It’s a pleasure writing to you. As an adolescent, I wanted to address a few concerns I had about the essential Christian approach to sexuality. I have learned many ways that we should approach ourselves to sexuality, but how do you expect adolescents to practice these elements? They seem more for adults rather than teenagers. Couples don’t want to increase the size of their family because working and housing conditions pose a living situation. There are also greater demands in the education and economic fields, which couples have difficulty with (Vatican II 51). In order to express true love as a Christian, Pope Paul says, “Conjugal chastity needs to be practiced” (Vatican II 51). Self-giving and human procreation are in the context of true love. This can present …show more content…
a challenge to adolescents today about how to act responsible in terms of their maturing sexuality because most adolescents aren’t married and committed to one partner. Teenagers will be challenged to practice chastity because they haven’t experienced sexuality yet. Teenagers don’t express true love till later in their life.
Pope Paul says, “The Church teaches married people that they can take advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and engage in marital intercourse during times that are infertile. When this period occurs, they can use their married intimacy to express their mutual love” (Pope Paul 16). My concern with this element is how do you feel teenagers should go about this? They are young adults trying to identify who they are as a person first. Sex is out of the question for these adolescents as the Church wants them to wait for marriage. Salzmann and Lawler explain “the husband is the head of the wife in the way that the Messiah is the head of the church” (Salzman and Lawler 24). A Christian husband is instructed to be head by giving himself up to her. Salzman and Lawler explain love as “essential to the marriage and how it reveals a mystery about Christ and the Church” (Salzman and Lawler 24). A challenge with this element is that teenagers are too embarrassed to be that person to give up his life for another person. Teenagers can’t commit to other people yet because they are still trying to identify who they are as a person
first. Fraitas talks about hook up culture and how students want old-fashioned romance rather than a hook up. Fraitas says, “Their needs to be communication and students need to express interest in that romance”(Fraitas 2). Students need to stop the hook up culture and say they prefer romance. The challenge is teenagers usually hook up with a person to see if they like that person. Yes, it’s a short communication but it can be there way of telling them if they should hook up with that person again. Being in a romance with that person can help you connect better than a hook up. Teenagers tend to just hook up rather than commit. What do you think we should do to stop the hook up culture? Lastly, Sparks talks about marriage. Sparks says, “Marriages fully symbolize the Creator’s dual design, as an act of covenant love, with the potential of co-creating new human life”( Sparks 2). Sparks mentions how “sex has to be both an act of lovemaking and to procreate new life” (Sparks 2). The Church wants teenagers to wait for marriage to have sex. The challenge with this element is teenagers are peered pressure with having sex with someone else and teenagers are impatient. They tend to listen to their friends and struggle to mature themselves when dealing with sexuality. I wanted to finally address how it’s really challenging for teenagers to commit to a relationship. They are too afraid to stay committed to one person because they are concern to see what else is out there. There concerned more about the future than what is happening now. Teenagers need time to grow and develop as an adult. Some teenagers can’t be committed to their family or sexuality because of other people around them. They have friends that can be bad influences and they have family members that may direct them to the wrong path. These concerns need to be raised because teenagers have to stay focus to be on the right path to having a more Christian approach to sexuality.
"Pontifical Council for the Family, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality." HUMAN SEXUALITY. N.p., 8 Dec. 1995. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
In Erotic Journeys: Mexican Immigrants and their Sex Lives by Gloria Gonzalez-Lopez she expands on what the definition of the Mexican culture is. She compares the Mexican society to the society in LA. She discusses multiple things one of the things she discusses in her book is the meaning of virginity in the family and what sex represents. Gonzalez-Lopez interviews many individuals to talk about their culture and how they felt living in Mexico and how their points of views changed once they moved to LA. Religion and traditions are deeply integrated withing the Mexican culture. It’s drilled in the female’s mind to stay a virgin for her future husband and having sex with someone other than her future husband puts her family’s reputation on the line. In the Mexican culture, women are raised to be recessive to their husbands while the men are raised to be dominant in the household, sex, and work, which causes individuals that immigrate to LA to look at their culture differently; women are liberated and start being successful in their career, and not recessive to their husband; they don’t feel pressured into staying a virgin or worried of insulting their family’s reputation.
