Christian Sex Ethics
Sometimes I don't get Christians. Like the other day I am hanging out with a group of people and we are just talking about life. Someone mentions UNICEF and asks if I've ever heard of it, which of course I have. FC Barcelona pays them almost $2 million per year for the next five years in order to wear their logo on the front of their shirt (read:jersey). It's a huge deal because Barcelona has never had a logo on the front of their shirt even though it could reap them over $25 million in profit each year. This is how most football clubs make money, and will be seen this year in the US for the first time this year when Major League Soccer clubs are allowed to strike sponsorship deals.
There is a lady at the table who is getting a little worked up as we talk about UNICEF for a minute, and I should tell you that I love this lady. She is the most amazing prayer warrior I know. But she goes on this kick about how she can't stand UNICEF because they distribute condoms and don't do enough to promote sexual abstinence. Now UNICEF is a big program, so I wasn't well-versed in all aspects of what they do so I didn't argue. But then I went back and did some research on what UNICEF is about. Having done that, I've come to a conclusion I'm certain about:
Christians are crazy if we throw UNICEF under the bus. Look, I'm all for abstinence. It will be a value that I stress to my kids. It is an important value in my ministry. But just because UNICEF hands out condoms doesn't mean they aren't doing some really great things for people in the Third World. UNICEF gets what the church doesn't get. AIDS in the Third World is a very complicated deal that needs to be addressed on a number of different levels. That's why they work on "protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse." That's why they speak out on a regular basis against the sex trade and work to liberate women from it. Unlike most Christians, UNICEF understands that to tackle the AIDS pandemic we need to promote gender equality because "the empowerment of women and girls [is] the way to a sustainable and just society."
If Christians want to get pissed off at something, get pissed off at ourselves because not only have we dropped the ball when it comes to addressing practical solutions to deal with AIDS, but we are so out of touch with the contributing factors to the problem that we think speeches on abstinence will be enough for the situation to resolve itself. This didn't become a big problem overnight and it won't go away overnight either.
By the way...Even though UNICEF does have a component that included condom distribution and education it also talks quite a bit about sexual abstinence and mutual fidelity. Just thought you should know that. If you want to know more about UNICEF, then check out their website. If you want to know more about AIDS and other big issues plaguing AFRICA, check out DATA.
Fair Dinkum
There is a lady at the table who is getting a little worked up as we talk about UNICEF for a minute, and I should tell you that I love this lady. She is the most amazing prayer warrior I know. But she goes on this kick about how she can't stand UNICEF because they distribute condoms and don't do enough to promote sexual abstinence. Now UNICEF is a big program, so I wasn't well-versed in all aspects of what they do so I didn't argue. But then I went back and did some research on what UNICEF is about. Having done that, I've come to a conclusion I'm certain about:
Christians are crazy if we throw UNICEF under the bus. Look, I'm all for abstinence. It will be a value that I stress to my kids. It is an important value in my ministry. But just because UNICEF hands out condoms doesn't mean they aren't doing some really great things for people in the Third World. UNICEF gets what the church doesn't get. AIDS in the Third World is a very complicated deal that needs to be addressed on a number of different levels. That's why they work on "protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse." That's why they speak out on a regular basis against the sex trade and work to liberate women from it. Unlike most Christians, UNICEF understands that to tackle the AIDS pandemic we need to promote gender equality because "the empowerment of women and girls [is] the way to a sustainable and just society."
If Christians want to get pissed off at something, get pissed off at ourselves because not only have we dropped the ball when it comes to addressing practical solutions to deal with AIDS, but we are so out of touch with the contributing factors to the problem that we think speeches on abstinence will be enough for the situation to resolve itself. This didn't become a big problem overnight and it won't go away overnight either.
By the way...Even though UNICEF does have a component that included condom distribution and education it also talks quite a bit about sexual abstinence and mutual fidelity. Just thought you should know that. If you want to know more about UNICEF, then check out their website. If you want to know more about AIDS and other big issues plaguing AFRICA, check out DATA.
Fair Dinkum
This intellectually and morally very honest. What I like is that you make the point that a non-Christian organization like UNICEF can do good work and indeed address world issues like no other can - including Christian organizations. That is why I joined UNICEF and feel that it is a wonderful place to be for a Christian who wishes to see God's justice and love spread throughout.
Keep up the wise insight! Thanks