Why do I do this to myself?

The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history.
- George Orwell -

Looks like our gal Susie ALL-CAPS has a new post up about abstinence and for once, her true motivation starts to peek through. Buckle up 'cause it’s gonna get ugly.

I've been meaning to write this post about abstinence, but I just haven't gotten around it, and as long as we're on the subject I thought I'd write a few lines of my thoughts.

One of the things that I do not see in the talk about abstinence is the notion that abstinence cannot be purely an individual pursuit.

It's a collective effort.

Okay, that’s not that bad. I disagree with the whole concept of teaching abstinence but there’s very little that’s offensive about that passage — although I did start to giggle over the whole "abstinence ... cannot be purely an individual pursuit". I’m sorry, isn’t abstinence completely "an individual pursuit"? And can’t you go blind from all that individual pursuit? But I digress.

Kids cannot rely on their own willpower alone to keep themselves from temptation. Their lives must be programmed so that it's actually difficult to engage in sexual activity.

Here we go ... this is the motivation I hinted at. SUZANNE finally admits that she thinks kids should be programmed to think in a manner that is acceptable only to her and people just like her. Screw independent thought, screw individual decision-making, it’s all about control — from their bodies, to their minds, to their very thoughts. Hello George Orwell.

In our culture, preserving one's chastity by oneself is an enormous responsibility. Consider all the ways in which teenagers are exposed to sexual activity, and have the opportunity to engage in sexual activity. To expect growing children to just rely exclusivel[sic] on their own willpower is naive. I'm not saying that a teenager will jump at every opportunity to be unchaste. But they don't always know what the boundaries are (given that adults don't tell them) and even when they know what the boundaries are, they're willing to cross them just a little for what they think is a stronger show of love (in the moment).

Why SUZANNE, I am shocked. Don’t tell me you think teenagers might actually be doing it so they can feel loved? Here’s a heads-up, SUZE — they’re doing it because they’re teenagers which means they’re walking hormones. And yes, some of them truly believe they’re in love with the person that they’re with but most of them are just. Being. Teenagers.

In order for abstinence to work, kids can't go at it alone [again with the giggles – sorry]. They have to live a life that makes it hard for them to have sexual activity, and if adults don't contribute to that, kids are far more susceptible to fail in this quest. It's more than just a question of telling them "keep your legs closed".

As God is my witness, I have no idea where to go with that last statement ... It's more than just a question of telling them "keep your legs closed". I mean wow. Really. Just ... wow. If that’s HER idea of teaching abstinence, it’s no wonder most of these programs are complete and utter failures. I can’t take much more.

It's like telling a fat person to stop eating junk.

And now she’s picking on people who are overweight. Is there no end to her cruelty? That’s not very Christian.

There are powerful psychological and cultural forces that compel a kid to do what he knows is wrong in the heat of the moment. I don't know that we've addressed that. In any case, I don't see that. I see a lot of people saying kids should stay abstinent-- which I agree with-- but not a lot of adults saying that a teenagers' environment should be programmed so that it's hard for them to engage in sexual activity.

Is anyone else completely creeped out by how SHE keeps stressing the fact that kids should be "programmed"? I don't think it's just me.

The impression that I get is that adults feel it's entirely the kids' responsibility, not theirs-- even though we're talking about children who have not yet finished growing. That's probably too big a responsibility to lay on them by themselves.

Absolutely. So if we program them to be mindless little drones who do exactly what we tell them to and never, ever, NEVER think for themselves what a wonderful Utopian society we will have made.

Sweet mother of God, thanks to SUZANNE “mind control” should be listed as a form of child abuse. And now I have to go bleach my brain so I can get the pro-life, pro-mind-control, anti-individuality out. Is it too early for a martini?