Doesn’t matter how educated a kid is if he has been raised in a household with fundamental religious values. He may have simply gotten carried away, which happens to well-educated adults, or he may be in denial. There are a handful of fundamental Christian denominations that preach unconditional abstinence in both actions *and * thoughts, and whose teachings and literature forbid impure thoughts, masturbation, and even the discussion of sex among peers. In my opinion shame is the most powerful emotion that is wielded by man, and no entity shames with impunity like strict, fundamentalist Christian parents. “Chastity Contracts” are a popular concept here in the South- youth are encouraged to sign a formal contract promising chastity in a ceremony in front of the congregation. That is a pretty heavy commitment (burden) to carry around when you spend 90% of your day squelching impure thoughts.
If you feel sick and ashamed just by thinking about sex, how are you supposed to carry a condom around? If you are completely opposed to masturbation, how are you supposed to learn how your penis works? Yeah, kid admits to being willfully stupid about matters of reproduction. But we don’t know how many years of shame and brainwashing have been used to prevent him from admitting to himself that sexuality is a natural, biological process that no one is immune to.
(I am *not * endorsing pre-marital sex. I support the Chuch’s teachings that abstinence until marriage is the smartest conduct; however- a lack of knowledge and communication can lead to mistakes, and it simply isn’t realistic to expect kids to deny every aspect of sexuality when teen hormones are plotting a mad conspiracy to mix genetic material.)
From the Watchtower: “… the fact that autoeroticism or masturbation is no mere innocent pastime but rather a practice that can lead to homosexual acts. How so? In that self-induced masturbation may make it easier and more tempting for one to engage in mutual masturbation, which is a form of homosexuality. Sincerely striving against this practice will go far to protect a youth.”
And on premarital sex:
“To act upon every sexual desire would be, in a sense, as foolish as hitting someone each time you felt anger.”
From the LDS website: “Latter-day Saints subscribe to a total morality.” and “Control our thoughts. No one commits sexual sin in an instant. Immoral acts always begin with impure thoughts. If we allow our thoughts to linger on obscene or immoral things, we have already taken the first step toward immorality. We must flee immediately from situations that may lead to sin and pray for constant strength to resist temptation and control our thoughts.”
There are teenagers who are emotionally and physically prepared for a sexual relationship. There are teenagers who are responsible enough to protect themselves from disease and pregnancy. There are teens who are mature enough to set limits and practice self-control.
The teenager in question does not match the above criteria, and should not have been fooling around. He was not emotionally, spiritually, or physically prepared to deal with the consequences, but I do not feel that this is entirely his fault.
