As I sit here and read this
article [Underage Dating: The Elephant in the Social Conservative
Living-Room], it is clear that it quickly cuts to the core of one of the major
arteries of concern in our country today: Relationships. Relationships [especially
intimate and sexual] are what are presently governing our current issues of
abortion, children out of wedlock, living together versus marriage, and divorce
[just to name a few]. This is not just a liberal or left-wing issue, but rather
a conservative or right-wing problem as well.
We are teaching our children
[even before their teenage years] that they should be considering relationships
[more intimate that mere friendships] with the opposite sex. And we are leading
them to develop these feelings at a time when most often they are not even
mature or responsible enough to even complete their chores, give proper time to
study, maintain respect for adults, and have a healthy relationship with their
own family and friends. How can we expect them to adjust properly to a couple
relationship, while denying [or refusing to acknowledge] that it will most
often be merely sexual in nature?
By encouraging our children
into relationships – especially at a time when we should be preparing them
mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for adult life – we are rather [whether
knowingly or ignorantly] pushing them to embrace their hormonal urges [not yet
even fully developed or understood] to the opposite sex. When children cannot
even understand [or consider] all the [future] consequences possible from a
momentary lapse in judgment [which is still developing; for even we adults seem
often to have a problem realizing this] and are seldom able to control their
desires [even to such things as food, sweets, games, fashion, alcohol,
pornography, etc.], how can we expect them to abstain from what their flesh,
the world, and the devil so want to press them to do?
It all begins with a
relationship which is based on fleshly desire, whether because of physical
attraction, out of necessity [because everyone else is doing it], or parental
push [trying to relive out their life through their children]. Because they are
most often unable to discern what a relationship should be [because they are
immature, and they aren't learning anything moral from society], it is usually
based on a selfish motive of “what makes me feel good”. Such is why they jump
from relationship to relationship, and some end up pregnant.
We aren't teaching our
children commitment – neither to God nor relationships – and we wonder why our
nation is falling apart. Why are we pushing our children to “young
love” when there is so much more they need to learn and are lacking at such a time in
their lives?
God help us!
