Good letter, my one suggestion would be (to you and other readers of this forum) that you not e-publish before you publish. Journalists do check these pages from time to time and if they saw that your letter was already in the public domain, it’s unlikely that they’d accept it for the letters page
But, if Saturday’s West Australian is anything to go by, then celibacy IS newsworthy after all!
The same day as Latham’s comments, The West gave over most of page 3 to this story (which - in spite of the cheesy title - was quite well-presented - with some photos of some of the church members including a young couple of who had been going out for 5 years; and a WAFL footballer).
No sex please, we’re modern
PAMELA MAGILL
For growing numbers of young West Australians, sex is out and virginity is cool. The purity craze that is sweeping the world doesn’t cost a cent and parents are likely to be comforted to know their children are jumping on the bandwagon.
In WA each year the Riverview Church in Burswood holds a purity pledge. From humble beginnings, the Church now expects as many as 1000 young people to make the commitment at a service later this month to abstain from sex before marriage.
The pledge is not just open to teenagers. Singles aged up to 30 and married couples are also involved and committing themselves to a sexually pure lifestyle within their marriage.
Youth and young adults minister Alyson Passauer attributes a variety of factors to chastity’s popularity.
She said young people were now physically maturing faster but their emotional and psychological maturity did not necessarily keep pace. This was a source of ongoing tension.
The Church came across many young people who needed recovery counselling after sexual experiences. They had protected themselves physically by using a condom but then felt shame or violation from having sex.
Mrs Passauer said the pledge was about saying: “I am not going to open myself up to the emotional and spiritual effects that come from premarital sex”.
“We have got 14-year-olds, 15-year-olds, having sex and coming to us with such feelings - incredible feelings of shame and guilt and violation and feeling that this experience has actually in some way caused them some form of emotional heartbreak and we are saying that doesn’t always have to happen,” she said.
“There is another option, it is not just about saying no, it is about saying I value my sexuality but I also value my emotional state and psychological state so I am going to make wise choices.”
Mrs Passauer said that young people were faced with almost relentless cultural pressures to be sexually active.
But at the same time there was a growing awareness of the damaging physical consequences of sexual activity outside marriage, such as sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies.
Those who took the pledge placed value on their virginity and challenged their peers to do the same.
“It’s much more personal than being aligned to a movement and just being part of some worldwide phenomenon,” she said.
“For a Christian young person they see their sexuality as a gift from God, just as they see their life, their destiny is a gift.”
She said there was a powerful positive reinforcement on pledge night.
“Given the society we are in promotes such a sex-crazy kind of ethos, this is quite refreshing for young people to see that they actually don’t have to have sex,” she said.
But I was disappointed to see that the pledge is only open to “Singles aged up to 30” - I suppose after that point it’s your scriptural duty to have started a family. (i’m being ironic by the way - i’m single & 33 myself)
[quote author="Jason"]Why is it that if a politician or any person for that matter tries to live a life of ‘impeccable standards of personal propriety’ it is viewed as dull? Isn’t it more important that a person has character, is dedicated and hardworking, with a vision and passion for serving their community?
Great questions, Jason!
Please excuse my tangent here…
I live in the western suburbs and I hate the “westie” stereotype. While I recognise that some areas have low socio-economic status and education (particularly tertiary) isn’t as common as in other areas, I hate the implication that we are all illiterate, uneducated, ugg-boot-and-flannie-wearers! Okay, partly “stereotype” jokes are not my kind of humour (e.g. whereas my siblings and some friends find The Castle and similar movies to be funny, I hate them passionately!), but partly I don’t like it because I feel that it creates false, worldly distinctions between people.
I’m not suggesting that anyone who jokes about “westies” (or other groups) intends to do this, but I do appreciate Claire’s comment that it is “an insult to those Mark Latham claims to represent” (and to anyone else who finds themself the brunt of such humour). I’m glad to see Sophie’s letter not only presenting the Christian lifestyle but also challenging the stereotypical “barefoot and pregnant” comments I’ve heard too many times.
As Christians, we shouldn’t encourage stereotyping - rather, we need to remember that we’re all sinful, regardless of age, background, postcode, ethnicity, wealth or education, etc… and we are all united in Christ alone.
Thank you. I’m finished now. Well, for tonight, anway!
Well, hang on. Although I passionately disagree with the theology being pushed by Hillsong, Peter Costello doesn’t praise them for their theology.
