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religion in goverment? on sixty minutes this sunday there was a segment on the new sex education disseminating from washington. by law prophylactics can only be mentioned as prone to failure. no instruction can be given on their proper use. no discussion of their possible success is allowed. abstinence is the only allowable policy. and abstinence is tied with promises and marriage and...guess what...religion. (religion can be in the program explicitly as long as there is an alternative section that omits the more explicit references.) that disturbs me. that makes me wish ill for a certain type of person.
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Either CBS misconstrued this or you misunderstood, Im more inclined to think its CBS thats at fault. There is grant money available for states that wish to teach abstinence only programs. There is a list of items that show what qualifies as an abstinence only program. They are an educational or motivational program which:
<ul type="square">[*]Has as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity[*]teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children[*]teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems[*]teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity[*]teaches that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects[*]teaches that bearing children out of wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child's parents, and society[*]teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances[*] and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances; and (h) teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.[/list]
Note that it doesnt even have to be used for a school program. I hardly think it is an example of religion in government. I think it may be a case of traditional moral values in government. I'll be worried when the government tries to mandate a state religion.
Your depiction of religion is childish caricature of what religion is so it is easy to turn your nose up at it. Some of the greatest thinkers in history, both in science and philosophy, have been very religious and strongly believed in the existence of God.