Sermons, Sex Education at Some Churches

Two liberal denominations are adding sex education to the lessons they offer young congregants -- a response to perceived shortcomings in US public schools' instruction on the topic.

The United Church of Christ (UCC) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) have partnered to create "Our Whole Lives -- Sexuality and Our Faith." Presented to children as young as six, the curriculum includes information about contraception and STDs along with discussions of sexual morality from a religious perspective.

"I believe that if we respect our children enough, we will answer every question with age-appropriate, medically accurate information," said Ann Hanson, minister for sexuality education and justice at the UCC's national offices in Cleveland.

Our Whole Lives begins by teaching children in kindergarten and first grade that they own their own bodies and should report inappropriate touching. Kids in fourth and sixth grade learn about puberty. Teens in junior high and high school are taught about STDs, contraception, and the risks associated with various sexual acts. Throughout the courses, instructors discuss moral values, communication, and healthy relationships. Homework assignments for younger children get parents involved, while teens' parents receive a syllabus listing the topics covered.

This faith-based instruction helps fill in the gaps left by abstinence-only curricula in public schools, according to parents and teachers at the participating churches. "The kids come in and it's kind of like Swiss cheese," said Amy Johnson, youth director at the Wayside UCC in Federal Way, Wash. "They might know a lot about AIDS prevention, but they don't know a lot about birth control."

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