Abstinence is the Only Thing that can Work Sex outside marriage is at best, wrong; at worst deadly. Today? s children are basing their decisions about sex on moral and social values. The accepted moral code is pretty black and white – don? t. Our society, however, has always been able to bend the rules to suit the current trend. Right now that trend is? young people shouldn? t have sex outside of marriage, but if they do, they should do it safely.
? Herein lies the problem: Because most adults grew up in the? sexual freedom? era of the 1960? s they don? t feel that they should have to give up that freedom. Therefore they would be hypocrites if they taught abstinence as the only effective way to stay safe. This attitude is reflected in the current sex education courses. The fallacy of having? safe sex? outside of marriage is just that: a fallacy.
There is no such thing as? safe sex. ? Children have to realize the risk they are taking by engaging in sexual activity. They aren? t just sleeping with one person, but with everyone that person has slept with. There is more at stake then pregnancy and AIDS, such as 100 other diseases.
Children feel that they are immune to the big issues and aren? t even being told about the diseases that can cause damage. Teaching abstinence in schools is telling the children that the only 100% way to keep from getting pregnant and contracting sexual diseases is by not having sex, which is true. Why are educators so afraid of basing a life or death teaching on a physical Go erg 2 absolute? No one ever died from an exclusively sexually transmitted disease because they didn? t have sex, but kids are dying every day because they did. Society downplays this choice by saying, ? it? s natural. ? Humans are not animals; just because we have a sexual urge does not mean we have to act on that urge.
By offering both sex education and abstinence as an alternative, schools are giving the children mixed messages. They are saying that if a young person decides to have sex it is okay as long as they use some form of birth control, none of which is 100% effective. Children are constantly confronted with sex in our society today. Sex is portrayed in many different ways, but rarely as something to be cherished, treated with respect, and practiced within the bounds of marriage. Schools are fighting a losing battle if they are trying to teach that some types of sex are okay as long as the individual uses protection. Which types are kids supposed to practice? Who are they supposed to look to as a role model? Jerry Springer, daytime soaps, NYPD Blue? Anytime they watch TV sitcoms and commercials they see sexual acts; and they also hear erotic language on the radio, and see indecent public displays of affection.
Isn? t this enough? Parents can? t control the things that their kids do unless they lock them up for eighteen years. But they can control, somewhat, what is being taught to their kids at school. Parents should want to know what their children are subject to at school, and the schools need to let our children know that abstinence is the only way. Abstinence does not mean the person is necessarily a virgin. You can have had sex in the past and then decide to abstain until marriage.
Children have to realize that they are taking both a mental and physical risk by engaging in sexual activity. This is why parents and other adults urge young people to wait for that special someone they can trust.