Much of my priesthood was happily spent in Pawtucket. Sacred Heart Parish in Pleasant View, now sadly defunct, was an encouraging venue for a young priest to begin his ministry.
The parish of St. Leo the Great in Darlington was another friendly experience for a priest to spend his middle years. So imagine my chagrin, no, imagine my disappointment when a loyal Catholic brought me literature that was being distributed to junior high school students in the city of Pawtucket. In the context of a health curriculum, a medium and clairvoyant was invited to demonstrate the benefits of aroma therapy employing incense rising before a gilded statue of Buddha. Had a scented candle been lit before a statue of the Blessed Mother or had fragrant flowers been placed before a representation of the Sacred Heart, civil libertarians would have descended on that school hall in droves. And if Buddha was just there as a decoration then his presence is still offensive. Such an emblem of ancient wisdom should not be treated casually. But it gets worse.
Pink cards were distributed to these middle school students reading, “I stand with Planned Parenthood.”
The card explained that Planned Parenthood offered birth control and preventative care in the interest of reproductive health.
The card boasted that Planned Parenthood is “… the leading voice for women’s reproductive health and rights.” The card cautiously did not advise that Planned Parenthood is also the largest abortion provider in the United States. Also available on another table were condoms and bananas to be fingered by the children in a manner better imagined than described. Also handy for these young students was a pamphlet on being gay and lesbian. The leaflet featured notices entitled, “Yes, it’s normal,” “How do I know if I’m gay?” and of course, “Homophobia.” The pamphlet also noted that for gay people “There are exciting cultural events – gay-related film, theatre, visual arts, dance, comedy, athletics, poetry and literature.” The possibility of bars, cruising spots, porn sites and AIDS were discretely not mentioned.
The City of Cranston is currently locked in an argument over whether a banner that begins with the words, “O Heavenly Father. …” should be allowed to be displayed in a public forum on tax-supported property. Civil libertarians argue that the place for religion is in the home or in a house of worship. Yet aroma therapy in a quasi-religious context is winked at or maybe even encouraged in Pawtucket. A child’s religious persuasion is considered so fragile in Cranston that even a glance at an obscure banner might disorient the student for eternity. Yet in Pawtucket sexual development during a child’s formative years is boldly removed from the context of home and religion and celebrated openly and aggressively in a decidedly secular environment. It is sad but true that parents postpone or entirely neglect a proper discussion of sexuality with their children. Nonetheless parents are the first teachers of their children in areas of faith and morals. Communities should not usurp parental rights by discussing sex in judgment-free, value-free assemblies. Communities rather should stress parental obligations in this matter. Civil libertarians do not shrink from kicking religion out of the market place and into the home; they should be equally zealous in encouraging parents to instruct their children in sexuality at home or in venues that faithfully reflect the home.
The Christian world this week is commemorating and pondering and re-enacting the passion and death of Jesus Christ. It is very sad but very true that Jesus died for our sins. He died to atone for the injustice, the anger, the infidelity, the greed, the pride and the lusts of mankind. Yes, let’s not forget lust. Modern society has become ever more conscious of sins against the races, against the environment, and against the disadvantaged. But the modern conscience has grown exceedingly dull in its judgments about sexual excess.
The entertainment industry, the fashion industry, the advertising industry, the pharmaceutical industry all thrive on sexual exploitation. Internet pornography has become an epidemic. Sexuality, for all its God-given beauty and potential, remains a predominant occasion of sin for fallen mankind. Like religion, authentic sexuality is a sacred trust nurtured better by the family than by vendors in a school hall.
