Yippeeee! Love this feeling. Most pressurized part of admission is over.
Tell me your impressions, whether it flows, makes sense, is focused, if I need to add/subtract anything, etc.
I feel the 2nd para. needs work on its flow. I threw it together kinda like a butcher makes sausage.
I also think I could explain a few ideas in greater detail or with a couple more supportive examples.
Important question, do I need to make a works cited page and cite my sources for the Meno quote and/or the preacher's email article?
Thank you!! :)
Prompt:
Personal Essay
Choose an issue of importance to you - the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope - and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
Here it is:
"...if we believed that we must try to find out what is not known, we should be better and braver and less idle than if we believed that what we do not know it is impossible to find out and that we need not even try."
-Socrates from Plato's dialogue Meno
As the hemlock swiftly dispelled his form's breath and motion, the Greek philosopher Socrates reified faith. Socrates held conviction of such strength that his court defense in its blunt defiance sealed the jurors' final sentence of execution. Thankfully, First Amendment rights protect United States citizens from the type of governmental persecution Socrates faced. Nonetheless, as a follower of Christianity, I admire Socrates's faith. Unfortunately, many followers of religion fail to develop such personal assertion, rendering their supposed faith meaningless. As citizens of the United States, an exemplar of democracy paid for by an unfathomable amount of suffering, religious followers owe the opposite of nonchalant treatment of their liberty. By holding a faith born from investigation, I am honest to myself and the global religious community.
When I asked my mother how she knew God existed, she answered "How do you know Abraham Lincoln existed"? While this answer failed to answer my question, it provided me with the perspective necessary in my search for the truth. The faith a person holds in their belief of a Hindu deity parallels my belief in the sixteenth president. Neither person has seen these two figures in their lifetime, yet both believe the supporting evidence based on authority and reason. Unfortunately, the only trip available to discovering the truth receives low ratings for its enjoyment. I remember the fear I felt knowing that listening to views opposing the faith of my parents meant the possibility of accepting its falsehood. The rewards of attaining truth, however, far exceeded the value of past discomfort.
Several months ago, I received an email from a Midwestern preacher entitled "Will Your Children Grow Up to Be Christians?" To my disappointment, the preacher's article never once mentioned critical thinking. Instead, I gathered the preacher's hypothesis to state that, "if a child was raised in a strong Christian environment, then the child would most likely become a strong Christian." The favorable example set by their parents' Christian actions, he explained, would cause the young adult's faith to blossom. As the child of Christian parents, I reflected upon my own experience of conversion to Christianity. Mixing critical reasoning with my religious study proved essential to finding a faith neither blind nor wavering.
Reading Plato's Apology I find it difficult to imagine Socrates's heart not pounding in his chest as he deliberately presented a defense futile in convincing the council. The bravery and humility of his life's work speaks to followers of all religions. Conviction defines one's faith and, as Socrates asserts, increases a person's virtue. I once asked myself: "Do I differ from a child raised by atheist parents?" "No," I concluded. That child and I accepted parental wisdom, followed routine, and nestled deep into complacency's warmth. Ignoring the snooze button's call and rolling out of bed to greet the goose bumps, we leaped to catch faith from the sky.
Tell me your impressions, whether it flows, makes sense, is focused, if I need to add/subtract anything, etc.
I feel the 2nd para. needs work on its flow. I threw it together kinda like a butcher makes sausage.
I also think I could explain a few ideas in greater detail or with a couple more supportive examples.
Important question, do I need to make a works cited page and cite my sources for the Meno quote and/or the preacher's email article?
Thank you!! :)
Prompt:
Personal Essay
Choose an issue of importance to you - the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope - and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
Here it is:
"...if we believed that we must try to find out what is not known, we should be better and braver and less idle than if we believed that what we do not know it is impossible to find out and that we need not even try."
-Socrates from Plato's dialogue Meno
As the hemlock swiftly dispelled his form's breath and motion, the Greek philosopher Socrates reified faith. Socrates held conviction of such strength that his court defense in its blunt defiance sealed the jurors' final sentence of execution. Thankfully, First Amendment rights protect United States citizens from the type of governmental persecution Socrates faced. Nonetheless, as a follower of Christianity, I admire Socrates's faith. Unfortunately, many followers of religion fail to develop such personal assertion, rendering their supposed faith meaningless. As citizens of the United States, an exemplar of democracy paid for by an unfathomable amount of suffering, religious followers owe the opposite of nonchalant treatment of their liberty. By holding a faith born from investigation, I am honest to myself and the global religious community.
When I asked my mother how she knew God existed, she answered "How do you know Abraham Lincoln existed"? While this answer failed to answer my question, it provided me with the perspective necessary in my search for the truth. The faith a person holds in their belief of a Hindu deity parallels my belief in the sixteenth president. Neither person has seen these two figures in their lifetime, yet both believe the supporting evidence based on authority and reason. Unfortunately, the only trip available to discovering the truth receives low ratings for its enjoyment. I remember the fear I felt knowing that listening to views opposing the faith of my parents meant the possibility of accepting its falsehood. The rewards of attaining truth, however, far exceeded the value of past discomfort.
Several months ago, I received an email from a Midwestern preacher entitled "Will Your Children Grow Up to Be Christians?" To my disappointment, the preacher's article never once mentioned critical thinking. Instead, I gathered the preacher's hypothesis to state that, "if a child was raised in a strong Christian environment, then the child would most likely become a strong Christian." The favorable example set by their parents' Christian actions, he explained, would cause the young adult's faith to blossom. As the child of Christian parents, I reflected upon my own experience of conversion to Christianity. Mixing critical reasoning with my religious study proved essential to finding a faith neither blind nor wavering.
Reading Plato's Apology I find it difficult to imagine Socrates's heart not pounding in his chest as he deliberately presented a defense futile in convincing the council. The bravery and humility of his life's work speaks to followers of all religions. Conviction defines one's faith and, as Socrates asserts, increases a person's virtue. I once asked myself: "Do I differ from a child raised by atheist parents?" "No," I concluded. That child and I accepted parental wisdom, followed routine, and nestled deep into complacency's warmth. Ignoring the snooze button's call and rolling out of bed to greet the goose bumps, we leaped to catch faith from the sky.
Do You Need