Intimacy and the 8th Week

This week could have been very awkward, but the teacher and the class were able to talk about the subject manner in a way that was both respectful and informative. We talked about the subjects of intimacy and sexual relationships as they pertain to marriage, and we've come to the realization that while a lot of focus is spent on safe sex and preventing teen pregnancy and pre-marital sex, the real issue is that people don't know how to have a relationship or how to feel close to someone. I honestly believe that a large amount of the people taking part in pre-marital sex are doing so because they think that is how they feel close and intimate to someone. While having a sexual relationship is part of that, it should only come after one has established that closeness with a person. You get close to someone by learning about them, spending time with them, doing activities with them, talking with them, learning about their love language, MARRYING them, and once you've established that as a foundation, then you can have a sexual relationship with them, which will bring you and your spouse even closer if you've built a foundation of intimacy and closeness beforehand.

The other subject we talked about was teaching children about sexual intercourse. According an article from NBC News (Link provided below) New York City introduced a new sex ed curriculum to its school districts in 2011 which included assigning middle school students Risk Cards, which rate the safety of various sexual acts such as french kissing and oral sex. For some reason, it seems that officials have decided the best way to educate children about sex and the dangers present is by laying it all out on the table. While we do need to teach our children about sex and how their bodies work, we need to do it at their level. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has published a book on how to teach sex to children titled A Parent's Guide, which gives information and techniques on how to teach to children of different ages.

I believe that the best place for children to learn about sex and intimate relationships, like with any topic, is in the home. I'm very opposed to them learning about these issues in school, since schools don't care about the sacredness or the respect that is needed for these topics.

NBC News Article: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mandatory-sex-ed-curriculum-new-york-city-public-schools-132404248.html?dr

A Parent's Guide: http://www.lds.org/manual/a-parents-guide?lang=eng