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Chastity talk resonates with Baltimore teens Sacred Heart, Glyndon, parishioners Allison Boyd and Katie Lutz share a moment inside the Sprint Center. (CR Staff/Matt Palmer) Matt Palmer mpalmer@CatholicReview.org KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Adults talking sexuality with a bunch of teens is typically a recipe for awkwardness. So, when a husband and wife team, Jason and Crystalina Evert, stood in front of 21,000 teenagers Nov. 20 and preached the values of chastity, the last thing anyone expected was for it to go over like gangbusters. But, that's exactly what happened. At the end of the Everts' nearly 40-minute presentation at the...

Whether sex education for teenagers should focus on abstinence from sexual activity or fully address the use of contraceptives has emerged as a topic in the debate in Congress over a health-care overhaul. Advocates of differing approaches to sex education are watching whether Congress will come down on the side of paying for what are widely called “abstinence-only programs,” which President Barack Obama proposed eliminating in his fiscal 2010 budget, or of financing only what are known as “comprehensive” programs. [snip] The health-care bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed this month doesn’t authorize any funding for abstinence-only programs. Rather,...

Abstaining from Accuracy Malcolm A. Kline, November 19, 2009 In a classic case of missing the point, public health officials and their stenographers in the media are blaming the spread of sexually transmitted diseases on sex education that promotes abstinence. “American squeamishness about talking about sex has helped keep common sexually transmitted infections far too common, especially among vulnerable teens, U.S. researchers reported Monday,” Maggie Fox wrote in an article that Reuters distributed on November 16, 2009. “Latest statistics on chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis show the three highly treatable infections continue to spread in the United States.” Outside of activities...

Sens. Max Baucus and Chuck Grassley at a Senate Finance Committee meeting. Washington D.C., Oct 1, 2009 / 02:24 am (CNA).- The Senate Finance Committee voted to restore $50 million a year in federal funding for abstinence-only education. One abstinence ed supporter said the action was a victory for “the hard work of grassroots” efforts.Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) sponsored the measure, which passed over the objections of committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). All ten Republicans and two Democrats, Sens. Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, voted for the measure.Hatch said abstinence education had been...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A new report relying on data from the Centers for Disease Control finds the states that accepted abstinence education funding saw greater reductions in teen abortions compared to states that didn't. The information provides another argument in favor of funding abstinence education programs. The Texas-based pro-life group San Antonio Coalition for Life has put out the new report and it compared CDC abortion figures to the list of states accepting or rejecting the funds.From 2001 through 2005, abortion advocates were successful in getting 17 states to reject the federal grants for abstinence funding. The results show...

Tim Tebow LifeSiteNews.com) - Last week Florida Gators Quarterback Tim Tebow's photo may have graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, the same magazine that is best known for its annual "swimsuit issue," but the contrast between the two cover stories couldn't have been more glaring.At 21 years of age and graced with boyish good looks, Tebow is one of the most talked about rising stars of the NCAA; but the football superstar literally left reporters speechless last week when he answered a question during a press conference about whether or not he is "saving himself" for marriage. quot;Yes I...

The most popular player in SEC history is saving himself for marriage. Unbelievable. I asked him this afternoon, and he didn't even blink before responding

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Today marked the end of federal funding of abstinence education under the Title V Abstinence Education Program and the CBAE (Community Based Abstinence Education). Before he took over the White House, President Barack Obama made it clear he would cut abstinence funding.In Obama's FY 2010 Proposed Budget, the president called for eliminating the funding for abstinence education, which has been successful in helping teenagers make positive decisions.Instead, Obama called for at least $164 million in funding for contraceptive-only education, which will likely go to pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood.Leslee Unruh, president of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse,...

Friday June 12, 2009 Indian Government: Sex Education “Has Absolutely No Place” in Our Schools - It “Promotes Promiscuity” By Hilary WhiteNEW DELHI, June 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Indian government has rejected western-style sex education programs, saying they do nothing to solve the problem of teenage pregnancy but only exacerbate the problem by promoting sexual promiscuity. A government report on the matter was issued in response to a citizen-launched petition against a decision by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) to start sex-education in schools. The program had been touted as a means of preventing the...

Managua, Nicaragua, May 18, 2009 / 12:59 pm (CNA).- The president of the Latin American Bishops’ Council (CELAM), Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno, said during a press conference last week that celibacy “is not up for debate” at CELAM’s 32nd assembly nor “in the Church in general.” The archbishop made his comments in the wake of the questions raised about celibacy by Father Alberto Cutie of Miami, who has been romantically involved with a woman. He told reporters that celibacy “is not up for debate at this assembly nor in the Church in general, and so the priest who is ordained also...

