Sexuality Education

Congressional Action

Statement on the Public Health and Ethical Concerns with Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs and the Need for Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Submitted for the Record
April 23, 2008

The Committee will hear from many organizations the strong public health arguments that support sexuality education and oppose abstinence-only-until marriage programs. As religious leaders, we ask you to also consider the moral and ethical foundations for supporting comprehensive sexuality education for the nation's youth.

As religious leaders, we believe young people should learn about their sexuality from their parents, faith communities, and school-based programs, not primarily from their peers or the entertainment media. We believe that programs must be age-appropriate, medically accurate, and truthful.

Young people need help in order to develop their capacity for moral discernment and a freely informed conscience. Education that respects and empowers young people has more integrity than many of the currently funded abstinence-only programs that are based on incomplete information, fear, and shame. Programs that teach abstinence exclusively and withhold information about pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention fail too many of our young people.

Our sacred texts and theological commitments call us to truth telling. Young people need to know that "there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing" but they also require the skills to make moral and healthy decisions about relationships for themselves now and in the future. We call on you to support comprehensive sexuality education programs that honor the diversity of religious and moral values in the community. Such education teaches that decisions about sexual behaviors should be based on moral and ethical values, as well as considerations of physical and emotional health. It affirms the goodness of sexuality while acknowledging its risk, consequences and dangers, and it introduces with respect the differing sides of controversial issues. It includes information about abstinence, contraception, and STD prevention. There is an urgent need for a federal sexuality education program that reaches all young people, regardless of income, class, ethnicity, or sexual experience or orientation.

For more than 40 years, mainstream faith based traditions have called for federal and local support for sexuality education. In 1968, the National Council of Churches of Christ, the Synagogue Council of America, and the United States Catholic Conference issued a joint call for churches and synagogues to become actively involved in sexuality education within their congregations and their communities. Today, more than 13 denominations have policies supporting sexuality education in their schools, including the Union for Reform Judaism, the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and the Church of the Brethren.

It is time for the federal government to support comprehensive sexuality education programs for youth and to cease funding programs that are not only ineffective but may put our children and teenagers at risk - for disease, for short changed futures, for denial of the gift of their sexuality. It is time to provide all our young people with accurate education that respects the diversity of values in a community. It is indeed a time to speak and a time to act. May our religious voices help you understand that it is also the only moral response.

Signed:

* Rev. Steven C. Baines, People for the American Way, Washington, DC
Most Rev. Lou A. Bordisso, Auxiliary Bishop, American Catholic Church, Diocese of CA, Mare Island, CA

* Rev. Dr. Ignacio Castuera, National Chaplain, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
* Rev. Steve Clapp, President, Christian Community, Fort Wayne, IN
Rev. Audrey deCoursey, Convener, Women's Caucus, Church of the Brethren, Berkeley, CA
Rabbi Dr. Elliot Dorff, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Los Angeles, CA
* Rabbi, Sue Levi Elwell, Regional Director, PA, Council, Union for Reform Judaism, Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune, Founder, FaithTrust Institute, Seattle, WA
Rev. Ruth B. Garwood, Executive Director, UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns, Cleveland, OH
The Rev. Dr. Paula J. Gravelle, Chair, Clergy Action Board, Schenectady, NY
* Rev. Larry Greenfield, Executive Minister, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago, Chicago, IL
* Rev. Debra W. Haffner, Director, Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, Westport, CT
* Rev. Ann L. Hanson, Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH
* Rev. Cedric Harmon, Deputy Director, Americans United, Washington, DC
Dr. Mary L., Hunt, Co-Director, Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual, Silver Spring, MD
Rabbi Peter Knobel, President, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Chicago, IL
Rev. Jennifer Kottler, Executive Director, Let Justice Roll, Chicago, IL
Rev. Dr. Ken B. Langston, Director, Disciples Justice Action Network, Annapolis, MD
Rev. Dr. Pamela R. Lightsey, Dean of Students, Garret-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL
Rev. Barry W. Lynn, President, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Washington, DC
Jon O'Brien, President, Catholics for a Free Choice, Washington, DC
Rev. Kenneth L. Pennings, Executive Director, Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Madison, MI
Dr. Bruce Prescott, Executive Director, Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists, Norman, OK
Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Director of Religious Affairs, National Black Justice Coalition, Washington, DC
The Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, Executive Minister, Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religion Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, DC
Rev. Michael Schuenemeyer, Executive for Health and Wholeness Advocacy, Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH
Rev. William G. Sinkford, President, Unitarian Universalist Association, Boston, MA
Rabbi David A. Teutsch, Director, Center for Jewish Ethics of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Wyncote, PA
John H. Thomas, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH
* Rev. Emilie Townes, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT
* Rev. Carlton Veazey, President and CEO, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Washington, DC
Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, IWR and Faith Work Director, Institute for Welcoming Resources of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Minneapolis, MN
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, President, The Shalom Center, Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, Sarasota, FL

