What you are doing with your lecture on Christian sexual ethics and in your book “One Body” is extremely important. Here’s why. First of all, many of us grew up with the fire and brimstone/damaged goods version of sexual morality. The short falls of the damaged goods version are only too well known and have given those opposed to Judeo-Christian morality more than ample ammunition. This article by Dr. Jeff Mirus puts it quite well and the article contains some more descriptive links:
What is also needed is an antidote to something that has been promulgated about sexuality and traditional Christian teaching on sexual ethics for several decades which has been totally destructive to marriage but widely believed as truth especially by many confused and hurting people. This has been found in self-help books and the “recovery movement” books by some of the self-help/recovery gurus. To cite Scott Peck and his book “Further Along the Road Less Travelled” in the section on sexuality he mentions that there are things like unchaste marriages and chaste adulteries. Chaste adultery? Here is similar take on Scott Peck “The Road Less Travelled” from this link:
http://www.jmm.org.au/articles/29495.htm
Unfortunately, this “Road Less Travelled” is travelled far more frequently.
Another extremely popular self-help/recovery guru John Bradshaw writes in the “Healing the Shame that Binds You” that a belief in Original Sin is destructive and that it who can today actually really believe in a Hell of flames? In his book “Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child” he advocates masturbating frequently as a way of connecting with oneself. In his PBS lectures back in the 1990’s he redefines “Holiness” as a “Wholeness”, and that salvation lies within in this “Wholeness”. This Protestant link sums up the basic problems with John Bradshaw:
http://www.christiandiscernment.com/bradshaw.htm
Another self-help/recovery guru is John Friel. His book “Recuing your Spirit: When Third Grade Morality Isn’t Enough for Christian” The book contains a very strong anti-Catholic rant, as well as advocates that churches should be supportive of those who engage in unmarried sexual activity.
While many lost and confused people have found some good information in these books each of which have been widely popular, these ideas make it very hard for them, including those who want to come back into the Catholic Church or an orthodox Protestant one to do so.
Excellent.
ReplyDeleteGot to forward this link to my parish priest and other fellow believers. Good talk.
ReplyDeleteAlex:
ReplyDeleteWhat you are doing with your lecture on Christian sexual ethics and in your book “One Body” is extremely important. Here’s why. First of all, many of us grew up with the fire and brimstone/damaged goods version of sexual morality. The short falls of the damaged goods version are only too well known and have given those opposed to Judeo-Christian morality more than ample ammunition. This article by Dr. Jeff Mirus puts it quite well and the article contains some more descriptive links:
http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/articles.cfm?id=573
What is also needed is an antidote to something that has been promulgated about sexuality and traditional Christian teaching on sexual ethics for several decades which has been totally destructive to marriage but widely believed as truth especially by many confused and hurting people. This has been found in self-help books and the “recovery movement” books by some of the self-help/recovery gurus. To cite Scott Peck and his book “Further Along the Road Less Travelled” in the section on sexuality he mentions that there are things like unchaste marriages and chaste adulteries. Chaste adultery? Here is similar take on Scott Peck “The Road Less Travelled” from this link:
http://www.jmm.org.au/articles/29495.htm
Unfortunately, this “Road Less Travelled” is travelled far more frequently.
Another extremely popular self-help/recovery guru John Bradshaw writes in the “Healing the Shame that Binds You” that a belief in Original Sin is destructive and that it who can today actually really believe in a Hell of flames? In his book “Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child” he advocates masturbating frequently as a way of connecting with oneself. In his PBS lectures back in the 1990’s he redefines “Holiness” as a “Wholeness”, and that salvation lies within in this “Wholeness”. This Protestant link sums up the basic problems with John Bradshaw:
http://www.christiandiscernment.com/bradshaw.htm
Another self-help/recovery guru is John Friel. His book “Recuing your Spirit: When Third Grade Morality Isn’t Enough for Christian” The book contains a very strong anti-Catholic rant, as well as advocates that churches should be supportive of those who engage in unmarried sexual activity.
While many lost and confused people have found some good information in these books each of which have been widely popular, these ideas make it very hard for them, including those who want to come back into the Catholic Church or an orthodox Protestant one to do so.