Abstinence Education Gets a Passing Grade

Sen. Orrin Hatch’s abstinence bill gets bi-partisan support and passes the Senate Finance Committee. 

By Nathan A. Cherry

 Martinsburg, W.V. – A victory for abstinence education came Tuesday as the Senate Finance Committee voted 12-11 in favor of a bill by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to give $50 million in federal funds back to abstinence-only education. This money was cut from President Obama’s 2010 budget and earmarked for other various programs aimed at reducing teen pregnancy.

 The surprising and encouraging point to this story is that the vote crossed party lines as two Democrats, Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas both voted with all 10 committee Republicans to support the measure. With sex-education being a hot topic that liberals and conservatives cannot seem to agree upon it is nice to see bi-partisan cooperation in the support of Sen. Hatch’s bill.

Sen. Hatch has been convinced that abstinence education works by the results he has seen in the past. He was quoted as saying;

UN Sex-Education Guidelines Keeps Parents, Morals Out

The UN believes teachers and politicians are the only ones qualified to teach sex-ed.

By Nathan A. Cherry

 Martinsburg, WV – A fantastic article came across my desk by Janice Shaw Crouse, writing at Townhall.com, entitled “A Report on the U.N.’s Shocking Sexuality Guidelines.” I would encourage every parent of a school-aged child to read this article in order to gain a better understanding of the liberal-lefts agenda in “educating” your children. But for the space I would reproduce the article here, I will however summarize some keys aspects and hope you will take time to read the full article later.

 This summer the United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – two United Nations agencies – issued some very controversial and troubling new guidelines for desired sex-education of children around the world. Let me highlight some of the main points of the new guidelines:

 The “need and entitlement” for sexuality education for children beginning at age five.

The absolute human “right” of young people to have sexuality education, access to condoms, and abortion-on-demand.

In the view of the United Nations, sexuality education is the responsibility of “education and health authorities” not parents.

Five- to eight-year-olds are told that “touching and rubbing one’s genitals … ‘can feel pleasurable.

Nine- to twelve-year-olds learn how to get and use condoms, emergency contraception, the “signs and symptoms” of pregnancy, and all about sexual pleasure and orgasm.

Twelve- to fifteen-year-olds are told about their right to safe abortions and post abortion care, how to use emergency contraception, and that the size and shape of the penis or breasts does not affect sexual pleasure.

Abstinence Education Gains a Victory in Croatia

Feminists and Abortion groups failed to produce credible evidence of programs failure.

By Nathan A. Cherry

 Martinsburg, WV – I’ve never been to Croatia. I am not entirely sure where Croatia is on the globe either. But I can tell you this; I am a big fan of Croatia at the moment. Recently the Croatian school system adopted a pro-abstinence sex-education program for teaching throughout the country, much to the delight of the vast majority of Croatian families. Of course you know that was unacceptable to the leftist groups within the country that felt the choice of curriculum violated the European Social Charter, a human rights document binding on all states within the Council of Europe.

 In come the feminists groups, and the abortion groups to challenge the decision. They would assert that “a sex education curriculum preferred by most Croatian families violated the charter.” (Click here for the article) And why did they oppose this particular curriculum? According to the article released by the ADF, whose legal counsel Roger Kiska represented the organization which produced the curriculum, the complaint was,

“The curriculum teaches that abstinence is the only guaranteed means of preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.”

 Now, I’m not a biologist, or sex-therapist, or any other sort of medical professional that can be called an “expert” in these matters. But, being a human being with logical common sense I can rightly conclude that abstinence is indeed the only guaranteed way of preventing STD’s and pregnancy. In fact, I am willing to lay my reputation on the line to back that statement up. Barring freak circumstances and acts of God abstinence is the most effective way to prevent these occurrences.

 But I think Mr. Kiska rightly spoke of the oppositions true motives when he said,

Abortion and Sex-Ed programs are Worst Option

Recent studies show that abortion harms women, abstinence far more successful in the classroom.

By Nathan A. Cherry

Martinsburg, WV - “The thought of the word “abortion” should be unthinkable.” These words were spoken recently by Alveda King at a locally organized pro-life event at Rocky Mount High-School. I wish more people had this mind-set when it came to the murder of innocent children.

Ms. King, relative of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became a staunch pro-life supporter after her own abortion experiences before accepting Christ in 1983. At the community event she said,

“This country was founded upon the respect for personal freedom; nobody should go against his or her conscious or moral values in order to keep their job. This is what abortion will do.” (Click here for origin)

Ms. King is referencing an open letter written to President Obama regarding his proposed health-care reform in which abortion on demand will be included at tax-payer’s expense; and doctors and nurses will risk losing their jobs for refusing to perform abortions on religious grounds.

Amazingly it would seem that all that is needed to reduce abortion rates is a little education on abstinence and the potential hazards for a woman’s health that exist from abortion.

“Abstinence is the first line of defense in preventing abortion. A woman does have the right to choose. But her moment of choice comes before she has made the choice to become sexually active. We need to educate people on that moment of choice,” said Marica Brown, director of the “Worth Waiting 4” program.

