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Parents | Religious Educators | Educators | Healthcare Professionals
Dear Religious Educator,
What I most value in my work is joining forces with religious educators to find thoughtful and inspiring ways of integrating sexual ethics into the religious education curriculum.
Every religion has a ritual that prepares young teens to become responsible members of the adult religious community. In preparation for one’s bar mitzvah or confirmation, a young person begins to understand the sacred trust that he/she has inherited. In my book, The Talk: What Your Kids Need to Hear From YOU About Sex, I devote several chapters to exploring the spiritual connection between religion and sexual behavior. What better time to teach the guidelines of ethical sexual behavior that a religious community expects of an adult than during preparation for adult membership? How better to help families protect teens from the values delivered by the media?
My presentations to Protestant, Catholic and Jewish parents and teens have been extraordinarily well received (Testimonials) because I work closely with ministers, priests and rabbis (often presenting with them) to align these workshops with the beliefs of each respective tradition.
Bringing the congregation together at these workshops often expands the discussion beyond the initial presentations. Mothers, fathers and grandparents form on-going parenting groups, creating a safety net of information and support for the teens in their community. Teens see their religious community as a place where they can find the answers and the strength to deal with the day-to-day realities of their life.
Sincerely,
Sharon Maxwell, Ph.D.