As I typed this letter, Todd Akin was conceding the election to Claire McCaskill. I felt a little sorry for Mr. Akin because I think he truly believed God had chosen him to be the next senator from Missouri. I never questioned his knowledge of American history nor his faith in God. I really feel he is genuine in his faith and love of his country. I thought his concession speech showed a lot of class and no bitterness.
Yet at the same time I could not help but think about what put Akin in the position to have to make this speech. Basically, McCaskill did not defeat Akin on election night; Akin defeated himself. His failure to understand science, sex and women torpedoed his campaign. He failed to grasp some facts that he should have learned way back in his seventh grade science and health class.
Yet Akin is actually just one example of an even bigger problem: sincere born-again Christian people who fear science and sex. They fear science because they feel it is degrading to God since it teaches that the world may be older than what the book of Genesis teaches, and they fear sex because they are absolutely convinced that if they say anything about sex to their kids they will run out and get pregnant or get a sexually transmitted disease.
People are also reading…
They think that if they just hide their kids from these things, somehow they will “protect” their kids. Some of them insist on sending their kids to so-called Christian schools while others home school in an effort to hide their kids from the real world.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against Christian schools or home schooling. However, they are no guarantee that your kids are going to turn out all right.
The bottom line is you need to be honest and open with your kids about sex and science. I would hate to see them end up like Todd Akin.
Bill Heger • Rock Hill
