Sunday, August 29th 2004, 16:47
I finally compiled together the entries that made during my trip to Spain in early August. It's in the archives.
Saturday, August 21st 2004, 07:55
I arrived the US on Thursday. Obviously things weren't so hectic as freshman year. It really helps if the school tells you more about how to settle down.
There are two things that I'm really worried about though. The first is my roommates. Both my roommates sleep very late, doesn't study and plays X-box all the times. So I might end up sleeping in the library most of the time. But they're not the kind that drinks a lot and then brings drunk friends home, so that's alright. What I'm more worried about is forgetting everything I've learnt last year. Now I'm really hating myself for not having studied during the summers.
Monday, August 16th 15:05
I just woke up. Yes, you heard me right, I just woke up. Apparantly, there's really no point in trying to adapt to HK time, when I'm leaving so soon, so I've decided to sort of stick to the European time zone that I've aquired, because it's a relatively smaller gap to adapt to than the Hong Kong time. So if anyone's nice enough to invite me out (man, why do I sound so desperate), I sleep at 6am and I wake up at 2pm. What a pain in the rear for a lark.
I'm supposed to type out the entries that I've made during my trip, but I just couldn't be bothered to just yet. I'll try to finish it off as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the only news that I have of the outside world is that the food fair is not worth going to this year, because there's very little free food and what's for sale is just another supermarket. I think it's an attempt for seasonally unemployed people to make some quick cash, I'm not sure. Anyway, that's what my friends tell me.
Sunday, August 15th 2004, 14:35
I'm back. I'm really tired, so I'll say more later.
Saturday, July 31st 2004, 16:20
I'm sorry I haven't updated during the past month. That's because I've been very busy with my summer job. I'm very disappointed that there are many people I didn't get to see, but that's life. I'll be off to Spain tomorrow morning, and I'll be back on the 15th. Then I'll go back to the US on the morning of the 19th, so in between these times, I'm free to go out with anyone. Leave a message at my ICQ (167132645).
To all my friend: Even if you forgot me, I'll still be thinking of you.
Monday, June 28th 2004, 19:57
The reason why I am not updating as often as before is because my laptop can't connect to the internet, forcing me to work with pure text and primitive FTP methods. I'll update once in a while, and continue with the theism/atheism talk once I get back to school. Anyway, from tomorrow onwards I'll be helping my dad out in his office because he has lots of work to do. I won't be available Mondays to Fridays until 5-6-ish in the evening, but I think I'll be free for the weekends. So if there are any reunions, trips, movies, shopping, high-stakes mahjong or any other fun things, please leave me a message or send me an e-mail! I miss you all!!!
Tuesday, June 16th 2004, 00:09
Back in Hong Kong. please e-mail or call my house at 2772-3661 becaues I don't have a cell, thanks!!
Sunday, June 13th 2004, 19:40
Many times I hear Christians tell me that the bible is the inspired guide to life. I think I have a few things to say about using holy books in this manner. First of all, it was written for the people back then. Meaning, if the scriptures were indeed the perfect guide to life, then it was only perfect to that period of time, in that particular area. When times change, so does the way to do things. It is logically impossible for one set of practices to be the perfect way in two different circumstances, and most theologians do agree that God can only do logically possible things.
However, putting the formality aside, I want to ask you. Ask yourself, sincerely, do you really think that the bible is indeed a guide to life? Think about it, even if you're not a fundamentalist or an evangelist. To keep this passage shorter and more realistic, I'll only be talking about the new testament here. I won't even bother with the old testament:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/atrocity.shtml
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/precepts.shtml
The real problem, I think, is the way most Christians actually treat the bible. They read the translated texts, pick things that apply to them, explain and re-interpret it, and then say that this is another sign that the bible is a wonderful guide. Well the problem is that with enough "interpretation", a lot of passages can be understood as it's intended, or opposite, meaning! And if the liberal Christian asks what's the big deal about it, my usual response is to ask them back about what the central tenet of Christianity is.
Frankly, I don't know. But I do believe that one of the central tenets of Christianity is that since God is perfect and all-mighty, our reasoning and moral judgments will always lead to evil, because everything that is not perfectly good is evil in comparison to God. Hence, we should guide our lives with faith in the perfect being. However, when you are actually selecting phrases from the bible, claiming that certain parts are relevant today, and saying that other parts are not, you are already using judgment, and not faith. True, God gave you both faith and reason because both are needed, but the holy book? If you are using more reason than faith even in the word of God, it makes me wonder how good the bible really is as the authoritative basis of your religion, and as your guide to life...
Who to blame - the person, or the bible?