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Sadlier catechism offers sexual morality-lite

By Sonia Knop

When pro-lifers fight to end abortion,they are waging a frustrating and seemingly endless battle, in great part because they are directing their energies against the symptoms, not the disease.

Every abortion is only the tragic end result of an immoral act or way of thinking. Cure the root cause, and the "symptom" of abortion will disappear.

Leave it to grow and fester, and pro-lifers will stop a few abortions here and there, but the "disease"'- immorality-will continue to rage, and the symptoms will break. out with ever-increasing force.

One would presume that Catholic schools would be in the forefront of an effort to teach young Catholics authentic sexual morality, which could do so much to end abortion and the myriad of other disastrous fruits of immorality.

What a golden oportunity these schools have to instruct youngsters to revere purity, marriage, the family, and the blessings of children, both born and unborn.

If you think that this is being done in your neighborhood Catholic school, think again.

Recently, I took a close look at Morality: . A Course on Catholic Living, part of the Sadlier Faith and Witness series, used in Archdiocese of Baltimore schools as a religion text for seventh graders.

What are these 12-and 13-year-olds, who are in that crucial stage of puberty, being taught about sexual morality? The index entry for Chapter 9: "Loving for Life" is promising. In this chapter,we are told, we will learn about "Sexuality and the whole person; Chastity, modesty; The sixth and ninth commandments."

First, it must be said, there are some good things in this chapter. It is what isn't said-what is either entirely omitted,  resented in a confusing or incomplete manner, given only passing mention, or is even of questionable veracity-that is a problem. The chapter spends a great dal of time describing the popular attitude towards sex, beginning with the first line, "Everybody is interested in sex" (a questionable blanket statement in itself!). "Sex is in our music," we are are told; "it's in the clothes we wear and the way we talk. It's in almost every movie and all over TV."

Yes, this is certainly true-but where is the strong.condemnation of these all-pervasive, immoral sexual messages and content in contemporary culture? Where are the admonitions to avoid immoral music, clothes, movies and TV?

More on this later.

In the first chapter section, "Sex: A Gift and a Blessing," we learn why God gave us sex: "God  made it a powerful part of us so that the human race would continue and thrive," and later, "God gave us our sexuality-male and female-to bring new life into the world. . ."

So far, so good. Here is the time to introduce the procreative and unitive purposes of marriage.

These words and concepts are not too difficult for 12- and 13-year-olds, and emphasizing that the act of sex is to be reserved for marriage for these two purposes will help kids focus on the fact that sex should be for married people only.

Instead, we get, "The whole point of sex is to share our love responsibly and with commitment; the point of sex is love." (Italics added.)

Now, where have we heard about "responsible sex" before? Planned Parenthood and other promoters of sex without marriage routinely use this phrase when urging  teenagers to use condoms or other birth control.

This statement not only muddies the Church's teaching on the purpose of sex; it is bound to reinforce the secular concept of sex fed to  adolescents by the media and popular culture.

Glaringly missing from the entire discussion on sexual morality is an emphasis on the primary reason for sex: the procreation of children.

Yes, it is given passing mention, but where is any discussion of the joy and wonder of new life, and of the concept that children are a blessing and to be welcomed and nurtured as precious gifts from God?

Instead, we read that artificial birth control is sinful because "It tries to block artificially the purpose for which God intended human sexuality."

But, Sadlier hastens to add, "The Church does not forbid natural methods of birth control, however" -as if the pesky little rug rats are to be avoided at all costs.

The "Why Wait?" section discusses purity, modesty and abstinence.

"This view of life requires the strength and self-control to choosen ot to engage in sexual activity until the right time," we are told. (Why not "until marriage"?)

Adolescents in today's sex saturated culture need all the help they can get to be pure, modest and chaste-but they get little help here. There's not a word about the all important concept of avoiding the occasions of sin with which these kids are deluged.

I once heard a priest describe having your TV on as just like having "an open sewer"running through your house.

That vivid simile is also applicable to the majority of today's movies. Even most PG-13 and PG films seem to include as much smarminess and provocative dialog and situations as the writer scan cram in.

Clothing for young girls seems designed more for young tarts.

But the seventh graders get no practical advice on how to counteract this trash.

"Chastity requires discipline, self-denial,self-respect and prayer," says Sadlier.Fine,but how about the graces and strength derived from frequent reception of the sacraments of Communion and Reconciliation? This text, which is supposedly giving religious instruction,says not a word about these vital,God-given helps.

The sin of masturbation is discussed in a rather wishy-washy manner: "The Church teaches that masturbationis a grave and serious matter. . ."

Why not say simply, "Masturbation is a grave and serious sin"?

Why preface the statement with, "The Church teaches," as if to imply,"This is just one view point in our pluralistic society, and you're free to accept or reject it."  Why not speak with authority as Jesus did, and state it as fact?

In Luke 4:32, "They were astonished at His teaching because He spoke with authority." The Sadlier text has the imprimatur of a bishop of the Catholic Church,which possesses Christ's authority; it should use that authority, not qualify its assertions to effectively dilute their impact.

In the section, "Homosexuality," the qualifier is again used: "The Church teaches that homosexual acts are contrary to natural law. . ."

Speak with authority! Homosexual acts are contrary to natural law, period!

Sadlier adds that homosexual persons should be treated with respect, love and compassion because they "do not choose their condition" ie., they are  born as homosexuals.

This concept, touted by homosexual activists, has never been proven and is highly debatable, but Sadlier presents it as incontrovertible fact, with no qualifiers needed.

A more subtle accommodation to  homosexuality occurs twice earlier in the chapter, with the statements, "[W]e are made to be attracted to somebody else," and, "Our glands and hormones get to work and we find ourselves attracted to others."

We are talking about sex here, folks, not about simple, friendly attraction to those we like; the appropriate wording should be, "Our glands and hormones get to work and we find ourselves attracted to the opposite sex"-unless the writer has a different agenda.

Other chapters in the Sadlier text are equally faulty. For example, Chapter 4: "Sin and Forgiveness" goes on for eight pages (except for a passing mention) before it finally gets around to a three-sentence discussion of the sacrament of Reconciliation in the next to the last paragraph.

The words "contrition" and "penance" are no where to be found, and nothing is said about the importance and benefits of frequent confession.

Chapter 8: "Choosing Life,"offers a tepid and pusillanimous argument against abortion, beginning with, "Even though abortion is legal in the United States, the debate over it rages on" implying that the issue of whether it is wrong to kill an unborn child is debatable.

The arguments for abortion are given almost as much space as the arguments against it. And again, the latter are presented with the weakening qualifier,"The Catholic Church says. . ."

The Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, has approved this severely flawed religious education text.

These men are supposed to be our shepherds.They are supposed to guide us and our children to Heaven.

Our children deserve better than this. We should demand that they get it.