Chaplain Lesley M. Adams, Geneva, NY
Rev. Denise Allen, Beaverton, OR
Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, Fairfax, VA
Rev.Dr. Ann L. Barker, Sherwood, WI
Rabbi David D. Bauer, Amherst, MA
Rev. Joan Van Becelaere, Columbus, OH
The Rev. Ruth B. Becker, Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker, Floral Park, NY
Rabbi Leila G. Berner, Kensington, MD
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, Madison, WI
Rev. Gretchen Bingea, Ann Arbor, MI
Rev. Dr. Kathleen A. Bishop, Delray Beach, FL
Rev. Dr. Nadean Bishop, Stillwater, MN

Rev. Mike Blevins, Burr Oak, IA
The Rev. Ann Bonner-Stewart, Greenville, NC
The Rev. Anita L. Bradshaw, Minneapolis, MN
Rev. David M. Bryce, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Rev. Betsy Bueschel, Chicago, IL
Rev. Jim B. Burklo, Mill Valley, CA
Rev. Cynthia Cain, Lexington, KY
Rabbi Harold F. Caminker, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Rev.Dr. Jan Carlsson-Bull, Cohasset, MA
Rev.Dr. Michael D. Castle, Dayton, OH
Rev. Dr. J. Harley Chapman, Palatine, IL
Rev. Brian P. Cloughtery, Chapel Hill, NC
The Rev. Steven C. Clunn, Schenectady, NY
Fr. Greg Comella, San Francisco, CA
Rev. Barbara Condon, Idaho Falls, ID
Rev. Karin Conover-Lewis, Lena, WI
The Rev. Chuck Currie, Portland, OR
Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale, Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Jean S. Darling, Chicago, IL
The Rev. Tom Davis, Washington, DC
The Rev. Ann B. Day, Holden, MA
Rev. James Delange, San Francisco, CA
Rev. Randall Doubet-King, Chicago, IL
Rev. Lucinda Duncan, Lexington, MA
Rev. Fr. James Dunn, Charlotte, NC
The Rev. Dale W. Dusman, Baltimore, MD
Rev. Donald Eastman, Fort Lauderdale, FL
The Rev. Mark Edminston-Lange, Houston, TX
The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Edminston-Lange, Houston, TX
Rev. Dr. Dee Eisenhauer, Bainbridge Island, WA
Dr. Russell K. Elleven, Fort Worth, TX
Rabbi Dr. Andrew Vogel Ettin, Salisbury, NC
Rabbi Ted Falcon, Seattle, WA
Rabbi Michael Fessler, Sewell, NJ
Dr. Elisabeth S. Fiorenza, Cambridge, MA
The Rev. Canon James A. Flagler, Fultonville, NY
Rev. Dr. Arthur L. Foster, Lexena, KS
The Rev. Mary L. Foulke, New York, NY
Rev. Matthew D. Fox, Washington, DC
Rev. Bob Gaiser, Broomfield, CO
Rev. Dan Gerhard, Mount Vernon, WA
Rev. Dr. Gordon Gibson, Elkhart, IN
Rev. Mark Glovin, Rockland, ME
The Rev. Edward Goode, Chicago, IL
The Rev. Dr. Judith A. Gootch, Plymouth, NH
Rev. Dr. Ronald C. Greene, Great Falls, MN
Rev. Katherine Greenleaf, Poughkeepsie, NY
Rev.Dr. Nina D. Grey, Chicago, IL
Rev. Dr. Horace Griffin, New York, NY
Fr. Martin de Pores Griffin, Chula Vista, CA
The Rev. Pamela Griffith Pond, Novato, CA
Pastor Janet G. Grill, Pittsburgh, PA
Rev. John F. Gundlach, Sherills Ford, NC
Rev. Carol S. Haag, Summit, NJ
Rev. Rachel G. Hackenburg, Lancaster, PA
Rev. Bill Hamilton-Holway, Kensington, CA
The Rev. Sue Judson Hamly, International Falls, MN
Rev. John M. Hild, Pueblo, CO
The Rev. Anita C. Hill, Saint Paul, MN
Pastor Charlene Hill, Chicago, IL
Rev. Craig Hoffman, Cleveland, OH
Rev. Charles F. Holm, Easton, PA
Rev. Magdelene Holm-Roesler, Austin, TX
Rev. Erika L. Hundrieser, Joliet, IL
The Rev. Lisa Hunt, Houston, TX
Rev. Tomi Jacobs, Albany, NY
Rev. Dr. Sharon Jacobson, Rochester, NY
Minister DeMett E. Jenkins, Charlotte, NC
Rev. Tracy S. Jenks, Ridgewood, NJ
The Rev. Madeline Jervis, Arlington, VA
Faith A. Johnson, Georgetown, MA
Rev.Dr. Jay E. Johnson, Berkeley, CA
Rev. Susan B.W. Johnson, Chicago, IL
Rev. Kevin L. Jones, West Palm Beach, FL
Rev. Tom Jones, Charlotte, MI
The Rev. Diane Kenney, Los Angeles, CA
Rev. Elizabeth A. Ketcham, Freeland, WA
Rev. Donald F. King, Cleveland Heights, OH
Rev. Steven M. King, Rick Hill, SC

