Dating: What's the Point?

I think that the phrase, “dating is essentially practice for divorce,” is a little extreme. I understand that some people may be against dating, but in my opinion, I think that dating is a very important part in relationships. After watching the three videos by Kerry Cronin, I think that she makes a good point and agree with a lot of what she was saying. I think for people to have a successful relationship, they should follow the three levels of dating.

I have always thought that the term “hooking up” has not been very clear, but after reading Christine B. Whelan’s article, it is apparent that hooking up means different things to different people. I thought that the stats were all really interesting, and the one thing that really stood out to me was that so many people did not expect anything from a guy after they “hooked up,” no phone call, no text. I also think that it is definitely true that people think that everyone around them is hooking up more often then they really are. It is hard to see how often hooking up occurs because people all have different interpretations of what it really is.

Papal Election

The new Pope has many challenges that he must face. One topic that is especially important for the next Pope to address in the Church and in the world is the sex abuse scandals. There have been many issues with sex abuse scandals recently, and because of them, many Catholics have or have thoughts about leaving the Catholic Church. Another issue that the Pope must discuss is same-sex marriage. This has been in the news a lot recently throughout the world, and especially in the United States.

I think the future of the Church needs a Pope who will come in and settle everything down. There is a lot of controversy in our world and in the Catholic Church today, and I think we need a new leader who will peacefully work everything out. I think one major challenge that the Pope may have is unifying the Catholic Church. I feel like some people may be against the Church because of the Church’s strict views on certain issues and the recent sex abuse scandals, so if the Pope can have people fighting for the Church, and not against it, that will be a good sign.

It is very difficult to be a woman in the Church today. Women are given smaller jobs in the Church. Our world is evolving and although women did not hold powerful positions in the past, they do now. The Church needs to evolve with our modern times and offer more jobs and opportunities in the Church for women. In other religions, women have higher positions, so why don’t women in the Catholic Church? Women in the Church need female role models to look up to. The Pope needs to give women a larger voice in our Catholic community.

If I could change one thing in the Church, it would be that the Church needs to be up to date with our modern world. I don’t think that the Church needs a huge drastic change, but small simple changes to help people today stay and feel connected to the Catholic Church will help. Sometimes, it seems like it is hard to relate to some things going on in the Church because the Church is not that up to date.

I do think there is some room for democracy in the Church in its current condition. With everything in our chaotic world going on, and with the sudden resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, I think that the Catholic Church needs a strong leader who will not be afraid to make some changes, as long as the changes help all Catholics. I think that the Holy Spirit works through the hierarchy by guiding the Pope and other leaders in the right direction.