While I was sitting in my JOUR 3410 Lab, taking notes about social media and networking, my T.A. brought up that oh so famous twitter page on the projector screen.
Ok, I don't LOVE twitter, but I do recognize it's wonder in networking and communicating. It's what I have to thank for my micro-involvement with USA TODAY, but that's another story for another day.
For those of you that are frequent twitter-ers (there's probably something else you're called), you'll understand what I mean when I say "trending topics." Up on the screen, while Graybeal lectured about twitter's journalism wonder, I noticed the phrase "No God" topped the list of topics currently buzzing across the twitter world.
No God?
Come again?
So, me being me, that super awesome (shameless plug aimed at encouraging myself) short blond journalist girl who writes a Religion blog could not simply ignore something that so many folks seem to be talking about. And when I say many folks, I mean MANY folks. My twitter account's open in another tab, and in my search I've had over 4,000 updates since I've had this post open. I'll probably be up in the 10 thousands before this is published.
I moved my cursor over the hyperlink and began my own investigation. After scrolling through hundreds of tweets with "No God," I saw two sides of the issue unfold. Apparently, earlier in the day, Christian Twitter users decided to update their accounts with, "Know God, Know Peace. No God, no peace."
By retweeting (or re-posting) this particular tweet, these users hoped it would find its way to the trending topic list, as an act of spreading goodness. In an unfortunate twist, Atheist users recognized the topic as a plug for Christian beliefs, and decided to turn the tables.---Gee, didn't someone else turn the tables? It was a long time ago...(irony, oh wow)--- With a move showing poor sportsmanship, the Athiest users started retweeting only half of the phrase: the "no god" part.
It's all been taken out of context, and it shows bad taste. By taking things out of the necessary context needed for understanding the subject at hand, the meaning gets distorted. Warped. Dismantled.
Regardless of beliefs, this is just drama. High School drama.
Instead of being respectful of what the religious users were attempting, these proudly proclaimed Atheists bullied their way to the top of the trend list by victimizing people who simply tried to share something they felt showed goodness. Sadly, thousands of people continue to join the "following," despite the meaness behind it all.
Thank you, for bringing those woes from our school years to Twitter. Oh, and don't forget to steal their lunch money after you give them a black eye.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Speech Article on Abortion Rights in America
Sara Caldwell
Graybeal
Jour 3410 Lab
Speech Article for Religion Beat-Blog
Abortion Rights in America
Abortion: a single, three syllable word packed with enough punch to rile individuals all over the country. Simply mention the 1973 decision from the monumental case Roe v. Wade regarding the legal termination of an unborn fetus and watch people heave and feel the blood of the atmosphere surge. It’s a touchy subject, but two prestigious men amongst the American political community boldly tackled opposing sides at the “Abortion Rights in America” debate last night in the Tate Student Center’s Grand Hall at the University of Georgia.
FOX News Channel Legal Analyst and former New Jersey State Judge, Andrew Napolitano, went back and forth with nationally prominent Interest lawyer and former aide to the Bill Clinton Administration, Michael Waldman.
Napolitano and Waldman both offered their specific, somewhat differing views on this particular matter and how if affects the American nation. Ultimately, after just over an hour of tense, but respectful discussion, both men calmly summed up their arguments by returning to their stances discussed in their opening statements.
With Napolitano advocating the anti-abortion stance of how abortion, the most common medical practice in America, is murder, he squared off against Waldman’s argument of abortion rights, and how Waldman believes it’s the woman’s right to make the decision instead of the government’s.
Crossing the stage, moments after brief introductions of the two debaters and their moderator, both men civilly approached their podiums in wait for the debate to initiate.
Current Director of Debate and Associate Professor out of the Department of Speech Communication with the University of Georgia, Edward Panetta, acted as the debate moderator between Napolitano and Waldman. After leaving the University of Pittsburg as an Instructor and Assistant Director of Debate, Panetta started at the University of Georgia in 1987, and because of his distinguished accomplishments and professional awards through the collegiate debate realm, his successes shined brightly next to the much acclaimed men with whom he shared the stage.
While the Grand Hall did not reach anywhere near capacity, only resulting in close to forty seats occupied for the event, the debate hosted by the Ideas and Issues Division of the University Student Programming Board still proved successful by equally covering both sides of the issue at hand.
