Dear Pastor,

I believe that young people can abstain from sex. I am 20 years old and I am also a student. For the last five months, I have not been having sex. This is not my first time abstaining from sex. The longest time I have abstained from sexual intercourse is almost eight months.

I just want to say to other young people that they do not have to be addicted to sex. As long as you keep yourself occupied, you won't have a continual need for having sex. The reason for this is, you have other important things to think about. I can truly say, maybe if I was not studying, I would have more urge to have sex but because I have a lot of course work to do, by the time I reach home, I cannot think of sex. I just have to get straight to my school work. Even if you are not going to school, you can do other things to occupy your time and mind.

The benefit that one like me will get from abstaining from sex is spiritual upliftment, especially if you are unmarried. Abstaining from sex has caused me to concentrate more on my school work and most importantly, the Lord.

Abstinence is not a hard thing for an individual to do.

J.R.

Dear J.R.,

I wish you well. I hope that you are not just bragging. You give the impression that if you were not studying you would have occupied your time in having sex. So I hope that after you have graduated, you will continue to abstain from sex until you are married.