I was reading an article the other day in my diocese's Catholic newspaper about a Catholic High School in our state asking the bishops for permission to hand out condoms upon the request of students. The high school is run by an order of sisters and it is co-educational. Apparently the the student body created a petition with an overwhelming number of signatures, and asked the administration to ask the bishops for permission to hand out condoms and create a better sex education program. It happened after a student journalist took a survey of the student body asking how many girls have had an abortion or had a girlfriend that has had an abortion. The number was frighteningly high, (something like 40%) and resulted in a lot of the parents threatening to take their girls out of the school unless the administration and teachers start taking steps to reduce the number of abortions either through sex education or abstinence awareness programs.

Obviously, and thanks be to God, the bishops responded with a firm "NO" to the handing out of condoms or any program that teaches how to have safe sex. They did promise to consider the matter by possibly holding a conference among priests, principals, educators and other professionals. Its just sad that the school has had about 21 students be removed from the school and transfered as a result.

I'd like to know why so many young girls are finding it so easy to have sex. Where are their parents? Why aren't they being watched? When I was a teenager, if I wanted to see my girlfriend, I had to sit in her parents house, in the living room, with at least a few family members around talking to us before and after we went out. We could have snook around if we wanted to, but our parents kept us so under tabs that we didnt even think we could get away with it. And I'm only 26! This wasn't that long ago! We're now happily married.

Hmmmmm....seems to me as if all our parents' hard work at instilling values paid off. Can't say the same for the parents of this high school. Sad.....this are changing so quickly.

-- curious (curious@dern.com), January 02, 2005

Answers

The "survey" that started this whole fiasco was ridiculous on the face of it. It reminds me of a survey taken by a California newspaper a few years back. They mailed a questionaire to several hundred Catholic priests. One of the questions they asked was "do you personally know of any Catholic priest who is currently infected with, or who has died from AIDS?" Of the 150 or so priests who responded, more than 70% answered "yes" to this question. the resulting newspaper article suggested that a virtual epidemic of AIDS existed among Catholic priests. However, all the questionaires had been mailed to Catholic priests in one diocese (San Francisco, I think). A popular priest in that diocese had in fact died of AIDS during the previous year, and most of the other priests in the diocese knew this particular priest, and knew of his illness. That one priest's illness was the source of the 70% positive response.

Asking the girls in one high school whether they have had an abortion "OR have a friend who had an abortion" is absurd. If one girl in the high school had an abortion, word would quickly get around and before long at least 40% of the girls in the school would "have a friend who had an abortion". This kind of ridiculous pseudo-statistics are at best utterly useless, and at worse terribly misleading to the large percentage of the population who have no idea what makes statistical polls valid.

In any case, thank God the Bishop of this diocese was Catholic, even if the sisters teaching in the school were not.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), January 02, 2005.

the overwhelmingly sad thing, to me, is that the parents in this case are shirking their responsibility in the matter and expecting the school to provide the moral compass. as parents the prime responsibility of moral education for their children lies on THEM. and yet they expect others to do their part for them. i was blessed with great parents, just like curious was, but i can't say the same for most of my fellows, and even less for the friends of my younger siblings in high school.

curious, the best thing you can do is to be that same rock for your children. you are right, the times are changing quickly but there are still people out there who have been instilled with virtue. pass it on to your children.

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), January 02, 2005.

Well let me clear something up. I wrote it incorrectly. The survey comprised of two questions. I really wish i still had the paper with me, im uncertain of the numbers, but im certain of the questions. They survey asked males and females different questions. Females were asked if they had an abortion themselves, and the survey asked males whether they had a girlfriend or ex- girlfriend (i imagine whom they had impregnated) that had an abortion.

I still agree with you Paul, how much confidence can we really have in a student survey anyway?

But im sorry about my inclarity.

-- curious (curious@dern.com), January 02, 2005.

Hello: Guys im a 16 year old. I think i could give some thought to this. I go to a Catholic High School. Now, there are some girls who say they want to save themselves for marriage, but that doesnt last too long. Today's parents DONT CARE. Now i have srict parents, but they never approached me about sex , drinking, or drugs. Thanks to the Lord, I havent done anything like that. At school its about partying. To get wasted, passed out, and not only smoke marijuana, but even take more dangerous drugs. I asked them, have your parents ever found out? And they responded "o yeah, they know but i dont get into too much trouble" Right before a party the parents would tell them casually "o no drinking ok" or after a party "we're you smoking?" I couldnt believe this. Parents these days ( its funny im saying, im only 16) dont care like before. O i just remebered, i know a mother that helped her son and his friends in making the marijuana blunts I COULDNT BELIEVE IT. Its sad, our youth is not headed in the right direction. IM AFRAID TO SEE WHATS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. If you think what i just told is bad, you wouldnt beleive the stuff that goes in Public schools. I just pray for our youth and that they find the Lord Jesus Christ

Please if you have any questions concerning todays youth that you may not understand, please ask

David A.

-- David A. Martinez (raydr2411@hotmail.com), January 03, 2005.

a lot of the parents threatening to take their girls out of the school unless the administration and teachers start taking steps to reduce the number of abortions either through sex education or abstinence awareness programs.

Yeah, Sex education. That oughtta clinch it.

-- jake (j@k.e), January 03, 2005.