Comments on: The Travails of Teen Pregnancy http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/2008/07/25/the-travails-of-teen-pregnancy/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:14:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sam http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/2008/07/25/the-travails-of-teen-pregnancy/#comment-56144 Sam Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:02:27 +0000 http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/?p=1171#comment-56144 John and David and Luke, Thanks for your comments. I guess when I am considering teen pregnancy, I am considering it in today's modern context, where so many teens are raised with a non-biblical worldview (see Voddie Bauckham's book, Family Driven Life). With such a worldview, teens cannot grasp the stark reality of rearing children, let alone rearing them in the Lord. I am not saying there aren't exceptions out there, because I believe there are. And John, I agree that physiologically, it probably is better for women to bear children younger. However, teens of yesteryear were raising children without the media harping on them to be sex objects. We truly are, as Mohler notes in his book Culture Shift, raising a nation of wimps. And as such, we need to consider that unless this worldview is changed, and unless more mature teens are produced, teen pregnancy should be the exception and not the norm. John and David and Luke,
Thanks for your comments. I guess when I am considering teen pregnancy, I am considering it in today’s modern context, where so many teens are raised with a non-biblical worldview (see Voddie Bauckham’s book, Family Driven Life). With such a worldview, teens cannot grasp the stark reality of rearing children, let alone rearing them in the Lord. I am not saying there aren’t exceptions out there, because I believe there are. And John, I agree that physiologically, it probably is better for women to bear children younger. However, teens of yesteryear were raising children without the media harping on them to be sex objects. We truly are, as Mohler notes in his book Culture Shift, raising a nation of wimps. And as such, we need to consider that unless this worldview is changed, and unless more mature teens are produced, teen pregnancy should be the exception and not the norm.

]]> By: John K. from UG http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/2008/07/25/the-travails-of-teen-pregnancy/#comment-56143 John K. from UG Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:52:23 +0000 http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/?p=1171#comment-56143 Got to disagree w/you pastor. The problem is we do not expect nor train our children to be mentally mature when they become physically mature (i.e., adult). IIRC, Mary is thought to have been 13 or 14 ("bethula") when she was *engaged to be married* to Joseph and conceived Jesus. Girls become "boy crazy" around that same age, the age when they experience menarche. Rhetorical: Could this be God's way to letting them (and their parents and society) know that it is time for them to get married? (Applying this to guys and when they become "girl crazy" is a related, but separate, topic.) Delayed childbearing (i.e., delayed years after menarche), is implicated in reduced fertility among her daughters, shorter life expectancy for the children, and, I speculate here, altered neuroanatomy and physiology (women literally alter the way their brains develop by not having a baby soon after menarche). A woman's hips fuse around age 25, thus if she hasn't had her first baby by then, her hips will not open as widely to deliver the baby and this has caused our increased rates of C-sections. The longer a woman waits to have her first full-term pregnancy, the greater the exposure of her not fully differentiated breast tissues to monthly estrogen, the greater her risk of breast cancer. Women have a 2-5 fold increase in breast CA risk w/first pregnancy after 30 when compared to *before* 18 or 19 (acc to U. Penn. Cancer Center). As Mary Claire-King, PhD, one of the top breast CA researchers wrote: "Early menstruation and delayed childbearing are probably primarily responsible for the increase in breast cancer rates over the past 50 or 60 years . . . . Unfortunately, the increased risk of breast cancer in modern women is very much a consequence of being modern women" (i.e., complete HS, complete college, have a career, and then have a baby). This is all part of the belief that women can act like men, that they can choose to be whatever they want to be w/o consequences. The Church has bought into this and has whole-heartedly embraced what was "radical feminism" in the 1960s. The "best and the brightest" of our Christian sisters are doing the worst for their and their children's health. How ironic. Got to disagree w/you pastor.

The problem is we do not expect nor train our children to be mentally mature when they become physically mature (i.e., adult).

IIRC, Mary is thought to have been 13 or 14 (”bethula”) when she was *engaged to be married* to Joseph and conceived Jesus.

Girls become “boy crazy” around that same age, the age when they experience menarche. Rhetorical: Could this be God’s way to letting them (and their parents and society) know that it is time for them to get married? (Applying this to guys and when they become “girl crazy” is a related, but separate, topic.)

Delayed childbearing (i.e., delayed years after menarche), is implicated in reduced fertility among her daughters, shorter life expectancy for the children, and, I speculate here, altered neuroanatomy and physiology (women literally alter the way their brains develop by not having a baby soon after menarche). A woman’s hips fuse around age 25, thus if she hasn’t had her first baby by then, her hips will not open as widely to deliver the baby and this has caused our increased rates of C-sections.

