I found this on universetoday.com in the comments section and thought I'd share it with you...
"I think you are missing the point. I agree that the creation story is a metaphor, and therefore, trying to constrain it with current knowledge is meaningless because we don't know the details of the similarities between the stories.
When you were a child and asked what the twinkling things in the night sky were, I'm sure your parents didn't go into the complexities of nuclear fusion, the p-p chain and CNO cycle, opacities all the way through the photosphere and then a discussion on E&M to explain the propagation of light. You were told in simple, easy to understand terms that sufficed for that time and place in your life.
Similarly, in Genesis we are told that the heavens and earth were created by God. To a person writing this inspired word down thousands of years ago, would any of it had made any sense if God began relating thermodynamic principles, GR, and particle physics to explain entropy, galaxy formation and CP violation which is required to have the asymmetry needed to have matter in the first place? These people were more concerned about basic necessities and therefore required a simplified view of the creation of their universe. Anything more would not have made sense or been passed down for us to know about today.
And how do you know if when God said 'Let there be light' He didn't express Maxwell's equations in some form? To me, learning the physical principles of our universe and the way everything works and interacts is seeing the beauty and complexity that God used in creating everything around us. It is getting closer to the actual meaning of the metaphor expressed in those books written centuries ago. It truly is like a child playing with some unknown object until they figure out every little detail about it - and if you are a parent you know the feeling you get when you see your child figure something out on their own and the sense of accomplishment they exude. How much more proud God must be when He sees His children learning about the universe He created for them. Acknowledged or not, the parent is still proud of the child. -- Kenneth Carrell"
Alexandria.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Role of Media in Society Today
We live in a society that is completely dependent on the flow of information to gather and create opinions, handle business and function properly. The only way any information can be vastly disseminated is through media. Whether that be through the television, radio, billboards, intrapersonal connection etc. that is how we do it.
Seeing as how most people are connected to at least one medium at all times during the day, we have to examine the impact it is truly having in our society. Especially in America, where we are constantly soaking up messages with and without our consent, the question has to be asked. What is the role of media in society today? Its role is something of a super power in our culture. The media controls how we think, act, and make decisions. The force at which it is driven into our minds can be alarming and is evident.
We can trace media back to China in the 1400’s, where the first printing press was created and spread to Europe. Newspapers were the first form of mass communication and from its infantile stage, it has been used to influence others with the happenings of the community and mold the public opinion. Since then, media has developed. Through photography, television, the internet and other sources, we can communicate across the world without putting much effort into it. Over time, people saw the impact that the media could have and used it for good and bad reasons. Today, we can see that the power it has over our everyday actions is enormous.
From the toothbrushes and toothpastes we buy, to the shoes we wear, the media has influenced our decisions. Especially with the younger generation we see that our minds are still impressionable and our choices are not firm. That is why we have ‘trends’ and ‘fads’. Information is easily given and easily forgotten. But we can’t limit the media to ruling the smaller aspects of our lives; it can control our larger and less concrete decisions as well.
Subliminal influence, as I believe it is so, is the main role that the media has on society today. For example, in the 2008 presidential race, the media was supportive of Barack Obama in an underlying fashion. They spoke highly of him and when others came to attack him, most media outlets went against those people. If the media decided to go against or make a mockery of Obama, the outcome of that election surely would not have been the same.
Due to the desire of people to change, evolve and learn we are constantly seeing affirmation from the media regarding our choices in life. Even when we think we are being different, that decision is often times based off of something we have seen or heard and seeped into our subconscious making us desire that product or lifestyle. We are naturally consumed by the media and are subjected to its influence over our lives daily.
The media superpower cannot be avoided but can be controlled. It is up to the individual to create a barrier against things that they do not want to be exposed to or to allow it in their lives. Simple things like turning off the TV or limiting the amount of time you spend on the internet can help lessen the role that the media plays in our lives. If the people of our society decided to go against the media’s constraints on our personal integrity, we could create a self superpower instead of one that is controlled by outside sources. If we did more that make a splash in the ocean for change, we could in fact re-define the media in its entirety. But that can only come once everyone is on one accord.
Don’t get me wrong. The media is necessary and if used correctly can influence others to positively affect their world. We have to work within the beast in order to effectively change it. Our start to that change must come from personal thought and a change of mindset. After we have mastered ourselves, then we can go out and create a new ‘role of media in society’, TODAY.
AC
Seeing as how most people are connected to at least one medium at all times during the day, we have to examine the impact it is truly having in our society. Especially in America, where we are constantly soaking up messages with and without our consent, the question has to be asked. What is the role of media in society today? Its role is something of a super power in our culture. The media controls how we think, act, and make decisions. The force at which it is driven into our minds can be alarming and is evident.
