For Capstone, I have spent the past 3 months researching mandatory celibacy in the Catholic Church. I have studied the in’s and out’s of celibacy in religion from Leviticus to Paul.

In this time, I have learned that 44 percent of Catholic priests leave the clergy to pursue married life within 25 years of ordination. Fifty years ago, 600 – 700 men at a time studied to be ordained as priests at St. Joseph’s Seminary  in Yonker’s each year; but in 2008 there were only 22 mean enrolled. And almost 2,000 Catholic Churches in the United States are without permanent priests.

I have found that between the lack of vocations, sexual abuse scandals and disconnect between the Catholic Church and society, something seriously needs to change. Through it all, I’ve realized that I don’t agree with a great deal of my faith.

I don’t believe a celibate priesthood is at all necessary or conducive to the faith, I believe in same sex marriage, I am pro-choice and quite frankly, I believe most Catholics in the public eye need to pull the sticks out of their asses.

BUT I also realized that I am Catholic because Catholicism doesn’t have to be about a literal translation of the bible, or a bunch up uptight white guys. I am first and foremost drawn to the symbolism of this religion. There is something about the concept of consuming the body and blood of Christ and becoming one with Him that connects me to everything: myself, my peers, and nature. Through various Catholic rituals and symbols I have come to accept God as a force of nature.

I was able to erase the image from my head of an old man with a bitchin’ beard, and discover faith as an ongoing journey that connects people to their surroundings. It hasn’t been like other churches that constantly talk about heaven and hell as the absolute goal or punishment. There has been a focus on love and commitment while you’re here. It’s been about participating and learning Catholic traditions because you genuinely care, not because you’re afraid of eternal flames if you don’t.I see that prayer doesn’t have to be about sitting in a church with your hands in the air singing. Rather, it’s about finding a way and place to communicate with God on a completely personal level.

So next time you hear criticism about Catholics for only going to church on Christmas and Easter, think about the fact that it’s a faith focused on individual growth in spirituality rather than saving people and flaunting your Bible knowledge.

These are the thoughts that triggered my last post.

I’m willing to bet nearly everyone has dealt with religion at one point or another…even if it’s simply acknowledging the fact that you’re not religious. Religion has come up a great deal in my life, and for the most part, it’s been positive. 

My mom was raised Jewish and my dad Catholic.

My mom said she felt forced into her faith her entire life and around her 13th birthday, when it came time for a Bat Mitzvah, she refused to have one because she said she was only doing it for the gifts. She steered clear of religion for quite some time until she said she began to understand God through Catholicism. 

Nearly everyone in my dad’s hometown was Czech Catholic (all 2,000 of them). He said he never struggled with believing until his dad passed away in 1987. He said for the first time, he didn’t understand God and was too angry to try. About ten years later he started going to church again.

My parents never forced my brother and me to go to church. They taught us that there isa God, and that faith was essential, but it was up to us to decide what religion, if any, helped us to know God. 

I never realized how fortunate I was to grow up in a house like this until late high school and college. In high school there was a definite “God squad,” and I spent 5 days a week at dance with about 20 of them. They were constantly talking about being saved and their fulfilling lives in Christ. It was over the top and incredibly annoying… possibly because the majority of them were materialistic and judgmental beyond belief. Not to mention a few of them weren’t exactly “pure” as they preached. 

You give faith a bad name.

I started going to church with friends in high school and didn’t really feel a connection with any of them. I couldn’t take any of them seriously. It was almost as if everyone who “found Jesus” was just repeating everyone else and saying they felt how they were supposed to. The only church I felt was genuine, was the Catholic Church.

Yes, I’m sure this was partially because I was going with my parents, but more importantly, the, “I know more about Jesus and Bible verses than you do,” competition didn’t exist. The congregates were there because they respected the tradition and structure of the church. 

My junior year of high school I went through RCIA with my mom. Together we were baptized, received first communion and received confirmation. I don’t agree with many things in the Catholic Church, but I will proudly identify myself as Catholic because it wasn’t something I was forced into. 

