My oldest kid is about to start relationships and sexuality education in school. This naturally set me to thinking about the subject. Here is the result as set out in my Irish Independent column today: http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/david-quinn-school-sex-talk-is-useless-without-lesson-in-fidelity-2026574.html

When he died last year, Senator Ted Kennedy was instantly canonised. Kennedy was a great politician, but he had appalling views on abortion. He even supported very late-term abortions. The result of his death was that a bye-election had to be called to fill his vacant seat. Astonishingly, that seat, possibly the safest Democratic seat in all of America, has gone to a Republican.

Andrew Madden, a victim of abuse at the hands of a priest, left the Catholic Church years ago for perfectly understandable reasons. It would be very hard to remain a practising Catholic having been abused by a cleric and knowing that Church leaders did not do enough to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Now Andrew Madden has formally left the Church using a procedure under canon law that allows for 'defection'. This was on the front page of The Irish Times yesterday although it seems to me that it hardly warranted the front page given the fact that Madden lapsed years ago.

Dublin City Council has voted to rename Archbishop Dermot Ryan Park, aka, Merrion Square. Almost no-one knows it is called after the former Archbishop of Dublin but the name is to be changed all the same because Archbishop Ryan is named and shamed in the Murphy report.

One councillor has suggested that it be renamed Oscar Wilde Park instead. Wilde was raised in a house opposite the park and there is a statue in his memory in the park. But not alone should the park not be named after him, his statue should be removed as well in the interests of consistency.

A  very important case is currently being heard in California. It concerns the legality of Proposition 8 which Californians voted in favour of in November 2008. Proposition 8 defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.