Christians, why do you promote abstinence when...?

I agree completely. There's nothing wrong with sex. It's natural and healthy. We should encourage teens to be safe and have sex when they're ready. Not just be like OMGZ NO SECKS!

It's always good to revisit programs and their evaluations--I did not know (if it's true) that the abstinance programs cited were only at the middle school level and not at high schools. It's proven that a combination of abstinence with some further information about avoiding STDs and pregnancies does work, and we certainly need that in inner cities, where in some areas girls (mainly African-American) have a high incidence out of-out-wedlock children. Abstinence does not get at the root cause of these pregnancies, so it will de facto not be as successful as a combination program.

Well, since nowadays public schools are handing out condoms by the CASELOAD and it's not dong a whole lot to quell the epidemic of teen pregnancy and spread of STD's, perhaps narrow minded deniers need to face facts and perhaps persuade kids to have enough self respect than to let themselves be used as a playground for someone else and that having sex can lead to unhealthy consequences, decisions they will forever regret or death.

Or is that too "offensive"?

I think you have a very low opinion of teenagers. You seem to deny that they have the capacity to make good decisions, and attribute their behavior to mere animal instinct that they can't help. "They're just going to do it anyway" - as if they were just dogs and cats that need to be spayed and neutered. What about all those teens whose names DON'T make it into the Washington Post who consciously choose to abstain until they are married? There are a lot more of those than you give credit for.

By your logic, maybe we should just make rape and murder legal because "they're just going to do it anyway".

Condoms don't stop STDs, but abstinence does.

Our God tells us to. Its just that simple. And as far as the statistics go, yeah, its not working too well. That's just because many "Christian" teens are not living the life God wants them to. I have never taken any sort of pledge to be abstinent: I don't need to, because I will be abstinent until marriage. Anything else would be dishonorable... and so far, its working great for me. What I don't understand is why would you want to have sex with someone if you weren't planning on being with them for life.

Because being able to think that they can control people gives them a tingly feeling.

Abstinence is still the best way to avoid pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, emotional guilt when the teenage relationship ends ("He was my first...I thought he loved me...I thought we were going to get married!") and sin.

Christians can NEVER promote a sinful action, and since any sex outside of marriage is a sin, Christians are obliged to teach their teenage sons and daughters not just TO be abstinent but HOW to remain abstinent when people like you try to convince them that every teen is sexually active (which is a lie).

why do I promote abstinence? Because God does. I am only responsible with sharing the truth with others, I am not responsible if they follow through or not. I cannot tell young girls to use protection, because to me that is making it seem ok that they are having sex, it isn't. It is not my fault if they choose to have sex, and not use protection. That is advocated everywhere, so they are without excuse either way.

Christians revere God's word. We do not bend to the culture of the day. God's ways are for our best interests and Christians desire to let people know this. What anyone chooses to do with the information...well...that is their choice. A Christian doesn't compromise just because the majority thinks differently about any given subject. And I am not saying that pompously, I mean it in a kind way.

They are just bored so they come up with random rules to pass time.