Chastity isn't dead yet

It's early in the morning when I've already eaten hershey kisses with the hall mates, taken out my contact lenses, and gotten into bed that I have the inconvenient urge to, for lack of a better word, "blog" (but I really detest that word) about the nagging thoughts I've had all day. I realize that I dwell under the same umbrella of issues over and over, but life and love are my favorite topics, and ever since I've started adding pro-life entries to the Peace Be Still archives, and been linked by wonderful, well-established blogs, my daily visitor count has skyrocketed to nearly 30 times what it used to be. After a year of extreme activism, and suddenly finding myself confined to a dorm room, I'll take whatever activist chances God will give me. And so, encouraged by the response, I will continue writing about all my favorite issues that reduce me to emotional puddles right here, on Peace Be Still.

Did you ever have a friend who took a sick pleasure in depriving you of having fun? I'm talking about that kid that would always beat the movie characters to the punch lines of your favorite film, or blow menacingly on the bottom row of your house of cards? The kid who threw sand in your eyes at the sand and water station of your Montessori pre-school. I bet you all remember these kids from your childhoods these fun-suckers, these "sand throwers" if you will, and actually still harbor deep seated grudges against them. I know I do. But it's when the Sand Throwers grow up, and step out in the world that things get ugly.

An unfair share of fun-suckers-all-grown-up are prowling college campuses today. Only instead of taking away our favorite sing-along jokes, or wrecking our sandcastles, they are prying away something much more valuable: they are taking away our ability to love.

Now, I'm not talking about love in the pop culture sense today-- the MTV, VH1 hookup love built on the shaky foundations of physical attraction. The fun suckers are promoting that kind of love. They try and tell us that sleeping with someone is the only real way to really tell them you love them. But this isn't true love, and the sneaky fun-thieves know it. The kind of love I'm talking about is romantic love. The kind of glowingly pure, shining love that is so boundless and selfless and giving, that it wants to only give itself in the most honorable, gorgeous way possible: marriage. This kind of altruistic love, the kind of adoration that can look at the loved one and say "I'm yours and only yours", is the truly romantic, fulfilling, elating kind of love. "The kid" from our childhood, who took away our satisfaction of a card castle, is now trying to erase the fulfilling concept of chastity.

In a few weeks the University of Virginia (and many other universities I'm sure) will be holding a function they call "Sex Fest" for all the vulnerable first years on grounds. At Sex Fest, we will be given condoms and safe sex tips, all for the bargain price of our innocence. Those are the only details of Sex Fest I feel like I can post on my blog with a clear conscience.

Margaret Sanger, queen bee of the Sand Throwing League, founder of Planned Parenthood, was one of the most brutal attackers of chastity and true love. She praised the joys of sexual liberty, and spread her message for free love to anyone who would listen. She plagued her first husband's heart out by her constant love affairs, which according to Sanger, set her "free". Her call to action was "Rebel women claim these rights: the Right be lazy. The Right to be an unmarried mother. The Right to destroy. The Right to create. The Right to live and the Right to love." But poor Miss Sanger missed the boat on this one. Her definition of love didn't extend beyond sex, so she couldn't comprehend what she was missing. It's easy to see where she was coming from, when you think that sex=love. Then clearly, the more sex the better. But without the element of selfless love, and the concept of purity, she was sadly left with a void. The outspoken, relentless advocate of sexual freedom slipped into a fierce depression as she grew older, turning to alcohol and sleeping pills to fill the void she had created by separating herself from the true meaning of love.

From a personal point of view, one of my greatest treasures in life has been the pursuit of purity. I'm a hopeless romantic, and the thought that someday when I marry the man God has picked out for me, whoever he may be, that I can give myself to him completely. Purity is the greatest gift of a lover. It says, "I loved you even before I knew you. See? I've been waiting." It sounds corny and idealistic, but it's the way to true love and happiness. And don't let some old Sand Thrower tell you otherwise. Chastity and purity are sexy too.

It's time to bring what is really "Sexy Back". I think Justin Timberlake has it wrong, and needs our help.

Comments

[Bridget]

This is the second post of yours that I have cut and pasted to save for my children when they are in their teens.

I want to encourage you to consider that God may be calling you to write a book.

Your ability to write, your grasp of the issues and your style would be so very appealing to teens, especially girls.

I'm keeping you in prayer.

[Maria]

I think you've coined a new term - "Sand thrower!"

Excellent, excellent points and well-written...

Bridget may very well be right about that book...So many young women want want you describe but have been "Sand blasted."

Think about it.....

[Jenn Miller]

So beautifully written! My husband went to PSU and they have similar "PC" things to contend. There is so much to contend, and probably worse by the time my 3 year old son is college bound.

You are right, your chastity will be such a gift to your future husband...I'm glad no sand-thrower has steered you wrong.

[Angie Mc]

So beautifully transparent...I can see true love through your honest and heart-felt words. God bless.

[Dawn]

Beautiful and TRUE! Keep posting! Your thoughts are such an encouragement to me as a mother to 3 young daughters and you are a shining example to your peers! Thank you!

