<p>congrats m8. :)</p>
<p>Enjoy ur college experience.</p>
<p>um wow trackstr777 that was mean and i don't believe in what you said to make me 'happy' because i don't believe in any organized religion myself... i was just joking around</p>
<p>Yes, God does exist!</p>
<p>I got into UCLA with horrible stats (- ACT: 26 (SAT 1180) - SAT II Math: 540- SAT Writing: 560; non ELC)</p>
<p>wow guys cmon...... so how would ou explain the people who strongly believed in god and got rejected?</p>
<p>okay..... u guys r all acting like idiots!</p>
<p>The concept of a "God" is a simple one. It was a way of scaring people into being an overall moral person. The scare tactict was a reward/punishment system; aka heaven/hell. Although I admit, religion is kinda shaky at the base(due to science), it still IS a considerable of part of people's life. How else can u explain Bush coming into office again? I'll tell u y. Its because a bunch of evangelicals and religious fundamentalists decide to vote for the person who comes closest to their beliefs. aka, southerners. lol</p>
<p>So my opinion is that organized religion is a good thing as long as it doesn't take away innocent lives (like the catholic rampage to convert people). Other than that, I dont see why people have to strongly oppose something that the whole foundation of our US government is build upon.....</p>
<p>ANYWAYS, help me on my chances? lol :D</p>
<p>So you contend that although organized religion and the concept of God is a scare tactic used to force people into a certain moral behavior, it is an excellent foundation for a country which is supposedly founded on liberty and freedom for all? </p>
<p>/Confused</p>
<p>you have abosutely no chance whatsoever. :) Now prepare to be pleasantly surprised</p>
<p>I completely agree with stealthvs</p>
<p>convince yourself you won't get in, that way, whichever way it goes, you won't be disappointed (this is actually a really good strategy, one I used for my psat score)</p>
<p>trackstr777, the point u bring up is an important one. The seperation of church and state. Our forefathers have purposely included religion into our bill of rights and the constitution while excluding the superstitious beliefs.... Our whole government IS indeed based on the 10 commandments... and I dont see how a persons life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is taken away by the government (unless in the times of war or under segregation).</p>
<p>Having said that, I'd like you to know that I'm agnoistic. Religion neither hurts me nor helps me. I realize that God MIGHT not exist but I can see how the concept can mold and control a persons actions to some extent..... sometimes, I even wonder how the universe was created... The Big Bang theory only tells us so much... but where did the initial clump of energy and mass come from? and who created the space that the initial mass could subside in? maybe there IS a force greater than humans.... maybe.... </p>
<p>Religion controls moralty as Government controls crime. Without a government, our society would fall into an anarchy and chaos. Without religion, we would fall into........... ignorance and a world filled with adultary and premarital sex..... So in a way, they r both tools to keep people from hurting themselves/others. Thats y i dont really care...</p>
<p>lol!! holy crap! so I'm not a total blowout after all huh? lol :)</p>
<p>Referring to the original point you made, that you "dont see why people have to strongly oppose something that the whole foundation of our US government is build upon....." :</p>
<p>My basic fear is that morality is in no way comparable to crime as something that needs to be controlled in this country. While people having their right to have a religion is all well and good, by no means should religion be forced upon all, nor the particular moral values of that religion. I don't believe in the concept of a God, nor in Christianity, etc., but I wouldn't go so far as to say I <em>oppose</em> those religions, more that I oppose their values becoming America's values. This is in particular response to Christian movements against gay marriage, abortion, and a myriad of other hot topics. It is of my belief that once organized religion attempts to place their values as law, it has crossed the line.</p>
<p>In my opinion, you have a right to follow your religion and what it commands you to do as long as it does not infringe upon other citizens' rights. So if for example my religion commanded me to kill all (insert group here), it would be wrong because that is a degradation of THEIR rights. I think this explains the Roe v. Wade decision to a greater extent. Besides the actual influence behind it's ruling (right to privacy), religion was put aside despite the fact a large majority of the population is Christian and opposed to abortion. Why? The Surpreme Court was able to decide that Christian law had no bearing on American law, and is a prime example of the separation of church and state.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sodabob.com/DeepThoughts/DT_2004_11_10.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.sodabob.com/DeepThoughts/DT_2004_11_10.asp</a>
Good read. The 10 commandments didn't really affect modern law.</p>
<p>Sorry to get off the religion topic but..</p>
<p>stealthvs123, just thought you might be interested that I just found out I got into the "senior boyfriends" college, and I'll be back in the same place as him next year. I think the cool thing about being in a sr/jr relationship is that you do get the chance to see what it's like without each other for a year, and if you really should be together, you can end up in the same place. good luck with the whole situation thouugh...it's a tough one.</p>
