Can we be good without God?

American society is deeply rooted in political and religious ideals. The early settlers who came to America were interested in promoting their religion and furthering their political ideals. Initially, this was done under the direction of their mother country. The settlers soon discovered freedom to practice their own political and religious desires because the old homeland was too far away to enforce any rules.
The settlers soon realized if they were to survive as a country they would need to tolerate each other's religious differences and agree on a new political codes. These changes were difficult and slow. Not all Americans were religious, with the new freedom to practice religion came the freedom to not practice as well. The original authors of the Constitution were not all religious, some were well known atheists and agnostics. Tolerance in all forms became the norm.
Tinder weaves a delicate and tender argument that believes it is necessary to have God and political ambitions entwined. Tinder asks, "If we turn away ....from God, ....what will deliver us from a politically fatal fear?" ( Beedles 86). Tinder uses various tones, formal and casual, to appeal to his reader on a familiar basis and on a scholarly level. Tinder fears for the future because he believes without God our future is unstable.
I believe that religions are still continuing to grow and flourish, but perhaps not in a traditional way preferred by Tinder. I've attended church at the drag races and I know services are also held at coffee houses. Goodness is embedded in our political systems. Some of our laws mimic the ten commandments, which is from the Bible. Christians often refer to the Bible as God's word. Morality can be justified without a religious background. In this country, it's hard to escape religion because it's everywhere in our society, from the Pledge of Allegiance to our laws.

First Impression

There are several differences between how a first impression is made through a traditional class versus an online class. There are an infinite number of social blunders one can make during a traditional class. Social precautions to take during a traditional class include punctuality and physical appearance. Conversely, an online classroom allows for a limited first impression confined to a few hundred words of introduction at the time of your choosing. Although the impression is very limited, there is less chance for social error, and students may gain acceptance if they are amicable.

It's interesting to reflect upon the vast amount of students at ASU and not consider most of them to be strangers. An antonym for a stranger is an acquaintance. During this online class, as well as in a traditional class, students will make some acquaintances. An online course is more personable than a traditional class since everyone is given an opportunity to express their opinion. The downfall becomes not being able to place the name with the face.

Gergen is pondering how the changing social landscape is impacting ideals of yesterday. This author wonders if the freedom to do more and the access to more knowledge is ruining our relationships. There are more opportunities and freedoms than ever before for our society. The individual may at times feel that various planes of their personality are being sheared away, but the more we discover about ourselves, the easier it will be to maintain relationships.

Lori Robertson

Hello Fellow English 215 Students:

I am actually working on my second bachelor's degree. Sadly, they would not accept my previous English 215, so here I go again.

My first degree is in accounting and I used to work as a tax accountant and auditor for a CPA firm. I earned my first degree at New Mexico State. Now that I have kids I think that those crazy hours won't work anymore and I'm working on my degree in speech pathology.