People paint eggs for Easter. I explode them.

I thought I’d share this little thing that happened in the wee hours of yesterday. I was up late and got kind of hungry, and my mom had made tea eggs. (If you don’t know what tea eggs are, then…I feel so sorry for you, you poor deprived thing.) Unfortunately the eggs had gone cold, so I peeled one and put it in the microwave…

…and it EXPLODED.

*sigh*

I am ashamed to call myself a physicist. And the worst part was that there was virtually nothing left of the egg in the bowl I put it in. Ah well. I only made a little mess.

But I was still hungry, so I got another one and ate it cold.

A Critique of “Why I hate religion but love Jesus”

Alright, I first saw this video from a link on facebook that some people from fellowship posted up. Two days later, it’s got more than 11 million views. Youtube is amazing. *shakes head* I wonder if there’s an algorithm for determining which videos will go viral, because while they’re usually on controversial topics, not all controversial videos get big like that. Hmmm…

I like this video overall and I get what this guy is trying to say, but some of the lines struck me as a little iffy. Now that it’s gotten so popular, I might as well go through it with a fine-toothed comb. So here we go.

What if I told you, Jesus came to abolish religion?

Immediately this struck me as a no-no. Jesus didn’t come to abolish religion. He came to die on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins. He came to establish the one way that man can be reconciled to God. Essentially, he came to establish a religion—Christianity. Now, I think this guy’s problem is this: he didn’t define what religion is. If his definition of “religion” is the work-based system of man’s effort to earn his way to heaven, then I say amen, and I think that was what he was trying to get at. But a structured system of theology and church government is not a bad thing. Word choice is important.

What if I told you voting republican, really wasn’t his mission?

What if I told you republican doesn’t automatically mean Christian,

And just because you call some people blind, doesn’t automatically give you vision.

I mean if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars?

Ok, again, the use of “religion” here is dangerous, because this is exactly the type of argument that atheists bring to the table. Which religion started what wars? If you’re talking about Islam, I couldn’t agree more. If you’re talking about Christianity…First of all, Christianity does not make a person or a nation perfect, and imperfect people tend to have conflicts. A disagreement on doctrine can and do lead to conflict, but the Church doesn’t hurt its own over secondary issues. (For the sake of clarity—because I was onto this guy for not defining religion—I will capitalize “Church” to indicate the invisible Church of Christ throughout all generations and in the entire world, and will use the uncapitalized “church” to refer to a local congregation.) Lutherans and Baptists can get along swimmingly, even if they don’t agree on infant baptism or eschatology (AHH! It rhymes! I’m being infected by all the poetry!). Primary issues, however, define what makes a person or a church organization Christian, and this is something that we cannot back off on. Heretics are outside of the Church, and hence they are not Christian. However, the Christian Church does not say “death to the heretic!” or “death to the apostate!” like Islam does.

And about the crusades, ’cause I know this is what people think about when they tie religion and wars together, we (Christians) never started the conflict. It was because Islam was conquering vast amounts of territories, including Jerusalem, persecuting Christians in the conquered regions, and threatening to spread into Europe. The Roman Catholic Church (and this differs from the invisible Church) at that time decided that they needed to defend Europe and take back the Holy City. Now, how the first crusade’s mission later turned sour, I don’t know, and certainly some of the stuff they did was horrible and atrocious, but the point remains: the Church did not start the conflict and the Christian nations of Europe took up arms over just cause. (See jus ad bellum)

Why does it build huge churches, but fails to feed the poor?

The Church does feed the poor! In fact, probably no other group does more to help those in need than the Church! Now, perhaps some churches neglect to do so, but don’t accuse all Christians with them. Secondly, building a big church is not a bad thing. Now, I am not fond of megachurches, but if it has sound doctrine, and if a pastor or a church is blessed with a huge congregation and needs to expand, good for them! However, building huge churches in order to draw more people in and just trying to increase numbers is bad. Building a big church in itself is not a bad thing, but it can be a bad thing if the motivation behind it is wrong.

Tells single moms God doesn’t love them if they ever had a divorce

But in the Old Testament God actually calls the religious people whores

Uh, I’m sure no one who’s really Christian will say to divorced women that God doesn’t love them. Divorce is a bad thing and God hates it, but God loves people, even the divorced ones. That’s why he died for them.

Religion might preach grace, but another thing they practice,

Tend to ridicule Gods people, they did it to John the Baptist

Okay, I think he’s trying to say here that there are churches that preach grace but don’t practice it. I’ll give him that. Not sure what that has to do with John the Baptist though.

