Building a Brave New World

I've never spoken out much about sex education, in part because it is a very divisive issue in the pro-life movement. The more religious pro-life organizations tend to promote abstinence-only sex education, while more secular pro-life organizations take a different stance.

Conservative Catholics, especially, seem to view contraception as a link in the chain leading to abortion. The problem I have with this is that abortion is not contraception, and any claim that contraception leads to abortion seems to promote the misconception that pro-lifers are trying to tell women what to do with their own bodies.

Be that as it may, I have recently discovered that those pushing for "sex education" may be pushing for much more than that, and it frankly scares me.

A U.N. report (which you can read about on FoxNews here) just came out advocating a comprehensive sex education program for children ages 5-18.

"The UNESCO report, called "International Guidelines for Sexuality Education," separates children into four age groups: 5-to-8-year-olds, 9-to-12-year-olds, 12-to-15-year-olds and 15-to-18-year-olds.

Under the U.N.'s voluntary sex-ed regime, kids just 5-8 years old will be told that "touching and rubbing one's genitals is called masturbation" and that private parts "can feel pleasurable when touched by oneself."

By the time they're 9 years old, they'll learn about "positive and negative effects of 'aphrodisiacs,'" and wrestle with the ideas of "homophobia, transphobia and abuse of power."

At 12, they'll learn the "reasons for" abortions — but they'll already have known about their safety for three years. When they're 15, they'll be exposed to direct "advocacy to promote the right to and access to safe abortion."

It sounds as if the U.N. wants to make scenes like this one a reality:

"That's a charming little group," he said, pointing.

In a little grassy bay between tall clumps of Mediterranean heather, two children, a little boy of about seven and a little girl who might have been a year older, were playing, very gravely and with all the focussed attention of scientists intent on a labour of discovery, a rudimentary sexual game.

"Charming, charming!" the D.H.C. repeated sentimentally.

"Charming," the boys politely agreed. But their smile was rather patronizing. They had put aside similar childish amusements too recently to be able to watch them now without a touch of contempt. Charming? but it was just a pair of kids fooling about; that was all. Just kids.

It appears Aldous Huxley was truly a prophet.

I can only hope American liberals aren't truly in favor of this kind of "sex ed," which is really an indoctrination program into a rather cruel vision of humanity.

This vision of humanity is one in which our inhibitions are meaningless, our efforts to abstain are futile, and our bodies mean nothing beyond their usefulness in satisfying our desires. But this is subhuman. I am not fully human until I have learned to master desires, to delight in the strength that comes from abstinence, and to respect my body as something sacred. This is not merely with regards to sex; it applies to all of life.

I wrestle with the question of how realistic abstinence-only education is. However, I do not take kindly to the notion that sex is nothing sacred, but merely something to be enjoyed at the mere consent of two people (even children).

Ideally, sex education would have at its very heart the notion that the human body is sacred. Therefore, there are boundaries to be respected. Why can't other people touch you any way they want? Because your body is precious. It is not a toy for others to play with. Nor should you use it like a toy. Your body can cause new life to come into being--accept the responsibility that comes with that. Respect your body. Love your body. Guard it well.

But there are some who would seem to have us believe that the body is only worth what you can get out of it. The primary ethical impulse in such a vision is, "Don't infringe on others' ability to pleasure themselves." Proponents of this vision call this freedom, but human life has to have dignity before it can have freedom.

And of course the idea that generations of children would be indoctrinated into believing abortion to be morally acceptable is horrifying. I don't suppose any part of that abortion education would involve showing pictures of what a horror it really is.

It's frightening to me that people with such power are pushing such an agenda. I might be paranoid, but sometimes I truly wonder, will we wake up in time to see what's happening?