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Thursday 19 May 2011

FPA's RENI OPENS FIRE ON NADINE

Nadine Dorries MP is under fire from the Family Planning Association after her appearance on the Vanessa Feltz daytime TV show on Monday 16th May, promoting her Ten-Minute-Rule Bill calling for abstinence-based sex education for girls.  Many Christians have reservations, but more of that in a moment.

The assault on Nadine is being led at the moment by English Literature student Morenike (Reni) Eddo-Lodge, who was outraged at her appearance on the television.  How dare Channel Five give air time to someone who disagrees with the liberal status quo?

Reni fumed in The Guardian: 'When it was first introduced, Dorries insisted her aim was to empower teenage girls to say "no" to sex. There is really nothing empowering about teaching young women that their sexuality is not their own. Abstinence-based sex education teaches girls that sex isn't something that they participate in – instead, it's something they give in to.'

Nadine was opposed on the Vanessa Show by Julie Bentley, chief executive of the FPA, which masquerades as a 'sexual health charity' (that's how Reni described it - on message, well done) but is actually a business selling sex education materials and contraceptives.The show will be there online until Sunday 22nd May.  Also involved in the discussion were former England international rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio and Vanessa's co-presenter Ben Ofoedu.

Reni ought to have declared an interest.  She has started volunteering for the FPA, according to an interview she did for the online mag Studentbeans, in which she looks very sweet but comes across as bit of a family planning feminist fanatic.  She persistently blogs about such themes.  Her column in the Guardian will have done herself no end of good in the eyes of her uber-boss Ms Bentley.  She also wants sex education to be compulsory, but from what age she doesn't say.  Most sex educators want the children whose protective natural modesty they invade to be as young as possible.  Teaching four-year-olds that homosexuality is normal and natural is firmly on the agenda.  Two years ago, parents of infants in Leytonstone banded together to keep their children off school for a week of indoctrination about homosexuality.

Miss Eddo-Lodge's blog 'No Comment' gained a commendation from Channel 4's Best Young Blogger of the year 2010, which led to a stint at The Guardian last summer.  She is also Student Union President-elect of the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.  She is a busy young lady right now, but says she will panic when she graduates.

Like most feminists, Reni lives in a fantasy world where women and men have exactly the same abilities, characteristics and hormones.  Women on the Eddo-Lodge planet are just as predatory as men, and the contrary idea that young men tend to pressurise young women into sex (rather than the other way around) is an ideological impossibility.

Julie Bentley said on the Vanessa Show that sex education should be 'better', but sex educators always say that, and ask for more government money to do it.  'Abstinence simply doesn't work,' she said, 'when they don't stick to abstinence, they don't know how to look after themselves.'  She did accept Nadine's accounts of sex educators bringing appalling materials and ideologies into the classroom.

Nadine Dorries, of course, is not proposing abstinence only, she wants to bolt abstinence on to existing sex education.  Defending the 'girls only' approach, she rightly says that the impact of pregnancy falls primarily or even exclusively on girls.

Actually, Nadine gave a good account of herself on the Vanessa Show.  'Along with sex education in school I would like to see abstinence to empower them and give them an alternative,' she said.  She is right, girls do need the power to say 'No', but she has chosen an unfortunate word.

The word 'chastity' is far better than 'abstinence' and its message is more positive once you get over the jocular association with medieval belts and the like.  The reason is theological and ideological.  You can abstain from something at any time, and then take it up again - chocolates for Lent is the usual example.  In contrast, chastity is a lifestyle in which you honour and respect your body and those of the opposite sex.

Chastity is also a Christian virtue, in line with the laws of God, and therefore in line with how human beings are wired.  That is why chastity needs to be taught to boys as well as girls.  Boys also need to need to learn chivalry, the attitude of looking after girls, and girls in particular need the recover the virtue of modesty, about which, at a time when a 'Slutwalk' is being planned in London, more could be said.  Reni likes slutwalk, of course.  Girls want to be modest and protected, and boys yearn to be real men who fight battles to save them.

Vannessa herself told the FPA's Julie Bentley that sex is seen as inevitable by them.  She also brought up the subject of parents.  'Where do they figure in all this?  Children could be told you can even wait until you are married', said Vanessa.  'You can't rely on what they are taught at school' said Dallaglio, and Ben Ofoedu agreed that children need to be told that they can say 'No.'

