by Sam Meier
I was recently at a Christian men’s conference, where one of the speakers asked how many men had received more than three minutes of information about sex from their fathers in their lifetime.
Out of 150 men in the audience, not a single hand was raised. I was stunned.
After the conference, I reflected on Pope John Paul II, who was one of our church’s best fathers. John Paul II spent countless hours talking to his family — the church — about God’s glorious plan for love and sexuality, and wrote nearly two thirds of what the church has ever taught about sex and marriage. John Paul’s positive and encouraging teachings about sexuality in the theology of the body (TOB) are being called a “new sexual revolution.”
Inspiring Catholic books, CDs, and Web sites about love and sexuality have exploded in the last 5-10 years through TOB. There are TOB classes at many local churches, and many parents are using TOB resources to help their children understand God’s amazing plan for love, life, and human sexuality.
I encourage all parents and grandparents to watch, listen, and read age-appropriate TOB resources with your children on a monthly basis. Jason and Crystalina Evert, the Web site of tob4teens.com, Mary Beth Bonacci, and Father Richard Hogan have great resources that are easy to understand. Trust me; your kids will not think this is boring when they see how revolutionary and encouraging these TOB resources really are. The sexual mistakes that many of us made in our lives were often rooted in the fact that we did not know how incredible and beautiful God’s plan for sexuality really is!
I would also encourage you to attend two amazing TOB events in Kansas City with Christopher West and Jason Evert, who are two of the most dynamic TOB speakers in America. Christopher West will present “God, Sex, and the Universal Longing” to a large audience on Oct. 29. For more information, visit the Web site at: FillTheseHearts.com. Jason Evert will present to thousands of teens and parents at the annual Youth for Truth conference on Jan. 27 and 28, 2012. Visit our Web site for more information.
Thanks to TOB, many married couples are experiencing a new level of sexual intimacy that is incredibly joyful, personal, affirming, healthy, meaningful, and beautiful! Married couples, check out TOB resources from West, Mary Shivanandan, Father Brian Bransfield, Dr. Janet Smith, Carl Anderson, and others to experience incredible sexual intimacy that will bring you closer to your spouse than you ever thought was possible! Before you know it, TOB will have you hugging and kissing when you greet each other, and your children will notice you contagiously smiling at each other, laughing together, and holding hands in public!