FPC Media Blitz: LGBT Ordinance Challenged, Abortion Linked to Breast Cancer, Sex-Change Inmate Wants New Prison

By Nathan A. Cherry

 Below you will find some of the top stories making headlines in our country today. Click on any of the titles for the full story.

 “Abstinence Funds Dropped from Another Bill” Apparently those pesky liberal lawmakers have not learned anything from the conclusive studies showing the effectiveness of abstinence education on the mental, social, and academic well-being of teenagers. Someone’s flunking out.

 “Kalamazoo LGBT Ordinance Challenged” We are spoon-fed the lie that “everyone” wants to see sexual orientation and gender identity protected because it is the same as race or other classes. Here is a perfect example of reality; people challenging a city ordinance because they DO NOT believe these are equal.

 “What God has Joined Together” Data showing how faith can play a big part in the married life of adults. Thos who attend church as adolescents are less likely to divorce. So, contrary to minority opinion/belief, faith plays a big part in the life of a person. Maybe we should think about protecting freedom of religion more than freedom of “I don’t want to be a man; I want to be a woman today.”

 “Women With Abortions have Significantly Increased Risk of Breast Cancer” I guess no one told our U.S. lawmakers that abortion really does hurt women because they keep pushing abortion and abortion funding on all of us; despite overwhelming opposition against abortion. Wait a minute that could be because of all the campaign funding abortion (death) merchants provide. I get it now; money in the pocket is more valuable than women’s lives.

 “Serial Bigamist Allowed to Walk Free” Here is the next step if same-sex “marriage” is legalized. We will find ourselves paying tax dollars so courts can deal with ridiculous cases such as this. All while people claim defenses of “personality disorder” for why they were married five times. Don’t mess with marriage.

 “Sex Change Inmate Seeks Prison Move” What happens when “gender identity” is protected? An already difficult-to-deal-with prison system gets further complicated when the guy in the next cell that is living as a woman wants transferred to a women’s prison. Why? Because he thinks it will be easier to escape with all the women around? Or because of all the women around. I bet he is tired of looking at the guys in his cell block and would enjoy looking at some women for a change. How silly can we get? Next thing you know every man in San Quentin will want a transfer because he feels like a woman today.

 Stay up to date on what is happening in your country and world by reading the Family Policy Council’s blog: Engage.

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Sex Education Part II: STD’s on the Rise, Government Programs Fail

I brought you commentary earlier this week on the striking difference between the attitude toward sex education in other parts of the world like India and Latin America; and the attitude here in the United States. These countries claim that sex-education is the duty of parents and has no business in the public schools being taught by government employees, to which I full agree.

 Now a federal sex-education program which stresses abstinence is set to expire, and the Obama administration has no plans to reinstate it.

 In the mid 90’s a program called Title XX Adolescent Family Life (AFL) began as a sex-education program geared toward teaching abstinence to the youth of America. The program has since changed its name to Title, but the message that the only truly safe sex is within the confines of a monogamous, committed relationship has not changed. And it’s this message that has opponents of Title V eagerly awaiting its expiration on June 30 of this year.

 Part of Title V opponents’ disdain for the program is due to its operating definition of what human sexuality ought to be. This definition said that the “expected standard of human sexual activity was a mutually faithful, monogamous relationship in the context of marriage.”

 Call me crazy but that sounds like a pretty good working definition of what human sexuality ought to be. Only within the boundaries of a committed, monogamous relationship can a person guarantee their sexual and physical health. Dangers of STD’s and other issues become immensely more magnified when either the word “committed,” or “monogamous” is replaced.

 Those at the greatest risk are the youth between the ages of 15-24 years of age. The CDC reports that Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis cases have been steadily rising for several years. This tells me that the governments re-shifted focus on comprehensive sex-education in schools, with an emphasis on condom and birth control distribution, has largely failed.

 Let’s be honest, if you take a bunch of hormone driven young people and give them exclusive access to all the condoms and birth control they want, and then tell them to “be responsible,” what do you think is going to happen? The result will be a rise of teenage pregnancy, followed by a rise in both the rate of teenage abortions or single moms on government subsidized programs that don’t finish high-school or college. And let’s not forget a rise in unpaid child support, which will tie up the courts for years to come. The evidence of this can be clearly seen in the present social climate.

 So is government mandated abstinence based sex-education the answer? No, I don’t think so. I think the answer has nothing to do with the government at all. The government, especially in regards to public education needs to focus on the life skills that will prepare our children to be productive members of society; not teenage dropouts dependant on Uncle Sam. The public education should be focusing on ways to increase reading, math and science scores, not how to use a condom.

 As for sex-education, it’s time for moms and dads across the country to be responsible parents and teach your kids about sex. It’s time for church youth and college ministries to quit being silent on the issue and teach your youth groups how to stand in a culture of giving in.

 However, if you, mom and dad, and you, church youth minister, choose to ignore this responsibility, please don’t whine and complain about “government interference,” and the “terrible state of society.” Afterall, you helped contribute to the problem. 

 Further Food for Thought: “Sex Education – Not the Governments Job”

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