So, the Pro-Life Movement is something that's recently (and by "recently" I mean within the past few months) become more relevant to me individually. No, I have not become pregnant, and no, I do not personally know anyone who has, but I have become more informed about abortion.
First off, I'm in a ranting mood so I'm probably going to rabbit trail a little bit. Second, I might be a little harsh and frank because ranting moods tend to make me do that. I will try my best to edit my thoughts and words so they still have some kind of love in them.
OKAY! "Andrea, why are you in a ranting mood?" Well, random audience member, I will tell you. I just finished reading a beautifully written opinion article from my college newspaper about a Richard Dawkins quote relating to whether or not a woman should abort her child with Down Syndrome. I know the writer and she did an awesome job. There are things I would like to add to this topic, though, and since I have free reign because this is a blog and not affiliated with anyone but myself, I will now craft my response to Dawkins.
He was quoted as tweeting "Abort it and try it again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice." First off, I personally have to question your view of morality, Mr. Dawkins, because you are an atheist and therefore we do not share the same worldview at all. Taking that whole issue out of it, don't call the child an "it." If you're going to openly and publicly condone the slaughter of innocent life then maybe consider growing a backbone and saying it like it really is. "Oh, but that's offensive and politically incorrect!" THEN MAYBE CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW ALTOGETHER.
ANNNNND calming down a bit...
Next, in the article I read, the writer further explained how Dawkins expounded on what he meant on his website, richarddawkins.net. I would totally provide you with a link to the actual page but my wifi is a little shaky so I can't get it to load properly right now. My apologies. I don't know how I feel about quoting all of her quotes from him but I'll provide a summary for you. Dawkins essentially tells the woman it's immoral to give birth to a child with Down Syndrome if you know early enough in the pregnancy, and also giving birth and allowing that child to live opens up the door to future burdens and suffering.
Legit, he uses the words "suffering" and "burden". He doesn't come right out and say that that child is a burden and will suffer, but it is heavily, heavily implied. Let's all take a moment to just let that sink in.
Okay. Now that that atrocious idea has been implanted in our minds, let's address what he said. So, Mr. Dawkins - talking to you again - you're wrong on a few counts. Again, your morality is just...what is it even based on if you don't believe in God? That's, like, the heart issue here. I'm not fully qualified to confront that at this point in time, but know that once you fix that, we'll probably start to see more eye-to-eye. Second, but for the grace of the God you don't believe in, you are not that child that you are encouraging that mother to abort. Please let that sink in. I know it's kind of a cheesy rhetoric that's sometimes passed around between pro-lifers that everyone who supports abortion hasn't been aborted BUT IT IS SO TRUE.
Thirdly, and yes this required a new paragraph, from a secular standpoint, you don't know what that child was capable of. Killing any child (AND THAT IS WHAT ABORTION IS - THERE IS NO SUGAR COATING MURDER) is wrong because murder is wrong. Inherently. Taking away that life takes away so much potential. That child could cure cancer, or could make the computer that knocks Apple and HP out of the park, OR could be the person responsible for SAVING YOUR LIFE if, and I'm in no way wishing this on you, you become fatally ill or injured or something. But...you'll never know...because they're dead. Because you said it was more "moral" that way.
"But, Andrea, this kid had Down Syndrome. That's the not the same thing." Correct. People with Down, or any other form of handicap are not the same DEVELOPMENTALLY. And sometimes physically. But that has no bearing on their personhood. THEIR PERSONHOOD. THEY ARE PEOPLE. THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU AND I ARE. I AM LITERALLY SHOUTING IN MY HEAD AS I TYPE THIS SO PLEASE READ IT THAT WAY.
I don't care if someone is mentally handicapped or physically handicapped or both or neither. That person is a person regardless! Know why? Well, because God said so. "Ha ha, God's not real." False. But, again, that's not my main point right now.
It ticks me off so much when people assume that because someone is mentally or physically handicapped, they'll be a "burden" or they'll have a "lower quality of life." You don't know crap about what that person's life is like if you don't actually know them and ask them. Sure, not all mentally challenged people can verbalize things in the same way, but that doesn't mean that they're suffering.
And you want to know the really crazy thing about mentally challenged people? They will change you forever.
I dare you, Richard Dawkins, and anyone else who cares to tell me that all mentally and physically handicapped people have horrible lives and that their parents are immoral for letting them live that life, to go spend ONE DAY with them. That's all it takes. They are some of the freest, most inhibition-less, happiest, most JOYFUL (and yes, there's a difference there), brightest people that you will ever encounter. And they will love the crap out of you because that is just who they are. Not all people with handicaps are like that, sure, but a vast majority of the ones I've met are (and I've met a lot of them so I know what I'm talking about).
