Sources

Source 1: My first source was written by Lawrence B. Finer PhD and he focused on premarital sex and conducted a study which concluded that most people today are having premarital sex. Finer also goes into depth on the percent of people 50 years ago having premarital sex. They haven't changed much. Finer does not interpret or expand on other people's ideas but instead he forms his own from conducting his study on premarital sex. While this study might be helpful for me it also will lead me to writing more of a report instead of writing a research paper. This essay is filled with facts and percents instead of critical thinking and analysis. While all the facts of this support and provide proof that premarital sex is common my second source disagrees with that and states continues with the argument that premarital sex is bad, no one is doing and you'll basically go to hell if you do it.

Source 2: My second source is my church. Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Oakdale, MN. I have taken words from one of my priests, Father Stan, and while I tried to use his thoughts and words to interpret and analyze other sources I instead gave facts once more and wrote more of a report. Father Stand does not agree with Finer, even though there is evidence, but instead believes what the Bible says. We are not to engage in an act of immorality, which is, according to the Bible, premarital sex. They also refer to premarital sex as fornication. Perhaps with these two sources I can use Father Stan to interpret and critique what Finer has to say. Father Stan says he lives by the Bible but what about all those crazy verses that tell us to eat, or kill certain things or people. We certainly dont abide by those rules of the Bible.

Source 3. My third source is the Holy Bible itself. I have taken versus and incorporated them into my essay to support evidence to Father Stan's argument. However, while I tried to interpret and analyze I again wrote more report like and described what the verse says and what I think it says. I can use the Holy Bible to contradict Finer and to support Father Stan. The Bible has many versus that give evidence to the idea that premarital sex is bad and no one is doing it. If you are doing it however you are to shunned and you will basically go to hell.

Source 4. My fourth source was written by Rodney M. Cate et. al, there essay is more of a research essay than a report. It provides other sources and their research conducted to support and provide evidence to Rodney M. Cate et. al, purpose. The essay interprets what others have said and it analyzes what others evidence shows. There is no one side to this essay, if anything, it is written in the form of an argument. It provides both sides to the issue and provides evidence for both sides of the issue but in the end this essay takes the side of Father Stan and the Bible, premarital sex is bad.

Source 5. My fifth source I haven't incorporated into my essay yet but it also focuses on the religious aspect of premarital sex. It was a study conducted of University students, ones that have strong religious beliefs and ones that dont. It provides evidence that students who are more religious tend to stay away from sex, of any kind, until they are married. I wish to incorporate this source into my essay by showing that while more people who have had premarital sex not many of them have suffered long term issues or have had serious religious problems. I could use this to analyze the Holy Bible and Father Stan's ideas. Perhaps I could also use this source to analyze what Finer and Rodney M Cate. et al, have to say.

Source 6: I have yet to find the 6th source that I would wish to use but my ideal source would be one on the governments take on premarital sex. Why is it so bad and why are we trying to prevent it from happening?

Government

Government is a well liked topic of mine. I like to be an informed citizen and make my opinions based on the facts that are out there. I research ideas and concepts I want to know more about. However, the one thing I absolutely hate in America is the fact that people base their opinions off of the news, which is meant to be liberal, what others have to say and what they overhear somewhere. I strongly dislike the fact that we are the strongest nation in the world but yet our people can't spare at least 30 minutes to be informed on an issue. A lot of people in America are self-absorbed, they think that by them not voting someone else will pick up their slack. They are lazy. If people today would become informed and create their own views and opinions off of actual legit reasons instead of just watching the news or listening to a friend, perhaps then the country would be ran more like what the American people want. The people who do vote, a majority of the time, aren't informed. They vote for the sake of voting. Imagine if a majority of Americans became informed and then cared enough to vote perhaps we could prevent all this talk about Presidents and other government officials not doing what "we" want. In fact, they are. They are doing what the people who VOTED wanted them to do. People who dont vote, form opinions off of illegitimate sources and then try to criticize what the leaders are doing, simply need a wake up call because they didn't contribute in any way and therefore, don't have the right to say what they want or think. They don't know anything. Become informed and then we'll talk!

Controlling Purpose.

I have once more changed the whole idea of my paper because I have unsuccessful in finding credible sources for my original topic. My topic is now strictly premarital sex. No more relationship issues. Strictly, premarital sex. Why is it "wrong" and why are we so often being advised against doing it? My controlling purpose is to examine the ways in which we are told to abstain from premarital sex and why we should abstain from premarital sex in order to determine whether the debate over "is it harmful or not" is legitimate and worth debating. At the time I came up with this controlling purpose I thought it was specific enough, however, now that I have started to write my paper I now find that perhaps it is too general and it needs to become more specific. I want to know why the church and government are trying so hard to tell us not to have sex before marriage. Why is the government spending millions of dollars to tell us not to have sex before marriage? What is the big deal?

How and Why

I have always wanted to know and understand more of how the brain works when it comes to men, woman and relationships. Whenever I become extremely interested in a topic I also become very invested in it. I can't help but go all out and make sure that I do the best job that I can and to make sure the work is as accurate as can be. I intend to do all I can to use facts correctly and to find correct facts. It is one of my goals to make sure my paper is reliable and truthful. I can't stand when you read and article and have to question its legitimacy. I actually hate to write, it is one of my least favorite things, however, I do like to do research. I'm good at being able to find reliable sources and facts. I think perhaps the reason I am so interested in wanting to know how men and woman react differently in relationships and why there are gender roles is perhaps because I have been surrounded by so many people in unstable relationships. It makes you wonder how they could like each other one minute and despise them the next. Although I will be focusing on men and woman, I am also going to be extremely invested in gay/lesbian relationships. They question are you born gay or do you become gay has always struck an interest in me and while I do not intend to take a side on the issue I will be analyzing and interpreting each sides as well as others while trying to enlighten people in all views and issues.

Research Project

I was originally doing my research project on sexual orientation. How does it differ from culture to culture? Or how is sexual orientation defined amongst others? However, after trying to research this topic I decided to change my project to how people act and react in relationships. How and why do men and woman see things differently and why do we have gender roles. I have decided to study this topic because I have always been interested in the reasons why people act the way they do. I like learning about the ways that men and woman differ and why. I also think this topic is important to research because not very many people know anything about it. Yes, people wonder about it but do they go and find out for themselves? Usually the answer is no. People like to read what others think on a topic instead of researching it and discovering their own opinion. My intended audience? Anyone who is interested in how the mind works from person to person or culture to culture. It is for those who don't have time to sit down and go research it themselves but have always wanted to know more on the subject. As far as accomplishments go (other than passing English 102) I would like to become a better researcher. I want to learn how to write in many different ways and to write with academic inquiry. I also hope that someone will think my findings are interesting and they would like to read more.

As for blogs, I hate them. I will not be writing more than I have. All posts will be for English 102 and nothing more.