Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Sunday, 18 August 2013
HIV patients told by Pentecostal pastors 'to rely on God' ....
N.B
All opinions expressed are personal and are not designed to cause offense.
Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23729684 to
read the story that has inspired this slightly enraged post.
I understand
that there is only a minority of Pentecostal Pastors encouraging this, in my
opinion, reckless behavior however, I find it very disturbing. Possibly even
more alarming is that I fail to see that anyone is going to do something about
it or, even that anybody is able to take action.
What I fail to understand is how these
ideas are able to develop and take hold in the first place. HIV is a
devastating illness which can only be effectively controlled with medication which
is researched and then prescribed after a process of careful deliberation and
studying by a variety of highly qualified professionals. The people responsible
for spreading these are dealing in a very delicate balance between life and
death based on minority interpretations of events or writings.
Having and
sharing faith is one thing, but when a person's faith is exploited so as to
make them act, dress, think etc. in a certain way it is not right and I am
afraid that this current story clearly shows this ‘dark side’ of religion and
other ideologies that I think needs to be urgently addressed. Among other
reasons, this is one of the reasons why I am an atheist.
Don't get me
wrong, I can see the benefits of religion for some people and I also understand
why some people would turn to religion, I just feel that when one person begins
to tell you that God, or other religious figures can do better than
professionals that is pushing the power of their position too far. Granted,
doctors and other professionals don't always get it right, however, they do
have a better record of success than religions and when dealing with life or
death all the facts need to be looked at, and interpretations
need to be challenged and verified.
In my opinion
the Pentecostal Pastors who are spreading this 'rely on God' message need to
be, at least, watched very closely if not completely removed from their
position of, scarily, huge amounts of power. It is an extremely dangerous
message and it needs to be promptly brought under control.
On a completely separate note; Follow me on bloglovin. <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10368525/?claim=33cbe4ah4sn">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
On a completely separate note; Follow me on bloglovin. <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10368525/?claim=33cbe4ah4sn">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Thursday, 11 July 2013
Let's catch up ....
I haven't posted anything in a very long time and I wanted to take this opportunity to apologise and explain as well as thank all of you who have read and continued to read my blog even when I have neglected it for so long.
It really means a lot that people actually read my ramblings, which are usually pessimistic and the fact that there is such a global audience is astounding. There are readers from The UK Russia, America, France, Germany, Australia, Georgia and Croatia which I find really incredible. It really does prove the power of the internet, doesn't it? When I first started the blog I really wasn't expecting this kind of response and although I really do appreciate it, it really is a shock I wasn't expecting anything like this.
I really want to continue with the blog and as I appreciate your readership so very much I feel I owe you an explanation for my overly long absence. To start with I always expected there to be a break during the exam period, I just didn't have the time or the energy to revise and blog at the same time. However, what I didn't expect for my lack of blogging energy and in some sense enthusiasm to continue for as long as it has. For this I apologise.
There has been a lot going on emotionally at the moment - trying to decide on my future after school, and coming to terms with the fact that I may/may not get good enough results from my exams, as well as trying to come to terms with the fact that my comfort zone won't be a suitable living environment in the future and that I need to face my fears and realise that I can expand my comfort zone. All of this hasn't really left me with any energy to continue with my 'societal observations' (more like ramblings). The energy will return as will the slightly more frequent blog posts.
On a slightly different note, and this might be a complete disaster especially after what I just told you about having difficulty writing posts for this one, I have started a new blog. This one has more of a central focus; books. I plan to write reviews of good books, and some bad books, that I have read. I enjoy reading, writing and sharing information about books so I thought this would be a good way of combining all three. It is only in the very early stages but if you would like to take a look this is the link: http://a-book-review-blog.blogspot.co.uk/.
Once again, thank you for your continued support and readership.
It really means a lot that people actually read my ramblings, which are usually pessimistic and the fact that there is such a global audience is astounding. There are readers from The UK Russia, America, France, Germany, Australia, Georgia and Croatia which I find really incredible. It really does prove the power of the internet, doesn't it? When I first started the blog I really wasn't expecting this kind of response and although I really do appreciate it, it really is a shock I wasn't expecting anything like this.
I really want to continue with the blog and as I appreciate your readership so very much I feel I owe you an explanation for my overly long absence. To start with I always expected there to be a break during the exam period, I just didn't have the time or the energy to revise and blog at the same time. However, what I didn't expect for my lack of blogging energy and in some sense enthusiasm to continue for as long as it has. For this I apologise.
