By Catherine Daub and Laura Kizior
We have been blind. As we work diligently to educate the public about the horrors of abortion and the threats to human dignity, the culture of death has crept into our schools, working to destroy the innocence of our children.
It’s no secret that Planned Parenthood is active in schools across the nation, promoting programs that violate innocence and rob children of the joy of youth. These lessons do not open a child’s mind to the beauty of God’s creation, but instead focus on promoting a distorted view of human sexuality. While we work at the front lines, reaching out to women and children in need, we have neglected education as the primary means of changing our culture to celebrate the beauty of every human person.
To undo the damage, we need to go back to the beginning, starting with a solid program to teach students about the developmental stages in a person’s life, focusing on the dignity of the human person at every milestone. Children in the primary grades are in awe of life. They love learning about God’s creation. Many schools readily teach the life cycles of animals such as chicks, butterflies, crayfish, and frogs. Studying the cycle of life is important for young children, yet there is one life cycle—that of the human person—that is not readily taught in schools.
When students only look at the life cycle of animals, and are only taught a distorted view of the human person, why are we surprised that abortion, promiscuity, and other threats to the dignity of human beings continue to plague our society?
Think about that for a moment. God’s greatest creation, the most miraculous of all His creatures, has taken a back seat to learning about frogs. When Planned Parenthood has such a powerful grip on our schools, how can we justify only teaching the life cycle of animals instead of training children to love and respect every human person from their first moment of existence?
From a young age, children should know that terms like embryo and fetus are simply descriptions of the particular stages a tiny human being goes through before birth. They need to understand that those terms are synonymous with a human baby. That way, when they are older and the world attempts to desensitize them, they will remain steadfast in the truth and will be ready to stand up for human beings at all stages.
So how can we show these beautiful milestones of human development to our children and fight back against the culture of death? As the primary educators of their children, all parents should have a say in what their children learn in school. This month, American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program is pleased to announce the release of a new edition of Life Is Precious created specifically for classroom use. The Life Is Precious School Edition teaches children in kindergarten through 2nd grade about the sacredness and dignity of all human beings. We use scientific facts, crafts, and games to teach the development of preborn babies while preserving the innocence of our audience and respecting parents as the primary educators of their children.
The Culture of Life Studies Program is quickly becoming the go-to pro-life resource for parents and educators. Our website is filled with downloadable resources to help parents and teachers train their students to be effective communicators of the pro-life message. With this new school edition of Life Is Precious, designed for a larger classroom setting, the Culture of Life Studies Program marches to the forefront of pro-life education.
We must face the facts. What your children learn—or don’t learn—in school will impact their lives. One way or another, the experiences children have in the classroom will help define their lives, their futures, and society as a whole. Stand up. Speak out. Help restore and heal this culture by arming your children, their teachers, and all students with the truth.
You can order a copy of Life Is Precious School Edition by visiting the ALL store. You can also take a more in-depth look at what is covered in each lesson by visiting CultureOfLifeStudies.com.
Catherine Daub is a proud wife and mother, and the director of American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program, which stresses the culture of life as an integral part of every academic discipline. CLSP is dedicated to helping students become effective communicators of the pro-life message.
Laura Kizior is a content developer for American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program.
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