The longer a woman waits to have her first full-term pregnancy, the greater the exposure of her not fully differentiated breast tissues to monthly estrogen, the greater her risk of breast cancer. Women have a 2-5 fold increase in breast CA risk w/first pregnancy after 30 when compared to *before* 18 or 19 (acc to U. Penn. Cancer Center). As Mary Claire-King, PhD, one of the top breast CA researchers wrote: “Early menstruation and delayed childbearing are probably primarily responsible for the increase in breast cancer rates over the past 50 or 60 years . . . . Unfortunately, the increased risk of breast cancer in modern women is very much a consequence of being modern women” (i.e., complete HS, complete college, have a career, and then have a baby). This is all part of the belief that women can act like men, that they can choose to be whatever they want to be w/o consequences. The Church has bought into this and has whole-heartedly embraced what was “radical feminism” in the 1960s. The “best and the brightest” of our Christian sisters are doing the worst for their and their children’s health. How ironic.

]]> By: archshrk http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/2008/07/25/the-travails-of-teen-pregnancy/#comment-56093 archshrk Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:40:19 +0000 http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/?p=1171#comment-56093 David, I think the greater concern here (versus the past) is the lack of a family support system. Nowadays, families are so disjointed and disconnected from each other that a pregnant teen is likely to have little to no help dealing with the dramatic changes a new child brings. Teen pregnancy isn't so much the problem except that the media is making it so glamorous without the appropriate balance of reality. I'm glad to hear your experiences have gone well but we're also talking about girls like Jamie Lynn Spears is <i>only now</i> 17 years old sending an unbalanced message to other 15 and 16 year old girls. David, I think the greater concern here (versus the past) is the lack of a family support system. Nowadays, families are so disjointed and disconnected from each other that a pregnant teen is likely to have little to no help dealing with the dramatic changes a new child brings.

Teen pregnancy isn’t so much the problem except that the media is making it so glamorous without the appropriate balance of reality. I’m glad to hear your experiences have gone well but we’re also talking about girls like Jamie Lynn Spears is only now 17 years old sending an unbalanced message to other 15 and 16 year old girls.

]]> By: David http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/2008/07/25/the-travails-of-teen-pregnancy/#comment-56090 David Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:37:50 +0000 http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/?p=1171#comment-56090 I'm not so sure teen pregnancy itself is so bad...it wasnt that long ago that teens were getting married and having children. I am the product of a teen pregnancy - my parents were married at 18. I fathered a child when I was 19 -- but we were married and I'm glad we had kids young. there is nothing biological or spiritual that calls for later pregancies (i always wince when I see a 45 year old couple suddenly decide to pursue the call of the womb after a lifetime of selfish, childless living.) Its the out of wedlock babies that are bad for society. Almost certainly bound for the welfare roles, these situations are a direct result of a society with no boundaries. David www.redletterbelievers.blogspot.com I’m not so sure teen pregnancy itself is so bad…it wasnt that long ago that teens were getting married and having children. I am the product of a teen pregnancy - my parents were married at 18. I fathered a child when I was 19 — but we were married and I’m glad we had kids young. there is nothing biological or spiritual that calls for later pregancies (i always wince when I see a 45 year old couple suddenly decide to pursue the call of the womb after a lifetime of selfish, childless living.)

Its the out of wedlock babies that are bad for society. Almost certainly bound for the welfare roles, these situations are a direct result of a society with no boundaries.

David
http://www.redletterbelievers.blogspot.com

]]> By: archshrk http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/2008/07/25/the-travails-of-teen-pregnancy/#comment-56043 archshrk Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:46:06 +0000 http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/?p=1171#comment-56043 I wonder how many people she has "helping" her raise her new baby. My wife originally planned to return to work after our son was born. It was a dream situation. She would return to work with her mom, at her mom's house, and bring our son with her. Simply taking a few moments throughout the day to tend to his needs and then back to her tasks. Thankfully, God had a better idea as the economy kept my wife from returning to work. Turns out, that even a child as pleasant and easy going as Corbin still needs hours of attention throughout the day - and then there's the night. I wonder how many people she has “helping” her raise her new baby. My wife originally planned to return to work after our son was born. It was a dream situation. She would return to work with her mom, at her mom’s house, and bring our son with her. Simply taking a few moments throughout the day to tend to his needs and then back to her tasks.

Thankfully, God had a better idea as the economy kept my wife from returning to work. Turns out, that even a child as pleasant and easy going as Corbin still needs hours of attention throughout the day - and then there’s the night.

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