Subscribe to Christianity Today
Subscribe to Christianity Today
Donate to Christianity Today
login | my account
February 13, 2012

Home > 2004 > July (Web-only)Christianity Today, July (Web-only), 2004
Weblog: Against Abstinence
What a South Dakota State Library debate pitting Christianity Today against Planned Parenthood reveals about the sexual left.

Sexual left isn't against abstinence only—it's against abstinence at all

Driving to work this morning, Weblog was listening to the CBS radio news roundup. It's not available online, but the very brief story touched on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's speech at the International AIDS Conference this week. CBS's two- or three-sentence summary was that Museveni supported abstinence in combating the disease, but that such a policy is widely opposed.

The story seemed grossly underreported and misleading—far more so than even most 10-second news blurbs on the top-of-the-hour roundups. Surely AIDS activists don't oppose the "A" in Uganda's famous and successful ABC policy: Abstinence, Being faithful, and Condoms.

And surely the activists could not have been too angered by Museveni's comments at the conference. "The principle of condoms is not the ultimate solution," he said. "In some cultures sexual intercourse is so elaborate that condoms are a hindrance. … Let the condom be used by people who cannot abstain, cannot be faithful, or are estranged."

Actually, as it turns out, many activists do oppose the ABC approach. Associated Press reporter Vijay Joshi noted that the ABC proponents are outnumbered at the conference. Instead, what the conference is pushing is CNN: Condoms, Needles, Negotiating Skills.

"An abstinence-until-marriage program is not only irresponsible, it's really inhumane," said U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Ca.).

Radical? Yep. But even more telling is a debate on Friday at the South Dakota State Library board meeting. Gov. Mike Rounds urged the board to drop a Planned Parenthood link on the library system's website for teens, citing concerns from Roman Catholic Bishop Robert Carlson.

"I trust that you will ...

This article is currently available to CT subscribers only. To continue reading:




Christianity Today


  


Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.

If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.


Click here for international orders2-for-1 Gifts!

You must be a Christianity Today subscriber or have created a FREE registration to post comments
[Browse More Christianity Today]



Search
Search
Search
Scripture Search
Go Deeper

Books & Culture
Christianity Today
Church Law & Tax Report
Church Finance Today
Leadership Journal
Men of Integrity
Kyria.com
ChristianityTodayLibrary.com
PreachingToday.com