Education

The high rate of abortion and out-of-wedlock births make clear that the voices our young people have been hearing when it comes to human sexuality are not the voices of religious leaders. The best way to decrease the number of abortions over time is to decrease the number of unplanned pregnancies and to instill a deeper respect for the sanctity of life. We embrace human sexuality as an important part of God’s plan for mankind, but we affirm that sex should be reserved for marriage where its fruitfulness can be met with the strength and stability necessary for the bearing and educating of children. The truth is that sex makes babies. We need to make sure our young people are aware of what is at stake and are empowered to make better choices about sex and relationships. For these reasons, we support abstinence and chastity education programs and initiatives dedicated to encouraging the challenging way of life that chastity entails. We also support efforts to educate our young people about the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life.