The media has a way of twisting the obvious into the ridiculous. And so it is that the anti-HPV vaccine, Gardasil, is now being touted as a sure fire way to protect women from cervical cancer when that cancer is caused by human papilloma virus.
And, since the vaccine could be a literal life saver for females who have "relationships" with members of the opposite sex, the base line reason for the pandemic HPV statistics sort of gets lost in the shuffle.
In Illinois, for example, State Senator Debbie Halvorson is proposing a law that would require all Illinois girls to be inoculated at age 11 or 12. Further she wants the state to pay for the vaccine if the child in question's family cannot afford it. This sounds so very humane and commendable, but something is missing.
Why would an 11 year-old child need this vaccine? The answer is clear. We as a nation now presume that all, or at least the vast majority, of young people are going to engage in sexual relations. We further it take for granted that multiple sex partners is the norm.
Therefore, since human papilloma virus, which is a sexually transmitted disease, can be acquired and could develop into cervical cancer, the culture can ignore the root cause of the spread of this disease and simply provide an antidote to the sexually active among us.
If this makes sense to you, then I have to ask a follow up question. What is it going to take for this same culture to look beyond the numbers to examine the fate of the souls at stake. Cancer of the soul, commonly known as sin, can be deadly.
