In Theory:

For those parents who have no divine parameters regarding sexual behavior, or whose liberal outlook concedes the sexual abandon of their children, then perhaps this is the best anyone can hope for to stem the tide of unwed mothers and aborted babies. Of course, all of this is moot in the case of the pregnancy pact because their goal was to deliberately conceive, not to enjoy inconsequential intercourse.

So did the decision help anything? Not really, except that kids may now feel freed up to explore their sexuality with other kids wherever they can get alone, and with the seeming encouragement of both parent and principal.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still think that kids ought to be taught abstinence, expected to maintain abstinence, and should be protected from rambunctious school chums of the opposite sex who would like to help them overcome their abstinence.

Everyone may be “doing it” and everyone seems to approve, but the One that matters most does not. If that was believed, this would be a transformed world.

THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM

Montrose Community Church

I think the key word here is parental permission. Since the school is allowed to distribute the contraceptives only with the parents’ explicit permission, I feel this decision is acceptable.

What really bothers me about this story is the school’s seeming inability to address the core issue at hand. It appears as if the committee is treating the disorder but ignoring the root cause. Contraceptives can be part of the answer but are definitely not the solution. What these teenagers need is an introduction of moral values into their school curriculum, as well as some positive, engaged guidance both in the classroom and at home.

We have reached a new ethical low when girls deliberately get pregnant for the “kick of it.” Haven’t they been taught about the sanctity of life and the responsibility of raising children in a safe environment? Don’t they realize that these infants may lack many basic necessities of a healthy childhood since their birth mother will struggle to give them proper care? The challenges that face an unwed teen mother are truly daunting, and it is incredibly reckless to intentionally travel that road.