"God hates fags." "Homosexuals are possessed by demons." "Scientology classifies homosexuality as an illness." These are a few examples of the derogatory words written on picket signs paraded around at any homophobic protest. Many people that belong to certain religions believe homosexuality is a decision and not an identity that someone is born with. Christianity is the main religion where the mindset is that. They compare it to the means of a disorder or a disease. They believe that it can just go away with treatment, and for a time the medical community agreed. However, homosexuality cannot be cured because it is a sexual orientation that can be hidden or masked but does not go away. Trying to “treat” a person of homosexuality can result in serious mental health problems.

"If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them." That is a clear line in the old testament of the Christian bible that shaped many people’s opinions on homosexuality. According to a Washington Post poll, 35% of Americans oppose marriage equality, meaning those people are most likely against gays and believe being gay is a decision. This was before June 26, when the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage be legal in all 50 states. There was pride, happiness, and rainbows throughout the country but, not everyone was happy with that decision. Those unhappy people were the ones who did not want equality for homosexuals and wanted them to change.

In the 80s through the 90s, there were several methods through which Christians expressed their disgust towards gays. They have always spread their message that homosexuality is a curable disorder. Conversion therapy, a treatment that aims to convert any homosexual to heterosexual, was very popular. This type of therapy started around the 19th century, and persisted for over a hundred years. Recently president Barack Obama expressed his support for the ban of these therapies. Studies show that the conversion treatments do more harm that what is believed to be good.  "There is no scientific evidence that reparative or conversion therapy is effective in changing a person's sexual orientation. There is, however, evidence that this type of therapy can be destructive," says Rodrigo Munoz, a president of the American Psychiatric Association. These treatments can cause serious mental health problems in the patients, coming from the urge of the patient to change, but being unable to do so. They just feel as if they are not normal and do not fit in with society.

Up until 1973, homosexuality was listed a mental illness in the DMV (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual.) Research into the origin, causes, and development led to its removal within the book. Some theorists argue that it emerges in adolescence, while some argue that an individual’s upbringing can influence homosexuality. Further scientific research prove not only that homosexuality isn’t a choice, it also suggests that is an inherited trait.  According to a 2014 study in the journal Psychological Medicine, “A gene on the X chromosome (one of the sex chromosomes) called Xq28 and a gene on chromosome 8 seem to be found in higher prevalence in men who are gay. That study, involving more than 400 pairs of gay brothers, followed the 1993 report by geneticist Dean Hamer suggesting the existence of a "gay gene." This biological evidence contradicts the arguments that these people choose to be gay.

Religious beliefs, however, have mostly stayed the same. The Christian bible, a collection of sacred texts, has much authority over the lives of Christians. There are many verses proclaiming that homosexuality is wrong which clearly suggests that it is a choice. Fortunately, there is some evolution on the part of Christians. The Nalt Christians Project, a group of christians proclaiming their belief in full LGBT equality, says, “Without an explicit directive from God to exclude and condemn homosexuals, the Christian community’s treatment of gay persons is in clear violation of what Jesus and the New Testament writers pointedly identified as one-half of God’s most important commandment: to love one’s neighbor as one’s self.” Christians don’t have to support equality, but it is important to respect it and to know the facts and accept that it is not a decision, but an orientation.

Works Cited

Cox, John Woodrow. "Poll: Gay-marriage Support at Record High." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/poll-gay-marriage-support-at-record-high/2015/04/22/f6548332-e92a-11e4-aae1-d642717d8afa_story.html>.

"Taking God at His Word: The Bible and Homosexuality." The NALT Christians Project RSS. N.p., 23 July 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.notalllikethat.org/taking-god-at-his-word-the-bible-and-homosexuality/>.

"Homosexuality: Nature or Nurture." AllPsych. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://allpsych.com/journal/homosexuality/#.VhxM_ELFvVr>.

For years, professional researchers as well as parents and teachers have been tackling the topic of what television does to children’s development. Many people have been under the impression that TV is not harmful to young brains and provides distractions and entertainment when needed, but studies completed  in the last couple years have challenged that belief. Researchers have conducted hundreds of experiments trying to prove what’s right for kids. One common outcome is that children under the age of two should not be exposed to TV because there is a higher chance they will have developmental issues. Television can damage the brain development of young children because it doesn’t provide them with the necessary skills they learn by interacting in face to face communication.