Rabbi Paul J. Kipnes, Calabasas, CA
Rev. Rick Klimowicz, Meriden, CT
The Rev. Lucy Kolin, Oakland, CA
Rabbi Neil Kominsky, Lowell, MA
Rev. Jake Kopmeier, St. Petersburg, FL
Rev. Jim B. Krauss-Jackson, Louisville, KY
Rev. Kurt J. Kremlick, Kalamazoo, MI
Rev. Hilary Krivchenia, Lafayette, IN
The Rev. Dodd Lamberton, Minneapolis, MN
Rabbi Alan LaPayover, Philadelphia, PA

The Rev. Maria LaSala, New Haven, CT
Rev. Tamara Lebak, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Dr. Gabrielle Lettini, Berkeley, CA
Rev. David T. Lewicki, New York, NY
Rev. John S. Lindsay, Friday Harbor, WA
Rev. Karen Lipinczyk, Wadesville, IN
The Rev. Dr. Robert C. Lodwick, Pasadena, CA
Rev. Teri Lubbers, North Richland Hills, TX
Rev. Ginger Luke, Ann Arbor, MI
Rev. Jeanne E. MacKenzie, Washington, DC
Daniel C. Maguire, Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Jeffrey M. Marker, Brooklyn, NY
The Rev. Dr. Joan M. Martin, Cambridge, MA
Rev. Dr. Kathi Martin, Atlanta, GA
Rev. Elder Ken Martin, Portland, OR
Fr. David S. Matz, Berkeley, CA
Rev. Dr. Fran Mayes, Ann Arbor, MI
Rev. Judith L. Maynard, Albuquerque, NM
The Rev. Milton McC. Gatch, New York, NY
Rev. Dr. John B. McCall, South Portland, ME
Rev. Peggy McClanahan, Oak Lawn, IL
Rev. Roger McClellan, Anniston, AL
The Rev. Rosemary B. McNatt, New York, NY
Rev. Kathleen McTigue, New Haven, CT
Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, Fort Worth, TX
Rev. John Merz, New York, NY
Rev. Melanie Miller, White Plains, NY
Rev. Sarah G. Millspaugh, Mission Viejo, CA
Rev. Paul Mitchell, Los Angeles, CA
Rev. Rick Mitchell, Concord, CA
The Rev. Grace J. Moore, Claremont, CA
Rev. Richard O. Moore, Claremont, CA
Eric Mount, Danville, KY
Rev. Paul E. Mullins, San Francisco, CA
Rev. David Mundy, Santa Clara, CA
Rev. Theodore K. Nace, Colorado Springs, CO
Rev. Jen Nagel, Minneapolis, MN
Rev. Eric M. Nelson, Minneapolis, MN
Dr. Jim B. Nelson, Tucson, AZ
The Rev. John A. Nelson, Niantic, CT
Rev. Jane Newall, Yakima, WA
Rev. Jane E. Nickell, Meadville, PA
Pastor David E. Olson, Berwyn, IL
Rev. Diane Olson, Milwaukee, WI
Rev. Damaris E. Ortega, Edison, NJ
Rev. Charlie B. Ortman, Montclair, NJ
Rev. Josh Pawelek, Manchester, CT
Rev. Mark Pawlowski, Kalamazoo, MI
The Rev. Elsa A. Peters, Portland, ME
Brenda B. Peterson, Raleigh, NC
Rev. Thomas J. Philipp, Brookhaven, NY
Rev. Erniest D. Pipes, Santa Monica, CA
The Rev. Nathan D. Pipho, North Quincy, MA
The Rev. Patti Pomerantz, Portland, MI
Rev. Lois M. Powell, Cleveland, OH