MANILA, Philippines, May 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of Catholic medical professionals based in the Philippines has stated that condom promotion has failed to curb the spread of AIDS.  The group said that it agreed with a widely-criticized recent statement by Pope Benedict XVI in which he endorsed a renewed respect for sexuality in facing the AIDS epidemic, rather than condom use. "Condoms are highly dangerous," said Yolly Eileen Gamutam, head of Asia's Catholic Association of Doctors, Nurses and Health Professionals (ACIM-Asia), in an article on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines website. "If we are promoting truthful public information...

Tuesday May 12, 2009 Obama Calls for Condom Funding to Replace Abstinence Education By Kathleen GilbertWASHINGTON, D.C., May 12, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In President Obama's Fiscal Year 2010 Proposed Budget, the president recommends that Congress eliminate funding for abstinence education and instead pour funds into condoms and contraceptive-based sex education.The proposed budget calls for an additional $150 million for contraceptive-only education, which includes competitive grants, research, evaluation and authorization for $50 million in new mandatory condom grants to states, tribes and territories, according to an Abstinence Clearinghouse press release.The budget eliminates the $133 million set aside for CBAE (Community...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Before he took over the White House, President Barack Obama made it clear he would cut abstinence funding. He has followed through as his new budget eliminates all federal funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with sexual education.The budget eliminates funding for CBAE (Community Based Abstinence Education) and Title V Abstinence Education Program. In Obama's FY 2010 Proposed Budget, the president calls for at least $164 million in funding for contraceptive-only education. The money includes competitive grants, research, evaluation and authorization for $50 million in new mandatory condom grants to states, tribes and territories....

The White House wants to get out of the business of telling youngsters "Just Say No to Sex." President Obama is putting his own ideological stamp on federal spending in his proposed 2010 budget by cutting cash for abstinence-only sex ed programs. He's taken a scalpel to a pair of $100 million George W. Bush-era programs that exclusively preached abstinence. Obama is replacing them with $110 million for comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention. "It's about time that evidence-based management - and sanity - return to family planning programs," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan). Dumping the say-no-to-sex programs were a tiny fraction...

Meghan McCain: Republicans Don't Get Sex Updated 11:15 AM EDT, Fri, May 8, 2009 Meghan McCain says it's time for Republicans to talk about sex. The daughter of former presidential candidate John McCain said Bristol Palin's annoucement that she's be repping an anti-teen pregnancy group helped her realize the GOP's view of sex was misguided. "Unless we learn how to integrate that kind of discussion, our party will continue its descent into irrelevance," she wrote today in the Daily Beast. McCain said she's a pro-lifer but believes in using birth control and having sex education -- and that promoting an...

This message isn't hard; it just isn't as tidy as Just Do It or Just Say No. So Bristol Palin, in all her complexity as target and role model, sitting there with the beautiful baby she wishes hadn't been born for another 10 years, is a perfectly natural messenger.

Bristol Palin's new abstinence campaign shines a light on the Republican Party's unhealthy attitude about sex and desire. BY MEGHAN MCCAIN The first time I ever heard about oral sex was during the Lewinsky scandal. Mostly, I remember being confused by President Clinton’s response—“it depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is”. When it comes to sex, politicians face all sorts of double standards: who is allowed to have sex with whom, what constitutes sex, and whether it’s appropriate, to name a few. Candie’s Foundation’s announcement that they were partnering with Bristol Palin to promote an abstinence-only campaign has caused...

NEW YORK (AP) — Unwed mother Bristol Palin said Wednesday that abstinence is a realistic way for teens to avoid unwanted pregnancy — a view not shared by the father of her infant son. Palin, the 19-year old daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that she wishes she'd waited to have sex. Bristol Palin was in New York Wednesday to help promote National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day. In the interview, Palin said abstinence is the safest and best choice for teens. "Regardless of what I did personally, I just think that abstinence is the only...

This will come as no news to most younger evangelicals, but The Tennessean [Nashville] has just taken notice of the fact that a sizable number of younger evangelical couples are saving their first kiss for their wedding ceremony. As the paper reports, "In a culture where casual sex is the norm, some Tennesseans have taken the purity pledge to a whole new level, through a practice that some teens refer to as the 'Virgin Lips Movement.'" Reporter Claudia Pinto began her article with the fact that Katy Kruger, who was married on December 13 of last year, experienced her first...

Teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus is insisting she will remain a virgin until she gets married. The singer is dating 20-year-old model Justin Gaston but insists the couple have never had sex. Now in a interview with the Daily Mail, Cyrus is following in the footsteps of Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson by publicly vowing to not have sex until she is married. Miley Cyrus Follows Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson Virgin Lead (Image: Splash News) She told the Mail, "I want to keep my virginity until I marry. I was brought up in a Christian family." Asked about the...

(Note: David MacDonald is a Christian singer/artist who recently revealed that prior to his conversion he had been heavily involved in the gay lifestyle. Read his testimony here: www.GayTestimony.com) I hate to quote statistics, but Canada's largest gay paper XTRA recently reported that, "A group of six Canadian queers is taking on homophobia in Canada's healthcare system by filing a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission." Gens Hellquist, one of the complainants, is the executive director of the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition. She explained at length her concerns about the health status of homosexual men and women in Canada,...

Recent earthquake activity in Alaska provided “CBS Early Show” co-hosts with a ready-made metaphor for a segment on the personal lives of some of the those surrounding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. But their quake turned out to be barely a ripple. Hosts Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez couldn’t contain their smirks as they introduced the piece. “There's been an earthquake rumbling outside Anchorage, but there is some other rumblings, as well, near Wasilla,” Smith snickered. “Oh, indeed,” Rodriguez chimed in with her eyebrows raised. “Sarah Palin says that she is focused on one thing, governing Alaska. But it has been...

Alternatives to Condoms: The Catholic Church and Contraceptives By Dan DiLeo Created Apr 1 2009 - 12:00am Recently, Pope Benedict XVI made headlines by saying that condoms are an inappropriate and counter-productive solution to HIV/AIDS. Some have expanded on the implications of the Pope’s comments and have considered Church teaching on contraception in light of overpopulation. However, many understand what the Catholic Church says regarding contraception, but few understand why it says it. As such, I now offer this information, assuming that overpopulation is a problem. It is my hope that, whatever moral view you ultimately take, you at least...

O'Reilly talks to Elayne Bennett.

Thursday March 19, 2009 Harvard AIDS Expert Says Pope is Correct on Condom Distribution Making AIDS Worse By John-Henry Westen   March 19, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, has said that the evidence confirms that the Pope is correct in his assessment that condom distribution exacerbates the problem of AIDS.  "The pope is correct," Green told National Review Online Wednesday, "or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope's comments."  "There is," Green added, "a consistent association...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- New figures released today showing a record high in the teenager birth rate leads one pro-life women's leader to suggest more abstinence education is needed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released 2007 data today reporting that the number of teen births is at a record high.Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, of Concerned Women for America, tells LifeNews.com that the figures point to the failure of comprehensive sexual education and the need for abstinence.With federal and state governments sinking much more money into the more numerous sexual education programs, Crouse says the real culprit for...

(03-15) 17:22 PDT Anchorage, Alaska (AP) -- The former fiance of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter said in an interview that they could reunite but would remain apart as friends for now. Levi Johnston, 19, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in a segment to air Monday that he and 18-year-old Bristol Palin broke up after a fight "a week, two weeks ago" and had tried to "make things work." The two are the parents of an infant son, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, born on Dec. 27. "But this is what it kind of ended up turning into," Johnson said in...

Abstinence Awareness by: Alanna Hultz, March 13, 2009 As the fourth annual abstinence awareness week kicks off, ULTRA (Urban Life Training and Reality Assessment) Teen Choice held an event at Howard University to promote abstinence awareness. ULTRA Teen Choice is a youth empowerment program that guides youth toward the formation of two-parent families and positive character development by emphasizing the benefits of abstinence from drugs, alcohol and premarital sex. Richard Urban, ULTRA Teen Choice Co-founder, said he founded the program because “it’s important to guide youth in the right direction.” He also said “abstinence programs are no longer allowed in...

RALEIGH, N.C. — High school students from Connecticut to California could soon be learning about abstinence-only sex education — as ancient history. At least 24 states and the District of Columbia are moving from abstinence instruction to a more comprehensive approach that includes lessons about STD prevention and contraception, a massive shift away from the wait-until-marriage method pushed heavily by the Bush administration. Many states adopted abstinence-only education in return for federal funding, but 13 years after Congress designed the programs in 1996, teen pregnancy rates are on the rise and critics say kids are simply not listening to the...

There are particular days of fast and abstinence in Lent when the whole Church participates in this Lenten practice as a community of believers. But individual Christians are invited to fast in ways that each determines from his/her own experience and circumstances. The following reflections might be helpful to all of us as we consider fasting in the season ahead of us.Here's what the Lord says of fasting through the prophet Isaiah, Chapter 58: Is this the manner of fasting I wish,of keeping a day of penance:That a man bow his head like a reed,and lie in sackcloth and ashes?Do...

