Blog Post for Feb 1st

Syria, along with its ally Iran are considering retaliating against Israel in response to an air strike conducted on Syria by Israel.  The air strike, which was launched on Wednesday, was said to be aiming for a convoy transporting anti-aircraft weapons to Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist organization, which also happens to be allies with both Syria and Iran.  Iran’s deputy foreign minister said on Press TV that the “strike on Syria will have serious consequences for Tel Aviv.”  This conflict could prove to be significantly important in the struggle for supremacy in the Middle East.  If Syria and Iran decide to retaliate against Israel, it could be the start of another unfortunate, deadly conflict in the Middle East.  If the United States decides to defend its ally, Israel, they should be careful, Syria just happens to be an ally of Russia, a country we are already on different wavelengths with.  Overall, it is my hope the United States limits its involvement, and hopefully Israel, along with Syria and Iran, can reach a resolution of some sorts. 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/31/syria-iran-threaten-retaliation-against-israel-over-airstrike/     

Bears Fire Smith

The Chicago Bears have fired their coach, Lovie Smith.  I was very surprised to hear this news, I was very confused, then angry, then calm.  I was confused because Lovie had done a great job as coach of the Bears, this season they were 10-6.  The Bears also led the league in turnovers forced and had five Pro Bowl players.  There were also coaches with worse resumes who did not get canned.  Rex Ryan, whose Jets finished 6-10, is still employed as head coach with few questions about his job security, and Lovie Smith was fired after a 10-6 season!  Shortly after coming to this realization, I felt a bit calmer.  I began to think about the extremely inconsistent offense the Bears have had.  I also realized that there were plenty of qualified replacements who I would be more than happy to have as our next coach.  Jon Gruden, the former coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders, would be a great choice.  If it were up to me, the would have signed Gruden and paid him whatever he requested.  I say this because Gruden has been in the league a very long time and he knows what he is doing, he is also a disciplinarian, and has a great offensive mind, just as the Bears have been looking for.  Overall, I hope the Bears hire Gruden!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000119943/article/lovie-smith-fired-by-chicago-bears

Blog for 11/9

Matthew Vines’ story is very compelling.  It is a story of bravery and perseverance, and I admire him for it.  Through out his life, Vines struggled with his sexuality.  He said that he was both relieved and crushed, saying “everything that hadn't made sense about my life finally did, and because love no longer seemed like an impossibility for me, but crushed because of the likelihood that I would be rejected and lose the community I had always called home.”  This quote really signifies the gateway opened when came out of the closet.  Another piece I found interesting was when he mentioned he loved God, even though he was gay.  I would think that he would separate himself from religion after it had condemned his lifestyle.  Because of this, he is extremely unique.    

A Year of Living Biblically

"They shall be stoned with stones, their blood shall be upon them."
-Leviticus 20:27

AJ Jacobs is intent on living one year strictly following the rules of the Bible.  So this means he'll have to follow every single rule, including stoning sinners.  Despite the backlash he could receive, Jacobs still walks the streets of New York City looking for sinners deserving of a stoning.  He, smartly, realized that the Bible does not specify how big or small the stones had to be, so he finds a few pebbles, and decides that they will be his makeshift stones.  His first "stoning" is somewhat of a failure.  He dropped some pebbles on another person's foot, and even apologized for it.  He, admitedly, was aggrivated with his less than valient effort, but still continues with his mission.  This  instance really express how far he really is willing to go to fulfil his goal of living biblically.  
 I applaud Jacobs for being extremely committed and rather bold in his rules he has set for himself.
If he is willing to risk his life for his  expiriment, it really shows how dedicated he is, and I look foward to reading more about his interesting year. 

Blog for 11/2

 Albert Einstein's famous "God letter" was sold to an anonymous bidder for about $3 million.  Only two people placed bids on the letter, it sold for much higher than expected.  The letter, handwritten by Einstein himself, was originally sent to Jewish philosopher Erik Gutkind just prior to Einstein's passing in April of 1955.  In the letter, Einstein says that he does not believe God exists.  Here is a notable quote from the letter:

"For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions."

Although this letter has been in existence for 57 years, this is the first time it had been brought to my attention.  It is really compelling to hear one of the greatest minds of all time give his opinion on such an important issue.  His opinion on religion will not alter mine, but it definitely gives me something to think about.  

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/einstein-god-letter-sold-for-just-over-3-million-anonymous-buyer_n_2012282.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Religion

A Roman Catholic cardinal sparked a firestorm by showing a YouTube video forecasting the growth of Islam in Europe.  The video, titled “Muslim Demographics,” was a very popular discussion topic at the Vatican, after it was shown during a free discussion period.  The video made erroneous claims, as exemplified by this quote: “In just 39 years France will be an Islamic republic.”  Some facts included in the film have already been disproven.  The video claimed French Muslim women give birth to an average of 8.1 children during a lifetime, France does not collect data based on religion, the facts are baseless.  In conclusion, I believe this video could have been valid with the correct facts. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/cardinal-peter-turkson-muslim-scare-vatican_n_1968544.html?utm_hp_ref=religion 

Protestant

It is mildly surprising to learn that protestants are not the majority in the United States.  A major reason for this, I found out, is the rise of the number of athiests.  I was not aware that the number of athiests was that high.  This statistic really signifies a major shift in United States religion demographics.  I was also compelled with the fact that the number of athiests, or "nones," are on the rise.

 "The religiously unaffiliated are becoming as important a constituency to Democrats as evangelicals are to Republicans, Pew said."  I thought this quote, taken from the article, made a great point.  Athiests and Evangelicals are, traditionally, the adverse of their respective political parties.  As evidenced by the preceeding quote, religion is still a major factor in politics, as the countries demographics shift, who knows what the future could hold for us.