And that whole burden argument is garbage. When you love someone, it's not a burden to take care of them. Mr. Dawkins, you yourself were once a dependent, diaper-wearing baby that someone, somewhere cared enough about to take care of. You didn't make it where you are in life by yourself. I don't have to know your whole life story to know that. So forget that whole argument! It's not based on anything.
People with Down syndrome, or any other kind of handicap, are literally some of the best people that have ever lived. One of my best friends on this planet is mentally challenged and I love her like she's family. She's improved my "quality of life" tenfold just by being who she is.
THIS WHOLE ISSUE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE AN ISSUE! It's a NON-ISSUE! They are people and they matter and they're awesome and we - also as people - do not have the right to decide whether or not these people get to live. They get to live for the same reason we do - because God decided to let them.
RANT OVER. (I could go on forever about this but I'll probably start repeating myself and getting overly worked up so this will have to do for now)
Friday, August 29, 2014
Friday, August 8, 2014
It Ain't About the Money
This is a soapbox post. You've been warned.
This summer I've grown up a lot. I've seen more of the world and understand a little bit better how it works. And I've noticed something seriously disgusting about it. People choose money over other people. And they do it everywhere, all the time.
I worked a human services job this summer and I'm not going into details because I'm honestly not sure how much I'd even be allowed to say. Talk to me in person if you want to know more about it. We're gonna suffice it to say that I heard a lot of really sad stories of people being kept in bad situations because someone, somewhere was getting money from it. The more I heard stories like that, the more I wanted to go scream.
And earlier today I just read an oh-so-lovely (sarcasm) article about how Mark Zuckerburg is forcing a new Facebook messenger app on smartphone users that has access to our microphones and cameras and contacts and all sorts of stuff that Zuckerburg should really have no interest in at all. I'm sure it's not the first digital thing that's extended a little too far into the lives of its consumers, but it's Facebook so it's hitting me a little harder. Facebook is my guilty pleasure and I probably hold it a little too near and dear sometimes.
Of course he's wanting access to all of that extra information for the purpose of selling it. Just another instance of money over people.
These are two different examples that stem from the same heart issue of greed. Of the more-more-more mentality. Of the American dream, I gotta have it all kind of people that we are today. And this blog is me, calling ALL of us out, on our crap. That's right. THIS IS CRAP.
And I say "all of us" because I know I've been guilty of treasuring my money a little bit too much at times too.
But here's the deal, friends. We're going to die. We will all die. I'm not trying to be creepy or morbid or doom-and-gloom. I'm giving you the honest facts. Death is inevitable. (And don't tell me taxes are because they're not, but that's another soapbox issue for another time.) We can't avoid it and we certainly can't buy our way out of it.
So, why on earth are we so consumed by owning everything on earth? Yes, I am coming at this topic from my worldview, which states that we all have eternal souls that either go to heaven or to hell, but even if you don't believe that, I'm sure you can agree with me that money can't save your life. Your time will run out and all of your stuff? All of those things you worked so hard for? It's all going to stay behind. You can bury it with you if you want, but it's just going to rot in the ground.
BUT if you put your hope in Christ and spend your life serving Him (which can sometimes, oftentimes, look like serving other people here) guess what? You get treasure in heaven! Treasure that lasts! Treasure that matters.
So, to those of you forcing people to stay in those bad situations - be they voiceless or misinformed - think about that. Think about what you're doing. Consider whether or not your money is worth it. The money that you will eventually leave behind.
And to those Mark Zuckerburg types - I don't think you really want to spy on all of my conversations. In fact, I KNOW you don't. But...if you really must have all my information, send me yours in exchange. Sound good? Good.
This summer I've grown up a lot. I've seen more of the world and understand a little bit better how it works. And I've noticed something seriously disgusting about it. People choose money over other people. And they do it everywhere, all the time.
I worked a human services job this summer and I'm not going into details because I'm honestly not sure how much I'd even be allowed to say. Talk to me in person if you want to know more about it. We're gonna suffice it to say that I heard a lot of really sad stories of people being kept in bad situations because someone, somewhere was getting money from it. The more I heard stories like that, the more I wanted to go scream.
And earlier today I just read an oh-so-lovely (sarcasm) article about how Mark Zuckerburg is forcing a new Facebook messenger app on smartphone users that has access to our microphones and cameras and contacts and all sorts of stuff that Zuckerburg should really have no interest in at all. I'm sure it's not the first digital thing that's extended a little too far into the lives of its consumers, but it's Facebook so it's hitting me a little harder. Facebook is my guilty pleasure and I probably hold it a little too near and dear sometimes.
Of course he's wanting access to all of that extra information for the purpose of selling it. Just another instance of money over people.
