“Just Say No”
During my lecturing assignment at Emmanuel School of Religion, in Tennessee, during January, every day I headed my Buick onto the snow and ice-covered Interstate. As I went up the on-ramp a large advertising sign read, “REAL MEN SAY NO. ABSTINENCE SUPPORTS LIFE.”
I expect that pro-life promotion in USA, but not in “THE AUSTRALIAN”! But leading columnist Janet Albrechtsen had an article (12 November 2003) entitled: JUST SAY NO.
It started “Ours is a culture where the sexing up of young girls too often goes unremarked. On a Thursday afternoon a few weeks back, five 15-year-olds from a nearby private school came into my local hairdressing salon for a Brazilian wax. For those unfamiliar with waxing fashions of the twentysomething woman, this involves waxing off almost all pubic hair. The Year 10 girls wanted to be ready for a school formal the following Saturday, they said.”
Sex after the school formal was assumed by these girls. Australian students are more sexually active than ever in history. One-quarter of Year 10 girls in our schools are having sex while drunk or high on drugs. Many are having unprotected sex.
Albrechtsen adds “The results of our philosophy of raising children – ballet at age three, birthday parties for 50 friends plus DJ at age seven, mobile phones at age nine, sex at age 15 – are now in. Norm-free parenting is no ticket to happiness for the children.”
It was recently reported by The Medical Journal of Australia that Australia has the sixth highest rate of teenage pregnancy among OECD countries. We have one of the highest rates of teenage abortions. Our sexually active teenagers have poor knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases.
Meanwhile adults keep promoting an attitude of “exercise your human right to free sex” in spite of surveys showing a relationship between increased sexual experiences and increased teenage depression and suicide.
Among our trendy parents there seems to be little factual emphasis on the high cost of free sex among teenagers including pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases and the emotional costs like depression.
Janet Albrechtsen adds, “What is missing is engendering an understanding that sexual maturity does not equal social maturity. What is missing is any attempt to set boundaries, make judgments. Given the evidence, why, for example, are educators and parents so afraid to suggest that abstinence should be the preferred option? It’s a rhetorical question, of course. Boomer parents, soaked in the scratch-every-itch mentality, are so busy teaching children the art of feeling good, they have forgotten to teach them how to be good. They have forgotten how to say no.”
I am constantly encouraged by the strong stance taken in many Christian Schools and the pro-life groups. There is, as a result of their work, a positive response of thousands of Australian teenagers.
Those without moral standards want to tear down every restriction, and within the parliaments make a name for themselves as “reformers” by altering every piece of legislation that promotes a better life style and a respect for human life.
Yet faith-based organizations are showing the way in their promotion of values, norms, and standards and by their commitment to saving and preserving life in every aspect of the current “pro-death” philosophies of euthanasia, abortion and irresponsible attitudes to human life.
For example, look at what is happening in the incredibly successful battle against AIDS in Uganda. Faith based organizations have promoted the “ABC program”. This stands for a three fold thrust: abstinence first, be faithful second, and use condoms only as a last resort.
The result? The AIDS rate has dropped from 15 percent to 5 percent of the population over a ten-year period. No other African country has seen such a drastic turnaround. The emphasis on abstinence and monogamy are chiefly responsible for that success.
Australia could well follow the Ugandan example.
What are your views on this issue? In the NSW Parliament, I had a computer desk built for me just near Rev Fred Nile’s seat, so I could prepare speeches, examine legislation and because I wanted to try something new for any Parliament in Australia.
I remain in Parliament (unlike most members who are absent except for Question Time) while it is sitting.
But through my computer, any one can e-mail me on the issues being discussed, or on issues like this one about which they are concerned. I reply personally from the Parliament itself. I have now received over two thousand e-mails, many giving me your opinion.
I am the only one doing this, and if you want to have direct input to a member of the Legislative Council, all you need do is send a brief message to gordon.moyes@parliament.nsw.gov.au
I will read it, keep note of what you desire, and seek to cast my vote and speeches according to your wish.
Ours is not only a Christian Party, but a Christian Democratic Party designed to represent the voice of our constituents.
We are the only Party where citizens can have a direct voice right into the voting chamber!
Christians are rightly concerned over these trends in society, but this is one way of making your voice heard.
THIS IS GORDON MOYES.
