A lot of people find part of their identity with their religion:

“I’m Catholic”
“I’m atheist”
“I’m Jewish”

Even if someone’s beliefs can’t be put under a specific religious category, everyone has their own opinion on how humans got here and how people should live their lives.  All of these different views come together to make a unique world, but religious differences have the potential to hurt or even end a relationship.

Because religious views generally have a great impact on a person’s lifestyle, differing views can cause conflict in relationships. An atheist may be incredibly uncomfortable if their significant other wanted to attend church every Sunday and prayed every day. Likewise, a person who is used to being involved in religious practices may feel like something is wrong with them if their boyfriend or girlfriend doesn’t want to come with them to Bible study or other religious gatherings.

And then there’s the family. And the potential future family.
It can really become a hot mess of opinions, beliefs and arguments.

While this may be overwhelming for some, there are ways to cope with religious differences and make a relationship last. Taking turns attending religious practices can give both members of the relationship a look into a new religious lifestyle. Each person could take time discussing with the other what their religious views mean to them and what they do or do not want to do because of them. Essentially, a couple needs to reach a compromise that makes them both feel comfortable. Read More »

I really can’t give MTV’s new series “College Life” enough praise.  I’m not a huge fan of the whole reality thing, but since the show is shot by the students themselves it really puts a good spin on a tired genre.

Every episode is chock-full of the real life drama of being an actual freshman at one of America’s largest party schools – the University of Wisconsin. Check out for yourself, you can watch all the episodes online in full here.

We caught up with the star’s of the show Josh, Kevin, Jordan and Andrea and asked them a few questions about  hooking-up, drinking, studying and if women can be considered pimps and men sluts. Oh, you know, the important things… Read More »

In case you missed it, there’s a whole bunch of controversy surrounding Miss USA first runner-up, Miss California, Carrie Prejean.  During the interview portion of Sunday night’s competition, she was asked by gossip columnist Perez Hilton, one of the judges, her thoughts on gay marriage.  To this, she answered honestly (although rather awkwardly and maybe not politically correctly), “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”

Her answer got a mixed reaction of boos and cheers from the audience, and immediately sparked controversy after the show, from a shouting match in the lobby of the Las Vegas hotel in which the ceremony took place, to every news outlet speculating that her remarks were the reason that she didn’t win the crown. Read More »

Virginity: you either have it, lost it, or in the process of giving it away. (Editor’s Note: If that’s they case, maybe you should focus more on that and stop surfing the internet. You don’t want to offend your partner.) And for most, it is as valued as a relatively sacred part of us – one that you don’t just give to anyone. Take Natalie Dylan, for instance. She ain’t givin it up to any ol boy – she’s givin it up to the highest bidder. That’s right, this lovely lady is in the process of auctioning off her virginity online for upwards of 3.8 million dollars! Let’s be honest – that’s enough money to make any girl twice about keeping her V card. But think a third time, and most of us in our right mind would never do such a thing. But why?

Why is our purity worth an incalculable amount when people used to sell their souls on Ebay for twenty bucks? (I swear it’s true, Ebay started prohibiting it a few years ago).

Many of my close friends are virgins, but they all have varying reasons for their decision. My friend Jenny, for instance, decided not to have sex until she graduated high school. She wanted to wait out of respect for her parents, in addition to various religious reasons. Once she got to college, however, she found that those reasons weren’t as important to her as they once were. Read More »

P4CM, a.k.a Passion for Christ Movement, an organization that (duh) is all about religion and serving Jesus, just launched a new line of tees to inspire people to free themselves through God.The tees announce to the world that the wearer has rid him or herself of poor habits and choices that are frowned upon by God. Things like being a diva, being a hypocrite, and being a slave.

Or, being a masturbator?

Yeah….their latest design, the “Ex-Masturbator” t-shirt,  addresses the question: Is masturbation seen as a good thing through God’s eyes? (Editor’s Note: I don’t care – it’s a great thing through my eyes!) And I think that’s great; really, I do. Everyone has a right to express themselves (and the things they do under the covers when they are alone at night) on a t-shirt, but I am just not sure people will rock this shirt with any sincerity. Read More »

Israel has been under attack since its creation in 1948. Due to many people’s hatred of the Jewish community, the religious history of the region, and an argument over who the land should really belong to, the people of Israel have been defending their small plot of land for over 60 years.

Not only have they had to deal with wars and bombs from surrounding countries, but the citizens of Israel live in constant fear of suicide bombers getting on their busses, coming into their schools and destroying their daily lives.

