22yo
Politics: I am not aligned to any specific political party. I've only voted once, and that was because I had a lot of respect and faith in a now very well-known candidate named Barack Obama. The only sturdy opinion I have about politics concerns campaigning patterns. All I saw for months when I turned on my tv were commercials about "McCain said this." or "Obama will do that." Gee, so we get to pick the lesser of two evils? It just seems to me that over time it gets harder and harder to find good qualities among the mountains of negative crap that is thrown in the face of the public.
Religion: I do believe in a higher power behind everything, but I don't believe in an afterlife or a heaven/hell. I think that life is an endless cycle (look at science and you see it again and again) that we contribute to in many different ways, through different incarnations. I think that everything that lives on this planet has a soul, and when that soul leaves this world it goes back into the unity behind creation or returns in the form of a different person, animal, plant etc. Finally, I believe that there is a balance of both good and evil that is perfectly equal, which means that neither good nor evil will ever win. It's simply a matter of spreading as much good as possible to those around you while dealing with and accepting any evil that you encounter along the way. I guess you could say that I do believe in karma, in that respect.
Conflict of Beliefs: Religion, to me, is very personal. Everyone has a different view on why we are here and where we are going. And, let's be honest, know one can tell anyone else with 100% certainty that any thought is the guaranteed truth. That's why religion relies on faith! When I was growing up, I had several different views shoved down my throat by many different people (whom I will not name) and all it did was make me that much more reluctant to explore the beliefs being argued. I've heard many people say that religion is behind the problem. They're close, but the true problem isn't the religions themselves. It's the people that are willing to start fights and even wars to prove their religion right.
Science/Medicine: Science is an art that has been improved upon significantly over the years, and I think that it is in every way justified. The argument I always present to those who say that it's a violation of humanity and that we're trying to "play God" is always the same. We were given the brainpower by what/whoever put us here to make these discoveries, so why shouldn't we use it? Williamson was right when she said that "it is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." Our minds are not forbidden fruit. They are our tools to make life better. We need to use them!
Evolution: Has been scientifically proven. It happened. Stop denying it. It doesn't mean that Christianity or Jesus didn't happen, necessarily. There have been arguments by many that support both ideas together. Look into these arguments instead of interrupting and cursing your poor biology professor who is only trying to do his/her job.
Sexuality: I support gay/lesbian/bisexual orientation and I don't think that gender preferences should be judged by anyone. Love is beautiful. That's all there is to it.
Discrimination: Is wrong and needs to go die a horrible, gory death. That's all there is to it.
Stereotyping/Censorship: While intentional insults or remarks are wrong, it is also necessary to remember that words only have as much power as you give them. In the media, many things are bleeped out to achieve political correctness, and I think the lengths they go to to do this is ridiculous. I've heard so many stories about conflicts arising out of an accidental insult; for example, someone telling a blonde joke that they heard on tv and a blonde in the room getting pissed off because she was insulted. I would understand it and side with the girl if it had been an insult that was directed towards her, but for Christ's sake, it was just a joke! There is such a thing as going too far with anything, and sensitivity is definitely included there.
War: Sucks, but moaning and whining about it is disrespectful of our troops. They're out there fighting for us and then people have the nerve to say that what they are doing is wrong? Yes, violence is bad, and I hate this war as much as the next person. But our people deserve our support and respect.
Suicide: Life is a precious thing that should be cherished, and should never be thrown away as long as there is a hope of making it better. Broken hearts mend, other jobs/opportunities are found, emotional scars heal. Those who give up will never know what could have been. Now, I understand that there are some cases where there is little to no hope of things getting better; for example, a terminally ill cancer patient who is in a lot of pain. I don't think these situations necessarily condone suicide, but they're easier for me to understand. I've never been in a situation where I've had to experience or witness this (thank God) but I truly believe that in any situation, no matter how hopeless it looks, as long as a person still has an ounce of life left in them, there is a damn good reason to fight.
The Death Penalty: Again, it's the easy way out. Why does everyone see this as capital punishment anyway? No one knows what death is like. It could be the most amazing thing a person ever experiences. I believe that life in prison should be the ultimate punishment for three reasons. First, there's a way to take back the punishment if, for any reason a person is later found innocent of a crime. Believe me, this happens. Second, I see execution as a hypocritical way to promote nonviolence. Finally, I believe that it is possible that there are things worse than death... say, a life in a cell with no social life or opportunity to experience what the world has to offer. That sounds like a capital punishment to me
Abortion: I have conflicting views on this topic also. Young girls who are raped or women who face a complicated pregnancy that will leave neither her or the baby alive if continued are two circumstances that prove that this issue isn't always black and white. However, this concerns an unborn life that cannot defend itself or object to its own termination, and let's face it: no circumstance makes it fair to the baby. I don't believe that abortion should be a form of birth control, which it sometimes (sadly) is. Look at the people in the world who can't have children, but desperately want them. Those are the people I think of when I hear the word "abortion". I won't speak for every other woman, or judge any woman for her thoughts on it. After all, it's ultimately her body and her child. But I, personally, would never consider it for myself.