LONDON (CWNews.com) - Britain's Catholic and Anglican bishops today called on the government to promote traditional Christian teaching on marriage and to teach the value of celibacy in sex education.

    Writing in light of the current debate about repealing Section 28 which forbids the promotion of homosexuality in the classroom, the bishops' statement makes no direct mention of homosexual sex but says that children "should be given accurate information which enable them to understand the difference and help them to remove prejudice."

    "Human sexuality is a gift from God and finds its perfect expression within loving life-long marriage," said the bishops. "Traditional Christian marriage should be promoted as the fundamental building block of society, family life, and the proper context for the nurture of children."

    The bishops also stressed that "lifelong celibacy can be fulfilling. In this way of life an individual's sexual instincts may be channeled into generous love and service of others."

    Bishop Vincent Nichols, chairman of the Catholic Education Service, told today's Daily Telegraph that removing a "moral context" from sex education would do little to lessen homophobia. "The best way to prevent prejudice is to build up respect and this is not met by withdrawal of standards," he said. "It is best met by giving pupils information and guidance within a moral framework."

    Baroness Young, who is challenging the government's plans to scrap Section 28, has welcomed the bishops' comments. She told a House of Lords press conference yesterday that children should not be taught that it is "OK to try out different sorts of behavior and see which you feel comfortable with."

    She added: "If I had a homosexual son I wouldn't stop loving him, but that wouldn't mean that I thought it was right. Love often means saying to someone that they have done something wrong." The debate is set to explode on Monday when it reaches the committee stage in the House of Lords.