Religion is the title, but faith is the personal relationship with God. I believe that people have the right to find that relationship whatever way is best for them, and that forcing seven year olds to memorize the bible is no more productive than cramming for a test the night before. Regurgitating information is not experiences faith, it’s proving you have a good memory. 

A recent LA times article reported that 44 percent of U.S. adults have switched religious affiliations or abandoned ties to a specific religion. This isn’t surprising. You can only understand faith by repetition for so long before you realize the connection you’ve made with a higher power is superficial. I don’t think I’ll abandon my faith because I’ve come to know it on my own. Bottom line, faith should be personal.

Faith and religion can be absolutely beautiful. But the crazies who live to “save” the sinners ruin everyone’s fun. To see everything that’s wrong with religion, watch Jesus Camp. These people are a primary reason why people avoid faith.

ponies are just overgrown puppies

A recent article about contraceptives for wild horses made me very happy. In Hot Springs there were about 34,000 wild horses in captivity, and federal officials wanted to slaughter them. The cost to take care of these animals was about $27 million each year, so it made sense that something had to be done.

But luckily in February a federal legislation to prevent slaughter was introduced. Jay F. Kirkpatrick, director of the nonprofit science and conservation center at ZooMontane, said the answer to the overpopulation is an immunocontraceptive called P.Z.P. He said that the problem was reproduction, so this was clearly the answer.

It reminded me of this horrible looking puppy I saw this weekend. There is a non-profit, no kill shelter that has an outside area set up right by my apartment. Every day they go into the Town Lake Animal Shelter and rescue animals that are scheduled to be put down within 24 hours. Once this organization takes the animals, they are safe from being euthanized. 

Well one of the puppies they had this weekend had a severe case of mange. It had lost nearly all of it’s hair and looked like some sort of gargoyle. This little girl walked up to the puppy (I’m pretty sure she was the only person willing to touch it) and said, “This is the one I want!” Her parents looked like they were about to vomit, but said ok. This disgusting little puppy that was supposed to put to sleep the following day; but because this shelter took him, he got to live with a loving little girl. And lucky for the family, the mange should clear up in about two months.

I am not in any way an animal activist, but as a mother to two wonderful cats, I know how much joy an animal can bring a person. I am just happy that there are options other than kill shelters for animals that could be great pets. 

I know this post won’t change anyone’s life or lead to any sort of personal growth, I simply wanted to express how grateful I am for animals and animal lovers.

Do you remember the Internet eight or nine years ago? You logged into AOL and after 40 seconds to 10 minutes of the horrible dial-up noise you were free to chat…simply chat. There was a set profile where you could fill in general information about yourself, and the only portion that allowed any creativity was the “quote” line. And of course your actual screen name.

It wasn’t long before the Internet evolved and people could be on-line in a matter of seconds. Not only that, Internet communication grew and grew and grew.

Now there are continuous warnings about online sexual predators and face-to-face meetings that turn deadly. But what shocks me the most are not necessarily Internet dating sites, but the huge number of people openly soliciting sex on the Internet. 

A recent New York Times article reported that a man solicited sex on Craig’s List’s “Casual Encounters” section and thought he was going to be killed when he arrived at a small, dark apartment. After standing around terrified for a few minutes he found that the women he went to meet was actually just obese and didn’t want him to see her while they were having sex. 

He said he was relieved considering just moments before he thought he was going to be murdered. Users of “Casual Encounters” make up 2 percent of the Craig’s List population. No matter what your preference, there’s someone for you on there openly soliciting sex. Users are allowed to include pictures of everything they “have to offer.” The site says it does not allow pornographic pictures but it’s not monitored closely. 

When will Internet hook ups go too far? People didn’t stop after a young girl killed herself after being broken up with by her “Internet boyfriend” who actually ended up being her classmates mother. And people still aren’t more cautious after the recent  murders of Julissa Brisman and George Weber. 

