Uganda Virginity Growing Because Of AIDS

The headlines could read "Virginity Becoming A "National Obsession" in Uganda." The threat of AIDS has brought the country to acceptance and promotion of virginity with "abstinence parties." Billboards say "Abstinence...You Can!" Scholarships are being offered for those women who can undergo gynecological exams and prove their virginity. This is being supported at the top levels.

And the liberals are screaming because they think that condom use is de-emphasized. Actually both programs are in place. But abstinence is catching on.

The wife of the President has said that the promotion of condom use is racist because it implies that black people cannot control their urges.

And there you have it. Control of urges is not very popular in the liberal left. "If it feels good, do it," is a left over dinosaur of the 60's.

Self control is a result of a relationship with God. No God, no relationship. No relationship, no self control. Maybe we should promote condoms with the godless and abstinence with the Christians in Uganda.

Religion ( a bad word to me) tries to put these things in a different order. It says, self control leads to a relationship with God. But God's word says otherwise. Faith is what leads us to a relationship, not self control. Self control is a result of relationship. Faith recognizes that the only moral excellence (virtue) we have is a free gift from Jesus. These are not my words. These are the words of the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1: 5-7

...add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. (NKJV)

Notice how knowledge (of God) leads to self control? Self control leads to endurance. And enduring in controlling our urges leads finally to godliness? We don't begin to live godly lives until we first

... have faith...receive the free gift of righteousness....that leads us to relationship with the Holy God..... which affects us in such a way that we learn self control.... and as we endure in self control and don't backslide.....we begin to live godly and look godly....ending in love of others.....first the church.....and then those outside of the church. (Harpel paraphrase)

You can see the article in the LA Times here.