It seems like you can buy anything on the internet these days. Sarah Palin sold her private jet, a wealthy entrepreneur sold spectator rides into space. The government of a small country once sold an entire island in the pacific, and who can forget about the half eaten grilled cheese sandwich which resembled the Virgin Mary being auctioned off on eBay?
But this tops the charts in my opinion….
“Student auctions off virginity for offers of more than $3.7 million.”
That was the headline of the Telegraph news report. Apparently a California girl named Natalie decided to sell her body to the highest bidder in hopes of paying off a masters degree in Marriage and Family therapy. The idea came to her after she learned that her older sister was able to pay off her college degree by working as a prostitute for 3 weeks.
I believe it is an understatement to say that we live in a sexually charged world. Immorality and promiscuity have become the norm, and what was once considered reckless sexual behavior is now commonly expected out of teenagers and college students.
Unfortunately the emphasis on sexuality doesn’t stop there. Once pre-marital sex saturated the colleges, it was only a matter of time before it trickled down into our high schools, junior highs, and even middle schools. Today’s 10 and 11 year olds face a much more sexually aggressive society than any of us adults faced when we were that age.
It may be hard for us to contemplate the idea of kids engaging in sexual behaviors, and discussing sexual matters, but the reality is that the internet has become a door for all kinds of impropriety to take place. Issues that were once reserved for Youth Pastors are now being addressed by Children’s Pastors as well.
A good example of such an issue is the recent Halloween Costumes that have been released for pre-teen and elementary aged girls. Costumes that show the child’s midriff, thighs, and accentuate features not yet developed on most 8-10 year old girls. Another example is the rise in popularity of networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Sites like these can be a good place for kids to express their individuality and chat with friends, but they also provide opportunities to engage in unwholesome conversations and allow pedophiles access to naïve and innocent prey. Left unchecked, a MySpace account can be detrimental to a child’s innocence and become an avenue of experiences that are way beyond the maturity level of the user.
It is estimated that our hyper-sexualized culture now reaches into more than 60% of American homes via the internet & 2/3 of homes through television. Sexuality is a constant topic in many schools and can be seen on the cover of any latest teen magazine, which are often coveted by pre-teen girls.
A timeless truth is that kids want to be older. For many girls this means wearing the short skirts, showing the midriff, and donning the lip glosses, earrings, eye shadow, and wearing that blouse or shirt just off the shoulder. For many boys this means adopting crude and even vulgar language, spouting innuendoes, and making inappropriate gestures and having inappropriate conversations. To top it off, we live in a society that enables such behavior and embraces what should be taboo.
It breeds the question today, what is the price of purity?
Some sell it for a quick thrill. Some sell it for curiosity or pleasure. Some sell their purity for popularity or to fit the status quo. Some sell it to emulate their idols; and apparently some – like Natalie Dylan – sell it for 3.7 million dollars.
For many years sexual purity has been the subject of many youth group meetings. However, the current culture of our world has caused some experts, like James Dobson of focus on the family, to encourage churches to teach abstinence to kids as young as middle school.
This idea isn’t a bad one. It makes sense that we should teach these kids how to swim before they enter the waters of adolescence instead of scrambling to save them from drowning after they have crossed the adolescent line. However, abstinence education isn’t usually a subject you hear addressed in many children’s ministries.
Of course, the primary teacher should be parents. However, the topic of abstinence and sexual purity is a sensitive and often embarrassing one for parents and kids alike. Below I have provided links to articles featured on Focus on the Family’s website which discuss teaching your child about healthy sexuality. If anything, the church should be a resource parents can utilize to teach their kids about the dos and don’ts of sexual behavior.
Years ago the UPCI put forth “Worth the Wait” and emphasized the importance of sexual purity to teenagers across the nation. Unfortunately today it is necessary that we teach our pre-teens how to slay the promiscuity dragon.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree that it is a good idea to introduce abstinence lessons to kids as young as middle school? What are ways that parents, and the church, can safeguard their children against the dangers of a sexually aggressive world?
Please, share your thoughts. While the subject is not comfortable, the perverseness of our Sodom and Gomorrah world has forced us to address the reality of immorality at a much younger age than any of us care to.
We can’t afford to wait until they’re teenagers to reach them. The world is vying for our children and they are adamant about making them as amoral as possible.