They can’t fix their problems, so they just mask it,

Not realizing religion’s like sprayin perfume on a casket

I think this is where I started to like the video. He’s finally gotten to the important point of salvation by grace alone and condemning a work-righteous system, and I wish this had been his main point all along.

See the problem with religion is that it never gets to the core,

It’s just behavior modification, like a long list of chores.

Let’s dress up the outside, make things look nice and neat,

But it’s funny that’s what they do to mummies, while the corpse rots underneath,

Now I ain’t judging I’m just saying quit putting on a fake look,

Because there’s a problem if people only know that you’re a Christian by your facebook

I mean in every other aspect of life, you know that logic’s unworthy

Its like saying you play for the Lakers just because you bought a jersey

See this was me too, but no one seemed to be on to me,

Acting like church kid, while addicted to pornography.

See on Sunday I’d go to church, but Saturday getting faded,

Acting as if I was simply created to just have sex and get wasted.

This is excellent. This is addressing the problem of the hypocrisy that is so rampant in churches today. This is convicting.

See I spend my whole life building this façade of neatness,

But now that I know Jesus, I boast in my weakness.

Because if grace is water, then the church should be an ocean,

It’s not a museum for good people, it’s a hospital for the broken

Which means I no longer have to hide my failure, I don’t have to hide my sin,

Because it doesn’t depend on me, it depends on him.

Oh, this is good. He’s getting to the gospel.

See, because when I was God’s enemy, and certainly not a fan,

He looked down and said, “I want that man!”

Which is why Jesus hated religion, and for it he called them fools

Don’t you see it’s so much better than just following some rules?

Now let me clarify, I love the church, I love the Bible, and yes I believe in sin

By the way, that’s religion. Just saying.

But if Jesus came to your church, would they actually let Him in?

Remember He was called a glutton and a drunkard by religious men

But the Son of God never supports self-righteousness, not now, not then.

Well, props on criticizing legalism and churches that don’t preach Jesus and the gospel. I don’t think it needs to be said that Jesus never supported self-righteousness though.

Now back to the point, one thing is vital to mention,

How Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrums,

One’s the work of God, but one’s a man made invention,

One’s the cure, but the other’s the infection.

Because religion says do, Jesus says done.

Religion says slave, Jesus says son,

Religion puts you in bondage while Jesus sets you free.

Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see.

Oh, this is outstanding, though again, he should have made sure that it’s clear in the beginning what his definition of religion is.

And that’s why religion and Jesus are two different clans,

Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God searching for man.

Which is why salvation is freely mine, and forgiveness is my own,

Not based on my merits, but Jesus’ obedience alone.

Because he took the crown of thorns, and the blood dripped down his face

He took what we all deserved, I guess it’s why you call it grace.

While being murdered he yelled, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Because when he was dangling on that cross, he was thinking of you

And he absorbed all your sin, and he buried it in the tomb,

Which is why I’m kneeling at the cross saying “Come on, there’s room.”

So for religion, I hate it; in fact I literally resent it,

Because when Jesus said, “It is finished!” I believe he meant it.

Excellent, excellent, excellent. This might have started out shaky, but it ended on a strong note. I just wish he had made this last bit containing the gospel the whole point. Again, he should have been careful with the use of the word “religion,” because Christianity is a religion. Define it at the beginning, and there will be less confusion and room for error.

First post of 2012!

A very belated Happy New Year to you, my journal. I am pleased to inform you that I have not failed my class, nor have I forgotten you…yet. Over the break I slept until twelve (or one, or two), spent about 40 hours driving in the car, went to Vegas to see the Lion King Broadway Show (which was utterly amazing, even if I have seen it before, and I can see it again), went to San Diego, and did a whole lot more of nothing. Oh, and I got some badminton in, finally.

I’m surprised how fast I’ve gotten used to writing ’12 on my papers. Usually it takes me about the middle of February to remember the year change. Well, this’ll be the last time, ’cause there ain’t no 2013! The world’s gonna end!
Not.

Well, we’ll know in December, and then we can laugh in the face of those conspiracy theorists…doomsday sayers…whatever their names are. I’m still waiting for my textbooks to arrive. And my keyboard protector. I ordered it weeks ago, and I’m beginning to think maybe it got lost in the system. If I don’t get it I’ll just have to manually clean my keyboard every couple of days or so. And my screen. And my new blue cover. Yes, I am that OCD. But getting back to the textbooks—I ordered two from Amazon two days ago, and they should arrive by Friday. A third one was a free rental that I paid shipping for from Neebo, and I hope it doesn’t take too long to get here. Textbooks are expensive! I sold two of the ones from last quarter to the bookstore, and it didn’t even amount to $30. I definitely paid over $100 for them last quarter. Stupid blood money-sucking UCD bookstore. My dear friend SOC advised me to sell it with Uloop to other students. Think I’ll take her up on that.

