Britain took a step closer to the brink today as the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice announced plans to air sexual 'health' advertisements on terrestrial television. The Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health called for a relaxation of the rules which prohibit advertisements for contraception products and abortion advice after official figures revealed a dramatic rise in the number of teenage pregnancies in the United Kingdom. The Labour government has already published plans to teach sex education to primary school children in next year's curriculum, with the supposed aim of reducing Britain's shocking teenage pregnancy rate. But a number of schools have already begun to teach children as young as five years old the facts of life after news broke of an eleven year old boy who has become Britain's youngest father. But the child was fortunate to be born at all. Statistics show that up to half of all teenage pregnancies in Britain end in an abortion. Over 200,000 abortions are carried out in the United Kingdom each year, and around 96% of those are carried out simply because the child is not wanted. Despite decades of values-free sex education and freely available contraception, the number of teenage pregnancies in this country is still the highest in Europe. In fact Britain is expected to overtake the United States and Australia in claiming the highest rate of abortion in the world. Last month the British government announced plans to publish a new leaflet which advises parents to avoid issues of morality when it comes to teaching children about sexuality, and instead encourage them to form their own views on the subject. And now the government plans to advertise contraceptives and abortion clinics on television, well before the nine o'clock watershed.

Quote: "Pregnancy advice services, which includes information on abortions, would be allowed to advertise on radio and TV for the first time. Adverts for such services would have to make it clear whether it referred women for abortions. The consultation is UK-wide, but any changes would not necessarily be applied across the UK. Broadcasters would have to tailor any advertising to the area in which it was broadcast.

I dread to think what the fallout will be from these contraceptive and abortion advertisements. To me it's the equivalent of handing someone a loaded gun and then telling them how to use it. Information may help people to make more informed decisions, but it does not help them to make wiser decisions. Especially when the government purposely withholds moral advice from teenagers about these life issues. Thank God that abortion is still illegal in Ireland. But I am ashamed to be called a British citizen. It is no wonder that the United Kingdom is bearing the brunt of this global financial crisis. We have sown to the wind, and we will reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7).

Source BBC, Politics, Times Online, Daily Mail