Health Class In Catholic School

[Crusader_4]

I go To a Catholic High School and i was concerned because we spend more time on different forms of contraception rather then abstinence or perhaps even on the Church's teaching on the issues. So i was wondering is this the norm in Catholic High Schools? Also are schools normally under some sort of obligation to teach contraception?

[mom25angels]

No, a CATHOLIC school is under no obligation to teach contraception!!!!
I'd yank my kids right out of there. 'Course that doesn't really apply to our family.............yet ANOTHER reason to homeschool.

Sheeeesh. Edited April 13, 2004 by mom25angels

[SevenSorrows]

What are they teaching about contraception? Like the pros and cons? or what? cause contraception is a grave sin and should never be used. So are they trying to promote it? What state do you go to school in?

You should raise a big ol deal about it. I will get you the info on church teaching if you want. You should challenge your teacher and see what happens. Then if that doesn't work bring it to the principal and parents. Cause a protest cause a riot!!!! oh sorry..hehe got carried away.

[Crusader_4]

Well I live in Canada actually. So i figure i should probably talk to one of the four priests at my school one who runs the school. I acutally probably think they dont have a good idea what is taught in the health class since they are normally working in the Chaplaincy or admin. So i am probably going to raise the issue with one of them. But its more of the pros of it and in the health class we dont do any of the CHurch teachings.

Edited April 13, 2004 by Crusader_4

[SevenSorrows]

So do you have the spiritual "guts" to call your teacher on it??? That would be awesome if you did, plus all the kids in class will pay attention and maybe learn something. You should find out if the teacher is Catholic, because sometimes they aren't. You could just straight out ask, "Why are you teaching us this, since it is a grave sin to use it? Are you trying to lead us into sin and possibly hell?"

If you need any resources I could find you a ton.

[Crusader_4]

Yea resources would be great (actually i am a gr 10 so we dont do health nemore) if u PM i can send u my e-mail. Plus i know my gym/health teacher isnt Catholic (not that he is forcing his views down on us cuz he really isnt he just isnt presenting the Catholic side). I think i will talk 2 some of the Priests in the admin about it.

[Homestarlover85]

I went to a catholic school and we were taught about contraception, and then taught why it was wrong.

[crusader1234]

For some reason this thread strikes me as kind of... back in the dark ages. While I agree that contraception isn't 'good', there isn't a doubt in my mind about whether or not it should be tought - it should. I go to a school like that hahahahaha (hm names coincidental?) and I have a few things to say. The school knows that some kids will engage in sexual activity, and they DID say before teaching us that contraception is a sin and said what the church allows. So they are hardly teaching us to sin. I'd personally rather have my friends know about contraception... because i'm pretty (lets say 99.99 percent) sure that they know that sex is a sin. And i'm pretty (lets say 100 percent) sure that if they are going to have premarital sex then they won't be too worried about breaking any Catholic laws about contraception. So yeah, thats just my opinion.

[willguy]

Have to say I agree with crusader. I think that the school should teach that having premarital sex is a grave sin, and that using contraception is a grave sin, but should still give students basic info about contraceptives.

[the protector]

I remember our 7th grade science teacher (Catholic school) telling the girls in our class not to go to a Catholic hospital if they were raped because the hsopital woudn't provide emergency contraception. She never promoted contraception in any other case. I am not sure if the church still condemns contraception in rape cases. If it does, then I'm glad she ignored the teaching.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='willguy' date='Apr 13 2004, 09:35 PM'] Have to say I agree with crusader. I think that the school should teach that having premarital sex is a grave sin, and that using contraception is a grave sin, but should still give students basic info about contraceptives. [/quote]
So in other words you'd advocate teaching "it's wrong to have sex, kids ... but if you do it, at least know how to protect yourselves"?

This is an argument that could perhaps be made if you're teaching sex ed in a secular setting, but I really don't like it in this setting. Can't we call kids to a higher standard? Can't we expect them [i]not [/i]to have premarital sex, and help them do that?

I've been reading [i]The Theology of the Body[/i], and listening to Christopher West's tapes, and I weep that I didn't hear this stuff as a teenager. Granted, I was a different person then than I am now, so who knows whether I would have been open to it ... but good grief, if I had been I would have been saved worlds of heartache.

Now, 10 years out of high school, I'm just beginning the arduous task of unraveling all the carp about sexuality I absorbed as a youngster and getting a picture of what sexuality is really about. It helps me tremendously to see the [i]why [/i]behind the teachings about premarital sex and contraception.

Why shortchange our kids by teaching them the exact same carp they're getting everywhere else? We've got something better than that, a message that brings LIFE and not death! Why can't we, as Catholics, embrace the Church's beautiful teachings in this area and teach it to our kids?

