The Fire Still Burns: My Philosophy of Life

 This is the final paper we wrote for our English 12 class this semester. It's not perfect, but I thought I'd share it here. It's nice to get a piece of writing out every so often, and this one is a little different from my usual fare. So, here we go.

Loss of empathy might well be the most enduring and deep-cutting scar of all, the silent blade of an unseen enemy, tearing at our hearts and stealing more than our strength~ Drizzt Do'Urden, The Silent Blade.

            On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent~ Scout Oath and Law.

           

           When I was asked to concoct a Philosophy of Life, two questions immediately sprang to mind. The first was, “How am I going to do that?” The second was, “Do I even have a Philosophy of Life?” The first question was easily answered, as I write papers all the time and have proven to be at least semi-capable of farting out something legible in the span of a half hour or so. The answer to the second question proves to be more difficult, because I certainly do not want to just crap this paper out without putting any thought into it, and it provides an interesting point of introspection. Of course, everyone should have some sort of philosophy by which they guide their actions, even if that philosophy is not immediately apparent. So what moral code do I, then, live by?

Christianity in Games

This is a really interesting article I found on The Escapist, just thought I'd share it. The writer makes a few interesting points concerning religious symbolism in various game series, including one of my favorite Square classics, Xenogears.

For those who don't know, Square has worked religious references into their games for a long time. It's no surprise that Final Fantasy VII's main villian is named after the Sephirot (look it up), or that his final battle music and form draw inspiration from Seraphim. But in Xenogears, Square took religious symbolism to an all new high. Xenogears is easily one of the most philosphically drenched games out there, beginning with a bible quote, featuring allusions to Cain and Abel, the Ark, and ending with the player literally killing 'God'.

Here's the link: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9200-Turn-the-Other-Cheek