A Complicated Kindness By Miriam Toews

In our book groups we discussed two essays “The Connection Between Strangers” by Miles Goodwin and the essay “The People Who Love You When No One Else Would” by Cecile Gilmer. In my group we said that “no matter how big or small your act of kindness is, it could change someones life” was demonstrated in both essays. In the first essay, “The Connection Between Strangers”, shows this because this little girl walked up to this solider and congratulated him. Little did she know, that the small action had changed the soldier’s life, as he said in the essay, “That girl undoubtedly has no memory of what happened years ago… It doesn't matter why she gave me the magazine. The important thing is she did” (Goodwin 83).

Strangers in the Land of Paradise by Lillian S. Williams explores the settlement of African Americans in Buffalo in the time of the Great Migration. In this book, Williams discusses the process in which migrants from the South made their own black communities in Buffalo while bringing their beliefs and traditions with them, and having those beliefs evolve over time in a new setting. Her work sheds light on the experiences of blacks in Buffalo during a time where many changes were occurring; the Civil War had just ended and the Industrial Revolution was underway. She also speaks on how Buffalo was unique in that it became the final point for those escaping the racism and violence in the South, since it was the last point before crossing into Canada. In her own words, “the book examines the growth and development of Buffalo, the movement of European immigrants and African American migrants into the city, and their ability to secure an economic foothold. It tests the extent to which family and friendship networks for blacks were a significant force in their migration and acculturation. It also describes the establishment of institutions that African Americans created to shape their modern, urban community" (p. xiv).

Have you ever thought about who you really are? Some people go through life only gliding the surface of their identity. Very few truly dig in deep into their own thoughts, feelings, desires, and dreams. However, that is not the case for Anne Lamott (2006), who shares with everyone, her deep and dark secrets in her book Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. This paper will provide a summary of chapters five through seven, combined with a personal reflection, and conclude with a few desired questions that ideally could be answered Ms. Lamott.

Flannery O’Connor once noted that all good stories are ones of conversion (Wood, 217), and Wise Blood is no exception. The central spiritual struggle of the book is that of the character Hazel Motes. The protagonist goes through not simply one but several conversions throughout the book. His spiritual quest is his realization of the Church Without Jesus, and his search for a new jesus. As analysis in this paper will elucidate, Hazel spiritual arc is a critique of approaches to knowing God. The first such method, nihilism, is a belief in nothing. This exists not only as a rejection of belief in an areligious sense, but is an active love of the concept of nothing itself. The second method comes in the debate of how one can come to know God,

Recently in Colorado, a religious man in a Planned Parenthood unit in Colorado Springs shot four people. Religious protesters often surround the Planned Parenthood’s unit in Stapleton, where the abortion procedures take place. It is clear that religion plays a big role in women’s health issue. However, if abortion is a very sensitive matter because it would be a murder for some individuals, using birth control is as despicable as using condoms – which no one considers to demand a prescription for. For those who seriously believe that life starts right at the fecundation moment, birth control should not pose an issue. And if there’s a study that proved that abortions among teenagers dropped so considerably, turning the birth control more accessible should be something desirable, at least to avoid a “greater

“Thirteen-year-old boy throws a brick at a city man” read the white, black, and newly printed newspaper. And this boy’s name is Arthur Owens or Artie. This book is called The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall. One positive influence that he taught me was, to be honest, and have courage. Also, he has taught me to always help others.

Stephen Herrick’s “The Simple Gift" represents 'exploring transitions' through the idea that in order to successfully transition and achieve autonomy people need support from others. Herrick establishes the elements of trauma and grief through the structure of verse form novel. Similar ideas are also demonstrated in the related text “Stand By Me” directed by Rob Reiner. Both composers use to forms and features of their texts to assist with the characterisation of adolescents to demonstrate 'exploring transitions' and help the audience enhance a new perception of the character’s lives.

There is a third side to the abortion debate. A large and growing number of people, religious, and non-religious alike, recognize a woman’s right to an abortion to be a fundamental freedom in this country; a freedom protected by law. Their view on abortion is based on the simple truth that choice is the operative word. This Third Voice is opposed to the practice of abortion on moral grounds, but also assert that the separation of Church and State extents to the right of a woman to do with her body as she decides. Further, the Third Voice accepts the law of the land, and advocates the possibility of better, and objective pre- and post-abortion counseling and education to all regarding abortion.