Regardless of poor attendance, the debate began shortly after 7:30 p.m. in the large hall, and Panetta clearly outlined the structure of the event. Breaking the discussion down into elements, each speaker was allowed 10 minutes for a statement describing their stance on abortion. The second element of the evening included a 20 minute question session where both men were able to directly address specific questions prepared for their arguments. Included among these, was an array of student questions handed in via note cards only moments before a University student affiliated with the group hosting the event started the proceedings.
After winning a coin toss, to insure a fair chance for each contender to woo the audience, Napolitano approached the issue first.
“Some men say that the earth is round and some men say that it’s flat. If its round, could the parliament by enacting a statute make it flat? And if it’s flat, could the King’s command make it round? These words were used by Sir Thomas Moore defending himself in his trial for treason,” said Napolitano. “He was appealing to his jurors common sense, [but was] also appealing to their understanding of the natural law.”
Natural law, according to Napolitano, relates to the order of things described in humanity, which he believes no government majority can change.
“Our rights come from our humanity, and our humanity is a gift from God. If you accept that there is a Creator, and you accept we are His creatures, the natural law makes perfect sense,” said Napolitano. “Your right to think as you wish, to say what you think, to publish what you say, your right to protect yourself, your right to worship or not to worship, your right to travel, your right to privacy, your right to be left alone: these do not come from the government. They come from your humanity. And as we were created by a perfect God, who is perfect and free, and in His image and likeness, we are free.”
Waldman did not immediately dive into the discussion of the issue. Instead, the former speech writer for President Bill Clinton took a more homely route. Starting off by acknowledging the seriousness of the topic at hand, Waldman understands there are significant moral and ethical issues with the decision of not having, or having, an abortion.
“Choosing to have an abortion is not the same as choosing to have your tonsils taken out,” said Waldman. “I do believe in a woman’s right to choose an abortion. I believe this right flows from the same Constitutional and Declaration of Independence based values that we hold as our center in the United States.”
Being the father of three teenagers, Waldman offered understanding of the severity behind these controversial decisions by sharing about his family and his personal beliefs.
“I have seen the miracle of childbirth. I have seen the miracle of their ultrasounds,” said Waldman. “These issues are not simple and they do not dissolve easily into a category as easy, to me, as saying ‘this can’t happen! This is murder, and this is the wrong thing to do.’”
Ever since the legalizing of abortion in the United States of America, anti-abortion and abortion rights activists have battled, often times to points of violence, about the morality and acceptance of the issues. With one side of the fence believing abortion as the unjustified killing of innocent lives, and the other side arguing the unknown timescale of when human life begins, no new revelations appeared during Thursday’s debate. All the discussion was the same as found previously across America, and no new arguments were made. Yet, despite the absence of any new found approaches to truly resolving the issue, abortion is still a very serious matter. With students actively involved in debates close to 40 years after the legalizing of Abortion, the matter only strengthens in its severity. However, a time of true reconciliation is unknown.
Graybeal
Jour 3410 Lab
Speech Article for Religion Beat-Blog
Abortion Rights in America
Abortion: a single, three syllable word packed with enough punch to rile individuals all over the country. Simply mention the 1973 decision from the monumental case Roe v. Wade regarding the legal termination of an unborn fetus and watch people heave and feel the blood of the atmosphere surge. It’s a touchy subject, but two prestigious men amongst the American political community boldly tackled opposing sides at the “Abortion Rights in America” debate last night in the Tate Student Center’s Grand Hall at the University of Georgia.
FOX News Channel Legal Analyst and former New Jersey State Judge, Andrew Napolitano, went back and forth with nationally prominent Interest lawyer and former aide to the Bill Clinton Administration, Michael Waldman.
Napolitano and Waldman both offered their specific, somewhat differing views on this particular matter and how if affects the American nation. Ultimately, after just over an hour of tense, but respectful discussion, both men calmly summed up their arguments by returning to their stances discussed in their opening statements.
With Napolitano advocating the anti-abortion stance of how abortion, the most common medical practice in America, is murder, he squared off against Waldman’s argument of abortion rights, and how Waldman believes it’s the woman’s right to make the decision instead of the government’s.
Crossing the stage, moments after brief introductions of the two debaters and their moderator, both men civilly approached their podiums in wait for the debate to initiate.
Current Director of Debate and Associate Professor out of the Department of Speech Communication with the University of Georgia, Edward Panetta, acted as the debate moderator between Napolitano and Waldman. After leaving the University of Pittsburg as an Instructor and Assistant Director of Debate, Panetta started at the University of Georgia in 1987, and because of his distinguished accomplishments and professional awards through the collegiate debate realm, his successes shined brightly next to the much acclaimed men with whom he shared the stage.
