Historian and researcher Dr Lisa Nolland begins her two-part series on the ideological capture of the sexual education system, and how the Church can do better
As a historian and researcher, I’ve tracked the sexual revolution for decades and the warning signs are now flashing red.
Our culture is becoming aggressively sexualised and increasingly hostile to Christian values, and it’s our children who are paying the price. In schools across the country — including Church of England schools — children are being exposed to disturbing and ideologically-driven content: graphic sexual imagery, mock same-sex ‘weddings’ in classrooms, and lessons that teach children they might be neither male nor female.
Often, this happens without proper parental knowledge or consent.
Whilst there have been some positive legal developments — such as the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming that ‘woman’ means biological female, and clarity from the government in its latest RSHE guidance that it cannot hide content from parents — these victories are being ignored by many in power.
The reality is this: the ideological capture of our education system is well underway, and too many are asleep at the wheel. This isn’t just a policy debate. It’s a battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation.
People on both sides of the debate understand that the trajectory of a nation is related to the education that its children receive.[1] There are opportunities to effect change in our society – either for good or for evil. That’s why parents, pastors, headteachers, and government leaders must act now to protect children from harmful and confusing content.
This, and my following article, are not a comprehensive critique of RSHE. General marriage and family matters, LGBTQ issues, and pornography are largely excluded since these are vast topics in themselves.[2] But in part 1 of this article series, I want to outline some of the key messages that parents and Christians need to hear as they seek to help children navigate through these challenging cultural times.
How did we get here?
There are many factors over many years which have brought us to this point in time. However, there are particular individuals who have played a defining role in shaping areas of social science.
One of these is Alfred Kinsey, an American professor of entomology in the 1940s who established the Institute for Sex Research in 1947 in order to conduct his expansive research into human sexuality.[3] He sought to repeal any legislation which restricted sexual freedom, claiming that his research proved that there is ‘no normal’ with regard to sexual behaviour. For Kinsey, only abstinence and celibacy were abnormal.
This effectively gave licence for everyone, including children, to be sexually active. In fact, Kinsey normalised a wide range of sexual behaviours: fornication, adultery, prostitution, incest, rape, homosexual relations, bestiality. The list could go on.
Kinsey’s ‘research’ methods and outcomes were heavily criticised at the time by experts in these fields.[4] However, the popular press gave him a platform and continued to promote his work. As a result, Kinsey – who was not even a medical doctor – succeeded in seducing the Western world into believing that those who held to biblical sexual morality were boring, anti-sex, repressed kill-joys.[5]
Kinsey’s methods, which often involved the extreme sexual abuse of hundreds if not thousands of children, are now considered abhorrent. But the sad reality is that the damage has already been done as we continue to live with the tragic outcomes of his ideas. On the one hand, society seems to want to protect the innocence of children. But at the same time society treats children like mini-adults, suggesting they are capable of understanding complex issues and making life changing decisions about what they do with their bodies.
Though promising orgasmic bliss, Kinsey’s revolution has been singularly unsuccessful, particularly for youngsters. In the same way the media elevated Kinsey in his day, our modern media’s promotion of an ‘anything goes’ culture, and the role models it presents to children, has contributed to the mental health crisis amongst teenagers.
The Church can no longer remain silent. It must raise the alarm and empower parents to engage on this issue.
Sex is a family affair
There will always be a reason for parents not to talk to their children about sex. Some parents say they are too busy, others feel ill equipped to answer any follow up questions. Some are simply naïve or apathetic. In virtually all cases, there is sense of embarrassment and feeling of awkwardness for both parents and children as they seek to bring the conversation to an end as quickly as possible.
But no matter how difficult it can be, parents need to be prepared to have these conversations with their children. Because children are not mini-adults, they need their parents to go through these minefields. As Dr Haim Ginott observed, “Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them [leaves] an impression”. Parents need to wake up and realise that if they don’t speak to their children about these issues, others will look to fill that gap.
