A follow-up to "Imposed Brotherhood"

I realize that my previous post may have raised more questions than answers due to the nature of the content.. I will admit that I also found it quite lacking, and so will do this next article to clear the air and drive certain points home which I want to get across. So, lets get to it, shall we?

I was a neophyte once, and I didn't like it. I quit after 3 days. The stuff I said about not experiencing any form of physical assault was 100% true. I cannot speak for the rest of the inituations (since I quit already)  or the experiences of neophytes from other med frats whether they were physically hazed or not, so I will just leave it at that.

Why did I quit? To tell you frankly, it was so exhausting, and I began to see my grades suffer. I was flunking the easiest quizzes. My family knew what I was going into and was worried sick every night, and though they did not physically prevent me from going through it, I knew I had to stop. My tuition wasn't being paid for me to join an exclusive society, but to train to become a doctor. I was deviating from the goal.

I had a tongue-in-cheek comment about regretting not getting the frat swag, but in all seriousness, I may have felt a bit of regret at first since I was somewhat invested already. As time wore on and I climbed the proverbial ladder of the hospital hierarchy, I began to realize that it was just a foolish pursuit all along, and that membership in these organizations is NOT NECESSARY AT ALL for future success in training and practice. Though it may be true that it would give some minor advantages at certain points, you will do just fine without them. ;) Given the current state of things regarding fraternities in general, I would like to say that I am glad and relieved that I didn't push through with it when I was still a student (as are my parents).

It is definitely NOT something I would recommend to try "just for the experience". You never know what goes through the minds of these people, especially those in leadership positions during their time. So be smart, be safe, and just stay away from membership. These people can still be your friends outside the context of the org anyway. If not, then they probably aren't really meant to be your friends to begin with. :)

Some thoughts on the BBL and the greater underlying issue.

Just a quick hit to start the day.

Post is entirely not mine, but was written by someone called "Anito" who posted this in the comments section of an article on the Inquirer website..

It is eloquently written and raises some pretty valid points, echoing some of my personal sentiments on the issue..

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"Among the many fundamental flaws of the BBL is its plan to carve out a political entity upon the demand of MILF, a group with a record of killing other Filipinos in order to establish a separate territory primarily based on difference in religion (while utilizing other issues like "historical injustice"). Why are we seeing this Islamic demand throughout the world for separation from other human beings?

Part of the reason can be found in Koran... and sane Muslims should actively convince their fellow Muslims not to take the Koran too seriously.

The Koran may have been of use, even crucial for survival, in the desert tribal warfare of the 7th century of Mohammed. But it has become gravely deficient and even hazardous as a moral guide or some sort of an MOI (manual of operating instructions) in a modern world where various cultures, religions and moral values are all hanging together... along with nuclear weapons that can blow the world to nothingness if some fanatic were to get hold of them.

I have read the Koran and it constantly repeats, to the point of obsessiveness, these two following tenets:

1) Though there were other prophets who revealed the word of God/Allah -- including Adam, Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus -- the prophet Mohammed's Koran is the FINAL WORD of God. Anyone who does not believe that it is the FINAL WORD is damned and deserves to be treated as a criminal. In Malaysia, Sharia Law still prescribes the death sentence for Apostasy or Riddah in states like Kelantan and Terangganu; in other states, it is a crime punishable by jail.

2) If you let pagans, Jews, and Christians know about this FINAL WORD of God and they still remain unbelievers, they displease Allah and deserve to be beheaded, deceived, or at the very least subjugated and required to pay tax as punishment.

These tenets are so central and so constantly emphasized in the Koran that the only sane way for the modern Muslim or general reader to read the Koran is not to take it too seriously.

With the Koran's insistence and obsession with its FINALITY, is it any surprise that those who take it seriously are unable to move on and adapt to this century?

It is encouraging that there are now Muslim-born voices like Ayaan Hirsi Ali (the Somali-born writer now facing a fatwah death sentence from the holy Imams) who is openly asking Muslims to take a serious and critical look at the central tenets of the Koran and their faith. It would go a long way to allay fears by "non-believers" if they hear more open-minded, courageous voices like hers.

I agree with those, including Muslim friends, who say that there are many outdated and even repugnant verses in the Bible. The difference is that violence towards apostates and non-believers is not the burning and central tenet in the Bible as it is in the Koran. This might explain why everyday when we wake up and as soon as we turn on Yahoo News, we learn about some violence somewhere in the world made in the name of Alllah. One would need to enroll in a course in speed reading just to keep up.

Based on the above observations, I don't buy the argument that there is nothing wrong with the Koran...and that it is just being taken out of context. People should just wake up and recognize that these books are made by men who are fallible by nature. BTW, I don't take the Bible too seriously either... which doesn't mean that I don't believe in the Divine.

Let me add that I love and treasure the beautiful calligraphy and arabesques using Koranic text that centuries-long generations of Islamic artists have created. Let us hope that they don't fall victim to the wholesale destruction of age-old monuments going on in the Middle East right now."

My stand on vaccination

I'll keep this short and simple, because I really don't have the time right now, and making lengthy arguments just for the sake thereof never got nobody anywhere anyway..

It's just sad to see all these people (In supposedly "progressive"America at that) taking a hard line stance against vaccination, citing various principles like "freedom of choice" and whatnot..

I'm a physician, so I guess my stand would be pretty obvious.

Personally, I think they already have too much freedom on their hands, that's why they come up with mind-numbingly radical ideas such as this.. and the sad thing is, they furiously cling to their beliefs like someone insulted them to their very core..

The world has become such a hostile place.. Sigh.. -_-