Don't Make Love OR War

There's an article highlighting a burgeoning chastity movement amongst young Christians in the current issue of Rolling Stone. The writer takes care to paint the NYC members of the movement as normal twentysomethings subject to the same impulses as any person their age. Fine, I know they're just like you and I, no need to show me repeatedly, or so I thought. At one point the writer mentions that members of "the Journey" (their church, not THE Journey who were always fond of a little "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'") refrain from hugging chest-to-chest as it's too tempting.

Now, how mixed-up are these people in regards to sex? Any person who's achieved 16 years of age has probably ceased being aroused by a hug, but that's beside the point. The point is, even if you find yourself so consumed with passion following a good, solid hug, you can't just have sex wherever you're standing. (They happened to be in church when they relayed this information to the writer.) The world doesn't work that way, at best you can go to the car, at worst a seedy, by-the-hour motel. By then, the hug will be long gone. These people act like every little tickle below the belt leads inevitably to sex. Sadly, no. (I would estimate that if you hit .200 in this category you're a first-ballot Hall of Famer.)

I admit, I've never tried chastity on for size, but I was never wildly promiscuous either. (Tragically, every woman I found attractive didn't immediately realize it and subsequently ravish me.) If you don't want to have sex, fine, but the moral flogging is a bit, dare I say, masturbatory. I don't know how hard it is to abstain from sex, but I do know how hard it is to actually have it.

Lighten up guys, you need a hug!