Posted on 08/24/2003 8:49:57 PM PDT by sinkspur
A Note from Greg Popcak Regarding Questions About His Work
Dear Friends,
I wanted to take a brief moment to respond to some of the concerns that have been expressed about my work. The following is by no means intended to be a complete response, and in fact, the best response I can make has already been written in the seven books I have penned. If you want to know what I think, go read them. Rather, this is intended to assist those with legitimate questions and who are seeking the truth, as opposed to those who would rather wallow in gossip, and lies. If you are the former, I invite your further questions. If you are the latter, let's not waste our time.
1. The Brother/Sister charting question.
The paragraph in question has been reprinted on this blog, so I will not repost it here.
First, I genuinely could not care less if you use this technique in your family or not. The ONLY reason I included it in the book is that I was aware that some families, with mature children, are already doing this. I felt it would be a service to those families to provide guidelines regarding modesty and propriety so that such a technique could be done in the most respectful way possible.
I do feel somewhat favorably toward it because--done properly and respectfully--it can demystify the sexual cycle, and the Holy Father tells us, in Love and Responsibility (c.f., the section on Sexology), that giving such information about both the goodness of the body and how the body functions is a good and useful thing. However, I also understand that some children are not mature enough to handle such an execise, and some families would not think it appropriate. This is why I leave it to parental discretion. I stand by what I wrote.
Personally, I cannot say whether I would ever use such a technique in my own family or not. It would require prayer and consultation with my wife, and would have to take into account the psychological maturity of my children.
If you choose to use this idea, fine--just please be mindful of modesty and propriety. If, alternatively, the idea offends you, then ignore it altogether. It is one paragraph in a two-hundred-plus page book and the rest of the work hardly stands or falls on the one idea, which did not even originate with me, but rather, was the idea of many other families. And because I respect the wisdom of families, who are the first teachers, and not just professionals, who are--at best--helpers, I included the idea, with appropriate cautions.
2. The Deepak Chopra Issue.
The Deepak Chopra quote is found in The Exceptional Seven Percent: Nine Secrets of the World's Happiest Couples. It is a secular book and it is intended for a secular audience. I have never pretended otherwise.
My intention in addressing the issue in The Exceptional Seven Percent is that personalities like Chopra are leading people away from Christianity by making them think that nuptial imagery is something that can only be found outside of Christianity. My intention was to show that Christians do not fear sex and that there is much wisdom about nuptial imagery to be found in the Christian, and in particular, Catholic, tradition. I used the shocking language of the secular world as an evangelistic tool. It was a literary device intended to engage a specific & secular audience. That's as far as it goes.
I could hardly launch into a nuanced discussion on the Theology of the Body in a secular book. My only hope was that secular people would be interested in the concept and ask questions. And, by asking questions, be led to a deeper understanding of the bold teachings of the Church, and in particular, the Theology of the Body.
3. My Relationship with The Hahns (?).
What relationship?
I simply don't know where this comes from. I never quoted them in any of my books, except for the one phrase that, "a couple should celebrate a love so profound that, in nine months, it has to be given its own name." That's Scott's, and I credit him. Otherwise, I've never cited him. And, for the record, I haven't had a chance to read First Comes Love, so I don't know what he wrote. I look forward to reading it in the future, however.
As for being friends. I would say that we know each other well enough to say "hi" in the grocery store, but our paths just don't cross that much. He does scripture. I do therapy. You do the math.
4. Imprimatur.
Because my books are not catechetical in nature, they do not require the Imprimatur. I have, however, out of respect for magisterial authority on the issue, submitted Beyond the Birds and the Bees (the most catechetical of my books) to the ecclesial approbation process. I am pleased to say that the censor librorum has recommended this work to the Bishop for the Imprimatur, having found nothing contrary to the faith.
Beyond this, however, all of my Catholic books have undergone extensive theological review by competent, faithful, professional theologians, and in at least one case, by a panel consisting of a priest who is the only North American member of the Pontifical Theological Academy. At no time, has any one of these competent, faithful professionals ever indicated a problem with my work. I am grateful for their guidance.
Finally, if anyone has any respectful questions, it isn't as if I am hiding. Email me. I will be happy to address any charitably expressed concerns.
God Bless, Greg Popcak
I do feel somewhat favorably toward it because--done properly and respectfully--it can demystify the sexual cycle, and the Holy Father tells us, in Love and Responsibility (c.f., the section on Sexology), that giving such information about both the goodness of the body and how the body functions is a good and useful thing
First of all, he says he doesn't care, and, then he tells us he is somewhat favorable to what he doesn't care about and then he intimates the Pope advocates the same thing...
Does the Pope really tell us it is a good idea Bubba chart Bulah's cycles?
Anyone have a citation from Love and Responsibility?
He would do a service to the families if he unequivocally condemned it. No decent therapist, Catholic or not, would find such a violation of boundaries appropriate.
Maybe you missed it--but he DEFENDED the quotations. That removes them entirely from the "out of context" category.
I'm with you on this guy
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