Nothing made this "Christian confusion" clearer to me than the reaction of Republican Party faithfuls (read evangelicals) to the news that the daughter of the GOP's Vice Presidential nominee is pregnant.  (And according to this research, it does seem to be mostly a Christian thing -- Jewish teenagers surveyed are less likely than mainline Protestants, white evangelicals, and Mormons to say they believe in saving themselves for marriage.  They're also more likely to cite pleasure as a reason to do the deed.)  Says one Republican delegate from Louisiana, "Like so many other American families who are in the same situation, I think it's great that she instilled in her daughter the values to have the child and not to sneak off someplace and have an abortion."

So let me get this straight: you can have sex before marriage, have a baby before you finish high school, marry a guy who uses foul language, and still be in the club?  That's three of my grandmother's cardinal rules in one shot!  This makes my excommunication for studying evolutionary biology in college seem premature and unjust.

The light bulb is beginning to come on for more young people of faith across the country who are speaking up about their desire for more information on the birds and the bees.  I had the privilege of spending part of my afternoon yesterday with a group students at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee who are continuing the School of Social Work's 15-year long tradition of traveling to Washington to lobby on an issue they are passionate about.  These self-professed conservative, Christian students from the "buckle of the Bible belt" were in town to convince their Senators and Representatives in Congress that they should support the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, a bill that would create a funding stream for teen pregnancy prevention programs that teach about abstinence and provide information about contraception (a.k.a. comprehensive sex ed).

According to these bright young men and women, issues about sex, pregnancy, and marriage - which they admit can be very tricky - are often automatically grouped with tough issues like abortion.  While they may be connected in some ways, the students acknowledged that giving young people more information could help them avoid some of the negative consequences that their classmates and friends go through, and even reduce the need for abortion.  This same sentiment came through loud and clear in three focus groups with youth workers the National Campaign conducted earlier this year with our friends at the Urban Youth Workers Institute, the Miranda Center, and Urban Strategies.

My colleague and I couldn't help but ask the obvious question, since we aren't so used to hearing this message from people of this persuasion:  "So, how did Y'ALL end up doing THIS?"  Herman, a senior pre-med student who had obviously done his homework, told us something like this:  "Young people are having sex.  And even though it's not necessarily the decision that I would make, it's reality.  We have a responsibility to help make their lives better."

Amen, Herman.