Essay - Designating English as the official language of the United States

Preface: This was written for my English Composition II class and submitted October 22, 2010.

Designating English as the official language of the United States

        Currently, and surprisingly, there is no official language designated for the United States of America.  Should English be that official language for our nation? The United States is usually thought of an English speaking country and the Official Language needs to be representative of the same for many reasons. The voting public is extremely divided; with some stating that the United States should remain language-less, others claim it should be Spanish, while another viewpoint is to choose multilingualism, and even some claim an unrecognized language of “American” should become the new official language.   There are many views on this topic, heated debates, and political upheavals by both citizens and illegal immigrants of various backgrounds, not only the English and non-English speaking.  This topic is extremely controversial among many groups; both political and non-political.  The underlying ramifications of a decision; or lack thereof, many may not realize but will be presented thoroughly in addition to the mere implications of a decision finally being made on the topic on a nationwide basis and  statewide level, will be weighed against each other.  The results of the research efforts  shall present several aspects concerning English as the official language of the United States including, but not limited to; language choices aside from English that are being presented as the official language, the financial ramifications between having and not having an official language, a brief history on the nature of English as the official language of the nation, a brief overview of the legal actions related to the same; and any incidental information that is deemed relevant pursuant to the nature of the research intentions. 

In the advocacy against the proponents of having English as the official language of the United States, some have suggested bilingualism (two official languages), remaining without an unofficial language, and even an unrecognized language called ‘American’ as evidenced when “in 1923, Illinois officially declared that English would no longer be the official language of Illinois - but American would be.  Many of Illinois' statutes refer to "the American language," (example: 225 ILCS 705/27. 01) though the official language of the state is now English (5 ILCS 460/20). ” (USConstitution.net, 2001a, para. 10). The proposition of bilingualism will not work because it still requires the financial strain and government accommodations regarding printed materials and translation services that failing to have a designated language is causing now; albeit on a smaller scale, but still an unnecessary scale. Remaining without an official language entirely is completely ludicrous simply for the reason that the people should be able and need to come to a common ground on the topic.  Failure to agree only kills the fiscal state of economy more and more each day and creates unnecessary work and requirements that need to be complied with. Accepting an entirely new language, “American,” is not practical because of all the legislation this would result in both immediately and in the long-term. Details of the language would seemingly need to be clarified, enacted and made “official” in many ways before simply becoming the Nation’s language.

            “The number of persons in the United States over the age of five who speak English less than very well soared from 14 million in 1992 to 24.5 million in 2007,' a whopping 175 percent increase. Although Spanish is the non-English language spoken most frequently at home, there are more than 300 single languages or "language families" used in the United States,” as stated by Steven M Kahaner (2009, para 1).  As a result, everything including, but not limited to, “the costs of hiring bilingual teachers, printing bilingual textbooks, translating every government website into multiple languages, requiring every agency and department throughout the entire United States to hire translators and/or print materials to ensure that any person, speaking any language, can receive government services in their language of choice” (English First, 2009a, para. 1) are costs that burden all the taxpayers in the nation.  The actual amount that these services results in, but it is estimated to be enormous! Consider this number is also reflective of “motor vehicle office’s, police stations, post offices, courtrooms, welfare offices, social security offices, perhaps, even prisons, and all those other places where a non-English speaking person might receive services provided in his or her language of choice.” (English First, 2009a, para. 5)  “In the federal courts alone, interpreted events (defined as one interpreter, one case number, one date) have been increasing steadily over the past decade, from approximately 100,000 in 1996, to 232,457 in 113 different languages in the 12 months ending September 30, 2007,” as stated by Steven M Kahaner, quote ( 2009, para 1). A bill was introduced by Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, H.R. 1414 known as the Multilingual Services Accounting Act, that “requires every federal agency's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to start including detailed accounting information for all of its multilingual services in their mandatory annual reports to the Directors of each federal agency AND to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).” (English First, 2009a, para. 9)

“Declaring English the official language means that official government business at all levels must be conducted solely in English.  This includes all public documents, records, legislation and regulations, as well as hearings, official ceremonies and public meetings. ” (U. S.   English, Inc., 2010a, para. 1) Failure to declare the English language as the official language of the United States has had an enormous fiscal impact on the economy resulting from the financial drain that the same decision forces through the necessity of multilingual communication accommodations within all levels of government both locally and nationwide , as previously evidenced.  Aside from financial implications, the resulting solidarity that would be established by the determination of such an official language is pivotal in the unification of the people as a nation, which is an important national temperament that is beneficial to all interested parties. As stated on USConstitution.net (2001a, para. 10) “English-only proponents…counter that English-only laws generally have exceptions for public safety and health needs. They note that English-only laws help governments save money by allowing publication of official documents in a single language, saving on translation and printing costs, and that English-only laws promote the learning of English by non-English speakers.” Jam Salter shares that, “Lawmakers recognized English as the "common" language in 1998 [in Missouri]” and “that [the] law carries no stipulations or requirements.” (Salter, 2008, para. 3) A “common” language means nothing, which is why there is carries no weight and why there needs to be a legislative delegation making English the “official” language!