In the earliest stages of life, proper brain development is very crucial, and the biggest influence on this development is the actions of the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the newborn child. What a child is and isn’t exposed to in the first years of life can negatively or positively affect a child’s future development. In an article published by The National Center for Infants, Toddlers, Families, the author explained that  “Infants prefer human stimuli-your face, voice, touch, and even smell--over everything else. They innately orient to people's faces and would rather listen to a speech or singing than any other kind of sound.” Videos and TV aren’t prefered by babies and doesn’t help with their initial brain development. Face to face interaction helps children learn different skills like identifying sounds, facial expressions, and different senses while TV doesn’t provide any of these skills. Without these vital initial skills, proper brain development could be jeopardized. 

Despite the debate about the affect of children and technology, many parents, daycares, and child care facilities use television to keep young children occupied. Most of these people don’t want to bring harm to the children, but they might be tricked into believing that TV produced for children will help. Dr. Cris Rowan, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, wrote an article giving information into the use of technology on young children. He says, “This situation has prompted France to ban its broadcasters from airing TV shows aimed at children under three years of age (CBC News, 2008), and Disney to offer refunds for their “Baby Einstein” DVD‟s (NY Times, 2009).”  “Baby TV” is popular among parents with small children who think that these programs will improve their child’s intelligence, but many of these shows do not show improvement at all. In fact, they affect a child’s brain development negatively. Even France saw the harm in TV for infants and banned the “Baby TV” shows and offers refunds to the famous baby program “Baby Einstein”.

Doctors and scientists haven’t found health effects from technology in children younger than two, but they have found them in older children. Infants watching TV can lead to long term effects that might not be detected until they are almost ready for school. An article published  by the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics stated,” Media use has been associated with obesity, sleep issues, aggressive behaviors, and attention issues in preschool- and school-aged children . . . Although parents perceive a televised program to be a calming sleep aid, some programs actually increase bedtime resistance, delay the onset of sleep, cause anxiety about falling asleep, and shorten sleep duration.” Obesity, sleep issues, aggressive behavior, and many other issues are very serious. These problems bring stress to parents and kids and frustrate them because they know that something could have been done earlier in the child’s life to prevent it. When technology is used in such young children, important pieces they need for growth are missing and are expressed at an older age. Early proper interaction with infants can make their development stronger and improve their skills later in life.

If parents stopped to think about it, they would realize that the effects of TV on children under the age of two is not just about their developmental issues down the road, but about their interaction with other people as well. Even though Baby TV claims to be doing good for children to become smarter, it does not help children interact with each other. As a result, when children eventually go to school, and have been exposed to Baby TV earlier in their lives, they have a harder time interacting face to face with other children.  Television and technology are amazing things, but when used improperly, can be harmful. Infants under the age of two should not be exposed to any type of technology because their is a risk of harmful brain development that may appear later in life. Babies at that age need hands-on interaction to develop good skills later on in life but things like “Baby TV”, that claim to make babies smarter, do the exact opposite.

Citations

1. "The Effects of Video and Television on Young Children: Research and Reflection for Christian Educators | Lutheran Education Journal."Lutheran Education Journal RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <http://lej.cuchicago.edu/early-childhood-education/the-effects-of-video-and-television-on-young-children-research-and-reflection-for-christian-educators/>.

2. "SUPPORT US." ZERO TO THREE. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_brainFAQ>.

3. A Research Review regarding the Impact of Technology on Child Development, Behavior, and Academic Performance. (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

4. "Media Use by Children Younger Than 2 Years." Media Use by Children Younger Than 2 Years. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/5/1040.full>.

Ty Ellerbe

Fire stream 

Many Americans have expressed negative feelings towards illegal immigration.These groups feel  feel as though immigrants are getting freedom and benefits for free, and that these immigrants don’t give their fare share of contributions to the United States. In reality, however, Illegal immigrants bring endless opportunities and hard work to America. Illegal immigrants should be accepted in America because they work as much, if not harder, than the average American citizen to be considered a part of the society in America.

