lil_e,

I appreciate the thought put into this post, but I disagree with your observation: all views of life are equally valid.

Quote,” Clearly, articles such as these highlight that our school system may be changing, unfortunately, the degree of tolerance in our society is not".

Are you affirming that our society is intolerant, and that is somehow a bad thing? A look at the conflicting posts here show different values and views: and show that one side disagrees the other sides views are not equally valid. This is the nature of human thought that develops a strong society that will not accept mediocrity.

Quote, "This .. class .. looked at the world's major religions. The most important insight that I gained from this class was the importance of understanding and tolerance. We shouldn't stereotype anyone, whether they are homosexuals, heterosexuals, Christians, Anglo-Saxon, aboriginal or any other "label".

Tolerance has become a "catch-cry", "I want my ideas to be accepted"; and harmony an agenda for the multicultural acceptance of Islam. Note who formulated the manual on "Harmony" - how many religions are explained by the Australian Multicultural Foundation - only one. These are the authors of the "Harmony" manual. They will not tolerate the expression of difference and will litigate to silence opponents. Where are the Multicultural Foundation manuals on other religions in Australia, like Buddhism etc? We should appreciate and respect all people as equal: but ask us to accept the views of all people as equally valid is absolute nonsense.

This applies to social behaviours: ask everyone to accept all human behaviour as equally valid to create a tolerant society is avoiding reality. We have advocates that believe that there is no such thing as child sex abuse if the child is not raped, or forced against their will. This appears a valid view in Pitcan Island. If they came to Australia and held such views are we to tolerate such behaviour? Behaviour has values that affect a society, and a moral society has proved to be the best society.

Thanks for the post lil_e, which - apart from anything else - supports my own view that this topic is being given an importance that is out of proportion to its real impact. Like you, I am of the view that the contributions of peers have a far greater impact on sex education than any formal teaching, followed - at a distance - by attitudes at home.

I suspect that the reason for the fuss in this thread is that it is the kind of topic that allows a number of personal drums to be beaten, at the expense any real examination of the issues. For example, rather than picking up on your assessment of the issue itself - whether children are being corrupted by wayward sex education in schools - the immediate reaction to your own post was to attack your observations on our intolerant society. Philo replied to you with:

>>Tolerance has become a "catch-cry", "I want my ideas to be accepted"; and harmony an agenda for the multicultural acceptance of Islam.<<

This is unfortunately a typical response, which shamelessly uses your post as a trampoline for an "own agenda" comment - while in the process obliquely ascribing to you views which you don't hold. Your observation on tolerance, perfectly reasonably expressed, was immediately twisted to read "all views of life are equally valid", which is actually a nonsense statement that no-one in their right mind would ascribe to, but one with which you have now been labelled.

[Apart from anything else, tolerant people are surely the least likely members of society, by definition, to say "I want my ideas to be accepted".]

I notice that this was your first post to this Forum (under this nym anyway, this is after all the internet), and I hope the experience encourages you to continue to contribute. Otherwise, the entire medium will eventually be overwhelmed by single-issue zealots, which will diminish its value as a source of fresh views and an exchange of ideas.

Absolutely, Pericles and lil_e. One of the problems with forums such as these is that they tend to be rather easily hijacked by activists who wish to push their own agendas, however obscurely they may be linked to the article under discussion.

In the case of this article, Donnelly's assertions certainly don't gel with the kinds of ideas that my Year 9 son brings home from school. I doubt that many of the more voluble of the correspondents here actually have much to do with the kids who are apparently on the receiving end of these wickedly tolerant teachers' campaigns to impart an appreciation of diversity among their charges.

A while ago, I had a little chat with my son about his use of the word "gay" as pejorative term - I gather that in Brisbane teenage male vernacular "gay" is a ubiquitous word for anything that doesn't conform to current fashions. Under such circumstances I can well imagine a teacher validly using such an example to construct a scenario such as Donnelly describes, whereby students could imagine 'otherness', in the interests of teaching about the tolerance upon which social cohesion depends in contemporary Australian society.

Indeed, I wish one of my son's teachers had done exactly that.

Reality Check, 450 cases of Catholic child abuse put through the courts - that is on record. And that is not counting the others that are swept aside and covered up. I have been physically attacked and verbally abused on a number of occassions by members of a Catholic School Community and I have first hand experience of how they operate to justify and cover these things up. You say, the Catholic Church is the largest employer outside the government, it also "educates" a large percentage of our youth who then gain access to old boy/girl networks which include government employees, police, politicians and media. So, in my own experience, you just don't get a fair go and equal treatment when dealing with issues relating to Catholic community if you come up against the networked.
One other thing, whenever the Catholic Church is criticised its supporters, like you, will nearly always harp on about the services it (and the many truly giving catholic folk in the Catholic Church) provide as if it some sort of justification for its failings. The reality in my area is that the Catholic Schools are sucking funds away from road works and other things that will assist the whole community. When you use the good works as propaganda you are slipping into corporate business practice which can confirm the idea that Catholic Schools and Churches are first and foremost a power-gaining venture - it also suggests that perhaps the Church regards its many willing helpers as nothing more than "useful idiots". I know for a fact that the polite language used in the media is a sham. I have been told by a Catholic spokesperson, on the quite, among other things, that I am a "grub" and an "idiot" and that for daring to criticise Catholic works and because the police prosecuted one of my attackers. That is reality in dealing with certain Catholic Community folk in my experience.

lil_e

Many thanks for your articulate, intelligent, and "refreshing" post. It seems to me that you are in a better position than me to make realistic comment on Donnelly's article - since you have only recently completed your high school years. Good on you. I hope that you continue to contribute to this Forum.

You know I used to disagree with my husband about the fact that I believed that Pedophiles were born Pedophiles and homosexuals were born homosexuals etc., but knowing what I know now, I have changed my beliefs and I now believe that while that holds true for some, it doesn’t hold true for all!.

The human mind is a very sensitive instrument. People can easily become very vulnerable and sensitive. Human survival depends on humans adapting to their environment. My concern is that our youth are seeing so much aggression, war, racism, discrimination, sex and drugs that they are adapting their thought patterns to survive in that type of environment and are having to make the decision that - “If you cant beat them join them”, otherwise you will be left on your own – vulnerable and unprotected.

If you put ideas into people’s heads during times that they are vulnerable or confused I believe that you can change their thought pattern, it can confuse them and make them do things they would not have otherwise have considered. As adults we really need to consider what we are exposing our children to and realise that our children are evolving and growing and what they see and learn is what they do.