Crime of rape mentioned in this post.
***
Dear Xantippe of C.A.,
Thanks for sticking up for me. I'm nonplussed that anyone could think I was lighthearted on the subject of rape, particularly in that post.
If it makes my critic feel better, do let her know that the sexual bullying I witnessed at my elementary school seriously blighted my life, and that I finally went to the principal to tell him what had been going on for three years. He, not I, took the "boys will be boys" point of view. For my pains, I was scolded by a female classmate telling the principal because, she said, "Those girls were asking for it." But even at 14, I knew that this was totally wrong.
In her defense, I should mention that this girl was an acquiescent victim of statutory rape as she was 14 and had a 19 year old boyfriend with whom she had been sexually active since she was, if I remember correctly, 12. This was such a big secret that my 14 year old mind could barely comprehend it. I realized that her background was very messed up, but I understood the seriousness of it only when I was older.
Meanwhile, I am very sorry my critic has PTSD and hope she is getting good treatment. If she is interested in reading Catholic theology about women, I highly recommend St. John Paul 2's Mulieris Dignitatem and St. Edith Stein's Woman (Collected Works, Vol 2, especially "Vocations of Men and Women"). If she is strapped for time, Letter to Women by John Paul 2 is an easier read.
Seraphic/DCM
Friday, 4 September 2015
11 comments:
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Good on you Seraphic, for standing up for your classmates! Staggered those boys got away with it long enough for there to be a second incident!
ReplyDeleteGuess we men have to put the hard word on boys and men to not act like that. Tho' I was surprised to find myself a lone voice against pole dancing and strip clubs at a dinner a few days back - the guys I expected, but even the (secular) girls though it was okay! (pole dancing apparently strengthens the abs, so is a niche hobby sport now...)
Southern Bloke.
Kerry Cronin, a professor at B.C., famous for the option assignment of "going on a date", once told me of a male student who was invited home by a girl. He discovered a pole in the living-room, and she did a pole dance "for him" then and there. He was very confused by this behaviour. Stories like these are probably why Kerry decided (probably single-handedly) to tackle the crisis the sexual revolution has placed her students in.
ReplyDeleteNote the lack of clues in this article that Boston College is a Catholic institution.
ReplyDeletehttp://bcgavel.com/2014/02/11/in-case-you-missed-it-professor-kerry-cronins-bring-back-the-date/
Hmmm, yeh. Even the ad's on the side of the 'catholic' BC mag were for girls swimsuits with a cat over her groin - classy, and clearly so verrry catholic.
DeleteKudos to Prof Cronin for trying her best to reinstate dating at BC. Fighting an uphill battle without support from the institution 'leadership' though.
On your pole dance example: atheist friends are trying to set me up with a girl who admitted she had done recreational pole dancing (hence the conversation at dinner), and she has the disconcerting habit of doing 'stretches' mid conversation, even if we're at the pub! Is she trying to convince me she's flexible? Or just having muscle spasms ;) I empathise with the male student at BC Prof Cronin talked to...
Oh, but even that hasn't stopped me asking her out - more that she is a non-denominational Christian who has made remarks about 'not believing' in organised religion. I'm still vainly holding out for a practising catholic girl (last one I asked out was also into pole dancing, and she is an EMHC !#@!). Better not hold my breath then huh? :)
On the plus side, I introduced a couple of shy catholic girls who are regulars at Mass but never get involved to the organiser of our newly minted parish young adults group. She is slowly getting a group up and running, but still only 12 out of 1500 Mass attendees. Uphill work, but something :)
Southern Bloke.
Oh dear. Those stretches. Poor you. What a world. What state are you in, Southern Bloke, (or by Southern do you mean South of England?), and how old are you? Perhaps some of my readers will voluntarily take you out and buy you a coffee (or allow you to buy them a coffee). :-)
ReplyDeleteNow I feel bad - the pole dancing christian girl is actually incredibly nice - I think she just wanted to try the pole dancing for the sake of adventure. But these things do weigh on the mind a bit. Just don't feel the spark the way you do when you are really attracted to someone, and I keep thinking of what you say about not settling, or using her as a practice girl...
ReplyDeleteHappy enough to take any of your readers out for a coffee, but I think you may only have 1 or 2 down these parts - Aussie Julia and Aussie Girl in NZ (who I think is married), as I'm a Kiwi about your age.
Southern Bloke.
Oh, REALLY southern! I have a number of Anzac readers, but I don't know of any offhand in the 35-45 bracket.
ReplyDeleteYep. Much further south, and we go splash, and start paddling with the penguins. Glad to hear you have a few locals boosting your numbers - the more good advice for catholics, the better. If you come across someone here or over the ditch keen on coffee, I'm always up for it... :)
ReplyDeleteSouthern Bloke.
Where in NZ are you Southern Bloke? I know a couple of single ladies in my parish who are in their early thirties and very pretty :-)
ReplyDeleteAussie girl in NZ
Hey Aussie Girl, I'm in the badlands of South Auckland, though I wander out West to get my fix of theology at a traddy parish, as they actually run something for adults ;) Where are you? Sounds like I may have to take a run down country to meet you and yr pretty lasses and buy them coffee! How would you like to work that? Email Aunty, if you're okay with that Seraphic? Or is that not something you want on yr blog?
ReplyDeleteSouthern Bloke.
Readers are free to meet each other at their own risk. I provide no references for people I haven't met, but I have heard of readers recognizing and befriending each other at very Catholic events. "Men are the caffeine in the cappuccino of life" and "we must be rooted in reality" have become readerly passwords, on par with drawing fish in the sand, etc.
ReplyDelete