Intent becomes the foundation of the rationale for telling others what to do.
If someone is preaching (yes preaching) abstinence, why are they doing so?
Are they doing so as a method of preventing unwanted pregnancy?
Are they doing so because they believe you should be of a certain age to have intercourse?
Are they doing so because they believe that abstinence is the only way to protect against unwanted pregnancy and STD's?
Or are they doing so because they think that it is a sin to have sex before marriage in the eyes of God?
Given the totality of Palin's positions of which many are faith based morality plays, she is preaching morality to others.
Which makes her a moralist, preaching her morality to others, not making a secular argument for what is best.
Palin's ilk are against gay sex, gays marrying, against a woman's right to chose what to do with her own reproductive system, against sex of young people.
She would legally prohibit such actions, all on the basis of her own personal faith, religious faith, in effecting telling others how to live their live on the basis of her faith.
If Palin is living a moral and righteous life according to her faith, that's great. She is following her faith, again great.
The difference is when she pushes her own faith onto others who don't share that faith, then employs the political process to deny natural rights and natural behavior. People are following their own nature, the nature of kids to have sex, the nature of some people to have gay sex...she wants to control that nature...why? Because her read of the Bible told her so.
Her read, her faith, which she then wants to impose on others.
If you know you kids are likely going to have sex despite your attempting to educate them to either your faith or your reasoning process as to the dangers of teenage sex...why not also inform them of the use of birth control?
Palin's type is against birth control, educating children as to the dangers of teenage sex...both STD and teenage pregnancy.
As you mentioned, kids are not always going to follow the advice of their parents.
So which is better? To preach abstinence and keep the children ignorant of alternative methods...which can easily result in STD's and teen pregnancy out of wedlock.
Why can't she just say that abstinence is best, but if you aren't going to be abstinent, at least protect yourself and others by using birth control and other methods to protect against STD's?
Teaching kids about birth control is not an endorsement of teenage sex. Palin is not saying "go out and have lots of protected sex." It would be better if she were saying to her daughter: "don't have sex outside of marriage as a teenager because it is a sin against God, but if you slip up and sin against God (Jesus will forgive you anyway---don't worry), at least make him wear a rubber."
Parents, if they are honest, know that despite all their preaching, kids are going to do what kids do.
So why send out kids in an unsafe manner, uneducated, unprotected, with only a hope that they won't have sex and get pregnant or catch an STD?
I've got nothing against abstinence for any reason if that is what people choose to do, but to keep them in the dark about how to protect themselves is bad parenting.
Quote from Mercor:
If I tell you whats good for you and I don't follow my own advice ,it does not mean my advice is wrong.
If I feel abstinance is the best policy and I give my teenager permission to have sex, it does not reflect on the value of abstinance. I still feel abstinance should be taught to all teenagers.
We all do things that we know are not good and we would advise teenagers not to follow.
I assume you support Safe sex. To protect your teenager, I can't imagine it's as simple as flipping a condom to your daughter as she walks out the door.
It is important that the birth control is used properly, then who is the partner, where does this take place, Is your daughter safe.
Here is what "Safe Sex" requires. You need to have a nurse present to check her partner for STD , to confirm proper usage of birth control, You need to provide a safe place for the act. You need somebody to do criminal background on the partner.
Now you have legimate safe sex, at least one you would send your own daughter to.
You may also want to make sure she has a fulfilling experience, but thats a whole other story.