Most religions of the world address moral issues that arise from people's sexuality within the human interactions. “Sex and religion- two of the most powerful, passionate, and poetic aspects of human existence”( “Manning and Zuckerman pg. 1“). There are many distinct religious beliefs about the complexion of sexuality and the appropriateness of various sexual behaviors. “Some religious (or aspects within them) can be described as comparatively “sex positive”. By “sex positive“, we mean that sensual, erotic activity involving the consensual pursuit and / or actualization of gratifying bodily pleasure is understood as natural and acceptable , even holy. Conversely, some religions (or aspects within them) can be described as “sex negative”, that is, sensual, erotic activity involving the consensual pursuit and / or actualization of gratifying bodily pleasure is understood as unnatural and unacceptable, even sinful” ( “Manning and Zuckerman pg. 2“).
In the discourse of family relations, views of women, and sex, it is necessary to begin with the standing that Catholicism held on the issues. The nuclear family model was the ideal of the Catholic Church; for this model provided protection, stability, and business connections. Ozment describes the nuclear family as the “total subjection of the wife to home and husband, of the home to the production of children, and of the children to the will of their parents” (Ozment, pg. 2). This view provides that a woman’s only purpose in life was to marry and bear children; if this was not viable she could enter the convent as not to be a finical burden upon her family. The Catholic Church also had strict views on the topic of sex, which was no sex outside of marriage and only in marriage to procreate. This view was held for the Church believed that “an upright person took pleasure only in God and used the things of the world to God’s glory, fallen men and women were enslaved to their lust and passions, no longer masters of their wills, and eager to worship the world in place of its creator” (Ozment, pg....
The American debate on homosexuality reveals an unquestionable, though awfully uninvited, fusion between religion and politics, revealing a dangerous lack of separation between the church and state. The concern is not about the presence of spirituality in American politics, but the implications institutionalized religion has on the lives and rights of human beings. Nothing hinders the political and social progress of lesbian women and gay men quite like the complexities of religion. Dating back to the beginning of literature itself, homosexuality is far from modern. Nonetheless, homosexuality is currently the most divisive and fiercely debated topic in recent religious discourse. While most Christians maintain allegiance in labeling same-sex relationships as morally wrong, the church is dramatically divided on the proper place for gays and lesbians in American society and of course, American politics.
The application of morality begins at a young age for many people. Many children take on the morality of their parents through the daily events that influence their development. In many ways, parental sexuality means fidelity, and the ability to stay monogamous in order to properly raise a child in a complete family unit. This in turn expresses sexual fidelity as a form of morality, and without sexual fidelity, there will be painfully undesirable consequences. Along with the family unit being an influential aspect of sexuality, religion, particularly Catholicism, claim that sexual activity is solely justified by the reason of procreation. Freud also perceived sexuality as the dark and evil part of the human being, when allowed to freely express sexuality, the person i...
The second part of the essay is call for reform from the current state of sexual ethics as it relates to the most vulnerable social group– teenagers. I conclude that current christian attempts within sexual ethics are failing teenagers and suggest ways in which my ordering of sexual ethics might prove more effective.
Homosexuality is out of the norm in the society compared to heterosexuality, which is the sexual preference that is always portrayed to be the good one. In the Catholic religion there has always been a debate whether if God is against or not about homosexuality. Homosexuality is not against God. By analyzing Bible passages that mentions homosexuality, Jesus’ teachings, Christian ethics, and surveys taken in workplace that shows discrimination against homosexuality, then it will become evident that God is not opposed to homosexuality.
As a society we see everyone as straight person and if you are not then others do not accept you. Last week, Arizona state legislature passed a bill permitting business owners to refuse service to homosexual customers if it conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs. Researchers argue that homosexuality is based on genetics while religious persona believe homosexuality is unorthodox. I will be discussing research about the impact of homosexuality on the family and how people believe that when homosexuality is innate it increases LGBT rights. Also, how homosexuality can lead to at risk sexual behavior for men and prone to HIV’s.
Even up until now, the controversial issue of homosexuality is still apparent and widely discussed in many countries all over the world. Although many people are becoming more open minded and less skeptical about homosexuality, many more are still reluctant to accept the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) communities as equals. Whilst many may argue that their religion absolutely forbids same sex marriages, thus, rejecting the idea of homosexual relationship, many of them feels it is their right to make the gays and lesbians straight again. For instance, in South Africa, many males practice corrective rape. It is a form of hate crime towards lesbians in order to ‘cure’ them of their homosexuality in order to change them into heterosexuals (Strudwick, 2014). This proves how sick and twisted the minds of homophobes are. As a Catholic myself, even though I was taught that same sex relationship is wrong and not natural, I do not condemn homosexuals or look down on them. In fact, I even have friends that are gay or bisexual. It is good that more countries have now implemented new laws to protect the LGBT community. This ensures the lower crime rate and discrimination of the LGBTs. Despite the fact that a few European countries and several others have legalized same sex marriages, there are still rejection and objection from some parties particularly from the Roman Catholic Church (Bingham, 2005). Why does the Church have such strong objections? Through my research, I will discuss on the views and teachings of the Catholic Church on homosexuality and same sex marriage.
