Updated 12:47 pm.EST, Sun November 22, 2009

Opinion|Tue, Jan. 22 2008 05:06 PM EST

Sex Ed: Education or Propaganda?

By S. Michael Craven|Christian Post Guest Columnist

The last four decades have seen a significant shift in the philosophy behind sex education in America’s public schools. Prior to the sexual revolution, human biology and reproduction, hygiene, and marriage were the focus of sex education. In essence, this approach was grounded in particular moral virtues, namely biblical.

The new emphasis seeks to eliminate these traditional moral distinctions. Instead the student’s “choice” is given the supreme moral authority and the goal of these curriculums is to merely aid in the “safest” expression of the child’s choice.

This follows the vision set forth by Dr. Mary Calderone, former medical director of Planned Parenthood, first president of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS) and the architect of modern sex education, when she wrote:

A new stage of evolution is breaking across the horizon and the task of educators is to prepare children to step into that new world. To do this, they must pry children away from old views and values, especially from biblical and other traditional forms of sexual morality - for religious laws or rules about sex were made on the basis of ignorance. (Calderone & Johnson, The Family Book About Sexuality, 1981)

However, more and more modern sex education programs are becoming nothing more than publicly funded platforms for legitimizing homosexuality and other deviant and unsafe behaviors—pro-homosexual propaganda presented under the guise of “tolerance” and “diversity.”

As Olivia St. John writing for WorldNetDaily.com points out, “Thanks to public apathy and the efforts of misguided state and federal lawmakers, activist judges and liberal teachers unions, our nation's schools have become the new red-light district of the 21st century.”

St John offers for example, “Gay-Straight Alliances, or GSAs, serve as illicit sex breeding grounds in more than 3,000 public schools across America. The GSA Network News links students to socials, seminars, conferences and other events enabling adult homosexuals to develop relationships with young people. A recent announcement seeks ‘queer youth models’ who are males age 15-18 ‘or look under 18.’ Still another invites young people to a free movie screening described as being a ‘sexy, sensory treat.’ October's news featured a free ‘Queer Girl Retreat’ for females ages 24 and younger for ‘two days of radical queer education about community, bodies and pleasure.”

According to St. John, “GSA activists within public schools have inserted obscene material … into both libraries and classroom discussions. Considered ‘sexual literacy,’ assigned books explore sexual perversions, including teen sex with adults. One book titled The God Box questions the ‘interpretation’ of Biblical passages on homosexuality.”

More recently, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network has begun promoting transgender issues on middle and high school campuses. The GSA Network News detailed how a GSA club at Sierra High School in California recently completed its “newest event” – a Transgender Day of Remembrance.

In Fresno, a GSA club member at McLane High School and a former club member planned a community-wide Transgender Day of Remembrance at Café Fresno, which featured “open mic, poetry readings, music and general youth fellowship.” In support of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, the GSA Network News offered the following encouragement to students, “Now, is the time to push your school and community ‘beyond the binary’ and focus on not only fighting homophobia on your campus, but also fighting transphobia.”

This follows an emerging trend in judicial activism. In 2002, a judge in Massachusetts ruled that a junior high school boy must be permitted to attend classes while wearing girls’ clothing. Judge Giles justifies her decision by claiming that “exposing children to diversity at an early age serves the important social goals of increasing their abilities to tolerate differences and teaching them respect for everyone’s experience in that ‘Brave New World’ out there.”

In a dispute that is still ongoing, the Montgomery County (Maryland) Board of Education last year adopted a sex education curriculum designed to teach tolerance of gays and lesbians. Among other things, course materials described as a “myth” the belief that “homosexuality is a sin” and characterized certain Christian religions as “intolerant and Biblically misguided” because they are “opposed to homosexuality.”

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teacher’s union representing more than 2.7 million teachers and educators offers the manual A School Employee’s Guide to Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues (GLBT) in which they state, “NEA stands committed to addressing the needs of and challenges faced by both GLBT students and our GLBT members and colleagues. And we will continue to work to secure GLBT rights as part of our larger effort to secure human and civil rights for all in and outside of the classroom.” The NEA actively promotes GSAs and works closely with the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Committed to homosexual activism, “GLSEN works with educators, students, and the community to help children learn to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.” (Quote taken from the NEA website)

Suffice it to say that since its inception in the 1960s, the “modern” approach to sex education has been accompanied by epidemic rates of sexually transmitted disease among teens, out-of-wedlock teen pregnancies, and psychological trauma.

However, it would be a mistake to regard this approach as merely misguided when in fact it is quite deliberate and its aims are very specific. It is as Dr. Calderone so plainly put it more than two decades ago; an effort to “pry children away from old views and values, especially from biblical and other traditional forms of sexual morality.”

________________________________________________

S. Michael Craven is the President of the Center for Christ & Culture, a ministry of discipleship and Church renewal that works to equip Christians with an intelligent, thoroughly Christian and missional approach to culture. For more information on the Center for Christ & Culture, additional resources, and other works by S. Michael Craven visit: www.battlefortruth.org

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  • Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:48 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

    Why are my comments getting thumbs down? It is really funny actually, I only quoted the CDC, that is great, the thumb down person's logic is fantasitic. You know, by disapproving of the CDC, it might make the facts change. Maybe, just maybe...

  • Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:33 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

    It's not a problem to be a bisexual. It depends on how to see it. "People live in fear of discrimination and, consequently hide their sexual orientation, hide their families, their children and their lifestyle as a result," Johnson said. "I believe it will positively impact the health of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gendered community."

    So I think GLBT should release them, maybe come out. Then they may be more healthy. I think BiLoves c o m deserves a try.

