HIV in 2000s: Love, betrayal and a calling

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/05/HIV.AIDS.2000/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Tonya Raspberry has been one of the many victims of the HIV/AIDS virus. But also like many female victims, the disease came from someone she thought she trusted. In the year 2002, Raspberry's husband, Eric, wasn't feeling well. He soon became paralyzed due to a brain infection. Confused by the cause, several tests revealed that he had AIDS. Soon afterward, Tonya got tested, and figured out that she was positive as well. But she didn't have time to be angry or hurt- she now had to raise 3 kids and a dependent dying husband.

Her husband died a few years after the brain infection. Tonya says that she's forgiven him, and instead of being hurt, she is now a HIV/AIDS peer counselor. Tonya has joined BABES Network-YWCA, where she campaigns for awareness of the disease and is very open about her own HIV virus. Moreover, she is surrounded by those who also have the disease, and bare the physical and emotional toll of the HIV/AIDS virus.

The CBT that best fits this article is Sin: Mankind is totally depraved and his sinful nature is seen throughout history. Law and government were established to restrain this depravity in the governors as well as the governed. The HIV/AIDS is a result of sin- sin that has been and is currently affecting all generations. Waiting until marriage can prevent this, but in this case, Tonya's husband lied and she was still a victim of the disease. When dealing with these types of issues, God's words and the way he speaks to us is extremely important.

Japan Tries to Ease Fury of Parents Near Plant

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/world/asia/28japan.html?_r=1&ref=world

On Friday, May 27th, Japan’s education minister said that he would lower the radiation exposure limit for school children whose schools are near the nuclear plants. He also said the government would pay to have schools remove the topsoil that has been affected by the radiation. The education minister has been trying to ease the fury of parents living in Fukushima, where the amount of radiation exposure for the children has been equal to those who work in the actual nuclear power plants. This has been 20 times the previous limit for radiation exposure that the children were revealed to. This issue was further exasperated at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

This has made it hard for the Japanese government to determine whether they will lower nuclear activity or have to pay expensive clean ups throughout the cities affected by the radiation. This was heightened last Wednesday when parents demanded the government to decontaminate the schools and then formed a group protest outside the Japanese Education Ministry in Tokyo. In April, earlier this year, an adviser Prime Minister Naoto Kan resigned over the government radiation limits. He claimed that he couldn't be a part of a group that exposed children to these dangerous doses of radiation. While there are some efforts being taken by the government, many claim that their needs to be more cleanups throughout the cities.

The CBT that best relates to this article is Sin: Mankind is totally depraved and his sinful nature is seen throughout history. Law and government were established to restrain this depravity in the governors as well as the governed. The government was established to set these kinds of laws to protect the children. Yet, the government can't even seem to follow their own rules and in doing so its severely affected the children in the worst possible ways. It's time for either the government to step up or be replaced or reformed. The lives of the next generation shouldn't be hindered because careless decisions.

Obama calls for Israel's return to pre-1967 borders

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/05/19/obama.israel.palestinians/index.html?hpt=T1

On Thursday, President Obama stated that the official support for the U.S stands with the Palestinian state borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East War. In the past, the U.S has supported a two-part solution to the Palestinian and Israeli conflict in the middle east. Now, Obama states that their should be negotiations on both sides to formally fit the borders before 1967. At the same time, Obama promises that their is unwavering support for Israeli's security, while stating that their security was "unshakable." The President went on to state that every state has the right to defend itself, by itself, Israeli included. As expected, many initial reactions were negative, as well as Republican and other potential presidential candidates taking stabs at Obama's stance in foreign affairs. Many politicians have stated that Obama has thrown Israeli under the bus, undermining their ability to negotiate.

The CBT that best relates to this article is Revelation: In society, TRUTH is NOT relative to the individual, but rather is absolute and its source is solely god. Tolerance understands others’ ideas, but does not require surrender of your worldview. Obama's stance on the middle east situation is understandable in a secular viewpoint. However, through a Christian's worldview, Christians understand that Israeli was and still is God's chosen people. Anyone who helps them is blessed, and those war against them will suffer God's punishment. Obama is turning America's back on Israeli by trying to give up the land won in 1967. America is going backwards instead of progressing. Just because Obama states this as America's official stance, that doesn't mean everyone has to agree with it. While I don't understand why we are trying to support a nation controlled by terrorists groups at all, its even more terrifying to see a country once founded on the ideals of God, turn completely against him.