These are two different examples that stem from the same heart issue of greed. Of the more-more-more mentality. Of the American dream, I gotta have it all kind of people that we are today. And this blog is me, calling ALL of us out, on our crap. That's right. THIS IS CRAP.
And I say "all of us" because I know I've been guilty of treasuring my money a little bit too much at times too.
But here's the deal, friends. We're going to die. We will all die. I'm not trying to be creepy or morbid or doom-and-gloom. I'm giving you the honest facts. Death is inevitable. (And don't tell me taxes are because they're not, but that's another soapbox issue for another time.) We can't avoid it and we certainly can't buy our way out of it.
So, why on earth are we so consumed by owning everything on earth? Yes, I am coming at this topic from my worldview, which states that we all have eternal souls that either go to heaven or to hell, but even if you don't believe that, I'm sure you can agree with me that money can't save your life. Your time will run out and all of your stuff? All of those things you worked so hard for? It's all going to stay behind. You can bury it with you if you want, but it's just going to rot in the ground.
BUT if you put your hope in Christ and spend your life serving Him (which can sometimes, oftentimes, look like serving other people here) guess what? You get treasure in heaven! Treasure that lasts! Treasure that matters.
So, to those of you forcing people to stay in those bad situations - be they voiceless or misinformed - think about that. Think about what you're doing. Consider whether or not your money is worth it. The money that you will eventually leave behind.
And to those Mark Zuckerburg types - I don't think you really want to spy on all of my conversations. In fact, I KNOW you don't. But...if you really must have all my information, send me yours in exchange. Sound good? Good.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
But oh-ho those summer nights!
The title of this blog post is ironic because the majority of my summer was spent going to bed around 11 or 12. Yay irony! This post is also me processing this summer and what it meant to me and how I grew/what I learned so it might be on the more sporadic side as far as organization goes. Yay processing! Now to de-rabbit trail...
I did something a little different this year. Okay, very different. I worked a part-time job (that had full-time hours) and did not go to camp until just last week. It was kind of huge for me. The job I had was good, but challenging, and it definitely stretched me out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot about what "real" jobs look like, and it allowed me the opportunity to make a little money (which, as a college student who currently has a negative net worth, that was a big deal). I also learned that I need to finish college and do something with the degree that I earn because the job I had this summer is not something I could do long-term. Like I said, it was good, but it was challenging too.
Staying at home also gave me the chance to get more involved with my church (I actually got to go to VBS this year - YES!) and spend more time with my parents. I've learned to value my time with them more since going away to school, but even though I have a better appreciation/understanding of them, I also tend to clash with them more. I'm so used to "Life According to Andrea" and so not used to hearing things like "You should probably go to bed soon" or "WAKE UP! I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN!" Being involved with church was a definite plus. Being around my parents so much was equal parts plus and minus. It's honestly nothing against them and I love them dearly. It's just that I'm an adult now and I want to be treated like one. #TheStruggle
Going to camp last week was much the same as working all summer; it followed the trend of good-but-challenging. I was a counselor for the week, which is different from my position on the leadership team that I had all last summer. I haven't counseled since 2012, so it was a bit of a shock to my system to go from worrying about staff to worrying about campers. But also like I said, it was good. God didn't shy away from giving me what was described by my friend as a "summer's worth of problems in one week," but I think He did that because He knew He could strengthen me enough to handle it. And handle it we did (emphasis on "we").
Then I was surprised to get an email from my college informing me that my return date had to be pushed back a few days. Normally I don't think I'd care but college isn't like high school. I actually look forward to going back and so the idea of a few more days at home was just kind of a super huge drag. It would afford me more time to see my friends and my parents, but I've been banking on going back on the 10th all summer, so to change a months-long expectation within a week felt mildly impossible. Praise the Lord, He gave me an amazing, super-hospitable friend who is willing to put me up for a few days until I can move to my on-campus housing. Just one more thing to add to my good-but-challenging summer.
So...procrastination prods me to write this blog. I'm currently avoiding bed because...I'm too tired and lazy to sleep? I don't know. I'll never totally understand why I put off sleeping. Maybe I subconsciously know that if I go to bed early, it leaves me with too much free time to analyze all of my life's problems. But I'm also avoiding packing. My room is just such a mess right now that I'm way too overwhelmed to do anything about it. Instead, I'm seated not-so-comfortably between a mound of unfolded laundry and a pile consisting of a DVD case, books, a tissue box, and random craft scraps that have been cluttering my futon for days. For DAYS. Yay bunk beds!
To sum it all up in elementary-school-first-paper-assignment style...
