knew that topic line would get your attention... The college where I teach (a church school of sorts, affiliated with a fairly liberal Protestant denomination) has decided to celebrate Sexual Responsibility Week next week. Which is OK... but some of the activities planned kind of surprise me. Apparently their names are Condom Games and Condom Bingo. They make note of National Condom Day on Valentine's Day (for those lucky enough to get to use one? ) and, like everyone is doing these days, show the Vagina Monologues. -To other Christians on the board: is this appropriate for a church school? Assuming and condoning sexual activity and I don't think they're aiming this at the married student population. Yes, I've heard all the arguments about "they're going to do it, so teach them how to do it safely". But is that really the moral message you want to send the kids? Or has the whole denomination decided extramarital sex is O.K.? -To everyone on the board: are these kinds of things helpful, or do they just pressure students into thinking, "everyone <i>must</i> be having sex, or they wouldn't have these activities"? Will the kids even listen to it anyway? Curious for opinions. I know there are no easy answers, and I'm just now becoming aware of how strong the raging hormones of college guys are. No wonder some of them only seemed to have one thing on their mind when I was a student.
Sounds pretty strange to me - but I'm guessing that it's a church-affiliated school, and not a bible college designed to train pastors and produce Doctor of Divinity degrees. It's interesting to note that one bible college in Edmonton where I grew up was popularly known as a school where good Christian girls went to find a good Christian husband. I guess the assumption there was that no hanky-panky happened before they tied the knot?
HBU, University of St. Thomas, Baylor, TCU, St. Edwards (in Austin) as well as many other religious based colleges and universities admit students from all religions, so the schools show they accept students which do not share the same views. I see that much the same way as I do the sex issue. True, premarital/extramarital sex is going to happen. The reason your institution has decided to do this is simple. Anyone who thinks that the student population at any college whether it be religious institution or not has a large percentage not having premarital/extramarital sex would have to be naive. But, if the religion the school is based on's stance is against premarital/extramarital sex, then I think it is hypocritical to have such a class or activities such as the one described unless it is for married students only. That would be like attending a singles gathering at a church and they give out condoms. I for one, as I am sure many many others on this board, are guilty of premarital/extramarital sex (not just once) and it is against the core beliefs of the religion I practice. With that in mind, what I am about to say, to some would seem to be hypocritical. However, why I have this opinion is b/c I feel that regardless of whether it is a school or a church itself, if it is based on a religion that has a particular stance on an issue, that institution should abide by those beliefs, and let the students do as they wish and the rest is between them and who they believe in. Lastly, anyone who has gone through 12+ years of schooling has been educated on the dangers of sex as well as safe sex methods, so another logical question for the school to ask would be "what positive effect does our sex program have on the students?"
I just watched a Discovery Channel special on sexually transmitted diseases in the US. Considering that the country appears to be in some sort of herpes epidemic, I think we lay down the bible for awhile and wrap up those rascals!!!! They said something like 40% of people who carry the HSV dont even know they are carrying it, and also claim it could be as high as 20% of the US population. Yikes. Glad I'm married. Oh, and I'm Catholic, and I still support condom use.
I am not an excessively religious person, but I have my beliefs and I attend church on a semi-regular basis. My response to what you say there would be to have more education on the dangers and statistics about STD's. Knowing the Vatican's stance, and the Catholic position on premarital sex, would you find it appropriate if St. Thomas HS and Strake Jesuit should have classes which included things such as "Condom Games" & "Condom Bingo"? We all do what we want to do, and Catholics have the opportunity to atone for anything they did simply by going to Confession, but should a school or church established on Catholic principles partake in such activities?