School teaches by ability, not grade level

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/14/education.gradeless/index.html?hpt=C1

In Westminster, Colorado, at Hopkins Elementary,children are experiencing a new type of schooling. In this school, children are taught at levels, not grades. Children are grouped together based on ability, instead of age, with a teacher to watch over them. Some of these students may be on level 5 math, but at the same time, one may be at level 6 reading, with another bring level 7. This program, called Standards-based learning, started three years ago throughout the Adams County School District. With the school district being on the academic watch list, they are eager to try something new. This programs is based on the idea that every child learns at their own pace and in different ways. This Standards-based learning accommodates all the various ways a child needs to succeed in their education.

The CBT that best fits this article is Growth: God’s people are stewards of His blessings, and with those blessings come great responsibility to further God’s ministry of redemption. It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to educate the next generation. In order to do so, they have to be stewards in their blessings and resources in order to achieve success.

Alleged rape, killing of gay rights campaigner sparks call for action

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/05/05/south.africa.gay.activist.killed/index.html?hpt=T2

On May 5th, officials in South Africa found the body of a 24 year old women who was raped and stabbed to death. The woman was identified as Noxolo Nogwaza, a lesbian soccer player, who was a victim of "corrective rape"- a term used to identify the actions of men who rape women in order to reverse their sexual orientation. After dropping off her girlfriend, Nogwaza was rapped, stabbed with broken glass, and her face was bruised by rocks. As a result gay rights activists are petitioning to the South African government to halt the attacks on individuals who are gay, lesbian, or trans-gender. However, officials and other governmental leaders claim that the crime was not connected to hate crime whatsoever. In a country where homosexuality was originally deemed as crime, the gay rights movement is suffering for their cause.

This article is journalism. The reporter who wrote this article accurately included facts about the event, while simultaneously informing the community. Also, the author wrote both sides of the story in order to keep minimal bias from revealing itself. This information could help the South African government to be more aware of the hateful crimes that are happening and thus could create more independence and justice for the rest of society.

The CBT that best relates to this article is Sin: "Mankind is totally depraved and his sinful nature is seen throughout history. Law and government were established to restrain this depravity in the governors as well as the governed." Despite how a community may feel about gay or lesbians, that does not justify "corrective rape" or any violence toward them. The government of South Africa is stalling and is purposely doing nothing to protect their citizens against these awful crimes. It their responsibility to protect and to serve justice to those who deserve it. Therefore, this policy extends to all citizens, including those with differing sexual orientation. A clear indication of man's depraved nature is being displayed, and consequently the government needs to step up and restrain this activity.

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/04/andy-coghlanforty-two-laureate.html

The Louisiana law that would allow creation to be taught in public schools has been repealed by 42 Nobel laureates. Allowing the widening of the science horizon isn't acceptable by public school standards. 17-year-old Louisiana schoolboy, Zack Kopplin, from Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, in attempts to repeal the act has gained the support of the Nobel laureates. Claiming that the law has made science a "laughing stock," Kopplin has gained support students, clergy, and businesses. While it is assumed that there will be opposition to the repeal, it is starting to look like Kopplin may get his wish.

This article, while controversial and interesting to some, is not journalism. The second paragraph of the article states,"The Louisiana saga is the latest attempt by creationists to challenge the teaching of evolution in schools. In previous high-profile cases, creationists have attempted to disguise creationism as other concepts such as "intelligent design", a ploy that was successfully demolished at a trial in Dover, Pennsylvania, in 2005." This passage is filled with the author's obvious bias toward supporting the repeal. The author isn't objective at all. These snide comments are seen clearly throughout the rest of the article, where any mention of a creationist point of view is seen as ridiculous. This article is only informing the public of one side of a controversial argument. The author, therefore, is giving a tainted journalistic view of a local event that is currently happening. A real journalistic pieced isn't tainted with bias or opinion; it is objective and just writes the facts that the public needs to know, so that they can form their own opinion and become more independent.