While the Grand Hall did not reach anywhere near capacity, only resulting in close to forty seats occupied for the event, the debate hosted by the Ideas and Issues Division of the University Student Programming Board still proved successful by equally covering both sides of the issue at hand.
Regardless of poor attendance, the debate began shortly after 7:30 p.m. in the large hall, and Panetta clearly outlined the structure of the event. Breaking the discussion down into elements, each speaker was allowed 10 minutes for a statement describing their stance on abortion. The second element of the evening included a 20 minute question session where both men were able to directly address specific questions prepared for their arguments. Included among these, was an array of student questions handed in via note cards only moments before a University student affiliated with the group hosting the event started the proceedings.
After winning a coin toss, to insure a fair chance for each contender to woo the audience, Napolitano approached the issue first.
“Some men say that the earth is round and some men say that it’s flat. If its round, could the parliament by enacting a statute make it flat? And if it’s flat, could the King’s command make it round? These words were used by Sir Thomas Moore defending himself in his trial for treason,” said Napolitano. “He was appealing to his jurors common sense, [but was] also appealing to their understanding of the natural law.”
Natural law, according to Napolitano, relates to the order of things described in humanity, which he believes no government majority can change.
“Our rights come from our humanity, and our humanity is a gift from God. If you accept that there is a Creator, and you accept we are His creatures, the natural law makes perfect sense,” said Napolitano. “Your right to think as you wish, to say what you think, to publish what you say, your right to protect yourself, your right to worship or not to worship, your right to travel, your right to privacy, your right to be left alone: these do not come from the government. They come from your humanity. And as we were created by a perfect God, who is perfect and free, and in His image and likeness, we are free.”
Waldman did not immediately dive into the discussion of the issue. Instead, the former speech writer for President Bill Clinton took a more homely route. Starting off by acknowledging the seriousness of the topic at hand, Waldman understands there are significant moral and ethical issues with the decision of not having, or having, an abortion.
“Choosing to have an abortion is not the same as choosing to have your tonsils taken out,” said Waldman. “I do believe in a woman’s right to choose an abortion. I believe this right flows from the same Constitutional and Declaration of Independence based values that we hold as our center in the United States.”
Being the father of three teenagers, Waldman offered understanding of the severity behind these controversial decisions by sharing about his family and his personal beliefs.
“I have seen the miracle of childbirth. I have seen the miracle of their ultrasounds,” said Waldman. “These issues are not simple and they do not dissolve easily into a category as easy, to me, as saying ‘this can’t happen! This is murder, and this is the wrong thing to do.’”
Ever since the legalizing of abortion in the United States of America, anti-abortion and abortion rights activists have battled, often times to points of violence, about the morality and acceptance of the issues. With one side of the fence believing abortion as the unjustified killing of innocent lives, and the other side arguing the unknown timescale of when human life begins, no new revelations appeared during Thursday’s debate. All the discussion was the same as found previously across America, and no new arguments were made. Yet, despite the absence of any new found approaches to truly resolving the issue, abortion is still a very serious matter. With students actively involved in debates close to 40 years after the legalizing of Abortion, the matter only strengthens in its severity. However, a time of true reconciliation is unknown.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Origin Into Schools
This morning as I wandered through my living room (usually I'm traipsing around campus off to my contemporary lit class; it was canceled today), I noticed a lot of loud commotion. Only instead of it being my silly cats ripping and roaring through the room, my attention moved from the floor to my television: it was the cast of The View. Bickering, arguing, whatever. Nothing about this discovery interested me as I continued on my quest to the kitchen, but once I heard a certain name, I walked right back.
Kirk Cameron.
Ok, we love him. Just be honest. He played the hilarious and troublesome Mike Seaver from that family feel good "Growing Pains," and whenever he waltzes into a discussion, usually people smile. At least, I do. Anyway, I'm not too familiar with his past or previous television bits, but I like him, and probably always will.
But, back to The View.
Apparently, from the few moments where I actually paid attention to the bickering, Cameron is working with friend Ray Comfort in promoting the give-away of a specialized publishing of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species." Instead of the book strictly being the re-mastered original copy of Darwin's work, the particular copy Cameron is pushing is one with a introduction packed with information offering insights about the history of evolution, a time-line of Darwin's life, Darwin's racism, Darwin's discrimination of women, and Darwin's thoughts on the existence of God. It also includes supposed information exposing the unscientific beliefs that nothing created everything, and also how there is no physical proof of any species to species transitional form found in the fossil record. The introduction offers a balanced view of creationism and includes supporting facts from actual, renowned scientists that believe God created the Universe. (Einstein, Faraday, and Kepler...just to name a few.)
