The Bona Venture

Issue date: 2/26/10 Section: Opinion

Image courtesy of mydailynews.com

Oprah is wrong.

Dare I print these words? Oprah interviewed Sarah and Bristol Palin Jan. 22 and commented on a chastity pledge Bristol made in a Jan. 22 In Touch magazine article. Bristol, after experiencing the trials of teenage motherhood firsthand, declared she would not have sex again until she is married and encouraged other young women to have that goal. Oprah repeatedly asked her, "Why set yourself up that way?"

With so many forces in American society encouraging irresponsible sexual behavior - from the fashion industry to cinema - young women (and young men) need to hear voices advocating a chaste life. When a public figure sets a difficult but very admirable goal, she ought to be praised and encouraged. Although I am not a big Oprah watcher, I would have thought that Oprah would have been one of her biggest supporters.

By advocating chastity, Bristol has left herself open to misunderstandings from a society that sees any restraint as puritanical. Chastity does not mean sex is evil and one should never have sex (or at least never have fun doing it); it means reserving such a great gift for an appropriate time and context. Chastity is a state of mind not given wildly and haphazardly over to mere physical yearnings, but rather one that knows the true depths of love and recognizes the time to give oneself wholly and completely to another. The beauty of this total commitment is this love is so real that after nine months, you might have to give it a name.

Bristol clearly made a mistake by not thinking about the consequences of her actions. She was either never taught, or did not appreciate, the gift she could give and is dealing with the consequences of giving it to the wrong person at the wrong time. She should be applauded for making a promise to save sex until marriage and for encouraging other young women to do the same. Because of her new experiences of raising her child, she fully realizes the potential consequences of yielding to a culture which values personal pleasure above all things.

Chastity has become a forgotten virtue in American culture. It is unpopular today because it comes with two other neglected virtues: self-control and modesty. A society that lives on sensationalism and self-gratification cannot see the necessity of these virtues. Self-control reminds one that moderation of personal desires makes us better than animals and helps contribute to the needs of others.

Modesty is a true respect for the dignity of the human person; it values people as people, not as objects to be used for personal gratification or profit.

Bristol Palin and every other young woman and man who shares her goal should not be ostracized or discouraged for trying to lead a difficult and principled existence. Certainly any good thing takes work to achieve. Given the influences in culture and among peers, chastity may be a harder goal than it has ever been, but in spite of these things, or perhaps because of them, the struggle for a chaste mind, body and spirit is still a worthwhile endeavor. Through chastity, we can create a truly loving way to live a virtuous life.

e-mail: lazzarem09@sbu.edu

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