Religion and Politics are two things that shouldn't be discussed at dinner-or so says Miss Manners

Which is too bad because they are really interesting but apparently just too controversial to talk about unless you like having pea soup in your hair...

Growing up and Irish Catholic and going to parochial school for thirteen years has an effect on a girls' view of religion. I mean, religion is hard enough to wrap your head around when you aren't having it shoved down your throat every single day in religion class.

Private schools are great for their small class sizes and their emphasis on God and all that jazz, but I also think that it can hinder a persons relationship with God. I mean, God knows that in the big battle of good versus evil I'll be carrying that banner for his team, but I'm not one for going to church every single Sunday like any good Catholic should (want to) do.

Growing up, my mom (and family) always emphasized the importance of organized religion, but I say, as long as you follow a good moral code and you try to be as good of a person as you can be, then God knows you're his homeboy/girl. I don't go to church, but I pray every day. I thank God for what I have been given in life and I appreciate it as much as possible. Some times it is hard to not take things for granted, but a little bit of grace and humility never hurt anyone.

I do believe in the power of prayer. This past year was a nightmare, but I feel like it was made a little bit easier because I knew that, when I felt entirely alone, all I had to do was pray and ask for God to be with me, and I felt better. Prayer is comforting. It's nice knowing that there is someone there to always lean on and to help make things be alright, even when you feel like you're drowning in a pit of sorrow.

Another thing I love is politics. I mean, I should, seeing as I'm an International Relations major. It would only makes sense, right?

Politics are interesting. People who don't think so are ridiculous. Politics encompass more than just liberal or conservative, communist or fascist, or smart or dumb. It basically contains everything that regulates daily life in a government, which is what affects daily life.

I mean, every one uses currency, right? So the government controls that, yet (at least in America and other democracies) we give them the power...I just think that the tangled web is fascinating and trying to figure out how every things works together in a somewhat intricate fashion is just the coolest...

Yes, I know I'm a nerd. I like it so get off my back.

I love to get into a great discussion about politics. (Well, really anything for that matter) I enjoy having a conversation about why someone believes something and why I believe something else. (And I italicized conversation to make sure that you know that it's talking and not arguing/yelling because I HATE yelling and arguing. Can't we all just get along?!) I do NOT, however, enjoy talking to someone when they don't know what they're talking about. I recognize that I don't know everything about every thing, but I really really really hate when people just tell me I'm stupid and have no true facts to back their position up. And I also truly hate it when people tell me I'm stupid because I don't believe what they believe AND they can't tell me why they believe the way they do, other that "Just because..." Well kiss my white ass because you're a moron!

This is just an example of why people suck at life when it comes to talking about politics...

So I'm a freshman in high school when Bush and Kerry were running against each other in 2004. Let me just put it out there that I hate George Bush. I think he's stupid and that all of his decisions while in office were HORRIBLE. But that's a different discussion for a different time... My religion teacher had us watch one of the debates one night so we could talk about it in class. It just so happened that a couple of the debate questions were on abortion. She asked our thoughts on it and which candidate we thought was better, and blah blah blah...well, I'm pro-choice. She looked at me with the GREATEST disgust ever when I told her that...I thought she was literally going to eat my soul...She just looked at me and told me something along the lines of, "How dare you think that pro-choice is an option! You're a baby killer." My mom told me the same thing.

Let me just state that I am NOT a baby killer thankyouverymuch. I would never personally get an abortion if I were to ever get prego in the eggo. But what right do I have to tell another woman what she can and cannot do. Hello, free will, welcome to the party.

Well that post took an interesting turn...