Why do christians think that telling teenagers to practice abstinence is going to work?

Question

I was a teenager once and I know that the more you tell someone not to do something, the more curious they are going to be about it. It's kind of like telling a fat person to just stop eating. Even when you tell them horrible consequences, they still stuff their faces. It feels good and it tastes good, so that's why they do it.

So why not try to protect people by providing contraception and sex education rather than just telling them that they are wicked and that sex is reserved for marriage? Your religious agenda continues to amaze me because you do not care about the consequences for these people. If you did, you'd be looking for ways to reduce unwanted pregnancies and STDS that actually work.

Abstinence education might work for a very small number of the population, but in reality, the negative consequences of it far outweigh the positive for the majority of people.

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_teens.html

That's great that some of you have remained abstinent, but in reality, very few teenagers do (look at my link). Those who are taught abstinence only education are less likely to use contraceptives and are more likely to have higher rates of STDS and teen pregnancies.

There is absolutely no good that comes from these programs for the majority of people.

Personal stories don't count here. I'm loooking at overall trends.

Did any of you even read what I said or read my link?

Like I said, I don't want to hear about your personal stories or your bible stories. The truth is, teenagers who participate are no less likely to enagage in sex, yet they are MORE likely to not use a condom!

Please don't call me ignorant. I have researched this extensively. This is nothing but a religious agenda.

Answer 1

It worked with me! I was a good teenager. I pretty much did what I was suppose to do,while I was away from my parents. I am 58 going on 59 years old and I still don't believe in this free sex thing! I have a teenage grandson and I know from my grandson that girls still get bad reputations! Not the guys but the girls! There are negative consequences! Broken hearts! Babies that the boys walk away from. S.T.D.'s are all real! I was taught to not give in to boys and my grandson is being taught that it is more important to go to college and get an education first! So you teach you children what you want and as for me and my house we will teach ours what we want!


"You must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve................as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." ( Joshua 24:15 N.CV.)
" Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6 N.K.J.V.)

Answer 2

I don't know why they do that. In High School I hung out with a church group and was always berated about not being a true Christian and they were always trying to convert me. I was seen as the wild child.
As of today I have had sex with one person and was a virgin until 22.
In high school I never drank and to this day have never done drugs.
I always helped my fellow friends.
I was good in every way, seriously.

The biggest whore was the pastors daughter, but she was not the only one.
Another who constantly ate pot brownies, but at least he was open about it since the rest would go drinking at parties and do drugs.

These were good kids, but even they strayed. I never did. I'll tell you why. I was never told my bad deeds were a sin as a kid, that by the way can be forgiven, I was shown the consequences of doing things.
Hey if I **** I can get AIDS, other STDs or pregnant. If I drink or do drugs I can destroy my brain, ect.

So maybe being an Atheist doesn't make you immoral, but instead gives you a logical reason to do so.

Answer 3

They can't be sure. They can only hope. I am a teenager. I had a boyfriend for a year and 6 months We did abstain. There are no negatives to abstinence. There are no hurt feelings, guilt, babies, abortions, or sins. I don't see any other way. Babies should not be having sex. We didn't find it a hardship not to. There are so many better things to do with your time. The average teenager has several partners throughout the years. It is not a good thing to be doing this with every one. What, then, makes marriage sacred or desirable?

Answer 4

I just prefer to believe that people CAN do the right thing. Yes, we should provide contraception for them, but we should also tell them that the ONLY 100% foolproof way to assure that they won't contract any STD's or have an unwanted pregnancy is through abstinence. We just need to tell them the truth. Yes, they'll do whatever they want no matter what we tell them, but MANY teens do decide to remain abstinent until marriage.

Answer 5

the way which you will tell is that if she helps your abstinence as much as you do. i'm a Christian and that i'm doing a similar element. i think of this is stunning that a guy can provide up his very own will to maintain on with christ. pass boy!

Answer 6

It does not work and they should include how to have safe sex.
In todays world there is too many STD's and the average teenager does not understand what an STD can do and with there horomones racing totally out of control abstinence is not logical!

Answer 7

Guess what. All of us were teenagers once also! We have all had the same feelings, the same hormones, the same urges. We are not a bunch of pre-teen ignoramuses that have NO CLUE about the functioning of the human body, or the strong urges that testosterone and estrogen can produce. We have been there too!

Your comments display a sad ignorance to the actual concept of abstinence education and philosophy.

They also display a sad lack of faith in the ability of young people to exercise discipline in their lives. We expect teenagers to discipline themselves enough to drive a car, say "no" to drugs and alcohol, do their homework, and hold jobs. Why shouldn't we expect them to discipline their bodies enough to wait for sex?

If we did not care about the consequences that teens face in engaging in careless sex, we would not be suggesting abstinence!
Careless sexual activity causes more than unwanted children. There is also the risk of at least 35 sexually-transmitted diseases, many of which are UNCURABLE. There is also no medical cure for feelings of worthlessness, heartbreak, sexual addiction, or abuse.

Condoms won't protect against AIDS. They are only 75% effective against pregnancy, and then ONLY when used correctly. Other forms of contraception are a little more effective, but again, they ONLY protect against conception, they do NOTHING against STDs.

The best way to avoid GETTING an STD is to not engage in sexual activity with an infected person. Period.

The 100% best form of contraception is abstinence. No sex=no pregnancy.

This logic is also applied to alcohol, drugs, smoking, and driving. If you don't drink alcohol, you won't get drunk, and maybe kill yourself or someone else while driving. If you don't shoot up heroin, or smoke crack cocaine or meth, you won't end up a broken drug addict. If you don't start smoking, you won't end up addicted, and at risk for emphysema and lung cancer. If you go through driver's training, earn your license, and drive responsibly, your chances of being in an accident are thousands of times reduced.

To listen to you, and apply your logic of sex education to the above, we should be teaching our kids how to:

1. Properly mix drinks, and how to tell when you have had enough.
2. How to roll a joint, tie off your arm and find a vein for the needle, and how to properly inject.
3. Save effectively for the tobacco habit, or how to steal cigarettes from their parents.
4. How to evade the police while speeding and running over pedestrians.

It is not unrealistic to expect discipline from teenagers. They just need to be taught it, and have it expected of them, in order to produce it!

Answer 8

I have no idea but they're idiots. Teens will always do the exact opposite of what you tell them because they're in a rebellious stage of their lives when they are testing boundaries of everything around them. Telling them, "Do not have sex before marriage!!!" is basically telling them, "Go screw as many people as you possibly can!" You need to teach them safety and that sex is supposed to be a meaningful experience with someone you love. Not a hump-fest with someone in the backseat of a car.

Answer 9

Because they dont want to be guilty infront of the Lords eyes they tell whats right and its someones dicision to practise it.One thing i like is they dont fors you to do it you have to talk to your self and see if you want the right or wrong way.

Answer 10

the healthiest, most stable kids are celibate and drug free.
And that is a great percentage of them
They are not monkeys, and can say yes to healthy decisions.