Today, Israel is at war with Hamas. Every day, the Israeli Army sends bombs into the Gaza strip in attempts to stop the terrorist organization from bombing their country.

“The goal of this operation is to stop the launching of rockets upon Israeli civilians and to make sure that the Hamas organization, which is a terrorist organization, will not be able to get any more rockets… And also to make sure that they will not have the will to act against Israeli civilians.”

As with any military operation, there has been severe collateral damage. Innocent people – including U.N. aid workers – have been injured and killed, there is a shortage of food and water, and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed. Yet, Hamas will not stop.

My question is this:

In your opinion, is Israel the monster, or is Hamas – knowing what they can do to stop the war in Gaza – turning its back on the well-being of its very own people? This sitution is not one that has a simple answer, but one that could be resolved with some thought, understanding, and conversation.

[It doesn’t matter what school you go to, what state it is in, how big it is, whether it is public or private, all girls or coed…there are experiences that all college students share. No matter how crazy you think your personal situation is, it is not just you. So, let’s bring it all out in the open. Right here. Because you are not alone - we’ve all been there before.]

You’re standing at the bar waiting for the bartender to notice you so you can order that pitcher for the girls. You wave your money, you pull your v-neck down a little lower…nothing seems to be working. In a huff you turn to the person next to you to see if a team effort would be more successful.

He’s cute.

Really cute.

So, you and the guy next to you start talking and laughing and having a grand ol’ time. Eventually the bartender makes it past all those d-bags who cut in front of you and the sweet boy next to you buys you that pitcher and a round of shots to enjoy with him. (Note: In college, guys are always buying shots. Never drinks.) Read More »

Yom Kippur is all about reflection. So, I spent a good portion of yesterday in synagogue reflecting on things I have done over the past year in an effort to clean my slate and ask God for forgiveness. I usually try not to regret those things that I have done, but that is not always possible, especially when alcohol is involved.

1. I regret that time I met a guy at a bar and did some naughty things at a very public table. That other people may have been sitting at. And the bar also happened to be a restaurant. And it was definitely not sanitary.

2. I regret purchasing condoms while drunk and choosing that the ones that glow in the dark/have spikes “for her enjoyment.” I did not enjoy them that night, nor did I enjoy the way those spikes made me feel for the next 3 days.

3. I regret thinking hooking up in a boy’s bathroom was “hot” – it was not. In fact, it was dirty, moldy and didn’t have a lock. So, with that, I regret that guy’s roommates walking in and getting quite a show.

4. I regret hooking up in my roommate’s bed because she then hooked up in my bed in retaliation…and made a much bigger mess. Read More »

Launching your cute little self out of your comfort zone and into the land of college is exciting…’cause, if your ‘comfort zone’ growing up was anything like mine…just about any circumstance would be more comfortable. Or so you think.

You don’t truly realize the invisible lines that are drawn in society until college. You don’t have your own beliefs questioned so much as you do in college. You don’t have to push your own mental and physical limits so much as you do in college. And you (hopefully) never have to live in such close proximity with others your whole life, outside of college.

You will, invariably, encounter some things that are strange to you and you’re just gonna have to learn to deal…but here are some tips.

Open Sexuality

Maybe you’re not that sexual. Or maybe you’re just moderately sexual. Nonetheless, you’d better be OK with seeing naked bodies and hearing people do the humpty dance on the bunk above you, because sex is more than just a past time at college. From girls shaving their coochies in the ladies room to walking in on sex in the stairwell, my first year of college certainly reminded me that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore…and it’ll probably do the same for you. Read More »

Lately there has been a lot of talk of Promise Rings as a sort of pre-engagement commitment. I just can’t seem to grasp this whole trend.

A promise ring?

Maybe it’s all the religious hype that typically surrounds them, or maybe I don’t understand what the promise is, exactly (a promise to love each other? To save yourself for that person? To not cheat or stray?), but they just don’t make sense to me.

I thought being in a committed relationship meant all that already, so why a promise ring?

People have told me I’m unromantic and cold, but here’s the thing: I’m not unromantic. I’m a realist. I believe people fall hard and then get hurt hard. I also, however, truly believe that people do fall in love, but I don’t think all the hoopla is necessary in order to prove or show it.

I, personally, don’t think it’s necessary to use a piece of jewelry to prove your love for someone. Some may argue that the jewelry is a symbol of your love, but I think actions and emotions expressed are sufficient enough. My boyfriend and I love each other, but a ring isn’t what I need in order to keep our love in my heart. Read More »