“Now, I’m really into sex without intercourse. It’s hot.”
Courtesy of teen section of the PP website. As noted in an earlier post, PP “education” assumes that teens have the full mental capacity to make an informed decision on whether or not they are ready for sex (if the teen answers affirmatively on 4 out of 8 questions, then “(they) are well on (their) way to becoming assertive enough for safer sex. Congratulations! ” Perhaps more focus on age appropriate education and less recommendations of “safer sex” would be of benefit to teens. As quoted in a scientific evidence based 2005 study on the Adolescent Brain, Teenagers are capable of enormous intellectual and artistic accomplishments, but the basic part of the brain that gives us strategies and organizing and perhaps warns us of potential consequences is not fully on board yet.†Recommendations of safe sex which includes vibrators, rubbing of genitals together through clothing, anal sex, oral sex, and mutual masturbation demonstrates no concern, what so ever, for the welfare of our children.
he National Catholic Risk Retention Group (VIRTUS), which is responsible to oversee the development of the programs that address sexual abuse in the Church is also a concern to many parents. Bishop Robert Vasa, who also has concerns over the program asks, “is it true that Planned Parenthood has a hand or at least huge influence on many of them?” Do such programs involve, even tangentially, the sexualization of children, which is precisely a part of the societal evil we are striving to combat? Does such a program invade the Church-guaranteed-right of parents over the education of their children in sexual
The “Touching Safety” program has several phases, one which starts at the 18 month – 3 year old level, where the parent should openly discuss sensitive issues, as well as to teach the children the names and location of the penis, vagina, anus, etc. Once the child enters the school age, I fear what type of open discussions will occur. I have a quick question here, if the objective is to educate on sex abuse prevention, why is it important for little children to articulate sexual body parts? Isn’t that sex education, which incidently, involves the very young and innocent? Shouldn’t parents have some say in how much a child of this age should be exposed?
The Church, in all her wisdom, protects the innocent and our teens by stating, “The Church is firmly opposed to an often widespread form of imparting sex information dissociated from moral principles (Planned Parenthood). That would merely be an introduction to the experience of pleasure and a stimulus leading to the loss of serenity — while still in the years of innocence — by opening the way to vice”. Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, Pontifical Council for the Family Guidelines for Education Within the Family (November 21, 1995). Sexual limitations are imposed by the Church to protect, not oppress. The potetential of divorce, depression & suicide increases dramatically when we submit our intellect to our wills of the flesh.
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Wow, unbelievable…. how satan has infected and corrupted people’s thoughts and actions to the point that they think that targeting CHILDREN, the most innocent, in this matter is okay. We must pray for these individuals and most of all for the children who are growing up in this world.
Comment by Anonymous — October 29, 2005 @ 11:01 PM
It sounds like the VIRTUS program takes its cue from the agenda of Kinsey.
For more information on sex education in the Catholic schools, listen to my podcast on the subject.
Comment by Clayton — October 30, 2005 @ 8:39 PM
Shelray,
Good topic for discussion. I thought you might be interested in what one of our bolder Canadian Bishops said about ten years ago with respect to one of our sex education series in Catholic schools. Most likely it applies to US Catholic schools as well. Hope it helps to further enlighten and energize fellow Catholics with the truth.
“This series is gravely flawed because it deviates from the Church’s teaching on family life education. This teaching is set forth in the encyclical of Pope Pius XI On the Christian Education of Youth of Dec. 31, 1929, the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio (The Christian Family in the Modern World) Nov. 22, 1981, Educational Guidelines in Human Love of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, Nov. 1, 1983 and most recently The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Dec. 8, 1995.
“The Fully Alive program ignores the latency period of our children and therefore can contribute to the loss of innocence. It gives group instruction in intimate sexual matters although the Church has specifically forbidden this. It is woefully deficient in its treatment of moral principles. It often ignores the Church’s teaching on sin and grace and modesty. It does not distinguish between the different degrees of maturity in the same class as the Church tells us teachers must do. It violates the principle of imparting information on sexual matters only at the point of development when this is needed. The Fully Alive program is not a program for formation in Christian virtue but a program of imparting sexual knowledge to children.
“A summary of the matters discussed at the Grade 7 level makes clear how this sex education course descends to the level of child abuse. Terms explained include: cervical mucus, acrosome, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, erection, ejaculation, nocturnal emissions, homosexuality, masturbation, rape, and sexual molestation. In Grade 8 education in methods of contraception, even illicit and abortifacient ones, is given. This education in evil can only promote sexual experimentation and sins.
“My recommendation asks that the Fully Alive program be replaced in our schools: all that is necessary can be taught in the context of the Sixth and Ninth Commandments with formation and teaching in the virtues of chastity and modesty and in accordance with the directives of The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, through the solid Faith and Life religion series.
“The proper authority in the area of family life education should be with the parents. For parents, the best guidelines for education within the family are The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality and The Catechism of the Catholic Church. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).”
Comment by islandcatholic — October 31, 2005 @ 5:43 PM
Eric,
It goes to show how much I knew of what was going on in our Catholic schools. I don’t think it has ever been a mystery that children are not adults, and I am quite curious why there is such a push to sexualize children?
Comment by shelray — October 31, 2005 @ 6:16 PM
Im not sure if you really know whats going on in Catholic schools. Having gone through a private Cathloic girls school in Australia myself, I can honestly tell you that there is not enough sex education going on. Whether you like it or not kids are having sex at an extremely early age. I did’t recieve any sex ed unitl my senior year and by that stage there were 5 abortions that I knew of and one carried to term pregnancy, one rape that was reported and a molestation by a family member on one of my friends. Most this occured by year 10.(14yrs) The fact of the matter is that kids are participating in sexual acts as young as 12 in schools. The school i attended was a very exclusiive girls school,in the Western Suburbs of Brisbane, with nuns running the Religious Ed program. I finished in 1996 with my sister just finishing last year in the same school. Two of her friends have kids. Even though the church and or school does not agree with the use of sex ed, fact is that kids are then educationing themselves on the week ends at parties with other private catholic school boys and girls.. It happens at all schools.Being a pre service teacher in the Cathloic system there is certainly a lot more going on since I went to school and I thought that was bad enough.. The head in the sand approach just doesnt seem to be working surprisingly enough. Ignorance is bliss as they say and the powers that be seem blissfully happy.. or is that enlightend. Hard to say in this light..
Comment by Anonymous — November 3, 2005 @ 4:31 PM
Anon,
I agree, it is irresponsible to ignore the issues facing our teens. I also agree that our children need to be educated on sex. The sex education controversy is over (1)What should be taught (2) by who (3) at what age. One of the problems is that many people who are providing sex education have no idea what sex is. It’s like the blind leading the blind. If you are referrring to educating children on contraception, masturbation, abortion, homosexuality, etc..as sex education, than how is that any different than things you can learn from your television and friends. If the foundation of sex is not understood as a spiritual and sacred act that is reserved for spouses(man & woman)who become one flesh, than sex is seen as nothing more than an act of passion and lust. The womb is holy, and should not be used as a receptacle of a man’s lust, if we recognize sex for what it really is, than I don’t think we would be having the current prevelence of sexual obession. Sex education not birth control options, it should be to learn what the true act of sex really is and why it must be exaulted above a purley biological act. The sex education I am concerned with is the type that looks at the human person an object of pleasure.
Comment by shelray — November 3, 2005 @ 10:00 PM