Fresher's Fayre

At UWE. It was really good fun and I got to see two people that I haven't seen since the back end of August. Two very familiar faces, so a little bit of home is in Bristol and inviting me for a drink too!! I've spent the whole day talking to international students, some who I vaguely remember, others who I'd never seen before and didn't know who BISC were. I met a few english students who were willing to help out and some who didn't quite know why they were drawn to the stand.

We were positioned opposite a group called 'Gender is fake' and being the sociology student that I am I had to go and talk to them. They have a very good point of view - why should we conform to the stereotypes around us? and that gender is a changing thing, it is also a created notion and we have a different idea of what gender is today than what it was in history. Though a few of the things they did say were a little off. For instance 'its the church's fault we are a patriarchal society', well male dominated society goes back farther than Christ and they also need to look at religion with a different view point, because that is changing constantly too. Think of denominations and sects that spring up all over the place and alter the view of religion once again. Also a very good point was made when I was discussing the subject with a fellow BISCit, God made us male and female for a reason, we are equal but we are different, not as an excuse, but as a good thing - we're not meant to be androgenous (lack of gender identification). Can you imagine a world full of people who didn't know their own identity? We need the differences to keep the world going. So if you're called to lead, then lead, we need teachers and we need listeners, but we are all equal under the love of God. Am I making sense?

Something else that I spotted today was another religious matter, to do with the JW's this time. They are a lovely bunch of people, but they do have a habit of adding sentences to scripture! 1 John 2:17 reads like this "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." Not like this "The world (including its demon rulers) is passing away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." Spot the difference. It comes from (surprise, surprise) the JW's version of scripture. Umm...

I have to go to bed, I'm off to Lu'on to see my sister tomorrow morning.