By AlaskaWatchman.com

Sex trafficking

As a former so-called “comprehensive” sex-education teacher, I have come to understand that there are two major hindrances for young people in the area of sexual decision making. First, youth lack an appreciation of their intrinsic value, and second, they need informed judgement regarding sexual decisions.

Young people are unaware and therefore blinded to the painful consequences of sex such as unintended pregnancy, abortion, lifelong disease, and emotional trauma that last a lifetime.

How did we get here?

If we look at just the past 50 or 60 years, and the so called “sexual revolution” of the late 1960s and early 1970s, we see a cultural shift that was promoted by elite academic types like Alfred Kinsey and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger – both of whom intended to break down any moral context surrounding sex.

This debased, uncontrolled view of sex … is why we see an epidemic of sex trafficking, sexual assault, sexual violence and gender confusion.

Contrary to popular opinion, this did not lead to sexual freedom or “free love” without consequences. Rather, we saw the spread of gonorrhea and syphilis. In the 1970s, came herpes and later human papilloma virus and HIV/AIDS – all of which resulted it the devastation of many lives.

And let’s not forget the deaths of more than 62 million unborn U.S. babies killed through abortion since 1973. The unrealized human potential is incomprehensible.

Humanity has paid an enormous price by following careless, unrestrained beliefs about sex and sexuality. Sexual freedom was a lie!

Instead, this debased, uncontrolled view of sex has resulted in a society where one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused. It’s why we see an epidemic of sex trafficking, sexual assault, sexual violence and gender confusion.

As a nation, we are absolutely double minded about this subject. We shake our heads when perpetrators groom children in order to eventually abuse them sexually. At the same time, we see public schools, like the recent events in Fairbanks, caught teaching children how to pleasure others and themselves. This is madness! Surely, I am not alone in seeing the utter hypocrisy and unawareness this demonstrates.

The Planned-Parenthood-styled so-called “comprehensive sex-education” approach does not instruct young people about their intrinsic value.

We need a new sexual revolution, one focused on self-restraint and respect for oneself and others. To start, we must clearly define the purpose of sex and the meaning of sexuality.

Although I knew what physical sex was as a young person, I didn’t really understand sexuality or its value and purpose. No one in my world taught this. It took personal life experiences to bring clarity.

First, in my twenties, as a child of the 70’s, I was trained to teach birth control in school classrooms and clinical settings. Here, sexual activity was definitely condoned. I spoke with skill and confidence about the efficacy of various birth control methods and how they could prevent pregnancy, and possibly disease. I was a true believer!

A few years later, however, I was trained to teach Natural Family Planning and I had a powerful “ah-ha” moment. As I learned of the miraculous way a woman’s body works to create life, my eyes were opened to two truths. I saw the awe-inspiring power of God’s creative design for life, and I realized how utterly futile humans are in their feeble attempts to work against his plan. I discovered that sexuality has value and purpose because God created it.

As a young woman I did not understand this fundamental truth, nor my intrinsic value as a person. As a result, using sex to meet my needs devalued my sexuality – and my very being.

I know firsthand, that the Planned-Parenthood-styled so-called “comprehensive sex-education” approach does not instruct young people about their intrinsic value.

By the early 90’s, I was a young mom with small children – two in public school. A friend shared a book with me called, “Has Sex Education Failed our Teenagers?” This was a research report written by Dinah Richard and published by Focus on the Family. It clearly detailed why Planned Parenthood’s comprehensive sex education was a complete failure, and showed why abstinence education was a far healthier alternative.

Abstinence?  What is that? What an eye-opening revelation.

I could see how this was absolutely the solution to preventing abortion and many other painful and traumatic consequences that sexual experiences can cause.

The chart above is based off student surveys after teaching four-day abstinence education programs.

As God would have it, several months later I found myself heading up an abstinence education program in Southern California. For nine years, we taught thousands of teens in public middle and high schools to understand the value and purpose of sex and sexuality, while also directing them, through facts and personal stories, to abstain until marriage.

Despite living in a culture that aggressively promotes a distorted view of sex, most teens we taught had a change of heart.

The chart above is based off our student surveys after teaching four-day abstinence education programs. It shows how youth changed their beliefs about sex.

