If common sense is to prevail, then perhaps some of the good ideas coming from Christian quarters should be acknowledged for what they are – good ideas. Our public education system is not invoking great pride or confidence of late.

http://theage.com.au/articles/2005/03/06/1110044258576.html

As a newcomer to these forums, I am interested to see that articles relating to sex seem to receive the greatest number of comments.

And by far, tthe majority of those comments come from people with a religious agenda.

All of which confirms my opinion that the really sex-obsessed people in Western society today are the 'Christians' of the Hillsong-variety.

Get your noses out of other people's bedrooms and go and do some real work on your Boss' behalf.

Alison makes some interesting points. The age appropriatness of sex education being one of them. With the plethora of sex information and education available - different things - it is too easy for parents to over look their responsibiltiy to place it in some kind of context for the child as it develops; call it a value system. It is easy also to abrogate themselves of the responsibiltiy to support their children and make sense of the information available under the assumption that the kid knows it all.

Alisons also points to an unmet need amongst girls. Should any of us go to any major public hospital offering ante natal and abortion services there an interesting dichotomy between clients. A high number of teenage women, often at school and sneaking out between classes confirming their pregnancy, elect the ante natal option; The young women in suits tend to opt for the abortive solution.The teenagers seem to need to keep the child.

A substantial gap exists between an awareness of the mechanics of sex, pregnacy and disease transmission and the maturity required to freely elect to have a child, or an abortion.

Few people I know would endorse abortion as an intrinsic "good". Even those who endorse it as a right for those who choose it as an option. The same could be said of teenage pregnancy in the context of western society where it remains stigmatised and an indicator to ongoing socio economic hardship.

Between the ideological positions arguing for enhanced sex education, mandated abstinence or abortion on demand, there needs to be found space to examine the needs of those who find them selves pregnant and faced with difficult choices.

Sadly the need of women who might find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy is lost within a war of words. This fact is never more evident than in the pages of this journal where more energy is devoted to proving ones point in some kind of perverse pissing contest between contributors rather than in a search for some form of solution on the way to the truth. Inkeemagee

Alison I think your parents should have abstained.
The school system has the responsibility to teach the facts not the fallacies.
Sex is a good thing not a bad thing (your faith may teach that sex is bad but that is your loss) and all young people should be taught how to do it safely. It funny that the bible belt states in the US have a much bigger problem then the us but the god bothers use then as good examples. As with most thing religious it defies logic.

Ron, Kelpie & Concerned Citizen:You three have a weird perception of Christianity and you really hate and attack this warped and pathetic perception of yours eh? The topic is sex education for children not what your fellow forum members believe.
When I was a young lad we had our 'dirty' magazines one of the was "Man Magazine" The centre fold contained photos of women which today are eclipsed by the pages of underwear advertisements in store brochures delivered to our letter boxes. Then of course as mentioned lewed and even filthy TV sex shows, porn on the net.Then the brainless twits of girls who are cheerleaders - for the dirty old men in the stands .Then added to this we have the pathetic sex educators who show kids how to fit condoms. Who is to blame - ALL OF US no matter if we believe in a Creator God who teaches that sex is GOOD! between married couples, and to be thoroughly enjoyed by both of them.Or whether we belive in the tooth fairy or are silly enough to believe in nothing. This sex problem is all our fault. One because some of us adults are warped and involved in it.Others, the majority just go along with the filth and say nothing. Look at the perverts in the Sydney homosexual parade WE ALL in one way or the other condone these bloody unfortunates.If hetrosexuals paraded as these unfortunates do we would probaly be arrested and locked up but not them. Our children see us watching these shows at the same time we are telling them to be decent and chaste and send them to sex education classes. What a pack of bloody dribbling piddling hypocrites we are and our kids will be worse. We have I think almost lost this battle and it is our collective fault.
So believers and unbelievers and all in-between wake up and do something to clean the place up if only for our children's sake Regards, numbat

Once again Numbat you demonstrate not only your hate but also your ignorance. I believe there is a large parade in some south American country the is long similar lines as the Sydney one with one exception it is a largely hetro one. To believe there was no explicit porn in the when you were a boy is contrary to the evidence. Our ANZACs where able to buy very explicit bestiality photos during their adventures and a short search on the web can give you a good history of porn. Have you have actually read the instructions on how to put on a condom there is a couple of important points to do and I don’t understand why you think it wrong to show both sexes how to do it. After all the airlines show you how to put your seatbelt on every time you fly be you think that is silly of pathetic too! If you don’t want to be a hypocrite then sell that large porn collection your watching in front of them. I would contend that most problems in regard to sex in western society is because of oppressive religious teaching not the so called sexual revolution of the sixties. Hell the majority of Christians get their advice in this area from a unmarried virgin male!