to know, not a battle of quoting Bible passages to prove the movie wrong. I thought it would just be a jumping-off point for the discussion. And I felt so alone. I felt like if I said anything I was going to face ridicule and look ignorant. I suppose I am, to some extent, because I can't rattle off Bible verses off the top of my head to support my case and I felt like I woud crumble under pressure. And I didn't feel like interacting with that guy. He completely controlled the entire conversation! I wonder if we would have had a more diverse discussion had he not been there. I hate when people monopolize the floor. While I was there, hardly anyone from SSA actually got to even respond to his questions, He was very aggressive in his arguments. I appreciated this other girl's style much better. She was a Baptist and had come to see the move to see how the other side thought. She took meticulous notes all throughout the discussion, which makes me think that maybe she planned to use it to counter arguments of others in an attempt to convert them, but that's all just speculation. I'll have to ask Meg what happened after I left.
I was soooo tired then and even more tired now but the paper must be finished and I have two exams I am beyond unready for on Friday. But I think being dizzy and blurry-eyed means I might not be in the best shape to read this paper. Maybe I'll give myself another hour. My body feels really heavy, especially my head. Okay, so its a sleep-then-work day. Sounds like every other day to me. And I'm out.