The inability of religious persons to understand that what works for them doesn't work for everybody never ceases to amaze me. Pre-marital sex is evil, gay people are evil? Pleeeaassse. I have pre-marital sex a lot, and it's good. It wouldn't be any different if I was married. Oh, I forgot, everything is always perfect in marriages isn't it (falls on floor laughing).

What is evil is stupid social control systems based on archaic manuscripts trying to impose themselves on people who can think for themselves. Dont eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil ie WHATEVER YOU DO, DONT THINK FOR YOURSELF, JUST DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD. Lovely..

As for the sex education, just tell people the truth. What people do, how not to get pregnant or catch diseases, and that its their choice etc.

Maximus, thanks for your response. I have to admit that I would
have dreaded the thought of homeschooling. I went to school to
be with my mates etc, education was a second priority. But in
that time I learnt much about cameraderie, people skills, etc, things that homeschooled kids could well fall short on.

No doubt that teachers each have their bias, but at the end of the day, if the curriculum is well written, they can be encouraged to
stick to that.

There are countless graduates coming out of our education system, who are doing well in this world, despite the concern of some doting parents, so it can't really be all bad.

Good sex education matters, in terms of teenage pregnancy rates,
abortion rates etc. I see no good reason why it should be denied to students.

If you have ever read Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence", he refers to schoolkids who learn about people skills, conflict resolution skills and other usefull life skills and the dramatic effect that they can have on peoples lives. Why should we deny our kids these
abilities?

Lyn Allison:

Isn't it hilarious - whatever became of the original proposition: ' the need for Sex Education in Schools ??' Overnight we've elicited umteen sex theorist, offended a few religious zealots, and in between attracted a potpourri of fence-sitters who throw stones ' either-which-way-the-wind-blows ?' So, what are you ?

Have we any die-hard convictions regarding a natural human bodily function ? Do we blush, do cart-wheels, or just 'let-it-all-hang-out'? Whatever your hangup's, it's really not surprising, the family bedroom is still out of bounds, taboo for some and positively 'kosher' for others. Are we 'cringe-dweller's' or 'avant-garde' when it comes to clinically diddecting the boudoir and it's occupants ?

Scene one: Country school in Godwana.

Riddle: What has Clinton, John Perfumo, John Prescot, ex-senator Graham Richardson, actor Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen have in common ?

Shy dimunutive Stott Dispoja sitting in the front row answers: " good looks ?" "Naw" replies priggish school teacher Miss Latham-faulkner-rudd. "I know", says petulant Johnnie Howard from the back row: "they invaded Iraq ?" " Dunce", mumures Miss LFR under her breath. Freckle-face Julie Gillard pounces " they all starred in the Bold-and-the-beautiful soapie ?" " Another ?" queried Miss LFR derisively.
From square-leg, Jackie Kelly pipes: "I know, they were lover's of all those desperate housewives ?"
Not to be stumped at gully, Heather Coonan spin's out triumphantly: " Wallabies..yeah, the green and gold wallah's who trounced the Kiwi's at the Wacka, that's who ".
Exasperated, teacher explodes: :" No no numbskulls.They all had zipper troubles. They couldn't keep their fly's done up ".

Therein lies the crux to the dilemma prevading Adolescent Sexual behaviour, circa 2006.

Despite exponential advancements in most spheres of Human endeavour, society as a whole has not shed the Victorian Age enigma that still persists in modern day Australia. We eulogise our Bronze bodied Iron-man and bikini clad nymphs soaking up the Sun from Surfer's to Bondi;from Glenelg to Cottlesloe; from Sandringham to Casuarina; from Bell's beach to Davenport.

The G-string has superceded the bikini. Boobs are in. Bra's relegated to St Vinnie's whellie-bin.

continued...

Nudity and nakedness are at the forefront of our persona. We are the most over exposed - melanoma conscious people on the world-wide-web.

Alfred Kinsey. Sex guru, Researcher and publisher of : " Sexual Behaviour of the Human Male ", followed by S&B of the Human Female, shocked his contemporaries, the Religious establishment,as no other. People from all walks of life purveyed and discussed it's contents to 'peep-shot' at what their neighbours were doing in their boudoirs. If they categorised as being 'normal' with some of their 'fantasies, inhibitions and even gymnastics - performed in the sanctuary of their bed chambers !

Some say cigar-smoking Sigmund Freud, psychoanalyst and 'father of sexology' started the Sexual Revolution in the 40's. Postulating mankind exhibited : " unconscious sexual drives in infancy and early childhood sic..help shape our personality ".
"Open the window of the unconscious - where lust, rage and repression battle for supremacy and change the way we view ourselves ". It created a storm in a tea-cup.

Overall, he wasn't far wrong. We have Parent's with ' little understanding of even the most basic facts about human sexuality'. They muddle through even as their forbearer's did. Explains why 3 million 'voyeur's', sorry 'viewer's' passionately watch Ch10's 'Big Brother' series. Meant to titillate, participants are emboldened to exceed moral-ethical grounds bordering on pornographic classification. Ostensibly, Producer's set the racy pace. Evidently, there are no shortages of aspiring young 'porno-queen's' reaching for celebrity recognition ?

Peer review of School based Sex Education Programmes expose a few shortcomings. Some achieve significant behavioural changes more then other's. Moral and social values vary significantly. Differed by levels of education, socio-economic state, income, religious persuasion and housing estate area's. Programs for gardes 9/12 for HSS. Low risk youths. Sex inexperienced youths. Multicultural ethnic youths.

I gained feedback speaking with Teenages:
Sex becoming the new drug sweeping Oz. Sex is readily available. Teen's think they are invincible when it comes to STD. They mature faster. Parent's encourage Plastic surgery to enhance looks. Binge drinking on the rise. Drugs promote promiscuity. They experiment at an earlier age.

Cheers

I am curious why no christians have responded to my bible teachings. Have I converted you? Or do you think you may catch my sickness by discussing the bible?

Perhaps you are waiting for your pastor to tell you the answers?

Incidently I do not condone biblical sexuality. But if we are going to use the bible as a tool to discuss morality and sexuality, which I believe we can, we must teach it as the wisdom of the stories themselves, from the perspectives of the writers and their culture, not our own contemporary moral illusions. The clear story of biblical sexuality is that it changes so as to be appropriate to the cultural needs and norms of the time. For example a lot of the cleanliness laws relating to blood - menstruating women and sexual avoidence times for example, is surely a ceremonial thing, but I believe it was also a community health practice relevent to the diseases of 3000 years ago just as safe sex can be interpreted as gods law today. The massive advertising campaigns about safe sex in the last couple of decades is the contemporary equivalent of ceremonial sex laws and practices. - leading to health and connectedness without guilt, just like god planned it.

p.s. safe sex education is good for reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies too.

Don't want to be too safe though, or you would get no virgin births anymore.
Mathew ch 1 The very first thing in the new testament - gives Jesus'connection to the holy BLOODLINE of King David (and Solomon) - through Jesus' father Joseph.

Amen