wfn.org | Taiwan's Social & Religious Agencies Warn Youth About

[Taiwan Church News <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>]

Summer Love
Taiwan Church News 2679, July 6, 2003
Reported by Ku Hao-jan. Translated and rewritten by David
Alexander

  Summer vacation has arrived.	Religious groups are issuing
warnings to young people saying, "Going too far can result in
disease or the creation of a little life." "Don't let a moment's
pleasure lead you to a lifetime of regret."
   In recent years the reported level of sexual experience among
junior and senior high school students has risen.  Now that
summer vacation is upon us, the opportunities for revelry and
stealthy exploration of "forbidden fruit" are ever more present.
But finding what one is looking for may also provide
unanticipated follow-on symptoms.
   To reiterate the message of self control for youth, an
alliance of social welfare, youth guidance, folk religion and
Christian agencies came together for a seminar on June 28th.
Their theme was "Respect Life."
   Ms. Yen Yu-ju, associate director of the Sex Education
Foundation, gave a statistical report.	She said that the average
age of initiation to sexual intercourse among unmarried people in
Taiwan has steadily fallen in recent years.  10% of respondents
to a youth survey indicated they were sexually active, and among
these, the average age for "first time" was 14 or younger.  She
also noted that 5%
of births in Taiwan are to unmarried mothers.
  Lin Lien-chang, a counselor with the Teacher Chang Foundation,
spoke for better sex education, based on respect and
understanding of the nature of the opposite sex.  He said, "Only
when society has healthy youth can it have future hope."
  The Rev. Yeh Ling-nan of the Neighbor Love Association also
spoke on current youth. "Freedom has gone too far. The signals
are clear!"  He cited the ubiquity of abortion in Taiwan's modern
society and called on legislative assemblies and elected
representatives to act to raise the threshold for permissibility.

   A representative of the Sex Education Foundation took a clue
from Mr. Yeh as she closed the seminar.  She asked all to
consider whether Taiwan's abortion statistics were indicative of
an attitude of "life is worthless" in this country.  She urged
all who work with youth and parents to value life as precious.

For more information: The Sex Education Foundation
www.sexedu.org.tw

mercyman@yahoo.org.tw
		      Teacher Chang Foundation	www.1980.org.tw
						csg@cyc.org.tw
		      Neighbor Love Association www.i-link.org.tw

family@I-link.org.tw

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local
languages.
Visit our web site: www.pctpress.com.tw

  Summer vacation has arrived.	Religious groupls in Taiwan are
issuing warnings to young people saying, "Going too far can
result in disease or the creation of a little life." "Don't let a
moment's pleasure lead you to a lifetime of regret."
   In recent years the reported level of sexual experience among
junior and senior high school students has risen.  Now that
summer vacation is upon us, the opportunities for revelry and
stealthy exploration of "forbidden fruit" are ever more present.
But finding what one is looking for may also provide
unanticipated follow-on symptoms.
   To reiterate the message of self control for youth, an
alliance of social welfare, youth guidance, folk religion and
Christian agencies came together for a seminar on June 28th.
Their theme was "Respect Life."
   Ms. Yen Yu-ju, associate director of the Sex Education
Foundation, gave a statistical report.	The average age of
initiation to sexual intercourse among unmarried people in Taiwan
has steadily fallen in recent years.  10% of respondents to a
youth survey indicated they were sexually active, and amont
these, the average age for "first time" was 14 or younger.
  Ms. Yen also noted that 5% of births in Taiwan are to unmarried
mothers.
  Lin Lien-chang, a counselor with the Teacher Chang foundation,
spoke for better sex education, based on respect and
understanding of the nature of the opposite sex.
He said, "Only when society has healthy youth can it have future
hope."
  The Rev. Yeh Ling-nan of the Neighbor Love Association also
spoke on current youth. "Freedom has gone too far. The signals
are clear!"  He cited the ubiquity of abortion in Taiwan's modern
society and called on legislative assemblies and elected
representatives to act to raise the threshold for permissibility.

   A representative of the Sex Education Foundation took a clue
from Mr. Yeh as she closed the seminar.  She asked all to
consider whether Taiwan's abortion statistics were indicative of
an attitude of "life is worthless" in this country.  She urged
all who work with youth and parents to value life as precious.

For more information: The Sex Education Foundation
www.sexedu.org.tw

Mercyman@yahoo.org.tw
		      Teacher Chang Foundation	www.1980.org.tw
						Csg@cyc.org.tw
		      Neighbor Love Association www.i-link.org.tw

Family@I-link.org.tw

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local
languages.
Visit our web site: www.pctpress.com.tw