IVF

There are both pros and cons of in vitro fertilization, or IVF as it is commonly known. The main pro of IVF includes allowing a couple that cannot conceive naturally to still have a child that is theirs. According to the article, "every year in the United States, one out of every 100 babies is born with the help of IVF." Couples who want to bring new life into the world are able to do so if they have the resources to do so. Also, IVF has shown the advancement and progress in technology and treatment regarding infertility issues. One of the main cons of IVF is that the Church doesn't support it in its teachings. The Church believes that procreation should occur just between husband and wife, no third party allowed. This causes some tension between very religious couples who really want children, but cannot have them without help. Another con of IVF is that it's not 100% guaranteed to work for any given couple. It could also result in medical problems if done incorrectly, etc. A controversial con is that it could cause selective procreation because one has choices in the IVF process that could lead to selective abortions, etc.

The Church's teaching about IVF partially influences my opinion, but doesn't completely determine it. Because the Church believes how children should be conceived, as mentioned above, it would be seen as a sin. Also, because the Church "states that human life begins at the moment of conception," any of the unused eggs in IVF could be destroyed and that would be seen an unnecessary ending of human lives. With this information, my opinion of IVF would be poor, but it isn't all about the Church and its teachings. I believe that IVF is an option for couples who believe that having children is meant to be part of their lives. There are other ways for people to have children, but only those in the situation can make that decision. The financial cost of IVF doesn't greatly affect my opinion on the morality of the practice. If a family has the financial means to use IVF with genuine and good goals, they should be able to give it a shot. It is only if people are using the procedure for inhumane or unmoral reasons that shouldn't use it. Human life is most precious in the eyes of God, so why should there be a restriction on how that human life comes to be?

He's Just Not That Into You.

The movie He's Just Not That Into You follows several people and their relationships, with all the characters somehow being intertwined. Gigi, one of the characters, opens the movie with a monologue about how little girls are told that when a boy makes fun of a her or treats her poorly it's because he likes her. I'm sure I was told that at one point when I was younger. Then she goes on to say that many girls actually continue to believe that statement through their adulthood and that's where the problem starts. Gigi is one of the girls who struggles with this idea. Throughout the movie she goes on dates with men or meets men some place and then obsesses over every detail about the encounter, wondering if the guy really liked her. In the beginning, she has a date with a guy her friend sets her up with, Connor, and then constantly waits by the phone for him to call and eventually calls him a couple times because she hasn't heard from him yet. Gigi has certain ideas about dating; these ideas include that dating will lead to her finding the guy of her dreams and getting her happily ever after. Like we discussed in class, there are many different views on the purpose of dating. Gigi happens to have a more positive view of dating because she believes it will lead to an eventual great relationship. When she meets Alex, a bartender who also happens to be Connor's roommate, he gives her a lot to think about. He says if a guy wants to talk to you or be with you, he'll make it happen; she's the rule, not the exception. He also tells her that if she thinks that a guy doesn't seem to care, its highly likely that he genuinely doesn't care and she should move on to the next one. As Gigi's relationship with Alex develops, she see "signs" that make her think he likes her and then acts on her feelings, but gets rejected. At the end, Alex realizes that he actually did like Gigi and acts on his own information and makes it happen. Alex was too busy experiencing what's now called the hookup culture to recognize his feelings for Gigi. As we discussed in class, the hookup culture can be some people's idea of fun, but it can also hinder one from developing meaningful relationships. I feel that Gigi and Alex's type of relationship happens more in today's modern society because people tend to be friends first and a relationship comes later. In addition, I know people who think that if boys pick on them that it's because they like them; although this may be so every once in awhile, it's not reality. Also, the information that Alex gave Gigi is practical in most cases today. Why should a girl chase after a guy that doesn't want to give her the time of day?

He's Just Not That Into You also contains a storyline about Neil and Beth, a couple who has been together for seven years, but are not married. Neil doesn't believe that marriage is absolutely necessary for the two of them to be happy. In today's society there are people who are very happy together and aren't married, but it is obviously not as common as marriage. Beth wants to get married, but doesn't really push for it until Gigi tells her about the "rule, not exception" knowledge; Beth starts to think that she's the rule because if he doesn't want to marry her now, he never will because she's not the 'exception.' Beth asks Neil if there's a reason why he doesn't want to marry her, but he just says the same thing each time. Because Beth believes that Neil will never marry her, she breaks up with him because she can't get understand why he'd live with her for so long but won't marry her. Later, when her father has a heart attack, Neil shows up and cleans and puts away dishes. When she see this, Beth realizes that he does more for her and is more of a husband to her than her sister's and friends' husbands are to them. She has the realization that she doesn't care if they're not married, as long as they love each other and she has him by her side, she'll be happy. At the end, he asks her to marry him because he wants to make her happy. Both of them could've had their doubts about what marriage would do to their relationship. In the Catholic Church, people aren't supposed to get married unless they have full knowledge of their significant other and only if they do it out of their own free will. Neil could have not wanted to marry Beth because he felt like he was being pressured to do so. Unlike Beth and Neil's outcome, there are people who are together for long periods of time that end up splitting due to problems or one person not wanting to marry the other. I knew a couple that was together for five years and ended up splitting up because they realized that as they matured, they were too different and wanted different things. As people grow up, things change and the ideas that people have about relationships also change. As discussed in class, in people's mid-20s to mid-30s, relationships are thought of as something that could turn long-term and possibly lead to marriage. Overall, the characters and the relationships portrayed in the movie relate to the topics we have been discussing in class.

