WEEK 1
Foundational Teachings on Lifestyles

1.  The primary purpose of marriage is to bear and raise children.
     And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it...(Genesis 1:28)
    	
2.  Inability to bear children is looked upon as a punishment or curse.
     And she made a vow, saying: O Lord, of hosts, if thou wilt look down on the affliction of thy servant, and wilt be mindful of me, and not forget thy handmaid, and wilt give to thy servant a man child: I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...(1 Samuel 1:11)

3.  Christ raised marriage to a level of a Sacrament and forbade divorce.
      For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife. 
	And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. 
	What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder...(Mark 10:7-9)

4.  Christ endorsed the unmarried religious life in order to advance the Kingdom of God.
     For there are eunuchs, who were born so from their mother's womb: and there are eunuchs, who were made so by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it...
	(Matthew 19:12)

5.  There is no Biblical evidence that God approves of...
	~ a lifetime spent as a single man or woman with no religious vocation
	~ a childless marriage (by choice)

Summary: the married life’s main purpose is to produce godly children while the single life’s main purpose is to aid parents and children to be holy. 

		

WEEK 2
Foundational Teachings on Society

1.  God should be the center and focus of each person’s life...
     Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep His commandments...(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
     Baltimore Catechism 2 #3. Why did God make us?
God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in heaven. 
     Baltimore Catechism 2  #4. What must we do to gain the happiness of heaven?
 	To gain the happiness of heaven we must know, love, and serve God in this world. 

2.   Renaissance humanism replaced God with man.
     Man is the measure of all things...(Pagan Greek philosopher Protagoras)

3.   Protestantism made religion a servant of secular government.
	(1555 Peace of Augsburg: ‘whose reign, that religion”) 

4.    The Enlightenment made religion a servant of each person’s mind.
	(My own mind is my own church...Thomas Paine)
	(Religions are all alike - founded upon fables...Thomas Jefferson)

5.   Freemasonry made all religions equal (indifferentism ).
(...men of different religions meet in...brotherhood under the fatherhood of God: Norman Vincent Peale 33rd degree Mason)

6.  Modern secularism: if man is his own master, he can create his own morals.
	(If it feels good, do it: Popular 1960's quote)
(Corrupt the young; get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex: Quote from Alleged ‘Communist Rules for Revolution’)

7.  This type of sin is not new as when Israel turned away from God.
     In those there was no king in Israel, but  everyone did that which seemed right to himself...(Judges 17:6)

WEEK 3
Basic Teachings of the Church
	* The act of physical sex will be referred to ‘relations’

1. Physical relations outside of marriage is a grave, serious sin.
	(Fornication & adultery...1 Corinthians 6:9,10)
2.  Wearing clothes that are designed to arouse physical emotions is a sinful act.
	(Matthew 18:6)
3.  Imagining physical relations with the opposite sex is a serious sin.
	(Matthew 5:28)
4. The Church specifically condemns relations outside of marriage: fornication.
	(1 Corinthians 6:18)
5.  The Church specifically condemns unfaithful relations in marriage: adultery.
	(Exodus 20:14 - 6th Commandment)
6.  The Church specifically condemns same-sex relations: homosexuality.
	(Leviticus 20:14; Romans 1:24-27)
7.  The Church specifically condemns artificial birth control and abortion.	
	(Jeremiah 1:5)

Summary: the teachings of the Church are not suggestions.

	

WEEK 4
Basic Pre-Dating Facts

1. Most of society regards physical relations as accepted, harmless physical recreation.
	(59%, Pew Research Poll 07/2007)
2.   Most of society is ignorant of or rejects  the sinfulness of relations outside of marriage.
	(1990 Study by Lillian Rubin: 60% of teens had sex before graduation)
3.  Most nominal Catholics and ‘Christians’ ignore or reject the Church’s teachings.
(Boston Globe 2002 poll: 54% of Catholics disagree with the Church on pre-marital sex & 70% on birth control)
4.  Having pre-martial relations is sometimes seen as a mark of status in males.