I think that Internet dating can be really positive, but it’s gone too far. There are too many occasions where things go wrong. Sure, the man who came to find an overweight woman was not a dangerous situations; however, his immediate thought when he arrived at the apartment was, “I’m going to die here” and it was just a risk he was willing to take.

Tragedies that come out of Internet relationships are far too common. I don’t know that there is anything that can be done because there are simply too many sites to monitor everything thoroughly. It just amazes me that so many people in our sexually-driven society are willing to put themselves in serious danger just for a one-night stand.

I do see the good side of Internet dating. I have a friend who met someone on match.com 3 years ago and they are very happily married. And I haven’t heard anything about the couple that never met but had an ordained minister create an avatar on Second Life so their avatars could get married, so I assume they’re doing well.

My point is, just because Internet hook-ups and Internet dating is common, doesn’t mean it’s by any means safe. People need to be careful.

Because we are all winners here.

I came across this photo and can’t stop thinking about an article I read a couple years ago. The article talked about Gen Y and our absolute need for accolades. It said that we’ve been raised by parents who constantly reward us and point so much to the positive of everything that we literally do not believe in failing.

We’re growing up in the “you can do anything you put your mind to,” and “be all that you can be,” era. Since we were little our teachers and superiors have complemented every tiny move we’ve made. “You get a gold star if you’re quiet.” Really? We need to be rewarded for being polite?

We’ve grown up believing that literally everything we do deserves praise. We are so desperate for applause that things like participation trophies exist.

The article talked about Gen Y in the workforce and how we were the most driven generation that people had seen. It said that the only problem is, we’re incredibly individualistic and do not understand how to share our accomplishments with team members.

Something tells me Gen Y is going to handle the current job shortage even worse than the rest of the population. If we have no understanding of coming in second or third because we’ve constantly been praised for our efforts alone, we’re certainly not going to take the rejection that’s ahead of us very well.

We have always been in the spotlight. We grew up with digital cameras, so our entire lives are documented. The tiniest of occasions seem like the largest, and the smallest achievements seem like we’ve conquered Everest.

I’m not saying that it was wrong for our parents to encourage us to truly chase our dreams. I’m just worried that we won’t be ready for what lies ahead. In my case, that’s finding a job in the real world…in the next four weeks.

All this talk about bailouts and the failing economy is probably keeping you up at night. But fear not. The stress won’t get to you any longer, as long as you join the 56 million other Americans who are prescribed to sleeping medications. 

According to an LA Times article on March 30, 2009, the number of people taking sleeping pills has raised 54 percent from 2004. These numbers are expected to grow even more as this economic turnaround progresses. 

“One in 10 U.S. adults routinely has trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, and 3 in 10 experience occasional sleeplessness, federal statistics show.”

Sleeplessness is and has always been a common problem. However, before we take a trip to Ambien lala land, we should carefully consider the side effects of these drugs. The most common classes of sleeping pills intend to enhance a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA. This chemical in the brain performs a wide array of functions such as promoting sleep, decreasing anxiety and relaxing muscles. Sleep medications actually distort these functions so your body doesn’t react naturally.

More recent GABA enhancing medications such as Ambien and Rozerem were created to regulate sleep patterns, not for every night use. We took it overboard. Luckily, patients who use these drugs run less of a risk of dependency than older sleep medications. However, the immediate side effects are not in short supply. 

Unlike advertisements would lead you to believe, next-day drowsiness is one of the most common side effects. Sleep walking and memory loss are also incredibly common. Oh just imagine the damage you could do when you’re awake but feel like you’re dreaming. After a couple times of sleep driving and starting a small kitchen fire, you might reconsider your sleeping pills. Yes, these are actual problems associated with taking Ambien.

Sleep aids are a quick fix. They’re popular, effective and they can be extremely addictive. Medical manufacturers know this, and they have no problem convincing America that they are in dire need of a good night’s rest. 

In 2006 and 2007, the makers of Ambien and Roserem spent an average of $11.8 million a week to advertise sleep medications, according to the market research firm TNS Media Intelligence. 

