18.2.10

A second look at 'abstinence' programs

Here's something that advocates of the RH Bill might want to consider:

"It may sound very academic and open-minded to say that we should respect our young people and let them take responsibility for their sexual health, but it's really an indictment on our society as parents and grown-ups who should know better. What is lacking is parenting, not respect. We've confused parenting with simply giving information. We've abdicated our own responsibility to shape their character by teaching right and wrong in favor of 'respecting' their individual choices. We've shrugged off the burden of formation and left our young people to figure it out for themselves according to popular opinion and momentary preference, guided mostly by hormones.

My kids would most likely choose not to eat fruits and vegetables if it were up to them. I regularly give them all the information about how they need to eat veggies for their health and explain all about the vitamins and good stuff veggies contain, yet their inclination is not towards their health. But if they eat nothing but candy and become overweight and undernourished with rotting teeth, at least I can say I gave them all the information and then respected their choice. I gave them the responsibility for their own good health because I respect them so much.

What is needed is for the adults to be adults and stop burdening the children with the 'responsibility' of sex, because we're not actually teaching responsibility; we're just shoving condoms in their hands and telling them how to use each other 'safely.' We simply reinforce the notion that sex is just physical and recreational and if they have sufficient pubic hair then it means the choice is theirs and there isn't much more we can say."