What I Learned This Summer Is:
1. God's grace is sufficient
2. God's grace is relentless
3. Endurance in times of aggravation
4. When in duress, pray
5. When not in duress, pray
6. Following God's plan might not always be my absolute favorite thing
7. God still has a purpose in EVERYTHING (whether or not it is my absolute favorite thing)
8. Going to bed early because you have to get up early is probably a good idea and doesn't make me lame. It just makes me a young adult with a daytime job that needs her sleep. (this one doesn't quite have the same spiritual application as the others, but it's still worth recording, I think)
So there it is. #Summer2k14 I've made a lot of crafts, I've hung out with my parents (and passed out on the couch in a fashion similar to their own - oh, sleep, my precious friend!), and I've seen more of my church family than I've seen in years. Not going to camp hurt sometimes, and then going to camp last week kind of hurt too, but I don't regret my summer at home. And I don't regret my boring summer nights.
If anything, I would regret staying up as late as I did, but I'm done working and can sleep in and it's not really worth it to get upset over something I can't change. Yay things to learn from!
I did something a little different this year. Okay, very different. I worked a part-time job (that had full-time hours) and did not go to camp until just last week. It was kind of huge for me. The job I had was good, but challenging, and it definitely stretched me out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot about what "real" jobs look like, and it allowed me the opportunity to make a little money (which, as a college student who currently has a negative net worth, that was a big deal). I also learned that I need to finish college and do something with the degree that I earn because the job I had this summer is not something I could do long-term. Like I said, it was good, but it was challenging too.
Staying at home also gave me the chance to get more involved with my church (I actually got to go to VBS this year - YES!) and spend more time with my parents. I've learned to value my time with them more since going away to school, but even though I have a better appreciation/understanding of them, I also tend to clash with them more. I'm so used to "Life According to Andrea" and so not used to hearing things like "You should probably go to bed soon" or "WAKE UP! I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU AGAIN!" Being involved with church was a definite plus. Being around my parents so much was equal parts plus and minus. It's honestly nothing against them and I love them dearly. It's just that I'm an adult now and I want to be treated like one. #TheStruggle
Going to camp last week was much the same as working all summer; it followed the trend of good-but-challenging. I was a counselor for the week, which is different from my position on the leadership team that I had all last summer. I haven't counseled since 2012, so it was a bit of a shock to my system to go from worrying about staff to worrying about campers. But also like I said, it was good. God didn't shy away from giving me what was described by my friend as a "summer's worth of problems in one week," but I think He did that because He knew He could strengthen me enough to handle it. And handle it we did (emphasis on "we").
Then I was surprised to get an email from my college informing me that my return date had to be pushed back a few days. Normally I don't think I'd care but college isn't like high school. I actually look forward to going back and so the idea of a few more days at home was just kind of a super huge drag. It would afford me more time to see my friends and my parents, but I've been banking on going back on the 10th all summer, so to change a months-long expectation within a week felt mildly impossible. Praise the Lord, He gave me an amazing, super-hospitable friend who is willing to put me up for a few days until I can move to my on-campus housing. Just one more thing to add to my good-but-challenging summer.
So...procrastination prods me to write this blog. I'm currently avoiding bed because...I'm too tired and lazy to sleep? I don't know. I'll never totally understand why I put off sleeping. Maybe I subconsciously know that if I go to bed early, it leaves me with too much free time to analyze all of my life's problems. But I'm also avoiding packing. My room is just such a mess right now that I'm way too overwhelmed to do anything about it. Instead, I'm seated not-so-comfortably between a mound of unfolded laundry and a pile consisting of a DVD case, books, a tissue box, and random craft scraps that have been cluttering my futon for days. For DAYS. Yay bunk beds!
To sum it all up in elementary-school-first-paper-assignment style...
What I Learned This Summer Is:
1. God's grace is sufficient
2. God's grace is relentless
3. Endurance in times of aggravation
4. When in duress, pray
5. When not in duress, pray
6. Following God's plan might not always be my absolute favorite thing
7. God still has a purpose in EVERYTHING (whether or not it is my absolute favorite thing)
8. Going to bed early because you have to get up early is probably a good idea and doesn't make me lame. It just makes me a young adult with a daytime job that needs her sleep. (this one doesn't quite have the same spiritual application as the others, but it's still worth recording, I think)
So there it is. #Summer2k14 I've made a lot of crafts, I've hung out with my parents (and passed out on the couch in a fashion similar to their own - oh, sleep, my precious friend!), and I've seen more of my church family than I've seen in years. Not going to camp hurt sometimes, and then going to camp last week kind of hurt too, but I don't regret my summer at home. And I don't regret my boring summer nights.
If anything, I would regret staying up as late as I did, but I'm done working and can sleep in and it's not really worth it to get upset over something I can't change. Yay things to learn from!
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