2 Deep Thoughts

So there hav been two big things running through my brain for quite a few months now that are working my brain into overdrive.I find that they are the types of questions you think about and can't really form an answer for like what came first the chicken or the egg?My two deep thoughts have been about the wonders of the huan brain and religion.

So as you know I work at a school for students with special needs.Many days at work I find myself watching the students and watch in amazement of their varying mental ability levels and try to remind myself of their physical ages.For example there is a female student who is only a year younger than me.It baffles me sometimes how different we are.She is still doing primary school work and has trouble articulating and comprehending the simplest of thoughts at times.

Then there was a situation where a group of male students were packing away some camping items.They were all 14/15 yrs old.But one of them was in a very low special needs class because his mental IQ is very low where as the other boys were doing primary school level work.The divide between these boys is so vast in terms of academic level or even just basic understanding of the world.

I was talking to another female student who is moderately retarded.I saw that she had her legs shaved.I laughed and chuckled at that and how she said her leg hairs looked "jungly."Then I asked her how old she was and she said 14.I had to remind myself that at aorund that age girls are doing that kind of thing-more conscious of their outward appearance and it shouldn't be funny that she's shaving her legs.

Soemthing that I need to remember is that just because they are still in a special school doesn't mean that they're all "children" and "pre-adolescent".

the second thing that has been on my mind is religion.Being in Fiji as a volunteer affords me the ability to be welcomed into different ceremonies places of worship of varying religions.uring these experiences there have bbeen times when I am encouraged to do different movements which are executed as part of the prayers.Most times I do them, but every time I don't feel as though I am doing it in worship of another god, just more of being participatory and showing the people I am around respect for their religion and customs.Then I began to wonder that if these movements would be seen by God as sinful, even though I don't internalize their menaings.
For example, I went and visited a Hind temple.In one room there are several statues of their gods and it is traditional to bow before each god in the room. I did so, but I did it to respect the Hindus present and not as a sign of my faith in the gods.However, is it still an act against God?If the tables were reversed, would a Hindu be reluctant to bow their heads and close their eyes if a Christian prayer was said? I don't know.My cousin Patrice told me of a story in the Bible where certain people refused to eat meat that was originally meant to be sacrificed for false idols where as other were okay with eating it.Is that the same thing, where it's just based on the person?

Any thoughts would be welcome.