[John O]

While I can see societal benefits to the monogamy that has traditionally come from celibacy before marriage, the lack of celibacy was not necessarily the part of the act that brought the benefit, the monogamy and commitment after the commitment was.

And of course I disagree. And always will disagree. Premarital sex is bad for people. I hold that opinion from a biblical standpoint as well as from an experiential standpoint. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

[HairOfTheDog]

And that's fine, John... I get your point, and I admire it.

[null and void]

Premarital sex is bad for people. I hold that opinion from a biblical standpoint as well as from an experiential standpoint. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Ideally, if the fist person one has sex with is a new spouse, they will strongly bond to that person. It's very similar to the imprinting that a fresh hatched chick will get on the first moving thing it sees.

Multiple partners over a brief period of time will blur the bonding response and make it difficult to settle down on any other single partner.

I think that this bonding is one of the reasons arranged marriages seem to have a lower divorce rate and more happy couples than the modern 'love' marriage. With our current society, awash in sexuality, and favoring later marriage, it is very difficult for any normal hormonally hypercharged teenager to 'last' long enough to marry to a virgin as a virgin.

I don't know the solution, but it seems our society militates against our biology.

[TAdams8591]

"Premarital sex is bad for people."

Agreed.