Abstinence is the only road to freedom

On Africa trip, Pope says condoms won't solve AIDS

I noticed this article amongst the headlines because I was just talking about this very topic at lunch today. Based on what I've seen in Congo-Brazzaville, condoms absolutely cannot stop the spread of AIDS (in my humble opinion). Sexual activity begins in jr high school and continues with infidelity in marriage. Statistically it just seems impossible that the spread of an STD can be stopped when everyone is having sex with multiple partners...even if they're using condoms.

I talk about abstinence as much as I can and encourage the young people in my youth group to believe it's possible to wait for the one life partner destined for them. But it's a tough battle. Many people do not believe that abstinence is even possible. It is said that one's organs will not function properly if they are not used. The sad thing is that this is a lie that is the exact opposite from the truth--Abstinence is what promotes sexual health. Condoms are hardly needed for birth control because STDs and venereal diseases are so rampant that fertility is hard to come by.

I don't believe we can fight this war against AIDS through science and teaching people proper techniques. This is a social and spiritual battle. The beauty and holiness of a man and woman coming together needs to be reclaimed and cherished and prized. The married couple is the building block of society and when those blocks are in shambles there's nothing to build with and no shelter for people to live in. Exposed to the elements there's no telling what may befall them. That's what I see when I think of the AIDS epidemic. Societies that have fallen apart. Rather than helping them rebuild, we're just handing out helmets hoping they'll dodge the bullets amongst the wreckage.

I know that not every situation is the same, and there are different ways of spreading AIDS, but if the majority of people in a given society would be abstinent outside of marriage and faithful inside it, they would save their own lives and the lives of many others around them and we'd get control over this terrible monster ravaging the continent. That may not be popular opinion, but to me it just seems common sense. And it would solve so many other major problems along with it--unwanted children and teen pregnancies, infertility due to sexual activity, jealousy and lack of trust in marriage. This is a lofty goal, much more difficult than handing out little plastic wrappers, but in the end it's the only choice that produces real results and happiness and stability.