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St Paul writes to the Philippians of the glory that our currently lowly bodies will one day enjoy: He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified Body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. (Phil 3:19) I once spoke with an older woman who wasn’t all that pleased to hear that her body was going to rise and be joined again to her soul: “Oh, Father, you don’t mean this old decrepit body?! If this body has to rise I am hoping for an improved model!” Yes! I think...

We live in a culture where, increasingly, any sense of the sacred is being lost. The thought that something could be sacred, special, holy, or somehow “off-limits” is bewildering to many. Indeed many secularists consider those who do see some things as sacred, to be stuffy and somehow arrogant. There are many in our culture who defend the rights of others to burn the flag, ridicule religious symbols (e.g. the cross submerged in urine some years back in a noted “art” museum), and even applaud when, a couple years back, homosexual activists desecrated the Body of Christ by stomping on...

There has been a lot of very good discussion on yesterday’s blog post on the banishment of “dirty dancing” at many school dances. Much of the discussion has centered on modesty. Modesty is a beautiful, essential and often diminished virtue in today’s “tell-all,” ”show-all” world. There are many good definitions of modesty. Websters dictionary defines modesty first as freedom from conceit or vanity and secondly as propriety in dress, speech or conduct. It is the second definition that concerns us. While the Websters definition of modesty is surely accurate I would like to say that the most beautiful and thought-provoking...

May 10, 2013 (HLIWorldWatch.org) - Polls show that most young people today, even those who identify themselves as Christians, have no problem with “same-sex marriage.” If young people today are at all aware of what the Catholic Church teaches about marriage and human sexuality, what they think they know is often only a caricature of the truth. They see it as simply a set of prohibitions established by men. But what the Church actually presents is a vision of the beauty of marriage as a sacred union between one man and one woman who are committed for life and open...

Denver, Colo., May 12, 2009 / 12:48 am (CNA).- Renowned Catholic thinker Dr. Alice von Hildebrand has criticized Theology of the Body speaker Christopher West, saying his approach has become too self-assured. She criticized his presentations as irreverent and insensitive to the “tremendous dangers” of concupiscence. Also cautious of West’s remarks on his recent interview with ABC television were Mary Shivanandan and Fr. José Granados, both Catholic authors and theologians. The news segment showed him calling for Catholics to complete “what the sexual revolution began.” He also described “very profound” historical connections between Hugh Hefner and Pope John Paul II.

Sex Sermonist's Heroes: Pope John Paul II and Hugh Hefner Devout Catholic Christopher West Lays Out Unexpected Vision of What Sex Can Mean for Christians Christopher West is not your average sex therapist. He's a devout Catholic who believes one of the most important ways we can get closer to God is through great sex.   "As Christians, we are desperately in need of a renewed vision of our sexuality," West has sermonized. "The union of man and woman itself is meant to be here on planet Earth an image, a foretaste, a little glimmer of the eternal ecstasy that...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daily Blog 'Theology of the Body' for Protestants BY Tom McFeely Thursday, May 07, 2009 1:56 PM From a press release posted at associationforchurchrenewal.com: United Methodist Renewal Groups Host “Theology of the Body” Monroe, Wisconsin — United Methodist renewal groups Lifewatch and Transforming Congregations will host an educational seminar on May 21 in New Bern, NC entitled “Theology of the Body: An Ecumenical Introduction to John Paul II’s Teaching.” Professor Paul J. Griffiths of Duke Divinity School will present the late Pope’s key concepts and address such questions as: What is the real dignity of the created human person?...

Virginia E. Fisher  Other Articles by Virginia E. FisherPrinter Friendly Version   Where Have All the Christian Men Gone? My Conversation with John Eldredge September 3, 2007 Many men balk at the idea of going to church. Some resist the tendency in Christian circles to "feminize" God. Others object to how Christian men tend to be so tame and passive — more like women — and very bored. And so, it is perhaps not surprising that John Eldredge's books, especially Wild at Heart, have been wildly successful. Seeking to discover the secret of a man's soul, Catholic and Protestant...

Recently, two friends of mine opened up to me about their virginity. "Roger," a writer, confessed that at 31 he's still waiting for the perfect girl to give it up to, while Lianne Stokes, a comedian, divulged that she only just popped her cherry at the ripe age of 30. Roger insisted on using a pseudonym, worried about the potential social damage revealing his virginal status might bring. "You'll never be considered normal; it's a label you don't want," he says. For these "hidden" virgins, who are fearful of being treated like freaks, watching sex from afar can be lonely...

HACKENSACK, N.J. - Is church too much of a girl thing? That's the fear of some Christians around the country. They say American congregations need a dose of testosterone. So they've launched an effort to make church more of a guy thing. An Essex County, N.J., congregation recently staged a special football service, with church women playing cheerleaders, the choir and pastor dressed in numbered jerseys and a banner proclaiming, "Christ: He gave his all for the team." A Lincoln Park, N.J., church has invited men to occasional paintball competitions - in which players shoot gelatin pellets at each other...

