Definition please?

I attended a workshop this past week for my University Studies class as a freshman and it was called Motivation. The motivation seminar basically discussed failure and what it truly means to fail. They asked us what we think failure truly means. People said various things as their definition of failure but the one that stuck out to me was “quitting.” The instructors said that Albert Einstein and many other inventors were not considered failures because even though they took a while to create what they did, they never stopped trying. I completely agree with this because quitting is the only way that one can fail. If you never try, then you will never know. But one young man asked the question, “If failure means quitting then how come when we do not do so well in a math class they say its considered failing and they make us take it over and over again?” Everyone found this question quite amusing but as I looked over at the instructors, they were puzzled as to how to answer the question. I cannot remember what they said but I do remember thinking that people like to put their own definition of things but feel as though they can change it to make it what they want to make it as. I mean I understand some definitions stick like water has the same definition universally. But even lying- some people try to get out of being called a liar even though they clearly lied. We try to find our way out of a lot of things and we like to make certain words apply to us and make other words refrain from entering our minds. It just amazes me how we try to justify our actions and create our own meanings of things that should stick the same. I guess there is no set universal definition for anything if people make their own definition for everything. Right?

The corruption!?!??!?

Growing up as a Seventh-day Adventist has made things a lot easier, yet harder at the same time. Understanding the principles and doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist church, I never questioned anything I learned in Bible class. Ever since this class has begun, I have been thinking about some of their teachings. For example, if we are eventually going to heaven, then why should we go to school or work? I mean I know in the meantime, we should do something with our lives but why should we use all our money to pay for schooling or a big house? If we are all supposed to be God’s missionaries why doesn’t the church influence us to give up certain luxuries so we can give to the poor? I’m from Maryland and there is a church back home that is kind of like Loma Linda University or La Sierra University church. This church is a perfect example of a corrupt SDA system. It spent most of its money to renovate an already perfect building. It’s a beautiful church, but why? Why must they use all that money towards the church instead of their affiliated schools, which is not just a university but also a high school and elementary school? Not only do they work on the interior of the church but also during the service there are about a billion advertisements about the church alone (okay I’m exaggerating but it sure feels like a billion). I just do not understand it. I mean if we, as humans, are trying to pretend then that’s one story, but a church is supposed to be a gateway to getting closer to God- it is not supposed to be a reflection of our sins. I’m not saying that the church’s appearance should look a mess but the money should be used towards more necessary things. Also, we should allow everyone and anyone to come and worship. That church does not even allow homeless people to sit in the front row sometimes (depending on the preacher, the senior pastor allows it). I just do not understand our purpose here on earth. If we are SDA’s, and we believe that we are the true religion, should we not act that way? It’s all just too much to question. But I will ask Jesus when He returns J

Messed up System

So I recently watched Law Abiding Citizen and there was one scene in particular that stuck in my memory throughout the course of the movie. The movie is about this man whose family was murdered in front of his own eyes, and over many years, he begins to take revenge on each and every person and organization that allowed the murder to get away. So eventually they found out that he was the one who murdered the man who murdered his family and he is sent to jail. He basically works the system so that the courts give him whatever he wants and as he is in his jail cell he secretly kills everyone. The one scene that was so big to me was when they were in the court room and Jamie Foxx was trying to put him into jail. The man, being very precise, finds his way out of going to jail and he stops the judge and basically calls her stupid for ultimately allowing him to leave just because he worded his phrases right even though he was the one who committed the crime.

This scene made me realize that the government is a messed up system. There is also this documentary on this woman whose daughter was denied help and health care. They made the family move to so many hospitals and finally they only operated on the child for 30 minutes before she died. It's so sad that someone would deny someone help when it's there job to provide it.

I don't know about you, but I don't understand why the government has to be so..."mean". I mean i understand that they must be strict because there are some tricky people, but the government can be pretty stupid at times. Even though I understand that people have to do what they have to do although it's wrong, who is to say they have to? I guess if they don't, they lose their jobs. It's just a big circle... a circle of good and bad.