For the longest time, illegal immigrants have come and done the jobs that many Americans won’t do and will do. They have gotten jobs ranging from janitors and store owners to lawyers and doctors. There is an endless amount of jobs that illegal immigrants have here in America, that contribute to the well being of this country. The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that immigration would increase U.S. employment and raise wages. Illegal immigrants bring nothing but skill and opportunity. Illegal Immigrants contribute to the unemployment rate, which is at 5.0 % according to the Bureau of labor Statistics.  Having Illegal Immigrants come to America helps America financially.

Another financial benefit of immigrants is that they create new businessness for America. These new businesses help America in a very big way economic and financial aspect. A study put out by National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) found that venture-backed companies with at least one foreign-born founder are responsible for an increasing amount of IPOs and subsequent job creation (Fast company).  Huffington post shows you companies such as google, at&t and ebay, that are run by immigrants. These Immigrants that own these billion and trillion dollar companies are working ten times hard than natives of America to be successful in this country.

Contrary to popular belief, illegal immigrants also pay taxes. Many Americans believe that while illegal immigrants are here, they are living off the government for free. The Fiscal times says “The 50-state analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released on Thursday found that roughly 8.1 million of 11.4 million undocumented immigrants who work paid more than $11.8 billion in state and local taxes in 2012, even while they were living illegally in the country.”  Since a lot of people believe that illegal immigrants are living in America for free, they feel as if they have not earned their stay and should pay as much as a citizen does to live here. The statistic proves those people wrong and that even though these immigrants are illegal they still follow the same regimen as a person who is legal and are not trying to live here for free. They are giving their hard owned money just like the natives of America.

All in all, Illegal immigrants are earning their way in America like anyone else. There is no difference between the natives of America and illegal immigrants except of for the fact that they are illegal. Illegal immigrants work so hard to escape hardships unknown from their countries. They come to America, for a better chance at life and for more opportunities. They are willing to show how much they want to be in America and are not taking it for granted like some Americans do. They want to be here and they are putting in countless day and nights and working harder that most Americans. It’s time they are showed the respect they have deserve.

Bibliography

“Forbes.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2015. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlenzner/2013/04/25/40-largest-u-s-companies-founded-by-immigrants-or-their-children/>

“Databases, Tables &Amp; Calculators by Subject.” Bureau of Labor Statistics Data. Web. 7 Nov. 2015. <http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/lns14000000>

Fairchild, Caroline. “16 Iconic American Companies Founded By Immigrants.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/american-companies-founded-by-immigrants_n_3116172.html>

“The Shocking Stats About Who's Really Starting Companies In America.” Fast Company. N.p., 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2015. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3015616/the-shocking-stats-about-whos-really-starting-companies-in-america>

“Why Immigration Is Good for U.S. Growth.” Washington Times. The Washington Times, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Haisha Hahsy

Fire  Stream

Communication

Communication over time has evolved rapidly with the change of each generation, and most, have developed their own new way of communicating with themselves and each other. The older generations are usually known for their wisdom and experiences throughout their lives, while the younger generations are thought to need to learn more. The older generations can learn from the younger generations about the way they communicate.

Communication has altered over time just as young generations have turned into older generations. Older generations have usually been recognized as having wisdom and being more wise for the life experiences they have had. So the younger are always the ones to learn from them.  Older people are always the people the young are supposed to look up to.

     The younger generation always has adapted and created new ways of communication. The older generation can learn that these new ways can be used to the fullest to make life a little easier.  Over time the ways of communication has changed rapidly. From spoken word stories from past generations being told over again, to today’s microblogging and online content collaboration.  Now matter what the situation has been, consistently the young generation has always been able to keep up with it.  The older generation always tells the younger generation they need to communicate more .  Daily Mail a big news producer in the US and especially in the UK tell us how texting and emailing on phones made communicating, better with others. “More than half also use a text or email message to apologise for a workplace mistake.” Daily Mail also tells us about how relationships are more truthful in text compared to when their is no texting.  The older gen think, that the new ways for communication are useless and do not need use of. For it is making us speak with less emotion.

