What Schools Should Teach

[dairygirl4u2c]

ty

[Mateo el Feo]

I find it so interesting that much of the discussion about public education centers on politically-correct topics like STDs, contraceptives, homosexuality, self esteem, etc. It doesn't matter if little Johnny can't read or do basic math...he can't.

What's important that he feels good about himself, and is properly educated in the use of prophylactics, so that he can safely experiment with all the deviant sexual behavior that he's learned about in the fairytales he reads in his school library.

Oh, dear...

[Resurrexi]

Schools should teach that contraceptives are wrong because of Humanæ Vitæ condemns them as wrong.

[quote][b]Humanæ Vitæ, Encyclical of Pope Paul VI, VIII Kalends August anno Domini MCMLXVIII:[/b]
Unlawful Birth Control Methods

14. Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. (14) Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary. (15)

Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—whether as an end or as a means. (16)

Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a greater one, or that such intercourse would merge with procreative acts of past and future to form a single entity, and so be qualified by exactly the same moral goodness as these. Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good," it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it (18)—in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general. Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong.[/quote]

And the error of teaching things contrary to Catholic Faith and Morals in schools was condemned by Bl. Pius IX:
[quote][b]The Syllabus of Errors Condemned by Pope Bl. Pius IX:[/b]
45. The entire government of public schools in which the youth- of a Christian state is educated, except (to a certain extent) in the case of episcopal seminaries, may and ought to appertain to the civil power, and belong to it so far that no other authority whatsoever shall be recognized as having any right to interfere in the discipline of the schools, the arrangement of the studies, the conferring of degrees, in the choice or approval of the teachers. -- Allocutions "Quibus luctuosissimis," Sept. 5, 1851, and "In consistoriali," Nov. 1, 1850.

46. Moreover, even in ecclesiastical seminaries, the method of studies to be adopted is subject to the civil authority. -- Allocution "Nunquam fore," Dec. 15, 1856.

47. The best theory of civil society requires that popular schools open to children of every class of the people, and, generally, all public institutes intended for instruction in letters and philosophical sciences and for carrying on the education of youth, should be freed from all ecclesiastical authority, control and interference, and should be fully subjected to the civil and political power at the pleasure of the rulers, and according to the standard of the prevalent opinions of the age. -- Epistle to the Archbishop of Freiburg, "Cum non sine," July 14, 1864.

48. Catholics may approve of the system of educating youth unconnected with Catholic faith and the power of the Church, and which regards the knowledge of merely natural things, and only, or at least primarily, the ends of earthly social life. -- Ibid.[/quote]

[cmotherofpirl]

its the parents job, NOT THE SCHOOLS

[Paladin]

Ditto that. Teaching religious truth and morality isn't the job of the public education system. Changing it, unfortunately, requires 1) the abandoning of influence by public school, and 2) the removal of burden the public places on the schools. The public school system was designed to assist those who cannot afford a private education. It is not a substitute for parenting.

[NewReformation]

Since The Pill can cause abortions, I vote they don't teach to use The Pill(and I'm not talking about the "morning after pill").

[Sojourner]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1212833' date='Mar 12 2007, 09:18 PM']its the parents job, NOT THE SCHOOLS[/quote]
I agree.

However, many parents are more than happy to relinquish this responsibility because they're so uncomfortable with having "the talk" with their kids. When parents don't have the talk, or WON'T have the talk, what's the best way for the kid to figure things out?

Maybe there should be classes for PARENTS who need help talking to their kids.

[prose]

I voted they should teach they are wrong, but I am from somewhere where my taxes go to support a Catholic school system, and therefore, I expect the teachers to teach CATHOLIC information (you decide with your municipal taxes whether to support public or Catholic school).

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1212833' date='Mar 13 2007, 03:18 AM']its the parents job, NOT THE SCHOOLS[/quote]

Yes, unfortunately many parents (at the school I taught at, at least) expect the teachers to do everything. I personally am very angry with the sex ed classes I had in public school, which taught only about contraceptives, and not actually what they do, how they work. We were never taught anything meaningful about our fertility, but dumbed down everything. It's like they expected us to not be able to understand the facts, or that we wouldn't listen to them, so they didn't teach us. Since my children will go to a Catholic school or be homeschooled, they should definitely teach that they are wrong. In public schools, I think they should teach exactly what the contraceptives do (which should lead to saying they're wrong for contraceptive use), and also teach the facts about their fertility.

[cathoholic_anonymous]

I was taught how to use contraception when I returned to England. It was excruciating. I hadn't been out of Saudi for a month and the PE teacher (who doubled as a sex education teacher) was hijacking our physics test to show us how to - ugh, but I won't even describe that. I really wanted my hijab back in that lesson. Anything to hide the embarrassment. It wasn't even taught in sex-segregated classrooms, and the male students wouldn't stop making stupid jokes.

As it happened, this lesson convinced me very firmly that the Church is on the right track. Rather than side-stepping the issue, I think Catholic schools should explain very clearly why contraception is wrong. If you know what it really is and then compare it to the ideal situation in a loving marriage, you can't fail to see that it's a terrible idea.

[Starets]

I guess I got lucky. Sex Ed was part of my 9th grade Health class. The teacher brought in a physician to give the lectures. He talked about what happens medically when humans copulate. The questions were mature and respectful. Contraceptives were mentioned as well, but the focus was on what happens medically when they are used. Human gestation was also talked about, but again, strictly from a medical and scientific perspective. discussions of ethics and morality regarding human sexuality was not mentioned at all. I did not attend a catholic school until 11th and 12th grade.

[Proud2BCatholic139]

When the schools are teaching about these contraceptives, why don't they tell about the side effects. Like, breast cancer!?!

Oh and my Biology Book gives NFP a 70 percent effective rate. What bologna.

[Didymus]

Public schools should not teach contraception in the schools, except that it is statistically the best way to shoot a future marriage in the foot. Sex education should teach abstinence till marriage.

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1212809' date='Mar 12 2007, 09:42 PM']Schools should teach that contraceptives are wrong because of Humanæ Vitæ condemns them as wrong.
And the error of teaching things contrary to Catholic Faith and Morals in schools was condemned by Bl. Pius IX:[/quote]

These are [i][b]public [/b][/i] schools. It won't do any good to some people to just say "It's wrong because the pope says it's wrong." I would kinda see it as insulting to the Magisterium to quote rules and commands without giving thought and explanation as to why.

[Lena]

I voted that they should teach how they are used....and if you're against something you should know the basics of what that is/how it works. My school was Catholic, so I obviously had that standpoint and I really don't know what they teach in public schools. They should teach every side of every issue in order to get a well-rounded education on sex ed!

[hoosieranna]

I learned how to use the various types in 10th grade. It was a public high school health class. I'd also had the rare mother who told me what everything actually was when I asked the awkward questions. You could opt out of those class days if it was against your beliefs.