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Dating: Getting to KnowYou

helovesherinordertogetsex.Shethinks
theyareontheirwaytowardmarriage.He
thinksthisisjusta“fling.”Sheendsup
emotionallyscarred.
Confusion of Values.People often
experience confusion of values after
participating in behaviors they previously
considered immoral.Those who engage in
premarital sex often rationalize their
behaviors by saying it really wasn’t wrong.
A good example is the tendency among
some Christians to argue that the Bible
never really talks about premarital sex.
This line of reasoning says fornication
really just refers to adultery within a
marriage. (See Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians
6:13, 18; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians
4:3; the KJV uses the wordfornication,
while the NIV translates it assexual
immorality. See also the related root word

Guilt and shame often occur when

people realize they have sinned.

Figure 4.3

Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Teen Pregnancy

Rate per 1,000 women aged 15–19

Source:Alan Guttmacher Institute 2001.

Sweden

0 20 40 60 80 100

France

Canada

Great Britain

United States

Birth

Abortion

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