In other news, there was a bit of an event at the Quad around lunchtime. At first I thought it was another Occupy rally because of all the shouting, but on closer look, voila! Open-air preachers! When I listen to the people on Wretched Radio talk about going to university campuses and doing open-air I’m always thinking, “Hey what if somebody came to our campus?” Well, I guess I have my wish, and I’m not thrilled. It’s not at all because I don’t like open-air people, although their signs do say “Repent or perish” and stuff like that in very gaudy colors, and, not to say I agree with their methods, because I think it’s rather inefficient and uh, deficient (oh, look I’m rhyming), especially on a campus like ours. But at any rate they’re still believers and our fellow brethren, and seeing the hecklers harass them is just sad. I can’t say I’m surprised, but only now do I see how liberal Davis is. A side note—the new Student Community Center just opened, and immediately after you walk inside, there’s a sign over your head that says “Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center,” and the room is all decorated, with real nice chairs and trendy carpets. The Physics Department could use some decorating like that. We should petition Katehi. Oh wait. The school doesn’t have money, and that’s why they’re hiking our tuition. Sure explains why they spent all last year building dorms and the trendy new center and West Village.

Oh, back to the Quad. A couple of guys got really riled up. They shouted inane things just to drown out the preaching, like “There once was a fairy tale” or something like that. It’s really a sad sight, and if I may, quite revolting. Not only were they shouting, they made up makeshift posters with “**** this guy!” (censors added) and “Fashion sense like yours is a sin!” (or something like that) because two of the preachers were wearing bright orange jackets. Really. Is this how UCD students treat guests on campus? Is this how we’re to be known to outsiders, as the “Pepper Spray University” with students who behave obscenely toward people who share different religious convictions? Although I daresay if it was a Hindu organization or even a Muslim one, those people might not be so pissed off.

Of course, it was the minority of the crowd gathered there that were heckling the preachers. Most people just milled around to see the spectacle (like me). You couldn’t really hear what they were saying anyway. I saw some people from fellowship, and it was encouraging to see four of the guys gather around and pray. I don’t really know what they were praying for though; I wasn’t close enough to hear. Hey, maybe this’ll be on the Aggie tomorrow. I’ll have to grab a copy of it when I go to class.

UCD pepper spray incident

The madness of the Occupy movement has spread to UCD. Last week, protests were held at Mrak Hall, and later moved to the Quad on Thursday. And on Friday, when some people refused to leave the Quad after Katehi called for the tents to be cleared, the police used pepper spray on students and arrested about a dozen people. The video uploaded on youtube’s gone viral. We’re on prime time tv and national news. Overnight, UCD’s gone (in)famous.

On Monday, they held the largest rally in UCD history on the Quad. When I got to my physics lecture, the professor talked for about twenty minutes on what happened, and then told us that we’re free to go. My programming professor emailed us all that he’s not going to give new material so we don’t have to go to class. Most people went to the rally. I didn’t go, only passed by on my way home, and I saw some people from my fellowship at the flagpole who met up to pray for our campus. I reckon more than half of the entire student body was there, because there were thousands of people.

I realize that I’m really, really late to the discussion, but all the same, I still want to add my own piece. People are outraged over the police’s use of pepper spray and are blaming it all on Katehi and demanding her resignation. My opinion? It’s all blown out of proportion. Same thing happened at Berkeley about two weeks ago, and it was worse then. The police there used batons, not pepper spray, and people got hit and some were injured. I think all the attention is due to the video on youtube. Because the pepper spray was used on students who were seated, the cops looked really bad, and it looked really disturbing to the general public. I’m not familiar with police protocol or proper procedures for crowd control, so while I think the use of pepper spray was a bit excessive, I can’t condemn the police for breaking the rules. And I’m not keen on believing that the police grabbed someone and shoved pepper spray down their throat, because that sounds a lot like exaggerated propaganda to me. Pepper spray hurts, but it’s not going to kill or permanently injure someone.

