tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post3928624047805360751..comments2024-03-14T11:50:14.761-04:00Comments on DarwinCatholic: Love and FriendshipDarwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572976822786862149noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-46647436385269199412016-03-11T10:13:31.266-05:002016-03-11T10:13:31.266-05:00Yes, of course emotional infidelity and/or emotion...Yes, of course emotional infidelity and/or emotional affairs are damaging and unhealthy. Fortunately, a friendship is not an emotional affair. I do think that Dr. Tymieniecka was overstepping the bounds of prudence, from what we can tell from the Pope's replies to her (although not seeing her letters, its's hard to say what the context was). Agnes, I quite agree with you that if the context for that line was her expressing a sexual longing, she was wrong to write it. But I am so glad to see the Pope's gracious handling of that situation, as an example of how to turn inappropriate desires (any inappropriate desire) back to the source of all desire.<br /><br />Anon, I also agree that anyone who finds that chemistry with another person is an insurmountable temptation would do well to avoid that temptation. But I also think that the value of a m/f friendship (as opposed to a relationship that is oriented toward consummation) is that it challenges us to put those urges in the proper context within the hierarchy of loves. I agree that the joy of heaven is worth sacrificing everything for, and yet God has proclaimed everything he made "good", and since each person is a unique facet of God's creative power, each person gives a unique window onto God's own goodness, and I find that for myself, friendships have a spiritually strengthening value which gives me extra impetus to rightly order my own loves. But I agree that each person must make his or her own decision in prudence about each particular friendship.MrsDarwinhttp://darwincatholic.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-47346087908619096692016-03-10T14:25:50.441-05:002016-03-10T14:25:50.441-05:00The taboo against close m/f friendships with marri...The taboo against close m/f friendships with married people who aren't spouses is there to protect families. I wish I could say that I'm so sophisticated that I would be able to rise above the chemistry, or that my husband is so sophisticated that he wouldn't be hurt. But some friendships will have to wait for heaven, where there is perfect unity and intimacy. I can wait. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-14645964247713766232016-02-28T06:47:56.720-05:002016-02-28T06:47:56.720-05:00I have more thoughts on this (the dual subject of ...I have more thoughts on this (the dual subject of male-female friendship and the relationship of he pope with a woman) and I admit I have not enough knowledge of the whole situation. But based on what you also quoted, I can't view this relationship as a model for spiritual friendship between people of opposite sex. Any woman who writes to a consecrated priest the words "I belong to you" (if she indeed wrote them) is so clearly in the wrong. Even if there should awaken feelings like this in her, she should not verbalize them and strive to keep the spiritual friendship from temptationAgnesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-77132921501239378312016-02-25T13:21:26.504-05:002016-02-25T13:21:26.504-05:00It is a poverty that close M/F friendships are vie...It is a poverty that close M/F friendships are viewed with this kind of suspicion. Someone (at least one) has pointed out that as same sex relationships have risen in acceptance, male-male friendships have suffered some of the same suspicions. It's too bad that the tendency to view all things through a hypersexualized lens is impoverishing our realm of friendship, of looking in the same direction together, enjoying the same loves and cheering each other on toward worthy goals. Thank God that sibling relationships have not yet been overshadowed by social acceptance of incest, to destroy them as well....mandamumnoreply@blogger.com