Instructor Needed: Skills For Living

I meant to post on this some time ago.

I think the mistake many parents, schools and churches make is placing too much emphasis on the 'sex act' when so much more is required of oneself and one's relationships than the actual biblical deed. Children/young adults need to be taught to view things with a broader perspective and understand how all of their actions, sexual or otherwise, can have tangible, psychological and spiritual ramifications that not only affect them but others as well. I agree with this post I found at Wood Moor Village.

"But, I for one don'’t think schools need to be teaching anybody how to put on a condom. The information is easily available out there, and we can distribute it if that will help. But the exercises of putting a condom on a cucumber or a banana are to me laughable. I guess the benefit would be in getting kids used to talking about this and being open about the need for such candor. In which case, let us facilitate deep and meaningful dialogues about sexuality, diseases, abstinence, etc. rather than the hyper affectation of putting a condom on a vegetable and assuming that somehow that will translate easily to moments of passion.

Lust and desire do not care if you have practiced with vegetables. Good preparation to meet your hormones is not about dressing cucumbers for battle, but about preparing oneself mindfully about what it means to be a sexually active member of society, the risks and responsibilities. The longer we skirt those conversations the worse off we will be. The longer we have people denying HIV, blaming others, seeing gays as evil, etc., the longer we will continue as a repressed society with all the troubles that brings. So, it is high time we offered not a sex ed. class in schools at certain intervals, but a Living Skills class that is a permanent part of the curriculum. It ought to cover interpersonal relationships, communication, gender issues, race and ethnicity, sexuality, GLBT, primary health care, etc. Every kid should graduate from High School with a strong set of Living Skills."