It was found, upon researching the history of the topic, that Louisiana was the first state in the nation to designate English as their states official language back in 1812.  The second state to follow suit was over 100 years later in 1920 and was Nebraska.  Since then, 28 more states have designated English as their official language, however only 28 still have the laws in effect as the initiatives in Alaska and Massachusetts were ultimately overturned according to English First (2009b).  Organizations and groups fight this battle as a whole such as “U.S. English, Inc. [which] is the nation’s oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States.  [It was] founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California.” (Business Wire, 2007, para. 5) which “…enacted official English legislation in 1986,” as stated on U. S. English, Inc. (2010c, para. 1) While “English-only proposals in the U.S. Congress have gone nowhere,” states Oren Dorrell (2006) , legislation is still being actively pursued on both a federal and state level by supporters “because the public, including Hispanics, is frustrated that illegal immigration continues to be a problem and they want the federal government to take action,” which Jose Esparza, vice chairman of the Arizona Latino Republican Association, explains. (As cited by Dorrell, 2006, para. 17)

In an explanation on US Constitution.net, “almost every session of Congress, an amendment to the Constitution is proposed in Congress to adopt English as the official language of the United States.  Other efforts have attempted to take the easier route of changing the U.S. Code to make English the official language.”  (2001a, para. 3) Additionally, “in 1996, U.S. English was instrumental in passing H.R. 123, ‘The Bill Emerson English Language Empowerment Act of 1996.’ That bill, making English the official language of the U.S. government, passed in the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 259-169.  Unfortunately, the Senate did not act on the bill before the end of the session.  Currently, U.S. English is working with Rep. Steve King of Iowa to help pass an official English bill in the 110th Congress. H.R. 997 is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.”  (U.S. English, Inc., 2010a, para. 3)  Currently, on a federal level, there are nine initiatives in 111th Congress: H.R. 997 - The English Language Unity Act of 2009, H.R. 764 - The American Elections Act, H.R. 1414 - The Multilingual Services Accounting Act, H.R. 1588 - Protecting Employers with English in the Workplace Policies, H.R. 3249 - Legislation to improve English literacy and encourage citizenship and immigrant integration, H.R. 1228 - A Bill to Repeal Executive Order 13166, H.R. 1229 - The National Language Act of 2009, S. 992 - The National Language Act of 2009, and S. 991 - The English Language Unity Act of 2009.  (U.S. English, Inc., 2010b) “Since 1981, over 50 bills have been introduced supporting English as the official language of the United States... sponsors, eight have exceeded 100, including H.R. 997 in the 109th Congress. Five of the measures have passed one chamber of the U.S. Congress, by margins of 78-21, 76-18, 259-169, by unanimous vote, and most recently 62-35 in the U.S. Senate in May 2006.” (U.S. English, Inc., 2010f, para. 1, 3) On a state level for California, “there is no legislation pending in the 2010 session of the legislature that would strengthen the existing measure” when “[it] enacted official English legislation in 1986.” (U. S. English, Inc., 2010c, para. 1) An interesting tidbit, as stated by Salter is that “U.S. English says the Missouri ballot issue [back in 2008] marks the ninth time that voters in a state have been asked to make English the official language.” (2008, para. 18)

Interestingly enough, in spite of the lack of a decisive answer being made with regards to the official language either way, “a new survey this week from Rasmussen Reports finds that 87 percent of Americans favor making English the official language of the United States.  This is a 3 percent increase over a similar survey Rasmussen Reports conducted in May 2009.” (U.S. English, 2010d, para. 1)  Furthermore, “the same survey showed that 83 percent of respondents believe that companies should be allowed to require their employees to speak English in the workplace.   This support is backed by 95 percent of public sector employees and nearly seventy percent of government workers.” (U.S. English, 2010d, para.2)  The researcher has concluded that history continues to be evidentiary in determining the popularity and increasing support of this controversy and the sway of the people as a whole towards English as the country’s official language which as shown by “polls over the last 20 years [finding] overwhelming support for making English the official language of the United States.” (U.S. English, 2010d, para. 4)

Consequently, findings dictate that complacency is not the answer and the people need to answer a call for action by deciding on an official language for the nation.  As stated by Haar, “English is in a sorry state in America...Legislators and citizens fiddle; meanwhile, a language languishes and vanishes.” (2009)   It is obvious that by a popular vote of the people determining an official language of the United States, the financial strain alone that is caused by lack thereof could dramatically affect the economic status of the nation, for the better.    The ensuing government employee wages and tangible costs incurred (associated with printing, translation services, and more) as a result of complying with a multilingualist nation, by default not choice, forces on the taxpayers and economy a far worse state than a decision on the same could ever invoke.   As U.S. English, Inc. states, “Official English legislation contains common-sense exceptions permitting the use of languages other than English for such things as public health and safety services, judicial proceedings, foreign language instruction and the promotion of tourism.” (2010a, para. 2)

              As stated by U. S. English, Inc., “Official English promotes unity…Official English empowers immigrants…Official English is common sense government.” (2010e, para 2, 3, 4) Ultimately, it is only a “lose-lose” situation to not have an official language in the United States. The “Official English legislation recognizes the need for common sense exceptions permitting the use of other languages for emergency, safety and health services; judicial proceedings; foreign language instruction and tourism promotion. Of course, because official English is only a limitation on government, it does not affect the languages spoken in private businesses, religious services or private conversations.” (U. S. English, Inc., 2010e, para 5) The effects that the general population are concerned will not really change, but merely save the country millions of valuable dollars in compliance funds that could be designated to areas that have a more prevalent need. It is unreasonable for the people to not agree and vote for English as the official language of the United States! “America has a long tradition of immigrants learning English and it has always been our cultural bond. It’s time for politicians in Washington to finally listen to the eighty-seven percent of Americans who want this and vote to make English our official language.” (U.S. English, 2010d, para. 3)

References

Constitutional Topic: Official Language (2001a).   USConstitution.net.   Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_lang.html

Dorell, Oren.  (2006, November 17). English as official language gains support at local levels ; Backers say laws help immigrants to communicate, avoid self- segregation :[FINAL Edition]. USA TODAY ,p. A.4.  Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1164217921).

Georgia Voters Indicate Strong Support for Official English Amendment. (2007, 15 August). Business Wire. Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1320847301).

How Much Does America Spend On Multilingual Programs? (2009a). English First.  Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://englishfirst.org/congressc/how-much-does-america-spend-on-mulitlingual-programs.html

Kahaner, S.. (2009). The administration of justice in a multilingual society-open to interpretation or lost in translation? Judicature, 92(5), 224-231.  Retrieved October 21, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1731361091).

