American conservative group makes inroads into China's classrooms – China News
gokunming.com — The conservative American organization Focus on the Family gained its first major toehold in Chinese classrooms this past week.
The Yunnan provincial education bureau has ordered high schools and universities to teach Focus on the Family's "No Apologies" (无悔今生) strategy for rejecting premarital sex.
Scripted role playing that is part of the "No Apologies" program. It is unclear how "No Apologies" ended up getting included in Yunnan's school curriculum – Focus on the Family, which has a Chinese website, is not well-known in China.
OH! F((K!!! Help us all.
Ultra-right-wing Christian conservatives are the last thing China needs. Sorry, but coming here and proselytizing, spreading traditional (American) values, and trying to convert people make me want to spit-up my cheap Chinese beer.
I don't know if I should vote it down because I strongly oppose what the group is doing... or vote it up because it's bringing this heinous group to others' attention.
For now, a vote up. But, I reserve the right to change my mind.
In the late '80s, a shady organisation called the 'International Education Foundation' (a right-wing Catholic pressure group) made in-roads with China's education authorities, and taught kids that abstinence was the only way to avoid pregnancy. Of course, all this did was de-popularise condoms, and it was associated with an increase in STD's and unplanned pregnancies. Thankfully, China eventually kicked them out when the AIDS crisis picked up speed, but it seems as though they didn't learn their lesson.
To echo Heiney's comment above: "Oh fuck."
This is hilarious. I thought China was clever enough to keep religious fundamentalists out of the door.
A few more links
"Yunnan education dept. denies abstinence taught in textbook"
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/[...]
Don't get yourself fooled by the headline - this article is actually confirming the report.
Washington Post describes how the FOTF nested inside the Yunnan Ministry of Education and the motives for "cooperation" by the Chinese side.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR201009...
Shanghaiist digged up a story of the co-founder of FOTF, George Alan Rekers, who has been recently caught vacationing with a known male prostitute.
http://shanghaiist.com/2010/09/02/yunnan_education_bureau_set_to_coop.php
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-05-06/news/christian-right-leader-geor...
"Curiouser and curiouser," said Poo.
Am echoing Heiney's sentiments and likewise voting up to help raise the profile of this story.
BTW: Chengdoo -- if we had awards for best avatar, you'd hands down be this week's winner! ;-)