SEXUALITY

What is this all about? Is it supposed to be hidden and obscured: not to be mentioned at all? Is it taboo?
There are many questions and comments on this but did all those media or the acceptance of those who do not fully understand confused us?
Am I an expert on this you might ask? I might not be but I have taken some very strong points from those who are very well grounded (of strong morals) and if I may say that I regurgitate out what they believed in for I believed.
Does being sensual a natural part of sexuality? Perhaps we could get a further understanding of this from: http://www.theologyofthebody.net.
Let me side-track on our frail human self. The pleasures of the flesh is insurmountable perhaps driven by the acceptance of certain segments of society that it is okay to have pre-marital sex, to use contraceptives (which promotes a promiscuous lifestyle), to have abortion (an easy way out without any sense of responsibility), etc., etc.
The area of pornography is another 'introducer' (if I may use this word) to sexual behaviour which is very much a perverted concept of what sexuality is. The body is beautiful and is a masterpiece (art) created by God and pornography degrades our sensuality to animalism. On hindsight this degradation is making a mockery of our true identity (body and soul) which is and was in the beginning created by God.
Sexuality is part of our true identity ie. who we are as a person and a human being (male and female). Our sexuality is expressed through our senses. This sensuality permeates in our being towards the opposite sex which is very much a natural instinct just like the animals have. BUT we are not like animals in that we have this intelligence because we were created in His (God's) own image. We have this sensibility in that we think and are able to decide.

Through our sensuality we derive pleasure when we act. Pleasure is a natural accompaniment and perfection of a human action. As such the moral character depends on the moral status of the action it accompanies. Thus, the pleasure of a morally good act is itself morally good and worthy of pursuit as part of a good activity. The pursuit of pleasure becomes morally suspect only if it inclines one to act in ways that are somehow unreasonable or disordered.
All human beings desire pleasure in one form or the other. Thus, unless human desire is utterly perverse, pleasure must be good. It must be unthinkable that God who created mankind out of love, should have created us with utterly perverse desires. But common experience also reveals another darker side of pleasure. For the lure of fleeting, empty,and even destructive satisfactions is an undeniable part of the human condition. Many spouses have deeply hurt those they love and wounded their own lives, by servile pursuit of adulterous pleasure. The desire for pleasure can lead us away from things we know to be good - even from good things to which we would like to remain deeply committed. Pleasure, in short, can enslave us.
Thus pleasure has a complex character: it is a good thing but one which - more than other good things - can lead us astray. Consequently, any account of pleasure which implies that it is essentially a bad thing, or that it is always good, must be rejected as oversimplified. (this paragraph was extracted from Catholic Sexual Ethics by Rev. Ronald Lawler, ofm cap).

Vaccines

Peace.
Recently, I had my flu jab and did not even ask as to what was used to make it. It was only after hearing a talk I realised that there are vaccines out there that are made of aborted fetus cell lines. I then made enquiries as to the name of the vaccine that I had been innoculated with. I found out that it was 'Fluarix' (I did not personally see the packaging but was told by the clinic) which was made from chicken embryo and the GlaxoSmithKline were the Pharmaceutical Company that produced these vaccines.
Ordinarily, most people would not have asked as to the type of vaccines and what it is made of out of ignorance and because we trust the doctors. Some might say that it does not make a difference what it is made of. I respect that but for me it is important as it is of an ethical and moral issue. Those Pharmaceutical Companies who uses the aborted tissues are in collaboration with the abortion clinics and if I believe (I hope most of you do) that abortion is murder (killing) then if I use it or agree with the use of these tissues then I am saying that I condone it.
Perhaps, we have been so hardened up with acceptance by society that it is okay to abort that we do not bother. The irony once again on this issue of abortion is that we have laws that states that killing is wrong and punishment is meted out but in this area it is swept under the carpet (a misconception that what you do not see is okay). Is there justice in this area?
The doctors should give a choice to the patient on the types of vaccines to be administered.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Why am I so obsessed with this subject of me! me! me! ? Perhaps I should add that this is also referring to you! you! you!
What is this realisation of who is this me? This person who is just as unique as you are. I am actually a nobody as I am nothing for unto dust I shall become. Is this not a paradox that I am a somebody as well? A person created and came into this world through a 'love' - a human love as well as a Divine love. (I do agree that there is such a thing as accidentally being brought into this world which I shall dwell deeper into, if so required).
Is it too profound to try to conceptualise and to help us undertand this paradox of being a nobody as well as a somebody?
Being a nobody does mean that I am not the owner (or giver) of what I am or have, especially of my talents and what I can and will be capable of. This helps me to understand myself better. It is just like having a view from the outside. My nothingness, in that unto dust I shall become, allows me to empty myself and allow changes to come into my being, seeking growth - an attainment towards perfection.
However, I am a somebody as well and that this person is/was created uniquely in the image of the Creator (a Divine Being). This I believe is the true meaning of love (at its beginning) - a love that had GIVEN LIFE to me, expressed in and through a person (a somebody). This person is special and unique without any discrimination whether rich or poor, disable or able, white or black, etc., etc..

