21 MARCH 2019 BODY OF CHRIST NEWS Sex Education in School? Why am I against school sponsored sex education? In 1962 the Supreme Court ruled and removed biblical teachings and prayer from public schools. As a cler- gyman and pastors for the past 36 years, I’m in the minority of minis- ters who agree with that landmark decision. There are some things that ought to be taught at home and at church and not in publicly funded institutions. In like manner sex is one of those subjects and involvements. As a Christian I would be offended if the Bible was being taught in my child’s public school room from the Orthodox Jewish persuasion or the Muslim or any other religious persua- sion that was contrary to my Christian beliefs. I would even be opposed to some Christian persuasions because though we’re all you see the banner of Christianity we are not homogeneous and what some teach and what I teach and believe varies even from Christian church to church. Same with prayer. Whose prayer would be prayed and to whose God would those prayers be offered? If sex education is going to be taught, by whose sexual persuasion, inclina- tion and ideologies of morality. As a heterosexual adult, who is not the least homophobic, I nevertheless have no desire for any teacher at school or even at church to teach my children or grandchildren sex education and the values and desires of homosexual sex any more than a homosexual couple would desire to have myself as a het- erosexual minister, teach heterosexual sex as the only proper sexual activity to their children. Sex education should remain in the home for at least two main reasons. 1. It is incumbent upon parents even if many of our parents are failing in their parental responsibilities, it is yet their place and their God ordained sacred right as parents to pass on their values and moralities as they seem fit to their children without the influence of well meaning teachers, preachers or friends. 2. No teacher nor preacher knows a child as intimately and as personally as their parents. Sexual awareness and sensitivities very greatly in adults and how much more in children who have not the experience or under- standing in handling such strong and personal emotional and mental chang- es. Sex education classes would have to teach a “one size fit all” approach without any understanding or con- sideration of personal intricate levels of modesty and personal individual choices. Even parents often fail in this category but it is nonetheless their right and their duty. In conclusion I seriously doubt that there is any didactic, sequacious or empirical proof that public school sex education benefits the student or soci- ety at large. And I would seriously sus- pect that if taught in school, teenage pregnancies would increase and not decrease. And what does it say about our public institution of education? Is that really the image we want to establish? Teaching or even sugges- tions to children how to have sex and with whom to have sex feels improp- er and inappropriate because it is improper and inappropriate! By Supt. Patrick L. Demmer Jr Patrick L. Demmer Jr. EDUCATION