Help Protect Catholic Teachings in Catholic Schools
Some of you may know that I have been involved in pro-life projects and this happens to be one of them. There are Catholics here in Singapore who desire to maintain Catholic moral teachings in our Catholic Schools and are seeking support.
Below is a letter to parents regarding Breaking Down Barriers, a programme which teaches the youth sexuality in a way contrary to our belief system and promotes the use of condoms. Further, it does not instill the moral values of temperance and fortitude which are essential to the formation of our youth and what makes it even worse is that it exists as a mandatory programme for secondary education and is taught in some junior colleges.
Be reminded, Catholic schools are to teach morals and values for living, and indoctrination to the Culture of Death does not fit into that criteria.
Below is our letter to parents, which may also be found at our webpage: http://lejuene.caritashost.com/
Also, to view our appendix, visit the above link or http://lejuene.caritashost.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/We_Object_To_BDB_v3.pdf (contains both the letter and fact sheet. To see the fact sheet, keep scrolling down after the letter.).
You can sign our petition to support our effort here: http://lejuene.caritashost.com/support/guestbook.php
Be advised, I will NOT post up any comments on this blog page which are contrary to the Church's teaching on sexuality. I am NOT debating the issue of contraception.
Dear fellow Catholic parents,
We would like to bring to your awareness that the Ministry of Education, together with the Health Promotion Board has implemented an STI/HIV prevention program entitled “Breaking Down Barriers” which aims to “to give students accurate information on STIs, HIV and contraception from a health perspective.” (Refer to Reference 1) A fact sheet describes the program as consisting two parts, a mass talk segment which includes a multimedia presentation, video screenings and a short question and answer session as well as a class component.(Refer to Reference 2) This is compulsory for all schools including mission schools and is conducted at the Secondary and JC levels.
We are deeply concerned that the video being shown as part of this program entitled “the Sex Files” is contrary to Catholic teaching on sexuality education and promotes, in the words of the Pontifical Council of the Family "safe sex" or "safer sex", a dangerous and immoral policy based on the deluded theory that the condom can provide adequate protection against AIDS…rather than insisting on abstinence outside marriage and fidelity in marriage as the only true and secure education for the prevention of this contagious disease.(Refer to Reference 3)
We are further disturbed by the fact that such a video is compulsory even in Catholic schools where a Catholic parent who sends their child there should reasonably expect, not withstanding the difficulties Catholic schools are facing these days, an environment where their children are formed in the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Refer to the appendix A for a detailed list of the objections to the BDB programme and a critique of the video which we have prepared from the perspective of both faith and reason.
We urge you to consider the following actions to bring about change with regards to the BDB programme in our Catholic schools:
a. Request the schools to show the Catholic parents the video “The Sex Files” so that parents can decide if the BDB programme and video are suitable for their children.
b. Write to the Archdiocese Commission for Catholic Schools (via the Executive Director Ms Wendy Louis wendyl@catholic.org.sg), your child’s school, the Ministry of Education (via the Minister of Education Dr Ng Eng Hen ng_eng_hen@moe.gov.sg) or the Health Promotion Board (via the CEO Mr Lam Pin Woonlam_pin_woon@hpb.gov.sg) to request that they at least respect the rights of Catholic schools to teach sexuality education in a manner consistent with the ethos of the Catholic Church. Also, to insist on a video which reflects the positive virtues of chastity and abstinence before marriage is produced and taught as an alternative to the BDB in our Catholic schools.
c. Parents have the right to exercise their parental authority and since MOE allows parents to opt their children out of the BDB programme, parents should go ahead and opt out as assign of objection and rejection to the promotion of the use of the condom as shown in the BDB programme.
d. Sign up your children for Sexuality Education courses in the Archdiocese or parish Catechism Programmes that are in line with the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexuality.Examples of such programmes are Theology of the Body (Refer to Reference 4), Wonderfully Made (Refer to Reference 5), Celebration of Life (Refer to Reference 6).
e. It must be remembered that parents are the first and principal educators of their children (Refer to Reference 7) and it is imperative that parents do not let those things which will corrupt their children take root. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to talk to your children about the truth and meaning of human sexuality. We cannot afford to be ignorant nor shy about teaching our children in an area of such great importance.
This letter has been prepared by Andy Wee with contributions from various concerned Catholics.
10 September 2010
References
1 http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/social-emotional-learning/sexuality-education/scope/
2 http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/social-emotional-learning/sexuality-education/files/breakingdown-barriers.pdf
3The Pontifical Council for the Family. The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education within the Family. No. 139. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_08121995_humansexuality_en.html
4 http://familylife.sg/2010/07/29/theology-of-the-body-for-teens/
5 http://familylife.sg/education-outreach/celebration-of-life-education-and-formation/
6 http://www.wonderfully-made.org/
7 The Pontifical Council for the Family. The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education within the Family. No. 05. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_08121995_humansexuality_en.html
Below is a letter to parents regarding Breaking Down Barriers, a programme which teaches the youth sexuality in a way contrary to our belief system and promotes the use of condoms. Further, it does not instill the moral values of temperance and fortitude which are essential to the formation of our youth and what makes it even worse is that it exists as a mandatory programme for secondary education and is taught in some junior colleges.
