PPL News - Fall 2002

Presbyterians Pro-Life NEWS
Fall 2002

G.A. gives PC(USA) sexuality curriculum revision indefinite delay
- and a few examples from the leader's guide

The order of two General Assemblies to revise the denomination's sexuality curriculum to conform to biblical teaching and our church's standards suffered setback at this General Assembly

Previous General Assemblies have sent messages to the Congregational Ministries Division (CMD) several times affirming our church’s belief that youth should be led toward decisions of sexual purity and abstinence outside marriage. Previous General Assemblies have noted that the current curriculum does not conform to biblical teaching and the church’s standards and have told the CMD to rewrite the curriculum to meet those standards. CMD has dragged its feet and failed to meet the deadlines set by the General Assemblies.

Presbyterians should find intolerable both this stubbornness on the part of CMD and the agreement to allow it on the part of one Assembly.

CMD was to come to this General Assembly with a properly revised curriculum already approved by the General Assembly Council and ready to release. Instead, they asked the G.A. for an indefinite delay in revising the curriculum and for permission to assemble a list of a variety of resources on sexuality for the PC(USA) website. The G.A. granted both requests.

The General Assembly rejected a minority report from the committee that asked

that the 214th General Assembly (2002) direct the Congregational Ministries Division (CMD) to discontinue distribution of the sexuality curriculum, God’s Gift of Sexuality, and cease any further revision of that curriculum, and to prepare all future resources of any kind on the subject of sexual behavior in conformity with the directives given by the 210th and 211th General Assemblies (1998) and (1999).

Instead the Assembly voted

that the 214th G.A. give a two-year deferment to Congregational Ministries Publishing in order that it might make available a ‘library of resources’ in addition to the current G.A. action to ‘review and revise’ the ‘God’s Gift of Sexuality’ curriculum....

A comment was added to the action which said that the Assembly committee’s "understanding is that the review and revision process will occur as part of customary, timely practices of the CMD’s curriculum publishing program area."

Presbyterians should find intolerable both this stubbornness on the part of CMD and the agreement to allow it on the part of one Assembly. Churches and presbyteries should persevere until the curriculum is either revised to conform to our church’s standards or is withdrawn altogether. Today there are excellent options available in the Christian market for teaching sexuality based on our own standards. PPL can provide an ample list of resources for every age level.

A few examples from the leader’s guides for each level of the PC(USA) sexuality curriculum from pre-school through high school:

Question: "What does our Church believe about contraception?"

Answer: "We favor the general availability of contraceptive devices to persons who desire them. We consciously include the availability of contraceptives to unmarried persons in this recommendation."

Question: "Should teenagers have sexual intercourse before marriage?"

Answer: "We believe it is best to postpone intercourse until marriage. If a teenage couple decides to have a sexual relationship, they have the responsibility to use effective contraception."

Question: "Is there disagreement with this understanding of homosexuality within our church?"

Answer: "The stand of our church is to encourage all church members to continue dialogue within the church. We believe there is always the possibility for more light to break forth from God’s Spirit to aid our understanding."

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