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Does Abstinence Teaching Really Promote Purity?

By TylerR on Mon, 07/03/17
Christian Living
Sexual Purity
Abstinence Education
Sexual Ethics
Purity Movement

Mortification of Spin: “[W]e are missing out on learning the beauty of purity by reducing it to saying no to sexual activity outside of the bounds of marriage.”

Discussion

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David R. Brumbelow

NewAs the old saying goes,

Mon, 07/03/17

As the old saying goes, “Abstinence works every time it is tried.” “Just Say No!” really works.

A Harvard researcher discovered the difference abstinence teaching can make:

The U.S. Agency for International Development shelved Green’s 2003 report on AIDS prevention methods in Africa and hired a condom advocate to conduct another study instead. Green had concluded that the “ABC” method — Abstinence, Being faithful in marriage and Condoms only for high-risk populations — was most effective in the dramatic reduction of AIDS cases in Uganda.

http://www.bpnews.net/20229/harvard-researcher-abstinence-and-faithfuln…

David R. Brumbelow

Profile picture for user Bert Perry
Bert Perry

NewWell said, but incomplete

Mon, 07/03/17

The article makes a great case that we need to go further than “just say no”, and I’ve got family members who had a LOT of trouble on their honeymoons because their attitude towards God’s good gift was …..”just say no.” There is a tremendous amount to be added by understanding how marriage is indeed God’s gift and a picture of Christ’s love for the church. Along with the discussion we’ve got about divorce, a lot of this has to do with the question of do we see something bigger than ourselves.

Sure, abstinence works, but it’s just one part of it—it’s like looking at the bread instead of the whole Dagwood sandwich, really. And when we’ve got something like 80% of evangelicals reaching the marriage altar without their virginity, if at all, I think we’ve got to see things a bit differently.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Related . . .

Topics: Purity Movement, Sexual Purity, Sexual Ethics, Evangelical Trends
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  • What I Wish I Had Known About Purity
  • Pickpocketing Purity with the "Pence Rule"

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

(ESV, Proverbs 18:2)

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