It's Better Naked

Young adults have come together to create an aesthetically pleasing, upfront, and truthful website detailing the health risks and social issues that stem from contraceptive use.  The exciting announcement came on my favorite blog, BadCatholic today.  I could not be more pumped up to tweet and share this information as it is disseminated by these awesome people.  

It all goes back to my last post on religious freedom.

 "It’s not popular to support the Church at times especially given today's secular culture. Follow the Pope's directive and become an informed and articulate member of the laity.  With knowledge and understanding, there is strength."

www.1flesh.org is full of videos, graphics, and stories highlighting not only scientific evidence against birth control, but personal stories of “seeing the light” and switching to a version of NFP.

 

Perhaps the most useful section provides counterarguments for many common themes we hear when combating the pervasive nature of the contraceptive mentality in our culture. 

This is what the conservative movement needed.  An infusion of youth, something that connects to people in my generation. Something that speaks the truth without the verbose nature of theology (which is really important, but not the easiest to understand). 

I can’t really paraphrase the genius that is apparent in the mission statement, so I provide it for you verbatim.

If anything can be said of our generation, it’s this: We want sexy back. Our parent’s generation, well, they lost it. They delivered to us a world with sky-high rates of divorce, abortion, and STDs; a world bored with sex and bored with romance; a world in which more and more people are turning to pornography to find sexual satisfaction; a world in which 1 in 5 women report being sexual assaulted, and the human body — the sexiest thing in the universe — is used to sell cars.

After extremely little consideration, we decided we don’t want that. We want awesome relationships and mind-blowing sex lives. We want women and men to be respected and loved for who they are, to the very depths of their being. We want sex free from fear, love free from use, and a world of people who love and respect their own bodies. In short, we want sexy back. In fact, we demand it.

So we got together — a group of college kids — to find the root of this mentality. (aka what the hell happened!?) Well, though any cultural change contains all sorts of contributing factors, we think we’ve narrowed all the wackness down to its primary cause: The widespread use of artificial contraception.

This is a dangerous idea. It’s dangerous because artificial contraception is heavily promoted by big pharmaceutical companies — like Bayer Corp. — and contraception providers — like Planned Parenthood. It’s dangerous because it’s not an idea supported by those in power. But most of all, it’s dangerous because it’s true.

We found, by looking at the best available analysis from sociology, medicine, philosophy and economics, that the widespread use of artificial contraception has failed to decrease STD prevalence, increased the global rate of HIV, seriously harmed the environment, screwed up relationships, and is strongly correlated with increased divorces, abortions, and unplanned pregnancies. We found that hormonal contraception significantly increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer, cervical cancer, heart disease, and may very well be lowering her sex drive. We found that the safety and effectiveness artificial contraception is often falsely advertised by pharmaceutical companies, and that the health benefits of hormonal contraception are totally exaggerated.

So we were all like,

Let’s start a revolution!
So here we are, revolting.

1Flesh means just that. One flesh. Total union. No wrapping men in rubber or pumping women with artificial hormones. No interrupting the act of making love. Once the sex act became something in which women were “controlled” and men were “restrained” everything seemed to fall apart. Suddenly “objectification” wasn’t such a hard thing to do. Instead of repeating the mistakes of our parents, we’re trying to spread words of rebellion; that sex should be awesome, that pregnancy can be justly avoided without harmful chemicals, and that love is worth fighting for.

Define: Religious Freedom (Thoughts from Fortnight for Freedom)

This is an interesting time in our country’s history to be a faithful Catholic.  Even more interesting has been moving to Washington DC, a move that has thrust me even more into the center of the debate on defining religious liberty.

Today, I had the privilege of joining the Archdiocese of Washington in a celebration of Catholicism and religious liberty in the United States.  Right now, Catholics in the United States are facing what seems like an unprecedented attack on our beliefs on human sexuality. 

It might feel "unprecedented" but I promise you  it's not.  

Go watch For the Greater Glory, we don't have it bad yet.

(Spoiler alert...a little 11 year old is martyred.)

The entire afternoon was devoted to the history of the Catholic Church and religious liberty in the U.S.  It was truly a celebration filled with patriotic songs like the Battle Hymn of the Republic and My Country Tis of Thee.  Rooted deep in the patriotism was an acknowledgement of the fundamental necessity of religious liberty.

 The Knights of Columbus presented the colors 

and the St. Augustine choir led us in the National Anthem

From the beginning, religious freedom has been at the heart of American society.  Mayflower pilgrims were escaping persecution in England and built, at the foundation of the new colonies, the idea that men could worship based on their own conscience.  

Although religious freedom was important, anti-Catholic sentiments have persisted throughout much of American history.  In the early years, Catholics faced political ostracism and outright bans (Interesting read here).   It was overt anti-Catholic sentiments that led JFK to give quite a famous speech to a group of protestant ministers.  