:steps off soapbox:

[Homestarlover85]

i think the problem is that they arent acting as if abstinence is even an option

[WCC_Catholic]

it is sad but i happens in high schools i went to De La Salle and they never had anyone come and talk to us about chasity but they did have people come and talk about self sex

i made a vow with my heavenly and earthy fathers that i will wait till marrage to do anything sexual and i am 20 and a proud virgen so i hope that schools start to tell the wanderful joy that it is to be a virgen

Sarah Marie

[BeenaBobba]

Hi y'all,

I don't think there is any reason to learn about contraception in a Catholic high school. Why would it be so important to learn about it if premartial sex and contraception are wrong? If, on the other hand, your school was discussing why contraception is wrong and was discussing the Church's teaching on it, then I'd think that's fine. But if they were giving the whole, "If you're gonna have sex, have safe sex" thing, that shouldn't be tolerated at a Catholic school. Actually, statistics show that teen pregnancy, STDs, and abortion rates have gone up -- not down -- since sex ed in schools has become more prevalent. Imagine a Catholic school saying, "Abortion is wrong, but if you ever wanna have one, go to so-and-so." That would be wrong. So, I don't think a Catholic school should teach contraception and the whole "safe sex" thing to its students. Not only are they going against the Church's teachings in doing so, but they're putting their students at risk. Condoms break. If they do, then there's a possibility of life threatening disease (like AIDS). I know I wouldn't put a gun up to my head and pull the trigger if there was even a remote chance that there could be a bullet in the gun. The same is true with contraception. Even with a remote chance that damage could be done, why put a life at risk? And even with condoms and such, the risk is more than remote.

Are your parents strong Catholics, and could you talk to them about this and what you should do? Maybe you could ask your priest for advice.

God bless,

Jen

[Homestarlover85]

I think the problem in the schools also has to deal with our constant fear of stepping on other people's toes. "What if people are already sexually active? You dont want to make them feel left out?"

The other problem people have with not teaching contraception, is the fact that some people feel they need to use it because otherwise they could die (due to complications).

Its a hard topic in general

[Sojourner]

[quote]I think the problem in the schools also has to deal with our constant fear of stepping on  other people's toes. "What if people are already sexually active? You dont want to make them feel left out?" [/quote]

We cannot let fear keep us from preaching the truth. Of course kids are having sex. They need to know what they're saying with their bodies when they do it. They need to know what sex really means. They need to know the truth.

[quote]The other problem people have with not teaching contraception, is the fact that some people feel they need to use it because otherwise they could die (due to complications). [/quote]

There's one foolproof way to keep from getting an STD: DON'T ENGAGE IN SEXUAL CONTACT!!! Look, I'm 27, I'm celibate. I know how hard it is to not have sex. I know how hard it is to keep from lusting. I have fallen in these areas.

You're right, this is a hard topic. But we are called to DIE to our sin, and to find LIFE in Christ. If we don't issue this call to our teenagers (and to each other!!) who will? Every other voice out there is telling us to just do it.

Edited April 14, 2004 by Sojourner

[BeenaBobba]

I mean, I don't think sexually active teens should be demonized at schools. After all, love the sinner, hate the sin. But they shouldn't be condoned for their behavior either. Immoral sexual behavior is objectively wrong and should be condemned as such.

The statistics show that sex ed in schools has actually made teens more likely to have premarital sex and to therefore have a higher incidence of pregnancy, STDs, and abortion. I think that because of this, teens have a false sense of security when it comes to birth control and aren't willing to accept the consequences when their birth control method feels, which isn't too unlikely since they fail more often than MTV or other like groups would have teens believing. Plus, the anti-child mentality of contraception has a very strong link to abortion.

Because contraception thwarts the procreative aspect of sex, homosexual sex isn't considered as immoral and wrong as it once was. Many people think that if heterosex is "normal" even when the procreative aspect is deliberately thwarted during the act of sex, why wouldn't homosex be wrong? And because procreation is a big part of marriage, contraception in marriage has helped to make the divorce rate go up. And lastly, because contraception is rooted in the anti-child mentality, it also has strong ties to abortion.

I don't think it should in any way be promoted in Catholic schools.

[BeenaBobba]

Yeah, I totally agree with you, Sojourner, that teens need to hear the truth. Telling them the truth, regardless of whether they might hate hearing it, is the loving and Christian thing to do.

[DemonSlayer]

At a Catholic high school they should [b]only[/b] teach chastity.

[BeenaBobba]

Amen to that, DemonSlayer!