Legislation. (2010b). U.S. English, Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.us-english.org/view/310

Legislative History (2010f). U.S. English, Inc. Retrieved on October 21, 2010 from http://www.us-english.org/view/27

News & Media, Support for English as official language grows three percent in one year.   (2010d). U.S. English, Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.us-english.org/view/774

Official English States. (2009b). English First. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://englishfirst.org/englishstates/ 

Salter, Jim.  (2008, October 5). Amendment would require English. St. Louis Post - Dispatch,p. E.2.  Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1567755781).

Sanford-Haar, Cathleen.  (2007, March 19). English the official language? Not in America :[Third Edition]. St. Louis Post - Dispatch, p. B.7.  Retrieved October 21, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1237740991).

State Legislation – California.  (2010c). U.S. English, Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.us-english.org/view/364?state=CA

What is Official English? (2010a). U.S. English, Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.us-english.org/view/9

Why is Official English Necessary? (2010e).   U.S. English, Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.us-english.org/view/10  

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2010 Copyright by Shannon Peace

Research Proposal: Designating English as the official language of the United States

Preface: This was written for my English Composition I class and submitted August 23, 2010.

Research Proposal: Designating English as the official language of the United States

The subject matter of this research will be the varying perspectives surrounding designating English as the official language of the United States.  Information will be presented as a result of research within this topic and the alternatives regarding the same.  This topic is extremely controversial among many groups; both political and non-political.  The underlying ramifications of a decision; or lack thereof, many may not realize, but will be presented thoroughly. The mere implications of a decision finally being made on the topic on a nationwide basis, as well as a statewide level, will be weighed against each other.

Currently, and surprisingly, there is no official language designated for the United States of America.  Should English be that official language for our nation? The voting public is very divided; with some stating that the United States should remain language-less, others claim it should be Spanish, while another viewpoint is to choose multilingualism, and even some claim an unrecognized language of “American” should become the new official language.  There are many views on this topic, heated debates, and political upheavals by both citizens and illegal immigrants of various backgrounds, not only the English and non-English speaking.

This research effort shall present several aspects concerning English as the official language of the United States including, but not limited to; language choices aside from English that are being presented as the official language, the financial ramifications between having and not having an official language, a brief history on the nature of English as the official language of the nation, a brief overview of the legal actions related to the same; and any incidental information that is deemed relevant pursuant to the nature of the research intentions.

The entirety of the data collection for this research project will be done online through the utilization of various web-based resources.  There are many websites that have adequate information, both biased and unbiased, to sort through during the research process.  The researcher intends on making use of online search databases for the primary source of information such as Google Scholar, ProQuest, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), the World Book Online, Bing, and additional resources not yet determined that are available by means of the Ashford Library; all of which will serve as resources in locating secondary topic specific articles.  The researcher intends to employ sites such as www.USConstitution.net, www.EnglishFirst.org, www.StrictlySpanish.com, and U.S. English, Inc for information available representing varied viewpoints, historical data, legal actions, and more; which will provide the necessary resources specific to this topic, however with some bias to filter through.

Preliminary findings show that complacency is not the answer and the people need to answer a call for action by deciding on an official language for the nation.  The researcher has initially concluded that by a popular vote of the people determining an official language of the United States, the financial strain alone that is caused by lack thereof could dramatically affect the economic status of the nation, for the better.  The ensuing government employee wages and tangible costs incurred (associated with printing, translation services, and more) as a result of complying with a multilingualist nation, by default not choice, forces on the taxpayers and economy a far worse state than a decision on the same could ever invoke.

Declaration of the English language as the official language of the United States has an enormous fiscal impact on the economy resulting from the financial drain that failing to decide on the same forces through the necessity of multilingual communication accommodations within all levels of government both locally and nationwide.  Aside from financial implications, the resulting solidarity that would be established by the determination of such an official language is pivotal in the unification of the people as a nation, which is an important national temperament that is beneficial to all interested parties.

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2010 Copyright by Shannon Peace

It’s Never too Late to go Back to School! (Essay)

Preface: This was written for my English Composition I class and submitted August 23, 2010.

It’s Never too Late to go Back to School!

After high school graduation I delayed my college plans to raise my child and continue working knowing that I would return to school one day. Sixteen years later, life has changed dramatically enough to necessitate a change as well as provide the opportunity for me to start working towards that dream. Over the years, I have always told my children (and promised to myself) that I would go to college no matter how old I was since I loved and excelled in school, wanted my children to learn that the importance of an education and to work towards goals.

I was a very driven student, especially in high school, by belonging to almost every campus group that existed, including being Vice President of the Writer’s Club and President of the Art Club, along with the academic groups I earned the right to be in. I maintained 8 classes a day, AP classes, and any involvement that I could for the enjoyment and the “college resume” it would create when the time came. Beginning in my freshman year, I was published in national anthologies for poetry and during my junior year I was nominated and inducted into the “Who’s Who of American High School Students.” I was on the path to make my goal a reality but my plan was interrupted when I found out I was pregnant when I was 15 years old, which was November of my Junior year.

I found out a few weeks before turning 16 that I was pregnant, planned to have an abortion but it was determined that I was 8 months along! At that point, delivery was my only choice and at the same time adoption was not since I am not prone to giving in or giving up when faced with a challenge. So, 3 weeks after turning 16 years old I delivered a healthy baby girl, even with almost no prenatal care. Early in my senior year I was accepted in to the University of Redlands, with scholarships, into their Medical degree program with the plans of becoming a General Practitioner. However, with the realization of the logistics of the college location, costs I would still have to cover and having a child to provide for, I declined to attend. That was the first decision to delay my college career that I made. It was then that a personal motto of “It’s never too late to go back to school” began carrying me through my life decisions that included marriages, more children, and focusing on furthering the stability of my employment as it presented itself. I am now on my 3rd marriage, have 4 biological children, and 1 step-daughter who have all heard me recite my motto many times over the years.