He praises them for their music (which I don’t like either, but each to their own), and “promoting the values that made our country strong”.
Which they do. Their rehabilitation programs help drug addicts and youth delinquents get back on their feet, give young people a renewed sense of purpose and direction in life, and give many other people of all ages a similar benefit. From a secular political viewpoint, that does not take into account eternal consequences but only immediate effects, they are promoting many of the moral values that made our country strong - including, perhaps, the particularly liberal value of individual free enterprise! They promote the family, ethical business dealings, relational integrity and so on - all very entrenched in liberal party values.
Can we really expect politicians to be drawing theological lines?
Costello was there in his capacity as a minister of the Crown; and as a Christian. He wasn’t representing a ‘political party’ and he wasn’t there representing a ‘denomination’ Surely he is able to endorse their values and their music, without being seen to personally promote every single aspect of their teaching.
What was disappointing to me was this cynical and unpleasant piece of journalism itself
You get the feeling that the journalist feels threatened by the apparent youth, enthusiasm and prosperity of the congregation as if those things are just bad in themselves.
That he is more comfortable with churches that are just cold half-empty gothic buildings full of harmless old folks; and with clergy who can be relied on for a hand-wringing left-wing platitude from time to time.
Perhaps Hillsong’s real ‘sin’ is not its teaching on money (as I doubt the media would even begin to understand the issues in dispute) but the fact that - horribile dictu! - it associates with Liberal Party politicians. Obviously not a proper church if it sups with the devil himself.
I am going to extricate myself graciously at this point by noting that I didn’t say what was disappointing :-)
I am disappointed, but I am going to hold back from saying what I’m disappointed about until I can figure out which way the forum bullets are flying. Anyway, if my letter gets published, my cover will be blown.
As for sleeping, her name is Lily, she’s 18 months old and I don’t know what the hey is going on. I would greatly appreciate prayers for family stability and happiness (that last depending on what God wills-I’m no utilitarian!!)
Before he finished his rousing address, Mr Costello empathised with the audience, declaring “the editorial writers might not understand it, but I want to say to you, more lives have been transformed by Jesus Christ than have been transformed by the editorial writers.”
What a great saying - good for you peter - good for you.
Gordon you said,
I am disappointed, but I am going to hold back from saying what I’m disappointed about until I can figure out which way the forum bullets are flying. Anyway, if my letter gets published, my cover will be blown.
Boo, hisss, booo thats not fair - you should stand up for what you believe regardless of which way the bullets fly.
Hi all, no idea who Ian is or if he’s a Christian, but regardless, this is a good letter, isn’t it? Christians are suffering in the Sudan and I am woefully ignorant about it ...
Andrew See (Letters, July 8) asks why the peace movement has been silent on the genocide in Sudan. The answer is because the ones committing the genocide are Arab Muslims, and the US is not involved.
You can be sure that should the US step in to attempt to stop the genocide committed by the Muslim government against non-Muslims in Sudan, the peace movement would be on the streets demonstrating against the US in no time at all. The only time we are anti-war is when America gets involved. (Ian Fraser, Rockdale, July 9)
A similar point coould be made about the way Christian deaths in Indonesia are reported. The media, by and large, couldn’t care less.
Congrats to Julie from my Church who made it into the letters today.
A theology student, Julie Brackenreg, of Eastwood, was searching the web for articles related to Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. After she typed in the prompts, the following sponsored link was automatically suggested: “The Colon Cleansing Kit. Cleanse intestinal build-up like the photos shown on this site.” Not quite what she was looking for.
It is incredible that people have not swamped the Herald with letters questioning the belief of the mother of Sophie Delezio - the girl injured when a car crashed into her preschool - that Sophie survived her ordeal because of intervention by a saint ("Virtue reality as files mass for a miracle”, Herald, July 5).
Few thinking people these days believe in such things - let alone angels, devils, hell or virginal conceptions. As for heaven, even the Pope has said it is not a “physical place amid the clouds”.
Interesting… Mr Latham has “[no] interest in the subject matter” despite the fact that over 100 000 babies are aborted every year in the country he wants to be Prime Minister of.
[quote author="Dani Treweek"]Interesting… Mr Latham has “[no] interest in the subject matter” despite the fact that over 100 000 babies are aborted every year in the country he wants to be Prime Minister of.
More interesting than John Howard, who ostensibly is against abortion, has allowed 100,000 babies to be aborted every year in the country he actually is the Prime Minister of?
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