Thursday, November 22, 2007

Parents: The Most Important Educators on Sexuality

The task of forming healthy sexual attitudes and understanding in children is one of the most important role of parents. In providing an education on love and sexuality to their children, parents must begin by refuting the propaganda that outside "experts" can do the job better than they can.

It is imperative for parents today to investigate what is being taught in the name of sex education. Parents have a right to examine curricular materials and textbooks. They can and must talk to the teachers and principals about what they hope to communicate. And to look carefully for a hidden agenda such as pro-homosexual and lesbian behavior, the safe sex distortion, the belief that premarital sex is a freedom of choice, and any suggestions that pits teenagers against their parents.

In a recently held conference on family life, parent-speakers stressed on the following points on why the home is the best place to convey sex information to children.

Parents know their children better than anyone else, they know their maturity level as well as what language they understand. Also, parents are more likely to inject the moral aspects of sexuality that are so important to the development of a wholesome view of sex. This does not been that information about sex should not be taught at church and at school. But sex education at church an d school should be complementary to what the child receives at home, not given in place of it.

School sex education classes ignore individual differences among children and break down the natural modesty of boys and girls. When children are taught academics, such as Math and Reading, they are given materials suitable to their level of readiness for these subjects. Yet, when it comes to the extremely sensitive area of sexuality, all children in the same grade level are given the same material, even if some are not yet physically or psychologically ready for the material. This is insensitive and harmful. Forcing boys and girls to listen to, view and openly discuss the sexual functioning of the opposite sex's anatomy while in their presence is embarrassing and contributes to the breakdown of the modesty that is natural and appropriate in human beings.

What is taught and how it is taught -- in sex education classes are not immediately known in detail by parents. This means that there is absolutely no way parents can control, or even find out what their children are being taught about sex unless they sit in the classroom or when their teenage child asks them to buy condom or IUD to be brought to class as part of their homework.

School sex education has never been shown to reduce the growing problem of teen pregnancy or abortion. In fact, in the United States, data shows the opposite: as federal funding for sex education programs increases, so do the rates of teen pregnancies and abortions. This proves that the contraceptive mentality encourages the youth to become promiscuous.

Children do not need Sex Education, they need Chastity Education. Kids need to learn how to say no and why saying no is in their best interest -- physically, emotionally and spiritually. Sexuality involves more than birth control pills. The school sends the wrong message to students when their sex education courses are mere "how to do it and how not to get caught" lessons. If schools spend more time on chastity education, the number of chaste teens would rise dramatically.

There is no such thing as" value-free" sex ed. When anything more than the biology is taught, someone's values are going to be presented. Telling students to "make up your own mind" tells them there are no standards to go by. Telling students it's "best to say 'no,' but if you're going to be sexually active, be protected" send them the message that the teacher doesn't really expect them to control themselves. Presenting birth control without saying it's wrong for them to use it tells the students the teacher doesn't think it's wrong.

The best lesson in sex parents can provide their children is the love and respect they show for each other. Parents convey attitudes and values about life and sexuality as they interact with their children each day. They are always available to their children for support, questions and direction and have much wisdom to share that comes from the faithful living out of their commitment as husband and wife and as parents.

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