Be reminded, Catholic schools are to teach morals and values for living, and indoctrination to the Culture of Death does not fit into that criteria.
Below is our letter to parents, which may also be found at our webpage: http://lejuene.caritashost.com/
Also, to view our appendix, visit the above link or http://lejuene.caritashost.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/We_Object_To_BDB_v3.pdf (contains both the letter and fact sheet. To see the fact sheet, keep scrolling down after the letter.).
You can sign our petition to support our effort here: http://lejuene.caritashost.com/support/guestbook.php
Be advised, I will NOT post up any comments on this blog page which are contrary to the Church's teaching on sexuality. I am NOT debating the issue of contraception.
Dear fellow Catholic parents,
We would like to bring to your awareness that the Ministry of Education, together with the Health Promotion Board has implemented an STI/HIV prevention program entitled “Breaking Down Barriers” which aims to “to give students accurate information on STIs, HIV and contraception from a health perspective.” (Refer to Reference 1) A fact sheet describes the program as consisting two parts, a mass talk segment which includes a multimedia presentation, video screenings and a short question and answer session as well as a class component.(Refer to Reference 2) This is compulsory for all schools including mission schools and is conducted at the Secondary and JC levels.
We are deeply concerned that the video being shown as part of this program entitled “the Sex Files” is contrary to Catholic teaching on sexuality education and promotes, in the words of the Pontifical Council of the Family "safe sex" or "safer sex", a dangerous and immoral policy based on the deluded theory that the condom can provide adequate protection against AIDS…rather than insisting on abstinence outside marriage and fidelity in marriage as the only true and secure education for the prevention of this contagious disease.(Refer to Reference 3)
We are further disturbed by the fact that such a video is compulsory even in Catholic schools where a Catholic parent who sends their child there should reasonably expect, not withstanding the difficulties Catholic schools are facing these days, an environment where their children are formed in the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Refer to the appendix A for a detailed list of the objections to the BDB programme and a critique of the video which we have prepared from the perspective of both faith and reason.
We urge you to consider the following actions to bring about change with regards to the BDB programme in our Catholic schools:
a. Request the schools to show the Catholic parents the video “The Sex Files” so that parents can decide if the BDB programme and video are suitable for their children.
b. Write to the Archdiocese Commission for Catholic Schools (via the Executive Director Ms Wendy Louis wendyl@catholic.org.sg), your child’s school, the Ministry of Education (via the Minister of Education Dr Ng Eng Hen ng_eng_hen@moe.gov.sg) or the Health Promotion Board (via the CEO Mr Lam Pin Woonlam_pin_woon@hpb.gov.sg) to request that they at least respect the rights of Catholic schools to teach sexuality education in a manner consistent with the ethos of the Catholic Church. Also, to insist on a video which reflects the positive virtues of chastity and abstinence before marriage is produced and taught as an alternative to the BDB in our Catholic schools.
c. Parents have the right to exercise their parental authority and since MOE allows parents to opt their children out of the BDB programme, parents should go ahead and opt out as assign of objection and rejection to the promotion of the use of the condom as shown in the BDB programme.
d. Sign up your children for Sexuality Education courses in the Archdiocese or parish Catechism Programmes that are in line with the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexuality.Examples of such programmes are Theology of the Body (Refer to Reference 4), Wonderfully Made (Refer to Reference 5), Celebration of Life (Refer to Reference 6).
e. It must be remembered that parents are the first and principal educators of their children (Refer to Reference 7) and it is imperative that parents do not let those things which will corrupt their children take root. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to talk to your children about the truth and meaning of human sexuality. We cannot afford to be ignorant nor shy about teaching our children in an area of such great importance.
This letter has been prepared by Andy Wee with contributions from various concerned Catholics.
10 September 2010
References
1 http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/social-emotional-learning/sexuality-education/scope/
2 http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/social-emotional-learning/sexuality-education/files/breakingdown-barriers.pdf
3The Pontifical Council for the Family. The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education within the Family. No. 139. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_08121995_humansexuality_en.html
4 http://familylife.sg/2010/07/29/theology-of-the-body-for-teens/
5 http://familylife.sg/education-outreach/celebration-of-life-education-and-formation/
6 http://www.wonderfully-made.org/
7 The Pontifical Council for the Family. The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education within the Family. No. 05. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_08121995_humansexuality_en.html
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