Innocence

I enjoy that complete innocence that children exhibit 99% of the time until they reach a certain age. It's sad that our society is losing its innocence quicker than any other. Right now, I'm recounting my day while listening to something from a site Moriah recommended; it would seem that a lot of innocence is lost because of human sexuality. My day began with an argument on adoption by homosexual couples, an issue that I am opposed to, though I'd never realized how much I detested this idea until I was forced to defend my stance. I found myself talking about this same subject with Ariel later in the day. Looking at homosexuality from a social Darwinist view, homosexuals are people who are willing to let their own genes fall to the wayside. So in place we should allow these people to actually raise children? Just something to think about, I'd rather not elaborate for fear of offending entirely too many people.

As girls become young ladies, then women, they want to feel that they're beautiful. I feel like this lack of self-confidence is something that looms over our generation and that, as a result, this problem of teenage sex has arisen. The pastor from Moriah's link (www.college-ministry.com) suggests that we can win approval from God, who calls us all "beautiful." The woman's soul, in turn, becomes 'healthy and satisfied' knowing that the Creator loves her. Women aren't understood, probably more for this reason than any other; pretty, young women pursue affirmation that they are attractive is something that simply doesn't make sense. However, our society has become so confused that dating is now something feared by Christians and non-Christians alike. Now that commitment is an issue to our peers, how else do non-Christian women expect to win the affirmation of their beauty other than by dressing provocatively and fooling around with guys they barely know? As long as they tell them they're "hot" or "sexy" and make them feel it, if for only a few minutes, these girls have found what they want: to feel desired and loved.

I'd like to end with a story that's not particularly related to any of these ideas in any way whatsoever. As I sat down on my towel at Sewell Park around lunchtime today, I noticed a young man walking toward me. I'd taken out my camera (that I'd taken in hopes of a photo-op); he began by asking, "What are you shooting today?" I explained my case, proceeding to tell him that I was also planning on studying for the final I have tomorrow. This man, clad in jeans and a red and black tiger-patterned button-down shirt, asks me my name and then introduces himself as Andy. As we continue our conversation, I find out that he was just released from jail and was seeking work for the near future. He offered to clean up the river so I could take a better picture of it and I was charmed. He left a few minutes later, promising to return within an hour or so (in hopes of seeing me again). He did return and he did see me again, but by then Jessie was already there and I'm not sure how this man would have felt about taking on two girls at once, so he made his way from the park. Ah, my prospects don't get much better than that. Yours, Anna