The Theology of the Body: The Right First Step for Teens?

Ever since I was a teenager, I have been obsessed with all things of the 1950s. This probably had something to do with my early exposure to pornography as a child, and some inner longing for a more innocent time. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about “The Theology of the Body” as formulated by our great Pope John Paul II. When I got out of the porn lifestyle, I picked up just about any book I could find on Catholicism. I remember starting something about “The Theology,” not Love and Responsibility, which I tried to adsorb later, but by another author. The whole time, while trying to read it, I was: ...like whoa, what is this about? It's not that I was too young or uneducated: I was 30 and already had my Master's degree. The problem was: I had been so immersed in the world of sexual perversity, that the beautiful subtleties of “The Theology” whizzed by me unnoticed like a far-off whisper in a crowded stadium. I didn’t get it. Much later, after healing and forming a very intense and trustful relationship with Jesus, I could then appreciate what the Holy Father was teaching us: the sanctity of the sexual marital union between a man and woman.

For the most part, I believe that today's youth are equally, if not exceedingly, entrenched in the sexually promiscuous mindset. This does not mean that all are sexual adventurers, I am sure that many are still virgins, but that most have become accustomed, if not accepting, of the contemporary immorality that pervades all of pop-culture. Therefore, I can not see how teaching “The Theology” to teenagers, as an initial introduction to sexual morality, can be effective. I recommend a sort-of shock-therapy. They need to be told the unfiltered and totally raw TRUTH about what a free and liberated sexual lifestyle entails: unhappiness, hate, desperation, disease and death. They need to be scared. Because they certainly do not get anything near the reality from the mass media. Of course, it is never advisable to stay at that state in the spiritual life: but if it helps to reorient one to the Lord, it is a good thing. Then, once they have been thoroughly enlightened, the healing can begin, a relationship with the Lord can take root, and the deeper meaning of sexuality can be conveyed and understood.

Just take a look at the two photos above: one from the 1950s, the other from our current world. The children of today are exposed to this disaster on a daily basis. These serious times, require some strong and bad-tasting medicine.