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by Mike Plewniak
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal talks about how college students view sex. The author did a survey of 2500 college students and found some interesting results. She writes this:
“Interestingly, most of the study respondents do identify with religious traditions that have rules about sexuality. But, with the exception of evangelicals, American college students see almost no connection between their religious beliefs and their sexual behavior. This radical separation of religion and sex tells us important things not only about the power of the college hookup culture but also about the weakness of religious traditions in the face of it. Perhaps the various church leaders would be interested to know that their young people are longing for the kinds of guidelines and rituals for dating that religion can offer. It might make them more willing to actually explain church teachings on sex and engage the students in honest discussions about how to foster healthy, fulfilling romantic relationships.”
It’s amazing to see the vast difference between what college students desire (loving, meaningful, devoted relationships) and what they experience (selfish, undevoted, hook-up relationships). What’s amazing is they want more meaningful relationships, yet “only 7% said that they felt that their friends wanted to reserve sex for committed, loving relationships”. I think the answer lies in the doctrine of sin that lives inside of our hearts. I also think there is something inside most of the students in this article that says there is something more joyful and meaningful out there (even though they have no idea how to get to it). The only way to get there is through the gospel of Jesus Christ — which saves us from our sins and frees us to live joyful lives in obedience to God’s word.
As you read the article, you see how relationships effected by the gospel are appealing to the students (even after reading Josh’s book “I Kissed Dating Goodbye) yet they do not see the connection to the gospel. Hopefully, as you men live out godly lives and demonstrate true love and true friendship, it will give you an opportunity on the campus to make the connection for them — it’s the gospel that sets us free!