We can trace media back to China in the 1400’s, where the first printing press was created and spread to Europe. Newspapers were the first form of mass communication and from its infantile stage, it has been used to influence others with the happenings of the community and mold the public opinion. Since then, media has developed. Through photography, television, the internet and other sources, we can communicate across the world without putting much effort into it. Over time, people saw the impact that the media could have and used it for good and bad reasons. Today, we can see that the power it has over our everyday actions is enormous.
From the toothbrushes and toothpastes we buy, to the shoes we wear, the media has influenced our decisions. Especially with the younger generation we see that our minds are still impressionable and our choices are not firm. That is why we have ‘trends’ and ‘fads’. Information is easily given and easily forgotten. But we can’t limit the media to ruling the smaller aspects of our lives; it can control our larger and less concrete decisions as well.
Subliminal influence, as I believe it is so, is the main role that the media has on society today. For example, in the 2008 presidential race, the media was supportive of Barack Obama in an underlying fashion. They spoke highly of him and when others came to attack him, most media outlets went against those people. If the media decided to go against or make a mockery of Obama, the outcome of that election surely would not have been the same.
Due to the desire of people to change, evolve and learn we are constantly seeing affirmation from the media regarding our choices in life. Even when we think we are being different, that decision is often times based off of something we have seen or heard and seeped into our subconscious making us desire that product or lifestyle. We are naturally consumed by the media and are subjected to its influence over our lives daily.
The media superpower cannot be avoided but can be controlled. It is up to the individual to create a barrier against things that they do not want to be exposed to or to allow it in their lives. Simple things like turning off the TV or limiting the amount of time you spend on the internet can help lessen the role that the media plays in our lives. If the people of our society decided to go against the media’s constraints on our personal integrity, we could create a self superpower instead of one that is controlled by outside sources. If we did more that make a splash in the ocean for change, we could in fact re-define the media in its entirety. But that can only come once everyone is on one accord.
Don’t get me wrong. The media is necessary and if used correctly can influence others to positively affect their world. We have to work within the beast in order to effectively change it. Our start to that change must come from personal thought and a change of mindset. After we have mastered ourselves, then we can go out and create a new ‘role of media in society’, TODAY.
AC
Monday, May 2, 2011
My Theme for this Summer: Creativity.
A new season is upon us! Woo hoo! Loads of sun, breeze, lively greenery and smiles from all. It only seems right for me to take full advantage of this joyous spirit! Therefore, I’ve decided that every day I’m going to try my hardest to be full of passion, strength, determination and CREATIVITY.
I’m the kind of person that can sit around for a full day and just think. Some may call it lazy, but who are they?? Lol But forreal, I can. That doesn’t really get you too many places though. There is a time for self-evaluation and contemplation but if we don’t put action to our thoughts, they are pretty meaningless. I have so many creative designs and ideas that never come to fruition. I’m pretty sure most creative spirits would say the same thing. It’s hard for us to comprehend all the thoughts that cross us let alone act on them! But that’s not going to be my excuse this summer.
I have to make the most of this time and you should resolve to do the same. If anything, this time should be the most creative and active for us because we don’t have the distraction of school to hold us back. (Yes, sometimes I think school is simply a distraction from the true lessons we should be learning). I have this mannequin head that I’m working on right now…it’s going to be pretty bomb once I’ve completed it. I also have a few other film projects and things with NHB and everything else to accomplish. So, I’m putting myself on a timeline and I’m going to let my mind SOAR!
There are no limits for a person that is determined to make something happen. If you follow your heart and set yourself in motion, you can take over the world. I’ll help.
GodLight
I’m the kind of person that can sit around for a full day and just think. Some may call it lazy, but who are they?? Lol But forreal, I can. That doesn’t really get you too many places though. There is a time for self-evaluation and contemplation but if we don’t put action to our thoughts, they are pretty meaningless. I have so many creative designs and ideas that never come to fruition. I’m pretty sure most creative spirits would say the same thing. It’s hard for us to comprehend all the thoughts that cross us let alone act on them! But that’s not going to be my excuse this summer.
I have to make the most of this time and you should resolve to do the same. If anything, this time should be the most creative and active for us because we don’t have the distraction of school to hold us back. (Yes, sometimes I think school is simply a distraction from the true lessons we should be learning). I have this mannequin head that I’m working on right now…it’s going to be pretty bomb once I’ve completed it. I also have a few other film projects and things with NHB and everything else to accomplish. So, I’m putting myself on a timeline and I’m going to let my mind SOAR!
There are no limits for a person that is determined to make something happen. If you follow your heart and set yourself in motion, you can take over the world. I’ll help.
GodLight
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