Why Abstinence
Free from Pregnancy
If you stop having sex, you are free from being involved in an unplanned pregnancy and having to help financially support and raise a child.
Free from the Adoption Decision
While adoption can be a positive decision, it is hard for everyone involved. The bond which may form between the parents and the unborn baby prior to adoption is difficult to break.
Free from Physical and Emotional Problems Associated with Abortion
Abortion can have a lasting impact on both parents. Teens and adults alike have experienced the painful consequences of abortion.
Free from Sexually Transmitted Diseases
There is a strong relationship between the rise in sexual activity and the rise in the number of those acquiring STDs. Many STDs cannot be seen or felt and some can lead to sterility or death.
Free from the Risks and Side Effects of the Pill, the Shot, and Other Contraceptives
Contraceptives are never 100 percent effective and all have some type of side effect.
Free from Marrying Someone Too Soon
Often, people may think that they have a strong relationship when it is actually grounded in physical attraction. Some couples avoid dealing with problems by engaging in sex. This leaves them knowing how to communicate only on a physical level while problems continue to mount. This usually causes the relationship to end. Practicing self-control enables you to determine whether you are in a healthy or an unhealthy relationship.
Free from Unintentional Exploitation
Most people are looking for intimacy, not sex. In most cases, those who end up having sex regret it later.
Free to Know You Have Not Damaged Your (or Someone Else's) Reproductive Health
If someone says "yes" to sex today, she/he may not realize what tomorrow can bring. Many do not experience any signs or symptoms from an STD (such as Chlamydia), yet it can leave them sterile (unable to have children). Often the problem is discovered too late.
Free to Pursue Life Goals
A person who says "no" to sex today will be able to concentrate on reaching his/her goals and fulfilling his/her dreams. YOUR FUTURE MATTERS! If you don't strive for some goals and dreams, you will usually live only for the moment and never achieve your life goals.
Free to Respect Yourself and Others
Self-esteem is earned and learned. When a person controls his/her sexual desires, he/she builds his/her self-esteem and develops a respect for his/her body.
Free to Establish a Greater Trust in Marriage
The practice of self-control creates discipline. Good marriages take work, patience, and trust — the same components of self-control.
Free to Enjoy Being Young Without Pressure
Life is hard enough without the physical and emotional problems associated with sexual relationships outside of a committed marriage relationship.
From "sex, Lies, &The Truth", Focus on the Family, 1994
To find out more about abstinence, click here.
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