Minister speaks up at youth session

Declaring that he is a realist, Minister of Tourism, Youth and Sport Glen Beache claims that he has a problem with preaching abstinence, and blasted what he called male prostitution.{{more}}

Beache was speaking at the National Youth Conference at the Peace Memorial Hall this Wednesday, where a report on HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections was released and discussed.

After sharing with the audience information he had received of a young girl under 20 years old, who was HIV positive, pregnant with her third child, and had multiple sex partners, the Minister said that although abstinence is the best option, it was not the only one.

“I am a realist; I have a problem with preaching abstinence. If we are not going to practice abstinence, my God, let us protect ourselves.”

The Minister’s words stirred the mostly young crowd, which seemed surprised at the comments.

The Minister explained that he was going to be very blunt because of the disheartening results of the report, which was conducted between 2005 and 2006.

Beache lamented that the education on HIV/AIDS is out there, as is evident in the posters, television and radio commercials, and groups spreading the word, but youths are not taking heed.

“Where are we going wrong?” he asked.

The Minister continued: “What do you prefer, going unprotected for ten seconds or going for an HIV test and being scared?”

Meanwhile, chairman of the proceedings, Pastor Sylvester King, commenting on the Minister’s speech, indicated that as a minister of God he has to take the position of the church, but said he agrees with Minister Beache.

“God does not approve of sex before marriage, so first and foremost we clearly promote abstinence.”

“However, there is a category of youth who will not abstain. So for their health and safety, we say use a condom. But our first resort is abstinence.”

The pastor of four years, who preaches at the Glen Baptist church, said that the church has a responsibility to God and the Gospel, and that advocating safe sex does not mean the church is softening its stance on the subject.

One topic that the Minister of God and the Minister of Youth have taken a clear position on is homosexuality.

Minister Beache, commenting on the statistics, said that one percent of men having sex with men is one percent too many, and said males, especially young boys, who have sex with other men for money or other transactional commodities were involved in nothing less than prostitution.

Pastor King said that homosexuality is a growing concern that is penetrating and threatening the fabric of society, and should not be tolerated.

He said it is an issue which should not be ignored, and will not be tolerated.

King indicated that HIV is a behavioral lifestyle disease, and that persons should apply the information that is being circulated.