This is a head's up to all the Joplin R-8 School System parents: Ask if the "Abstinence Only-Sex Education" curriculum being taught to the Joplin Middle School students is being funded by our tax dollars, if not, who is paying to come into our public schools and teaching our children.



If so, this is a definite violation of "Separation of Church and State"...If the curriculum was based on Human Anatomy, Biology and Reproduction, then I would not be raising this issue, but after two years of reading the booklet that is being taught by a "presenter" from a local Church run medical clinic...I feel very concerned about how the schools can get away with this, our PUBLIC schools.



A lot of parents teach their children the moral, psychological issues of being involved with someone sexually. My five teen-aged sons are aware of side effects of casual sex; , Pregnancy, HIV, etc. But it is MY job to teach them the moral issues, based on our belief system, not the responsibility of institutions such as "Life Choices" and their curriculum,"Virtuous Reality,from Connection Institution" a local medical clinic with direct ties to churches and a "ministry".



Our children should be taught "Human Anatomy, Biology, and Reproduction", not morals, not an abstinence only program run by churches that I have definite association with. (My sons have been taught the Biology of Human Sexuality, by the way.) It's such an important issue that I don't want a "presenter" from a religious based group teaching them, that's MY job. I'm very concerned about who is teaching our kids, what if it turned out to be a church that many people are not comfortable with, are we given a chance to learn about those that teach this?



I am a church-going mom, we have a belief-system that we do not "TEACH" or instruct to others, we have no curriculum put into place to teach to other kid's, other parents children about anything, we realize how important it is to be able to practice our belief system and to conduct ourselves in a responsible fashion when it comes to educating our children. Just as important as it is for others to teach their own children about the personal/social responsibility that comes with sexual activity. We do not presume that we know more about how to raise other people's kids, the parents is the child's most important teacher.



All of the basic info is found on the back of the booklet that our middle schools that teaches this program. It's information that is available on their websites, please take a moment and become informed and concerned about what our children are being taught.



Thank you,
MommaBear4All

quote:

Our children should be taught "Human Anatomy, Biology, and Reproduction", not morals

Golly, I see nothing wrong with this statement, do you?

There was nothing wrong with it until you took it out of context. Moral instruction should be left to the parents, up until the point behavior crosses into unlawful territory... even then, the penal system can hardly be considered 'moral instruction.'

Jeez, Rawhead, lighten up a bit. Did you not notice the there?

I happen to think there's scientific merit to abstinence education, since it's a scientific fact that unless you're human, your name is Mary, you're married to a guy named Joseph, and you happened to be in Bethlehem about 2000 or so years ago, abstinence does tend to prevent pregnancy. I bet even the most left-wing biologist will agree with that one. Abstinence only? Probably overkill. But abstinence should be taught, and emphasized, as the only 100% effective method of preventing pregnancy.

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quote:

Originally posted by Rawhead:
the penal system can hardly be considered 'moral instruction.'

Of course not. Isn't that human anatomy?

Thanks to both of you gentleman, for the comments. I appreciate them and wanted to thank you for understanding the meaning in a couple of my statements! The one regarding morals being taught in the schools, as opposed to "sex ed" basics...teaching them the morals is MY job, and I appreciate the feedback.

I found out that a great many parents have pulled their kids out of the course at my son's middle school, and my request to have my son sit out was not a new concept. AND for an added bonus, they're not going to penalize neither him nor myself for missing out on this course.

Thanks again for the comments...

Mommabear4All, maybe not everyone wants a Momma Bear like me...ha ha

Good! The feds should not be able to mandate any course that your kids must take. Can they establish standards? Absolutely. But to mandate that a certain class must be attended? That's a bit much.