I ended up working in Real Estate, specifically Title and Escrow, for the last 12 years making a decent amount of money considering there is no degree for the area I work in. In 2009 I was diagnosed with Osteo Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis and 2 bulged disks in my lumbar spine. The demands of my work had exacerbated my back issues due to the recent booming Real Estate market. After the birth of my last child, I returned to work and my back pain became so debilitating that I was calling into work “immobile” all too often and was put on disability for the 3rd time. Following months of physical therapy and a back procedure that had minimal impact on my pain, my Doctor suggested that I look into changing careers to better accommodate the demands of my medical issues, which have no cure and will only get progressively worse. That’s when Doctor’s orders triggered my looking into school.

Finally, I am showing my children, by example, how driven I am academically and how study habits reap the results that I have spent years encouraging them to achieve. My grades and eagerness to do homework are also being evidenced by my grades, which they are both shocked and proud of. With 3 of my 5 children in high school now, the family “joke” is that I still started college before they did, if only by a year! I can proudly proclaim that I am finally living up to that I have always said, “It’s never too late to go back to school”.

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2010 Copyright by Shannon Peace

Personal Progression (Essay)

Preface: This was written for my Adult Development and Life Assessment class and submitted July 18, 2010.

Personal Progression

Our childhood and genetic predispositions usually determine how most of us will end up as an adult and the direction each of our lives will take. Most would also agree that we are a product of the culmination of both influences with a victim mentality and a result of the effects of the same. Similarly, Bob Cave, an Eclectic Theorist, takes on the idea that “if a child knows that they are loved and accepted unconditionally by the parents, they will be able to endure almost any difficult circumstance.” (Cave, n.d.) However, I have always embraced the mentality that we are survivors and can consciously change many things in our life, both internally and externally, through personal intention or indirect modeling of behaviors and mindsets that can be learned. My personal progression through life against familial challenges and modeled behaviors in addition to desires and future goals all start with where I came from.

On December 17, 1976, I was born into the world as the child of an unwed single mother who was barely 21 years old with no education past high school and who had no desire for a child. I was a “love child”, as they say, the result of an affair by my father who had already had a wife and eventually 4 daughters by his wife, with his oldest less than 6 months older than me. I am an only child and my mother never married during all these years. I never had a father figure growing up and my biological father never outwardly claimed me or supported us over the years, either. Little to no family direction and even less resources available combined with the personal desire for attention and a sense of self-worth lead me to be creative with ways to occupy my time which resulted in shaping my behavior to the desired end result of accolades and acceptance, as suggested in Burrhus Frederic Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning. (WGBH Educational Foundation, 1998)

Growing up I was very involved in social activities where achievements and the ability to excel individually were easier, accepted and expected to a degree. Aside from academic merit, extra-curricular activities with the school and community became a staple in my childhood. Expertise in baton twirling and rhythmic ribbons along with the parades and competitions they led to were a commonplace activity for me during the elementary school years. I also started with the Daisies, quickly progressing into the Brownies and Girl Scouts as I got into Junior High School. In numerous areas I excelled with awards, trophies and recognition of all kinds. Junior high school started my school choir career as a Soprano Section leader with regular solos and an operatic voice to carry me through 11th grade. In high school, I became certified as a Peer P.A.L.S. counselor and was regularly counseling students in need during my time in high school, with my primary client being a suicidal freshman. When considering how I succeeded academically and in extra-curricular activities, you can safely conclude that this was an active defense mechanism called “compensation” as Freud referred to in his Psychoanalytic theory. (Witt and Mossler, 2010)

The feelings that I experienced growing up whenever I excelled have definitely flowed over into my adulthood and I have made many conscious choices to continue on the path of positive distinction. In junior high I decided I wanted to become a Doctor, more specifically a General Practitioner. Once I reached Biology class in high school I changed over to Entomology. This was not surprising since I always collected bugs, studied animals and nature and loved dissecting bugs throughout childhood. More recently, as the Forensics area has developed through technology advancement has my desire to add Forensics to my Entomology career grown. Not to long ago I realized that my dream of the combination of the two fields is an actual area of study and work, which is when I made the final determination of what I wanted to be “when I grew up”, a Forensic Entomologist. As I fine tuned my career direction over time, I engaged a process of “formal operational thought” as suggested in Piaget’s cognitive development theory. (Witt and Mossler, 2010)

In 1993, when I was a junior in high school and had been 16 for only 3 weeks, I gave birth to my first child. I was not married to her father and saw the path my mother took repeating itself. I made a point to try and stop the cycle, so to speak, so I stayed in school and graduated high school in 1994 with honors and a 4.3 GPA. I was accepted into the University of Redlands with a scholarship into their Medicine program, but chose not to attend due to logistics and I told myself that I could always go back to school, but I could not raise my child again. As researched in Héfer Bembenutty’s Expectancy-Value theory, the competing intentions of a family and academic achievement led to the delay of my academic gratification because the alternatives to my academic goals were more important, which were my children. (Bembenutty, 2007) I had my second child in 1995 and married his father in 1996, but separated in 1998 and was divorced in 1999. In 2002 I married my second husband, had my third child in 2005, became separated in 2006 and legally divorced in 2008. I married my third husband in 2008 and became a step-mother to his child that he had from a previous spouse and had my fourth child in 2009. Now, I have a huge extended family including parents, brothers and sisters-in-law with my husbands’ family. An immediate and extended family such as this is something I have wanted all these years, but is unchartered territory for me, not to mention the acceptable dynamic between siblings that I am unfamiliar with as an only child.

