6. Lust of the Flesh
Lust of the Flesh
Lust of the Flesh is the continuation in a series of hubs in which I discuss my life of rebellion, dabbling in the Occult, drugs, crime and prison to life-changing conversion through Jesus Christ. Click here to read it from the beginning. In this hub, I discuss a relationship I had with a girl that started when I was only 16 years old. This was my first real relationship. We started having sex and she became pregnant. To find out what happened next and the lessons I learned from this, continue reading.
Way too Young
My first serious relationship was at the age of 16. Now, there had been times before that when I kissed girls or held hands with them, and things like that; but this was different. Sex was involved. In hindsight, I was way too young to get involved in such a relationship. I really wish I would have waited. I was not ready. It was a mistake.
The name of the girl was Amanda. I was introduced to her by my weed smoking buddy, Lance. At that point in my life, I thought that having a relationship meant being with someone that I could have sex with on a regular basis. That seemed to be the general consensus between my friends, at least; and so that is what I learned. It wasn't long before I talked Amanda into having sex with me (I think it took about three weeks). Then, after a short time, she became pregnant.
Young Father
I was facing the prospect of becoming a young father. My friend, Lance, had become a father as well. Him and his girlfriend were 15 years old when she had his baby. However, it was agreed between my and Amanda's parents that we were too young to have a child. Amanda didn't agree with our parents' decision, though. She knew the ramifications of it. She knew that it meant that she would have to get an abortion.
Personally, I didn't want to have a baby. I just wanted to have sex. In my immaturity, I wasn't ready to take on the responsibility of fatherhood. That was the farthest thing from my mind.
Guttmacher Abortion Statistics
Fault Lines: The Abortion War
Conception is Life
Amanda was affected by the decision of her abortion the most. She argued against it and became emotionally distraught. She cried a lot. She was losing a part of herself—her baby. For me, having an abortion was like throwing out the trash. I am sorry if I sound so callous; but that is what society had taught me. If you didn't want to have a baby, you just went to the clinic and had it aborted. They made it seem like there was nothing wrong it. As a matter of fact, people have abortions all of the time. The Guttmacher Institute reports that one in three women have abortions in the Unites States every year; and Fault Lines reported that over 3,500 abortions take place every day. It's so common that most people become indifferent to the fact that they are killing an unborn babies.
I didn't have the Bible to guide me in my life at that time; so I wasn't aware of the fact that conception is life. God said of the prophet Jeremiah, in Jer. 1:5 (NIV), "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." In other words, God recognized Jeremiah as a person even before he was born, and before he started developing in the womb, at the point of conception. Moreover, scientific evidence exists in support of this stance as well. The Medical University of South Carolina, 2005, states, "The embryo is a new human life which is genetically distinct and which has energy and a direction of its own from the moment of conception."
I also want to mention, there is another option besides abortion if someone is not capable of supporting their baby. That option is adoption.
Breaking Up
Before Amanda told me that she was pregnant, I was already looking for a way out of our relationship. I was getting tired of her nagging me. Telling me to stop getting drunk and smoking weed with my friends. I wasn't trying to hear that. That was fun! At least, I thought it was fun at the time. When she told me she was pregnant, I thought, "What bad timing! I can't break up with her now!" When it was decided that she would get an abortion, I was relieved. I told myself that I would wait until after her abortion to break up with her.
I know that what I am saying may sound selfish, but that is because I had selfish motives. The world raised me, and that is what I learned from it. Not to mention, I had started to hear rumors that Amanda cheated on me before becoming pregnant, and I began to entertain the possibility that her baby was not mine. Needless to say, we did end up breaking up; and it was a very turbulent break up. We were not on friendly terms for many years after that. Not until after I decided to make contact with her after I became a Christian, and I apologised to her for pressuring her into having an abortion.
I started having sex at much too young of an age: 16. When my girlfriend became pregnant, I wasn't ready to become a father; so I pressured her into having an abortion. We had a turbulent break up and ended up not being on friendly terms for many years. If I would have known the biblical concept that conception is life, I wouldn't have convinced her into going through with her abortion. I may have suggested adoption, instead. Moreover, if the Bible would have been my guide, I may have never gotten into this mess in the first place.
Take the Abortion Poll
Do you believe conception is life? Give your reasoning as to why or why not in the comment box below.
You would think that I would have learned my lesson from my relationship with Amanda and stayed away from women for a long time; but then you would be giving me too much credit. Oh no, my friend. I ended up getting involved in a few more relationships after that, which never worked out. I'm my next hub, I'm going to discuss some dangers of having sex before marriage, including getting an STD and weakening the sancitty of marriage. Click on the link below to read it.