Sexuality is shaped by gender because gender in itself is a social construct. Sex is based on genetics, on whether or not you have a XX chromosome or a XY chromosome. Gender on the other hand is socially constructed. It’s how we perceive each other. For example, girls have long hair and wear pink but boys have short hair and are to be tough. Sexuality is further shaped by this because with gender, the world has only really ever had two categories, female and male, when really there could be more or there could be less.
I will begin first with the idea that sexual behavior should not be granted its own moral code. Sexual ethics only makes sense if sexuality plays a unique role in human life. If procreation has significance precisely because it is a contribution to God's ongoing work of creation, sexuality is supremely important and must be governed by restrictive rules, which would therefore prohibit sexual acts that are not for procreative purposes. This justification of sexuality as a unique aspect of human life, however, is dependent on a theological claim that there exists a God who micro manages the sexual lives of individuals. Without the presence of such a God, there can exist no separate restrictive rules on the nature of sexual acts. Even if we grant that there is a God, most people will agree that sex is more often used as a way to intensify the bond between two people and therefor sex is the ultimate trust and intimacy that you can share with a person.
These questions arise from our own desires as Christians to reflect a biblically sound attitude towards sexuality and relationships. That same desire to act according to biblical scriptures is subject to opposition from today’s culture and views about sexual relationships, gender, and roles. A new definition of marriage, sexual orientation, and sexual practices is challenging our relationship with God and our view of human sexuality. Bishop John Spong defines sex and its impact on relationships: “Sex can be called at once the greatest gift to humanity and the greatest enigma of our lives. It is a gift in that is a singular joy for all beings and enigma in its destructive potential for people and their relationships.” (Spong, 1988)
Sexual remarks can be seen and heard everywhere in today’s society. Music, television, movies, and magazines are resources that can easily corrupt and be discovered by children through a push of a button. A child mind and body is consistently developing every day. Abstinence-only programs tell students to not have sex, but their body becomes curious as it develops. There are many people we object to giving directive sex education to young children because it can simply corrupt the young minds and are not the key to preventing sex between young adults. Family and Youth Concern director, Robert Whelan, states that people make claims of the benefits of comprehensive sex education, but the main determinant are family background and structure (Cornell, 2003). Comprehensive sex education programs are needed in school curriculum because it helps young adults mature appropriately through all the exposure. The study done by Kirby in Whitehead’s (1994) article states, “Once patterns of sexual intercourse and usage of contraception are established, they may be difficult to change.” Henceforth, it is important to educate young adults through the comprehensive sex education program at school. In Tobin’s (2001) excerpt, he states that children already began having sexual urges at a young age. As Freud has shown in his theories, adolescents must complete different stages throughout their childhood to avoid any fixation. Instead of repressing these sexual urges, the Nursery School Education (1939); by Wheeler and Earl; suggest that active curiosity to sex should be met with honesty. Any sexual fixation shown in the adult life can be traced back to the repression of the child’s curiosity (Tobin, 2001). Moreover, children can easily be scarred and fearful of their curiosity. The Nursery School Guide (1949) states that children who are yelled at for soiling or masturbating deem
The shepherd and sheep relationship is the best illustration for the relationship between pastor and parishioners. When Jesus asked Simon Peter does he love him three times and said to him “Feed my sheep”, the shepherd and flock relationship has been set. Since Jesus is our good shepherd (Jn. 10:11a), he laid out a good example for us to follow - to lay down his life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11b) Thus, the wellness of both in and out of the parishioners should always be the concern in the pastors’ hearts. Soul care for the people is essential. Christian friendship is the foundation of Christian soul care. Pastoral ministry including preaching, teaching, and worship forms the broad context of pastoral counseling. Pastoral care is within pastoral ministry but broader than pastoral counseling. God’s love is the source and motivation. Within the pastoral care, there are spiritual direction and pastoral