Preaching Abstinence Education and the New York Times Editorial Page

From the editorial page of the New York Times comes a lucid opinion about a neo-conservative agenda losing its momentum.

"At least nine states, by one count, have decided to give up the federal matching funds rather than submit to dictates that undermine sensible sex education. Now there is growing evidence that the programs have no effect on children’s sexual behavior."

Backed by a Congressionally mandated study by Mathematica Policy Research, the Time's Opinion is entirely reasonable. Abstinence education alone, masquerading as sex education is a severely wrong headed approach to teaching. Teaching people about something by only demonstrating and advocating the opposite is called preaching, not teaching.