Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Let's talk about sex...

Having spent half my day yesterday in church, I can't help but feel a little 'loo-gi'....Short-changed, of sorts. After all, it is a public holiday, and I do have a million other things to do.

But you see, that's the thing, (and the topic of this entry). Despite me being stoned throughout the 4-hour long talk, God has, once again, managed to capture my attention in more ways than one.

There was this man in my sharing group. Peter. He is a practising gynae. Oh yes, the topic for discussion was the Theology of the Body. Sex, for short. So this man, started sharing about his experiences as a doctor, the encounters he had with many expectant parents, and of course, his ideologies about sex and the Catholic church.

So I, trying to put my journalistic instincts to use, decided to pose him a question. "So Peter, since you are a practising gynae, and a Catholic at the same time, how do you manage your profession and your faith?"

This is what Peter said. "Well, that's a good question (which I totally agree...hee...) . When I first became a doctor, I had to perform abortions, IVFs and other procedures which are not necessarily in line with the church's teachings. At that time, I was just a Sunday Catholic and didn't know much about my faith. One day, a friend of mine called me and he said that I should stop. He told me that I should stop killing unborn babies and trying to play God. After the phone call, I spent the whole night crying. I used to think that abortions were all about removing some under-developed hands and feet for a quick buck. Subsequently, I began to learn more about the Catholic doctrines. Now, I don't do abortions, IVFs, etc anymore. Although the money is significantly a lot less, I feel at ease with God. I realise that we are called by God to be faithful, not successful."

That's the line of the month folks. "We are called by God to be faithful, not successful." That kept me pondering for a good half an hour. And in many instances, this doesn't just apply to doctors. It applies to most professions and, put simply, most parts of our daily lives. For me, my most relevant industry is the media. And I know for a fact that the media uses sex to get people's attention. Sex sells. Period. And it made me realise that in such situations, being a Catholic is like trying to climb Mt Everest. Without an oxygen tank.

Thankfully now, working in a healthcare environment, I don't have to face much daily ethical dilemmas. But I do know that everyday, I'm presented with many opportunites to be a Catholic. For example, choosing not to gossip about others, not using vulgarities, not being dishonest, etc...

That's why we are given the freedom of choice - Catholicism is no longer a religion. It becomes our way of life. It affects us in every aspect of our life, whether we like it or not.

Make your choice folks.

P.S - I've noticed a sharp jump in my visitor tracker. If you read my blog, pls tag a message so that if I should ever 'migrate', I'll keep you in the loop. Thanks!

Posted by Jo at 8:08 PM