[.ca] Good News about Sex & Marriage: Answers to Your Honest ... (ISBN 0867166193)

A response to the negative reviews:
Having been a student of John Paul II's writings and teachings on the Theology of the Body and having studied his personalistic approach to the human person in graduate school (yes, I am tooting my horn...but more on that in a minute) I can speak to this book with an informed conscience. First off this book is a useful tool for all who want to understand the Pope's Theology of the Body better. West uses mostly a Q & A format that is user-friendly and easy to read yet he answers most questions very adequately. I recommend that you read the book front to back rather than skipping ahead to the questions that interest you most because your familiarity with the foundational material will help you understand the questions that follow. West approaches topics timely to all people. It would be a favor to yourself if you read it. Now as a response to those that think he is "one-sided" in his approach to Catholic moral teaching I would like to give an answer to this. The critics on this site seems to reduce their arguments against West's text to the argument that he has simplified something much more complex. I beg to differ. I will address a few statements by one reviewer that adequately sum up their disagreements. They say "We shouldn't just willy-nilly disagree with a Church teaching without first researching what the Church says about it." --In other words, this person seems to say that all we have to do to disagree with a teaching of the Church is to research it enough and THEN disagree. But, they go on: "However, if we do research it and pray about it, and still honestly do not agree with the Church, then our conscience should be our guide." --My response is Yes and No. Yes, freedom of conscience is paramount, but that doesn't mean we can act on a decision to disagree with the Church so easily. True freedom isn't to do what we wish, but is freedom FOR the good. In this freedom we find our dignity. Our uniqueness and freedom isn't lost in aligning ourselves with the truth, but is rather found there. Freedom of conscience is NOT freedom from the truth but rather freedom IN the truth. While Veritatis Splendor by JPII goes into much more detail of this freedom (as does the Catechism in 1776-1809) I can only briefly touch on it here. The moment that one opens himself to the huge metaphysical claim that truth exists, then you have to ask the question of epistemolgy - how does one know this objective truth? The Church in the CCC and in the tradition of the Church has consistently said that it is known in right reason and Revelation and that the conscience can be wronly formed away from these truths. Here is where the error in the critics lies. To argue that no moral teaching of the Church can take precedence over our conscience is correct in the sense that we must follow our consciences. But, it forgets that we are a fallen people that seemingly want to do as we please and can misform our own consciences. The teachings that you can dissent from the teaching on contraception (and other teachings) and stay in that place is dangerous. We are still called to assent to the teachings. The real question isn't whether or not authority is a good or bad thing but rather which authority is most reasonable and prudent to follow. A conscience that could possible be misformed or the teachings of the Church of Christ...okay, that is enough. By the way, the only reason I started out putting up some credentials is because I have heard more than once the statement that those that actually assent to the Church teachings just aren't educated in the alternative. I highly disagree and won't comment further, but to say that I have an article on this subject in the May/June 2002 The Catholic Faith magazine that goes into greater detail. Peace.

It has changed my life!!:
Although I was raised Catholic, I had never understood completely many issues of my faith. Upon reading this book, I have found the true meaning of my being, God's true plan for us in making us man and woman, and it is WONDERFUL!! Everyone should read this book, because it explains, in a simple language, what it means to be human.

Enjoyable and Informative:
This book was recommended to me by a friend who saw it at a local bookstore. I am not Catholic and was inquiring about the Catholic faith. I believe this book represents a very good view of the Catholic teachings on love and sex in and out of marriage. Christopher West does an excellent job of putting the ideas and concepts into everyday language that anyone can understand. He explains many different topics in depth and with a great deal of thought. This book was great to answer my questions about why Catholics believe things that they do in the topics of love, sex, and marriage. It was a great way for me to understand what Cathlolic marriage is all about. I recommend this book to people who are looking to better understand Catholic teaching on these topics or people who are preparing for marriage in the Catholic Church.

This is a good book:
A good book, as far as it goes. West answers a lot of basic questions well and this book has certainly been enormous help to a lot of people. That having been said, however, a great complement to this work is Kellmeyer's "Sex and the Sacred City". Kellmeyer has a lyrical style and a clear, concise way about him. Even though it is shorter, it is somehow deeper than what West has written. His commentary on how the theology of the body impacts the relationship between children and parents, for example, is remarkable, as is his explanation of celibacy. If you have one of these two books, you should get the other.

West has good intentions, but ...:
I appreciate West's desire to present a counterpoint to the sexual messages we get from society. He raises many very strong points about the need to approach the act of sex with reverence. But he fails in persuading the reader that there is only one acceptable moral response to questions of sexual ethics. When it comes to the issue of the individual conscience, he fails to address it in all its complexity (interestingly, a recent reviewer on this site does the same thing). As Catholics, we are taught to listen to our own informed consciences ... the most important word here being "informed." We shouldn't just willy-nilly disagree with a Church teaching without first researching what the Church says about it. However, if we do research it and pray about it, and still honestly do not agree with the Church, then our conscience should be our guide. A more conservative view on this would say that such disagreement is impossible if we are truly open to "the Truth." I'd challenge those who would say this to think about the fact that Church teaching has evolved over time as the Church has come to a fuller understanding of God's plan for us. This movement is apparent not only in such issues as usury (which used to be considered a sin, but is not anymore) but even in the area of understanding the function and implications of sexual activity (it used to be that sex during pregnancy was considered a sin, because it had no possibility of leading to procreation.) Obviously, the Church's understanding of sex and other issues has evolved over time. As lay people, we are an essential part of the Church. Our thoughtful and (of course) informed witness is crucial to the Church as it continues to minister to the world. I have no doubt that what I've written here may cause some to dismiss me as a liberal, or a moral relativist. But through prayer and study, perhaps as a whole body we can come to understand the complex responsibility of our role as witnessing Catholics -- not only in the area of sex, but in every aspect of life.