The students definitely broke the rules, because camping overnight on campus is against the university’s policy. Katehi? Well, I don’t like her and I think she should get a huge cut to her paycheck, but making her resign is not the wisest thing to do. We don’t know who’s going to take her place. What if he/she is worse? At any rate, she didn’t order the police to use pepper spray, she just asked them to clear out the Quad, but people are flaming her as if she’s the one who was spraying the students. I think she really should just have left the protestors alone. I mean, how much longer could they have held up? Draw a circle on the ground. Confine them to it. No lights, no campfire, no bathroom, they’re on their own, because the school’s short on money. And no littering or defecating on school property. Set the terms and let them have at it, and I guarantee most of them wouldn’t stay the weekend. For those that are left, it’s Thanksgiving in a few days, and if they had a lick of common sense, they wouldn’t be staying in their tents freezing their butts off on an empty campus instead of going home to spend time with their family (and eat warm turkey.) No, Katehi. Instead, you went and stirred things up, and made a big deal out of nothing. Now you’ve got nothing on them and they have everything on you.

Yeah, I realize I’m probably the minority here, siding with Katehi and the police instead of the students (or siding more with them than most other people.) But hey, I’m a conservative politically incorrect supporter of capitalism here. Although I do think the tuition is getting ridiculous, I dislike the whole Occupy movement. It smells too strongly of communism to me, and what good is it doing anybody? It’s costing the government and normal people money, and it’s a moral cesspool (The crime! The promiscuity! The trash!). The cause is better served lobbying in D.C. than pitching tents on Wall Street. I will not waste my time, which I could spend in much better ways, on a pointless and disgraceful protest such as this.

On second thought, I suppose I did just waste about an hour writing about this whole fiasco. Well, no more.

Funeral Plans

My grandmother’s funeral is set at the end of April.

I don’t want to go to my grandmother’s funeral. It sounds very bad and heartless of me, but I really do not want to go. I have never been to a funeral (that I can remember), American or Taiwanese, but I’ve seen Taiwanese funerals and I’m sure I will hate it. I suppose nobody ever likes to go to funerals, but I have several reasons for why I’m sure I will hate it.

1. Taiwanese culture is a mish-mash of traditional Chinese paganism and Buddhism. I really don’t want to be in that kind of spiritual atmosphere. I’m not going to participate in any of the rituals anyway.
2. Continuing on – they’re going to burn incense and paper money, and it will be HOT. I know most of us are still freezing here in the U. S. of A., but tropical Taiwan in April is already warm and toasty.
3. I’m missing class for three days, and on two of those days I have labs and discussions. It’s going to be a nightmare trying to make up and catch up.
4. Everybody from all of my dozens of cousins, my half-dozen of aunts (and their husbands), my grandmother’s brothers and sisters and the rest of her friends and extended family – they’re all going to be there. And I am the eldest of the only son of my grandmother. Every time there’s a large family gathering, I feel like I’m on display, and this time it’s going to be worse because everybody will be there.
5. It’s a funeral. People are going to be crying and weeping and asking about why, and talking about depressing stuff like death. Nobody likes funerals, but I think I’m repeating myself here.

But I have decided to go. After talking to a good and wise friend, I’m reminded that none of my family are saved (except for my mother) and we have a job to do. The last reason why I don’t want to go is also the reason why this could be a great opportunity to witness to them.

Yeah, I’m really dreading it, but if my decision and actions there bring glory to God, then all of this would be worth it.

P.S. I could really use some prayers.

This is all meaningless!

“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever. - Ecclesiastes 1:2-4

“Man born of woman
is of few days and full of trouble.
He springs up like a flower and withers away;
like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Do you fix your eye on such a one?
Will you bring him before you for judgment?
Who can bring what is pure from the impure?
No one!
Man’s days are determined;
you have decreed the number of his months
and have set limits he cannot exceed.
So look away from him and let him alone,
till he has put in his time like a hired man.” - Job 14:1-12

You turn men back to dust,
saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
You sweep men away in the sleep of death;
they are like the new grass of the morning—
though in the morning it springs up new,
by evening it is dry and withered.

We are consumed by your anger
and terrified by your indignation.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.
The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away. - Psalm 90:2-10

Mom called last night to tell me that my grandmother on my dad’s side had passed away.

I was walking with my dorm-mates outside on our way to a frat party. We’d just finished spending over two hours cleaning up our suite (it was a mess…) We felt very accomplished, and it’s the Friday of the first week of the quarter so there are no midterms to worry about yet. They somehow convinced me that I should go with them because I’m in college now, and I wouldn’t be a college student until I’ve been to a frat party. I could just poke my head in and then come out. So I was standing with my suite-mates in front of a frat party of all places when the call came.