There has been a lot going on emotionally at the moment - trying to decide on my future after school, and coming to terms with the fact that I may/may not get good enough results from my exams, as well as trying to come to terms with the fact that my comfort zone won't be a suitable living environment in the future and that I need to face my fears and realise that I can expand my comfort zone. All of this hasn't really left me with any energy to continue with my 'societal observations' (more like ramblings). The energy will return as will the slightly more frequent blog posts.
On a slightly different note, and this might be a complete disaster especially after what I just told you about having difficulty writing posts for this one, I have started a new blog. This one has more of a central focus; books. I plan to write reviews of good books, and some bad books, that I have read. I enjoy reading, writing and sharing information about books so I thought this would be a good way of combining all three. It is only in the very early stages but if you would like to take a look this is the link: http://a-book-review-blog.blogspot.co.uk/.
Once again, thank you for your continued support and readership.
Monday, 31 December 2012
The end of 2012.....
Last New Years Eve, I remember writing a somewhat pessimistic post on the coming of the New Year. At the beginning of 2012, I could not see that any changes were going to be made from one year to the next. However, 2013, I know, will be different. I am feeling much more optimistic.
2012, was a fantastic year for the small but great country that is, aptly, Great Britain. We hosted the 2012 Olympic games, did quite well, celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of our monarch and showed the rest of the world that every now and again, when the occasion arises, we can let go of our stiff up lip, let our hair down and celebrate.
However, 2012 was a hard year for me. This does not necessarily make it a bad year, it was just, in parts, a testing year with many ups, many downs and an extremely steep learning curve.
It was the year, in which I learnt more about myself as a person than I ever imagined was possible. I learnt that I am not, as I had always imagined, a city person, that I am most definitely a country girl - I love the friendly nature, the sense of community, the greenery, the scenery and the animals. I learnt that I am not ready yet to venture into the big open world and the expensive and challenging (in a good way) experience of University and that I need to become more independent and confident before I can embark on that journey and get the most out of it along the way.
Maybe most importantly I learnt that, when fully confident in your feelings, whatever decisions you make and whatever information and feelings you choose to divulge to certain individuals, the outcome will almost always turn out alright. You may not receive the response you were hoping for but that experience of putting your feelings out there and being open and able to handle the response allows your confidence, self-esteem and faith that there are mature, nice, caring, respectful people (guys) out there to grow in leaps and bounds. You may or may not know who you are, if you do; thank you.
I want to take this opportunity to thank every person in my life and everyone who has ever read any part of this blog for helping to make 2012 such an experience, helping me to get through the hard times and helping me to celebrate the good times and making them that so much more special.
Much love to all and may 2013 be a wonderful year for us all. Happy New Year!
2012, was a fantastic year for the small but great country that is, aptly, Great Britain. We hosted the 2012 Olympic games, did quite well, celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of our monarch and showed the rest of the world that every now and again, when the occasion arises, we can let go of our stiff up lip, let our hair down and celebrate.
However, 2012 was a hard year for me. This does not necessarily make it a bad year, it was just, in parts, a testing year with many ups, many downs and an extremely steep learning curve.
It was the year, in which I learnt more about myself as a person than I ever imagined was possible. I learnt that I am not, as I had always imagined, a city person, that I am most definitely a country girl - I love the friendly nature, the sense of community, the greenery, the scenery and the animals. I learnt that I am not ready yet to venture into the big open world and the expensive and challenging (in a good way) experience of University and that I need to become more independent and confident before I can embark on that journey and get the most out of it along the way.
Maybe most importantly I learnt that, when fully confident in your feelings, whatever decisions you make and whatever information and feelings you choose to divulge to certain individuals, the outcome will almost always turn out alright. You may not receive the response you were hoping for but that experience of putting your feelings out there and being open and able to handle the response allows your confidence, self-esteem and faith that there are mature, nice, caring, respectful people (guys) out there to grow in leaps and bounds. You may or may not know who you are, if you do; thank you.
I want to take this opportunity to thank every person in my life and everyone who has ever read any part of this blog for helping to make 2012 such an experience, helping me to get through the hard times and helping me to celebrate the good times and making them that so much more special.
Much love to all and may 2013 be a wonderful year for us all. Happy New Year!
