Show LDS Churcli offers guide on intimacy A guidebook to help parents teach children appropriate physical emotional social and spiritual intimacy has been prepared by the Church of Jesus Christ of Saints The new publication called Parent's Guide" is designed to help teach basic principles about the purposes of the family and to offer suggestions on the appropriate teaching of children during their childhood and adolescence including proper preparation for marriage Among the subjects treated in the guidebook are sexual morality the evils of physical and sexual child abuse appropriate behavior during courtship and marriage and the honest and accurate teaching of children about sexuality The introduction to the guidebook says it is intended for use by all parents including single fathers and mothers in teaching their children “about the Lord's plan for human intimacy” It is intended as a supplement to the church's Family Home Evening resource book and may be ordered for $ 25 from the Church Distribution Center 1999 West 1700 South Salt Lake City 84104 (refer to Stock No Latter-da- “A PBIC0507) Each section of the guidebook gixes parents specific information for use in teaching their children during a particular stage of their development The chapter on teaching infants and toddlers includes counsel in helping children understand and accept their gender and in helping parents react properly to young children’s discoveries of their bodies In the chapter about children from four to years of age there are sections on teaching them to care for their bodies teaching them how intimate relationships differ from others helping them accept and understand the natural differences between the genders teaching them about sexuality and tips for parents in protecting their children from physical and sexual abuse A chapter on teaching adolescents from 12 to 18 years of age includes tips for preparing children for the changes and challenges that accompany puberty teaching teenagers that they can control desires for physical intimacy helping them to seek wholesome social experiences and to icw adolescence as a time for developing spiritually as well as physically The guidebook encourages a practical yet thoughtful and 6 Church News Ogden Pastor urges others to re moral approach to sex education In a section entitled “Teach Children the Proper Use of Procreative Powers” parents are encouraged to: “Choose books Editor’s Note: The Rev Peter about human intimacy carefully J Van Hook serves as vice chairwhen you teach your children or man on the Utah State Advisory when allowing others to teach Council on Child Abuse and Neyour children about this subject glect On Feb 27 he addressed “The tendency of much cur- the Teen Suicide Update Conferrent literature” the guidebook ence in Salt Lake City on Senate continues “is to focus on the Bill 65 tle Clergy Exprocesses of sexual behavior and to the Child Abuse and to neglect the social and spiritual emption Neglect Reporting Act This is an consequences of improper beupdated version of his remarks havior” By PETER J VAN HOOK In the guidebook parents are Pablof Saints episcopal Church Cit encouraged to teach their chil- Sait dren correct principles by examMy comments arc framed in ple to give them moral counsel the context of teen suicide It is and to provide a positive emomy sense that one of the causal tional climate in the home factors of teen suicide is physiThey arc also encouraged to cal sexual and emotional abuse be prayerful thoughtful loving and neglect I want to address and consistent in teaching their briefly the children and in the quest for the role of clergy in this context about human intimaand more specifically knowledge the cy to be guided by the Church’s clergy exemption from 13th Article of Taith which reporting actual or suspected instates: “We believe in being honstances of child abuse and neest true chaste benevolent virglect and what I see to be the tuous and in doing good to all potential impact of current legismen lation Commentary of Utah the Currently persons without exception are required to report any instance of child abuse and neglect It is a simple but very strong law It has as its primary goal not the punishment of the abuser but the protection of the abused Those who are disturbed enough to use children for the satisfaction of their own physical needs ought to receive treatment and punishment if deserving But the most important thing is the safety of the child My concern is that it is the needs rights and welfare of the victims that arc being ignored in recent debate A number of people have been concerned that the provisions of current state law will thill the relationship between a cleric and a congregant It has been suggested that the current law is an unwarranted in all State (But the most important t the child My concern is rights and welfare of t! being ignored in re exemption law intrusion into the widely held privileges given to organized religion under the Constitution most especially the First Amendment These concerns address the relationship between perpetrator and clergy but do not address the relationship between the victim and the clergy I will not rehearse for you the countless horror stories of perpetrators of child abuse who have been visiting their religious counselor on a regular basis while the victimization of a child has continued unabated Suffice it to say that professional clergy and religious workers have had noihine to fear under April cu ch co tC’ I no gel UK g ihc w Ml till ail an by vie 19 |