The response from panellists on the Vanessa Show might just indicate that Nadine Dorries is voicing concerns held more widely.  This is something which clearly worries sex education pros as Julie Bentley and aspiring members of the chattering classes like Reni Eddo-Lodge.  Her Bill goes nowhere like far enough, but it is something of a start.

WRITE (or email): to your MP at: House of Commons, London,SW1A 0AA. Ask your MP to support Nadine Dorries' Ten Minute Rule Bill and ask the Government to give time for it to become law.

16 comments:

  1. Why are so many Christians opposed to young people of both sexes receiving careful, age-appropriate sex education that gives them the tools to make informed choices - including the choice to say no? All the evidence shows that abstinence-only sex education actually results not only in more teenage pregnancies, but also increased STDs? How can that possibly be a good thing?

    And as for the attack on Reni Eddo-Lodge ... how petty. How is her appearance germane to her opinion? And why do Christians insist on using "feminist" as a pejorative term? I'm constantly disappointed at how unkind, narrow-minded and really downright judgmental so many Christians - such the writer of this piece - often are. You should be ashamed of yourself.

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  2. I am sick of Eddo Lodge! Trying to make sure teens know how to have sex safely. That's just terrible.

    When will FEMINAZIS realise that all they need to know about contraception is in the bible?

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  3. "Chastity is a lifestyle [where] you honour and respect your body and those of [others]."

    Since when was honouring and respecting your and others' bodies a lifestyle?

    No, honouring your own body and those of others is called INTEGRITY, NOT "Chastity". It's nothing to do with being chaste.

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chaste

    And you do not need to practice a religion to have integrity daily.

    And Reni Eddo-Lodge works for the Family Planning Assoc.? Well, that's news to me. I know her quite well, having attended the same University and, although we disagree on minor issues we agree on the major ones.

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  4. You people are living in a fool's paradise, and I can't wait until your way of life goes the way of the dinosaurs.

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  5. Wow! I've stirred up a hornets' nest!
    Kate: Because it is never careful, or age-appropriate, or truthful. Teaching 4 & 5-year-olds what homosexuality means? Call me judgmental if you like, but I think that is plain wrong.
    Chris: Some of us think telling teens that condoms protect against STI's when they don't is plain evil. But then the FPA makes money out of them...
    Daniel: Have a nice day, y'hear.
    Jonty: Where does your integrity come from if not from God, the source of all righteousness? As to Reni and the FPA, she said it herself, on the Studentbeans link.
    California: The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.' Psalm 14:1. The Kingdom of God will never, like earth's proud kingdoms, pass away.
    Londonwelsh:
    Yes, thanks.
    Londonwelsh:
    Yes again. And we waited until we were married. It's do-able.

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  6. I feel very strongly about this too. As a Police Officer I hear too many stories of young girls, 14-16yrs, who have been pursuaded by boys to give them sex, only to feel cheep, used and abused afterwards. One case is a 15 year old girl who met a 17yr old boy in McDonalds, exchanged numbers and Facebook as friends, before long the boy was pestering her for sex. She declined, but he persisted in a jovial way. One day he went round her house invited, to listen to music, before long he was again going on about sex, he asked to see her breasts, which reluctantly she obliged thinking that would suffice, only for him to state he was aroused and asked her to give him a "blow job". The girl asked if she had to and he replied beggingly, "Please!" She obliged and then eventually had fulll sex with him. He then left.
    A week later she was in hospital having self harmed trying kill herself. It was only then that this sexual encounter came to light and was reported. This girl had been used by this boy! It is unlikely any offences will be proven, as he will claim she consented and thought she was older.
    This is a common scenario all girls and boys should be aware of! Very few lead to cirminal prosecutions, but the emotional damage has been done and is irrepairable for many.
    We teach our kids not to play with matches, and dont claim "they will do it anyway", and we dont say, "we teach them the dangers and let them decide". Sex is like fire, the context can determine if it is safe or destructive. Marriage is the only safe context for sex. Outside of marriage the dangers are there, the cases common, but as stated, educators and others refuse to tell the truth about it.
    People would not let strangers use their cars, homes, or other property for their own gratification, yet young are encouraged to allow others to misuse their most valuable asset. Their own bodies!

