Abstinence Is Best

There is a tragic story in today's Rocky Mountain News (dtd 2-2-2009). It chronicles the tragedy of a 16 year old teen named Ashley Ryburn.

Ashley is desperately ill. She is losing her hair, she passes out when her blood pressure plummets and she is nauseous. She had not turned ill until she received her first injections of Gardasil, a medication designed to prevent cervical cancer. While there is no definite connection yet between Ashley's mysterious ailments and these shots, one has to suspect a smoking gun.

According to Joni Reynolds, immunization director for Colorado's Department of Public Health and the Environment, our state has not had reports of any serious reactions to the vaccine. Still, Ashley is sick, possibly of a shot reaction.

We live in a culture where a populist attitude exists-we hope to tempt fate and conquer consequences of unnatural practices with a shot or a pill. Unfortunately, the natural laws of this world are not often trumped.

God designed sex as a monogamous act between a husband and wife. Its practice outside of these boundaries leads to disease, unwanted pregnancies and heartache.
The bottom line today is that if you have sex with someone other than your spouse, you risk infection by a host of of nasty sexually transmitted bugs.

We will pray that God will heal Ashley. Her tragedy is a clarion call for parents to help their kids practice abstinence instead of a shot as the best way to stay healthy.