To any group promoting abstinence as hip and cool, all I can say is good luck. While it is a good choice for many teens, it's never going to be cool, whether teens tell their parents they're into it or not. I told my parents I wasn't going to have sex, and lied through my teeth. So, do your worst Silver Ring Thing.

What I do object to is SRT's overt religious themes being forced down the throats of public school children. If the state is using its institutions to force religious propaganda and disinformation down the throats of kids, it's doing something unconstitutional.

These things always remind me about a story my grandfather put down down in his memeoirs. When he was 9 or 10 the temperance activists came to his classroom and tried to get the kids to all sign a pledge that they would never, *ever* touch alcohol. Grandpa was the only one who refused, on the grounds that he was to young to make that sort of promise. The other kids apparently tried to pursuade him to play along and make the adults happy, pointing out that since his parents were teetotalers, he was the least likely there to ever be tempted. I don't know what his paerents stance was.
Anyway, he never did take to drink (couldn't stand the taste) and he grew-up to be a much-loved and respected clergyman, so I guess the moral is that a kid who can stand up to adult authority figures has probably already got a pretty good sense of ethics.

Moon custafer, when I was in high school I did various activist stuff, and the hot new group to join was an anti-drug group. I wouldn't join. I had already quit smoking weed, but I was in favor of legalization. I was also appalled by the hypocrisy of some of my fellow students who used drugs regularly and joined the group.

I have not had a drink or used recreational drugs since.

Hmm... actually wouldn't teenagers take advantage of the situation? By observing who takes rings and who doesn't, you could filter out who you could "hook up" with and who you could be "friends" with. Kids do think that way... I think I did at one time.

Actually my friends were big into looking good but acting bad, so we would have took the rings and said the right things to adults, only to go out and party on the weekends. We were little Jekylls and Hydes.

*sigh*
I'm so not proud of my hometown of Grand Rapids.
Things I noticed in the article:
Tickets to the SRT event are $5.
"There's such high promiscuity. I see how these young girls are acting and the things they're doing at that age," said Hunter. -- I guess the girls at this high school are all lesbians, because there is no mention of the *boys* engaging in promiscuous sexual activity...
"600 young people take the abstinence pledge and 200 make a commitment to follow Jesus" -- were those 400 who didn't "make a commitment to follow Jesus" making alternate commitments? Like say, to follow the teachings of Islam, or something?

*snort*
I hate Western Michigan.

And it's Ottawa Hills to boot (godless heathens!). That's something of a surprise to me.

I'd almost certainly expect it to have been West Catholic or Catholic Central.

Grand Rapids is my hometown too. I'm an alum of WC, class of '92.

Has it not been demonstrated time and time again that teens who swear off sex find a backdoor entry in the form of anal action. plenty of girls who do not find this type of sex comfortable so why is it now considered better for teens? Can you have butt sex and still be a real virgin? do they even cover this in the abstinence programs?

2 Comments for JesusJonesSuperstar,

1. Abstinence programs should teach both genders to refrain from ANY sexual activity, so I don't think they're concerned about "butt sex" being the preferred alternative.
2. You're referring to the girls only, here... why does it always fall on the girls to be the ones who abstain? How is "butt sex" equal to abstinence for a boy? He's still doing the same thing.

You don't have to offer a false alternative like this to shoot down abstinence programs. They simply don't work as well as giving kids real truths so they can make informed decisions. Kids need supportive, informative adults around them, not cage-masters.

If you look at those studies, you also find that teens who are holding off on intercourse for moral/religious reasons generally don't have other forms of sex, either. It's the ones who haven't found the right person yet or are waiting for reasons of opportunity, rather than principle, who do other things. People of faith are consistent sometimes.

"People of faith are consistent sometimes."

If it is only sometimes, are they really being consistent.

I still think JJS raises a good point - if the form of sex 'abstinence-pledging' youngsters - and the studies I read dealt with teenagers who had taken an actual pledge, regardless of their motivation - is pretty exclusively geared towards getting young men off (blowjobs and anal sex with uneducated people who are too scared to buy ky), then that pretty seriously sucks for the young women. The fact that they're the ones experiencing the discomfort, soreness, boredom, and cramping jaw while the young men are the ones experiencing an orgasm is significant, people. Oy.

Purpleshoes, i understand your concern, but the studies say that the young women are getting head at an equal or near equal rate to the men.

the problem is, that when u "pledge" not to fuck, then u go do everything else, u are not planning or "intending" to do it so u don't use protection.

THe real flaw in my opinion is that it takes a very strong ideology and brainwashing to cause kids to ignore their biological urge to fuck, right at the age where people are most horny. So, It may work for the very religious but everyone else doing this absinence training, I think it may cause an increase in the spread of certain Std's particularly to the oral region.

I just find it silly that people keep trying to stop young people from having sex by having abstinence only education and silly things like rings and pledges.
The teen years are when they have the highest level of hormones, not to mention curiousity about sex... this thing they're told not to do, but is talked about everywhere.

Instead of treating them like they can't possibly little kids people should treat them like adults. They're only a few steps from adulthood anyway, it's time to give them the respect they deserve and the chance to use their own judgement.

If you really want teens to make good choices about sex, teach them about sex. Teach them the types and ways to do it safely, teach them the many ways to protect themselves and teach them the risks

The biggest deterant for me as a teen was seeing photos of herpes in health class... that and the fact that my mom treated me like and adult and explained to me that you can get it from oral sex too.

/ people should treat them like adults. /

We'll treat them like adults the moment they stop trying to emulate their heroes on MTV's "Jackass".

you guys are not getting the point in this sex talks. the sole intent of the talks, or programs are not for brainwashing kids, into thinking that kids you remain convservative and avoid having sex. the only reason why it is emphasized over and over again is because it is a constant reminder to us teens, that sex if done when not careful coud resutl in very consequential instances. it is also not a forced committment. i myself went thru one of these, except t was called true love waits. my mom told me, do not make the committment unless i am very sure i can keep it, because breaking a committment to yourself, and God is far worse than not "saving" yourself for that future spouse. and yes if your parents are there, what wrong is there in saying no? i dont want to make this commitment. my mom herself was shocked! when she saw me get on stage. and out of the 600, 200 turned to christ tht day, what makes you soo sure the other 400 werent already Christians? why would they need to openly give up their lives to christ one more time? and besides all that matters is, what you yourself truely want for yourself, so stepping up and saying the prayer of receival and saying it in your heart is all the same. this committment's sole purpose is to keep you from sinnng against God, saving yourself from sexual inpurities, and giving that special something that we all have, to our spouse, the one made for us on this earth blablabla.. "never do you part till you die.."

committing to sexual astinence isn't a brick on your relationships.. everyone has different standards for different matters. so if you've already set a standard when making the commitment, just ensure yourself that you will not cross the line that you have drawn. other than that, hey its all good. and yes it may seem like religion's taking advantage of this whole sexual committment to spread the word of GOd, but are there any laws stating, how one cannot evangelise? i doubt it. so by any means or any methods reasonable(which does not contradict with the Bible), spreading the word of God is a Blessing, to those who receives and accepts it.