Study Shows Abstinence Sex Education Works, But Not Well Enough

I recall you had a child last year - your first I think. I've found that often times children influence their parents sense of responsibility and character nearly as much as the parents do the children.

Your a bright fella - you might come 'round.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 9:52PM February 02, 2010

Vick B of Pa wrote: "However, when conveyed as religion, the underlying message is that sex is only for marriage, and marriage is only for procreation. Many of us do not believe that- that is not part of our belief system. At some point, we all face the consequences of our choices."

I will agree that religion tends to take the procreation side of things. But, I will disagree that religions are absolute on the topic. To be honest, I don't think that's a discussion that is appropriate at Sunday worship. But I see the application when young adults are encouraged to bridle their passions, stay true to themselves and their beliefs, have confidence in themselves, etc. In coincides with and supports the private talks that happen in the home between parents and their children.

I wasn't trying to make a plug for core christian values as much as illustrate the significance of those values when taken into concert with teachings done in the home.

David of ID 5:31PM February 02, 2010

Hi Bill,

Thanks for your comment. Clearly you did not read everything I wrote, or understand my larger point, but the sentence after the one you quote goes: "Young women who are considered mature minors have the same right as adult women do to freely determine the number and spacing of their children." Maturity is not linked to chronological age, young people have evovling capacities and there are minors who are mature and medically emancipated from their parents. They have the same rights and responsibilities as adults do.

(Where did you get the grades thing from?! Why are you linking grades to maturity? And the drinking age - given that you can join our military and die for this country before you can legally have a beer, I think that is a completely useless argument.)

I know several 18-year olds who are much more mature than my fellow late 20s something, and much more able to make informed decisions and take responsibility for them. We have to consider individual people's backgrounds, not see all young people as a homogenous group when they are so diverse.

Finally, the fact that you call human rights "baloney" makes me worried... (I assume that you are not condoning torture, rape, starvation?!...) Generally human rights are seen as pretty good things in this world.

Evelina Borjesson of NC 2:40PM February 02, 2010

Here's the dilema. Mankind is hard-wired to procreate. It fullfills the measure of our creation (that is if you believe in creation). No matter what they are taught, kids are still going to play with fire.

The tools that work in preventing teen pregnancy/STDs should be welcomed regardless if it's abstinence, sex ed, etc.

I fall squarely on the side of the abstinence camp. I teach my son and daughters and I have expectations that they will live up to what they've been taught.

As a parent, I find that societal norms make my job increasingly difficult. The entertainment industry is pervasive with it's "sex sells" approach. It's insipid message often flies in the face of what we teach in the home. Teen idols do nothing to promote and instill morals and values. The entertainment machine tirelessly promotes promescuity 24/7 and seeks to erode what is taught in the home. There has to be at least some sense of decency and thought about what the industry promotes and the message it sends.

But I also believe that parents are depending on the "village idiots" to raise their children. Rather than take an active vigilant interest in their children, they instead abdicate the responsibility of raising their children to others; school teachers, church leaders, civic groups, television, politicians, etc.

I hear parents complain about the need of two incomes to "provide" for the family. I suspect they confuse "provide" with "trying to keep up with the neighbor" which causes a singular pursuit of the almighty dollar at the exclusion of everything else, especially their children. Parenents are, in a sense, in the "thick of thin things." Children are simply obstacles that stand in the way of their pursuit for material wealth. I'm sure these parents want their children to abstain from sex, but they fail in their responsibilty as parents.

Furthermore, I blame the moral decay of society as another reason why abstinence fails. Today we have the internet that, with the click of a mouse, pipes raunchy, perverted, filth into the home. Coupled with the secularization of society and you have a receipe for moral failure.

Religious teachings cement the values taught in the home. Yet religion plays an increasinly smaller role in our lives. We've become a secular people. We've forgotten God and put our faith and trust in the weakness of man and man-made institutions; little wonder that the moral value of abstinence falls on deaf ears.

So, Schlesinger, I propose that abstinence works and works well. It's not fool-proof; some kids are fools. But I believe that if the entertainment industry curbed it's assault on moral values, if society became less preoccupied with sex, if parents took a stronger role in the lives of their children, if kids went to church once a week rather than once in their life, then we'd see a dramatic decline in teen pregnancy and STDs. I think the 1/3 of kids you mentioned would have made a different choice.

David of ID 2:12PM February 02, 2010