A few nights ago, I was flipping through the hundreds of channels on my television when I stumbled across "19 Kids and Counting." I frequently watch this show for no other reason than to pass the time and for curiosity. This particular episode focused on the courtship between one of the older daughters and her intended spouse. They explained why there was no holding hands or physical contact other than a side hug before the commitment of engagement. Then, you get to hold hands. They explained that this encourages really getting to know one another prior to any physical relationship. They explained how they did this to honor God and themselves in keeping themselves pure prior to marriage.
The older daughters of the Duggar family have written a book called "Growing up Duggar; It's All about Relationships".
I thought about this after the episode was over. I thought about my own adolescence and then what has become the "norm" for young adults these days. It seems giving yourself physically to someone has turned into a casual thing. Don't get me wrong, I was not an angel growing up. I made my fair share of mistakes. I used those mistakes to try to teach my daughter how not to make those same mistakes. My heart was broken more than once by someone who I thought was committed to a relationship but was just looking for the quick physical gain.
Anyway, like I said, I was thinking about this episode of the TV show and I started pondering what if young adults today were to buy into the chastity program? Whether they do it for religious purposes or not, what could be wrong with it? A lot of relationships today end in divorce (if there was even a marriage to begin with). How many people go into a relationship and not really know everything about their partner? If you took an oath to get to know each other through conversation and experiencing things together without the added pressure of physical intimacy, how many more marriages would remain intact "til death do us part"?
At the risk of sounding like an old, wet blanket, our world is sliding down a slippery slope. People with little value for their lives, let alone others' lives. When is it time to stand up and fight for self worth?
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