The CBT for sin (Language Arts) states, "A Godless society, blinded by sin, rebels against God and arrives at false conclusions." This society is obviously coming from a secular perspective, and is blinded by their sin. Consequently, this means they have come to the conclusion that not only is creationism not "science," but that also is completely inaccurate, and isn't appropriate to be taught in schools. This, being a false conclusion, is a product of a community blinded by sin and influenced by a Godless society.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/04/14/new.york.mother.river/index.html?hpt=T2

Lashonda Armstong, when suspecting of being cheated on, took drastic measures for her grief. Holding her three children while driving, she intentionally drove her minivan into the Hudson river to drown herself and her children. However, Ryan Armstrong, her 10 year old son, escaped through the window and swam out of the river to try and flag down help. Once he got help, the woman couldn't find the vehicle or other survivors. Later, the police reported the body of the mother, an 11 month old girl, and two boys, the ages of 2 and 5. There was also a hint of domestic abuse reported in the family before, which may have contributed to the irrational decision of the mother to kill herself and the family. However, Ryan Armstrong claims that his mother regretted the decision at the last minute and tried to put the car in reverse, but it was too late. Ryan Armstrong is stated that he was wracked with guilt for not being able to save his younger siblings.

This article is journalism because it is reporting the facts of an event in order to inform society. By knowing this information society can become more self-governing and independent, as well as requiring knowledge that they can use to help improve the community.

The CBT for this is Growth: God’s people are stewards of His blessings, and with those blessings come great responsibility to further God’s ministry of redemption. God's gives blessings to his people, some come in all different shapes and sizes. Now, whether the Armstrong was abundant with blessings or not, Lashonda Armstrong didn't take responsibility of the blessings she had. Instead she decided to literally drown out of her fears of being cheated on by going to the extreme measures of attempting to kill her whole family. Her children, her home, and her family should have been blessing she should have taken care of, instead of putting all in danger and through grief.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/03/24/disney.cruise.worker/index.html?hpt=T2

A Disney cruise line that was sailing the Mexico Pacific coast has misplaced one of their employees. The Disney trip lasts 7 days and during this time an unknown employee failed to show up for the last Tuesday shift. There has been a thorough search on the ship and The U.S. Coast Guard, the Mexican navy and the Bahamas Maritime Authority have participated in the search and investigation. There has been no signs of foul play, however the anxiety that the Disney workers feel is inevitable. The FBI also isn't involved because it doesn't have jurisdiction since the ship was sailing under a foreign flag.

This article is journalism. Journalism is reporting events to the community so that the community can become self-governing and independent. This article is reporting a missing person. By doing so, the surrounding society can now aid in the search for the person missing. This article reports the facts without bias and in a professional matter, for the sake of informing the public of information that could help save a life.

The CBT that best relates to this article is Evangelism: God has specific directions (absolute law) concerning man’s relationship to both Himself and his fellow man. God wants us to show our love for others through Him. Therefore, when we inform the public of a missing person, it can only benefit society. This way others can reach out and take time out of their day to try and find someone who is obviously missed. This represents God's love and how he wants us to have relationships with other human beings on earth.

Justin Bieber’s Hair Scores $40,668 For Charity

http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/justin-bieber/justin-bieber%E2%80%99s-hair-scores-40668-charity-482615

Wait...what? He did what?! Justin Bieber cut his hair!?!? Please stop whatever you are doing and read this, you won't believe it! As i write this, I can hear tween girls weeping and mourning outside my window. The beloved Justin Bieber has said good-bye to his luscious superstar locks and has sold hair on Ebay. After giving a lock of his hair to Ellen DeGeneres, she put it up for auction on the popular site. After the bidding war commenced, the winning bid ending up being $40,668 (I swear, i almost had it!). Of course the money raised will be given to a charity called The Gentle Barn Foundation, which is an animal rescue shelter (cue "awwww" from all tween girls around the nation).

Unfortunately this hot-hitting news is not journalism. And as I type this, I fear a mob of young girls with stakes and pitchforks, who have this so called "Bieber-fever," to break down the door of my house any minute. While this piece of "news" may be entertaining and significant to some people, (did I mention tween girls?) it does not promote self-governing or independence at all. Nor does this article inform the public of anything important enough that they need to be enlightened of. And despite the fact that this teen pop-star has won the hearts of girls all over America, his hair-cut does not make the cut to be considered real journalism.