I was not…shocked. We already knew it was only a matter of time before it happened. My grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer almost exactly a year ago, and by the time they had discovered it, it had metastasized to the brain already. We all went to Taiwan during the summer to see her, and my dad and my sister stayed there for half a year. I went back this winter break and saw her again, and she had deteriorated so much in six months that she went from being able to walk with some help and talk and eat without much problem to being trapped in a wheelchair, speaking maybe a word or two a day, and not eating enough to keep a person alive. It was frightening to see.

I didn’t go in, and Linda and Karina walked me back to the dorms. They suggested that I should go home because it was probably better to be at home than alone in the dorms. I called mom again to ask her to come pick me up.

I don’t know what to feel. It feels like there’s a heavy weight pressing on me, and I want to cry but I can’t. I’m not as close to my grandmother on my dad’s side than my grandmother on my mom’s side. I feel ashamed. If this was my other grandmother I’d probably be crying my eyes out. She was really good to me…every time I visited her when I was a child, she gave me money, made me clothes, cooked me food…I was her only son’s only daughter, and I lived far away in the big city of Taipei while she lived down south in a small farming town, so I didn’t see her often.

The last time I saw her, during winter break, she couldn’t even say my name. I had the feeling that was the last time I would ever see her. She didn’t have a will. In a culture where people feared death so much that speaking about it was taboo, it’s normal to not have a will. They never talk about death, fearing that would make it come sooner. They treat it as if it doesn’t exist while knowing that they’ll all die someday.

Eventually, everyone dies, and some people are ready and some are not. I’m ready, and I don’t fear death because I know what comes after, but I don’t think my grandmother was ready. She didn’t know Christ, like everyone else in my extended family, and I feel like this – everything I’m doing now – is all meaningless in light of that. What am I doing worrying about classes and grades when the people around me are in danger of dying without being forgiven of their sins, still under God’s wrath? Why am I not doing something?

This is painful. My grandmother was a good person, but she didn’t know Christ. I want to ask like so many others have before me, “Why would You let this happen, God?” But I know what His answer is.

As it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one. - Romans 3:10-12

The LORD said to Job:

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!”

Then Job answered the LORD:

“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
I spoke once, but I have no answer—
twice, but I will say no more.”

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:

“Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

“Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
Do you have an arm like God’s,
and can your voice thunder like his?
Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.
Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at every proud man and bring him low,
look at every proud man and humble him,
crush the wicked where they stand.
Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.
Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you. - Job 40:1-14

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9

I will not question God’s goodness, or His justice, or His righteousness. Who am I to do that? I’m not even half as good as Job. I don’t know the fate of those who have never heard the gospel, but I will trust that whatever God does, it will be just. He has a reason for what happened. I may not know it now, but I will know it when I die or He returns.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12

Scramble

This was the first week of instruction. I should have been studying and doing homework like a good student, but instead I spent the last few days lab-hopping trying to get in, because poor freshmen get crappy times during registration and all the classes are taken!

I sound like a whiny brat, but I’m really too tired to care right now. They should just open up another lab section so we wouldn’t have to go through this painful process every single quarter. But nooo, California’s in debt and we don’t have the budget, and we have to pay more for tuition and we might not even get into the classes we want!

I’m starting to think that maybe going to UC wasn’t such a good idea and that I would have probably been better off going to community college. Hm, but if I tell that to my dad, he’d be horrified. Community college! How utterly disgraceful! No. I’m already a failure for not getting into an ivy league school. If I go to community college, he’d probably disown me.

Just kidding. He probably won’t say anything. But he’ll think it.

Well, there was a bit of good news today – at least I got into the labs after wasting over 10 hours of my life waiting. Now I need to go catch up on homework. Excuse me.

Hello, world of blogging

I am your average small-town college girl. I’m Christian, I’m Asian, I don’t make straight A’s, and I have about the worst eyesight of anyone I know. I’m also an amateur badminton player, and my username is a tribute to the great game of badminton.

This is not the first blog I’ve written in. Every few years or so, usually at the start of a new stage of my life, I find a new blog and start writing there enthusiastically. And then…after a few months my posts become scarcer…and scarcer…and eventually drift off into oblivion. I’m hoping this will not be the case here. Why does this happen? I’ve thought long and hard. I obviously have some commitment issues, or I just like some change once in a while, because starting a new blog is so exciting! It’s all blank! A fresh new start!

I’m being sarcastic, can’t you tell? I hate change, and blank, blank pages that I’m supposed to write on scares me witless (bad SAT experience). But I do need a new, clean slate, and I have been given a new, clean slate, by the One who makes all things new. So, I’m going to start a new blog during my first year in college. I’m living away from home and meeting people who don’t know me from squat. I figure this could be a new beginning.