What ABC's Nightline Left Out

Christopher West, the noted Catholic Theologian and proponent of John Paul II's Teachings on Theology of the Body was a guest on Nightline on Friday. Sadly I missed the interview.

After taking nearly four hours of interview tape, ABC condensed it down the very intricate and difficult to explain topic of Theology of the Body and Catholic Sexual Ethics to a seven minute interview.

This is just one of the things they chose to leave in the editing bay:

The Sexual Revolution led people away from a "prudish" rejection of the body, but also led people to "wallow in the mud."

"Now we need to take a bath," he told CNA.

These points were made in his interview with ABC but were cut for the section that was broadcast, West reported.

What did make the section was some of this:

"I actually see very profound historical connections between Hugh Hefner and John Paul II," West told ABC, which reported that West believes each man rescued sex from prudish Victorian morality. (ABC said that he called John Paul II and Hugh Hefner his "heroes", a statement he categorically denies).
According to ABC, West said Hefner had a "yearning," an "ache" and a "longing" for love, union and intimacy.

On the other hand, West said Pope John Paul II took the sexual revolution further in his "Theology of the Body" which taught that sexual love has been central to God’s plan for mankind.

West has sold more than a million copies of his books and more than 3 million CDs. Attendees at his retreats told ABC his talks "revolutionized" their marriages and their views of their spouses.

"Christians must not retreat from what the sexual revolution began," West said in a lecture excerpted by ABC. "Christians must complete what the sexual revolution began."

"We have to bring God and sex back together," he added.

You can read the rest of the CNS story here.

I recommend that you take the time to read at least some of what Christopher West and John Paul II have written on the subject. It makes perfect sense and goes a long way to bringing the sexual revolution to the place it belongs, in the natural order of where it belongs and why and how God intended intimacy to be a part of everyone's lives from the very beginning of creation.

You can learn more about Theology of the Body here.