On Monday, Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, gave her first interview ...peppered with typical teenage-speak, such as “awesome”, more than a dozen “ums”, and, (by my count) at least 18 “likes”. ... ...The issue is sex education, or lack thereof. Her mother, Sarah Palin, believes abstinence only should be taught in schools. Hmmm, how did that work out for her family? When Van Susteren asked her toughest question regarding contraception ... Palin replied, “everyone should be abstinent, but it’s not realistic.” So, everyone else should be abstinent but it just wasn’t realistic in your situation? How does...

(CNN) -- In her first interview since giving birth, the teenage daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said having a child is not "glamorous," and that telling young people to be abstinent is "not realistic at all." Bristol Palin says "everyone should just wait 10 years" to have a baby, rather than when you're young. Bristol Palin says "everyone should just wait 10 years" to have a baby, rather than when you're young. "It's just, like, I'm not living for myself anymore. It's, like, for another person, so it's different," Bristol Palin told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. "And just...

The news reports seem to vary from day to day. Either condom-based sex education works, or it doesn't. Either abstinence should be the focus, or it shouldn't.But, according to government-supported research at the Heritage Foundation, one thing is clear: Teens who abstain from sex share some characteristics.The National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health identified eight personality and behavioral traits that were associated with both abstinence and academic achievement:• Future orientation, with a focus on long-term goals. • Willingness to postpone current pleasures for larger future rewards. • Perseverance, as in the ability to stick to a task or commitment. • A belief that...

Last night, quite late in the evening, and on the show, the girl who has pledged to sell her virginity for the highest bid, convinced her to not "give it up" if a higher bid - individual or cumulative comes in to top the present $3.7 million offer that has been registered. Having done MANY interviews declining similar offers, Natalie Dylan (not her real name) has agreed to remain a virgin, and give ALL of the proceeds (that she had previously agreed to use towards graduate school) instead--to stopping the horrific practice of child sex trafficking.

CBS hosts a pro-abstinence relationship expert, but the morning show has a history of denouncing abstinence. Patti Stanger, star of BRAVO’s “Millionaire Matchmaker,” shared her tips for finding Mr. Right on Wednesday’s CBS “Early Show.” The author and relationship expert surprisingly supports abstinence, telling women, “no sexy…no spreading.” Stanger’s advice is a welcome change from CBS’ usual take on sexual abstinence. Author of Become Your Own Matchmaker, Stanger gives women “eight simple steps for attracting your mate” and among those she includes abstaining from sexual activity. She told host Maggie Rodriguez that women should abstain until Mr. Right gives them...

Like a pack of randy 15-year-old boys, the press dives right in. "Virginity Pledges Don't Stop Teen Sex," screams CBS News. "Virginity pledges don't mean much," adds CNN. "Study questions virginity pledges," says the Chicago Tribune. "Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds," heralds the Washington Post. "Virginity Pledges Fail to Trump Teen Lust in Look at Older Data," reports Bloomberg. And on it goes. In other words, teens will be teens, and moms or dads who believe that concepts such as restraint or morality have any application today are living in a dream world. Typical was the lead for the...

The U.S. government spends more than $200 million annually on abstinence-promotion programs, including virginity pledges.The latter approach does not work too well.A new study of a federal survey taken in the 1990s finds that teens who took virginity pledges are just as likely as other teens to have sex before marriage. Importantly, when the pledgers broke their vows they were less likely to use birth control, including condoms.

Why chastity pledges by U.S. teenagers don't always ring true Teenagers who vow to remain virgins until they marry are just as likely to have pre-marital sex as other young people, a study has found. But they are less likely to use birth control when they do sleep with a partner. The idea of abstaining from sex until marriage has gained wider popularity in the U.S. in the last decade. The Jonas Brothers, a three-piece boy band, are among those vowing to wait until they are married.

Dec. 29, 2008 -- Teenagers who take virginity pledges are no less sexually active than other teens, according to a new study. But the results, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggest that virginity pledgers are less likely to protect themselves against pregnancy or disease when they do have sex. Researchers say the findings suggest that virginity pledges may not significantly affect teenagers' sexual behavior. Instead, they may decrease the likelihood of teenagers taking precautions, such as using a condom or using birth control, when they do have sex. Virginity Pledge May Lead to Risky Sex Researchers say the federal government...

Barack Obama may have an impossible burden of expectation on his shoulders, but one fervent wish of many US scientists should be easy enough to fulfil: simply lead the nation back into the "reality-based community".

