Sex before marriage

First, to answer my opponent's question, when I talk about responsible sex, I am referring to standard safe sex practices. I would have thought that this was obvious, but since there is no room for assumptions, I don't mind explaining. Simple things can be the difference between acting responsibly, and throwing caution to the wind. Just some of these things include: Condoms (male and female), birth control pills(shots and others), diaphragms, spermacides, etc. I'm not sure what my opponent is talking about, when he differentiates between individuals and groups, and his opinion on whether pre marital sex is a wise decision, is fortunately moot. My first arguments for the benefits of sex are purely physical. Sex releases dopamine and serotonin, which are two of the chemicals produced by the brain, which stimulate pleasure. These same substances are released after eating, and are automatic functions which tell humans that a specific activity is positive. In other words, they are the natural reward for people to continue their survival. Marriage, on the other hand, is simply a ceremonious coupling of two people. It is not required for any reason, and if people choose to have sexual intercourse to satisfy a natural urge, there is no reason why they should not have that right. Furthermore, sex is a great calorie burner, stress reliever, and helps boost the immune system. Also, sex improves cardio vascular health, and decreases the chance of prostate cancer in men. Why on earth should unmarried people not get the same benefits from sex, as married ones? Of course, there cannot possibly be a logical answer to that. . http://www.webmd.com... . http://www.beatcfsandfms.org... Emotionally, sex can be very beneficial to people. It improves self esteem, and as my opponent already pointed out, also increases the intimacy of a relationship, married or otherwise. Of course there are two main factors when sex can bring about negatives. They are STD's and unwanted pregnancy, and as I already explained, these factors can be almost completely mitigated through responsible sexual practices. . http://en.wikipedia.org... Now, on to my opponent's arguments. I would like to make it clear that 5 of my opponent's sources are citing the same survey at BYU of 2000 people regarding, "happiness. " This is completely subjective, and carries no weight as far as being a reliable "study. " I quote my opponent's first source: "Most research on the topic is focused on individuals' experiences and not the timing within a relationship. " Basically, this says that results vary, and cannot be conclusive in relationship to marriage. Also, my opponent states, "Regardless of religiosity, waiting helps the relationships form better communication processes, and these help improve long-term stability and relationship satisfaction. " Marriage is in no way implied by this statement, and I even might agree with this sentiment. However, it does nothing to strengthen my opponent's argument regarding sex and marriage. It simply means that waiting awhile to have sex could help the relationship. . http://www.medicinenet.com... . http://www.telegraph.co.uk... Etc. The most confusing part of my opponent's first round was this: ::Love:: 1. If X loves Y, then X would want the best for Y. 2. X has a (very) high sex drive: . http://www.netdoctor.co.uk...... 3. It's no secret that a big factor for cheating and divorce for other X's is sex: . http://www.askmen.com...... 4. X despite number 2 and 3 decides to only have sex with his wife, in this case Y. 5. Y got what most X's wouldn't dear to do. This strange love equation has nothing to do with pre marital sex, and certainly falls into the category of "peculiar cases", which were strictly prohibited by my opponent's very own rules. This is not conduct becoming of formal debate, and has no place in this one. Finally, my opponent makes another stretch, which as far as I can tell, also has nothing to do with the resolution at hand. It is as follows… ::Tires:: There is this saying: "Everybody kicks the tires before they buy a car" Now, as a parent do you want your girl to be one of those tires, someone who is left when a prettier girl comes around ? I believe no. Why ? Because sex is very personal and no matter how you look at it, treating a woman like an object (despite what the media conveys) is disrespectful. So, is this debate only directed at men? What about women who enjoy sex just as much as men? Also, what does my daughter have to do with pre marital sex. Non sequitor, and again, a completely invalid argument for the resolution. It would better fit in a debate on age of consent. I think it is fairly clear that pre marital sex is completely alright, as long as those partaking act responsibly. If they do not, they must deal with the consequences, but in no way does that give anyone the right to tell people how to live their personal life. There is plenty more to argue for, but I still have two rounds, and I feel that my opponent should have an opportunity to respond to this round before I continue. Thanks to all for your time, and I hope it has been entertaining thus far. With that, I will pass. ..