Everyone has personal, professional and academic goals to some measure, whether far-reaching or none, they are all goals. Family balance is an important personal goal for me. The different ages, genders, parental dynamics with different parent sets and the desired cohesiveness of everyone and each individual situation is a lot of work, but very important to create a happy family. Professionally, I would like to be able to work but cannot do so without my back issues resolved. Whether that is a strict regimen of medication and physical therapy or surgery, something tangible has to happen to allow me to re-enter the workforce. I would absolutely love to work within the field I am going to school for, however at this point my prior field would suffice. Completion of my 4 year degree in Social and Criminal Justice is my short term academic goal. I would eventually like a Doctorate and to specialize in Forensic Entomology, or Medicocriminal Entomology, which is the science of using insect evidence to uncover circumstances of interest to the law, often related to a crime. (Merritt, n.d.)

 

References

Bembenutty, Héfer. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.heferbembenutty.com/index.html

Cave, Bob. (n.d.). The eclectic theory of personality. Retrieved from www.family-university.org/archive/eclectic_personality_theory.html

 

Merritt, Richard. (n.d.). American Board of Forensic Entomology. Retrieved from http://www.forensicentomologist.org/index.html

WGBH Educational Foundation. (1998). People and discoveries .Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhskin.html

Witt, G.A., & Mossler, R.A. (2010). Adult development and life assessment. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/AUPSY202.10.1 

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2010 Copyright by Shannon Peace

Can you plagiarize yourself?

Background: This topic was a result of my English Composition I class. A peer, Jeffrey O'Connell, posted the following on 08/31/2010:

"Plagiarism is using someone else's ideas and material that isn't common knowledge, without giving credit to that person and citing them. Changing words around and paraphrasing in your own words is also considered plagiarism. The most important concept that I learned about plagiarism was that you can actually be found guilty of plagiarizing yourself. This was something I was completely unaware of. However, I don't agree with it. Think about it. Plagiarism, according to the tutorial, is theft. Well if it's considered theft you have to ask yourself, "how does one steal from oneself?" You can't be found guilty of stealing your own car, you can't be found guilty of stealing your own money, so how can you possibly steal your own ideas. I understand that if you wrote a paper last semester on a specific topic and used that very same paper, word-for-word, for a class this semester, to be considered plagiarism. That I get, but if you changed the words around but kept on the same topic, it should not be considered plagiarism, because once again, how can you be guilty of stealing from yourself. It was your ideas to begin with. My post may sound a little confusing, I admit, but hopefully someone out there understands what I'm getting at and agrees with me. Let me know everybody."


Here was my response, posted on 09/01/2010:

"Plagiarism of yourself is an interesting concept, I agree. I think a primary point of citing sources, aside from the simple idea of using someone else's ideas, is to give credit to something not "new" that you are referring to. Think of the definition again and consider these questions: 

• Is it common knowledge that you did a paper on the same topic last semester?
• Is paraphrasing of someone else plagiarism? Why not yourself, if you are the source?
• Is "re-wording" still not an indirect form of paraphrasing?
• Why would you discount yourself to not consider yourself worthy of citation?

Take this as another explanation:

 

"6. Never plagiarize yourself. You can refer to papers you have previously written or published. You can even quote yourself. But never copy/paste previous writing and present it as if it’s new. To do so is to deceive your instructors." (2009 Cengage Learning, Inc.) They have a whole section on plagiarism, that is quite interesting, by the way that you can check out.

 

Dr. Lance River's perspective from Lake Superior State University is, "...Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words or ideas as your own without giving appropriate credit or without the person’s consent to use his or her words or ideas without acknowledgment. This can be somewhat confusing, because at its core, plagiarism isn’t just about stealing someone else’s words or ideas, but also about claiming to have done work you actually haven’t. Thus, many professors, me included, would see using a paper or research you have done for one course in fulfillment of an assignment in another as plagiarism, even though you are the paper’s author. You can plagiarize yourself!" (Adapted from Lunsford and Connors, The St. Martin's Handbook (3d ed. NY: St. Martin's, 1995); the SIUC Department of Computer Science Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism; the SIUC Department of English Policy on Plagiarism; Homewood-Flossmoor (IL) High School Policy; Fowler, The Little, Brown Handbook (2d ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 1983); and the SIUC Student Conduct Code)

 

I think for all intensive purposes you can plagiarize yourself, however obscure the idea may seem, when you consider the technical definition of the term. Stating simply that is it "theft", is too washed down, in my opinion. When working with papers and citations, by default we are dealing with technicalities (i.e. APA formatting), so the definitions and the requirements they demand must me considered with the same respect. Just food for thought.

 

Keep in mind, there are MANY sites that teachers probably use to verify originality these days to verify originality. You don't want to "fail" because of improper citation, right?"


My instructor respond to my posting, on 09/06/2010, with the following:

"You are amazing, Shannon, thank you for this. Mrs. Smith"

Needlss to say, I think my instructor agreed with my position. What do you think?

The ‘Modern’ Christian (Essay)

Preface: This was written for my Christians and Culture class when I was a student of Bible & Ministry and submitted May 13, 2000.

The ‘Modern’ Christian

The word “Christian” these days in many ways is very stereotypical. So many people rally for us to understand them better; more Women’s rights (or should I say Womyn’s rights?), African American’s rights, Disabled person’s rights all just and in some ways deserving and necessary. I, as a Christian, want to be understood better! The stereotype that generally creates a mental image in one’s mind is so detailed that it makes it almost impossible for anyone to be Christian and needs to be broken. Using age, skin color, ethnicity, physical appearance, hobbies, music preferences, that persons’ life before being a believer, and even down to education for some people, to, in a sense, discriminate against the Body of Christ. There is also tradition, and cultural comforts that impress expectations that “Christians” should and should not do. Sadly, almost all of the above-mentioned items merely turn people away from joining, understanding, and growing in the Body of Christ! This is not to say that all things are acceptable, but I think that this way of thinking usually hurts rather than helps evangelism and all its’ possible positive results.

