(April 6, 2018 at 12:26 pm)FatAndFaithless Wrote:(April 6, 2018 at 12:22 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: I like the idea of teaching and encouraging abstinence to teenage kids as the only 100% safe option against both pregnancy and STD's. But I still think contraceptives should be tought so that the kids know what they are and how they work, etc. I'm pretty sure even when I was in Catholic grade school, we were taught in health class about all the different contraceptives and how they work. It doesn't mean the kids are being encouraged to have sex, it's just a regular part of learning about sexuality and health.
Well yeah, I don't think there's a health class in the United States that doesn't mention abstinence being 100% effective - it's just that abstinence-only programs almost invariably misrepresent or straight up lie about the effectiveness of other methods (if they mention them at all). Pushers of abstinence-only programs seem to think that young adults simply won't have sex if you tell them not to, which is laughably untrue. It's no coincidence that areas with abstinence-only programs are also the areas with the highest rates of STDs, unwanted pregnancies, and abortion.
I'd rather teenage kids not have sex with each other at all. But if they do, I'd rather them use a condom than get pregnant and possibly have an abortion.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh
