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 and promote tolerance, peace, and understanding of all faiths and spiritual traditions. |
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Sex - Part IVPosted by Pamela 4/13/10Getting back to the original question asked in Lisa Miller's Newsweek article - How can college-aged men and women best resist peer pressure to have sex, or, at least, resist the kind of sex they don't want? As Donna Freitas says, Students "want the right to demand more from their peers when it comes to sex and relationships - more joy, more satisfaction, more commitment - and less sex."
Perhaps we could think of this choice as one between "high level" and "low level" sex. I'm not talking here about the quality level of the sex act. There are plenty of books for advice on that. I'm talking about the emotional, relational, and spiritual level of sex. It may be hard for some to imagine a "spiritual" component to pre-marital sex, but many who are sexually active on campus
are searching for precisely that. Sex - Part IIIPosted by Pamela 3/17/10As we struggle to find a way of discussing sex at the university level, let's first distinguish among different types of "sex." Premarital sex is one issue, and probably the one most of concern to students. Cheating on a spouse is another. Pornography is a third. Homosexuality comes in here somewhere. And then there's marriage. And divorce.
It's helpful if we can agree that not all of these are equally horrible and offensive to God. Sex - Part IIPosted by Pamela 2/19/10In my last posting, I mentioned a book, Sex and the Soul, by Donna Freitas, which had been quoted in a recent Newsweek article. In her book, Freitas recommends that college students be given an opportunity to tell the truth about what they want out of relationships, including courtship, romance, intercourse and abstinence, without incurring the derision and wrath of their peers, mentors and campus ministers. Sex - Part IPosted by Pamela 1/27/10A few months ago, one of the Newman Center students, Andrea, asked me about organizing a UIC forum on Sexuality and Spirituality. She said: "I feel this is an important topic for people of faith, especially since the Christian Church is unwilling to engage in conversation about it. In college people are exploring their sexuality, whether they consider themselves spiritual or not. I think it would be wonderful to engage in conversation that is open and not controlled by leaders who are simply shouting 'abstinence only' without a reason why. Who Is Really Following Jesus?Posted by Peggy Pollard 1/02/10One of my modern Christian heroes who I believe effectively lives out Jesus’ message is the head of the University of California Merced, Chancellor Steve Kang.
According to the book “Everything must Change” by Brian McLaren, Jesus’ original message is full of radical socio-economic-political statements, much less concerned with our personal comfort than that we each serve God's purposes for ALL people, most of whom have much less power, wealth and opportunity than we Americans. Health Care and the Cash CowPosted by Herb Schmidt 11/28/09The debate about health care in our country rightly should be of great concern to people of different Faith Communities. With over 40 million Americans without health insurance, with people facing bankruptcies because of health costs, others dying because they can't get medical assistance, people of faith need to add their voice to this important issue. It is a matter of Justice and good Stewardship of the resources God has given us. What Caused God?Posted by Peter Payne 11/4/09Many people use as an argument for belief the creation of he universe. This is called the "first cause" argument: if the universe had a beginning (i.e., the Big Bang,) then the cause of the Big Bang must be something that transcends the physical universe. Coupled with the apparent fine-tuning of the natural laws which make life possible and the claim that it would take a super-intelligent Being to so arrange natural law, this argument designates "God" as the transcendent cause of the universe. There are objections to this position. read more... Freedom of SpeechPosted by Pamela 9/12/09I was an undergrad at Berkeley at the time of the Free Speech Movement (1964-65.) This Free Speech was not about shouting four-letter words from the steps of Sproul Hall, as most people think. This was about the freedom to say "I am, or was, a member of the Communist Party," and not lose your job. read more... EnvyPosted by Pamela 4/29/09When we frist started looking for speakers for our series on "The Seven Deadly Sins," I had no idea that the one topic no one wanted to cover was Envy. Not any less than the others, anyway. But I've learned something. No one wants to admit they've been envious. No one wants to talk about it. Apparently, envy is not sexy. Read more... Should God's Name Be Heard on Campus?Posted by Pamela 4/9/09"Certainly not!" say a loud number of voices. "Religion is the embodiment of irrationality and a threat to liberal values. Religious people are crazy. They'd as soon bomb you as look at you. It's too much trouble! Best leave it alone." The Post-Modernist and BeliefPosted by Pamela 2/11/09My niece, Sam, is a Post-modernist. Raised half a Catholic and half a Jew, she sees no problem in following two religions at once (she hasen't done a lot of theological study and will probably add Buddhism in there, just to round things out. Still, she likes Jesus and thinks he's cool. She's not too concerned that she will ever find Truth, Eternal Truth, or True Truth...Read more... The Modernist and BeliefPosted by PamelaMy father-in-law is an agnostic, a wishy-washy position, in my opinion. Even atheism is better than such vague confusion. What is the point of an Interfaith Council?Posted by PamelaThat’s a question I get asked all the time. The speaker usually goes on to say, “What good does it do us (fill in the name of your faith group) to associate with Catholics, Jews, American Indians, Evangelicals or Buddhists?” Some even add, “The disgusting, heretical (any name here) are all of the devil anyway! Why do you bother?” Read more... |
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AFFINTY HOUSING AVAILABLE UCSC is making on-campus residential housing available in the 2010-11 school year for undergraduate students who would like to live together around a common theme - SPIRITUALITY ................................................................................
GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY: What Does Jesus Look Like in INDIA? Thursday, May 6, 7:30, Room TBA  |
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