Saving The World Through Abstinence
Well, about the only program getting increased funding in the Bu$h budget is abstinence only sex classes (leaving out the word "education" intentional there). It’s well known this doesn’t work, but hey, just like attacking queers, it makes the Christian Right feel good. I’m not talking anecdotal evidence here. Study after study has proven that abstinence only actually increases teen pregnancy…but the right wing has a well established history of ignoring science. (Read "Intelligent Design")
In a column in the NY Times, Nicholas D. Kristof writes, "Other developed countries focus much more on contraception. The upshot is that while teenagers in the U.S. have about as much sexual activity as teenagers in Canada or Europe, Americans girls are four times as likely as German girls to become pregnant, almost five times as likely as French girls to have a baby, and more than seven times as likely as Dutch girls to have an abortion. Young Americans are five times as likely to have H.I.V. as young Germans, and teenagers’ gonorrhea rate is 70 times higher in the U.S. than in the Netherlands or France."
Of course, whoever said we were a "developed country?"
In contrast, there’s plenty of evidence that abstinence-plus programs – which encourage abstinence but also teach contraception – delay sex and increase the use of contraception. So, at a time when we’re cutting school and health programs, why should we pour additional tax money into abstinence-only initiatives, which are likely to lead to more pregnancies, more abortions and more kids with AIDS? Now, that’s a scandal, and you thought the Clinton year’s were about scandals.
This is just one more area where God’s Word carries no weight. If people would accept Jesus Christ, keep His commands, there would be no need for ‘contraceptives’ or clinics for ‘STD’s. God gave us laws because He knows that if we DON’T follow them, what bad trial we would go thru. Not to mention eternity separated from Him and in torment in ‘Outer darkness’.
I pray you will repent and share Jesus with the people you come in contact with.
God Bless you.
And Mr. Vandenberg’s comment is precisely the crux of the problem. Rather than accept the reality of the situation and the scientific evidence, all will be well if only I will repent.
Mr. Masters, really! You can’t just dismiss Mr. Vandenburg like that–after all, he knows that invisible spooks in the sky make up all kinds of rules for us. And deal out horrible punishments if we don’t follow those rules! So hail to the invisible spooks…think Sunday I’ll go give them some money, maybe they’ll be nicer after that.
Let me make sure I have this straight, tom: The invisible spooks make rules for us and deal out horrible punishments if we disobey–but they love us. (Apologies to George Carlin.)
I’m more concerned about the mixed message of these programs: “Sex is a bad, dirty thing, so you should save it for someone you love very much.” (And yes, most of the Chimp-sanctioned programs teach the first part as I have described it. There are good ways to make the case for premarital chastity, but this isn’t one of them.)
I think a quote from a comedian (can’t remember which one) was perfect. It was something like this, “There is a great omnipotent God of the entire universe with a detailed interest my sex life.” That pretty much sums it up.