Pilgrims on the Journey

These past weeks in VHS, I have learned so much information, on sexuality, about things I did not know about before. I learned so much about the churches' views on controversial topics such as abortion, contraceptives, homosexuality, date rape, IVF, and even divorce. I especially learned more about IVF,such as the pros and cons of having an IVF. I enjoyed learning about the pilgrimage and what it means to different people. One topic in particular that spoke to me was the pilgrimage. It inspired me to take some time out for myself and enjoy what is around me. Sometimes I am too busy with school and other activities that I do not even enjoy the simple things like nature, my families or my friends. I hope to continue to grow in my faith and continue to find myself and who I really am in college, and not hide it. Finally,I am grateful for what this course has taught me and I hope that I can take all of these life lessons with me to college and the rest of my life.

IVF

There are both pros and cons to IVF. The pro is that a couple will have be able to have a family that they have dreamed of or prayed for for so long. A baby is always a blessing, no matter where it comes from. However, there are still more cons than pros to IVF. For example, the dangers of several attempts to a woman's body, the chance that many eggs will be fertilized and the cost of the procedure. Several attempts, especially with age or prior complications could endanger a woman's body and cause more complications to her body. There is also the chance that more than one egg could be fertilized and a women could be pregnant with several babies. This is dangerous for the woman and the babies. Lastly IVF could costs couples thousands of dollars. In Conclusion, the Catholic church does not view IVF as a blessing, instead they believe that it is more of a science experiment.I am still struggling to form my own opinion about IVF because I do not know that much about it. I agree that IVF is not the natural and traditional way to procreate and not in the Bible, but that does not automatically make it wrong.

Abortion: Why isn't this a national outrage?

I have heard about this story on the news and I was absolutely disgusted. Dr. Gosnell put several women and their babies lives in danger. Dr. kermit Gosnell regularly aborted babies even up to their third trimester.He would even deliver some of the babies and then kill them by severing their spinal chord with scissors. The conditions in which the patients were treated were hazardous and unsterile. Dr. Gosnell overdosed his patients with dangerous drugs and infected patients with diseases from his unclean instruments. In my opinion, the saddest part of this story was the fact that there were some women who were desperate enough to not care for for a baby, whatever the reason, that they risked their own lives to make sure the pregnancy did not happen or the the child was killed even after he/she was born. If Dr. Gosnell had practiced these horrendous acts on the Main Line, I do not think it would have lasted as long as it did. Dr. Gosnell targeted desperate attempts for abortions and still borns from those who probably could not afford proper treatment. He targeted those who could not afford to have another baby or even those did not want anyone to know they were pregnant. I feel that this story should be bigger because Dr. Gosnell was not an abortion doctor, he was a murderer. A baby or a fetus is still a life that God created and to kill a baby before or after birth,especially the way he did, is cruel.

The Changing Face of Marriage

Growing up, I was always taught that marriage is a sacred act that is precious in God's eyes. I learned that it is something important and meaningful to God and I still believe this even today. However, I have also heard stories and known people who got married for all the wrong reasons, or people who rushed into their marriage. marrying someone for the wrong reason results in a greater divorce rate in our society. As times have changed, so has marriage. For example the roles that men and women play in the marriage have changed, in some families. In some cases, the women are the breadwinners of the family. This can prove to be a good and bad thing, sometimes if the wife is bringing all or most of the money it can create stress and tension between the couple, resulting in a divorce. As mentioned in the video it is okay for the roles to be switched if it works. Every marriage is different and every couple has their own method that works for their family. I think the most important part of keeping a healthy marriage is to realize that even though you are both different people, you both need and complete each other in harmony. Finally, i think it is good thing that those who have a college degree have a more lasting marriage than couples who don't. If I were getting married to someone, I would want it to be with someone as educated as I am or even more educated.

Papal Conclave

- Important topics that the new pope should address include poverty, education, and controversial issues such as contraceptives and same sex marriages. -I think that the Pope should be aware of what is happening all over the world and maybe update the Catholic teachings to match the time frame we are living in now. - At my church women are not allowed to be bishops or pastors, they may be ordained as evangelists or chaplains but never a pastor. I know that women can do great things in the church no matter what position or title they hold. It is not about who you are, it is about how you serve God's people. -if I could change one thing in the church it would be some of the older rules that make being a young Christian so difficult. i think if we had a stronger support system for teens and young people in my church, it would be a lot easier to understand what we can or cannot do as Christians. Like a spiritual big sister/brother. -I think there is room for Democracy in the hierarchy of the church. I think that allowing the people to have a say and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict what is moral and right, can equal a successful democracy in the hierarchy of the church.

Dating: What's the point

Unlike the "anti-daters," I do not believe that dating is essentially setting you up for a divorce, instead I believe that if you date enough ,you will find what the things that you value in a husband/wife and vice-versa. I also agree with Freitas and King when they say that anti-daters are probably scared and may have some trust issues. Freitas and King also argue that anti-daters do not date because they oppose non-marital sex; however, that is not always the case. Some people who do date oppose non-marital sex. Dating teaches us to care for each other and show a deeper type of love than philia and storge. i agree with Freitas and King when they say that dating also helps out expand our personality. We may begin to learn and like new things. In 2013 it seems that "hooking-up" is the new norm and dating relationships are decreasing, especially in college.Forty-six percent of the busted Halo respondents said that "two people are most likely to hook up immediately upon meeting." It is almost unbelievable to imagine anyone engaging in sexual activity with basically a complete stranger. Serious dating, I feel, has decreased over the past couple years and will continue to decrease if our society continues to pressure people, especially our youth, to 'hook-up" instead of dating and getting to know someone.

Becoming who you are

During retreat, we were asked to journal about who we are and who we are becoming. For me, it is always hard to answer questions about myself especially the question "who am I?" Besides the obvious answers such as a sister, daughter, friend, granddaughter, cousin etc, I am still trying to figure out who I am. I believe, like the link said that everyone was born for a reason and that everyone has a gift. We may not know what exactly are gift is yet or it may still be developing,but we all still have one. I am still learning and trying to figure out who I am because I am getting older and my opinions and feelings have changed through different life experiences. I hope to be the person that God wants me to be. I want to fulfill my purpose on earth by living God's plan for me. One thing in particularly that stuck with me when I read this article was , "We are disabused of original giftedness in the first half of our lives. Then -- if we are awake, aware, and able to admit our loss -- we spend the second half trying to recover and reclaim the gift we once possessed." Many times we are not eve aware of our gift until we lose it or abuse it. I think it is important that we use our gifts to do good and help other, because we are all on this earth to help one another. I also believe that it is important not to lose sight of who you are. It is so easy to get caught up in the media and what/who society says we should be versus who we really are. Going off to college in the fall is a place where anyone can find themselves or lose themselves. I hope that I remain true to who I am and who God wants me to be so that I can "embody the great commandment to love both my neighbor and myself."