News-Record.com

I think it might help to defuse this fight a little if we stopped using the word "children." Are we looking at a proposal to teach pre-teens about sex, or 14-16 year olds? Your tiny article doesn't say. But I know that your average 13-year-old has access to a lot more of this "secret" knowledge than his/her parents care to deal with, even if they are kept away from the Internet and from public schools.

And really - abstinence-only "teaching" is a joke. Studies show that it's ineffective at delaying the start of sexual activity. Perhaps it's a little better than doing nothing, but not good enough to justify the effort. And so far as preventing early pregnancy, teaching real contraceptive methods does far better.

Namac:

Really? Which studies are these? Isn't it true that in Uganda an abstenence policy lead to a much lower rate of HIV infection that in the rest of Africa?

How may abstinent people ever got pregnant or a communicable disease (the Virgin Mary excepted)?

Perhaps the most telling example of the efficacy of abstinence comes from people with a vested interest in more sex, not less, i.e., condom distributors. As I travel North Carolina on work-related issues, I sometimes use the facilities at gas stations. More often than not, there are condom dispensers in the men's room. After advertising the benefits of these "goods" the condom distributor includes the caveat that goes something like this:

The best method for preventing pregnancy or disease is abstinence before marriage and a monogamous relationship thereafter.

The one thing we have more than enough of in this country is discussion of sex. We are saturated with it. You don't even need to look for it; it will find you in the form of unsolicited emails, beer commercials, etc. To suggest that teenagers need sex education in school because they don't know where babies come from is silly. Indeed, if there is one thing that nearly all of them know it is sex.

"Perhaps the most telling example of the efficacy of abstinence comes from people with a vested interest in more sex, not less, i.e., condom distributors. As I travel North Carolina on work-related issues, I sometimes use the facilities at gas stations."

Yeah, I expect there's Big Money in the condom industry. More than in entertainment and petroleum combined.

I'll have a look for links to reports on the studies of the success rates for abstinence programs and get back with you.

What I believe is failed to be discerned is that the lawmaker, Rep. Rick Glazier , does not want to stop abstinence only sex education. Rather it is the law that mandates this as the only acceptable sex education. What I believe Rep. Glazier is seeking is to disseminate MORE information rather than less.

And really, to compare the nation of Uganda with the US is the proverbial "apples to oranges" comparison. Find better comparisons.

namtac, both of us know that to "cite studies" one will be called out for not doing so. Shame!

Shalom

I found an interesting site with a few cited facts, including a reference to six studies of abstinence programs in the US.

Darryl, I agree that it's interesting that the earlier poster referred to the abstinence programs in Africa as a reference for American schools. In addition, it should be noted that when adults in such places where AIDS is being fought - and who in their right mind would expect full-grown adults to listen to abstinence advice there? - the programs that distribute condoms have far better success rates. And they're being fought against by America.

No wonder the Rev. Wright thinks the US wants to use AIDS as a weapon against blacks. Sorry for the departure from the thread subject. Anon started it! :)

Namac and Darryl:

Why is it comparing apples to oranges, as you say, to refer you to a study that shows abstinence worked in Uganda (when you come to the forum with no evidence to support your position)? You may or may not know that HIV has decimated much of Africa. HIV rates fell dramatically in Uganda where abstinence was emphasized. Isn't this what we want to do here?

Reports of what happened in Uganda say that another of the results of the policy was that people began having sex later. Isn't this what we are after?

Goodness!

Anonymous, comparing the sex ed in the US to that of Uganda is different. The populace is basically educated in the US. When compared to Uganda, there is a vast difference. While the same result is sought in both places, the means of disseminating the information is greatly different.

And namtac did provide references!

Lastly, I feel the need to comment on "names." Why not establish yourself as a blogger on the religion page? Why hide behind the "anonymous" name? I find that offensive and will no longer respond to comments made via that "name."

Shalom

I guess you found your wiggle room, Darryl. Great side step! Short enough for yah!

Darryl:

Do you really mean Shalom?

The real problem is that we have decimated the traditional and biblical safeguards against youthful sexual daliance, and opened wide the door to whatever, whenever and however. We have staurated thier minds with sex imagery on the tube, movies, music videos and the Net - and we're surprized that they want ot try it all!? Serious IQ prob here!

The traditional biblical OT/NT view of the whole sex, marriage and righteousness dynamic is that the environment is to be clean, the family functional and children nurtured in the teachings of God and in a personal relationship with Him. If these things were in place, the problems of unwed mothers, abortion, STDs, AIDS and social disintegration would NOT exist in any large measure.

The only question at this point is: how long will it take us to wake up and ditch the permissive humanist free-sex culture for a godly Christian one. I fear greatly that the enemy has sowed his seed well in Amrica and we are now reaping the whirlwind of death, misery and destruction that immorlaity and godlessness always, everythwere brings.

You can throw millions of condoms and $$$$$$$$$$$$ at sex education programs wiht condom supply, etc. all you want and the problem will persist and grow. Maybe if the govenment issued titanium chastity belts we might see a decrease in pregnancies and STDs, but of course that won't happen - thank God. The only chastity mechanism that REALLY works is the inward commitment of young people to God's way of righteousness, marital happiness and faithfulness.

The abstinence approach is based on inward self-discipline also, but I doubt results will be all that great without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit . Condoms are about as close as the government can go in the chastity belt direction. But ALL WILL FAIL without the God-dimension.