Sex and sensibility

Jan 4 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD MP Barry Sheerman today wades into the minefield of religious belief – voicing his fears about the Catholic church’s attitude both to schools and sex education.

On the latter point, he is concerned that children are being taught that contraception is wrong.

But would anything else be expected anyway from the Catholic church? The church sees itself as concerned with eternal truths rather than the changing vagaries of social fashion.

It is indeed true that the use of condoms to control the Aids pandemic in Africa is a matter of concern for the Catholic church in the very countries where its following is growing.

But on the whole there will be no foreseeable shift within the church on issues such as contraception, the role of women in the church, abortion and attitudes to homosexuality.

In a country such as ours, where we are familiar with the sight of gymslip mothers, we undoubtedly do need sex education for children – it is not an issue that should be brushed under the carpet.

But an important part of the teaching should be to tell children that they have the right to say ‘no’ as well as ‘yes’.

Children need guidance. We cannot make their decisions for them but we need to teach them to make the right choices.

Society has a collective responsibility to provide properly argued guidelines.