Friday, 30 November 2012
An unselfish race?…
I am often astounded by people who are indifferent to animals. Animals, in so many ways, are superior to our race. Humans are selfish beings. We are always hankering over things that we think we think we need but actually only want. Animals do not think in this way. They may be selfish in the context of wanting to survive and therefore needing to play detriment to another's chances of survival. However, humans are also guilty of this. Animals only take what is necessary and nothing else, they do not take more than is needed and when they do it usually results in a benefit for someone else in the wonderful world of nature. Rhinos are often plagued with a parasite that makes them extremely uncomfortable and irritable. Luckily for them there is a type of bird who relies on this parasite as its staple food. A friendship and alliance is forged and both species live harmoniously side by side. This system of mutual and equal benefits for all involved in human society is, in my opinion, extremely rare. If we can buy whatever gadget we are dreaming of for the cheapest possible price then that is what we will choose. The majority of us will make the decision without sparing a thought for the poor exploited workers in China or India who are making these products, which we then buy for hundreds of pounds, for a pay salary that can barely buy enough food for one meal. Why do we allow this to continue? Because we are selfish!
Apart from this fundamental difference between animals and us, there is another reason why animals are better. They don't complain. They don't complain if the weather isn't very nice, they don't complain if they receive a gazelle for their dinner instead of the wilder beast that they had spotted on the way, they don't complain if their house isn't quite as big as the one next door. They are thankful for what they have and we should really learn to be more like them in that respect.
Most of all I have a huge love for animals because they don't judge. They don't care if your black, white, fat, thin, rich, poor, boy, girl, disabled - the list could go on forever. All they care about is having someone who loves them and having someone who they can love in return. All they ask for is love and kindness.
I am not by any means saying that I am the perfect human being and everybody else are the bad guys. What I am saying is that we are all, in our different ways, the bad guys and if we really just thought for a minute about whether we really needed that extra piece of electrical equipment, that when used is contributing to the destruction of the Ozone Layer, or if we could afford to buy the t-shirt for £2 more expensive than it is in Primark so that the people in China, India and other poorer countries can afford their evening meal then the world could be a much nicer much more harmonious place to live.
Apart from this fundamental difference between animals and us, there is another reason why animals are better. They don't complain. They don't complain if the weather isn't very nice, they don't complain if they receive a gazelle for their dinner instead of the wilder beast that they had spotted on the way, they don't complain if their house isn't quite as big as the one next door. They are thankful for what they have and we should really learn to be more like them in that respect.
Most of all I have a huge love for animals because they don't judge. They don't care if your black, white, fat, thin, rich, poor, boy, girl, disabled - the list could go on forever. All they care about is having someone who loves them and having someone who they can love in return. All they ask for is love and kindness.
I am not by any means saying that I am the perfect human being and everybody else are the bad guys. What I am saying is that we are all, in our different ways, the bad guys and if we really just thought for a minute about whether we really needed that extra piece of electrical equipment, that when used is contributing to the destruction of the Ozone Layer, or if we could afford to buy the t-shirt for £2 more expensive than it is in Primark so that the people in China, India and other poorer countries can afford their evening meal then the world could be a much nicer much more harmonious place to live.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
The power of escapism…
Music videos, films, TV shows, songs and books create, for us, another world; an alternate reality that we can use to escape our own realities and pretend that everything we dream of or wish for will come true.
However, sad this may make the human race seem I genuinely believe that without this form of positive escapism individuals would not be able to cope. Melodramatic though it seems, everyday life is demanding, challenging, overwhelming and stressful for the most part and without this release of escapism where we are free to imagine a world in which we can achieve everything we strive for both in ambition and in general life then individuals really wouldn't be able to cope.
Please don't misunderstand, I am not implying that we can't achieve, in actual reality, everything and anything we want out of life. What I am saying, however is that in escapism we can achieve these things without the hassle, embarrassment, hard work and other obstacles that occur within real
life.
This is why I am addicted to anything with a happy, slightly soppy ending and a storyline that runs on the basis that boy meets girl, there is one slightly rocky patch, they realise that they are made for each other, there's a happy ending and roll credits. Predictable and cheesy but they give me hope.
But, really the questions are why has this idea of escapism become such an integral part of our coping mechanisms? Does everyone need a form of escapism or am I generalising to much? And how does such a wide range of 'escapism genres' come about? How does escapism created by the popular genre of horror work? Are we just kidding and distracting ourselves? Are we, by spending so much time in escapism ignoring the fact that we could actually be creating our own film, TV storyline, song or book because actually escapist conclusions do have a place and could exist in the real world?
However, sad this may make the human race seem I genuinely believe that without this form of positive escapism individuals would not be able to cope. Melodramatic though it seems, everyday life is demanding, challenging, overwhelming and stressful for the most part and without this release of escapism where we are free to imagine a world in which we can achieve everything we strive for both in ambition and in general life then individuals really wouldn't be able to cope.
