Arthur’s last blog post..Debating the Atheist - Dinesh D?Souza

paulo

I couldn’t find the word “abstinence” one time in that article. That’s quite a leap you make.

I don’t think anyone is going to argue about partners being faithful in a relationship.

A United Nations Aids researcher had read it, failed to understand its significance or to credit it and, Epstein recounts, wrongly concluded that an increase in condom use was responsible for the decrease of the HIV rate in Uganda. In reality, according to three later analyses of Ankrah’s study, the primary reason for the decline was completely different: substantial numbers of Ugandans had ended affairs and remained faithful to one partner. [Emphasis mine]

You see, I think we all think in a bubble– that the U.S. is the barometer for the world, when it’s not. What’s working to stem the tide of HIV in Uganda? The U.N. wanted to say condoms, but it’s the opposite. It was abstinence before marriage, faithfulness inside of it.

Considering they are still #1 in regards to HIV infection, you’re going to have to provide some proof to this claim.

Abstinence from sexual activity until marriage is repressive in the same way that anti-smoking, anti-drugs and dieting is repressive. They are all meant to help you to live healthier lives. It is statistically proven that those that wait longer to engage in sex are less likely to come down with a damaging or life threatening illness. They’re not going to get pregnant. Should we cease having people tell kids not to smoke, drink or do drugs because “they’re going to do it anyway?”

There are thousands, if not millions, of people that stayed virgins until their wedding night, and many over the history of the world that died only having one sexual partner. So, saying it doesn’t work is false.

We tell kids to suppress urges all the time. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” “Don’t steal from the store.” “Don’t call your sister names.” “Don’t eat a snack, we’re just about to have dinner.” “Hold it until we get home.”

These are all natural urges that we tell them not to do (with varying degrees of success, I will give you), but we expect them to obey these more trivial things that will not give them a deadly disease, give them a disease that may change their life, totally alter a relationship, or bring a new life into the world. Why is it that we can expect them to curb their natural impulses in the small things but not the big things?

If you look at Africa, take a look at what’s happening with HIV over there and the comparative programs. You’ll see that the one country that has a positive abstinence message is the one that’s making the most headway against the dreaded disease.