How do we, as a society, slow down abortion rates? How do we teach girls not to get pregnant? The answer is not condoms (though they are condemned by the Catholic Church because they stop the natural process of procreation, they do, statistically speaking, lower birthrates), anti-abortion laws, or pamphlets. The answer is not protesting clinics or PSAs or books. The answer is not marching in Washington or teaching kids the horrors of ridding the innocent. All of these things are extremely helpful, and have assisted in lowering pregnancies and abortions, but if we wish to substantially lower the sex rate, we have to teach our youth how to view true love and the importance of abstinence in a romantic relationship.
The first place to start this process is the media. Movies, television shows, music, and even some books preach that dating automatically implies sexual contact. It is on the increase, where if a couple is asked if they have sex, and they reply no, they are either lying, one of them is homosexual, or they are strange. The media teaches young men and young women to view females as sexual objects to toy with. Women get little to no respect from the men they date because many men are attracted to women for what they can obtain: temporary physical pleasure as a result of an orgasm. The media also teaches that sex has no consequence: no one comes away emotionally traumatized, no one gets pregnant, and STD’s are nonexistent. Romantic love does come in a physical form; after all, it is one of the main differences between a suitor and a friend, but what if the director of a new film decided to have the couple in the movie abstain till marriage? What if there were more romantic self-help books that spoke that abstinence was a good thing in a relationship? What if music stopped singing about a woman’s physical form and more about love and happiness? Not every sexual relationship has bad results; there are plenty that are “experienced” that will be happy to tell their peers otherwise. Yet, if the media used its carte blanche for the power of good instead of money, many more women would say no when pressured, and men would treat females as human beings with emotions and needs; women would also learn to view themselves this way.
The first step is in the media. The second step is to change the warped view of teenagers and young adults, especially in the academic curriculum in sexual education. The distribution of condoms sends the message, “I do not expect you, as young adults, to make proper and appropriate choices; therefore, I will teach you how to avoid the consequences.” Young adults are not stupid; they are not bad; they are, among other things, a reflection of the expectations put upon them by those they look up to and respect. “Impressionable minds live up to the expectations placed on them”; when the expectation is average and that they do not have the ability of self-control, they will reflect it and use what they learn in school in the backseat of the car or in the bedroom. If teachers and principals were to expect students to behave responsibly in the case of drugs, alcohol, and texting while driving, why not have the same expectation when comes to sex? Drugs and alcohol are appealing because they change the behavior of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that allow nerves to communicate at their junctions) and impair perpetual skills in the brain. Texting and driving is dangerous because it takes the driver’s eyes of the road and shifts focus from driving to texting. A sexual relationship is not as condemned, even though it is just as deadly! Sexually Transmitted Diseases can result in major uncomfortable physical traumas, sterilization, and even death. In addition to deaths caused by STD’s, there are deaths of innocent souls, those who have not seen the light of day or their mother’s face. Those who have been aborted.
The third step, and possibly the most important is specifically for parents. Fathers or mothers who leave the household set their children up for much despair. In the words of Chris Rock, “My relationship with my daughter is going to affect her relationship with men for the rest of her life…Sometimes I’m walking with my daughter, talking with my daughter, and I just realize that my only job in life is to keep her off the pole. They don’t grade fathers, but if your daughter is a stripper, you [messed] up.” Both young females and males want nothing more than love; when they feel abandoned at home, they search for it somewhere else. Usually in the form of a relationship with the opposite gender, they look to fill a void. When finding a “sweetie,” a “hottie”, a sense of lust and loss come in to play. There is a loss of security, a loss of the sense of self. And that is just with civil divorces! At best, the parents still respect each other and treat the children just as they did before. At worst, the parents become hateful and cruel towards each other, and show their children this side of themselves; even encourage it in their children! Their children, wanting some sense of love and security, go to someone, anyone, who says that they will love them, and go as far, sometimes much farther sexually then they want; however, sometimes, it is best to come from a “broken home.” Truly, the real broken homes are the ones who tolerate their children, the ones who treat their children as dolls or property, instead of human beings. A family can be “intact” and yet abusive. The lesson is to treat children as humans to be respected and adored, not as luggage to be tossed around. The rest will take care of itself.
The last thing that can contribute to less sex in the country would be the value of religion and marriage. Religion has been downgraded in favor of “political correctness”; morals have been forgotten, and have been replaced with a “fear of offending.” This is not to say that those who do not belong to an organized religion are immoral or unethical, but American society has censored itself when it comes to religious morals, and replaced it with what the public wants to hear. It is no secret that most religions condemn sex before marriage, as stated in the Bible, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4). This era is the sensitivity era, where even the mention of Jesus Christ is enough to send people into convulsions of rage. Many churches, desperate for members, change the messages to fit the wants of the people, instead of stating what God wants from his children: sexual abstinence from His children. This generation has also an intense fear of marriage and divorce due to unhealthy homes and leans more toward cohabitation and less towards marriage. According to the book Sex in America, married couples achieve these five basic yet important things: health, financial security, long life, sense of well-being, and a happy sex life. “Because marriage is the capstone of commitment in the relationship, it adds a deeper sense of internal security to one’s sex life. Married couples are more likely to perceive love and sex as intrinsically connected.”
The argument against abortion is as old as the practice. There are “moral” and “practical” reasons for both sides. In the end, nothing matters, not the morality, not the religious aspect, not the financial problems a new baby will cause, not the permanent reminder of a one-night stand or a rape, but the fact that a baby, an innocent, sinless child will never see the light of day, will never laugh, will never sing, never experience love, and most importantly, will never experience God’s love. How can society say killing is wrong and yet promote it to those who are an “inconvenience?” All children are time-consuming and expensive. All children require physical and emotional input. But what about to those mothers who cannot afford it? Contact with the local church or Pregnancy Lifeline will help set up medical care, a listening and non-judgmental ear, and an opportunity for a better life via adoption. Some options include:
Hope’s Promise: 1-800-294-3930; http://www.hopespromise.com/i-am-pregnant/
Birthline Lifeline 24-Hour Hotline (West Palm Beach, FL but could refer callers to other states and cities’ equivalents) : 1-561-278-0880; http://www.diocesepb.org/charities/birthline.htm
Abortion is wrong, plain and simple. The cost of sacrificing an inconvenience comes at the cost of sacrificing an innocent babe. The trick to lower abortion rates is not to preach on the immortality of it. Pamphlets, books, talks, etc. help lower rates of abortion; however, the real answer is to lower sex rates and increase respect among males and females. When the public changes its ways about sex and marriage, an incline in the positive aspects of society will increase; “When marriages and families are healthy, communities thrive-and when marriages break down, communities break down.”
Works Cited:
SAMA. “SAMA – The Effect of Drugs on the Adolescent Brain | SAMA Foundation.” SAMA Foundation | All Children Should Be Able to Reach Their Full Potential…. 2008-2010. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.
“What Does the Bible Say about Sex before Marriage?” Bible Questions Answered. Got Questions Ministries, 2002-2012. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.
“Alcohol.” TeensHealth. Nemours, 1995-2012. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.
Garth, Lakita. The Naked Truth. Ventura, CA: Regal, 2007. Print.
Meier, Katie. A Girl’s Guide to Life: The Real Dish on Growing Up, Being True, and Making Your Teen Years Fabulous! Nashville, TN: Transit, 2004. Print.
