Pilgrimages of Life

This class has taught me so much in the past 8 weeks. I learned a lot about myself and my sexuality as well as my spirituality. I learned the Church's view on many controversial topics, and that sometimes it is okay if my views differ from that. I learned that I should always be myself and stay true to what I believe in, regardless of what others think. Most importantly, I learned that things that many people stress about today really don't matter in the grand scheme of life. Even if you think things couldn't possibly get worse, it is crucial to remember that they will eventually get better. This course was a lot of fun while still being informative and I'll miss it very much!

Some Say Love

Some qualities and characteristics of love that I seek to experience in a dating/committed relationship are trust, communication, and love. I believe the following songs illustrate these qualities.

Beyonce - Smash Into You
Ears closed
What I hear no one else has to know
Cause I know
That what we have is worth first place in gold

Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am
If you were falling, then I would catch you
You need a light, I'd find a match
Cause I love the way you say good morning
And you take me the way I am

Jill Scott - So In Love
Can’t wait to see you looking lovely
I hope you’re thinking of me
Cause all I want is time with you
And don't need nothing more

Beyonce - Flaws and All
I don't know why you love me
And that's why I love you
You catch me when I fall
Accept me flaws and all
And that's why I love you

Chris Brown - With You
And now I know I can't be the only one
I bet there's hearts all over the world tonight
With the love of their life who feels
What I feel when I'm with you

I do believe in the quest for soul mates as described in the article. I think that there is someone out there for everyone, but not everyone is always lucky enough to find them.

The Changing Face of Marriage

My experience with the 'domestic church' has been a good one. My parents have always taught me a lot about my faith and helped me to grow as a person. The changing structure and composition of marriage and family is allowing for divorce to seem more acceptable in our society. For example, in many TV shows today, marriage is viewed to be much more casual then it has been in older generations. I think the study done by the Pew Trust in 2010 is interesting, but not really surprising. It makes sense that people who are more educated are less likely to experience divorce. Although I know the choice will ultimately be up to me, I do feel compelled to follow the church's teachings and someday establish the domestic church in my home.

Marriage & Vatican II

Some of the Second Vatican Council’s teachings on marriage are very different from current trends and perceptions of marriage in society. The council esteemed conjugal love as a sign to others of Christ’s own love for the church. In today's society, I think that conjugal love is almost always seen as a sign of love between two people before it is seen as a sign of Christ's love for the Church. The council also describes marriage as a vocation and a divine calling. I think that this is somewhat true in society today because many people feel that it is their calling to get married, but not necessarily a "divine calling". The Second Vatican Council also expresses “high esteem” for marriage and family life, which I do not think is always true today because some people do not treat marriages with the respect that they deserve. The council also states that marriage is just as necessary and valuable to the church as other vocations; however, I think that many people today would disagree and say that it is not that important.

Dating

I think the 'anti-dater' view that dating is essentially practice for divorce is completely wrong. In my opinion, the 'pro-dater' argument is much more accurate. Dating teaches us how to be selfless and to put others before ourselves. Although not all dating relationships end in marriage, the relationship itself can teach us a lot about what we like and don't like, which will ultimately help in finding the right person to marry. My peers as far as I know are on the 'pro-dater' side as well; I have never actually met anyone who has been against dating. The lower expectations of the hook up culture today may give dating a more negative reputation, but I still think that dating before marriage is healtier than not dating at all.

Gender & Dating Relationships

I think that this article states valid points about the expectations of proposals and marriages. Women typically expect men to propose because that is a very commonly used tradition. If it were the other way around, the couple's relatives and friends might question the normalcy of their relationship. However, I think that this expectation is not solely the woman's fault, because men expect it to be that way too. The love story I wrote about is similar to this because like most couples, my dad proposed to my mom. In my opinion, it doesn't really matter which person in a relationship proposes, as long as they agree that it is what they want and truly love each other.

Human Sexuality

After reading Human Sexuality: 'Wonderful Gift' and 'Awesome Responsibility' by Richard Sparks, I realized that I already knew most of the messages the Catholic Church teaches about sexuality. However, I definitely do not agree with all of them. The Church believes that homosexuality is morally wrong, but in my opinion, people should be able to love whoever they want, regardless of gender. Another thing I don’t agree with is their belief that birth control is wrong. I think it is smart for people to use birth control to avoid unwanted pregnancies where the baby wouldn’t be properly taken care of. I think the author of this article covered all the topics well enough, even though I don’t necessarily agree with them.