by Jessie Schut with files from Terri Lackey of Baptist Press
To the turbulent beat of the Christian rock group Newboys, 18,000 teenagers and youth ministers watched 350,000 True Love Waits cards reach the roof of the 27-story Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The mood was jubilant and celebrative as young people lifted their friends above the crowd in a process known as surfing.
True Love Waits is an international campaign designed to challenge teenagers and college students to remain sexual abstinent until marriage. The cards were signed pledges by teens of their intention to maintain chastity.
The Thru the Roof rally coincided with Atlanta ‘96, a conference of youth leaders representing 125 denominations and Christian youth organizations. Other contemporary Christian artists who performed at the hour-long rally included DC Talk and Michael W. Smith.
The 350,000 cards pulled to the roof of the Georgia Dome were gathered from all 50 states and 76 countries. About 175,000 of the cards represented commitments from young people who live in countries outside of the US.
More than 100 young people from First Baptist Church, Conyers, Ga., and the Tulip Grove Baptist Church, Hermitage, Tenn., worked for hours the night before event stringing the cards onto a 200-foot steel cable which was lifted to the roof of the dome by a giant winch and pulley mechanism. An overflow of cards, including some that were delivered the day of the celebration by attending teens, was added to the second cable.
Archie Binnie, chaplain at West Edmonton Mall’s Marketplace Chapel, attended the event and watched as the loud and boisterous crowd celebrated the event.
“There were kids that gave wonderful testimonies,” he said.
“A young man of about 16 stood up before his peers and said that he’s made a commitment to his accountability partner that he’d abstain from sex till marriage. The kid said getting involved in sex is a selfish move, that you’re only thinking about your own needs when you fool around. It takes a lot of courage to speak up like that.”
Speakers at the rally challenged kids to be real Christians—radical Christians who are radically different from their parents, their peers and their culture.
Binnie is encouraged by the radical Christian youth he saw at the rally, and is convinced that movements such as True Love Waits and meets You At The Pole are signs of revival.
“I was challenged by the loud music and the strange appearance of the thousands of youths I saw there—the shaved heads and baggy pants and back ward ball caps,” he confessed.
“But then I realized these are the kids that are going to be able to witness to the real world out there. And these kids are being radical Christians.”
At the rally, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist-sponsored abstinence campaign announced a new goal and theme—“True Love Waits Goes Campus.” on Valentine’s Day 1997, our goal is to display True Love Waits cards on every school campus in school. America — all 56,000 in the US, and more across the world,” Richard Ross, youth ministry consultant at the Baptist Sunday School Board, told the crowd.
The new campaign will empower students to take the message of Christ and together abstinence to their peers at the school. This summer, high school and college students will be trained in using Christian club at the school to coordinate abstinence campaigns on their campuses. On Valentine’s Day 1997, True Love Waits Goes Campus is expected to culminate with a visible demonstration of commitment cards at the school that participate in the event. “True Love Waits Goes Campus will allow students to Christ on their campuses with the channels already in place, “ spokesman for the campaign Paul Turner said.
“Campus clubs provide a natural vehicle for that, and campus club organizations and True Love Waits can partner to Strengthen and support each other.”
Turner said he hopes President Clinton’s January announcements for a national campaign against teen pregnancy, to be led by Nashville gynecologist Henry Foster will be used to promote sexual abstinence.
Each year, about one million American teenagers get pregnant That is approximately 11 per cent of females between the ages of 15 and 19, according to White House statistics. Twice as many teenagers have babies in the US than in Britain, and six times more than in France, Italy and Denmark.
“We must share that abstinence is the only safe sex option that is 100 per cent fool proof,” he said.
More information about True Love Waits, which is supported by 42 other denominations and Christian student organizations, may be obtained by calling 1-800-LUV-WAIT.
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Straight Talk
by Jessie Schut
“Back in 1984, I become both disturbed and interested in what was happening in the area of sex education,” says Bev Hadland, founder of Straight Talk counselling centres for youth.
