The Faith Conundrum

Once again, I am tasked to write an expository on another topic, so here I decided to write about FAITH. By faith I mean things like Buddhism, Christianity, or any religion anybody may have. There exist many doubts and myths about each faith, and there are many believers out there that such a thing cannot exist. However, I shall attempt at answering some of the many questions that I have heard of.

I am sure the biggest question many people have in their hearts is most probably “Does god exist?” I recently read an article posted on a blog written by one of my seniors, talking about the relative proof of god. http://yongology.wordpress.com/2008/04/ . I would suggest a look at the linked page, as many interesting questions are dealt with in the thesis, and also it did conclude with the fact that god does indeed exist in this world. Here is the main point put forth from the proof. God does indeed exist, and this can be proved through logic and reasoning. As to how it is done, interested readers can take a look at this interesting proof.

An important point in the proof of god is the truth of the bible. There is convincing proof about the existence of religious text like the bible, and how these texts are actually real. I agree with the above point totally. Firstly, taking the bible as an example, it was written in many languages by many people around the world, consisting of many books. However, when put together, these books tell us a complete story about the savior. Also, the actual written date the bible was written is closest to the oldest known copy of the bible. Much shorter than Homer or Caesars works at that time. Another point is how the prophecies projected with the bible have been fulfilled, leading us to the belief that the bible is the word of god. As such, we can establish that such religious texts do have a high degree of truth to them.

Now that we have established the existence of god, we shall now talk about the existence of faith. Since we have concluded that there is a god, then we should therefore follow a faith, believing in this god that we have. However, a common disagreement is that faith actually does not, and need not exist. Placing faith in such a position as that it is a simply fictitious, an intangible feeling that humans use to blindly “love “ a god. However, this is my stand.

Faith is a strong belief and trust in something that has been proven, over and over again to be true. Of course, some people may say that faith in god does not fit the bill. However, as we have already shown that there is a god, then we should have faith in the miracles god has given to us Now, to answer the question about the true existence of faith, I shall use a common everyday example, which is, the sitting on a chair. Why are we able to sit on the chair without fear that it will collapse? The fact is that, as this chair has supported you for so long, you have the belief that it will hold you, and will not give way. That is faith. It is the same with religion, as the believers have seen for themselves what miracles that god has done, they believe in him, and hold his faith. Therefore, faith does exist within each of us, its just that some have a weaker belief than others.

Now that we have decided that religious faith is a reality, we shall deal with the topic on why we should hold a religious faith. Faith is something that gives the human soul a resting place, somewhere to hide and hold still. This feeling is mainly due to the fact that faith is dependable. It is like how when a baby is scared it wants its mother. Faith is just a mother to us lonely and afraid human beings. Believers in god seek this faith to enable themselves to feel safe. So where is the problem with believing in any religion, and how can this be of any harm? Since god exists and faith is not some mental problem, believing in a religion is nothing to be scorned at.

Of course, there pops up the question of “Which faith should I accept?” To this question, I have the following answer. Go with your heart. Since faith is something that is decided upon by YOURSELF, trust in YOUR feelings. Nobody can make you have a strong faith in something YOU don’t believe in. Of course carrying faith to the extremes can be damaging (terrorists), a faith will help you out when you are feeling down, or just need somebody or something to depend on.

To conclude my points in the above piece, I feel that there is nothing wrong or unholy about believing in a god, be it god or Buddha or the prophet. After all, faith is something that we all need and depend on, and the method of which you derive faith makes no difference to what it does to your life. I hope that any non-believers have learnt that god and faith are actually important and very real in today’s world.

Democracy = Stability??

Democracy is a form of government in which political sovereignty is retained by the citizens either through voting exercises or their elected representatives. This is a form of government that we can see in most developed countries. Democracy has brought about stability in many of today’s societies, with Singapore being one of them. This is largely due to the fact that citizens have their own rights to determine government policies, greatly reducing unrest caused by any unfair policies.

Democracy creates stability in a society because it allows the citizens to decide on what they want. In past governmental systems, there was great societal unrest due to the fact that citizens did not agree with what the governmental body thought was best for them. The government seldom listened to feedback by the population. Also, as there was no other way for the citizens to get their point across, they often resulted to riots and numerous campaigns. Past governmental systems also did not have to be answerable to the people. They could do whatever they deemed right. This led to numerous ‘petty’ wars , and unfair taxes on the people. All these problems caused great social unrest. However, with democracy, these problems are solved. A democratic state has to listen to the opinions of their people. They cannot do something that the people do not agree upon. As can be seen, democracy creates stability in a society as it solves many problems that other governmental systems have.

Though democracy may solve the problems of other governmental systems, it has its own flaws. Democracy requires a good government to implement. If not handled properly, this will cause problems in the representation of the minority. Just take the example of the US in the past. Blacks and women were not allowed to vote. This would make it unfair if they decided to pass a bill ruling about blacks. Also, democracy may just be a popularity vote. The citizens, believing that a representative will be a good one because of all the promises he makes, votes him into the government. However, he does not deliver. Also, democracy causes a society to become much more slow paced. In Switzerland, out of the 240 initiatives, only 10% were accepted by the public. This constant need for referendum will result in lost time in implementing better laws. This will result in an instability in a country as the minority may be displeased, and if only a popular candidate gets voted in, he will not be able to fulfill his promises.

In conclusion, I feel that democracy does also has its faults. However, these faults can be overlooked due to the numerous benefits our society can gain from it. I suppose that is why democracy is the most popular form of governance in developed societies nowadays!