MAJOR retailers and publishers have reacted furiously to a new report that claims they are engaged in "corporate pedophilia" by using suggestive photographs of children in their advertising. The report, by the Australia Institute's Emma Rush, argues that department stores Myer and David Jones are contributing to the "sexualisation of Australia's children" by stocking items such as bra tops for pre-pubescent girls, lip gloss for toddlers and skimpy underwear designed to be worn by children. "It's part of a plan to sexualise Australian children, especially girls," said Dr Rush. "For the sake of corporate profits, children are being posed like...

Debate over Muslim women wearing the full-face veil has been raging. So is it important for communication to see more than someone's eyes? The eyes are the window to the soul, so the proverb goes. But do we need to see more? Jack Straw's comments about asking Muslim women in his surgery to remove the face veil - and the tribunal case over a Muslim classroom assistant wearing the niqab - have sparked much debate. But does it really obstruct communication if we can only see the eyes? In one-on-one contact, in the same physical place, the eyes are the...

by Mark P. Shea Bible Study and Truth Tracts Author Other Articles by Mark P. SheaContact this Author Teaching the Theology of the Body 5/10/2006 George Weigel, the biographer of Pope John Paul II, has remarked that one of the most exciting "ticking bombs" of Catholic thought (set to go off sometime in the 21st century) is John Paul's teaching on the Theology of the Body. In This Article...What Is the Theology of the Body?Teaching KidsTeaching Teens What Is the Theology of the Body? In a nutshell, John Paul draws on the most basic message of the entire Christian tradition —...

RELIGION: In God's name? The misuse of sex is one of the great curses of our age. The abuse of women is like a byword for our modern times. But it has absolutely no place in the church or the world. God has no part with it. There is never any excuse for violence toward one's mate- certainly not in the name of God. `Husbands, loves your wives; dwell with them according to knowledge' (Ephesians 5:25 and 1 Peter 3:7, Paraphrased). This advice is the way married people ought to relate to each other. With deep love and understanding. How...

(PRWEB) - Boston, MA (PRWEB) March 21, 2006 -- The author of a newly published book on sexual ethics has gone beyond criticizing the “puritanical moralists” of the religious right. He wants to challenge them to face-to-face debates on college campuses and radio programs. ADVERTISEMENT Desmond Ravenstone wrote “The Principled Libertine: Erotic Ethics for Everyone” (published by Lulu Press) as a response to the viewpoint of social conservatives who want to promote a “traditional” morality on sexual matters. “When I read their writings or hear one of them speak,” Ravenstone says, “it doesn’t sound at all like an ethical discourse....

ROME, MARCH 24, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of a commentary by Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa on next Sunday's liturgical readings. He is the preacher to the Pontifical Household. * * * Fourth Sunday of Lent (B) (2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21) God So Loved the World! In this Sunday's Gospel we find one of the most beautiful and consoling phrases of the Bible: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." To speak to us of love, God has made use...

MIRROR CAMPAIGN Sex ordeal still haunts Olga SADNESS in her eyes, Olga tries to explain. "With my life, it was hard to refuse," she says. "I didn't think anything could be worse." But it was. When Olga was just 20 she was stopped in the street near her home in Lithuania by a "kind" stranger who promised to help her find a better life. "I had no mother or father," she says. "My sisters were alcoholics. My life wasn't very good and nobody cared about me. I believed he would give me a new start." Olga was brought to the...

Note: The author, Ann Widdecombe is a longtime member of the English Parliament, 58, MP, single. A man's company is preferable. Men are vastly more relaxing. I find talking about all that emotional rubbish with women so incredibly wearing: I hate introspection. Men are far less screwed-up than women. They don't make emotional demands or talk endlessly about themselves; they talk about politics, the theatre, that sort of stuff. They like to be strong and like to be thought to be strong. I think that's perfectly normal.

In my next life I'm coming back as a man. I will have sex with my wife and knock her up, and then in the hospital I will watch while she figures out how to get the baby out of her. And after my daughter is born, I will play with her when I'm in the mood and stop when I'm not, and I won't get all psycho about it. I will throw her up in the air super high and get her wound up right before she's supposed to go to sleep, and then I will let my wife,...

More than 600 students from Dolores and Montezuma counties had a first-hand look at how the choices they make affect their lives during the Fifth Annual Teen Maze at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds on Thursday and Friday. The event began at 8 a.m. each morning, and students didn’t stop wandering through the maze until about 1 p.m. each afternoon. The purpose of the maze was to show youths that the decisions they make now have long-lasting, far-reaching effects on their lives and the lives of people around them, according to Ami Fair, Teen Maze coordinator. This is the second consecutive...