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NINE-AND-A-HALF MONTHS. Like Dana, I find it refreshing to have a real life evangelical writing in a top op-ed page. But something about Michael Gerson's op-ed, which took as its subject the studies showing mainline Protestant teens have sex later than evangelical teens, struck me as odd. As Gerson explores the issue, he's enthused to learn that this isn't really about which religion is superior at promoting chastity, but simple demographics. Protestants are richer:
When the statistics on teen sexuality are controlled for social and economic factors, conservative Protestant teens first have sex at about the same time as their peers -- the average is midway through their 16th year. That is hardly comforting to conservative Protestant parents, who would expect more bang for the bucks they spend funding Sunday schools -- well, actually, less bang.But these numbers shift when controlled for religious intensity. For those who attend church often, sexual activity is delayed until nearly 17, while nominal evangelicals begin at 16.2 years, earlier than the national average.As a coastal elite, I find that utterly baffling. The impressive abstinence gains offered by fervent religious commitment amount to nine-and-a-half months? Why do we even care about doing that? I understand if you want to make the marker marriage, as that at least has a biblical pedigree. But I genuinely don't understand the celebration, or even interest, in a delay so small, and so utterly devoid of obvious social benefits.--Ezra Klein