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:04 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

    * AIDS has been diagnosed for more than half a million MSM. Over 300,000 MSM with AIDS have died since the beginning of the epidemic.
    *
    * MSM made up more than two thirds (68%) of all men living with HIV in 2005, even though only about 5% to 7% of men in the United States reported having sex with other men. In a 2005 study of 5 large US cities, 46% of African American MSM were HIV-positive.

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:02 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

    When I said please, I didn't mean as it makes me feel bad, I meant as there is no argument and it is only hurting you. You need to understand this and realize that I am not "gay bashing" I am just presenting facts and trying to help you see something.

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:01 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

    From the CDC official website:

    "Major health issues for gay men are HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, depression, and suicide.

    Gay male adolescents are two to three times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide. Some evidence suggests lesbians have higher rates of smoking, overweight, alcohol abuse, and stress than heterosexual women."

    Please stop trying to make the case that the heterosexual lifestyle is worse.

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:59 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

    "So, yeah, being gay means we are miserable, abusive, diseased, sex-obsessed, unloved, and onely"

    Don't pity yourself so much, I never said any of that. 90% are hetero in the world? How much of that would be in Africa? Probably 90% of the total (just guessing) and what is a big problem in Africa? Multiple partners and rape. Here is something for you to think about, if all couples practiced abstinence before marriage and were monagomous, HIV/AIDS would be gone in 2 or 3 generations.

    "No, GSAs are not a front organization so that predatory gay men can find new virgins to indoctrinate into being gay. But so what? You will believe it because you WANT to believe it, so I shoudn't waste any more time on this."

    That is good that you won't waste any more time, because I didn't say that either. I said they were fronts for promoting gay activities, and it is true.

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:08 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

    The CDC states that lesbians have the lowest incidence of HIV and AIDS of any group in the US. Therefore, lesbians have a healthier lifestyle than you striaght people. According to the WHO, about 90% of all AIDS cases worldwide are with heteros. What's wrong with you people that you lead such a dangerous lifestyle?
    Basically, though, Chris, it's pretty clear. You will accept any statement that makes gays look bad, and dismiss out of hand anything else. So, yeah, being gay means we are miserable, abusive, diseased, sex-obsessed, unloved, and onely. And yet, we choose this because we think it's such a fantastic lifestyle! And the fact that we don't obviously reject it means we are evil as well. Okay, whatever. But you really ought to get to know some real actual gays, people who bring lemon meringue pies.
    No, GSAs are not a front organization so that predatory gay men can find new virgins to indoctrinate into being gay. But so what? You will believe it because you WANT to believe it, so I shoudn't waste any more time on this.

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:08 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 2

    The CDC states that lesbians have the lowest incidence of HIV and AIDS of any group in the US. Therefore, lesbians have a healthier lifestyle than you striaght people. According to the WHO, about 90% of all AIDS cases worldwide are with heteros. What's wrong with you people that you lead such a dangerous lifestyle?
    Basically, though, Chris, it's pretty clear. You will accept any statement that makes gays look bad, and dismiss out of hand anything else. So, yeah, being gay means we are miserable, abusive, diseased, sex-obsessed, unloved, and onely. And yet, we choose this because we think it's such a fantastic lifestyle! And the fact that we don't obviously reject it means we are evil as well. Okay, whatever. But you really ought to get to know some real actual gays, people who bring lemon meringue pies.
    No, GSAs are not a front organization so that predatory gay men can find new virgins to indoctrinate into being gay. But so what? You will believe it because you WANT to believe it, so I shoudn't waste any more time on this.

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:03 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 3

    steve,

    yes that is right, but this is not applicable to this case. Many, many gay couples are abusive (at least as much as heterosexual).

  • Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:48 am Agree: 7   Disagree: 6

    My wife, daughter (18) and I went to Sunday dinner with a gay couple (female) last week and had a really good day at their place. I could see nothing dagerous in their lifestyle (apart from the lemon meringue pie ,which was a bit dogey..) joking aside, there is danger in hetrosexual AND gay lifestyles however it is easy to pick out extreme examples and then apply that to the majority. It's a bit like sayng that because some men (being weak bullies!) beat their wives, then marriage is dangerous, because all men must.
    Steve

  • Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:15 pm Agree: 6   Disagree: 4

    How is this site propaganda in any way that GSA and other mentioned groups are not!? I say that articles of this nature are fully justified due to the fact that organizations based on propaganda are out there. Torus, what ignorance? Do you know? Rand, the CDC has given plenty of information that definitively shows that the gay lifestyle is dangerous. Also, this article did not say that young gays did not meet at GSA, it said that it is a front for various other things such as introducing young gays to older ones, and so on. Sportinlife, I don't think you understand, this article is saying that young straight people are getting the wrong information too, not just about gays etc, but about the "best" manner of having sex. The point is that choice trumps morality. Also, to claim that the Bible does is not against homosexuality (as these groups have tried to force) is ludicrous.

  • Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:48 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 4

    This article is so full of ignorance and propaganda that it's not worth commenting on otherwise.

  • Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:02 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 4

    The World News Daily never misses a chance to take a shot at gays. Recently, they did an article stating that there is a flesh eating disease common among gay men. The CDC had to issue a statement statement that this is not true, but that this rare bacteria is found mostly in hospitals and can infect other people, but that gays are not any more susceptable to it.

    GSAs are often the only place where gay teenagers can meet without harassement from people like Olivia St. John.

  • Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:46 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 5

    Well, this column is propaganda. Hysterical propaganda at that.

    Young gay and lesbian people need accurate information and guidance regarding relationships, just like young straight people do. They're probably need it more, because they have fewer places to get it.

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