Enjoy Carnival, without the negative behaviours

During Carnival, one might hear the words ‘we culture’ thrown about in many circumstances, even as a proposed rational for justifying having multiple partners and lewd behaviour.

But what is ‘we culture’? One would like to think that it involves many other aspects of life here in Trinidad and Tobago, such as what we saw beautifully done by the schoolchildren on Fridays with the various performances over lunchtime.

We culture is displayed when persons of all ages take part in Calypso, tassa, pan, African dance, Indian dance, chipping on the road, etc. in a clean and wholesome display of the various ethnicities that make up our people.

The behaviours that unfortunately have crept into Carnival can and led to many an unplanned pregnancy and ‘date rape’. This mindset stems from the wave of thought that ‘I can do what I want, when I want with no regard for the other person’. This wave started with the first man and woman. This mindset is leading society toward implosion and extinction, as life has little or no value. The human person is treated like an object and not with dignity.

Our Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that we are all called to integral human development, where we become more human when we live in charity which is the form of all the virtues (good habits).

We need to be masters of our own selves to give ourselves as a gift to another in faithfulness and loving kindness. If one’s vocation is marriage, “reserve for marriage the expressions of affection that belong to married love” (sexual arousal and sexual intercourse).

Indeed, “all Christ’s faithful are called to lead a chaste life” where we live friendship with one another which “leads to spiritual communion” (#2346-2350 CCC).

The Billings Method of Fertility Regulation is not just for controlling family size and reproductive health but has at its roots the understanding of the body that is expounded in the Theology of the Body (TOB).

Part of the teaching of the TOB explains we are not to be selfish but respect each other as male and female. Having multiple partners speaks against respect for others and oneself. Lack of respect for oneself is tied in with a loss of self-worth. This loss of self-worth can culminate in a person wanting to change their sex at birth, which is a worrying concern today.

The Lord Himself went to a wedding in Cana where He would have drunk wine, showing us that one can imbibe alcohol and still have self-control while having fun.

It must be acknowledged that we would not have as much self-control when drinking alcohol as the Lord, hence it could be suggested that sexual activity is not an essential part of Carnival as alcohol consumption is known to affect sexual control and decision-making.

We are called with God’s grace to responsible parenthood in marriage. Modern natural family planning, as Billings is, maintains a mindset of being open to life and God’s will for us.

With Billings, there is frequent communication with each other and with God, as to His awesome plan for our family size. God cares about our physical and emotional health in this plan of His, all that is asked of us is to trust the Creator of all the universe.

Whenever two healthy adults get together in the sexual embrace, there is bonding and the possibility of pregnancy (baby), as is God’s will.

Having more than one sexual partner is not in God’s original plan for men and women. Hence such behaviour sets a bad example to others.

Let’s enjoy our Carnival without the negative behaviours.

BOMA-TT Phone or WhatsApp: 384-1659, Email: naturalfertility@catholictt.org or billingstt@gmail.com, Local Website: billingstt.com, International Websites: woombinternational.org or billings.life