Murderer or Hero?

Oh MAN! This is HARD to Judge . . . 

     The story, “Gentlemen Your Verdict” written by Michael Brue is about a submarine that crashed on the bottom of sea and the storm prevented rescue from arriving for 7 days. In the submarine, there are 20 crew members, and a captain, who knows that there is enough oxygen for only 2 days survival for 20 people. The captain then kills 15 people including himself with poison in order to save the five men with family and kids. Michael Brue’s thought-provoking story leaves us two critical judgments about the captain’s decision of killing some to save others and his choice of only saving the men with families. 

What do you think so far? Is the captain a muderer or a hero? Hard to say, isn't ? 

     But if I were the judge . . .

     Despite the fact that I truly admire the captain’s first intention of saving people by sacrificing himself, I personally disagree with his decision of “killing for saving.” Firstly, the captain should not play the role of God as he does not have the right to decide other people’s destiny. The captain should at least tell the crew members what has happened before he takes any actions. Everyone is stuck in this tough situation, not only the captain.  All the crew members have the right to know of his decision. The captain should get everyone to think of ways to survive instead of planning everything himself. It is easier to come up with ideas when everyone is involved in the process of thinking. Besides, if some of the crews believe in God, they also believe in miracles and supernatural things. They would pray to God vigorously and expect an incredible testimony to occur. Therefore, the captain does not have any right to kill people. Even if the act of murder is carried out with good intentions, it is still murder; even if a murderer is a hero, he or she should not kill.   

     In addition, I do not agree with the captain’s favoritism of saving only men with families. The captain should ask the crew members if they are willing to sacrifice themselves so that there can be 5 survivors. Even though there might be few or none that would choose to die, negotiation can always take place. For example, the poor crew members might be willing to die if the richer crew members signed a contract of taking care of the poor crew members’ family for the rest of their lives. Also, the elders may be willing to die for the young because they are closer to the end of their lives while the young are still at the beginning or in the middle of their lives. If no one really wants to sacrifice, other options can be implemented, such as a lottery, which is probably the fairest way of deciding their destinies. Furthermore, there might be a chance that those 15 people whom were chosen to be killed by the captain wanted to live desperately while the 5 people, whom were selected to be the survivors would probably rather to sacrifice for others; thus, it is very important for the captain to discuss with the crew members before carrying out his decisions.  

Honestly . . .

     I have to admit that both decisions above are extremely tough to make. As a reader, I sincerely admire the captain’s courage of making such a bold decision which included sacrificing himself. But I really do not appreciate his decision and act of killing in order to save.

 

Follow Trends or Be Original?

Members Follow Trends. Leaders Inspire Originality. 

Which one do you want to be?

I LOVE BOTH . . . ^^

     Usually, I prefer following trends first and from that experience, do something original. In this way, it makes one’s novelty and uniqueness more influential and powerful.

     One of the world’s most successful technological leaders, “Apple, Inc” follows trends, but at the same time strives to be original. Apple carefully observed the trends of electronic products over the last few decades and from that, built their own electronics. They produced iPods, iPads and MacBooks which were extremely popular and were at the cutting edge of technology. For example, the designing team of the MacBook condensed all the accessories and hardware of a computer into a thin advanced electronic case. When I used it for the first time, I was attracted and amazed by its extra functions compared with other computers, such as a seamless and highly functional operating system. I sincerely admire the incredible originality of Apple and I believe that its marketing method confirms my opinion that following the trend of the world along with one’s originality and innovation should be interweaved. 

     As a Christian, I know that worshipping is a powerful way of encountering the love of God. One of the ways to worship God is to listen to worship songs. Sometimes, I recommend my friends to worship songs but they either consider these songs to be too outdated or too religious. Instead, I now send them rap preaching songs instead of stereotypical worship ones. For example, I recommend them to modern pop preaching songs from one of most famous singers in Hong Kong, Sammi Cheng, whose evangelism song album, "Faith," has become very popular in Hong Kong. By following the popular trend of rap music, Sammi has broken through the religious concept of Christianity and has made God’s kingdom refreshing and fashionable. Sammi Cheng’s album also makes it easier for me to introduce my friends to the love of God through music because her songs can connect with young people.

Sammi is COOL! : ]

Forgiveness

Ask Yourself the Question: What is Forgiveness?  

Forgiveness may convey different meanings to people, such as forgetting, loving and understanding. 

Do You Always Hold a Grudge? Or Do you Like to Forgive? 

I Prefer F.O.R.G.I.V.E.N.E.S.S.

 

because . . .

  To me, forgiveness is a bridge which establishes relationships with family, friends and God.

     Forgiveness is an essential component for my parents when it comes to maintaining intimacy in their relationship. Since I was young, many of my friends envied my parents’ successful marriage, and their intimacy. It is something that I have been most proud of. However, as I have grown up, I realized that the secret behind my parents’ perfect relationship is forgiveness. My father sometimes shows his authority by making the decisions at home. My mother, who believes in gender equality, is not too happy about this unbalanced authority. Instead of arguing with my father, my mother always quietly forgives and gives him time to change. There was one time my father said inappropriate words to my mother. I was extremely angry and wondered why my mother stayed so calm without saying a word back. Next day, when my father realized what he had said last night, he apologized to my mother and it seemed as nothing had happened. Through that occasion, my mother presented to me what true forgiveness is.

