To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and of loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something beautiful for God. Purity is the fruit of prayer. If families pray together they will remain in unity and purity, and love each other as God loves each one of them. A pure heart is the carrier of God's love, and where there is love, there is unity, joy, and peace. Mother Teresa
Challenge for a New Religion
If I could invent a new religion or philosophy, it would be to improve and educate everyone on the hidden power of perseverance and endurance that gives us the strength to overcome sexual desires and fantasies. This would bring us toward even greater fulfillment all around. I would weave the teachings of John Paul II's Theology of the Body that enrich us with core morals and values of satisfying relationships that have been withstood the test of time. I'd blend them with modern philosophies and examples to overcome our sexual desires. I believe bringing this to the forefront will help alleviate a great deal of the crisis of many illnesses, depression, drug addictions, unplanned pregnancies, child neglect, divorce, and wrong behaviors that will turn us around and improve our lives. Shared positive experiences would empower us over the strong power of sex on everyone in the world. With this new philosophy of purity, sex, God, and marriage would improve our world and enrich our spirits.
I would focus education and awareness about the seriousness of marriage and family. This would provide protection regarding extramarital sex. Casual sexual encounters wouldn't be taken as lightly anymore, but be viewed as a more serious offence, not something flaunted publicly. This change might be the powerful force that awakens the tender hearts and minds of young adults to the serious consequences of sexual engagement in positive ways, perhaps providing a longing to stay pure and follow this through because it leads to fulfillment!
A married man would be expected to be accountable for his family's needs physically and emotionally before 'awarding' him grand titles for major roles outside of his family. If a man is not satisfied and unwilling to take reasonable responsibility for his wife and children first and wants to be free from them, he will be labeled as unreliable when others are under his care or looking to him for some kind of authority or advice. Unless he sees through his wrong mindedness or mistakes and gets help to reform, he cannot be trusted. Once he reforms and becomes more stable, he will become a key role model who is able to improve the world for all of us.
A married woman with children wouldn't be expected to leave her young and work away from home, or have to depend on grandparents or daycare to raise her children and make a living to support her family. Instead she would be supported and helped by her immediate family and applauded for her motherhood, which would be viewed as the highest profession during children's early formative years. She'd be glad to focus her efforts on the daily duties of being a caretaker. She'd also become a role model, a woman of worth and grace for her family and the world, especially for young unmarried women. Her example would bring focus to the feminine nurturing heart of love and compassion. Men will appreciate this and women will appreciate and support men's achievements and endeavors. While both genders are counting the blessings of the other, sex will be enhanced.
If men or women are raising families alone, other family members will be reminded to help them and will be openly applauded so others might follow suit. Those who turn away will be held accountable. Men and women with children who want to get divorced for reasons other than abuse will be labeled as unreliable unless they see through this wrong mindedness and make amends. Once they do so, they may become role models.
This new philosophy of purity would be established for all God's religions as a marriage law to remind parents of the serious violation of not carrying their own crosses in marriage. This will now be seen as a serious fault that will not be overlooked and will come with a price. With this made known to all, our world would improve since we'd go about things in the right way, more intelligently and with strength.
There would be more job opportunities for both men and women, young and old, with appropriate and fitting pay without gender discrimination to meet each of our needs in the practice of this new philosophy.
This new religion or philosophy would help modern-day teachers and coaches who council others in this new philosophy of sex, God, and marriage. Self-help teachers and authors would teach and advise others how to overcome pain and suffering, get through grief and divorce; how to eat properly; how to lose weight; how to exercise; how to pray or mediate; how to find love; how to find peace, how to be wealthy, how to be happy and so on and so on. Most importantly, they'd teach how to stay pure and true to their spouses and families. Sadly education in sexual overcoming is hardly ever spoken about! If we will look deeper into the Theology of the Body, we'll find the key to a life of love and happiness for everyone. Everything else we have to go through on our life's journey will seem insignificant, since God's strength would empower us. He entrusts us to bring love and fulfillment into the world through the family. He promised that this love will bring us joy and peace. Modern men and women haven't taken seriously the incredible power that comes from abstaining from sex. I believe through this new philosophy we will conquer almost all!
About Catherine Nagle: Catherine grew up in Philadelphia with 16 brothers and sisters, reared by loving, old school Italian parents. Catherine's artist father's works graced churches and public buildings; her mother was a full-time homemaker. A professional hairdresser, Catherine worked in various salons while studying the Bible and pursuing spiritual growth through courses, seminars, lectures, works of Marianne Williamson, and conferences, including the National Theology of the Body Congress. She is also an Ambassador of the Society of Emotional Intelligence. The mother of two children and now a grandmother, Catherine lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son. She is the Author of Imprinted Wisdom.