How should schools handle education about sex?

Rev. RICK REED is senior pastor at the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa.

Teachers are in a tough spot when it comes to sex education. They've got an almost impossible assignment.

Imagine asking geography teachers to instruct students without using any maps. Imagine asking geometry teachers to present their lessons without referencing any geometric formulas. Imagine telling English teachers to teach children to write without any mention of the rules of grammar.

We'd never do that to those teaching geography, geometry or grammar. But we've done that to those teaching sex-ed. We've essentially told them to teach without referencing any moral maps, rules or formulas. That's because we've instructed them to teach sex education without reference to God or His directions for living.

So our teachers try to guide students through the dangerous maze of sexual choices without a steady moral compass. After all, morality without God is morality that shifts with cultural trends and personal preferences. There is no true north. Each person becomes his or her own compass.

The tragic result is that many young people get spiritually and morally lost.

What should teachers do? They must do the best they can given the guidelines we've imposed on them. They must challenge students to establish personal standards and respect family beliefs.

However, a better approach would be to have our educational leaders realize that excluding God from moral matters is misguided. Better to form a partnership with spiritual leaders in the community who can help students consider the wisdom of living by a timeless, moral map. Christians know such a map is found in the ancient wisdom of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus.

Teaching students about sex requires more than presenting facts about human anatomy or strategies to limit the risk of STDs. It calls for helping students consider the physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions of human sexuality.