The GIFT of LIFE is precious.

..a human being (not cloned)

When I first began, I mentioned this person, me. Am I to be another being? But it is me...no one else.
What is this possibility by James Watson who won the Nobel Prize for describing DNA structures who also wants unrestricted human embryo research in order to 'cure stupidity'? Is it not that as we grow, not only in age or size, we continue to learn, some at a faster pace than others and can we be considered stupid for not knowing at first? Yes, agreed that there are those who are intellectually disabled but are we to find a cure through manipulation of another, the "littlest" of life which is the human embryo or are we to lift up in dignity the intellectually disabled by direct personal human relationship which they need- a hope that he/she is still part of the human race.
Ironically, by doing research on the human embryo the dignity of the human person has been trampled upon and yet as if to make amends for this lowly act there is this need to clear one's conscience and that is to be the saviour of another human person (the intellectually disabled) to whom in actual fact more could be done on a level where there is acceptance and not of rejection or of being outcast.
Life is a mystery, is it not? Do you or I have all the answers? I guess not, but going beyond the boundaries of the 'sacredness of life' is a step towards eternal damnation.
My hope lies in the belief that there is still a light shining out of the darkness. How about you?

Hi!
An interesting conversation regards family.
There is this old question as to who would the son save in a situation when mother and wife is drowning. Some might say to save the mother since they can get another wife and there is only one mother. I would not answer this directly but I would say that the mother with a sense of fullfillment in her life realising that she had lived her life to the fullest would ask her son to save his spouse. This shows the unselfish love.
The mother with true love for her son would realise the importance of marriage (having herself cherished her own marriage) which in the first place had been instituted by a Divine Being (I had mentioned in my earlier post).
Her son having chosen to get married must have loved his wife otherwise he would not have done so. Yes, he also loves his mother to whom he had been given life - the Gift of himself. This gift had been given and to take it back means the insincerity on the part of the giver in this instance.
Letting go in life is sometimes not the easiest thing to do especially if the relationship is so rich - the love for and of another. This love goes beyond a selfishness which we might not be aware of. This selfishness leads to the possession of another.

Greetings my friends.
Family as mentioned is the structure and foundation of society, country and the world. A family is of both male and female. God created us such. Then we go forth and bear fruit that is everlasting.
Have we ever given a thought that we were children first and then developed into our full potential as a human being? Those early years are precious in that it is our formative years and nurturing is important. Therefore parents (husband and wives-male and female) are our foremost caregivers and teachers.
In school we then have teachers in education to help us. Was it not wonderful to have friends to play with in school and to have parents (man and woman) fussing over us? Imagine a child that has a parent only, it is sad but not totally unfortunate. However, the child still realises that he or she has a father or mother although the person is not around for whatever reasons. It is therefore important that the child understands without added pain. (Perhaps, I will dwell into this deeper at a later stage)
What about a child who had been brought up in a male and male relationship or a female and female relationship? What happens then? The social fabric of the family, consisting of husband (man) and wife (woman) and children (if and when possible) is degraded. The child's perception of what consitutes a family becomes erroneous? Is this what we want? With this kind of thinking there will be more on the usage of words or terms that would not only distort the true meaning of living but also become a very selfish world without a thought for humanity.
Life has its full meaning only when the truth is admitted and the willingness to accept the challenges that come with it and not seeking an escape which is often the easy way out, leading to a very superficial way of living.