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/talking_about_sex/talking_to_tweens_about_love_sex_and_relationships.aspx
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/teaching_children_healthy_sexuality.aspx
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/teaching_children_healthy_sexuality/how_to_start_early.aspx
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/healthy_childhood_sexual_development.aspx
But this tops the charts in my opinion….
“Student auctions off virginity for offers of more than $3.7 million.”
That was the headline of the Telegraph news report. Apparently a California girl named Natalie decided to sell her body to the highest bidder in hopes of paying off a masters degree in Marriage and Family therapy. The idea came to her after she learned that her older sister was able to pay off her college degree by working as a prostitute for 3 weeks.
I believe it is an understatement to say that we live in a sexually charged world. Immorality and promiscuity have become the norm, and what was once considered reckless sexual behavior is now commonly expected out of teenagers and college students.
Unfortunately the emphasis on sexuality doesn’t stop there. Once pre-marital sex saturated the colleges, it was only a matter of time before it trickled down into our high schools, junior highs, and even middle schools. Today’s 10 and 11 year olds face a much more sexually aggressive society than any of us adults faced when we were that age.
It may be hard for us to contemplate the idea of kids engaging in sexual behaviors, and discussing sexual matters, but the reality is that the internet has become a door for all kinds of impropriety to take place. Issues that were once reserved for Youth Pastors are now being addressed by Children’s Pastors as well.
A good example of such an issue is the recent Halloween Costumes that have been released for pre-teen and elementary aged girls. Costumes that show the child’s midriff, thighs, and accentuate features not yet developed on most 8-10 year old girls. Another example is the rise in popularity of networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Sites like these can be a good place for kids to express their individuality and chat with friends, but they also provide opportunities to engage in unwholesome conversations and allow pedophiles access to naïve and innocent prey. Left unchecked, a MySpace account can be detrimental to a child’s innocence and become an avenue of experiences that are way beyond the maturity level of the user.
It is estimated that our hyper-sexualized culture now reaches into more than 60% of American homes via the internet & 2/3 of homes through television. Sexuality is a constant topic in many schools and can be seen on the cover of any latest teen magazine, which are often coveted by pre-teen girls.
A timeless truth is that kids want to be older. For many girls this means wearing the short skirts, showing the midriff, and donning the lip glosses, earrings, eye shadow, and wearing that blouse or shirt just off the shoulder. For many boys this means adopting crude and even vulgar language, spouting innuendoes, and making inappropriate gestures and having inappropriate conversations. To top it off, we live in a society that enables such behavior and embraces what should be taboo.
It breeds the question today, what is the price of purity?
Some sell it for a quick thrill. Some sell it for curiosity or pleasure. Some sell their purity for popularity or to fit the status quo. Some sell it to emulate their idols; and apparently some – like Natalie Dylan – sell it for 3.7 million dollars.
For many years sexual purity has been the subject of many youth group meetings. However, the current culture of our world has caused some experts, like James Dobson of focus on the family, to encourage churches to teach abstinence to kids as young as middle school.
This idea isn’t a bad one. It makes sense that we should teach these kids how to swim before they enter the waters of adolescence instead of scrambling to save them from drowning after they have crossed the adolescent line. However, abstinence education isn’t usually a subject you hear addressed in many children’s ministries.
Of course, the primary teacher should be parents. However, the topic of abstinence and sexual purity is a sensitive and often embarrassing one for parents and kids alike. Below I have provided links to articles featured on Focus on the Family’s website which discuss teaching your child about healthy sexuality. If anything, the church should be a resource parents can utilize to teach their kids about the dos and don’ts of sexual behavior.
Years ago the UPCI put forth “Worth the Wait” and emphasized the importance of sexual purity to teenagers across the nation. Unfortunately today it is necessary that we teach our pre-teens how to slay the promiscuity dragon.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree that it is a good idea to introduce abstinence lessons to kids as young as middle school? What are ways that parents, and the church, can safeguard their children against the dangers of a sexually aggressive world?
Please, share your thoughts. While the subject is not comfortable, the perverseness of our Sodom and Gomorrah world has forced us to address the reality of immorality at a much younger age than any of us care to.
We can’t afford to wait until they’re teenagers to reach them. The world is vying for our children and they are adamant about making them as amoral as possible.
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/talking_about_sex/talking_to_tweens_about_love_sex_and_relationships.aspx
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/teaching_children_healthy_sexuality.aspx
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/teaching_children_healthy_sexuality/how_to_start_early.aspx
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/healthy_childhood_sexual_development.aspx