5.  Having pre-martial relations is sometimes used by females as a ‘reward’ for loyalty.

6.  Lying is seen as an acceptable ‘means to an end’ by some.
	(Boston Globe 2006 poll 40% say lying is justified sometimes)

Summary: this is the dating environment you are entering in  modern society.

WEEK 5
DATING MENTAL CHECKLIST

Pre-Dating Parameters
1. Do I really realize how society views physical relations?

2.  Do I accept the fact that most people I will date view relations as recreation?

3.  It is best to date with other groups of friends who share my values. 

4.  I know that I must avoid physical contact, even hand-holding, with my date.

5.  I must avoid situations where my date and I are alone in non-public settings.

6.  I will not date anyone who is hostile to the Church and it’s teachings.

7.  I will not date anyone who dresses immodestly or wants me to do so.

8.  I will not date anyone who curses, smokes, drinks alcohol or takes drugs.

9.  I will not let physical appearance over-ride other factors in dating.

10.  What is the main reason I want to date the person I am interested in now?

Summary: resolve to keep to these guidelines and future problems will be avoided.

WEEK 6
 Signals That it is Time to Stop Dating

1. Discovering that the person does not meet a pre-dating standard.

2.  The person keeps insisting on closer physical contact.

3.  The person rejects or laughs at my faith or values.

4.  I am treated as a ‘trophy’ by my date in front of other peers.

5.  The person demands physical relations as a requirement for continued dating.

6.  The person keeps trying to get me alone (non-public place)  and away from others.

7.  The person wants to ‘go steady’ and restrict my friendship with others.

8.  I discover that the person has been pretending to be something they are not.

Summary: if the pre-dating guidelines are the first line of defense, this is the second.

WEEK 7
 Ways to Safeguard Purity
				
Interior Safeguards
1. Place yourself under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

2.  Ask for the intercession of saints such as Maria Goretti or Aloysius Gonzaga.

3.   Avoid companionship with those who do not share your values.

4.  Resist impure thoughts and imaginings about others.

5.  Remember: repeated exposure to anything increases  tolerance and acceptance.

6.  Physical desire is a natural desire and like others it can and should be controlled.

7.  Realize that imagining physical relations with others is a grave, mortal sin.

8.  Turn away from anything that produces feelings of an intimate nature.  

9.  Our own reproductive organs should not be touched unless absolutely necessary.

Summary: all of the other guidelines are useless unless we have spiritual mastery of emotions in our own minds.

WEEK 8
Exterior Safeguards in Actions
		
1.  Avoid entertainment that has immortality as its central theme.

2.  Turn away from immodestly dressed persons.

3.  Turn away from immoral images or scenes in movies and television shows.

4.  Do not expose yourself to immoral or anti-Christian books and entertainment..

5.  Pornography incites lust which is a mortal, deadly sin, so avoid it completely.

6.  You share in the sin of others if you wear clothes that are immodest and incite lust.

7.  Avoid conversation or joking of a sexual nature.

Summary: you help yourself and others with right actions and example.

	

WEEK 9
Exterior Safeguards in Thought and Observation		

1.  If someone wants to seduce you, they probably have already seduced others.

2.  If someone will not accept ‘no’ then they are in love with your body, not you.

3.  If someone truly loves you they will not want to endanger your soul.

4.  Treat others as you would want them to treat your sister or brother.

5.  Visualize every girl as another Mary and each boy as another Christ.

6.  If someone has had relations before marriage, they are likely to continue.

7.  There is no pure motive for modern male or female physical ‘enhancement’. 

8.  Dating is not the proper environment to try to ‘convert’ someone.

9.  Presumption: assuming that you can ‘change’ the other person from sinful habits.

Summary: victory over sin begins in your mind with Christ’s help.