5 for Friday: the Law of Chastity

This week I am going with a theme: The Law of Chastity.


For centuries there was a basic, accepted belief that sexual activity was to be restricted to a man and woman who were legally married. While there were always those who ignored this law, I believe most people lived this way. There was little reason not to. No TV or Internet or music to tempt you away from your commitments. That was simply life and people lived it.

At some point in the not-so-distant past, Society decided this law was stupid. "They" collectively wadded it up, threw it in the mud, stomped on it for a while and then spit on it for good measure.

"Ha, HA! Take that you antiquated, restrictive law that sucks the fun out of everything we want to do! We are educated and we know better than to follow some stuffy old rules. We are going to go out and make the world way cooler and totally more funner! So there!!"

Now that some time has passed, the folly of this choice is glaringly obvious. Governments and civic groups scramble to fix the problems without reinstating this simple law and running the risk of being called horrible names like "lame" and "old-fashioned".

My 5 for Friday will be 5 problems that are the direct result of breaking the Law of Chastity. I must admit that I am continually shocked by how screwed up things have become in such a few short years!

1. Unplanned Pregnancies. This applies specifically to those born to unmarried parents. Now, you might be thinking of committed couples who never got around to getting married or those crazy teenagers who made one mistake. While these situations may be breaking the Law of Chastity, they are not even close to the biggest problems in this area.

For example: I know a woman who has 2 children by 2 different men. She was not married to either man. Each man has at least one child by another woman. One man wants nothing to do with any of his children. The mothers are spending time together so their kids can "get to know their brothers and sisters". The children are naturally confused about their relationship with one another, especially confused that their brother's brother is not their brother because he has a different father. Amazingly, none of the adults see anything wrong with this situation!

2. Artificial Insemination. This might seem like a way around the Law of Chastity. You can have a baby without being married of even having sex! But the consequences are shocking. Children conceived this way have no idea who their fathers are. They might marry their half sibling and not even know! There are cases of men "fathering" DOZENS!!! of children. Now our government is try to regulate this process because "Ooops! We didn't think about the long term consequences." There is talk of legal rights of "donor dads", privacy issues, medical histories, etc. I can't imagine how those pedigree charts look! And who would they be sealed to if the opportunity arose?

3. Abortion. This is not exactly news anymore. And that’s the problem. In one generation abortion has gone from being a controversial issue to being widely accepted and even encouraged. It is no longer the desperate attempt of a woman who made a mistake. Abortion is such an acceptable form of birth control that it is a routine question when a woman has a positive pregnancy test. "Well, ma'am, your test is positive. You're going to have a baby...if you want to. If you don't, I can make you an appointment right now to take care of that." Like a baby is just an annoying parasite!

4. Disease. Sexually transmitted diseases have been around for a long time but never in the numbers we see today. There are the innocent children who are infected and potentially contagious in certain situations. Thanks to privacy laws teacher and parents don’t know who might be infected and therefore have extensive procedures to insure a certain degree of safety. Medical professionals try hard to fight those diseases, many of which are incurable. There are drug treatments, vaccines, and preventative steps taught in schools and hospitals. Those encouraging abstinence are openly mocked. Isn't it better to stay well than to take such a potentially life-threatening risk? How much suffering would be eliminated if people kept the Law of Chastity?

5. Divorce. Divorce is increasingly common. It is heartbreaking to see families torn apart. The reasons for divorce are varied but breaking the Law of Chastity is a common cause. Many people still believe that you should be faithful to your spouse even if they did not abstain before marriage. So why is it so hard? My theory is, simply, habit. In a world where promiscuity is not only expected but encouraged, many young people have sex simply to fit in. There is no commitment, no self-control. They learn to give in to their urges and act on impulse. They get married, fully intending to be faithful. Then those urges arise. They fall back into the patterns of their youth, acting on impulse and justifying their actions just as they did before. They did not learn proper skills for dealing with their sexual feeling and are unprepared to deal with them when they arise again.

The answers to life’s problems are often simple. There is a reason for the commandments we have been given. Breaking the Laws of God leads to chaos, confusion, and suffering. I guess sometimes we have to learn things the hard way!

I know that obedience is difficult. I also know that our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy. He has given us laws and commandments for a reason. Who would have imagined the disastrous consequences of breaking this law? I certainly wouldn’t have! But our Father knew. He has been constant. He has been patient. He has provided a way to repent when we mess up. As a whole, we cannot fix all the problems we have created by our disobedience. But as individuals we can make personal changes to fix the broken parts of our lives. The government can’t fix it. The UN can’t fix it. Non-Profit groups can’t fix it. Only by turning to the Lord can our society return to the order and peace that comes with obedience.