Parents also need to realise that the way that RSHE is taught in schools means that it is often not simply a neutral, objective, fact-delivering exercise. Whilst no aspect of education is neutral, lessons like PSHE and RSHE can easily detract from any parental input into how they are seeking to raise their children. Without parental input, children begin to see sexual development as something detached from their family and so sexuality becomes associated with non-familial adults – strangers – which could leave them in a vulnerable position. It lowers protective inhibitions, as it is often delivered in a mixed-sex, semi-public environment. Any graphic images will remain with them their whole life and may have a lasting impact on them.
Sex and smoking
Research coming out of American Sexual Risk Avoidance and its premier organisation, Ascend, argues that is possible for teenagers to avoid sex and many are doing so in increasing numbers.
Traditionally the argument goes that because teenagers can’t or won’t avoid sex, then time should be spend talking to them about how they can do it ‘safely.’ But this method merely seeks to reduce, rather than eliminate, sexual risk among teenagers.
When it comes to smoking, the message regarding smoking is: “Don’t begin smoking, but if you are already smoking, it is important to stop.” Parents would be shocked if tobacco companies were coming into schools or funding nurses to teach children how to smoke ‘safely.’ And yet this precisely what is happening with RSHE. External agencies, some of whom are specifically targeting faith schools, are being allowed to teach children that is okay to have sex as long as they do so ‘safely.’ We must find more effective ways to challenge this type of teaching, whilst at the same time holding out the better alternative.[6]
Going God’s way
Teaching children from a biblical worldview – creation, fall, redemption and restoration – gives them the tools, as they grow up, to be able make good and healthy choices when it comes to sex. The fact that it results in improved public health outcomes and corresponds with the science around adolescent development just proves that a biblical approach to sex education is far superior in every way. God always knew what he was doing!
To conclude, this is a call for all adults, and parents in particular, to understand how we got here so that our prayers for the future can be more informed and intentional. In part 2 I will explain what this might look like practically, with tips on smart sex messaging for teenagers.
It is important not to do this alone. I speak regularly at events, as do members of the Christian Concern team, so do keep any eye out for events near you to gather with likeminded people and think through these big issues. We all want the best for children and young people, but we need to up our game here, and that includes regular prayer on their behalf. God is concerned about the welfare of the young, so we should be too.
References
[1] The famous Renaissance theologian Desiderius Erasmus said that ‘The main hope of a nation lies in the proper education of its youth.’ Such ideas have also been picked up by others, including lesbian activist Patricia Warren who said, ‘Whoever captures the kids owns the future.’
[2] For insightful analysis on the recently released report on pornography, ‘Sex is kind of broken now’ see this video produced by the case of Christian Legal Centre Client Gary McFarlane: https://vimeo.com/1115173462/26d856ff3c?share=copy.
[3] Dr Judith Reisman, an American conservative author known for her criticism of Alfred Kinsey, wrote ‘In the entire field of social “science” only Alfred Kinsey asserted that sexual satisfaction was developmentally beneficial in childhood’. (Reisman, Sexual, 174)
[4] For example, criticism came from anthropologists Geoffrey Gorer and Margaret Mead. Also from psychiatrists Karl Menninger and Lawrence Kubie
[5] For more information and resources on Kinsey see: James Jones, Alfred Kinsey: A Life (1997) and Judith Reisman: https://www.comprehensivesexualityeducation.org/film/
[6] American Sexual Risk Avoidance and its premier organisation, Ascend, offer important research on the negative consequences of sex for kids, but also comprehensive, age-appropriate and medically accurate programmes such as the K-12 Standards for Optimal Sexual Development: https://weascend.org/resource/k-12-standards-for-optimal-sexual-development/. You can read more about their work and research here: https://weascend.org/about/
and https://weascend.org/resource/sexual-risk-avoidance-education-what-you-need-to-know/