Phone calls are what the older generation seems to be used to  but  young generation favors apps like Messenger, Whatsapp, Viber, and Keek.  Pew Research Center, tells about the younger generation vs the older generation texting differences on a daily basis. The younger generation sends an average of 109 messages per day while the older generation sends about 41 messages per day.  Frank Newport an economy expert and journalist tells us about the percentage of sending text messages between the younger and older generation. Ages from 14-25 have 68% chance to send a message while 50-64 year olds have the chance of 26%; then 65 and above have a 8% chance. The older generation can learn from the young generation that there is a need to notice that there are different ways of communicating.  Messaging only takes a few seconds while making a class takes the time to prepare for. A text you can send anytime on the bus, fastly in class, or even right before going to bed. While making a call you cannot do at most places including the bus and class.  There are much easier ways now to communicate with others.

The older generation has always told us to learn from them but now it is the other way around. Now the older generation can learn from the younger generation about communication. Now there are different ways of communicating that are much easier and fit better into one's life on a daily basis. CBS News tells about the iphone in the year of 2007 and the percentage increase of 450% texting and making life easier for most.  

Although the older generation might not think new communication matters much it’s influence goes beyond our daily lives to all humans. Communicating the new way seems much more efficient yet the older gen still need to look at the younger. Understand where they are coming from. For the young generation cannot go back to using telegraphs.

Sites:

• "Communication Through The Ages Infographic - Atlassian."Communication Through The Ages Infographic - Atlassian. Atlassian. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. <https://www.atlassian.com/communication-through-the-ages-infographic>.

• Andal, Elizabeth. "8 Communication Skills to Overcome the Generation Gap." Lifehack RSS. 2015. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/8-communication-skills-overcome-the-generation-gap.html>.

• Walker, Leslie. "10 Cool Mobile Messaging Apps." About.com Tech. About Tech, 2015. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <http://personalweb.about.com/od/mobile-messaging/tp/8-Mobile-Messaging-Apps.htm>.

• Newport, Frank. "The New Era of Communication Among Americans." Gallup.com. Gallup, 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/179288/new-era-communication-americans.aspx>.

• Smith, Aaron. "Americans and Text Messaging." Pew Research Center Internet Science Tech RSS. Pew Research, 18 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. <http://www.pewinternet.org/2011/09/19/americans-and-text-messaging/>.

• Reddy, Pujitha. "10 Things Old People Can Teach You - List Dose." List Dose. List Dose, 6 July 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. <http://listdose.com/10-things-old-people-can-teach-you/>.

• "Made Texting Easier and Calling Obsolete." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 2015. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/how-the-iphone-changed-our-lives/>.

• Reporter, Daily. "How Texting Makes the Hard Things in Life Easier for Cowards." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 17 Apr. 2008. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1015825/How-texting-makes-harder-things-life-easier-cowards.html>.

New scientific discoveries are made every day. Technology is an ever-present force in almost every American’s life. In schools, there's a very vocal push for STEM education, to make sure that the United States stays competitive with other nations in producing computer scientists and engineers. With all of this, it would be very reasonable to assume that science education is in a great state. This, however, is not the case. The importance of science is overlooked by almost all of the parties who have influence over it. Compared to other classes, especially English and math, science is hugely under prioritized.

One major hurdle towards STEM success is that the standardized tests that often decide kids’ futures basically don’t care about science. For example, the SAT has eighty minutes devoted to math and between one-hundred and one-hundred-forty minutes devoted to English, depending on whether or not students take an optional essay, and zero minutes devoted to science, although recently, there was a slight push to include questions relevant to science in the English and math sections. The ACT has sixty minutes devoted to math, either eighty or one-hundred-twenty minutes devoted to English, depending on whether or not students take an optional essay. and only thirty-five minutes for science. These tests are so important to students that high school curriculums are often based around helping kids do well on these specific tests. As these tests are mostly lacking science, students and educators have very limited motivation to learn and teach about science, respectively. Additionally, science SAT subject tests are nowhere near as as ubiquitous as the traditional SAT is. If learning science has such limited relevance to college acceptance, schools will always prioritize the avenues of education that send their students to college. Therefore, science takes a backseat to reading and math.