     My mother’s forgiveness has changed my attitude towards my friends when they hurt me emotionally. Back in grade three, I was slandered at by a friend who thought I took her lunch box. I was very frustrated emotionally but on the outside, I pretended to be calm. Knowing that argument would not solve problems, I said: “I did not do it! If you don’t believe me, it’s okay. But when you find out the truth, the friendship is always there.” I said this and left. Later she was told by her father that he took her lunch box home.  Because of my positive attitude and words, she apologized to me right after she found out what had really happened. After that experience, my belief that forgiveness cements friendship was confirmed.

     God’s infinite forgiveness has allowed me to gain a close relationship with him. As a sinner, I have committed many sins, such as competing, lying, enving, and hating. There is one time I felt jealousy after knowing my friends’ marks were higher than mine. I was filled with guilt and shame at the same time because I knew it was not a godly thing to do. The nature of self ambition made me struggle. But a Bible verse reminded me of God’s infinite grace. “My grade is sufficient for you, and my power is made perfectly in weakness” (New International Version, Co. 12. 9). Also, God constantly remindes me that Jesus died on the cross so that all my sins were already washed away by his holy blood. I was greatly comforted by Lord’s forgiveness and it encouraged me to seek a deeper relationship with Him.

     Overall, forgiveness is a very effective way to maintain beautiful relationships. To me, forgiveness is indispensible in my life because I doubt that relationships can survive without it.

Personal Goals

Are You Tired of Your Life? 

Or Are You Sick of  Your Bad Habbits?

This Is What You Can Do: Set a Goal and CHANGE!

Goals don't necessarily have to be lofy, but they have to be something you will DO! 

     I used to have lofty goals, such as being a prestigious hair designer, a gallant police woman, a successful entrepreneur or a famous celebrity. But now, from a young adult’s perspective, my point of view towards goals have become more realistic. As I cannot predict my future, my current personal goal is to strive to be better every day as a role of a daughter, a friend and as a follower of God.

     As a daughter, I want to please my parents in everything. However, laziness took over my obedience to my parents. I used to be very lazy when it came to doing household chores with my parents, such as washing dishes, cleaning rooms and sweeping the floor. I naturally formed a habit of coming up with excuses when my father asked me to do something. For example, I would say: “I am busy with my homework now. I will clear my room tomorrow.” Unfortunately, “tomorrow” never came. But in the new year of 2011, I want my obedience to overwhelm my laziness. I will listen to my parents’ words and will instantly act upon them so that I can be a responsible daughter who is willing to take a larger role in household matters.

     As a friend, I plan to spend more time with all the friends I’ve made during my time at school. My task-orientated personality sometimes made me neglect the importance of spending time with friends; nonetheless, hanging out with friends is very important to maintain a close friendship. I have a very good friend called Yana. We used to hang out a lot back in grade 9, a time when both of us were not that busy. However, the busier our timetables became, the more alienated our friendship was. Now, I even have some trouble carrying on the conversations due to the lack of topics that we share. Therefore, this year, I will try my best to have a breakthrough in my self-centeredness. I want to be a loving and true friend, a friend that spares time for friends.

     As a follower of Lord Jesus Christ, I am determined to devote myself to God everyday through constant prayers. Sometimes I used to feel that talking to God is like talking to myself because God is invisible. But God makes me realize that faith is not to be certain in what you can see, but to be faithful in what you cannot see because “what you can see is temporary but what you cannot see is eternal” (New International Version, Co. 4.18). Depending on the verse in Bible, I am willing to take a leap of real faith. Thus, in this new year, I will turn prayer into a conversation with my Father in heaven, a conversation that establishes intimacy with God.

Now, I have shared about my goals, how about YOU?

Do You Have a Goal?

It's NEVER too Late to Set One! Do It and Stick to It! =) 

To Lie or Tell the Truth?

Have you ever struggled about lying? I did!

But here is what I really think . . .

     We have always heard about “white” lies which to many people, are considered good-hearted lies. White lies are told in situations when we are not sure whether or not to tell the truth. Sometimes covering up a miserable event or an embarrassing moment with a white lie is necessary for us in order to protect others’ feelings and our own emotions. However, despite the advantages of a white lie, I would say telling the truth is always better because my family and education have solidified this belief in me.

     From childhood, I have been conditioned not to lie by my father. My father always taught me to be an upright person by showing me how to be honest himself. He openly revealed and confessed his wrongdoings to me. For instance, whenever my father drank beer, he honestly showed me the number of bottle of beer he had drunk. He admitted that beer is detrimental to his health and promised me that he would drink as little as possible. It really touched me because refraining from drinking beer is not an easy thing to do for many people. My father’s honesty regarding his beer addiction truly influenced and encouraged me to learn from him.

     From elementary school, I have been taught to tell the truth by my teachers. When I was in the third grade, there was one time that I was late for Mandarin class. On the way to the classroom I was extremely fearful about mark deduction or any other punishment as a consequence of my lateness. After a moral struggle, I lied to my teacher saying that my watch told the wrong time which led me to be late. In fact, I was playing soccer with my friends and totally forgot the time. To my surprise, the teacher found out that I was lying and instructed to me in a gentle but stern voice: “It’s okay to make mistakes. We all do. However, I’d rather you do things wrong and be honest about it rather than using lies to cover up what you did.” At that moment, I was greatly moved by her wise words, and from that point on, I became increasingly upright and honest.

     In short, people close to me played a vital role in transforming me into becoming an honest person. Even though it is extraordinarily difficult not to tell a single lie in life, we should strive to lie as little as possible in order to establish mutual trust between each other.

 Let's all be honest and create a truthful world with our collective effort . . .