I don't think it's the right message to send for an institution that supposedly is against casual (or even premarital) sex. Saying "don't do it, but if you're going to do it..." is the same as saying "we all know you're going to do it, go ahead." For instance, smoking. The same school, and the same student services department, is against smoking and says so. They have, not a "smoking responsibility week", but an anti-smoking week where they tell you not to do it as many times as possible. Of course, many students on this campus are going to smoke no matter what. This is also something that's allowed (outside, of course). That's an example of something that people in college, to some extent, are going to do, but they aren't afraid to tell you that they think it's unwise. The school's denomination is PC-USA - who knows, with them, maybe they do accept premarital sex now. (of course, I thought they had completely strayed from any type of Biblical values, but MadMax seems to be OK )
Doesn't seem like you could get clean hand-offs in a condom relay race, but sign me up for the marathon.
I don't suppose anyone would believe me if I said that I only know one guy here at BYU that has had pre-marital sex, and that he married the girl a month later? Rules or suggestions put down by the schools, or sex education or whatever isn't going to make much of an impression on people. No one cares much about other people's opinions, cause that's all they are... opinions and suggestions. If people do believe in God, though, then they can accept that there's somebody out there a little smarter than everybody else. The key then is really believing in God, and if you do, believing that he really means what he says. Else why bother?
It's threads like this that make me realize that I have really pegged the heathen-o-meter during my lifetime. If only I could buy a pardon from the church, like times gone by! Alas, I can only buy more latex.
No, I don't live in Austin anymore, so it's not St. Edward's. They're Catholic, so that would be interesting... since they aren't supposed to condone any type of artificial birth control. Oh well. Time to inject some humor into the situation. We've probably already seen the lines they use. In Heaven there is no sex, that's why we wear latex. No glove, no love. Life is sweeter if you wrap your peter. And what kind of games?? Heypartner has already suggested the relay - sounds kind of messy. Condom Pinata? but they're not supposed to break that easily! Condom balloon fight? That is so... high school. Pin the Condom on the Donkey? ummmm, no.
I thought this was gonna be about the new birth controll thing they just came up with. its like a Gel condom, and has been very sucessful in monkey tests according the the news todfay at preventing HIV from spreading I was hoping to get to read more about it. Incedently I think I am pretty glad I have never been to Texas yet. I always hear about the hot women and all, but what is the point if she brings jesus along on every date. is it really possible to know just one dude at school that has had pre marital sex? if you want to be shocked about how different life and be I suggest checking out New England and the NY area. and I cant think of many religous schools sroung here. sure I know of a couple with religous names, but they sure are not religous. and there is no way in hell that you can find even that many "pure" people in a religous HS here let alone in a dorm situation. Games: well I am sure there will be a birth controll Jeapordy, and if the world was fair a montypython like demonstration of propper "form"
HAHA, ya know i actually knew that. I slept in my rental car in their parking lot when i went to the olympics last year. I for some reason thought you had typed baylor. that, the fact that there alot of religous people in CC, and that giant church from texas that is on TV when I cant sleep. I think it is on the chanel between History and discovery with the realy young priest guy. that church is huge. huge churches scare me but so do preacher dudes with southern accents.
you know what i don't like....i don't like when people say, "well everyone is doing it so it must be ok." make a freaking stand for something. if you say you believe in it, then do your best to follow it...don't make excuses for shortcomings...try to cut shortcomings off...definitely don't invite shortcomings. people CAN avoid sex until they're old enough to handle it...until it means something. just because many choose not to, doesn't mean it can't be done. just because many choose not to, doesn't mean they're right.
Max this made me think. back when the church was all about no premarital sex. and back when people listened to churches, the average age of mariage was like 13. I am 28. not married, and generally not too bad of a guy(by church standards) however i have had my share of premarital sex. not at 12 yrs old, not 15, not even 17. I "waited tilll I was ready". Is having premarital sex as a 19year old freshman in College wrong. Would I have married the wrong girl just so I could get my sex on? maybe but I think the highly religous get married a lot earlier than the not so religous. not to say that they are motivated by the sex, but it is an interesting observation and I am apparently just slacking off today. hey its almost lunch time