Obviously, I haven't read the book. If I had, I'd probably have a bit more of an opinion on all of this, but from the arguments this morning presented by Barbara Walters and all the other women on the mid-morning talk show, there's plenty to be buzzed about. A clip on YouTube starring Cameron himself, shares all the information I just mentioned above, and it was shown on The View this morning. I only watched the beginning bit while I stood in my living room, but the beginning bit still includes some pretty interesting stuff. After getting back to Athens today, I watched the clip in it's entirety, but before Cameron even goes into explaining the book, he discusses statistics about how Atheism has doubled over the past twenty years and other data about how upcoming generations are not considering themselves religious.
Now, from what I understand, this particular book won't be hitting shelves anytime soon, but it will be hitting campuses all across the nation. On Nov. 19, various individuals will be handing out these specific copies at 50 chosen Universities, for free. Yes. free. A 300-ish page book, to anyone who will take one. Cost? Zero.
Now, I'm a poor college kid, so the free thing gets me--it truly does-- but what will come of all this? This is a very dramatic attempt at getting the other side of the story, so to speak, sent to this demographic. Scientists, Psychologist, Anthropologists, and all the other -ists out there are just the same when trying to consider how we, humans--people--came to be. Evolution, Creation, bang it just happened? It's a hard thing to grasp, no matter what the belief system may be, but with this certain Introduction packing a 50 page punch into one of the most studied theories of all time, I simply wonder what will follow.
I want a copy for the simple reason of just having one.
Other information is available at http://livingwaters.com/
Kirk Cameron.
Ok, we love him. Just be honest. He played the hilarious and troublesome Mike Seaver from that family feel good "Growing Pains," and whenever he waltzes into a discussion, usually people smile. At least, I do. Anyway, I'm not too familiar with his past or previous television bits, but I like him, and probably always will.
But, back to The View.
Apparently, from the few moments where I actually paid attention to the bickering, Cameron is working with friend Ray Comfort in promoting the give-away of a specialized publishing of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species." Instead of the book strictly being the re-mastered original copy of Darwin's work, the particular copy Cameron is pushing is one with a introduction packed with information offering insights about the history of evolution, a time-line of Darwin's life, Darwin's racism, Darwin's discrimination of women, and Darwin's thoughts on the existence of God. It also includes supposed information exposing the unscientific beliefs that nothing created everything, and also how there is no physical proof of any species to species transitional form found in the fossil record. The introduction offers a balanced view of creationism and includes supporting facts from actual, renowned scientists that believe God created the Universe. (Einstein, Faraday, and Kepler...just to name a few.)
Obviously, I haven't read the book. If I had, I'd probably have a bit more of an opinion on all of this, but from the arguments this morning presented by Barbara Walters and all the other women on the mid-morning talk show, there's plenty to be buzzed about. A clip on YouTube starring Cameron himself, shares all the information I just mentioned above, and it was shown on The View this morning. I only watched the beginning bit while I stood in my living room, but the beginning bit still includes some pretty interesting stuff. After getting back to Athens today, I watched the clip in it's entirety, but before Cameron even goes into explaining the book, he discusses statistics about how Atheism has doubled over the past twenty years and other data about how upcoming generations are not considering themselves religious.
Now, from what I understand, this particular book won't be hitting shelves anytime soon, but it will be hitting campuses all across the nation. On Nov. 19, various individuals will be handing out these specific copies at 50 chosen Universities, for free. Yes. free. A 300-ish page book, to anyone who will take one. Cost? Zero.
Now, I'm a poor college kid, so the free thing gets me--it truly does-- but what will come of all this? This is a very dramatic attempt at getting the other side of the story, so to speak, sent to this demographic. Scientists, Psychologist, Anthropologists, and all the other -ists out there are just the same when trying to consider how we, humans--people--came to be. Evolution, Creation, bang it just happened? It's a hard thing to grasp, no matter what the belief system may be, but with this certain Introduction packing a 50 page punch into one of the most studied theories of all time, I simply wonder what will follow.
I want a copy for the simple reason of just having one.
Other information is available at http://livingwaters.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
