Deseret News | Moral code lacking

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Readers' forum: Moral code lacking

Jack | 12:23 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Nothing proposed would keep young adults from learning of the reality of sex, STDs and contraception, _and_ the important differences between physical attraction and serious love. (For a few of us lucky folks the two happily coexist, with no-regrets decades behind us and decades ahead of us.)

Sex is a coin with two sides - intimacy and responsibility. We need both sides of this coin to be taught. And I mean BOTH sides.

Sex is a reality. Let's deal with it realistically, OK?

Former US Surgeon General agrees | 7:07 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

When the AIDs epidemic emerged 20 years ago, US Surgeon General Koop gave a marvelous speech at a national PTA convention and was not afraid to state publicly that morality was needed to address this issue. Committed marriage relationships build strong families and strong families build strong communities. Premarital abstinence helps keep our children healthy both physically and emotionally. If our teachers teach the curriculum as it is designed, this message will be loud and clear. But parents, don't leave it up to the schools. You have 10 times the power to influence their behavior over health educators. And no - Utah law does not allow condoms to be passed out in classrooms. But they have allowed that in many states that continue to have high STD rates - so much for the effectiveness of so-called comprehensive sex ed.

Roland Kayser | 7:28 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Here's an interesting statistic I came upon recently: Evangelical Christians have the nation's highest divorce rate. Atheist/Agnositcs have the lowest rate. Also the state with the lowest divorce rate is ultra-liberal Massachusets.

Comments continue below

Amend Utah Constitution | 7:58 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Amen. Like a proposed California amendment, Utahn's should stand up against the threat against Marriage, i.e. "Divorce" and amend the Utah constitution to outlaw Divorces.

That is the real threat to traditional marriage and therefore should be changed to protect marriage.

Divorce Rate | 8:43 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Perhaps the divorce rate is too high, because churches allow divorce.

Your code? | 9:06 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

I am all for a moral code - mine. Would you subject yourself to living under my definition of morals?

@7:07 | 10:48 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Sorry, but the DATA disagrees. The rankings of teen pregnancy rates:
1-Nevada = opt in sex ed, abstinence only
2-Arizona= sex ed not required, but if offered, must be abstinence stressed
3-Mississippi = abstinence until marriage
4-New Mexico = abstinence stressed sex ed
5-Texas = abstinence only
6-Florida= sex ed not required, but if offered must be abstinence until marriage

Etc etc etc.

" so much for the effectiveness of so-called comprehensive sex ed."

Comprehensive sex ed doesn't exist in the USA. It just doesn't. Scandanavian countries have comprehensive sex ed, their teens are sexually active at the same rates as ours but have FEWER STDs and FEWER unwanted pregnancies.

JIm | 11:13 a.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Good comment Jack. Im not sure that people will ever pull their heads out of the sand in Utah county though

@Roland | 12:36 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Atheists have the lowest divorce rates? Probably because they never got married in the first place.

mark | 7:24 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

@Roland | 12:36 p.m. Nov. 8, 2009

Atheists don't get married? Well that is a strange comment. Anyway, do you understand how divorce rates are figured?

Are you embarrassed to make a comment like that? Just wondering.

@ Former US Surgeon General... | 11:56 a.m. Nov. 9, 2009

"Premarital abstinence helps keep our children healthy both physically and emotionally. If our teachers teach the curriculum as it is designed, this message will be loud and clear."

If you deny individuals the opportunity to marry, it does no good to suggest they wait until marriage before having sex.

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