As you can see, prior to our program most youth were undecided on the question of sex before marriage. Yet, after an open conversation which provided them with facts, stories, and encouragement to protect their futures, many migrated away from previous views about sex and were willing to wait. Encouraging, isn’t it? There is hope.

If you would like more information, please comment and I will follow up with you.

The views expressed here are those of the author.

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Former sex-ed teacher says deceptive material harms kids

Priscilla Anne Hurley
The writer resides in Anchorage where she has three adult children, 11 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She has more than 40 years’ experience working in the health field as an educator, advocate, administrator and manager. She is actively involved with the Abortion Survivor’s Network and the And Then There Were None outreaches.


11 Comments

  • Ruth Ewig says:

    I am a retired teacher living in Fairbanks, and agree with the teacher who wrote this essay. She is absolutely correct. The sex ed in our schools here are evolution-based. The student in the reading is called a “human” not a person. Evolution teaching has not stopped even though many facts have disproved it over and over again. One source for this information is Answers in Genesis. By misleading the students this way calling them “humans” they do not value themselves as they should. The teaching is very sterile and the information given out is detailed to a fault. Some of it should be taught only in a medical course in college, if that. An alternative being worked on is a pamphlet published by the Center for Conservative Women and is titled Sense and Sexuality. Young people who have this respectful information do not get “hooked up” as the rest do because of ignorance and peer pressure. The evolutionists are hard-core atheists and that is why the curriculum choices. are so lacking. We need to repent of this movement away from God and teach our young people the truth, not the “free love” narrative which is so destructive to their futures..

  • Ruth Ewig says:

    Note: Sex ed here in Fairbanks is covered under health education instead of Sex Ed.

    • Priscilla Hurley says:

      Hi Ruth, thank you for your comments. How we look at this area certainly goes back to Creation vs. Evolution, certainly. God is the Creator of Life and therefore it is sacred. It may sound strange, but youth need to know they have The Choice to Choose…to wait!
      The classes we taught in when in Southern California were also Health classes, supplementing the curriculum and satisfying the State guidelines for abstinence education until marriage as the optimum choice for risk prevention!

  • Naida McGee says:

    Excellent article and excellent comment Ruth. I’m thankful to know there are people like you in Fairbanks helping to stop the evil tide trying to consume our children and grandchildren.

    On the Kenai Peninsula, for many many years, a retired teacher – John Lindeman and wife Delores taught abstence education and personal value through out the public schools and youth groups of all kinds. I believe they helped many to avoid the destruction of the “free love” (or free sex) culture- that was taking hold then.
    Throughout the 90’s and 2000’s.
    They also did a Bible camp for kids at their ranch in Ninikchick for many many summers.
    I am so grateful for the service of love they did for the the generations of children who are now in their 40’s – on down through to the grandchildren who are junior high and high school ages.
    Both John and Delores leave a profound legacy for taking that courageous action to teach the true value of Sex – from its creator’s point of view.

    • Priscilla Hurley says:

      Hi Naida,
      Thank you for the positive comments and for sharing about the Lindeman’s. I know of others in Alaska who did what they could to present biblical precept with compassion and love. Speaking the truth in love will leave it’s mark I believe!

  • Jen says:

    Schools teaching sex ed undermines parents parental ability and responsibility grouping parents like they are Mentally Ill that parents are too dumb to not teach their children about relationships and sex, for a third party has to teach their child.

    Teachers have become Helicopter Teachers. Sex ed and health is none of its business. Our school teachers have been so busy getting into every student and parents business. The busybodiness is neglecting the most important work as a school.

    • Priscilla Hurley says:

      I agree with this. Parents are responsible to disciple their children in every way, including teaching the value and responsibility of sexual activity, that is in line with His Word! Sometimes parents find it awkward to know how to do this I have experienced, because of the subject or choices they made in the past, so they need encouragement perhaps.

  • Proud Alaskan says:

    Agree, it’s the parents who should be teaching there children right from wrong.
    Not some woke school system.

  • Charlotte Brady says:

    What a great article !!
    I thought common sense was dead in schools. This explains so much and, since the truth isn’t allowed, there’s only 1 viewpoint. Theirs.
    Thank you for sharing.

    • Priscilla Hurley says:

      Thank you Charlotte, I appreciate your encouragement. I was teaching this several years ago in California, and so today, things may be different. But, the message still works and is impactful.