My Thoughts on Sex Education

By: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel M. Vergara

My discussion would be simple; I won’t use high-falutin words or

flowery phrases. I would go straight to the point and to the heart of what
really matters. First and foremost, it’s not awkward on my part as a
priest to talk about sex. What’s awkward is NOT to talk about it in
spite of what’s happening in our environment.
As a child, sex education was something I learned at home. In school,
we didn’t have subjects that discussed, or even implied, the concept of sex.
Thanks to my parents, all I knew then was that sex is something sacred
because it could not be done by just anyone, and it is an act that is solely for
married couples. I believe that was all I needed to know. That ought to be
enough.
Then as I grew up, I discovered, perhaps because of my friends and the
media, a lot more things related to sex, such as pornography and bedtime
stories about sex, which surprisingly were already available during my time.
But the “little knowledge” about sex that was inculcated in my mind by
my parents was more than enough for me to come up with the notion that
pornography is the work of the devil and that masturbation is a grave sin and
that I should not give in to peer pressure regarding sex-related activities.
That “little knowledge” was enough to guide me towards the right path of
righteousness.
Needless to say, I am now a priest.
Now that I have grown more years, sex education enters (or re-enters)
my life… our lives. This doesn’t scare me because I know what I should and
should not do. What scares me is the fact that the concept is being
introduced to the youth who cannot discern yet what they should
and should not do. I must admit that the intention of sex education is good,
but without the light of faith, it can be extremely dangerous.
The devil is very cunning and smart. He can devise his evil plans
hidden under pretty cloaks. His devious acts exclude no one, not even
priests. I am a man and I can be weak at times; I can be tempted at times. If
a priest like me can be tempted by that deceitful devil, how much more the
youth of the present generation, whose minds are very impressionistic and
very vulnerable?
Do you know what gives me the strength to fight and eventually
overcome temptations? My faith in God, my fear in God, and that “little
knowledge” I learned at home when I was a child – that sex is sacred,
forbidden for non-married couples and a grave sin if done illicitly. I always win
against the devil because of those firm beliefs I hold true up to this moment
in my life.
I accept that the concept of sex is out there in the open, accessible in
all forms of media by practically everyone regardless of gender, age and
social status. This frightening fact should be a wake up call to parents,
especially those who might not have enough quality time with their kids.
Perhaps this is God’s way of telling you that you must shift your focus from
work to spend more time teaching your kids the proper and decent way of
living their lives. They need you now more than ever. I strongly believe
that Sex Education should not be made formal in school and form part of the
curriculum. It is the parents’ responsibility to educate their children
about such an important matter. Putting Sex Ed in schools might just be
another excuse for parents not to teach this to their kids anymore, since it’s
being taught in school anyway. It may further widen the gap between
parents and their children.
Sex Education may also serve as the spark to inform the innocent kids
the concepts on sex that they have previously no knowledge of. Wouldn’t it
be absurd if you ask a grade school pupil, “Where did you learn about sex?”
and the response would be “In school.” We may actually be corrupting
their mind instead of cleansing it. If some high school students can’t
even fully grasp the concepts of writing a good paragraph or of solving Math
problems which are being taught to them since elementary, how much more
the delicate topic of sex education, which is way over their heads?
Remember, misinformation is more dangerous than no information at
all.
Finally, if sex education is taught in school, it might destroy
relationships even within the family. A simple father asking his little girl
to sit on his lap might be given a different interpretation by the “educated”
little girl. A boy and a girl playing together in their backyard might be given a
different meaning by the “educated” onlookers. I hope you’re seeing my
point in the given examples. There is a great possibility that this would go
beyond the expected results and eventually ruin strong family relations.
So the bottom line is this: Sex Education need not be formalized
in schools. If the government wants its citizens, especially the youth, to be
well-informed about this topic, then it should empower the parents to
educate their own kids. It should be more stringent in showing sex-related
scenes in movies and televisions. It should be more cautious in the
distribution of pornographic DVDs, magazines and other forms of media. It
should have an iron fist in destroying night clubs and brothels that encourage
prostitution and other sexual acts. It should first exert all necessary efforts to
address these concerns before attempting to penetrate the schools. That’s
the least the country needs right now.