By DR. BERNARDO M. VILLEGAS
May 20, 2011, 3:03am
MANILA, Philippines — Those who are pushing for sex education in our public schools should be aware of the types of sex education practiced in countries like the United States because some of our educators, wittingly or unwittingly, are emulating models from the West.
Fortunately, a recent book on the Theology of the Body written by former Bishop of Legazpi Jose Sorro compiled a detailed account of sex education in the US He made an expose of what is known as comprehensive sex education which teaches children not only about the biological facts of sex, but also about birth control, contraception, abortion, masturbation, homosexual behavior, and other moral evils.
The proponents of this approach to sex education claim that whatever they teach is "value free," and, therefore, allegedly free of biases and prejudices.
They fail to realize that when a teacher tells children that no sex act is immoral, and that we should not judge others who have "different sexual lifestyles" from our own, they are actually expressing a very clear ideological or philosophical bias — that there is no such thing as morality.
They are advocating a completely amoral set of values.
Bishop Sorro has done parents, teachers, and the youth a great service by documenting in his book Crumbs II some sample curricula on sex education in some US schools. He reports that after researchers, funded by the National Institute of Education, examined 60 standard social studies textbooks used by the majority of children in Grades 1 through 12 in US public schools, the central conclusion of the study was dramatic: Religion, traditional family values, and conservative positions on every known moral issue have been expunged completely from the curricula of all public school students. The words "marriage," "wedding," "husband," and "wife," did not appear once in any of the 60 textbooks.
The findings of Bishop Sorro should make Filipino parents very vigilant about what could be introduced in our public schools, whether or not the RH Bill is passed. There are already some existing textbooks that have been patterned after the US experiences. There are already contents which directly attack Christian values and traditional Filipino values.
Whereas Christianity and traditional Filipino values emphasize virginity before marriage and fidelity to the commandments of God, some of these materials patterned after US public schools have diligently banned God, and tell kids that contraception, sterilization, abortion, premarital sex, adultery, sodomy, masturbation, and even sex with animals are value-free and, therefore, involve human rights that no one can tamper with — especially parents.
Bishop Sorro specifically cites two textbooks commonly used in comprehensive sex education in US public schools. One of them is entitled Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: A Book for Teens on Sex and Relationships, probably the most popular sex education text in the United States.
It has been in continuous use in thousands of high schools since it appeared in 1980. It includes the statement, "Bisexuality is an openness to loving, sexual relationships with both sexes — our true nature... Gay men, too, have many ways of making love. One may caress the other's penis with his hand or his mouth.
Or one may put his penis in another's anus." No wonder the widely popular TV show "Glee," in the name of human rights for homosexuals, shows passionate kissing between men.
Another book cited by Bishop Sorro is called "Boys and Girls and Sex." Written by Wardell Pomeroy, it comes in separate versions, Boys and Sex and Girls and Sex. Some of the more outrageous statements found in these books are: "Premarital intercourse does have its definite value as a training ground for marriage or some other committed relationships... to make everyday comparisons again, it's like taking a car out for a test run before you buy it.... Farm boys have had loving sexual relationships with animals..."
Then there is the extremely popular program called Enhancing Skills to Prevent Pregnancy. It tells teachers to break down their student's inhibitions with the formidable weapon of peer pressure: Some teachers bring cucumbers or zucchini to class and show how to apply and remove condoms, or open the packages and unroll condoms for students to inspect and pass around.
This must have been the inspiration of a prominent Thai businessman who used to visit Philippine schools and ask girl students to blow a condom like a balloon.
This same Thai businessman was so successful in "condomizing" Thailand that this neighbor of ours may be the first country in the history of humanity to grow old before becoming rich.
Since there are US foundations who are very active in promoting birth control in the Philippines, it is not to be alarmist to fear that some of these ideas and pedagogical techniques can creep into Philippine schools, both public and private, almost by osmosis. Parents have to be very much aware of the type of sex education being imparted in the schools where their children are studying.
Nothing can be taken for granted. We have to thank Bishop Sorro for sounding the alarm bells. Those who want to purchase his book may contact Med Villanueva at 0917-521-3883 or Fr. Joseph Salando at 0922-821-6655. For comments, my e-mail address is bvillegas@uap.edu.ph.
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