The Hunted I didn’t know who I was. I woke up next to a bunch of muddy kids. They all smelled like they haven't showered in weeks. There was two twins, a chubby kid, and probably the skinniest kid I’ve ever seen. Then I realized I smelled just like them.…
“One of the secrets of life is making stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.” –Jack Penn As my thoughts raced and mocked every ounce of confidence that I could have possibly possessed, I impatiently prepared for what was about to come. It was finally my time to be in the limelight—my time to share my God-given talents. I came from a shy and insecure mindset, but being chosen for the soloist position in a new style of worship would change everything for me.…
Walking into the Church of Scientology I had a vague idea of what was about to happen and what they’re all about, but I don’t think I was mentally prepared for what I was walking into. I know that Scientology isn’t really the ideal candidate for this paper because they’re so secretive about their beliefs, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go and check out this mysterious religion. Now if I’m being completely honest, before my visit, everything I knew about Scientology I had learned from an episode of South Park, and some casual Wikipedia browsing. But even with what little knowledge I had about this church, I knew that I was in for quite the experience.…
There are many things I am grateful for in my life, but I am most grateful to have the freedom of religion. In many other countries across the world there are a multitude of people being tormented and killed for their beliefs. There have been men, women, and children who have died because they believe follow Jesus. So if there is one thing I am thankful for it is to know that I can belive Jesus to be my savior and know I will not be killed because of…
Additionally, “The member may be pressured to publicly confess sins, after which he is viciously ridiculed by the group for being evil and unworthy. He is loved again when he acknowledges that his devotion to the cult is the only thing that will bring him salvation.”…
Iclesias Phanord Breaking the Norm I’m surrounded by bouncing basketball and expectations. I had not yet found my vocation. However, many people around me had; whether it was basketball, cheerleading, or track - they had found a purpose that drove them. I did not have anything that I was truly passionate about but when I began playing volleyball, I discovered it and I fell in love with the intensity that came when I touched a volleyball.…
“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15 (ESV). ” That’s one of my favorite bible verses. I use the book of Proverbs as a lifeguard.…
I have heard your pleas and am pleased to hear about your pursuit of religion. While I would be gladly willing to give you that opportunity, I cannot. I have heard from some of your fellow voyagers of your tyranny actions while exploring throughout these newly found lands. I am happy to hear of your success in finding lands, but I am not glad to hear about the way you have treated their people. The goal was to discover new places, not to ruin them.…
Everyone remembers the day it came. I was just doing normal kid stuff when I heard a loud bang. I didn’t think much of it because there was occasionally loud noises in the area so I went on with my day as if nothing had happen. Later that night I woke up to an uneasy feeling that something bad had happen but I just tried to go back to bed.…
The social norm that I violated was singing out loud on a public place. Well I did not really get to sing loudly on a bus or train. I did however sing loudly while I was shopping in Wal-Mart. I thought it was the next best thing than singing on a bus or something. Since there are tons of people at Wal-Mart in the first place.…
When I was a teenager I worked in a donut shop. It so happened that the place was sold to a family and was not a corporately owned. In the hope of saving money, they decided to cut labor and asked the hostess’ to do all the cleaning, including the washrooms. The age I was at cleaning was not my cup of tea, therefore, I made it clear to the owners I will do everything else, but clean the washrooms, as I don’t even do that at home, and my mom wouldn’t even let me. The owner’s reply was, “you people should be used to that kind of work, what do you mean you can’t do it,” and a whole lot of other inappropriate things that I won’t get into.…
Growing up, I was surrounded by a very authentic Christian culture, with an extremely supportive family. I was first introduced to Jesus at a young age because of my family and my local church. My family definitely pushed me in my faith growing up by always answering my numerous questions and striking up conversations about the bible. As I got older, I knew I could always talk to my parents about anything and they would help me through any hardships. In fact, my parents taught multiple valuable lessons growing up and the significant one was living an authentic life for Christ.…
The International Cult, a Family My story with the Model United Nations does not start with a recruiting table or event day, but instead started with the past; AnnDee Pettiford. She was the person that persuaded me to try out for the team, an audition. She warned me that I would regret life, regret my decisions, and cry countless tears over it. I brushed off her words of caution and thought to myself that I could tackle any giant that stood before me. No program, no class, and organization would prevent me from new things.…
I was always telling stories, when I was a little girl. My parents would ask, “and then what?”, whenever it seemed one of my stories was coming to an end. This question encouraged me to find creative ways to prolong my stories. I am grateful to my parents for cheering me on in this way. I believe God has given me the gift of storytelling.…
It is always very hard to interact with people whose experiences or beliefs that differ from your own and it’s especially hard if you’re an introverted person who would rather just enjoy the comfort of working by themselves like myself. However, I have had to endure the undesirable decision to work with people who hold different beliefs and experiences than I do. There have been times where I have thoroughly enjoyed working with others; however, there have been times where I’ve wished that I could have worked by myself. In my junior year of high school, I had signed up for a class called AP Capstone Seminar that called for the students to collaborate with other individuals in the class to create a argumentative essay and present a presentation.…