When I was young, I always imagined I would be married by 25 and have a brood of kids. Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew to "make disciples," and I thought it would be cool to take that verse literally and have 12 kids. I wanted enough kids to fill a baseball team, a hockey bench and a big house full of love.

That obviously didn't happen.

Or it hasn't happened yet. But I love my life. I spent last weekend learning how to scull on the Potomac River. I have good friends, a great family, hobbies and one of the best jobs I've ever had.

Do I feel a void because I'm not married and I don't have children yet? Sure. Do I wish I were having sex? Of course.

But I believe that I'm living a fuller, better life because of my commitment to sexual integrity. I spend all day, every day doing the things that I want to do, because I'm not wasting my time worrying about waking up next to a stranger, contracting a sexually transmitted infection or missing a period.

The truth is, I am able to live the feminist dream because I'm not stressing over the things that sex outside of marriage often brings. And I'm not alone.

A recent study in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior showed that young people - specifically millennials - are now more than twice as likely to be sexually inactive than the previous generation.

Although there are many possible causes for this shift, it's quite reasonable to believe that this generation doesn't want the stresses that sex outside of marriage brings - unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, to name a few.

Maybe they realise that a condom doesn't protect the heart, and that true love is something worth waiting for and fighting for. Continue reading

• Kate Bryan is a writer in Washington, D.C., who has worked for conservative and anti-abortion organizations.

We insiders know that "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" isn't just a clever slogan; it actually delivers.

Whatever our human crosses, our faith is about the joy and peace that comes from knowing who we are and the supernatural purpose of our lives. Yet outsiders often see the Church negatively, as grim and doctrinaire, prejudiced against human happiness.

Dawn Eden, an American convert with a special apostolate to those who have been victims of sexual abuse within the Church, is doing her best to remedy this situation, particularly in the area of human sexuality (an area where the Church's teaching is most often distorted).

The title of her book, The Thrill of the Chaste, first published in 2007 and reissued this year for a Catholic readership, is both a clever play on the word "chaste" for "chase" and an eloquent plea for greater understanding of what it means to "find fulfilment while keeping your clothes on". (UK readers can buy the book here.)

In her book Eden is very honest about her past life as a young single woman in the world of rock journalism and how the longing for a fulfilling relationship that would lead to marriage drove her from one doomed affair to the next.

The transience of these relationships only made her feel more insecure, more desperate to meet the right man, more prepared for rejection and thus more likely to invite it.

She came to see in the Sacrament of Confession that she had lost her innocence long before she lost her virginity. Continue reading

• Francis Phillips in Catholic Herald
• Please note: the image above is of Dawn Eden

Sao Paulo state's education department requires the women to have a pap smear to show they are free of cancers or produce a doctor's statement that they have not been sexually active.

Critics say it is an invasion of privacy, but the education department says it is intended to prevent long term absences from work because of illness.

Other state and federal agencies in Brazil have similar requirements, it said.

Sao Paulo's public management department said other health tests are also required, like a mammography for women and prostate exams for men over 40.

But the gynaecological tests have been criticised as especially invasive.

Recently, a 27-year-old woman said she was ashamed to ask a doctor for a note declaring she was still a virgin to escape the other tests.

Catholics for the Right to Choose was one of the groups objecting, saying in a statement: "We are living in the Middle Ages!"

Continue reading

"He's expressed his desire to stay pure, and honour women, and treat women with respect. So hopefully that stays valid."

The teen heartthrob, YouTube sensation and social media super-star Justin Bieber has just scooped the choice music male artist award at the Teen Choice Awards, and did not delay in giving Jesus a mention.

"I want to say that anything is possible ... You got to keep God first and always remember to keep family first. Jesus loves every one of you!"

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Bieber was asked how he reconciled religion and his faith with the temptations of Hollywood.

He labelled Hollywood a scary place with a mix of a lot of good and bad things going on, but it's a place where he says he can live his dream.

Then on religion and faith: "Basically, I don't even consider religion. Like, I'm a Christian, I believe in God, I believe that Jesus died on a cross for my sins. I believe that I have a relationship and I'm able to talk to him and really, he's the reason I'm here, so I definitely have to remember that. As soon as I start forgetting, I've got to click back and be like, you know, this is why I'm here."

Recently Bieber toured the Holy Land and along with his father, got a Jesus tattoo on his left rib cage and regularly credits God with helping him to stay grounded, something his mother has tried to instil in her son.

In an interview with Baptist Press, Mallette said she kept Justin grounded through prayer, by surrounding him with good people and reminding him that he's here for a reason. "To whom much is given, much is required," she said.

Sources

• MTV
• Huffington Post
• Christianity Today
• Baptist Press
• Image: Celebrity Mix