The Way

I really enjoyed watching the film, The Way.  Watching each of the characters as they traveled on the camino was very inspiring.  I thought that it was really cool to see how each of the characters in this movie changed  as they walked their pilgrimage.  It was inspiring to see how they all seemed to get more in touch with themselves as they traveled through Europe.  I agree that the purpose of the Camino is to find yourself and reflect on your life and its' purpose.  I think it would be beneficial for everyone to go on a pilgrimage whether it be 3 days or almost 3 months like in the movie.  It is a great way to get away from the stress of our everyday lives.  On the Camino, I think that Tom's purpose changed throughout his journey.  He began the Camino so that he could carry his son's ashes and complete it for him.  As the pilgrimage went on, I think that Tom realized he was meant to walk the Camino not only for his son, but also for himself.  

Mixed Messages

I think that the Church sends a lot of positive messages to young women.        
The church teaches women to treat themselves with respect and to make sure that men treat them this way too.  Also, the church teaches women the importance of families and how crucial their role is as a mother to their children.  While the author of the article thinks the church is limiting women to only being mothers, I think that they fully support women who want to be a mother and have a career.  Also, I think that going to a Catholic, private all-girls school has taught me a lot about what it means to be a woman.  I have been taught to always strive for the best and to have a strong faith in God.  I have also been taught to have respect for myself and others who are around me.  While I think that there are more positive messages than negative messages, I think there are some negative messages the church teaches.  An example is that only  men are allowed to be priests.  This isn't a really bad thing, but some women see this as the church treating men and women as unequal.

Abortion

I think that the amount abortions that go on all over the world are horrible, but I think that it is even worse that in developing countries more than half of the abortions done are unsafe. Abortions done in the United States are safer than those in other countries because they are legal here. While I  think that it would be ideal for abortions to be illegal, I think in doing so, more illegal abortions would take place in the United States.  

There are several ways to help lower the number of abortions in these developing countries.  One way is to give the women access to contraceptives and birth control.  It is only fair for these women to be able to have some control over when they will get pregnant.  If contraceptives are not available, then the chance of getting pregant is much greater.  Also, I think that these people should be more educated about family planning and why abortion is wrong.  I think that some of the women that become pregnant get abortions because they don't know what else to do, when they could give their baby up for adoption instead of aborting it.  Also, while legalizing abortions in developing countries would not help decrease the rate of them taking place, it would decrease the number of unsafe abortions.

IVF

I believe that there are several pros to IVF, but of course there are also cons involved with the process.  While the Church thinks that it is wrong, I believe that if a couple can not have cildren, this is a great option for them.  The main pro to IVF is the fact that it is another chance at having a child for those who have trouble getting pregnant.  Also, IVF has been around for a while and it is relatively safe compared to other ways of pregnancy outside of natural conception.  Some cons are that IVF is extremely expensive and it is not guaranteed to work.  Another con is that is puts the mother at an increased risk for anxiety and depression because it can be very stressful.  Even though there are cons to IVF, I disagree with the Church, and I feel that if a couple wants to try IVF to have a baby, they should.  I also don't think that expensive cost of IVF has to do with the morality of the practice.  

He's Just Not That Into You

         One of the characters in He's Just Not That Into You that relates to what we've been studying in class is Gigi.  Gigi is desperately looking for someone that she can have as a boyfriend.  Gigi lacks self-confidence, and she feels that she needs a boyfriend so that she can be happy with herself.  She also constantly tries too hard when she talks to guys and she thinks too much into when a boy talks to her.  In the end of the movie, she does end up in a relationship with Alex. She relates to what we are talking about in class because she is desperately looking to be in a relationship even though she does not have to be in one.  

        Another character in the film is Beth.  Beth has been in a relationship with her boyfriend Neil for several years, and she feels like they need to get married.  Neil on the other hand does not want to get married because he is happy with the way their relationship currently is.  Beth constantly tries to tell Neil they need to get married, and after she can't take it anymore, they break up.  Eventually, they get back together and Beth realizes she would be happy to be with him even if they did not get married.  In the end, Neil proposes and the two end up getting married.  Their relationship relates to what we learned in class because they exemplify a relationship where marriage does not change their love for one another.  The two of them maintained a  steady, long-term relationship even though they were not married (atleast until the end of the movie).

The Changing Face of Marriage

When I was growing up, the "domestic church" played a role in my life, but it was not completely like everyone else's. I always went to during on holidays and during Advent and Lent, but my family and I never went to church on a daily basis.  Despite not attending church daily, my parents were still loving and the most amazing parents that I could ask for. I have always had a strong faith in God because of going to Catholic school since kindergarten and recieving the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliaton, Communion and Confirmation.  I also think that the changing structure of marriage and family is unique to each couple.  I do not think that it is a bad thing for people to have children and not be married as long as they are in a committed, loving and stable relationship.  When it comes to marriage,  I can see why a college degree may help the relationship, but I also think that that statistic could be misleading.  I think that people get divorced becuase they have tried everything, and they feel their relationship is not working for them.  A college degree of course has its benefits for both people, but I do not think that it directly relates to rates of divorce.  For me, I one day hope to a establish a "domestic church" for my own family.  While I do not want to force Catholicism on my kids, I want it to be there as an option and as something that will help them to develop their morals and thinking.

Dating and hooking-up

I do not agree with the claim that dating is essentially practice for divorce.  I think that dating is a necessary part of learning about relationships.  While there are a lot of people who are dating and and not looking for anything serious, there are also a lot of serious relationships and marriages that stem from dating.  I think that those who are 'anti-daters' exaggerate the harm that dating can do.  Compared to dating, hooking-up is much different.  In hooking-up, I think that most people are mainly looking to get with the person only once or twice.  I think that hooking-up is not meant to lead to any type of real or serious relationship.   I think that hooking-up usually cannot lead to real relationships because the two people are only sexually attraced to each other. Also, a lot of the time it causes one person begins to feel attached, with the other person moving on without any feelings.