John Ankerberg - The Fatal Myths of Condom-Based Sex Education

John Ankerberg - The Fatal Myths of Condom-Based Sex Education

released on cassette in 1993

I found two cassettes of this program at a local thrift store. The program on the cassettes is from the The John Ankerberg Show TV program. "The Fatal Myths of Condom-Based Sex Education" purports to explain the fallacies of sex education involving condoms and other sexual protection drawn from supposed research and wild tales of public schools encouraging promiscuity. It does not take long on the program for Ankerberg to make clear his agenda of pushing ideological fundamental Christian based abstinence-only programs in public schools. Ankerberg and his many guests including the likes of Phyllis Schlafly, D. James Kennedy, Gary Bauer, Charles Stanley, Beverly LaHaye (wife of Left Behind author Tim LaHaye), etc. assert that using condoms will still lead to dire consequences such as teenage pregnancies and death. According to them, public schools or rather every school should be teaching morality drawn from their kind of religion.

Some douchebag named Josh McDowell says on the program that people believe it is not government's or society's business what goes on with two consenting adults behind closed doors. Josh becomes indignant when he points out that these same people want the government to fund AIDS research as if it is a hypocritical thing to do. I guess that finding a cure for a deadly disease is immoral if said deadly disease is supposed to prevent teens and unmarried adults from fornicating, right. I would not be surprised if Josh is still as ignorant of AIDS today as back in 1993.

Ankerberg and his ilk contend that abstinence-only programs work the best for turning teens into responsible and moral abstinent teens. Even better is that teens become followers of Ankerberg's brand of religion and give 10% of their paycheck to their church. Anyway there is factual evidence that proves Ankerberg and his friends wrong [the two links are examples out of many more sources]. Plus check out the .pdf report "Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education: What Are the Arguments? What is the Evidence?" on the AIDS Research Institute website.

Informing teens, who happen to be at stages in their lives where the hormones rage the highest, about all of the options including contraceptives and abstinence along with factual information about sex is the most effective way for teens not to end up in terrible situations due to their having sex. Teens will be at least interested in sex due to the combination of raging hormones and curiosity. Why not properly educate them. Ankerberg tries to counter this fact by saying that human beings are not animals and that abstinence-only programs can control the animal urges that people do not supposedly have in the first place. Even if teens are growing up in a religious household or in religious surroundings, they'll most likely still engage in some fooling around. My friend and fellow blogger, JACkory, attended a church camp for three years while he was in high school. During the third year at church camp, his girlfriend did for him what Monica Lewinsky did for Bill Clinton. I have no doubt that stuff still takes place at church camps and church meetings around the world.

John Ankerberg is much occupied with Christian apologetics among with everything else of interest to fundies if his crammed website is any indication. According to his biography:

President and founder of The Ankerberg Theological Research Institute.

Producer and host of the nationally televised John Ankerberg Show, a half-hour program seen in all 50 states via independent stations, the DAYSTAR Network, the DISH Network, DirecTV and on the SKY ANGEL Satellite, numerous cable outlets, as well as on the internet. The program can be seen each week by a potential viewing audience in excess of 99 million people. John presents contemporary spiritual issues and defends biblical/Christian answers.

Note: The tapes have quite background noise including hissing that I was unable to get rid of. Otherwise the tapes still play and the listener can hear what is said.


Tracklisting:

Side One

1. The Fatal Myths of Condom-Based Sex Education Prog. 1 {19:44}

Side Two

1. The Fatal Myths of Condom-Based Sex Education Prog. 2 {20:03}

Side Three

1. The Fatal Myths of Condom-Based Sex Education Prog. 3 {19:33}

Side Four

1. The Fatal Myths of Condom-Based Sex Education Prog. 4 {19:31}