Costliness is another significant issue. Science education, in its most effectively educational form, is more expensive than math or English education. Science education is most effective when peppered with laboratory experimentation. Researchers at Penn State found that “...school laboratory activities have special potential as media for learning that can promote important science learning outcomes for students [sic].” However, “construction costs can reach $150 to $200 per square foot [for school laboratories], according to Motz and other experts, an especially daunting proposition, considering that NSTA recommends 1,440 square feet for a lab serving 24 students. Adding laboratory furniture and cabinets can cost another $25,000 to $60,000 per room.” This is because laboratories require advanced equipments, materials, and types of major upkeep that reading and math classrooms don’t need, because of the nature of science. Chemistry classes require expensive chemicals; biology classes require specimens; physics classes require models and modelling materials. Scientists barely receive enough funding to run a lab; schools certainly don’t. Since science is more difficult to fund than other classes, science is rarely taught properly.

Even the government is out to get science. In 2002, there was a law passed called the “No Child Left Behind” Act (NCLB). NCLB makes schools enforce standardized testing, and schools that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on these tests for enough years consecutively suffer harsh consequences. AYP is just an average improvement over their previous year’s cores. Much like the SAT/ACT, NCLB places a testing emphasis on English, specifically reading, in this case, and math. “No Child Left Behind requires that… each state must measure every child's progress in reading and math in each of grades 3 through 8 and at least once during grades 10 through 12… states must also have in place science assessments to be administered at least once during grades 3-5; grades 6-9; and grades 10-12.” This means that K-12 students are to be tested on math and reading seven times each and science only thrice. Even more importantly, however, is this: “Science is not included in AYP calculations.” Because of this, the three times they are tested on science won’t affect their schools’ AYP, and won’t cause their schools to suffer or not suffer. Teachers don’t have the motivation to prioritize science at all when the federal government practically punishes them for teaching anything but ELA and math.

The College Board and whoever designs the ACT spit on science by ignoring it and removing the motivation to teach and to learn it. State governments spit on science by refusing to create budgets that will allow teachers to properly teach it. Finally, the federal government spits on science by passing laws that force teachers to emphasize ELA and math over science to a huge degree. Science education isn’t just about school, as anyone who might stop to think about it would realize; it’s about the safety of American innovation and the health of the populace. Science education promotes the advancement of medical and technological sciences, which are integral to a continually growing society. The powers that be all have the ability to change their rules, their allotment of money, and their allotment of test space, but since NCLB was introduced, science education has been on an apparent downward spiral towards technological and medical illiteracy.

Works Cited:

"Description of the ACT." Test Descriptions. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Hofstein, Avi, and Vincent N. Lunetta. "The Laboratory in Science Education: Foundations for the Twenty-First Century." The Laboratory in Science Education: Foundations for the Twenty-First Century (2002): n. pag. Pennsylvania State University. Web.

"SAT (2016) vs PSAT (2015)." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Sawko, Jessica. "Update on 2015 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)." California Classroom Science. N.p., 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Schachter, Ron. "School Science Labs." District Administration Magazine. N.p., Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

"Testing: Frequently Asked Questions." Testing: Frequently Asked Questions. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Humility, optimism, compassion, and progressiveness: These are all examples of the traits arguably desired in a modern religious leader. Argentine pontiff Pope Francis has more than proved that he has these desired traits. Time and time again, the new pontiff has been greeted by the people with thunderous applause and cheers of joy, and their admiration of him is justified by the way Francis  has been running the Catholic Church and contributing to modern global issues. His progressive stance on issues of social justice such as divorce, climate change, and the treatment of the LGBT community, combined with his optimism, humility, and compassion, have earned him the adoration of the people and the respect of his fellow bishops. He is so different from other bishops and monarchs because, unlike stereotypical religious leaders , Pope Francis is actually, genuinely concerned for the needs of the unfortunate and downtrodden.

Pope Francis’ growing popularity has attracted the attention of admirers from every race, religion, and nation. His diverse collection of people who adore him was exhibited during his recent visit to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. One of the many people who Francis is popular with is a Liberian immigrant named Juwli Roberts-Karluah, who said that the new pontiff is “trying to bring us back together.” This means that even in a world torn apart by violence and pain, the Pope is confident that humans can come back together as one. Francis is also seen as sort of a messianic healer, especially by Leslie Herring. This woman dreams that her disabled daughter, Debianne, will learn to conquer her innate cerebral palsy and epilepsy when the Pope kisses her. The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia even traveled to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis. Sister Anna Grace Neenan demonstrated her profound knowledge of why he is so loveable, describing how people “see his goodness and are attracted to it, Catholic and non-Catholic, rich and poor.” This ultimately means that when people listen to his speeches or read about what he does for the world, they look up to him as a sort of Christ-like figure. Those of his admirers who aren’t Catholic admire him for his open-mindedness and fair treatment of people of other faiths and races.

