The double standard of many Americans?

[Homie]

My impression is that Americans are generally more religious than Europeans, that is, a larger percentage of the population are christians and the ones that aren't don't seem to have a problem with christians (At least not as much as in Europe). Also, Americans seem to be more conservative (which is a good thing IMO)

Now, the strange thing is that I also get the impression that premarital sex is not looked upon as a sin, even by many christians. People just seem to accept premarital sex even in relatively conservative families.

Now mind you that my sources on this is only TV (I live in Europe), but EVERY single show made about life in High School (and there are MANY shows) gives the impression that if you haven't lost your virginity by prom night you certainly will have lost it after prom night.

My question to you is this: Is my impression on this accurate or do every show depict a wrong image about this matter?

 

[seebs]

I've heard of lots of people who expect to get laid in high school, and many on prom night, but I would stay WELL back from any claim that it's a given; I don't believe it's even a social norm. Some people decide that they don't want to fool around; others fool around. I know lots of people who were virgins in college, and some who stayed virgins until they got married - although not many.

 

[Homie]

But what is the sentiment among most people (especially the ones from christian families), is it "ok" to get laid before marriage. What is your impression?

 

[JesusServant]

Please don't go by U.S. television. It's gotten out of control, although there is this stereo type surrounding proms. I strayed from God around my senior year of highschool, but for reasons unseen on any television show. Thank God he's pulled me back into his presence.

 

[Homie]

I will post my question again, as the answears seem to be straying from it.

What is the sentiment among most people (especially the ones from christian families), is it "ok" to get laid before marriage. What is your impression?

 

[GraftMeIn]

The thing is with television shows. It seems they are designed more and more to simply make the kids that are watching it, along with many adults accept what's wrong as being something normal, and ok. We realy need to hold fast to what Gods Word has to tell us about not following the crowd. We must remember that even if everyone in the world accepts something as good, or ok, that does not mean God does. And He is all that matters.

 

[LilAngelHeart]

Originally posted by Homie
I will post my question again, as the answears seem to be straying from it.

What is the sentiment among most people (especially the ones from christian families), is it "ok" to get laid before marriage. What is your impression?

Most Christians I know don't think it's okay to have sex before marriage, but it's so common now that no one is shocked to see it happen. It's not that people think it's okay, it's just that it happens and has lost it's shock value.

Also, like someone else said, DO NOT go by the sex obsessed garbage you see on TV!! Most people are not really like that. When ever the writers can't put out qauility shows, they just fill up the airways with empty, useless, sex obsessed garbage. They need to go back to the kind of quality programs I watched when I was a kid. Instead of trying to steadily pump out so many new shows, they need to concentrate on making the shows they *do have out into more qaulity programming instead of making every episode of ever sitcom about someone having sex, or trying to have sex. LOL! I like romance and relationships, but they overdo to the point of overkill. And that stuff isn't even romance anyway, no one ever has romances on TV anymore, it's like thier eyes meet, and boom they are in the bed, then up and move on to the next partner. I'm like please give us something with more qaulity!! That's why I would rather watch a documentary on the life stages of snail, than a dumb sex obsessed sitcom with one deminsional charaters and silly one-liners! LOL!


*~·´¯`·¸.~¤LïlÃñge£Heårt¤~*

 

[seebs]

Originally posted by Homie
I will post my question again, as the answears seem to be straying from it.

What is the sentiment among most people (especially the ones from christian families), is it "ok" to get laid before marriage. What is your impression?

Sorry, I thought your question was whether or not the TV depiction was an accurate portrayal of American culture.

As to that - there's a big thread on this in Spirituality, Religion, & Ethics. We're sort of looking for more feedback; the short answer is, I think the question is a very complicated one, because I'm not sure what you mean (or *should* mean) by the word "marriage".

 

[the_man]

Originally posted by Homie
My impression is that Americans are generally more religious than Europeans, that is, a larger percentage of the population are christians and the ones that aren't don't seem to have a problem with christians (At least not as much as in Europe). Also, Americans seem to be more conservative (which is a good thing IMO)

Now, the strange thing is that I also get the impression that premarital sex is not looked upon as a sin, even by many christians. People just seem to accept premarital sex even in relatively conservative families.

Now mind you that my sources on this is only TV (I live in Europe), but EVERY single show made about life in High School (and there are MANY shows) gives the impression that if you haven't lost your virginity by prom night you certainly will have lost it after prom night.

My question to you is this: Is my impression on this accurate or do every show depict a wrong image about this matter?

First of all, TV is a bad way to get your sources from.  TV doesn't accurately depict the culture, some parts of it maybe, but not the general culture.  Second, you seem to want a yes or no answer, that is not possible cos I can give you 270Million+ different answers by taking a survey. 

Your second post kinda broke down your question into two fold.  What is the sentiment among the general public, that is what do you find in our Highschools, colleges and on the club scenes about premarital sex?  The sentiment is that two (or more) consenting adults can do whatever they want to do (sexually) under the sun.  What is the sentiment among most Christian families about premarital sex?  The sentiment is that premarital sex is sinful and therefore not okay. 

 

[Homie]

thank you for giving me an answear. I can see how some might think my post was about TV, when that wasn't really the issue. It is just that TV was my only source.

The sentiment is that two (or more) consenting adults can do whatever they want to do (sexually) under the sun. What is the sentiment among most Christian families about premarital sex? The sentiment is that premarital sex is sinful and therefore not okay.

This was basically what I wanted to know.

The reason I asked is that I had gotten the impression (from TV) that even many christian parents thought it was ok. However, on these forums I felt that most christians did not find it ok. So I wanted to have it straightened out.

 

[Michael0701]

Homie,

Great question, and quite easy to answer. No, premarital sex is not "acceptable" to Americans with Christian values. Christian values are neither American, Norwegian, or any "culture" for that matter.  I believe Christian values are universal.

As for what you are seeing on American tv, well it's funny to try to look from the outside and imagine what others think of us as a society. The state of television today is very sad.  The rule of thumb seems to be if it's going to shock people, then people will watch.  And if people will watch it will make money. And there lies the bottom line.  Tv is not so much for entertaining or educating people anymore it's for lining the pockets of businessmen.

So pleeeeeeease, when watching american tv keep that in mind.