No matter how bad the situation seems out there or how many youth are caught up in the mess, we still have a responsibility to provide a safe refuge for our youth. Whether it’s at home or in the classroom, they should given a chance to hear the message of abstinence and be able to come to us to receive guidance and help in sorting out the mess.

I thought Dr. John R. Diggs, Jr., of Family Research Council, National Advisory Council puts it very amply when he explains why Abstinence-Until-Marriage is the most effective way of reducing unmarried teenage pregnancy and STD rates:

Abstinence-until-marriage education is directive. It does not abandon teens to an impressive display of complex choices where the most troublesome choices are also the most attractive. It does what any good teaching does – spotlights the best choice and presents it as the expected selection. Students respond to high expectations better than low common denominators.

Abstinence-until-marriage builds character and self-control. Self-control must be cultivated over time. It is not a technique to master but a deeply rooted prize to nurture. When properly developed, it will help teens become adults that are effective long-range planners, resistant to corruption, and considerate of others. Just as self-control in the sexual arena benefits other areas of life, likewise the practice of immediate gratification of sexual urges encourages impulsiveness in many areas of life. The character building associated with abstinence-until-marriage will benefit other areas of life.

The rise in juvenile crime rates and the recent brutal murder of an eight year old child point to the need to reinstate good character as a virtue rather than a stigma.

Let’s give our young people a chance to hear the character based abstinence message today!