Here’s the scariest part. They’re advertising to everyone. And it’s working. People under 45 are now the primary market for these medications. It was previously the elderly. Since 2006, the number of college-aged people taking sleep aids has tripled to 1,524 users per 100,000.

Our physicians have been solving our generation’s problems with pills for years. We are being set up for perpetual pill use. I’m not saying that medication is unnecessary in all cases. I’m simply saying that although drugs are easily accessible and fast-acting, you need to be aware of what you’re putting in your body.

Just do it the way my Czech grandmother recommends, take a shot of whisky and rest your eyes.

Hey men, your biological clocks are ticking too.  

Men typically age better than women. We get it. We accept it. We move on. An older man becomes a silver fox and well, I don’t think there’s even an equivalent for women. But a recent study out of Australia found that a man’s sperm doesn’t age quite a well as everything else.

The study showed that children born to older men tend to score lower on I.Q. tests and are more prone to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism. This isn’t only “older” men. According to the study,  men between the ages of 35 and 40 have have a much harder time conceiving a child, and as men get older, the child’s risk of having problems is more and more.

These disorders are increasingly common and without a cure, parents just have to be as cautious as possible and hope for the best. Although the study is only in its preliminary stages, it’s worth taking into consideration. 

Finally, a little pressure take off of women and their unavoidable ticking clocks. Well, not exactly. This just piles additional stress on the men. Women may endure the physical burdens of pregnancy, however, even if there is no genetic history of one of the above problems, men may be the determining cause of a child’s disabilities.

Psychological and mental disorders are increasingly prevalent in children. A mother can do everything exactly right in a pregnancy and risks still remain. Unfortunately there is a common element of blame in these situations and now the weight is shifted, or at least balanced. 

The study found that the woman’s age is not a factor, although women do have a harder time conceiving children as they get older so historically, they have been seen as a cause.

So what does this mean?

Will older men lose their distinguished, silver fox status? Maybe these findings will help men to understand pregnancy first-hand more so than they did looking in from the outside. 

“It will not change everything; it might not even change most things. But it would be a satisfying start if men had to pause and see age as part of their biological equation, too.” – Lisa Belkin

“If you are a student of means or ability, or both, there has never been a better year,” said Robert A. Sevier, an enrollment consultant to colleges in a recent New York Times article.

You may have great test scores and an impeccable personal statement, but you’d better have a hefty college fund with your name on it if you want to guarantee a spot at the university of your choice.

Colleges across America are moving the wealthy applicants to the top of the admissions pile. However, this does not mean they’re cutting their budgets for financial aid; they are simply trying to maintain the claim of being “need-blind”. Students who can pay their full way are simply more desirable to universities than other students.

Because of this pledge, a student that would have been wait-listed in past years could be admitted before a student who is a better fit for the university if they request less financial aid.

St. Edward’s University has steadily increased tuition about $2000 each year for the past four years. Although this is typical of universities similar to ours, the fact is, college is not inexpensive…and it’s getting pricier everywhere. Until this year, students and parents could faithfully rely on financial aid to help out. Prior to this, filling out the lengthy FAFSA form was worth our time. Now it’s just more paperwork, added to that never ending stack, that will only hurt your chances of being accepted into a university.

The New York Times article says that more prestigious universities are the ones pushing for this. Somehow they believe this will also help create a more diverse student population. I don’t see how that’s true. All I see if an even greater economic divide. The wealthy students who went to good schools will continue to be wealthy and attend the best universities while the lower-income students who finally had a chance to escape their sub par education will just contribute to the cycle. So much for starting from nothing and working your way up. So much for the American dream.

If universities continue to base admissions off of income, students will never have a chance to interact with anyone from different backgrounds. Isn’t part of college learning about people from all walks of life?

It looks like the best universities will have to follow in SMU’s footsteps and start offering a class that teaches students how to manage their trust funds. Maybe that could be a new CULF class at St. Edward’s.