First, what does the term Christian or Christianity mean and encompass? The word Christian does not refer to an object, rather it is “a person who believes in Jesus Christ; an adherent of Christianity.” This definition alone should destroy half the battle in society, as you can only refer to a person as Christian not a movie, or a book, or a song. Take into account a tattoo. Is a tattoo wrong? Is it more “Christian” if it is of a cross? A tattoo is a choice you make, irrelevant of what it is, the tattoo is not Christian…the question should be whether the person bearing it is. Then again, you cannot fairly say that someone is any less Christian than the next because of a tattoo. This is where tradition and society come into play and create stereotypes and make determinations as to what is and is not accepted as being Christian. Remember, however, the only thing that is Christian is a Christ believing person.

So, with that in mind, why is it so hard for some people to believe? There are too many preconceived ideas and non-biblically based requirements from a lot of churches when it comes to salvation and beliefs. This also applies to those who are already believers; just on a path of faith grounded in tradition and cultural bias rather than biblically supported ideas. Our focus, generally, is to the non-believer and “as the non-Christian contemplates the vast puzzle of Christianity, he visualizes a lot more pieces in it than Christ on the Cross.” Some of these ideas, as Joseph C. Aldrich states, are profound yet essential in eliminating for the breaking down boundaries, created by the world, in order to more effectively reach the surrounding community. One being, “to become a Christian, I must give up everything I enjoy.” This could be true depending on what you enjoy; but the Bible says, most strongly in Ephesians 4:22-24, “That ye put off concerning that former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on a new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” So, with a newfound belief system of Christianity comes a new man, created in the image and likeness of God; and a new definition of what ‘fun’ is to some extent of the word. As a new believer, studying the Bible and learning to grow in, with, and by it is necessary. With that, “proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Eph 5:10-11) It must be understood that sacrifices are made with all changes in life, but that life does not get worse once you are a Christian. Another idea presented is that “to become a Christian, I must go to church and get involved in lots of meetings.” This idea is still perpetuated and taken in a negative manner. The bible says in Eph 2:8-9 that “for by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” So faith is the key here. How do we get faith? Romans 10:8,17 says, “…The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach…So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” By being able to clarify these ideas to a non-believer one should be able to reach a lot of people.

Having these ideas understood by the community and those currently in the church is a key to having a more ‘community correct’ church. Breaking down preconceived ideas about Christians, their beliefs, and what is necessary to be a believer is the hardest thing to do. Another issue in getting out to the community is the physical aspect. Literally, the world is very fast paced, busy, and, for the most part, lacking the morals and values that would normally drive people towards a more positive environment such as church. So, a church must know what avenue to use to effectively reach the community in order to discuss the aforementioned preconceptions. Some may have more frequent services, or evening services. Others might invite the local high school choir to perform one Sunday, drawing in families of the performers, sending out mailers about the church, or physically walking through town with the church’s information. There are also group meetings aimed towards certain people, such as Youth groups, Men and Woman’s bible study, and many more. Ways of attracting the community are endless with one of the most vital being word of mouth. On that note, it is important to know that a church cannot solely focus on bringing people into church, but also keeping them there, and happily, and a biblically based faith, rather than a traditional or culturally biased church and belief system. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh…Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exaltheth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (II Cor. 10:3,5)

So many things can affect how much diversity a church has in its local body. Personally I agree with, as the old saying goes, “Quality over quantity.” I would rather be part of a numerically smaller yet biblically based and spiritually stronger church any day. The overwhelming fulfillment by the Spirit will allow one “to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints that is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end.” (Eph 3:16-21) So, with that in mind, go as it says in Ephesians 4:17,29 and “testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, …Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” The Lord does not discriminate, does not take into consideration the cultural differences, or location. So, why as a believer would we? Or why would we allow for people to use such traditions and culture comforts to negatively affect out walk in faith and spreading the word? Let’s not allow it; let’s make a new cultural comfort out of Christianity. It is cool to be Christian!

1 - The Random House® College Dictionary, Revised Edition Most current Copyright ©  1984 by Random House, Inc. Based on The Random House® Dictionary of the English Language, The Unabridged Edition.

2 - Joseph C. Aldrich, Life-Style Evangelism Copyright © 1981 by Multnomah Press, p.215

3 - All Bible verse references from: The Scofield® Study Bible Most current Copyright © 1945 by Oxford University Press, Inc., previously published as The Scofield Reference Bible.

4 - Refer to footnote 3, Emphasis his.

5 - Refer to footnote 3, Emphasis his.

6 - Refer to footnote 3, Emphasis his.

7 - Refer to footnote 3, Emphasis his.

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© 2001 Shannon Yáñez

The Fall of Man (Essay)

Preface: This was written for my Theology Essentials I class when I was a student of Bible & Ministry and submitted March 19, 2001.

The Fall of Man

The fall of man is the descent from innocence to guilt after Eve, then Adam ate of the fruit in Genesis 3: 6, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

There are different views concerning the validity of the fall that can be classified into three categories. First being that it is a legend and none of the facts are true. Second are those that believe it as truth, without accepting its historical worth. Thirdly, and more rationally, are those that take it to be a factual and historical truth. Being that the latter is what I agree with, I will use this to discuss the consequences of the fall. There are temporal and spiritual consequences in addition to two specific penalties resulting from the fall, and the reason that we needed Jesus to die on the cross.

There are two ramifications in addition to specific penalties to man . One being that all sin affects others. Eve’s sin to Adam and Adam’s sin to the entire race, even to us now, as without a doubt we are all born into sin as a result of the original sin. No one can sin privately, without having an effect on any single person as all that we do, or fail to do, will have some bearing with another person’s heart. The second penalty is that once committed, sin can never be undone. Forgiveness can occur, along with healing and fellowship to restore a person to who they were before, but the sin will always have happened. For example, the kingdom being taken away form Saul and his descendants in 1 Samuel 13:13-14, “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: …But now thy kingdom shall not continue.” Also, Esau in Hebrews 12:16, “ Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance.”

