"Critical Thinking"

What happened to common sense? I started school this past year and they have all these new buzz words. The one that baffles me the most is the term "critical thinking." This is what professors do and what anyone who disagrees with them don't do. This to me seem kind of funny because when ever I have talked to people who actually are doing what the professors only teach, they seem to come to the conclusion that it doesn't work exactly the way they have been taught. In other words professors teach theories that sometimes work in an environment that is not challenged. I speak broadly as there are some professors that truly understand reality and have in many cases lived in the world of doers of the work. I believe that the high and lofty accomplishment of being able to "critically think" pales in comparison to those who can "deductively reason" and actually solve the problems that critical thinkers leave in their wake. It is amazing to me that when confronted with opposition how many professors begin to call names and spew rhetorical garbage, throwing out the accusation that I am unable to think for myself. I find it interesting that you must think like them or you don't know how to think for yourself. It would seem that they should encourage more points of view, wouldn't that be the scholarly thing to do, to study it, to ponder it and have an open mind to accept new information or even more difficult accept old ideas as solid truth?
I think I have figured out one of the great mysteries of the universe.(tongue in cheak) In order to have an open mind it must be closed to anything that does not agree with the politically correct mantra of the day. That means that your mind must be made of jello in order for you to change from moment to moment and it must be like a sponge in order for you to soak up all that your teachers or peers are telling you to think. Your mind must be blind so that you can not see beyond today nor can it look back into the past.
Truly education is important. However, what some professors call education I would call propaganda. I don't believe it is the proper role of education to politically indoctrinate students. This includes Elementary Schools through the University levels. I of course know that it would nearly be impossible to weed out such attitudes due to the lack of practical experience in the general educators realm as well as the ease of "critical thinking"; However, a professor should be up front in letting their students know that they refuse to expand their minds to accept any time proven truths.
Education should be a transfer of knowledge. The ablity to think should be encouraged and promotion of multiple oppinions and perspectives should be the pinnacle of education. The ability to use what we learn is more important than the paper that hangs on our wall.
If I owned my own business I would be hard pressed to hire a professor, they are likely to argue with my success, even if I tried it their way and failed.

Reverence

Behold the footprint of God! I Believe that if God had a favorite place this just might be one of them. I know that I feel his presence when I am there. This place is sacred to me. Some people describe reverence as folding ones arms and remaining quiet. I don't believe this is so. I believe that reverence is in the heart when you feel reverence then you act according to the situation. That may be laughing and enjoying a family outing or it may be a quiet pondering of the greatness of our surroundings. It may be a warmth in our heart for all the blessings we have recieved in our lives. What ever that feeling is reverence inspires respect for God's property as well as our own existence.

Politics

I have never been more disappointed in politics than I have this year. I consider myself very conservative. I am truly unsure why it is that conservatives have been branded as environmental terrorist who are filled with hate toward every living creature. I think that those who lead us decieve us. They maintain their power by dividing and propagandizing. I do not believe that liberals and conservatives have any different goals. I just happen to believe that their is a better way of actually accomplishing the task.
I believe that global warming is a natural phenomenon that man has little to do with. I believe in science and science is rarely good when half the arguement is silenced. I believe that when you start with the premise that man is the fault you are leaving out too many other factors such as the sun's weather cycles, etc. I am not a scientist but I do remember a time in history when people thought the world was flat and when it was questioned the "round earth" theorists where banished, silenced, or put to death. It doesn't make sense to me that if we can only effect global warming by 1/1000 of a percent over the next what ever many years by going green it does not seem to me that we could possibly be the problem. By reversing the process we would have to assume that man would have created the problem long before the combustion engine was even in existence.
This global warming is not just a bad science but when we create a false crisis and then think that man can do anything about it we begin to disrupt the natural order and people become victims of an unneccesary war. The casualties of this war are truly those impoverished countries which can not feed themselves. The United States of America once known as the worlds "bread basket" is now importing wheat instead of exporting wheat to those who need it. If we are importing wheat then not only are we not providing other countries, but we are now taking away even more. So, when people complain about the casualties of war they better look at how many people are starving because of an unneccesary war on global warming.
Anyways I believe that God created this earth for man and it is our responsiblity to take care of it to tend it and make it better, that does not mean that we do not use its resources. I believe that man has the obligation to utilize and create all that he can and he should replenish the earth as he uses it. When the purpose of the earth reaches an end then God's plan will simply continue according as has already been planned. I don't believe that we will be able to stop the master plan already in process. Our purpose is to learn to become better people. Learn to treat each other better, by following the ten commandments we have been given the way to happiness. And that is what God wants us to be.
Funny how God creeps into politics. I think that the problem is not when God creeps into politics but when politics tries to control God.