CHRISTIAN VALUES AND SEX EDUCATION
The documents 'Sex Education; The Vatican's Guidelines', [1]and 'The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, Guidelines for Education within the Family' [issued by the Pontifical Council on the Family] are invaluable resources in this regard. [2]
It is imperative that each individual receive balanced and informative sex education.
Youth face critical moral and spiritual issues today, and need to be equipped to make sensible and value-based choices.
What is Value Based Education?
Value Based Education [or VbE] is education based on positive and profound values which inspire youth and adults to live positive human values.
Gospel Value Based Education is followed in households that faithfully follow the values directed by Almighty GOD and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Church Tradition
Church tradition is that sex education should not primarily be a matter of giving explicit information; it should be a matter of inculcating modesty, dignity and decency of heart.
Exclusive relationship
Married love in an exclusive relationship has dignity; and is fruitful in nature.
The Creator God sends another being to this world through the creative act of love between the married couple.
It is important to realise that physical love between two people is not a matter of physicals without deeper meaning.
In its truest sense, physical affection between husband and wife reflects that greatest of wealth; true love.
Concerns re sexual education
Concerns re various sexual education programmes are experienced by many who believe in the values of decency, modesty, faithfulness in relationship and protection of new life.
It is a challenge to give sex education that combines not only the practical reproductive information necessary, but also dependable guidance based on godly values.
Pastors and priests deal with the reality of lives broken through issues relating to sexuality.
Character development
It is a fact that sexuality is intricately interwoven with character. Personal character of an individual may with almost certainty reflect in that person's behaviour patterns of sexuality.
So sex education according to gospel value based education is not merely a matter of imparting reproductive functional information.
It also involves the task of assisting the youth to develop a godly character; one that will use the power of sexuality - which can be used to great good or in a destructive manner - with responsibility and accountability.
Church tradition
Church tradition is that sexuality has been part of God's Plan from the beginning and thus it is very good.
Sexuality is inextricably related to love and life and to lifelong self-giving.
Owing to sin, sexuality can be wilfully and grossly misused, and for this reason every human person is called to purity and chastity no matter what his or her state of life.
Every person knows by experience that chastity - or sexual responsibility - requires rejecting certain thoughts, words and sinful actions.
This development of character in a non-repressive and non-anxious way is a sound basis for a happy and balanced sexuality.
Good pastoral sense
It makes good pastoral sense to assist those who work with youth to teach the facts of life in a balanced and gospel-value based way.
The aforementioned documents 'Sex Education; The Vatican's Guidelines' and 'The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality; Guidelines for Education within the Family' form excellent resources to draw on when giving guidance in this area.
Dangers
Many dangers are faced by youth today in the form of contraceptives and abortifacients.
These aids are often made known in various sex education programs.
It is essential for the gospel value based educator to have sound knowledge to impart on the issue of family planning, and to educate the youth in methods that are gospel value based.
One issue of concern is that discussed by Good Shepherd Church in June 15th 2015 blog post; Intra Uterine Devices - are they suitable for our Teenage Girls?
Full information is available at link [3] below.
Other issues of concern re sex education program, Depo Provera and the Emergency Contraceptive Pill [ECP's] are discussed in Lumiere Charity August 28th 2015 blog post; see link [4] below.
Evidence based information is invaluable for pastors, educators and parents when discussing the spacing of births within a family according to gospel value based methods.
Natural family planning [or the Billings Ovulation Method] [5] and the Lady Comp method [6] are two forms of natural family planning which have been used by many with success.
Series of gospel-value education
Good Shepherd Church will be running a series of blog posts on Sex Education based on gospel values.
Rev Catherine
[1] Sex Education; The Vatican's Guidelines
http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/marriage-and-family/sexuality/sex-education-the-vatican-s-guidelines.html
[2] The Pontifical Council for the Family; 'The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality; Guidelines for Education Within the Family'
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_08121995_human-sexuality_en.html
[3] Intra -Uterine Devices; are they Suitable for our Teenage Girls?
http://churchinterfaith.blogspot.ie/2015/06/intra-uterine-devices-are-they-suitable.html
[4]
http://lumierecharity.blogspot.ie/2015/08/lenten-alms-given-to-catholic-relief.html
[5] Natural Family Planning or the Billings Ovulation Method
http://billings.life/en/
[6] Natural Choice [Lady Comp Method]
https://www.lady-comp.co.uk/method/
With thanks to catholiceducation. org, Vatican.va, billings.life and lady-comp.co.uk
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