Biola students stand up for abstinence
At the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), televised on Sept. 7, the buzz of the night was about a decidedly un-MTV topic: abstinence, a topic Biola continues to address.
VMA host Russell Brand, a British comedian and confessed former sex addict, began the show by joking about and ridiculing the Jonas Brothers, the trio of evangelicals who have become teen pop icons in recent years. Brand poked fun at the fact that the brothers (who are all under 21) wear promise rings to symbolize their commitment to refrain from sex until marriage.
Later in the show, American Idol winner and VMA presenter Jordin Sparks, who herself wears a promise ring, came to the defense of the Jonas Brothers, veering away from the teleprompter:
"I just have one thing to say about promise rings. It's not bad to wear a promise ring…”
She followed by saying not every guy and girl wants to sleep around. This response landed her an interview the following day with Hannity and Colmes on Fox News, who praised her decision of abstinence.
The comment received cheers from the audience at the awards show and prompted an apology from Brand later in the show.
For Brand and many others, abstaining from premarital sex is a foreign, almost unfathomable concept. Why on earth would teenagers pass up on sex if they can get it?
For many Biolans, it’s not such a hard concept to grasp. Here, students must agree to and sign the Community Standards Agreement, which prohibits sexual activity outside of marriage. To the world, it sounds like legalism, but for most Biolans, it’s a valuable sign of their commitment to God.
Recently, Biola’s point of view on sex outside of marriage has drawn international media attention.
On Sept. 15, two Biola students, senior Josh Saenz and junior Lindsey Minerva, were featured on the Australian morning news show, Weekend Sunrise during a segment entitled “Abstinence University.” The anchors of the show, which is Australia’s version of Good Morning, America, introduced the segment by describing the “abstinence contract” pupils must sign as part of “a plan to remove temptation and promote a Christian lifestyle.”
When asked why she signed a “no-sex contract,” Minerva explained that she was happy to sign it because she loves Christ and doesn’t view it a chore to serve and honor him.
“It really creates a unique community environment,” she told the anchors, refuting their assertion that certain vices are essential to the “college experience.”
“Removing those things [drinking, sex, drugs] actually allows us to have deeper relationships,” she added. “By saying no to things, it creates a different kind of character within us. It allows us to be people of endurance and develop integrity in another way.”
Saenz said that his morals lined up with those of Biola and that he was happy to embrace a community that had his same standards.
Responding to the question of whether temptation ever leads a student to “falter,” Saenz responded by saying, “Of course, we’re not living in caves. We don’t pretend to be these perfect people…. We mess up. But just being in this environment with such a gracious community … makes it easier to endure in the difficult times.”
It wasn’t the first time Biola has been spotlighted in the mainstream media for its commitment to abstinence.
In 2006, ABC’s Nightline did a segment on abstinence in which Jake Tapper, ABC correspondent, visited Biola’s campus and interviewed then juniors Silas Cole, Jacob Feyereisen, Lindsey Erwin and Julie Schell.
The students responded to questions about sex, temptation and their motivations for wanting to abstain.
“My relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing to me,” said Feyereisen, after being asked why he sets certain moral limitations for himself.
As the public face of abstinence grows, thanks to teenage pop stars, reasonable articulations from abstinence adherents will become ever more important for justifying the beleaguered concept to the world.
“It’s an increasing challenge in our radically sexualized culture,” said Matthew Hooper, director of residence life at Biola. “But for students who are seeking to live in Christ’s kingdom, they sense that this is where the spirit of God is leading them.”
Danny Paschall, associate dean of student development at Biola, notes that the vast majority of Biola students have no problem with the abstinence policy.
“Ninety-five percent of the students get it…and that’s why they’re coming here. They want to be a part of a community that is supporting that kind of living.”
It’s the kind of living that has made Biola stand out in the world—a world where the act of refraining from something is often the most shocking act of all.
Written by Brett McCracken, Biola Magazine Managing Editor. Brett can be reached at (562) 906.4516 or through email at brett.mccracken@biola.edu