HOW CAN I make a DIFFERENCE?
Interesting conversation that I had with fellow colleagues the other day regards marriage and divorce. There seems to be a dilemna regards tying the knot. Perhaps it is the lifestyle that one is living considering the job that we do and this seems to be prevalent. There is an apprehension to the extend of a fear that the marriage will not work out. There can be many reasons or circumstances that one is caught in. Let me try to understand and analyse this. There is this subject on communication which seems to be lacking. Could one of the reasons be the co-habitating of a couple before they get married? Statistics have proven that a higher percentage of couples who had lived together before getting married had ended in divorce. Somehow this false sense of the need to try it out by living together first so that they can get to know each others habits, etc., proved to be futile. It is this commitment factor that is also an issue in a relationship. This living together does not have it's commitment in that each can choose to or decide to go their seperate ways but when it comes to marriage, it is totally different. Next is the infidelity of a spouse especialy the male (not excluding female totally). There is a need to understand this from a different perspective. Let me speak on the subject of contraceptives. Once again there is a false sense of preventing conception that one can indulge in sex with the misconceived notion that pregnancy would not happen. Therefore this gives rise to flirting or fooling around with another party - having an affair. Take another look at whether one takes to heart 'the gift of life' through the instrument that allows us to procreate. Is it not true that the primary purpose of sex is to procreate? But our minds have been distorted and perverted because of the media through movies that does not portray the right values AND encouraging the use of contraceptives to prevent the spread of HIV, etc., without taking a deeper look at the consequences of this. If condom does prevent the spread of sexual diseases then why is there an epidemic? Finally, no man or woman had brought a man and a woman together to bind them in marriage. Yes, there are ministers, justice of peace, etc., who are given the authority (and/or reponsibility) to consumate a marriage between a man (husband) and a woman (wife) but that is all that they do. Marriage is and had been from the very beginning sacred and had been instituted by a Higher Divine Being. Why? Because life is a gift from above. We continue to do His Will. He 'Created' and we continue to pro-create. Therefore husband and wife through their love give brith to new life - a gift.
YOU AND I ARE A GIFT.
On the subject above, couples should have a Mission Statement as well and have the vows that were exchanged when their marriage was consumated written in Bold and framed. It should be visible that one can see it everyday. A reminder that it was a choice that they had made and solemnly swore without anyone coercing them to do so. Another area is especially true and that is the need to see and realise that they are bonded (not in the literal sense of being completely tied to one another that it becomes stifling and overbearing) together for a reason and a purpose that is not only for and of themselves but towards enriching their lives with new life and contributing to the better good of humanity. For those who believe, not only of my faith but of other religion who are of goodwill, can make a difference in this area to show that it is possible to achieve this ideal of a loving relationship even with the pains and struggles of everyday living. The cohesiveness and integrity of a family unit is truly the FOUNDATION STONE (the pillar) of a society, a country and the world. I missed out a point on contraceptives. I mentioned that there is this misconceived notion that contraception does prevent birth or the spread of sexual diseases. Yes, one might think that pregnancy does not occur by using contraceptives but what if it happens? Perhaps if we look into the passion of the act itself that one seeks pleasure from. In the midst of this 'lust' does it not occur that the putting aside of the usage of contraceptives is of a high probability. Next, even with the usage there are also possibilities of it being wrongly used or that there are leakages. Then what? The dilemna of keeping or aborting!!! Abortion is killing but then, does one have this conscience or had it been hardened up through media and wrong values and morals. Is it not true that abortion breeds irresponsibilty in that the easy way out is taken? On the other side of keeping the child which is very noble and should be the right thing to do, would it not become a burden to those responsible? If they choose to keep the child then the question of whether proper nurturing and love will be given, afterall at the back of their minds they had not planned nor wanted a child. Even though the infant is not able to speak or talk, the child is able to sense the care and love or lack of it that is shown. Without second guesses, what kind of a child will he or she grow up to be? Is it not sad that one has a lack of choices when one chooses to look selfishly at their own 'supposed' needs and pleasures without realising the consequences?
WHAT CAN YOU AND I DO to MAKE a DIFFERENCE?
What then is the right thing to do? Love the mother and the child. If the means and level of maturity to keep the child is difficult and not the best of reasons, then there are those who are very prepared and of good standing to take care of the new born - a gift from you to them. Precious is a child - the gift of life not only from flesh and blood but from a Divine Being who have in the beginning given us this gift of EACH ONE of US.
As I continue .........
...that I may add more .....
....and more.....
....and more.....
.....towards my Final End, I'll bid you farewell.
http://www.theologyofthebody.net