The Core Biblical truth is Salvation: Thoughout history, God has partnered with people to further his mission of salvation and redemption of a fallen creation. Now even though Justin Bieber is raising money for an animal rescue shelter, (which is a very nice thing to do)this isn't really helping God's fallen creation. When has America become so distracted that we are willing to pay near $40,000 dollars to have a lock of someone's hair? I don't care how soft it is, this is ridiculous. We are supposed to be spreading his word and saving others from eternal separation from him. It's time to stop playing games and to start promoting the furthering of God's kingdom.

Billboard focused on African-American abortions being taken down

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/24/new.york.billboard.abortion/index.html?hpt=T2

Recently, a billboard in New York was taken down because there were concerns for public safety. The billboard stated,"The most dangerous place for an African American in in the womb." The billboard also had a picture of young African American child. This billboard was put up by pro-life activists who wanted to raise awareness, and was set up in front of a restaurant. But due to constant complaints and groups of pro-choice activists starting to gather in front of the building, the sign was taken down. The billboard was supported by a statistic that wasn't printed on there, yet many people were offended by it.

This is journalism. Now, there was some slight bias in it; there seemed to be more quotes that supported pro-choice rather than pro-life that were included in the article. But for the most part, both sides of the argument were represented and the facts were displayed without being tainted by the author's personal opinion. The article was informative, and would indeed aid the public in becoming more independent and self-governing. By taking in this information and processing it, the public could determine what is appropriate to advertise and what is not- and further more could decided what their stance on abortion was.

The CBT that best relates to this article is Revelation: In society, TRUTH is NOT relative to the individual, but rather is absolute and its source is solely god. Tolerance understands others’ ideas, but does not require surrender of your worldview. Despite the billboard being taken down, this does not mean pro-life activists need to surrender their worldview. They understand that people obviously don't agree with it, yet that never means they compromise their worldview for the sake of pleasing others. Abortion is not something that falls in line with God's truth. And that means when someone tries to convince you otherwise, you don't surrender that truth to please them- your goal is to only live by God's truth and please him.

Vanessa Hudgens Gets New Tattoo in New York City

http://www.popeater.com/2011/02/17/vanessa-hudgens-tattoo/

Vanessa Hudgens is known for her famous role in High School Musical and her appearances on various Disney Channel shows. But now the 22 year old Disney Star is breaking the innocent look with a a spark of rebellion. Recently, Hudgens has been seen at New York City's East Side Ink getting a tattoo. Her tattoo has been done by BangBang, a famous tattoo artist who has done work on Rhianna, Katy Perry, and Chris Brown. Vanessa Hudgens now sports a butterfly tattoo on her neck.

This article is not journalism. Knowing about Vanessa Hudgen's new tattoo does not benefit the public in any way. Journalism is about reporting events to the public so that they can be more independent and self-governing. By knowing this fact of Hudgen's life, the public does not become more independent or self-governing. In fact,if the public depends on this kind of information, they are most like the opposite of independent and self-governing.

The core biblical truth of Evangelism (Social Science) is God has specific directions (absolute law) concerning man’s relationship to both Himself and his fellow man. By reporting events on celebrities' lives, the public is not living their life out to the fullest. Essentially, God created us to use our talents for his glory and praise. A reporter's job is to inform the public of events they need to know. This article is not an event that displays extreme significance in the community's journey to independence, nor does it glorify God in any way.

3 killed after truck hits Mississippi school bus

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/08/mississippi.bus.crash/index.html?hpt=T2

On February 7, 2011, a tractor-trailer nearly hit into an oncoming school bus and than quickly crashed into another one head-on. The driver of the tractor, a teacher, and a school bus driver were killed in the accident. The accident took place in Calhoun City when a group of students from Ackerman High School in Choctaw County were returning from a trip to the University of Mississippi. It was a typical admissions visit for the high school seniors; they took a tour, had lunch and then left around one in the afternoon. 60 students were on the buses during the accident, and about 10 were sent to hospitals, while one patient was air-lifted. However, most of the students seemed to only have minor injuries such as bruises or scrapes.

This article was purely journalism. The journalist who wrote this article merely reported the facts and details of the accident. The investigation is still continuing, so more facts are likely to follow during the next couple days. However, this journalist reported an event to the community so that they can analyze the situation and determine the best way to deal with the issue. By doing so, the community becomes more independent and self-governing, as well as being properly informed of events occurring around them.