<p>i love people like you, i wish i could be so sure about things, then i'd be lazy as shi t aaaaaaaaaaaaaah thats sounds nice</p>
<p>meggs121, thats awesome!! I wish that my girl would go to the same college as me but her GPA is obviously aLOT higher than mine... maybe she'll consider going to UCSC rather than UCSB lets say.... I mean... is IS me right? how can anyone not love me? <em>rolls eyes</em></p>
<p>haha, anyway, thanx 4 the heads up! that boosted my confidence cause I really like her...</p>
<p>trackstr777, i agree. infact, thats basically what I said initially. Watch this:</p>
<p>I WROTE:</p>
<p>"So my opinion is that organized religion is a good thing as long as it doesn't take away innocent lives (like the catholic rampage to convert people)."</p>
<p>YOU WROTE:</p>
<p>"In my opinion, you have a right to follow your religion and what it commands you to do as long as it does not infringe upon other citizens' rights."</p>
<p>but u do make a good point when u say that religion can be wrong at times... Its one thing to follow a religion and do the right thing (what ever that is), and its another to kill people in the name of God (Bin Laden)..</p>
<p>okay... this topic is getting too controvertial and steamy... lol</p>
<p>Our government is not based on the ten commandments, that is the most absurd thing I have heard. </p>
<p>Let's see for ourselves.</p>
<ol>
<li>Thou Shalt have no God before me (violation of the first amendment, freedom of religion)</li>
<li>Thou Shalt not make unto thee a graven image (violation of the first amendment, freedom of speech)</li>
<li>Thou shalt not take the name of thy lord god in vain. (violation of the first amendment, freedom of speech)</li>
<li>Remeber the sabbath day keep it holy (you actually don't have to keep it holy, this would also be just like #1)</li>
<li>Honour thy father and thy mother (the first commandment which has ANY value at all.)</li>
<li>Thou Shalt not kill (this was a moral before Judaism and Christianity, not exactly original, but that hasn't stopeed the government from executing prisoners)</li>
<li>Thou Shalt not committ adultery (you can, but it is a breech of contract)</li>
<li>Thou shalt not steal (the government does this all the time)</li>
<li>Thou shalt not bear false witness (see #6,8)</li>
<li>Thou shalt not covet (This goes against our Capitalist system of economics. Capitalism can only work if people DO covet others' good which leads to them working harder and making compettition.)</li>
</ol>
<p>god does not exist. it was satan's work honey.</p>
<p>YOu do realize that the these laws were ammendedd to the original consitution right? And you do see these 10 commandments in government.</p>
<p>1 ok um if you are citizen, you declare allegance to a country. If you change God to country, it can be derived as "there is only 1 true government of the united stantes.</p>
<p>2 You can not burn the flag, as it is anti-country. Akin to making a new god, because it is going against God, hence anti-God.</p>
<p>3 this isn't always true of the U.S. , but has happened in times of war. Anti-government movements were suppressed BY LAW. Alien and Sedition acts ring a bell? or some law that i dont know the name of made in world war 2</p>
<p>4 there is a reason a week isnt 5 days.</p>
<p>5 the unwritten law of respecting those of higher positioin in society and what-not</p>
<p>6 obviously the death penalty is used because the prisoners violated teh constitutional rights of others, which include the right to life. Therefore they do not follow the constitution and therefore </p>
<ol>
<li><p>this document was written when there was no such thing as divorce</p></li>
<li><p>the government does not steal. Stealing means taking without any sort of compensation of any kind. obviously this isn't true or there would be a revolt by the people like every other communist country.</p></li>
<li><p>this is the search for truth, not deciding wether or not oyu should do it. It is the individual's perrogative to lie. The document was intended for the truth to be revealed.</p></li>
<li><p>what are you talking about. Capitalism is a barter based economy with a common monetary source. you trade x amount of bills for this product. YOu dont just take the product.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Your problem is that you are looking from where the laws stand today versus the ten commandments. When the government was created, they tried to create a most equal society that they could while still instilling order in society. from what you are saying, all the commandments violate the government laws. You are taking the view that "the first amendment says I can do whatever i want" and that the government cheats people out of everything they have. If that was true, why would anyone immigrate here? the government doesn't cheat you out of anything. THey create laws that representatives vote for, who were elected by people like you. Which means you make the laws that the government runs by. WOuld people really live in a country where the government was tyranical and the people wouldn't be protected from then? You may not like what it does, but almost everything that the government does is approved BY YOU. just because you dont like what happens doesn't mean they cheat you out of anything.</p>
<p>and just for your information, I'm not all for the government. But in this society everything that the government does against you was approved at some time by the people.</p>
<p>oh and back to what i was going to post until someone decided that the past should be compared to now.</p>
<p>I want to go to UCSD, and there is a girl that lives there that I'm in love with. I dont live in san diego. I live here in LA. So i really want to go there . I hopoe to God that i get in beause i oculdn't live with myeself if i had to tell her goodbye.</p>