Couples in Love Straight Talk on Dating, Respect, Commitment, Marriage, and Sexuality

by Waiss, John R.

• ISBN13: 9780824521301
• ISBN10: 0824521307
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-10-01
• Publisher: Crossroad

Summary

This resource for young couples, parents, and teachers features dialogues between a young couple and a Catholic priest and addresses a wide range of topics including dating, building a relationship, deciding on a vocation, and the issues associated with traditional sexual ethics.

Table of Contents

Foreword	11	(13)
Cardinal Roger Mahony
The Exciting Gospel of Love and Life	13	(6)
The Setting of the Dialogue	19	(3)
Is Christian Morality Negative?	22	(9)
Should Celibate Priests Tell Couples What to Do with Their Bodies?	22	(2)
Why Is Judeo-Christian Morality So Negative?	24	(2)
Negative Precepts Reflect Positive Values	26	(5)
How Lust Affects Love	31	(11)
Impure Glances	31	(7)
Saying ``I Love You'' with Your Eyes	38	(2)
Christians Should Not Be Afraid of Temptations	40	(2)
Handling Temptations	42	(6)
Are All Impure Thoughts Sins?	42	(2)
Loving Christ in the Other	44	(1)
Impure Dreams	45	(3)
The Logic of Love	48	(27)
What Is Love?	48	(4)
Language of the Body	52	(10)
Marriage: Just a Piece of Paper?	62	(1)
Why No Divorce?	63	(6)
The Eucharist and Spousal Love	69	(6)
The Meaning of Contraception	75	(28)
Contraception and Overpopulation	75	(2)
What Does Contraception ``Say?''	77	(4)
Isn't Natural Family Planning the Same as Contraception?	81	(9)
Is Natural Family Planning Ever Sinful?	90	(7)
Cloning and Test-Tube Babies	97	(6)
Sex: For Bonding or Babies?	103	(20)
Adoption vs. Single Parenting	103	(2)
Why Is the Sexual Experience So Intense?	105	(4)
``Going All the Way'' vs. ``Doing Everything But...''	109	(2)
Is Virginity Physical or Spiritual?	111	(3)
Can One Recover One's Virginity?	114	(3)
Practical Advice for Saving Sex for Marriage	117	(6)
When We Stumble	123	(12)
Struggles with Self-Abuse	123	(3)
Pornography	126	(5)
How Far Is Too Far?	131	(1)
You're Married... to God... to Christ!	132	(3)
The Purpose of Dating	135	(20)
Having Fun Getting to Know Each Other	135	(5)
How Compatible Are We?	140	(4)
Should Religion Matter in Choosing a Spouse?	144	(6)
Must We Have Children as Soon as We Get Married?	150	(1)
What about the Number of Children?	151	(4)
Personal Struggles	155	(11)
Dating a Non-Catholic	155	(1)
Modesty: Guarding My Treasured Gift	156	(4)
TV and Movies	160	(2)
Unhealthy Relationships	162	(4)
Learning to Communicate	166	(33)
Male and Female Differences	166	(6)
A Weakness for Passion or Romance	172	(5)
Why Is the Sex Drive So Strong and So Different?	177	(7)
Different Fears: Impotence or Loneliness?	184	(6)
Expressing Love Differently	190	(9)
Vocation: What Does God Want of Me?	199	(23)
Do I Have a Vocation?	199	(3)
How Do I Discern My Vocation?	202	(11)
Should I Become a Nun?	213	(9)
Postscript	222	(1)
Acknowledgments	223	(2)
Notes	225	(4)
For Further Reading	229