The core biblical truth for (Language Arts) Salvation is: Faith in Jesus Christ is the purpose of life; Faith in Jesus Christ enables man to discern the truth. Whenever we read about a person's death, the question of whether they were a Christian or not goes through my mind. Faith in Christ is the purpose of life, and if you die and you know you're a Christian, you know you're going to heaven. If you don't know Christ, than you're going to go to hell. If faith in Christ is the the purpose to life, it should only encourage us to spread the gospel to everyone we can; because we never know when our last day on earth will be. It could be 10 years from now, or even tomorrow. God is the one who determines when our time has come to an end, and we should make sure that we're right with God before its too late.

Miley Cyrus gets tattoo no. 5

This last week, the famous 18 year old actress has now been spotted with her fifth tattoo- a dream catcher. The dream catcher has four feathers that represent her four siblings. Miley Cyrus already had 4 tattoos (on her finger, ear, and torso), all which she claims have a "special" meaning and are reminders of people who are dear to her. Miley Cyrus, who had previously aired on the popular TV series, Hannah Montana, has been trying to break out of her Disney channel star shell and this seems to be one of the ways to start.

This is not journalism. Honestly, I don't think that needed to be stated if you had read the article yourself. Journalism is providing information to the public about themselves so that they can be independent and self-governing. Knowing about Miley Cyrus' tattoos does not help the public become independent or self-governing. In fact, if an individual invests their time in reading articles like this, it would seem reasonable to believe that their IQ would drop at an alarming rate. Knowing the details of an individual's personal life and writing about it is not journalism- it doesn't even come close.

Revelation (Social Science): In society, truth is not relative to the individual, but rather is absolute and its source is solely God. Tolerance understands other's ideas, but does not require a surrender of your world view. Miley Cyrus has claimed to be a Christian throughout her whole singing and acting career. Being a example to a younger generation of girls, it would seem reasonable to believe that she also holds to the same standard of truth- that truth is solely from God. Yet some of her past actions don't reflect the truth of God. In this case, a younger audience should tolerate her behavior but not surrender to it, nor follow it because they admire her.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20463606,00.html

"Don't ask, don't tell" study

A recent study has found that over 193 million dollars was spent when enforcing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy over the past six years in the military. The Government Accountability Office (nicknames the GAO) looked at over 3,664 cases of those who were forced to leave the military for been gay or lesbian. After looking at each case, the total showed that it costs nearly 50,000 dollars to replace a soldier and train a new one. Moreover, nearly 40% of those who were replaced had “critical” occupations or important skills that were essential to the military. Congress recently repealed the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and President Obama signed the change in law in December. Since then, those who have opposed the “don’t ask, don’t tell” have argued that the policy drained the military of much needed talent when fighting two wars. As a result of this new repeal, money, time, and talent won’t be wasted on enforcing this old policy.

This article is essentially journalism, due to the fact that the author reported facts about an old governmental policy and was informing the public of its effects. By stating the changes in governmental spending due to the “don’t ask, don’t tell “ policy, the author is providing information for the public so that they can analyze this and become more independent and self-governing. However, this article is little more biased toward being against the original “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. By displaying information that seems to only portray this policy in a negative light, and providing quotes that only support it, the article doesn’t show both sides of an argument. On the other hand, the author’s opinion was well supported by the statistics providing by the GAO study. So, despite some slightly biased opinions, this article proved to follow the standard ethics of journalism.

The core biblical truth for creation (Language Arts) states that, “All men are created equal in God’s sight. We are all made in God’s image.” Now it is clear throughout the Bible that homosexuality is a sin, however this issue has nothing to do with this. The policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” removed those in the military who stated that they were gay or lesbian. Forcing these people to leave the military because of their sexual orientation was unintelligent decision. All men were created equal. Therefore, all men are seen as equal, and all men have sinful natures. If one has to leave the military due to a sinful nature, then there would be no military left in existence. Furthermore, an individual’s sexual orientation does not determine or affect their performance in the military, just as gender or race also does not. Every person should have the opportunity to serve their country and sexual orientation should not be a deciding factor in this.