junanteola

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington Chemistry
mid-term exam.

The answer by one student was so ‘profound’ that the professor shared it
with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the
pleasure of enjoying it as well :


Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs
heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle’s Law (gas
cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need
to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which
they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets
to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how
many souls are entering Hell, let’s look at the different religions that
exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their
religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these
religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can
project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are,
we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now,
we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle’s Law
states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the
same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.


This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter
Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all
Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in
Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year
that, ‘It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,’ and take
into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two
must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already
frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen
over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore,
extinct……leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine
being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting ‘Oh my God.’


THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary was defined by Pope Pius IX in December 8, 1854.  It clarified the belief espoused by many Christian Catholics down through the centuries that Mary was conceived free from original sin right from the very beginning of her life.  Like the other feasts of Mary, today’s feast speaks less about Mary and more about God.

By the grace of God and not because of her own power, Mary was shielded from the “fallen” nature which all of us humankind “inherit” at the very moment we begin to live.  This privelege of Mary was derived from God’s having chosen her as the Mother of Jesus, the Savior: 

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’  Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’  The angel said to her, ‘he Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.’”(Luke 1:30-35).  

Being “full of grace,” Pope Pius IX thus defined that Mary received the benefits of salvation in Christ from the very moment of her conception.  God gave her this perfect human nature not as a reward for anything she did, not on account of any merit on her part, but in view of the singular role she was to play in life, namely, that of being the mother of God’s Son.

As such, belief in the Immaculate Conception of Mary is belief in a provident God:  a God who provides for the future, who prepares His children for their assigned task in life even before they are born, a God who foresees and equips us with all the natural and supernatural qualities we need to play our assigned role in the drama of human salvation.  God anoints them already in the womb those men and women whom He created to be His prophets.  As He told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). 

In celebrating the Immaculate Conception of Mary, let us remind ourselves that every child in the womb of its mother - whether in existence for one day or fifty days or 200 days - is fully human, not just “potentially” human.  The humanity of the unborn child is inherent from the first moment of conception, simply because the new person is an unrepeatable human being, endowed by the Creator with the right to life.  Humanity is not a function of utility.  Humanity is not merely an expression of size, ability, quality of health or even intelligence.

There is reason to believe that a secularist and materialist mindset which refuses to acknowledge the full humanity of the child in the womb eventually leads to the denial of the full humanity of any person whose life becomes too inconvenient, too expensive, too unproductive to justify within their limited and selfish definition.  Once a human being can be  justifiably eliminated at one stage of life, he can be eliminated at any stage.  Once the sanctity of life is put up for grabs, no one is safe.  Sooner or later, we are all vulnerable.  To declare the child in the womb only “potentially human” is a false, de-humanizing tenet that leaves no life at all sacred.

 ”There are rare instances where a choice has to be made to save the mother’s life over a child’s,” according to Kathleen M. Raviele, M.D. Dr. Raviele specializes in adult and adolescent gynecology and practices in Tucker, Georgia.  Physicians now have the ability to treat the mother and child separately as the two individuals they are. Considering today’s medical technology, it is extremely rare that an unborn baby’s life must be sacrificed to save the mother’ life.  A very important distinction must be made between abortion, and removing an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy or inducing early delivery.  While the former intends to destroy a life the latter seeks to preserve it. 

It should be remembered that a death occurs every time an abortion is performed - the death of an unborn child.  It should also be emphasized that abortion is a surgical procedure, and though legal in some countries, it puts many women at serious physical, mental and emotional risk.  Increasing attention is being focused on the fact that many women suffer post-abortion complications.  While abortion proponents allege that thousands of women died from abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, such numbers were actually made up by individuals and groups pushing for abortion’s legalization.  The truth is that no one knows exactly how many women died from illegal abortions for the simple reason that illegal abortions were not reported.  What we do know is that women - and their children - are suffering and dying now from legal abortion. 

In a study conducted by the pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute, entitled “Why Women Have Abortions,” women were asked to give specific reasons why they had an abortion.  The top three answers were: 1. Unready for responsibility 2. Can’t afford baby now 3. Concern about how having a baby would change her life.  The three reasons, which came in last place and were tied at 1 percent included:  1. Was a victim of rape or incest 2. Husband or partner wanted the abortion 3. Didn’t want others to know she has had sex or is pregnant.  Studies and statistics consistently show that pregnancies due to rape and incest are rare.  According to Guttmacher that 1% due to rape and incest is 14,000 babies per year.  Therefore, abortion is not mainly used as a last resort.  

True faith in God as the real author of life and true devotion to Mary as the Mother of God’s Only-Begotten Son must emphasize that no matter the circumstances of conception; there should never be embarrassment about bringing a child into the world.  The value of a person is not determined by the circumstances of his or her conception. Rape and incest victims need support and compassion, not a “quick-fix solution” like abortion.  Abortion only adds to the trauma and injustice already inflicted upon the mother. 


reference:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1593308/posts

source:  http://salcedofrancis.weebly.com/immaculate-conception.html

“When a problem first arises, try to remain humble, maintain a sincere attitude, and be concerned that the outcome is fair. Of course, others may try to take advantage of you, and if your remaining detached only encourages unjust aggression, adopt a strong stand. This, however, should be done with compassion. And if it is necessary to express your views and take strong countermeasures, do so with out anger or ill intent.” - the Dalai Lama via Twitter