Alabama Pastor Could Have Used a Little Sex Ed

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—As most people know, the Religious Right isn't very big on sex education. Real sex education, that is, rather than the phony "abstinence ed" that's still being taught in many of the nation's schools—and even when real sex ed is taught, it's apparently being done too late in the kids' curricula, with a recent CDC report finding that more than 80 percent of kids between the ages of 15 and 17 didn't have any sex ed before they started having intercourse—and popping out babies at the rate of 1,700 per week. "CDC researchers, analyzing birth data from the National Vital Statistics System and adolescent health behavior data from the National Survey of Family Growth, found that one in four teens from this age group had never spoken with a parent about sex," reported TheDailyBeast.com. "While 90 percent reported using some form of contraception, most relied on the least effective methods," which are defined by Planned Parenthood as simply using spermicide or "fertility awareness," better known as the "rhythm method." Of course, far right organizations are against any form of sex ed whose focus isn't abstinence, even though a 2004 report issued by Rep. Henry Waxman's office found that of the 13 most commonly used sexual abstinence "education" programs, 11 contained false and misleading information about both contraceptives and abortion—and most mixed science with religion in an attempt to dissuade the kids from fooling around. But as recently as this week, the ultra-conservative Family Research Council was still pushing abstinence education as a useful tool in helping kids avoid contracting STDs, quoting a CDC report that estimated that there are nearly 20 million new cases of STD infection reported each year in the U.S. "Thanks to the Left's policies of sexual liberalism, America is dealing with an explosion of sexually transmitted infections—with most instances cropping up in young men and women aged 15-25," the FRC email dated October 8 stated. "The epidemic is all the more shocking when you consider that every 20 million cases cost the American health care system an additional $16 billion in direct medical costs." Never missing a chance to bash Obama, the email continued, "Of course, this administration—which gives pennies to abstinence education—has only perpetuated the problem. The President would rather teach kids to manage the risks (with unreliable birth control) than avoid them altogether—driving Americans to pay for the real-world consequences of the 'just do it' mentality...  Can we stop this epidemic? Yes, we can, but it would require a new focus on an old approach: saving sex for marriage." Yeah, that'll work—because surely none of those "abstinence ed" kids are having sex or birthing babies. Ri-i-i-ight! In fact, according to the CDC, "About 50.5 million current infections are in men while 59.5 million are in women, for a total of 110 million Americans with STDs at any given time," the eight most common of which are chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, genital herpes, HIV, HPV, syphilis and trichomoniasis. So who needs sex ed, right? Well, one person who probably should have had a little of it is Juan Demetrius McFarland, who until recently was the pastor of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. "McFarland didn't hold back when he revealed to worshipers at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church on Sept. 14 that he contracted HIV in 2003 and discovered in 2008 he had AIDS," reported WSFA 12 News, which said that several church members had contacted the station about the situation. But that's not all: "In a resolution read aloud at the church, leaders shared, and Pastor McFarland confirmed to WSFA 12 News, that he admitted to drug use and mishandling of church funds" and "that he had knowingly engaged in adultery in the church building with female members of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church while knowingly having AIDS." Transmitting a sexually transmitted disease, by the way, is a Class C misdemeanor in Alabama, but as of this writing, McFarland has yet to be charged with a crime. "I believe that he should be put on trial," an unnamed church member told WSFA 12 News. "Go to court and let the judge decide if he should go to jail or not. We tend to sweep things under the rug, especially if they're the leader. It's like oh, no, please let's not get this out but I think after this that they will have more discussions on HIV and AIDS." Yeah—but if the "church fathers" have anything to do with it, all that discussion will be about why people shouldn't have sex out of wedlock, despite the fact that in one recent survey, 35 percent of Christians admitted to having had one marital affair, and 19 percent had three or more. And they'll still oppose anything more than "abstinence education"—something that if Pastor McFarland ever got, certainly didn't "take" very well. Pictured: Who else?