The Changing Face of Marriage

Despite the fact that both my parents aren't Catholic, my experience with the 'domestic church' has been ongoing. When I was younger I remember going to church with my mom and sister every weekend; even now, every weekend my mom and I go to church. My whole immediate family always goes to Christmas and Easter mass together and until such time as it wouldn't be possible, I think it'll stay that way. I have also made the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. My mom is the parent who wants me and my sister to have a strong faith and belief in God and my dad supports her in the decision they made to raise us Catholic. It's an interesting dynamic to have one parent who is very religious and the other who is not as religious. Despite the ongoing 'domestic church,' since my sister went to college, the strictness of praying before dinner, etc. has basically been nonexistent. Although this is true, I am still required to go to church, even if it may be something I don't particularly want to do. On one hand I understand the importance of the 'domestic church' and why it is deemed important to start when children are young.  On the other hand, despite being brought up as part of a religious community, I believe that you can't make someone believe in something in which they don't want to believe. I think that after a certain point, maybe after receiving Confirmation or the equivalent in other religions, parents should let their children choose if they want to continue on with the current beliefs, discover a new religion, or to not have a religion. Even without forcing a child to be part of a religion, the parents can still illustrate the 'domestic church' by their words and actions. Additionally, I'd say that love, forgiveness, and trust are almost always experienced at home first, at least I know it happened like that for me. In order for children to know what any of those concepts are they have to learn them from someone. These concepts do not have to religiously-linked, so they could be taught just as well by a non-religious parent. 

He's Just Not That Into You is an entertaining movie that makes some good points about some of the topics we are discussing in class. There are some pros that are illustrated in the movie, such as how married couples are able to settle down together and start their life as a couple quicker. Another pro would be the extra support of friends and family when making life changing decisions. In the movie, Gigi, Beth, and Janine are there for one another to talk about their problems, insights, and/or situations with the men in their lives. Also, the importance of family is shown when Beth's dad is there to tell her that she's still a good person, even though Neil didn't want to marry her and that her choice to breakup with him was okay (even though he liked Neil). There are also some cons shown in the movie, such as the sped up dating process. It is seen that Gigi meets men at happy hour or for drinks and automatically thinks what their life would be like together. Also, despite not following their story, Ben and Janine's relationship shows the ugly side that marriage could possibly have at any moment. Some men who either rush into marriage or just get bored with their marriage, could have an affair and ruin the relationship all together; they may still love their wife, but still end up cheating. There are also some situations that could be considered both a pro and a con. One such situation involves Beth and her boyfriend of seven years; they've lived together for awhile and he's committed to her, but he doesn't want to get married. This could be seen as a pro because couples sometimes genuinely don't want to get married but know that they love one another; their love doesn't need a 'marriage' label. It could also be seen as a con because sometimes the women in these relationships, such as Beth, believe that there's an underlying reason to why their significant other doesn't want to marry them. Also, another character in the movie (which we're not following the story of) uses online dating. Online dating can be a good way to meet your future life partner, but it also could be dangerous, as we have seen or heard stories about kidnapping and people not being who they say they are.

I think the study's results make logical sense. Like the BustedHalo article states, people who have a college degree are more likely to have a stable-paying job that would allow one to feel secure enough to be able to provide for a family, as well as themselves. Personally, I believe that having an education is important in general. Not to be mean or rude, but I don't think I'd be able to have a relationship with someone who did not value education or care to further educate themselves in some aspect of life, not necessarily having to be in academics. I think the study has some validity to it, but I also believe that a relationship will work if the two people involved make it work. Hopefully, since I will be attending college and post-baccalaureate education, the study will prove true in my future relationships and I will not have to experience divorce or multiple marriages. I am torn on whether or not I would establish the 'domestic church' in my home in the future. There are obvious pros to doing so, such as children being able to have something to believe in as they get older. There are also cons as well, such as choosing children's beliefs before they have a chance to do so themselves. I think that decision would be something my future husband and I would decide together, but there will definitely be love, forgiveness, and trust in the home.