There are more specific penalties incurred due to the fall in the temporal sense, or relating to time in the sense of being the opposite of eternity; plainly meaning our lack of an eternal and easy life. It starts when man is driven from paradise in Genesis 3:23, “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” There were also penalties that were gender specific. Direct punishment for the man, was “…because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Punishment for the woman, “… he said, I [he] will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” (Gen 3:16-19) The worst of all, though, being death, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”(1 Cor 15:21-22) and “… we have been planted together in the likeness of his death.” (Romans 6:5) None of these are pleasures in life, but would you rather have a physical penalty, or a spiritual one?

There are numerous spiritual consequences as a result of the original sin. Separation from God and “having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ;” (Eph 4:18-20) Being born in sin, or receiving the inherited sin, as “… in sin did my mother conceive me,” (Psa 51:5)

and thoughts of the heart that are evil, “for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” (Matt 15:19). We are in bondage to sin as Romans 6:17 says, “… that ye were the servants of sin,” and to Satan, “…that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb 2:14b-15) Also, “being dead in your [our] sins” (Col 2:13), having “blindness of [in] their [our] heart” (Eph 4:18b) and depraved of all purity, as “…unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” (Titus 1:15). Lastly, we must know that the biggest penalty was the issue of our salvation being lost, but not to worry “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

So, with all this punishment and loss as a result of the fall, where does that leave us, The Body of Christ? Simply, there was a promise of redemption. Genesis 3:15 says, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” This is a ‘protevangelium’, or the first announcement of gospel in Scripture. Christ would render Satan powerless, enabling man to be forever restored to fellowship with God, making possible man’s ultimate rule. (Heb 2:14, Col 2:4-15) Although, Adam and Eve sinned, God moved to resolve man’s

dilemma by pointing to a future Savior who would eliminate death, restore man to fellowship with God, and consummate history with Messiah’s reign on earth to restore all that Adam has lost. In addition, a few things should be noted during this time about God himself. God revealed himself as omnipotent and sovereign in the creation on the universe and the world. God is holy, demanding obedience for fellowship with himself, yet also a God of grace, with an example of through the promise of a Savior. Man is a responsible creature and a constituted sinner through the inherited sin, the sin of Adam.

What more would be necessary from a God, graciousness and one who will deliver us who are “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:15b-16)

Knowing and believing that the “Fall of Man” was an actual occurrence that cost us our salvation, is something that one must understand before, I believe, you can minutely grasp the enormity of what Jesus did for all of us on the cross. We were all lost and dead to the world, literally. Then, came Jesus to save the world that wanted to be saved. Why would you not want to tell the rest of the people about the only one that can give everlasting life by calling on his name? “That whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered” (Joel 2:32) and “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8) Have you accepted your undeserved gift yet?

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© 2001 Shannon Yáñez

God’s Attributes: Actual or Condescending? (Essay)

Preface: This was written for my Advanced Theology class when I was a student of Bible & Ministry and submitted October 3, 2001.

God’s Attributes: Actual or Condescending?

There are certain things in the Bible that trigger huge debates, such as the topic of the literal (as opposed to figurative) application of humanlike attributes to God, in the cases as they are actually stated in the Bible. Many believe that repentance by God, in addition to many other similar emotions, is ‘our’ (fallible, small-minded humans) attributing to God human feelings and actions to the Deity. This ‘application’ is also known by the more commonly used term, anthropomorphisms. This topic has puzzled me, depending on whom I am discussing it with. Some think that God is ‘talking down’ to us in order for us to understand his point. I have heard that the word was mistranslated and, “We do not really know what He was trying to say.” Others assert that, “Yes, in fact God did experience that feeling.” I personally can accept the fact that these attributes (material and immaterial) applied to God were written the way He wanted them to be. There was nothing lost in translation and we can take them as literal. This however, is not an exhaustive explanation for me, as there are still verses to discuss with respect to different attributes in order to come to a complete conclusion.

Can God repent? Genesis 6:6-7 says, “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” This seems to clearly mean that He can repent, and this is only one verse of many that are considered anthropomorphisms. So where is the problem? First off, the word ‘repent’ means “to feel regret…change one’s mind” So, the question becomes: Can God change His mind? Since, God is moving in time with us now and does not know what will happen tomorrow, then He can. Change His mind. If he does and did not predestine me to do anything as an individual, then He logically could not have predestined His own thoughts and feelings, right? Therefore, it is only logical to think that God in his infinite power can literally do whatever He wants, whether or not He would choose to, including changing His mind. However, Scofield says, “When applied to God the word is used phenomenally according to the O.T. custom. God seems to change His mind. The phenomena are such as, in the case of a man, would indicate a change of man.”” Scofield is in a roundabout way saying that God in fact does not change His mind; we just think He does because He seems to. This logic is illogic to me to be honest. The thoughts behind most who sway this way started with the foundation that Plato created. Plato once said, “The perfect does not change. God is perfect. God does not change.” On the other hand, this sounds completely logical also, does it not? God is in fact perfect, which I believe we would all agree on. However, God is not imperfect for changing His mind. That, to me, makes Him an even more awesome and more powerful God since He is actually dealing with us on an interactive and immediate level. Wouldn’t it be much easier to predestinate everything and then sit back and watch it all happen? We, as humans, can barely handle our own finite lives with the amount of people we deal with. Imagine having to deal with all the people from all time and at all times. This is a definite demonstration of what my God can do. As humans, we cannot fathom that idea, so some choose to say it isn’t so by following the seemingly logical thoughts of Plato, which in the long run I feel minimizes God’s overall abilities with our (Him and us) interactions.

