Friday, November 04, 2005

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of lust…



I’m all late in finding out this program called The Silver Ring Thing but in my defense I just saw it on my local news today. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The program is basically a traveling revival show that promotes sexual abstinence among teens. Hmmm it's a Christian supremacist teenage abstinence program that’s what it is.

They use comedy, music, sketches and prayer to get their message across. The teens that sign up for the program get a silver ring (guess that’s where the name came from)inscribed with the following inside: "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honor." No bull that’s what the ring actually says. Groovy baby I am way into funky silver jewelry! I think it would go rather nicely with the silver necklace I got a few years ago as a birthday gift; it has a disk inscribed with Psalm 23. They should give those out too at their revivals. When you sign up not only do you get the ring for 15 bucks but shock of all shocks you get a bible! But not just any bible folks you get a bible that will help you stay strong to your commitment. The teen graduates of the program also sign a covenant "before God Almighty" to remain virgins. Many of its events are held at churches. Why am I not surprised?

I am a big supporter of sex education amongst kids and the reality is that abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method of preventing STD’s and unwanted pregnancies. But unlike the people who run the Silver Ring Thing Program I don’t spend my days with my head in the sand. I realize that kids don’t always adhere to their pledge of abstinence and because they don’t,we should be teaching them to throw on a condom if they are going to have sex right? Hell no, according to the Silver Ring Thing. Condoms are evil and they are not effective in preventing disease and unwanted pregnancies! Eh? WTF did they say? Of course their not effective, not if you leave them in their wrapper or on a store shelf and brainwash kids into thinking they are ineffective. Never mind what countless studies have said about the effectiveness of condoms and ineffectiveness of abstinence programs: "Abstinence campaigns such as the Silver Ring Thing do delay sexual activity, but don’t prevent it. 80 percent break their vows and out of that only 1/3 will use condoms because of the misinformation that they have been given about condoms. These people are also less likely to get themselves tested for std’s and pregnancies out of guilt for breaking their vows. According to a Columbia University study. The result, a paper published in the British Medical Journal shows, that abstinence programs are "associated with an increase in the number of pregnancies among partners of young male participants".

No need to adjust your glasses you read that right: abstinence training increases the rate of teenage pregnancy.

Poppycock! According to the Silver Ring Thing those studies were rigged by the researchers to produce the results the researchers wanted. We’ll just ignore the fact that it has been repeatedly proven that abstinence programs, Jesus and his holy apostle-endorsed or otherwise, do nada to help prevent STDs and unwanted pregnancies. In fact I've seen studies that state that kids who take part in these programs are even more likely to get certain STDs than kids who have the common sense to just slip on a “rain coat” and do the deed.

My other beef with the Silver Ring Thing program is that it is faith based and until recently was funded with federal money. WTF?! Isn’t that a violation of separation of church and state? I believe that’s what I learned in my Political Science class ,I dunno maybe I wasn’t paying attention the day we discussed the 1st amendment. Yes indeedy it is a violation, I checked my notes just to make sure. Which is why I am assuming the ACLU sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The suit claimed that the Silver Ring Thing Program illegally funneled over $1 million of tax payers' money into this Christian supremacist teenage abstinence program. I understand that these people mean well but HELLO these are the same people who raised holy hell when federally funded clinics were using tax dollars to subsidize abortions for women and providing birth control for teens, isn’t that ummm just a tad bit hypocritical? Well the ACLU won the lawsuit and the Bush administration suspended a federal grant to the Silver Ring Thing , saying it appears to use tax money for religious activities,and “includes both secular and religious components that are not adequately safeguarded."

In filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the Silver Ring Thing Program organization describes its mission as "evangelistic ministry" with an emphasis on "evangelistic crusade planning." The ACLU said it will be monitoring the programs activities. "We're really pleased the government has recognized Silver Ring Thing was misusing public dollars to promote its own faith over all others," said senior staff attorney Julie Sternberg. "It's improper for the federal government to underwrite a national road show designed to convert teenagers to a particular faith."

As I end this post let us bow our head in prayer…
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of lust…., I will have no sex for I have made a pledge; thine silver ring and chastity bible comfort me…thine virginity shall remain intact until I marry….and if I do have sex I will stay away from condoms because they don’t work the studies were rigged…Amen

Labels: sex

Posted by @ 9:37 PM
2 comment from:  hotICE,  Emory Mayne,