The government-created website for parents, 4parents.gov has taken a lot of shit because of its inaccurate information on sex and straight up bias against gay youth. (It should take even more shit for its cheesy/scary banner. What’s with eyebrow guy on the far right?)
Luckily, it seems the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken some of those criticisms seriously. After 145 organizations—including the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and SIECUS—sent a letter to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt voicing their concerns, the HHS decided to revise some of the site's language:
…the term “alternative lifestyle” was replaced with “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lifestyle,” which addressed the concern that the Bush administration was labeling sexual orientation as choice.
In addition, the portion telling parents of gay children to consider seeing a family therapist who shares their values was changed to say “counselors and other health professionals may be helpful to both teens and parents when addressing difficult issues.”
While this is a good start, advocates from the concerned organizations are quick to point out that the changes are minimal.
“We're thankful for the change,” said SIECUS Vice President for Public Policy Bill Smith, “But it's just a Band-Aid.”
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I'm exhausted from writing a half-dozen papers since the semester is over tomorrow and I have lots of deadlines to meet. But I'd ike to comment in detail on that site, but I just really can't right now.
I will say though, I like the site, I find it useful and very informative and accurate. It tells teens what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear.
Teens want to be told it's okay to have sex, just as long as they guard against STDs and such. But that's not the case. No amount of condoms will save your soul from the fires of hell.
As such, it's important that we preach unto them the gospel of God. I think we'd be doing teens a great wrong if we didn't preach them the truth.
1st Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
I just wanted to say thank you to Mr. Calvinist for reminding us all why sites like Feministing are so important. Keep up the good work, Jessica (et al.)!
I think the key word is "lifestyle". That implies that it can be changed.
I don't think that they can change, I think that as the bible states, "I have given them up to their sin" "They shall die in their sins" as such, I think that the very nature of their sin, is such that Jeremiah 6:15 applies to it and they cannot repent.
Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
Since they are proud (Gay pride) of their sin, they cannot it. If a rapist, murderer, or adulteror marches in a "rape" "murder" or "adultery" pride parade and boasts openly of their sin, can they repent it?
It's a contradiction, you can't repent what you're proud of. It just doesn't work that way.