The Condom Invasion and Secularism

Are condoms the answer to teen pregnancy, abortion, and STDs? California seems to think so. Evidently, this state is so certain of this that they have boldly invaded unwitting homes with their surprise gift package:

• The California Department of Public Health has begun a program of providing free condoms by mail to children as young as twelve. The Condom Access Project (CAP) was rolled out the week of February 14th in Alameda, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Kern and parts of San Francisco counties under the direction of the California Family Health Council.

Oddly, when the church insists on abstinence, it is “pushing religion.” However, when the State pushes condoms, even into private homes in “unmarked envelopes,” this is not “pushing religion.” When the church takes issue with the condom program, the secularists scream, “separation church and state,” as if secularism itself is not a religion. However, if an anti-condoms initiative is a religion, then the pro-condoms initiative is also religion. It is not right that only one side be heard, because the other, deemed “religion,” is thereby silenced!

It would be one thing if the secular State could demonstrate that their approach works best. A little evidence might go a long way. However, the studies haven’t been kind to the secularist. For instance:

• A report issued by the devolved Scottish government has shown the failure of “safer sex” campaigns to teach ever-younger audiences about condoms and other sexual practices intended to reduce the rates of teen pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted diseases. The report says that all age groups know about “safer sex,” but that teen pregnancies and rates of sexually transmitted diseases still continue to climb. 

In another study:

• Out of Spain has found … that contraception actually increases abortion rates. The authors, who published their findings in the January 2011 issue of the journal Contraception, conducted surveys of about 2,000 Spanish women aged 15 to 49 every two years from 1997 to 2007.  They found that over this period the number of women using contraceptives increased from 49.1% to 79.9%. Yet they noted that in the same time frame the country’s abortion rate more than doubled from 5.52 per 1,000 women to 11.49. 

It is not enough for the secularists to scream, “separation church and state” – and they too are in essence a church - in order to support their religious approach. They need some hard evidence. However, the evidence has consistently pointed its indicting finger back at secularism. The proliferation of secularism throughout the West in the sixties has ubiquitously been accompanied by every indicator of social deterioration – the explosion of crime, drug abuse, abortion, STDs, single-parent families, divorce, suicide, mental illness, and now skyrocketing debt.

Perhaps there is a need to start a new movement – “Occupy-the-Media.” Last night, Neil Gabler, while interviewed by Bill Moyers, insisted that the Media is failing to cover all sides of the issues. While they proclaim diversity, the last thing they seem to want is diversity of viewpoint. If management requires accurate feedback, then also the government and all of us who participate in the democratic process.