Katharine Byrne

Katharine lives in Dublin, Ireland

"I'm saving sex for marriage because sex is the physical expression of a spiritual union¾ both between spouses and with God¾ and therefore can only be complete and life-giving within the sacrament of marriage. I don't want to share the physical intimacy of sex with anyone other than my husband primarily because without the spiritual intimacy one cannot experience the fullness or joy of sex."

"In other words, pre-marital sex is a cheating and it robs you of self-respect. By sharing physical intimacy with several partners, one is robbed of your self respect and effectively left alone to deal with the emotional and physical consequences; where as within marriage, the spiritual union is an unbroken thread that carries the couple through."

"The toughest temptation to have pre-marital sex is when you've allowed yourself to fall in love with a guy who doesn't respect your beliefs."

"I avoid pressures to have sex by dating guys of like mind and beliefs. That means guys who don't just "understand" my beliefs but who accept and profess them."

"When a girl wears sexy clothes, she (obviously) lacks the self-confidence to relate to guys, especially when other girls are around, and so she uses her body as a means to attract attention from both sexes."

"When guys see girls wearing revealing clothes, guys think she has no morals and is looking to be 'picked up'¾ an 'easy target.'"

"I think many girls who are having pre-marital sex are looking for the assurance that their boyfriend is committed and really does love them. They fear that by saying 'no' they will lose him the supposed 'Mr. Right'."

"I think many guys who are having pre-marital sex are looking for pleasure and the sort of intimacy where they can show the affection and sensitivity that they suppress in other relationships."

"The best way to say 'No' to sexual advances is to walk away from the situation especially where the advances are strong and/or persuasive. Explanations (i.e. sharing your beliefs) can always be given afterwards; but there is no point in trying to explain your beliefs when the other person is obviously not willing to understand."

"If a friend was afraid of losing her boyfriend because she wanted to say 'No' to sex, I would tell her to explain to him her reasons for saying no and then if he really claimed to love her, he would follow through in his actions by restecting her beliefs and respecting her body."

"If a friend has had sex, but now wanted to practice abstinence, I would encourage him/her by pointing out that chastity is the virtue¾ not virginity. A virtue is never lost but only left unpracticed. By practicing abstinence, they can take the first step back towards practicing the virtue."

"The qualities I'm looking for in a husband are leadership, sensitivity, faithfulness, honesty/truthfulness, good discernment, humility, good sense of humor, and Christian too of course¾ if that would be considered a 'quality!'"

"The qualities I look for in a boyfriend are the same as above¾ except perhaps to a lesser degree with the knowledge that these qualities need to be nurtured."

"I can best prepare for marriage and avoid divorce by practicing fidelity, honesty, chastity, and keeping open lines of communication in all my relationships/friendships."

Katharine on Abortion . . .

"If I found out a friend was planning to have an abortion tomorrow, I would tell her that the baby inside her was another living, human person with as much a right to life as she had. Abortion, no matter what anyone else tells her, is murder with severe emotional and often physical, consequences to the mother and the baby. I would then offer immediate alternative advice and support (physical, financial, emotional)."

Katharine on Virtue, Love, Marriage & Happiness . . .

"Living a virtuous lifestyle is important because young people today are being continuously bombarded by sexual images and references. The media portrays virginity as a handicap and virtue as a relic of the past."

"With regard to dating, love and marriage, I would tell a friend to hold fast to her beliefs and that no matter how much society and the law change, morality remains unchanged; that God has a plan for her; that true love always waits."

"Happiness is the knowledge and acceptance that God loves you completely with an eternal and unchanging love."