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  7. Nadine Dorries is absolutely right in all she says and as for the comments of California Jones, it is those who hold his views that the world would be better off without. When are young women going to realise that if they have no respect for their femininity and virtue, then the men they come into contact with will not have respect for them either? Put bluntly, if young women act like sluts, they shouldn't be surprised if they get treated like sluts. What do they expect? To be treated like princesses? It is the decline of Christian morality over the past 50 years that is totally responsible for the amoral and liberal values of this British nation today in 2011 and it is time that someone said these things clearly instead of pussyfooting around them.

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  8. Christian Voice,

    I would like to if you'll permit, adress your answers in the same manner as you have done previously.

    Firstly, I would be interested to know which schools tell lies during sex education? Also you appear to have a problem with the appropriate age to teach children about sex yet do not offer an opinion on when you believe the appropriate age is. Finally with regards to this point, I wouldn't call you judgmental, I would however, ask you to give a valid reason why anyone shouldn't be taught about homosexuality? What is it about homosexuality in particular that makes it dangerous to teach to children in your opinion?

    Secondly I would argue that it is popular medical opinion that condoms do indeed protect against some STIs (see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/004001.htm)and considering the information available to myself, suggesting otherwise is just plain wrong.

    As for integrity, I don't believe that mine comes from God, my faith certainly influences me, but it is my own actions and choices which display my integrity.

    Finally, I believe that the attack on Renni, though I have no doubt that she enjoyed it significantly more than you did, was childish and distinctly lacking in Christian spirit. I have not seen the interview in question so will not comment on the validity of either sides claims. What is clear however, is that this misguided attempt to promote a largley unpopular cause will have done you no favours in convincing the liberal majority as it reads as a negative attack.

    Thank you for taking the time read my views.

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  9. I don't think I've ever met a woman who said she didn't wish she had waited until she was older or with the right guy. All this sex education at an early age is just going to have children thinking more about sex on a daily basis and will leave them more likely to fall to temptation and then rue the decision later.

    Considering how very few children grow up with any kind of 'Sunday school' these days, one wonders why the educational establishment feels the need to force their own contrary teachings on children at such a young age. Could it be that they are worried about them coming to their own realisations of what is right and wrong according to their conscience, and instead want to brainwash them when they are still too young to really understand what it is all about?

    Such education should be left to the parents, as all childraising should be, before the state takes complete control of our lives.

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  10. Well done Stephen. You've won the argument yet again.

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  11. When there are no boundaries, no rules, no guidance, no shame, no respect, no idea of consequences and children are being sexualised by the media.....there is something sadly wrong with society.
    How you act affects not only yourself but others and society in general but hey...what does that matter....me me me......ok......carry on....for now and suffer the consequences later!

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  12. My 9 yr old daughter is starting to be 'taught' about sex education in school and she was told the other day that if a boy is mean to her that means he likes her !!! - this really upsets me as I left her father for physical and mental abuse and she's being taught that that's ok - NO IT'S NOT OK. Children are being taught about it too early in their lives that's why I believe we are seeing so many teenage pregnancies, in the first year of high school as the hormones are starting to kick in yes but parents should have to opportunity to tell their children about it first. Personally I'm not looking forward to that conversation but I will have it as I don't want my children to have the life i've had and want to prepare them for what lies ahead.

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  13. Well done Nadine Dorries for trying to introduce this Bill. I for one will be writing to my MP to encourage him to support the Bill.
    Having spent my career in education I have met parents of High School pupils who have told me of comments made to their under 16 year old daughters by classmates mocking the fact that they had not had sex. What kind of society are we in where there seems to be such huge pressure on people below the age of consent to be involved in sexual activity?
    Sex is seen as a plaything for self gratification, not as one component of a lifelong loving relationship between one man and one woman, ideally expressed in marriage.
    Any Bill that can help girls, (and why not boys?), to say 'No' to sexual pressure is to be applauded. Maybe it will be the start of a healthier, and less exploitative, attitude to sex in our society.
    But not if Reni Eddo-Lodge has her way. But then she has a flag to fly and a reputation to build..all at the expense of the long term happiness of our young people.

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