Of Emo teens and slashed wrists

Parents, beware the emo kids
Section:
Home
By:
SANDRA DAVIE
Publication:
The Straits Times 19/03/2007
Page:
H2
No. of words:
659
In following angsty fad, teens cut themselves and write about suicide BY SANDRA DAVIE EDUCATION CORRESPONDENTIF YOU have teenage kids and have not heard of the latest teen fad "emo", it is time you looked it up.Shops catering to teens say this angst-filled youth sub-culture, called emo, short for "emotional", has been gathering a following here.It has also left youth counsellors worried if the fad is behind the increasing incidence of teenagers cutting their wrists.Emo fashion is characterised by teens wearing dark T-shirts, a little undersized or deliberately worn down to look old.Their choice of sneakers is Converse canvas shoes. Look closer and these might have words like "pain'' scribbled in red ink or a drawing of a broken heart.But the defining trademark for emo kids has to be the heavily lined eyes and long fringed hair which covers half their face.The point of that, said emo teen Mervyn Lee, 17, a polytechnic student, is because "we are tortured souls unable to face the world".Another tell-tale sign – they listen to angst-filled music from bands like Hawthorne Heights, Aiden, The Used, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy, which performed here earlier this month.Youth counsellors interviewed say they are worried that the fad, carried to extremes, can lead to self-mutilation or even suicidal thoughts.As it is, some emo teens have penned poems about suicide and death and slashing their wrists to "ease their pain''.The trend may be behind the increased incidence of teenagers injuring themselves.There have been no studies done on how prevalent self-injury is, but five youth counsellors interviewed said they have seen an alarming increase in their young charges cutting themselves.Anecdotally, it seems more common among girls, and they are getting younger.Just last month, The Straits Times reported that a group of 12-year-olds in an all-girls primary school made a collective pact and slashed their arms with penknives. The incident came to light after teachers discovered the scars the next morning. The girls were counselled and are being monitored.Said Dr Carol Balhetchet, Singapore Children's Society director of youth services: "It is okay for kids to follow a fashion. That is very normal. What is worrying is if they start blindly following the other things like cutting themselves and writing poems glorifying their suicide attempts.''Eight of 12 teens The Straits Times spoke to, who follow emo fashion, admitted as much.One, an 18-year-old girl from a junior college, said she started cutting herself out of curiosity after listening to songs by an emo rock band.She said she now does it weekly, but hides the scars from her doctor father and accountant mum.Another emo teen, an 18-year-old polytechnic boy, said it is part of the fashion."It's a form of expression, just like the poems I write. I will go mad if I can't, don't have these forms of release,'' he said.What is surprising is that most of these angst-filled teens come from stable homes, where their parents are professionals.When pressed, they admitted there were no issues that were really depressing.Parents seem clueless. One, Mrs Daisy Lim, 48, a businesswoman, said she had heard her daughter using the word "emo" but never realised it was a teen fad.Her 16-year-old daughter wears under-sized, worn-out tees over tight black jeans. On weekends, the Secondary 4 girl also wears two lip rings and six earrings on one ear alone.Mrs Lim recently discovered that her daughter cuts her wrists with a razor. She is trying to get her to seek help.But counsellors say parents should not overreact.Said Dr Balhetchet: "They should talk to the kids to find out the extent of it."If the child has taken the fad to the extent of harming himself, they should not panic and scream at the child. They should be open to listening him out."Then they will find it easier to persuade him to seek counselling
help.''sandra@sph.com.sg

My feelings after reading this article are mixed. Emo is of course no stranger to all of the teenagers around town. This article talks about how current teenagers are carrying their angst so far that they even slash themselves to let their rage loose. This is really something that disturbs me. As in, listening to emo songs, dressing emo, all of these are fine and quite common amongst many of us. Yet to actually cut your wrists with a razor, knife, etc, that really scares me. Though not all teenagers may be like that, yet I feel that this issue on emo teens is a very important one in our society.
Our current society is one which is very stressful, studying everyday, going out of the house early in the morning and returning home at night. Who would not feel stressed. Couple that with the increasing teenage angst, and you get an emo teen. Most people think of these people as punks, wandering around doing nothing much. Yet these punks you see dressed emo-ishly are only the tip of the iceberg of the reaches of emo. The most frightening ones are those who hide at home, with nowhere to release their emotions, take to slashing their wrists. These are the true victims of the emo culture. Many songs talk about slitting wrists, ending your life to be free from all the pain and suffering. Though these are just metaphorical, and used to express feelings, some teenagers may actually want to try it out, like those the article above mentioned.
Of course, not every emo teen cuts themself. Some use poetry, going out with friends, sports, gaming to release their stress. I am also not condemning being emo. It is true that it is a trend nowadays, and many people are hooking onto it. However, taking it to the exteme is really too much. The most alarming thing is that those who cut their wrists are not those with broken families, or school dropouts. They are good students with professional parents.
This leads to my conclusion that families are the ones that cause such an increase in self inflicted injuries. Though many may argue that having parents who draw a high income and being able to buy anything you want is good, I disagree. What an angsty teen really needs is the love of his family, even if it comes in scoldings, or naggings. This is especially true in Singapore. With all the mommies and daddies going out to work early and coming back late, it's no wonder they have no time for their children. Without their parents guidance, these children naturally stray from the right path.
Though I sympathize with those who actually slash their wrists, truthfully, I think that it is a stupid thing to get hooked onto. Drugs let you get high, gaming, though ruining your life still gives you some excitement, but what does wrist slashing do? All you get is pain. I can though, give a reason for all this, the want of attention. Though it is still a stupid way of gaining your parents attention.
Being emo is fine and cool, but slashing your wrists is just plain stupid. I feel that if you cannot control yourself, then why start in the first place. Though your parents may not have time to spend with you, surely there are many other ways to get their attention? Furthermore, you yourself are a teenager already, for goodness sake have some common sense. Even those people with broken families are taking it in their stride, how could someone in a good family do such a thing?