Volume 124 Issue 124
kansan.com
Friday, March 30, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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LOVE
Love Your Partner As You're Taught Different variables, including religion, influence how we see and express love. //RACHEL SCHWARTZ
In addition to culture, the media and other factors, religion plays a large role in romantic relationships.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY TARA BRYANT
Religion is an integral part of some people's relationships. Whether it is going to services together or reading religious books, religion is a main factor that plays a large role. Some people will only date people of their same religion, while others who value religion are open to dating people with other beliefs. Religion is also important in some relationships because of how the religion defines love and relationships.
Emily Brenner, Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) missionary, tries to help cultivate a Christian culture on campus in many aspects of life including romantic relationships. Love is a fundamental and innate vocation of every human being, Brenner says. "Dating is supposed to help you discern and lead to marriage, not meaning every person you date you have to think you have to marry. But every person is part of your story for a reason," Brenner says.
Brenner is dating Brandon Gargus, a non-denominational Christian who attends McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill. When she first met him, she thought he was cute, but didn't think she could date him because of his religion. She decided to give it a try, but within two
weeks, she says she had an emotional breakdown thinking about the religious barrier. When Brenner talked to Gargus, he said he was open to being married in the Catholic Church, and Brenner was relieved.
"People ask would I marry him if he wasn't Catholic. I wouldn't be dating him if I couldn't see myself marrying him," Brenner says, "I believe love is willing the good of another and doing everything to help them get to heaven. Me loving him was sharing my Catholic faith and lifestyle."
Katie Hayes, a sophomore from Pittsburg, was raised Catholic, and was taught from an early age that the greatest love comes from Jesus because he died for us. "If someone loves you so much that they'll do anything for you, that's ultimately what love should be," Hayes says. For Hayes, loving someone also means you will do anything to help that person get to heaven. That is what Hayes and her boyfriend of the same faith, TJ Wallace, try to do for each other. One way they try to help each other is by staying abstinent. "If I love him, I'm not going to try to tempt him and he feels the same way about me. We don't want each other to sin, so we try to keep it pure," Hayes says. The two decided the best way for them to keep a pure relationship was with
prayer; the two try to pray together on the phone each day.
Because the religious aspect of her relationship with her boyfriend is so important, Hayes doesn't know if she could date someone who wasn't a devout Catholic. "If I don't have a boyfriend supporting me, that would be hard. A lot of people don't understand and misunderstand the Catholic church, so, if he didn't understand my views, that would be really hard," Hayes says.
Robert Shelton, professor of religious studies, says it's hard to determine what religion dictates because culture always plays a big role in religion. "Culture is a given in human experience. It can change and vary. Sometimes people make a change in religion and in the process they make adjustments in what they have practiced through culture." Shelton says.
To Mike Marcus, Shawnee freshman, God is the essence of love. Marcus, a Methodist, says it is important in a relationship to be able to grow in faith with that person. To grow in faith together, Marcus and his girlfriend Sam Hinrichs, Kansas State freshman and non-denominational Christian, send each other Scripture passages via text every morning and then talk about it that night when they Skype. But he knows everyone doesn't see love in that way, and there's
no universal definition. "There are always differing opinions on what a relationship is," Marcus says. "Even in my own church there are people who have complete opposite thoughts. Ultimately love is what you make of it."
Diverse Devotions KU religious studies professors Robert Shelton and Jacquelene Brinton share how other religions view relationships and love
- In Hinduism in India, parents find families for their sons to marry into. The parents have the final say on the marriage Sometimes the future married couple won't meet until after the marriage has been arranged.
- In Islam, the Koran has teachings about relationships and spousal roles. It says that males and females were created to be companions. A couple is supposed to complement each other through fulfilling the different roles they have. This has been interpreted to mean that a man has a more worldly role and a women has a role at home.
"A recent economic impact study shows that Final Fridays are bringing in at least $85,000 each final Friday to restaurants and businesses around the locations," said Final Fridays Coordinator Molly Murphy.
Lawrence Art Center, Downtown Lawrence Incorporated, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, art galleries and artists collaborated in August 2010 to create the monthly event.
"This sort of energy is good for Lawrence, and it is a more cohesive night for everybody." Murphy said.
Before it started, artists and galleries worked individually. Murphy said the art community is now coming together, and there is more emphasis on community projects.
This Friday, 26 businesses and galleries downtown will take part in the event. Lost Space Art, 845
downtown every month.
"We've had anyone from KU professors, to people who ship their art in from Seattle," said Summer Bradshaw, an intern at Wonder Fair Art Gallery, 803 $ \frac{1}{2} $ Massachusetts Street.
Among the local artists who participate in the event, University students have taken advantage of showcasing their work during the event.
In 2011, Jessie Kelley, a senior from Wichita, curated a gallery specifically for 16 college students.
"Final Fridays gets people in the store," said Irene Walker, an artist and employee at BDC Tattoo. "Sometimes there are people who would never step foot in a tattoo shop that have come in."
Artists from around the country, as well as those from the Lawrence area, have benefited from Final Fridays.
Big Daddy Cadillaas Tattoo, 938 Massachusetts Street, features one artist a month. This Friday, they are showing Erin Brazler's "Fatties on Parade" exhibition, which are marker-drawn portraits of humorous cartoon characters.
Art.
"The place gets pretty packed," Flinders said. "The town is on fire on Final Fridays."
5. SIGNS OF LIFE (722 Massachusetts St.)
6. THE LAWRENCE ART PARTY (718 New Hampshire St.)
Like many downtown galleries, its busiest day of the month is on the last Friday.
4. LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY (707 Vermont St.)
ies, such as the Fox Trot shoe store. 823 Massachusetts Street, also participate in Final Fridays. Owner Caroline Mithias said the event brings in a lot of foot traffic into her store, and it supports the art community.
Edited by Corinne Westeman
CRYPTOQUIPS 4A
OPINION 5A
3. THE ELDRIDGE HOTEL (701 Massachusetts St.)
12. FOXTROT
(823 Massachusetts St.)
7. TELLER'S RESTAURANT UPSTAIRS (746 Massachusetts St.)
14. DOWNTOWN UPSTAIRS (824 1/2 Massachusetts St.)
13. LOVE GARDEN SOUNDS (822 Massachusetts St.)
8. PACHAMAMAS (800 New Hampshire St.)
15. PHOENIX GALLERY (825 Massachusetts St.)
9. SMILING MAD DESIGNS & INKELLO
LETTERPRESS
(801,5, Suite 3 Massachusetts St.)
16. LOST ART SPACE (845 Massachusetts St.)
CLASSIFIEDS 2B
CROSSWORD 4A
SPORTS 1B
SUDOKU 4A
17. THE BOURGEOIS PIG (6 E. 9th St.)
18. Z's DIVINE DOWNTOWN ESPRESSO (10 E. 9th St.)
Index
21. LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER (940 New Hampshire)
22. KANSAS SAMPLER (921 Massachusetts St.)
23. THE GRANADA
(1020 Massachusetts St.)
24. AIMEE'S CAFE' & COFFEE SHOP (1025 Massachusetts St.)
ting Corp.
is a bad
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25. WATKINS COMMUNITY MUSEUM (1047 Massachusetts St.)
26. 1109 GALLERY
(1109 Massachusetts St.)
ERS
Today's Weather
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
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Continuing student enrollment begins for summer and fall semesters, 2012. For more info, see Office of the Registrar, www.registrar@ku.edu.
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