One idea JFK presented in the speech reflects why an array of religions have joined together in the past few months to remind Americans of the true principle of religious liberty.  Kennedy said, “Today I may be the victim, but tomorrow it may be you — until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped at a time of great national peril.”

Despite the limitations on practicing the faith openly, Catholics began investing in the country.  John Carroll, the first American bishop, spoke about the blood of Catholics that were shed in the fights of the War for Independence.

 By 1900, over fifty thousand religious sisters had made their mark in the United States establishing hospitals, schools, and shelters for the poorest and sickest of society.  Today, one in six patients is treated at a Catholic hospital.  Around 5.5 million patients are seen in one year.  

"We serve others not because they are Catholic but because we are Catholic," said the emcee.  

I could not agree with him more.  Authentic Christian service requires serving the whole person.  Faith is not something that we can leave in the pew after Mass on Sunday.  It defines every action, thought, and word.   

Unfortunately, this understanding of faith, the idea that it can and should permeate one’s life is not widely accepted.  Religious liberty in the public sphere is at risk because the idea that one can express faith in the public sphere is often met with great hostility.  

In January, the American bishops met with Pope Benedict who said the best defense of liberty is to have an informed and articulate Catholic laity. (More from Papa Benny to the American Bishops)  He acknowledged the challenge of living faithfully because of the increase in radical secularism, but implored the bishops and American Catholics to not shy away from who we are. 

Cardinal Weurl defined religious freedom today as the ability to worship and live according to the demands of one’s conscience.  It is not a matter of what rights are given to us, because our rights come from God and are only protected by man.

We are a people of hope he reminded us.  We live in faith and hope.  Faith  in Jesus Christ as our Savior.  Hope for the coming of the next Kingdom.  The New Evangelization is one way to live out and express this hope. 

Cardinal Weurl laid out three important prongs for growing in the New Evangelization.

1. Deepen our personal faith.
2. Be confident in the truth of the Gospel.
3. Share it with others.

The afternoon ended with a brief period of adoration and benediction.  Before bringing out the Blessed Sacrament, Cardinal Weurl asked us to kneel with him in thanksgiving to the Lord for the gifts of religious liberty.  

 What's more beautiful than the Eucharist?  Nothing.

He also reminded us that while there is a time to kneel before the Lord, there is also a time to stand.  And standing for religious liberty, freedom, is imperative for the duration of our faith.

It’s not popular to support the Church at times especially given today's secular culture. Follow the Pope's directive and become an informed and articulate member of the laity.  With knowledge and understanding, there is strength.  

 I have my share of fears, but if we don’t stand…then who will?

In moments of fear or doubt, take comfort in the words of Blessed John Paul II, “Open wide your hearts to Christ and do not be afraid.” 

Bought a One-Way Ticket...

If you know me at all, you know that singing is my thing.  There is usually no phrase that I can't relate back to song lyrics.  My ideal life would consist of people randomly breaking out into song and dance.  Music is expressive; it goes beyond the mere spoken and written word with more emotions.

I digress.

This week, the song stuck in my head literally reflects the next part of my journey. LeAnn Rimes sings a song, One Way Ticket (Video here; Lyrics here) about all the things she is going to do after a breakup.  While I'm not moving forth from a boyfriend-breakup, the song really speaks to the changes I've experienced the past month since graduating.

A month ago, I was "standing on the border and looking into the great unknown."  Over the past few weeks, a few experiences have given me enormous amounts of peace.  There is a great unknown, but I'm ready for it.  I have  "promise of a favorable wind."  This favorable wind is the result of being a blessed daughter of my Creator.  I am so excited to see what mountains He has placed for me to mount.  And I cannot wait to finally "look the eagle in the eye."

You may remember one of my earlier posts "The Double-Edged Sword of Being Abroad" where I talked about all the downsides of a year of being in a different country.  Tough times are expected, but "I won't let fear clip my wings and tell me how high I can fly."  All of the blessings that I have been afforded, from internships to friendships to amazing priests give me confidence in the fact that God is always with me.  Even though I'll be missing a lot of highlights over the year with my friends and family, we are together in spirit and faith.

So, the real reason this song has been my mantra this week is the first line of the chorus.  "I'll buy a one-way ticket on a west bound train and see how far I can go."  Much to my mom's dismay, the first part of that refrain now applies to me.  I have a one-way ticket to Poland.

Unlike Rimes, I'll be traveling east, on an airplane, and I know my end destination.  But the same excitement exists.  A one-way ticket took a lot of trusting God.  For me, it says I don't know when You're going to bring me home, but I trust You actually will remember that the USA is my home. 

The "plan" is for me to visit either for Christmas or in January, but who knows what opportunities there will be during my breaks from teaching.  There's an incredible amount of freedom and excitement building and the plane ticket is just the start.



