Sex Ed

Thank you, First Things, for pointing out the false dichotomy between being for abstinence before marriage and being for our young women: "The Myth of the Contraceptive Compromise." Here's the money quote for me and for any other dads of daughters:

"In his patronizing dismissal of abstinence programs, [journalist William] Saletan speaks of 'mating' - meaning sexual intimacy—as an unstoppable force of nature. There is nothing natural or inevitable, however, about a teenage girl giving in to sexual demands from young men. In fact, it goes against much of human nature, and women’s self-protective inclinations used to be supported by the people and institutions around her. Not today: Her school, her culture, often her family, and sometimes even her church are no longer on her side. Now Saletan wants her president to get in line against her resolve."

I will teach my kids about 1) contraceptives, but also that 2) sex is good, that 3) a marriage relationship is what you want to preserve it for, and that 4) so it's OK to choose to save yourself and your mother and I support you in that. After all, they may hear a lot about #1 but not so much about #2, #3, and #4; so that's my job.