Bill de Blasio is the mayor of New York City who has a plan to build 80,000 affordable units of housing over a span of 10 years (The New York Times, 2016). His plans could have the potential to change housing patterns in New York, where there are a variety of ethnicities (The New York Times, 2016). In this New York Times story on the mayors struggle with integrating neighborhoods, there is a fight between keeping parts of New York’s housing reputation at an all time high or closing the gap between segregated neighborhoods, which is relevant to issues brought up in this course behind residential segregation. In this story we see the mayor of New York struggling with issues that were brought up in Amy C. Steinbugler’s Beyond Loving and Eduardo

When it comes to marriage, we expect the fairy tale story that we grew up watching on tv and reading in books; stories such as Cinderella, Snow White, or Aladdin. We’re convinced that marriage will solve our problems. We have the false conception that marriage will bring us the perfect white picket fence, 2.4 kids and a nice dog; that our husband/wife will be ideal, and that we’ll live happily ever after. In the story The Sorrowful Woman by Gail Godwin; modern marriage is portrayed as the perfect fairytale that went horribly wrong. Godwin’s protagonist “The wife and mother” can be described as selfish and self-centered due to her unwillingness to conform to the fairytale that she finds herself resenting.

Ordinary people by: Judith Guest, is a breath taking, beautiful story, about a young boy, Conrad, who struggles to get a grip on reality after his brother, Buck/Jordan ,passes in a horrific accident. The Jarrett’s struggle with keeping their family together and keeping everyone alive, literally.The story puts the family and their close friends feelings and opinions on paper while showing an insight into their lives and worlds. It captures the life of a real teen and his journey through tragedy.

Both readings of Alister E McGrath talk about faith. One focuses on how faith has change over the years and the other reading focuses on the challenges of faith.

Additionally, since those whose worldview do not attribute life to God are only focused on the here and now, society is increasingly focused on money and wealth – things that bring worldly pleasure. Sadly, lawsuits have become a factor in this discussion. There have been cases where a mother has been ruled “entitled to recover extraordinary medical and health care expenses incurred as a result of [her] child’s mental and physical abnormalities” (Batten, 2010). Situations like this lead to two predicaments: first, doctors are more likely to recommend and abortion in an act of self-protection; and second, mothers are being told more frequently that any potential difficulty or suffering a child may experience is cause for an abortion. This means anyone who is not secure in their worldview may be swayed by these influences even if they generally honor

An overarching theme given to the world by Christianity is the equality of human beings, and the preciousness and worth of every human life. While Christianity’s role in shaping these great social changes comes with a significant conclusion. if the West gives up Christianity, it will also endanger the egalitarian values that Christianity brought into the world. The end of Christianity also means the systematic erosion of values like equal dignity and equal rights that both religious and secular people cherish." If securarlism continues to gain, so will the restoration of infanticide, demands for the radical redefinition of the family, the revival of eugenic theories of human superiority, the suppression of freedoms of religion and expression,

A negative role effect that same sex parenting has is a change on religion. “ Dennis Sadowiski, argues that the Catholic Church has no choice but to stop running foster care and adoption programs when gay rights are advanced as a civil right. He contends that compelling Church- sponsored programs to place children with gays and lesbians means that the Church is being coerced into accepting homosexuality, which it considers to be immoral. Sadowski is a writer and associate of international editor at the Catholic News Service”(GayParenting,2013). The statement shown gives an example on why people feel so against same sex parenting. Same sex parenting can affect one so much that they feel as if they have to throw in the towel. “Recently, the diocese of Peoria, III…, withdrew from all state-funded social service contracts, citing increasing clashes between state law and Church teaching on same-sex relationships. “The diocese of Rockford stopped offering state-unions legislation took effect June 1[2001]. Catholic Charities in the diocese of Joliet and Springfield and Catholic Social Services of Southern llnois in Belleville also have been involved in legal proceedings with the state since then”(Gay parenting,2013).The church feels as if they are made to support same sex parenting because of the government which shows that the world we live in is corrupted to accept this. The impact of this information explains that religious wise churches are deeply by same sex parenting. “In 2006, Catholic Charities in San Francisco and Boston Stopped adoption placements when laws required equal treatment of applicants in same sex relationships”(Gay parenting,2013). This example gives insight on why it feels as though so many churches seem to rebail against the government. The churches would be deeply happy that a law was passed that agencies can refuse to give away kids to homosexuals. “The letter endorses a bill