Side note:  For those who care, I depart the afternoon of Sept. 5 and arrive in Poland the morning of Sept. 6.  (TIME TRAVEL!)

The Second of July---Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring

As the Fourth of July draws closer, we're all gonna start planning celebrations for the "day" that America declared independence from Great Britain.

Get ready for your world to be rocked.

I was informed today that the actual declaration from Great Britain happened on July 2nd.

July 2nd was the day the Founding Fathers thought was going to be celebrated because that's the day that Congress declared independence.  The timeline can be seen here.
 

John Adam wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, saying:

"The Second Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

Moving on...The Declaration of Independence that we refer to on a regular basis isn't actually titled such.  The original title, "The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America," reflects the grandness of the document.

The Declaration wasn't merely a statement saying that Americans are no longer under British rule.  That decision came on July 2nd and in a pledge at the end of the document.   Instead, the Declaration is an argument for the respect for the "self-evident truths." 

The Declaration that we herald as the founding document of the U.S. was adopted July 4th, but wasn't signed until August 2nd, 1776.

This is what I learned today.  If you didn't know it, I hope it confused you as much as me!

Define: Value Meal

McDonalds is well known for their "value" meal.  A considerable amount of fat, sodium, and "sustenance" for a very low price. 

The past week has given me a new appreciation for this phrase.  Heritage offers food with almost all of their meetings and lecture series.  It's probably one of the best fed buildings in DC.

You might think I'm joking, but last year's meal count was over 2300.  That's six lunches and dinners a day, 365 days a week.  Take into account weekends and holidays, there's always food around.

Lunch generally accompanies a presentation by one of the foundation's researchers or another author.  So far I've been treated to like three lunches.

The food is good too.  About 20% is Subway, 20% Chik-fil-a and the rest "real" food.  The real food is fantastic.  Salads, chicken, desserts...

One of the buildings even has a roof top dining area for lunch on your own and some organized shindigs.

My favorite tradition is possibly Donuts and Paychecks.  Paycheck come bi-weekly for us.  So on Fridays when the checks come, we get donuts and juice and coffee for a half hour before work.  

Food is serious business here.  Luckily, it's good and free. The value is much higher than any fast food because dinners encourage us to think and eat.  There's sustenance for the mind AND body.

Nerdy Heaven

My first few days in DC have been a whirlwind of orientations and acclimation.   It wasn't hard, but I have fallen in love with this town all over again.  As our speaker at lunch put it, "This is a great place for us with nerdish tendencies...and if you're here, you probably are a little bit nerdy."

Today, I helped write an oped and started working on research.  My job revolves around Stata and econometrics.  It sounds awful to most people, but I think it's what I want to do for the rest of my life!  This opportunity is incredible.

The other interns are incredible...a great mix of ages and backgrounds.  I've met quite a few Catholic kids to go to Mass with and some Bible studies.  The church is literally across the street from where I'm living!  On top of that, my boss leads a weekly Bible study.

Our intern coordinators have so many opportunities planned for us this summer and they're very serious about us not working overtime or missing out on DC life.  This means we are allowed to leave for lunch and lecture series pretty much anywhere in the city during the week.  Most days we don't have to go far though because there are countless speakers coming in and out of our own building.

I think the highlight of this week might be my research training on Friday at the Library of Congress! 

My life is quite busy here, especially since I'm living with 50 fellow interns.  It's so much different than last year, but I am pretty sure it's going to be great.  Promise to keep this updated so everyone can see what's going on with me.  My schedule promises to be quite exciting.

God bless!

Want to Make God Laugh....

...tell Him your plans.

I had quite the week planned before I moved to DC.  Monday was an appointment with Dr. Bowler and hanging out with my cousin and her kids.  I was going to watch Kalina at gymnastics.  On Tuesday, when Amanda got off of work, we were going to visit CMU.  I really miss Mt. Pleasant...and Fr. Will is leaving soon.  It would've been awesome to have kabsa again with the Saudis.  There were so many other things on the do to list!  Polish visas, figuring out everything for DC, packing. etc.

My family (minus Amanda and plus Abby) spent Saturday evening at a Polish festival.  When I got home, I had a voice mail from my housing in DC.  I hadn't checked in that morning and they were worried about me.

Commence panic.

The first reaction was to frantically pack my bags (new record, two hours!).  The next meltdown occurred over  getting to Mass.  Things calmed down as we got the airplane situation squared away and bags packed.

Long story short, I booked my flight for the wrong date.  It sucks that I've missed out on this great week I had planned, but for some reason, God had a better plan.  No idea how I messed up this all up so much, but I did.

 It all worked out though.  I'm in DC at my intern housing. I'm currently watching some basketball game and hanging out with some of the not tired, social interns! 

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" Ecclesiastes 3:1