Depending on what you feel is the more rational way to view God and his interactions with man that will determine how you view the necessity and purpose of any verses containing anthropomorphisms. I believe that the verses are not used in a condescending manner as E.W. Bullinger says, nor an exaggeration of the truth to make a point to the readers as I have heard others say. The Holy Spirit will work in us to make the point; we do not need for God to exaggerate one word in a verse. In the cases of the use of the parables, that is an obviously more clear purpose of getting a point across to the readers, but what would the use of the word “repent” in a verse do? I do not see any other purpose but to take those instances literally and to try to understand the complexity that our God works in to the point that He can repent because he is able to when we, as free will agents, have not done what we are supposed to have done. With that in mind look to Exodus 32:14, “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” This is when Moses changed God’s mind to not “wax hot against them [Israel].” (Ex. 32:10) In this instance, God did literally change His mind (repent), as he did not put His wrath upon the people. Another example of God’s ability to repent is in 1Samuel 15:11 and 35, “It repenteth me [God] that I have set Saul to be king…” and “…the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.” An interesting verse is 1Samuel 15:29, ”And also the Strength of Israel [God] will not lie nor repent for he is not a man, that he should repent.” Here, most Calvinists have argued that this plainly states that God cannot repent, so the other verses must be exaggerations or ones of condescension. I urge you, however, to re-read the passage. It does say that God ‘should’ not repent; it does not say that he cannot, will not or does not. I feel this verse is saying that God should not have to repent, the same way that I should not have to tell my children more than once to clean their room, because they know what they need to and should be doing it. This does not mean that I will not tell them more than once, and that God will not repent.

Our understanding of God can be hindered by the use of these anthropomorphisms, if our foundation for understanding is not on stable ground to begin with. If one does not understand that God has not predestined the world and its events before time, then the idea of God is as preposterous to them as it would be to me to say the God could not change His mind. The topic of anthropomorphisms is so translucently clear if the foundation is the right one. God is not seeing yesterday and tomorrow right now as he watches me type. He only can see what I have done once I do it and my heart. He does not know if I will ever turn in this writing to fulfill my assignment. He does however; conclude based on my past actions and my oh-so-obvious human predictability as to whether or not I will. With that in mind, it is not the anthropomorphism that will hinder my understanding of God, but rather my understanding of God that may hinder the purpose or meaning of the anthropomorphism.

Many times I have come to notice that people read the Bible and put culture or presuppositions into it. We need to pull from the text and apply it to our lives, not add into it to make it fit our lifestyle. People often do this with God. They want to put our limited understanding onto what He can do. It should be the opposite. God can do all things, and we cannot. So, for God to be able to rejoice (Isa. 62:5), have sorrow and grief (Judges. 10:16), to love (Prov. 3:12), to repent (2Sam. 24:16), have anger and vengeance (Nah. 1:2), be comforted (Ezek. 5:13), have jealousy (Ex. 20:5) and many more immaterial feelings are very seemingly possible. We have them, so why can’t God? Has He put limits on Himself? What about the idea that we are made in His image? What if we have our feelings because we got them from His image, just like everything else? We must sway away from putting our limitations onto God. He has no limitations of this sort.

With those that say an anthropomorphism is just a word that was mistranslated and, “We do not really know what He was trying to say” take away from the whole point of inspiration in the Bible, which is a huge and vital part of it. There are many random thoughts on this topic, but I do not believe (nor understand) such random theology. I believe only in grounded, logical and biblically correct concepts. For that reason, the anthropomorphism is not a ‘problem’ for me as it would be to others. On the contrary, it is the epitome of the awesomeness of what my God can do. If I were to discount the verses in question, what would that do to the quality and validity of the rest of the Bible?

1 - Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, pg. 992, ©1994 by Merriam-Webster, Inc.

2 - The Scofield® Reference Bible, Zechariah 8:14 note on pg. 972 © 1909, 1917; copyright renewed 1937, 1945 by Oxford University Press, Inc. Emphasis his.__________________________________________

© 2001 Shannon Yáñez

The Practical Application to Christians (Essay)

Preface: This was written for my Titus: Digging Deeper class when I was a student of Bible & Ministry and submitted October 17, 2001.

The Practical Application to Christians

I have a book that I usually reference when attempting to argue a point, which is called the “Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties.” To my surprise, it actually covers seemingly difficult things, an “FAQ” of sorts, throughout 52 books of the Bible. Titus is not one of them that is discussed! Not only did this make my study harder to promote, it made me think in a simpler manner. Titus is not as ‘difficult’ as I am trying to make it.

I feel a strong thread throughout the whole book of Titus is the, or our, actions as Christians. (Quote Titus Commentary book: pg. 69) Paul makes it even easier for Titus, and now us as readers, with what do to if we have a certain role in the church, also. As soon as Paul finishes with his “credentials”, he immediately focuses on Elders. Why? I believe elders are the “human foundation” for the church when they have their roots in Christ. Paul wants to make sure Titus understands that the elders, older women and men (aka- the people who are looked up upon as wiser) show themselves good before the younger more impressionable ones in the hopes to have them follow their lead. No matter what our current role now, we will or have been considered a ‘wise one’ to someone. The mention of the slaves also seems to stir up conversation, which I will offer a light on this towards the end.

First, Paul breaks it down into groups of people and also addresses people as a whole. I found the condensing of a lot of information into a few verses interesting also.

• In only 3 verses, 15 items are mentioned for Elders

a) 1&2 Timothy and Titus book-pg 280

• In only 2 verses, 5 items are mentioned for Older Men

• In only 2 verses, 5 items are mentioned for Older Women

• In only 2 verses, 7 items are mentioned for Younger Women

• In only 2 verses, 4 items are mentioned for Slaves

a) 1&2 Timothy and Titus book-pg 281

• In only 3 verses, 12 items are mentioned for All People

The way we live and what is projected from us is a huge factor in our lives’ as Christians. With that in mind… (Quote: Titus Commentary book: pg. 71).

Now, most of us live by our faith. The faith that we live in is also what we walk in. (Quote 1&2 Timothy and Titus book: pg.278, 282, 284, Pg 286)

Closing: pg. 287-288

1 - Gleason L. Archer, © 1982 by The Zondervan Corporation

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© 2001 Shannon Yáñez