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sexu:tl relarions. They wcre
rryin~
ro
presenr ··¡usr rhe faces," wirhour
moral opinion. The observer nored
rhar in rheir personal lives rhese
people had decply commirrcd mar–
riages. They ralked of rheir own cher–
ishcd relarionships ac homc. When
quesrioned on rhe paradox, mosr of
rheir answers werc rhar rhey didn't
wanr ro seem aurhorirarian.
Thc climare of "no moral judg–
mcnrs picase" is cerrainly pare of che
reason why experrs dealing wirh
social problcms are loarhe ro admir
rhar rhere are any srandards. The idea
of any moral srrucrure or responsi–
bilirv is usuall\' considered oucside che
realm of scicnrific srudy.
Perhaps even more pervasive rhan
che "no scandards" approach of che
expercs is cheir curious pcssimism.
Ira
L.
Reiss. Professor of Sociology
ac che Universiry of Iowa. summed ir
up well , "We ofren speak of how
differenc ir would be if we all
accepred and pracriced abscinence.
Bur when in rhe hisrory of che Wesc–
ern world did mosc people accepc and
praccice abscinencei . .. In facr, rhere
does nor seem ro be any sociery, any–
whcre in rhe world. ar anv rime in che
pasr or presenr, rhar was ever able ro
bring up che majoriry of even one
generarion of males ro adulrhood as
virgins."
Professor Reiss rhen caucioned,
"Thus in choosing a scx code we
muse realize rhar our pase hiscory
informs us on che likdihood of being
able ro live up ro ir."
Thc experrs are apparently saving.
"Take down che 'keep off che grass'
sigo - ir won'r work."
Albert Ellis, Director of che Insci–
cure for Racional Living has been
more blunr: "Invarianr and absolure
erhical ideals do nor seem ro be
achievable." Ellis rhen proceeds ro
define sorne general ethical postulares
of his own.
Stop the Pregnancy
But How?
Three researchers, Furstenberg,
Gordis, and Markowitz, discussed rhe
24
problcm of birrh control among
unmarried pregnant adolescenrs in
rhe February 1969
journal ofMarriage
and lhe Fami{y.
Ther weighed rhe various solu–
rions being proposed for dealing wirh
che problem of reen-age illegirimacy.
They suggcsred srrengchening family
life, raising moral sr:mdards. offering
wholesome acriviries for reen-agers
and so forrh.
"Ail of rhese so lurions," rhe
aurhors now reU us, "are direcred ar
modifying rhe source of illegirimacy,
char is, ar reducing rhe frequency of
nonmarical sexual relarions. Programs
arrempring ro do chis by various
means have mee wirh a notable lack
of success. Evidence indicares rhac
cherc is and will be in che fucure a
relarively high prevalence of premari–
ral sexual relaúons.
Ir
seems unlikcl)'
rhar any existing programs are going
ro modify chis rrend significan
ti
y."
The aurhors rhen suggesr char rhe
only way ro reduce rhe incidence of
premariral pregnancy is ro decrease
che rare of conceprion, nor sexual
intercourse. "Give 'cm sorne pills.
rarher chao rules" seems ro be che
idea. This, of course, means relying
on birrh conrrol merhods rarhcr rhan
on behavior and rhar is
tretlting the
effects. no/ the original cause.
This kind of profcssional faralism
assumes we can never really eliminare
premariral incercourse. One expert
flacly said rhat chasriry "over rhe cen–
curies has proved ro be impossible."
Mosr cxpens would dismiss as
impossiblc che solurion chat we elimi–
nare premariral sexual inrercourse. Ar
bese, chis solurion seems gauche,
pedesrrian and rerribly our-of-dare. To
srudenrs or young pcople, ir is a Har
infringemenr on rheir so-called righrs.
Srudenrs of one universicy summed
up rheir arrirude on chis score c¡uire
lucidly wirh a "We carne herc ro
learn, nor have our
sex
life regulaced"
challenge.
No doubr, such obvious recalci–
crance has led Lesrcr KirkendalJ ro
conclude: "A moral code which
srresses a parrern of conduce conrrary
ro basic human narure will provc
exrremely difliculr ro enforce, even ro
mainrain ar all."
"Our need." Kirkendall says. "is ro
hclp people become living, respon–
sible. fulfilled human beings wirh
considerarion and conce;:rn for orhers
in rheir relarionships."
Yer,
che
quesrion is
how?
Humans, especiaUy duri ng reen–
agc, ofren do nor grasp whar ir means
ro be loving and responsible. Many
have not been raughr ro have consid–
erarion and concern for orhers in rheir
relarionships, especially sexual.
Anorher aspecr of rhe problem is
human narure irself. Ir rends ro be
self-cenrered and morivared by rhe
desire for
pleasure now.
Humans sel–
dom stop ro consider rhe furure rragic
consequences of acrion which may
seem pleasurable ar che momenr. To
Sherlock Holmcs, ir would have
appeared "elemen cary" why no major
sociery has been able ro bring up a
majoriry of young meo ro adulrhood
as virgins.
"Sex
now"
seems likc fun . And
besides, che peers are doing ir, aren'r
rhey' In a fun-orienred, indulge-now–
and-pay-later, peer-dominared society,
che clarion call for absrinence appears
ro be out of srep wirh realiry.
Women are also coming ro learn
rhar rhey, roo, can indulge in pre–
mariral sex secmingly wirh no social
or personal afrer-effecrs. Resu lt?
\Y/
e
find rhe grearesr rare increases in non–
virginiry ro be among females. (Males
have rraditionally been promiscuous.)
Where Do
We
Go
From Here?
Parenrs wirh reen-agers ofren ask:
"Whar is che mosr essenrial reaching
which mighr help ro keep my son or
daughrer from premariral sex?"
Roben Bcll, Associare Professor of
Sociology at Temple Univcrsiry, pur
rhe answer in rhese words: ''There is
evidence ro supporr che belief rhar the
srrongesr behavioral limirs placed on
premariral sexual behavior rend ro be
intemal
ro individuals, rarher rhan
exrernally imposed."
PLAIN TRUTH September-October 1972