Please don't misunderstand, I am not implying that we can't achieve, in actual reality, everything and anything we want out of life. What I am saying, however is that in escapism we can achieve these things without the hassle, embarrassment, hard work and other obstacles that occur within real
life.
This is why I am addicted to anything with a happy, slightly soppy ending and a storyline that runs on the basis that boy meets girl, there is one slightly rocky patch, they realise that they are made for each other, there's a happy ending and roll credits. Predictable and cheesy but they give me hope.
But, really the questions are why has this idea of escapism become such an integral part of our coping mechanisms? Does everyone need a form of escapism or am I generalising to much? And how does such a wide range of 'escapism genres' come about? How does escapism created by the popular genre of horror work? Are we just kidding and distracting ourselves? Are we, by spending so much time in escapism ignoring the fact that we could actually be creating our own film, TV storyline, song or book because actually escapist conclusions do have a place and could exist in the real world?
Friday, 21 September 2012
Disappointment, decisions and considerations
So as many of you will know there has been many tales of disappointment regarding the results of many of the AS exams. I know that we got our results quite a while back but I needed time to digest and consider before writing this post.
I am quite angry with the outcome of the results as I imagine quite a lot of us are and because of this there is a high probability that this will become more of a rant than an observation of society. Sorry for that.
It seems to me to be grossly unfair that the majority of us put our hearts, souls and a hell of a lot of effort into revising for the exams just to open that horribly terrifying brown envelope and be faced with, in my case, the potential of 4 retakes.
I feel as though a mixture of the exam boards and the school have, for want of a better phrase, 'screwed us over' and we are having to pick up the pieces of our hopes and piece then together again on retake forms and open AS folders which, incidentally, we were hoping we would never have to open again.
How is this fair?
To top it all off, Michael Gove has decided that modules exams are to easy and that they should be scrapped for "all in one go" exams. When I heard that I laughed so sarcastically I surprised myself. These politicians really do not have a clue do they. Has he failed to notice the results of this year? Is in trying to hugely reduce the number of university applicants - first the £9000 tuition fee and now this -what's next tie us to our schools and only release us if we can recite the entire Latin dictionary backwards?
The conservative party are so laughably removed from the real world. They were fine in the good old days when exams were hard because they could call on their private tutor to help them revise a difficult question. Or they could buy themselves an A by putting the family name of the doorway of the 'Gove Building' and this in turn would ensure that they received the best possible teaching.
The rest of us 'plebs' - the words of Andrew Mitchelle not me - have to work hard for months to get to the next step on our educational career to then receive bad grades and have the education secretary tell us that exams are to easy.
As I said at the beginning of this post I am sorry that this really has turned out to be nothing more than an angry and frustrated rant. However I am sure that there are other people out there who feel just the same as I and to be perfectly honest I feel that it had to be said.
I am quite angry with the outcome of the results as I imagine quite a lot of us are and because of this there is a high probability that this will become more of a rant than an observation of society. Sorry for that.
It seems to me to be grossly unfair that the majority of us put our hearts, souls and a hell of a lot of effort into revising for the exams just to open that horribly terrifying brown envelope and be faced with, in my case, the potential of 4 retakes.
I feel as though a mixture of the exam boards and the school have, for want of a better phrase, 'screwed us over' and we are having to pick up the pieces of our hopes and piece then together again on retake forms and open AS folders which, incidentally, we were hoping we would never have to open again.
How is this fair?
To top it all off, Michael Gove has decided that modules exams are to easy and that they should be scrapped for "all in one go" exams. When I heard that I laughed so sarcastically I surprised myself. These politicians really do not have a clue do they. Has he failed to notice the results of this year? Is in trying to hugely reduce the number of university applicants - first the £9000 tuition fee and now this -what's next tie us to our schools and only release us if we can recite the entire Latin dictionary backwards?
The conservative party are so laughably removed from the real world. They were fine in the good old days when exams were hard because they could call on their private tutor to help them revise a difficult question. Or they could buy themselves an A by putting the family name of the doorway of the 'Gove Building' and this in turn would ensure that they received the best possible teaching.
The rest of us 'plebs' - the words of Andrew Mitchelle not me - have to work hard for months to get to the next step on our educational career to then receive bad grades and have the education secretary tell us that exams are to easy.
As I said at the beginning of this post I am sorry that this really has turned out to be nothing more than an angry and frustrated rant. However I am sure that there are other people out there who feel just the same as I and to be perfectly honest I feel that it had to be said.
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