[Jessalyn E.]

you are a GREAT writer. i agree with bridget galbraith. you could reach a lot of people with how down-to-earth and and real your voice in your writing is. on another note, i'm so glad you're in our hall :) thanks for being you!

[Dunstan]

Wow. I really liked this post of yours. Do keep this sort of thing up :)

[maryellen smith a.k.a. "Mrs. Smith"]

Dear Courtney,
I wanted to call last night and talk.... Mrs Smith misses you...sniff. But I am not an idiot so I rolled over and shoved the littlest dog out of my face and started thinking. I had attempted to tell some of your stories to my family "please" was really the only one I will take credit for. I decided we need to form a group. Thoses how are unhappy with the "sand throwers". They don't go away after college, they are just harder to spot sometimes. Then you have to deal with paperwork to try and put your sand castle back together. We need T-shirts. UNITE!
LOVE, mrs smith m.o.m.

[Sunnyday]

Hi! I found your blog via a link and I must say, reading your post was a delight. We need more people speaking up as regards your sentiment so that people don't get the mistaken notion that most people in the world don't value purity and chastity anymore.

Keep up the great...ahem, blogging. =)

[Augustine Aquinas]

Some very good points in your post. It's important, I think, to remember that the primary way evil destroys the good is by leaching the meaning out of actions. I wrote a post on this very subject at my own site.

http://theologicalcalculus.blogspot.com/2006/10/hierarchy-of-nihilism.html

[Holly]

Courtney...you have an amazing way with words! I think if I EVER DO run for office...you my dear will be my speech writer. Heck, I might even get you to write my biography one day! (My life is boring but with your words...maybe you can make me sound the least bit interesting.)

[gina pelella]

Hi Courtney!! I always knew you were an incredible young woman, but now I see how you are an incredible mature woman of God, spreading His word, using the internet, using your gifts for teaching the truth. Wow!!
I am so grateful to know that there are young women like you who are making a difference in this confused uninformed culture. Thankyou for caring enough. Thankyou for using your time to help even one person to know the truth and make a different choice. If others dont know about the way God intended sexuality,sexiness,love to be, how will they make another choice. HOw will they ever know what true love and romance is? Everyone is looking for it, but in the wrong place and in the wrong way, they just dont know.
We are so blessed to know you and grateful for your words. You are beautiful inside and out!
The media is such a powerful tool and you are using it in such a positive way. God has big plans for your life!
Love
Mrs.P

[Alycin]

This was a good post with an excellent message, but, you are two for two on pointing out the faults of others generously and with no regard for their worth or their dignity. I would be very careful if this is a trend in your writing style, because it may ultimately do more damage than good. Again, I do know the message you are getting at, but you spend more time focusing on the bad, or rather, a bad choice that someone made, than on highlighting the good choices that can be made. And in an effort to make impurity as unattractive as possible, you have lumped that one attribute of this woman and defined her by it. I'm sure there is MUCH more to her than what you have presented here.

I love this topic, and in fact have been wanting to write an article about bringing purity back. I'm not sure if you've already read it, but there is an amazing book called Pure Womanhood that you would probably really enjoy.

God bless.

[Peace]

thanks for your imput Alycin, I always appreciate any form of feedback. As to your double comments regarding the issue of my not being generous enough to the views of the other side, I have to ask "what is the point?" Why, when we know the truth, would we EVER want to allow the spread of sinful actions? If we turn the other cheek and bow subserviently to the other side, in the eyes of God we are just as guilty. We become the "lukewarm" that he will spit out. Ifyou the message we as Christians are called to share is too radical, I think you need to question your motives. My motive is to get word out to young people that contrtary to what the world around is saying, chastity is a beatiful thing and there are many who believe so. Sin is what it is--evil. And if we don't realize that and proclaim it so, then I think we are, unwittingly though it may seem, doing the devil's bidding.

We can't be wimpy and overly accepting, because this is a war of love vs. lust, truth vs. lies, purity vs. promiscuity. The other side is any thing but "accepting", and you are fooling yourself if you possibly think so. At my school, I am taking a bioethics course and use every chance I get to write about these issues. And yet, time and again my pro-life papers are returned to me with low grades and a note saying I ought to aviod this pro-life stance in the future. Would you call this accepting? I think not. By preaching this kind of blind acceptance, you are hindering truth, and in God's eyes that is the same as slandering it.

[Alycin]

I think you missed the point-I am completely and totally on your side. I just don't think that pointing at someone else and belittling them is the way to get things done. Rather, wouldn't it be better to say, "THIS is why purity is so awesome, THIS is why it's great to wait!" I'm sorry that I didn't express that well, because I am CERTAINLY not an advocate of pre-marital sex or abortion or anything. I just think that rather than speaking badly of the "other side", especially naming specific individuals and ridiculing them, we should show why chastity and purity and life are the right decisions.

It's completely possible to spread God's truth without hatefully talking about those who don't agree--and in fact, the latter is the true hindrance to truth, because humility is a very important part of being a Christian. I dunno, I could go on about this a long time. I would invite you to read my second-to latest post, because I touch on this quite a bit.

=) Hope that was clearer. And I still hope you read that book! It's my all time favorite as far as the topic of purity goes. It's really short and only $3 dollars or something. God bless.