Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[SCSU Collegian & NPR] Youth Radio’s Pendarvis Harshaw says that among his friends, the transition from condoms to no-condoms signifies a lasting commitment.

It shows trust, commitment, and the prospect of a shared future,” he adds.

As bold as the statement may be, it is a part of Harshaw’s essay, “Sex Without Condoms Is the New Engagement Ring,” where he explores the way today’s youth approach monogamy in relationships. 

The essay was submitted as a part of Youth Radio’s “What’s the New What?” series, which highlights new trends in youth culture.  In the on-air essay, Harshaw acknowledges the dangers of contracting STDs and the risk of unexpected pregnancies. He emphasized that while youth may ditch condoms in their sexual activities, other forms of birth control are still widely used.  After conducting an informal survey, Harshaw said he came up with the leading argument for his essay.

“[I spoke with] everybody from friends, to co-workers, to residents about relationships-how to approach getting into a monogamous relationship, and I saw a consistent trend,” says Harshaw. “A lot of people were talking about the most major step is the step toward unprotected sex.”

The controversial issue tackled in Harshaw’s essay has definitely raised eyebrows among the NPR audience and has received harsh criticisms and empathetic remarks alike.

“I believe the feedback was mixed because older folks just plain do not want to hear the truth about young people encountering heavy sexual situations at younger ages. These situations are definitely adult, and used to be taboo to even talk about, but children have been bombarded with so much sexual imagery by the media, that the situations themselves have become common,” says senior Matt Cody, film production major and founder of HowHood University Records.

Harshaw, who set out to shed light on youth perspective of monogamy with this essay, has been surprised and pleased with the feedback surrounding his argument.

Read more here and here.

[From me]

I admit, I don’t understand this.  I come from a Christian perspective in which sex is intended for people who married.  I don’t care what the divorce rates are, that is no excuse for skirting God’s design.  What is sad is when followers of Jesus don’t even follow his plans.  It breaks my heart when I hear about former students who made purity commitments don’t follow through on their promise to God and their future mates.  Now I realize there are those who make mistakes and God does forgive. But to say that the practice mentioned in the essay above is the new engagement is sad.

What do you think?

[Cleveland Leader]

Peekaboo Pole Dancing, the company behind Carmen Electra’s pole dancing kit, announced a few weeks ago that they were seeking a partner to license a pole dancing game for the Nintendo Wii. Since then people around the world have been asking the same question: “Why?”

MTV caught up with the Peekaboo people, and spoke with a company rep who said:

“Peekaboo will be all about fun and fitness for a new generation. Peekaboo wants to make the fitness benefits of aerobic pole dancing accessible to millions of Wii users. The goal is to encourage men and women of all shapes and sizes to improve their pole dancing skills while having fun, toning up and burning calories. Ultimately Peekaboo and AT New Media want to do for pole dancing what ‘Guitar Hero‘ did for rock n roll!”

As for the pole peripheral development, the game’s ESRB rating and how the game would actually work (we imagine you’d need hands on the pole as well as on controllers), he declined to disclose those details. Kay did claim that the company is already in talks with developers and publishers for the Wii title, though they “will still entertain other third parties.”

Peekaboo also said that they were looking for a mobile phone partner to bring a similar game to mobile devices.

Source here.

[From me]

What’s next?  How about just Wii for prostitution?  Why not a game to teach the art of strip tease?  Why not just virtual sex?  Even unbelievers should see the dangers of something this stupid.  But I doubt it.

What do you think?

[Tampa Bay.com]  

Before a Davidsen Middle School teacher started a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student, she told the boy she could help him overcome his shyness, according to a new court filing.  

Read about it here.   

[From me]  

This has to be the worst excuse yet.  ”She was helping him with his shyness!”  Oh, what a line!  What is in the water in the Tampa area?  

What do you think? 

[Snoqualmie Valley Record]

Despite some parents’ and students’ objections to the Day of Silence, Mount Si High School Principal Randy Taylor told the Snoqualmie Valley School District board last week that the high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) had begun planning this year’s event, scheduled for April 25.
Taylor said organizers were working to set expectations of respect for all students - participants and non-participants - on the Day of Silence, which is part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-gendered and questioning (LGBTQ) students and allies who do not feel safe enough to speak their true voice.

Read about it here.

[AFA]

Why should parents be concerned about the so-called Day of Silence?

A. This event was started a decade ago by an adult homosexual advocacy group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), with the goal of promoting homosexuality to all students in a given school. It has grown enormously, unfortunately, as the support for the ‘gay’ agenda has been embraced by thousands of schools and impressionable students nationwide.

The Day of Silence postures every person who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual or cross-dresser as a victim of ongoing, unrelenting harassment and discrimination (being ’silenced’). While some incidents like this do occur, this event is an overwhelming exaggeration in an effort to manipulate our kids’ natural sympathies. The result ironically is that youth develop favorable views about a controversial, high risk behavior. At the same time, any disagreement, even when responsibly expressed, is viewed as “hateful”.

This year, GLSEN adds a special twist to “Day of Silence”: shameless exploitation of the recent tragic school shooting death of California 8th grade student Lawrence King. Los Angeles media report that although the boy had been entrusted to the care of Casa Pacifica, a residential center for “abused, neglected, and severely emotionally disturbed children,” he had been permitted for the last two weeks to attend school in feminine makeup, nail polish, and high-heeled boots. The adult guardians, school administrators, and teachers responsible for guiding and protecting this precious troubled child failed him miserably; GLSEN fails him again now by employing his violent death to manipulate and deceive millions of children.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I said I wouldn’t talk about homosexuality and I’m not. This isn’t a post about whether it is right or wrong. I just don’t think school is the place for a political statement. I thought school was for education in the 3 R’s etc… Why have a day that disrupts education? I’m sorry for the young man who was killed. It was wrong as is anyone who is killed. Are we going to start having days of silence for college Student Body Presidents at UNC or for young co-eds at Auburn? What about days of silence for the millions of babies that are aborted?

This is stupid. If an adult wants to live a certain lifestyle then fine. That is their choice. But don’t shove all this mess down impressionable children and teens. Let them make up their own minds without a school sanctioned event.

What do you think?

[One News Now]

Ken Hutcherson, a pro-family pastor near Seattle, is objecting to the activities of what he calls a “sex club” in his daughter’s public high school — and to the fact that the club is allotted a whole day on the school calendar to promote its agenda. Pastor Ken Hutcherson is developing a “history,” so to speak, with Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Washington. When his daughter’s senior class invited the pro-family activist to speak on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, two pro-homosexual teachers interrupted the assembly. Hutcherson then had to remove his daughter from one of those teacher’s classrooms because of alleged harassment.

Now Hutcherson is upset because of a poster promoting the Gay Straight Alliance at the school. The poster displays silhouettes of three teenage couples — one male-female, one female-female, and one male-male — all embracing in front of a rainbow, as if they are about to kiss. It announces the weekly meetings of the GSA, a teacher-sponsored student group that promotes homosexuality, bi-sexuality, and gender confusion.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Why does a school need a “SEX CLUB?” Schools should be teaching abstinence not sex. Even if you are not a follower of Christ you would have to realize teenagers are too young to make those kind of decisions. I’ll keep religion out of this. What parent wants their child involved in this mess? Unbelievable!

What do you think?

[HT] My beautiful bride!