“Groups in Mississippi advocating for comprehensive sex education in schools are pointing to a study showing teen births cost the state’s taxpayers an estimated $155 million in 2009.” Teen Births Cost Millions to Miss. Taxpayers, Study Shows
In fairness to the folks in MS, some sex ed programs have seen some reduction in teen pregnancy rates. Others have not. The interesting thing is that moral questions are not even on the radar anymore.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
1). Perhaps the increase in homosexual activity is part of the decrease. I’d be interested to know how it has impacted the numbers. 2). Here’s one I’m certain of: It is about budgets, nor morals, to our government (both at Federal and State level). Teen Pregnancy nearly almost always equals welfare / food stamps / etc. So they will go with that which reduces the pregnancies. This is similar to the government’s support of abortion. Abortion decreases the welfare rolls, and also may serve to decrease prison populations and crime (unwanted children from dysfunctional homes being more likely to offend). We will not reverse abortion in this nation until we are addressing the argument to those who are more interested in morals than in bean-counting. Many abortions serve to decrease the state-assistance rolls.
Only revival in America can reverse these trends, by changing the hearts of the bean-counters to be concerned with morals, changing the hearts of the promiscuous toward purity, and changing the hearts of those who err morally toward taking more responsibility.
Yeah, it’s a classic function of government to confuse symptom and cause. Government sees a huge social problem, so it tries to fix it. I don’t think that’s a bad desire honestly. It’s just misplaced. As Mike indicated, we we’re not treating the cause (immorality) with the real solution (Christ), so the problem will still exist. That said, do we want government treating the real cause and solution? I don’t think so.
Should we never treat symptoms of deeper spiritual problems with government? If so, what would be an appropriate way for government to combat teen pregnancy? If not, what are churches really prepared to do? What are we doing now in our communities? Not a whole lot.
Discussion
NewStudies
The interesting thing is that moral questions are not even on the radar anymore.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
NewA few thoughts...
1). Perhaps the increase in homosexual activity is part of the decrease. I’d be interested to know how it has impacted the numbers.
2). Here’s one I’m certain of: It is about budgets, nor morals, to our government (both at Federal and State level). Teen Pregnancy nearly almost always equals welfare / food stamps / etc. So they will go with that which reduces the pregnancies. This is similar to the government’s support of abortion. Abortion decreases the welfare rolls, and also may serve to decrease prison populations and crime (unwanted children from dysfunctional homes being more likely to offend). We will not reverse abortion in this nation until we are addressing the argument to those who are more interested in morals than in bean-counting. Many abortions serve to decrease the state-assistance rolls.
Only revival in America can reverse these trends, by changing the hearts of the bean-counters to be concerned with morals, changing the hearts of the promiscuous toward purity, and changing the hearts of those who err morally toward taking more responsibility.
NewConfusing Cause and Symptom
Should we never treat symptoms of deeper spiritual problems with government? If so, what would be an appropriate way for government to combat teen pregnancy? If not, what are churches really prepared to do? What are we doing now in our communities? Not a whole lot.