Comments on: Canada, Church, Charters and Choice http://sexinthepublicsquare.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/canada-church-charters-and-choice/ Critical reactions to sex in the news, and other rants and raves Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:14:06 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Alex http://sexinthepublicsquare.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/canada-church-charters-and-choice/#comment-13502 Alex Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:31:48 +0000 http://sexinthepublicsquare.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/canada-church-charters-and-choice/#comment-13502 "I come down on the side of sexual rights and accurate information for youth over parents’ rights to limit their kids access to information or to limit their informed decision-making. But would I go so far as to say that a parent did not have the right to raise her child in the faith that she chose? I can’t bring myself to say so. But, I would be more than willing to insist that regardless of faith all kids must be exposed to scientifically accurate information about sex and health and given access to nonjudgmental and independent sources of advice about sexual behavior." It seems very hard to draw a line between giving the child accurate information and letting the parents raise them in the parents religion. If you have a religion that is opposed to homosexuality, and your teaching a child being raised in that religion that homosexuality is not inherently wrong, then you oppose the parents raising their children in that religion. If it were just homosexuality then I doubt it would have a major effect, but when you add in all these things that some of these sects believe in then there isn't much to separate their religion from any other. I think that we should teach the children the reality of these situations, as best we can determine from the evidence, regardless of what the parents religion says about it. Producing well adjusted, free thinking and intelligent citizens is more important than respecting people's beliefs. If anyone want to believe a religion when they are older it's fine, but that doesn't give them the right to teach children lies. Though I'm almost always in favour of complete freedom of information. "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master." Anyway, its a interesting view of the service. I always found the hymns the most moving parts of the service when I was going to church. “I come down on the side of sexual rights and accurate information for youth over parents’ rights to limit their kids access to information or to limit their informed decision-making. But would I go so far as to say that a parent did not have the right to raise her child in the faith that she chose? I can’t bring myself to say so. But, I would be more than willing to insist that regardless of faith all kids must be exposed to scientifically accurate information about sex and health and given access to nonjudgmental and independent sources of advice about sexual behavior.”

It seems very hard to draw a line between giving the child accurate information and letting the parents raise them in the parents religion. If you have a religion that is opposed to homosexuality, and your teaching a child being raised in that religion that homosexuality is not inherently wrong, then you oppose the parents raising their children in that religion. If it were just homosexuality then I doubt it would have a major effect, but when you add in all these things that some of these sects believe in then there isn’t much to separate their religion from any other.
I think that we should teach the children the reality of these situations, as best we can determine from the evidence, regardless of what the parents religion says about it. Producing well adjusted, free thinking and intelligent citizens is more important than respecting people’s beliefs. If anyone want to believe a religion when they are older it’s fine, but that doesn’t give them the right to teach children lies.
Though I’m almost always in favour of complete freedom of information.
“Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.”

Anyway, its a interesting view of the service. I always found the hymns the most moving parts of the service when I was going to church.

]]>