Rabbi Sally Priesand, Ocean Township, NJ
Rev. Carolyn D. Pruitt, Bridgeville, DE
Rev. NaDine Rawls, Washington, DC
Rev. Dr. George F. Regas, Pasadena, CA
Rev. Robert H. Rfernandez, San Francisco, CA
The Rev. Paul G. Rider, Mankato, MN
The Rev. Meg A. Riley, Boston, MA
Rev. James H. Ritchie, Monroeville, PA
Rev. Deneen Robinson, Dallas, TX
Rev. Edmund Robinson, Staten Island, NY
The Rev. Deacon Sandy Roegner, Caldwell, TX
The Rev. Christopher N. Ross, South Boston, VA
Rabbi Dennis S. Ross, Worcester, MA
Rabbi Donald B. Rossoff, Morristown, NJ
Rev. Dr. Nori J. Rost, Colorado Springs, CO
Pastor Chip Roush, Traverse City, MI
The Rev. Victoria Safford, Mahtomedi, MN
Rev. Barbara S. Sagat, Fairfield, ME
Rabbi Marna Sapowitz, Olympia, WA
Rabbi Chaim L. Schneider, Santa Cruz, CA
Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman, Morrison, CO
Rev.Dr. Charles A. Selner, Morongo Valley, CA
The Rev. Karen H. Senecal, Brooklyn, NY
Rev. Andrew J. Shelton, Novato, CA
Rev. Karen Snyder, New Bern, NC
Rev. Kenneth T. South, Silver Spring, MD
The Rev. Dr. Ronald A. Sparks, California City, CA
Rabbi Scott Sperling, Washington, DC
Rev. Dr. Lloyd Steffen, Bethlehem, PA
The Rev. Robert E. Stiefel, Durham, NH
The Rev. B.J. Stiles, San Francisco, CA
Rev. Jerome A. Stone, Riverside, IL
Pastor Dr. Kent Stone, Topeka, KS
Rev. Krishna Stone, New York, NY
Rev. Lynn Strauss, Rockville, MD
Rev. Susan M. Strouse, San Francisco, CA
Rev. Tyronne P. Sweeting, Roanoke, VA
The Rev. Jane E. Thickstun, Midland, MI
Rev. Ed. Thompson, Westport, CT
Rev. Gerald L. Thompson, Silver City, NM
Rev. Dr. Carol A. Trissel, St. Louis, MO
Rev. Margaret True, Annandale, VA
The Rev. Dr. A. Dale Truscott, Orlando, FL
Rev. Archene A. Turner, Bethesda, MD
Rev. Paul M. Turner, Decatur, GA
Rev. Marion Visel, Hamden, CT
Rev. Dr. Alida Ward, Fairfield, CT
Pastor Avena Ward, Chicago, IL
Rev. Mark Ward, Asheville, NC
Rev. Durrell Watkins, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Rev. Pamela J. Webb, Dallas, TX
Rabbi Donald A. Weber, Montmouth, NJ
Rabbi Jay E. Weinstein, Syosset, NY
Rev. Dave Weissbard, Chicago, IL
Rev. Dr. Petra Weldes, Dallas, TX
Rev. Ned Wight, Washington, NY
Rev. Nathan Wright, Rensselaer, NY
Rev. Carole Yorke, Stuart, FL
The Rev. Dr. Karen-Marie Yust, Richmond, VA
Rabbi Lina Zerbarini, New Haven, CT
Rev. Wendy V. Zirpolo, Marblehead, MA

* Members of the Advisory Board, Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing

 
 

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