by Currie Jean

Created on: February 09, 2008

The two most common dating rules for Christian teens, especially in America, are as follows: practice abstinence, and don't date people of the same sex.

These two general rules are by no means universal. Some Christian parents understand that demanding their children practice abstinence is ineffective, choosing instead a strong emphasis on contraceptive use.

Others, however, are unrealistic. Tied up in the mandates of their church and their scriptures, they place importance only on abstinence, which is of course an effective method of birth control; however, they neglect other methods. They don't educate their children about the effectiveness of condom use and birth control pills, the most popular methods of birth control.

When condoms and birth control pills are used properly together (that means using unexpired condoms with unopened wrappers, and taking the pill at the same time every day), they are between ninety-nine and one hundred percent effective - and the best part is that you still get to have sex!

Teen pregnancy rates are higher in the United States than in Canada and Sweden, despite the fact that American teens have less sex than teens in either of those other countries. What's more, within the U.S., the teen pregnancy rate is higher in the southern, more Christian states. To phrase differently: teen pregnancy shows a high correlation with Christianity in America!
For a map of American teen pregnancy rates, go here:
http://www.teenpregnancy.org/america/statistics Display.asp?ID=3&sID=18

When I was in the ninth grate, I was fourteen, and I was educated about methods of birth control in school. Abstinence was suggested as the most effective form of birth control, as was petting, but other methods were described too. I met my first boyfriend when I was fifteen, and lost my virginity by sixteen. It was wonderful; I was sharing something with a friend in that moment, and I'll never forget it.

I've been having sex ever since, I always use birth control (condoms or the pill or both), I've had more partners than I can count on two hands, and I've never been pregnant. I'm happy - the idea that sex could be a sin is practically unintelligible to me.

Preaching abstinence only is plainly evidenced to be ineffective. I can't object to strongly suggesting abstinence, since it's obviously the most effective form of birth control, but likewise, the power of the human sex drive, and the intrinsic fun of it, must be recognized as well.

It's time to be realistic: people like

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