“My concern related to the concentration on the ‘safer sex’ message delivered to our youth in ‘Sex Ed’ classes. There was little or no emphasis placed on chastity, which means sexual activity exclusively inside marriage.”
Hadland believed that the youth of Canada were being sent the wrong message. She decided to open straight talk, a youth counselling centre with a different message. She decided to open straight talk, a youth counselling center with a different message for her for it wasn’t easy. Her application to get to get charity status for her organization was turned down, she was told, because Straight Talk was too strident in its position on chastity.
Hadland had to challenge the decision in Ottawa—a costly procedure. But finally after a three-year wait, charitable status was granted, opening the way for the first Straight Talk centre in Toronto.
The obstacles and road blocks are still abundant. Many public high schools do not approve of the counselling centres because they do not promote or approve of sexual activity outside of marriage.
Unlike many community health centres, the organization receives no government assistance; it will not accept funding from any group that supports the ‘safer sex’ message. Financial support comes solely from individuals, businesses, churches and foundations who believe in the chastity message.
Still, Hadland is not discouraged.
“We represent 50 per cent of the teenage population who might not otherwise receive the encouragement, support and counselling necessary to sustain their decision.”
Some people might think that chastity is an unrealistic choice, but Hadland points out that almost 50 per cent of teens are still choosing abstinence with little or no outside support.
Hadland travels extensively proclaiming her message, and giving the straight facts to teens and their parents. She has lectured in seven countries to over a million people at school, conferences and churches.
She’s has appeared on talk shows as diverse as Shirley and 100 Huntley Street. Her book Hang On To Your Hormones is a bestseller, and Straight Talk distributes three videos of her presentations.
The Canadian Foundation for the Love of Children is sponsoring a Straight Talk tour in Alberta May 13-19. In previous tours, Hadland has been extremely well received by students, parents, and schools. “Her presentation was a roaring success.” said Pat Halpin of Archbishop O’Leary high school in an evaluation.
“The students found she could speak in specific and clear language, and the teachers liked her positive and life-affirming approach.”
Another testimony from Eastglen composite high school noted that “Ms. Hadland presents one of the most pragmatic and persuasive presentations I have ever heard regarding sexual abstinence during the formative teen years.”
Organizations, church groups, and schools who wish to book Ms. Hadland for a presentation, or order “chastity supplies” can contact Sue Scinta at 439-3412.
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Virgin
and proud of it
Phoenix Suns Basketball star A.C. Green could have as many girls as he wants At every game, there’s any number of them hanging around, wanting to go home and spend the night with him.
But Green has chosen a different path. He’s a virgin, and proud of it.
Green, who is 32 and unmarried, has chosen chastity as a guiding principal in his relationships with women.
“I’m waiting till I get married to have sex,” he told Campus Life magazine in a recent interview.
“One, it’s what God wants me to do. Two, it’s what I want to do because it makes God happy. And three, because I’m holding on to something that’s going to make another person happy, a person I’m going to spend my life with.”
Green feels so strongly about this issue, he has formed Athletes for Abstinence, a branch of the A.C. Green Youth Foundation.
Together with athletes David Robinson, Barry Sanders, Reggie White, and rap group Idol King, He made a video “ It Ain’t Worth It” telling kids what he believes about safe sex.
“Condoms aren’t as successful as many would have you believe,” he says. “And then there’s the emotional devastation that often follows premarital sex, the headaches and heartaches that go with it. It’s the devaluing of one’s self.”
And he knows that, contrary to popular opinion, not everyone is doing it. He believes you can still have fun, still feel like a human being, without having premarital sex. He knows, because he’s enjoying life, Doing the things he loves.
“I love doing good, down-to-earth types of things,” he says. “I love to spend time with my nieces and nephews, taking them to Disneyland, watching them grow up. I’ve learned to appreciate a lot of the little things in life.”
Green, who just recently played in his 785th consecutive NBA game, minus two teeth that had been knocked out in a previous game, has one message to give to youth who are contemplating pre-marital sex: “It ain’t worth it!”
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