1. Masturbation or any kind of recreational sex is a sin. Don't forget that ever. You think you are alone in your bedroom, but really, God is watching.

2. Any kind of homosexual sex is also a sin.

3.  Birth control? You guessed it. Birth control is yet another sin.

4. Basically,  the underlying theme was "sex is not intended for pleasure." (That is the total opposite of what a new health pamphlet in England is telling teens now.)

While I am not a religious person necessarily, I recognize that the Catholic Church has enormous influence over its many  . To me, it is difficult to imagine that all of these rules against sex, masturbation, birth control, and homosexuality are really making the world a better place and are definitely not stopping these behaviors from happening. I wonder how many Catholics have been caught literally with their pants down in sex scandals. (And, no, I am not even going to mention the priests.)

Why does the church even care if some 15-year-old Catholic masturbates surreptitiously under his covers at night? Doesn't the Pope have more important things to worry about than condemning gay marriage on the basis that it some how in some obscure and non-understandable way threatens more traditional marriages? Isn't what I do in my own bedroom my own business regardless of my religion?

What about the prohibition against birth control?  People are going to have sex. If someone only wants two kids in their entire marriage, does that mean they should not have sex the entire rest of the marriage because it might not be for the sole purpose of pro-creation? What is up with that? I guess Catholics and some people from other faiths must have some amazing ability to suppress their sexual desires.

When will the Catholic church publicly admit that sex is a natural part of life, can be pleasurable, and that there are probably more important things to worry about? With as much power as the Catholic Church wields, I would hope that they could come into the 21st century with more useful advice for those trying to live in the here and now.