Francis’ relatability, friendly demeanor, and willingness to live like a working-class man, despite his position, has earned him the epithet of “The People’s Pope.” This is demonstrated by many of his lifestyle choices, even though it is traditional for Pope to live in the Vatican Palace. This may be because he wants to show everyone that he views himself as not above or below the common man, but equal to him. As a cardinal, Pope Francis had a habit of using public transportation to get around the Vatican City instead of being driven in an expensive car. He also lives in a small apartment instead of living in the lap of luxury in the palace. Plus, he appears to have taken up a sort of “servant leadership,” meaning that he believes the pontiff is meant to serve rather than be served. According to an article by pastor and writer Chris Nye, the reason for his status as a “servant leader” is to connect himself to the younger, “more cynical” generation-so he can break rules and traditions that “shouldn’t even exist.” Through this generous outlook on life, he is much more willing to provide financial, physical, and spiritual help to those most in need of it. He demonstrated this characteristic by washing the feet of young women in a prison, one of whom was a Serbian Muslim. Apparently, it is a break in papal tradition for a pope to be tending to the needs of women, let alone Muslim women.

Arguably the most admirable trait about Pope Francis is his attitude towards current events, not to mention his dauntless pursuit of goals that most churches are avoiding . And to top it off, he has reinstated the Vatican as a major player in international diplomacy. The Argentine pontiff’s views on life are described as, “accessible and concise.” Even though his quotes about life are simple and straight-forward they are also very profound. For example, he describes the Catholic Church as a “love story,” rather than an “institution.” He wants to attract more people to the Church but feels as though it should be more akin to an option for a new school. It is meant to welcome those who choose to attend with open arms rather than simply forcing outsiders to join (Nye). He has also taken a simple, but otherwise heartfelt, stance on war and violence, describing them as pure and simply, “madness; the suicide of humanity.” He uses social media and communication to spread his messages of peace and truth throughout the world, ideally ending the cultural wars on social justice issues including, but not limited to contraception, divorce, and the treatment of the LGBT community. He was also credited by both Cuba and the United States for helping to re-establish diplomatic relations between the two nations in the midst of tensions between them. Plus, he started an international campaign to prevent airstrikes in Syria, thus preventing more innocent casualties. Although these actions are all different, they were all inspired by Francis’ general desire to help people and make the world a much brighter place.

When asked, members of the Catholic Church might say that Pope Francis is doing nothing short of breaking Catholic traditions and giving them a bad name. Upon closer inspection, he is actually trying to help those less fortunate than himself. His willingness to work for peace and justice in the midst of overwhelming conflict, economic problems, the cynicism of the younger generation, and opposition against his progressive ways, makes Pope Francis a very compassionate man, as well as a courageous and outgoing one. The Argentine pontiff, dubbed “The People’s Pope,” by some, can be seen as an admirable role model and arguably the quintessence of a wise, just monarch and an agent for change. By spreading his message of love and peace via social media, combined with getting involved in politics, he has proven that even one voice can start a quest for peace and help to completely heal the world. This goal may seem outlandish, but due to his admirable qualities, belief in the human capacity for good, and willingness to share his sermons with the entire world, he is confident that others will soon follow in his footsteps and join him in his quest for world peace.

Sources

Dale, Maryclaire. “Pilgrims throng Philadelphia to see Pope Francis.” Public Opinion, Nation and World, Chambersburg Public Opinion. 26 September, 2015. Web. 6 October, 2015.

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/nation-world/ci_28882257/pilgrims-throng-philadelphia-see-pope-francis

Nye, Chris “Why is the Pope so Popular?” The Relevant, The Relevant. 13 June, 2013. Web. 6 October, 2015. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/why-pope-so-popular

O’Loughlin, Michael. “Pope Francis is Wildly Popular. So What?” Crux, Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. 8 April, 2015. Web. 6 October 2015. http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/04/08/pope-francis-is-wildly-popular-so-what/