<p>The abstinence-only sex education programs in our public schools call for "abstinence until marriage." The federal government spent $115 million on this message last year, and the Bush administration is proposing significant increases for the current year. Sexual abstinence until marriage is now official government policy.</p>

A SCHOOLGIRL has protested against her school's ruling that she cannot wear a purity ring which shows her intention to abstain from sex before marriage. Kioni Lansbury claims the ring is a religious symbol, but her headteacher at King's School, in Ottery St Mary, has said school rules forbid all jewellery on the grounds of health and safety and told her she must remove the ring for lessons. Kioni, 12, is a fan of the Jonas Brothers, an American pop group whose members all wear the purity rings. The movement is popular in the USA where teenagers are encouraged to...

by Gina L. DiorioFew would argue that one of the most sacred responsibilities of churches and synagogues is teaching the difference between right and wrong and encouraging moral behavior. Yet, for some religious organizations, talk of morality has become unacceptable if it interferes with a “do what feels good� doctrine – regardless of the consequences of that doctrine.Case in point: the approach several religious organizations are taking – or, perhaps more accurately, not taking – in addressing the immoral behaviors that often cause HIV/AIDS.To set the stage – today marks the 20th anniversary of World Aids Day, a day when,...

Jill Merry and Adrian Burwell began dating last November. They got engaged in May. But the first time they kiss will be Aug. 16 — at the altar, in front of more than 600 people. For the couple, who met at a Southern Baptist evangelical church in Renton, not kissing, not hugging and not having sex before they are married is an avowal of purity. "We have all the same emotions everyone else does. We just decided to put guidelines to it," said Merry, 26, of Bellevue. "We knew that if we starting touching, things were going to start happening."...

Data sources: 30 electronic databases without linguistic or geographical restrictions to February 2007, contacts with experts, hand searching, and cross referencing. Conclusion: Programmes that exclusively encourage abstinence from sex do not seem to affect the risk of HIV infection in high income countries...

The statistics on teen sexuality in the United States are troubling. About 7 percent of high school stu­dents report having had sex before the age of 13. By ninth grade, one-third of high school students have engaged in sexual activity, and by 12th grade, two-thirds.[1]  Yet the majority of these teens, 60 percent overall and 67 percent among younger adolescents, regret their first experience and wish they had waited longer.[2] Teen Sexual Activity and OutcomesEarly sexual activity is associated with a host of negative outcomes that can have lasting physical, emotional, social, and economic impacts on the lives of young...

Young girls who are sexually active are far more likely to suffer from depression than those who remain virgins, according to a controversial new study. American academics found that teenage sex leaves many girls with feelings of guilt and low self-esteem. Following a study of more than 14,000 adolescents aged between 14 and 17, researchers said that these feelings could be directly ascribed to sexual activity, rather than outside influences, such as family difficulties. The findings, which will fuel the debate about sex education in schools, were hailed as 'groundbreaking' by British experts who promote abstinence. But critics said that...

Virginity is hilarious, according to MTV Video Music Awards host Russell Brand. After Brand was done encouraging Americans to vote for Barack Obama because George W. Bush is a "retarded cowboy fellow," he attacked the Jonas Brothers for wearing promise rings, rings intended to demonstrate support for abstinence until marriage. "I'm beginning to wonder if the Jonas Brothers are quite what they seem," said the freaky-looking, scruffy-haired, tightly-garbed former dope fiend and sex addict. "Because if they were, how come I've got this little ring now?" Brand held up a supposed promise ring. "I mean initially, he was a little...

Is there such a thing as “safe” sex? The recent revelation that the daughter of Sarah Palin is pregnant has raised a furor among Democrats who are calling Ms. Palin a hypocrite for encouraging abstinence. This raises the question, “Is there such a thing as safe sex?” And I’ll be honest, just like the rest of the world I believed the rhetoric of people like Barack Obama who support abortion and partial birth abortion under the guise of wanting to reduce unwanted pregnancy through education about safe sex. They wouldn’t talk about safe sex unless it existed… right? Fortunately there...

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Mitt Romney, responding to reporters' questions about sex education policy in the aftermath of the news that Sarah Palin's teenage daughter is pregnant, told reporters he had always thought abstinence should be part of a comprehensive sex education curriculum. "I would not propose that people don't get any sex education but abstinence," he said. But in 2006, as then-Governor Romney prepared to enter the Republican presidential primary, he announced with great fanfare that he would redirect money from a federal abstinence education grant -- money that had the state had been using to promote abstinence within comprehensive...