Virgin Territory

During the SEC Media Day last summer, Tim Tebow was fielding questions from journalists when he said something that shocked the press. In between tackling questions about future aspirations, strategy, training, and using his platform to share his faith, Tebow was asked, “Are you saving yourself for marriage?”

Without missing a beat, Tebow answered, “Yes, I am.”

Silence. No follow up question.

Writing for the Washington Post, Sports Columnist Sally Jenkins said, “The room fell into a hush, followed by tittering: The best college football player in the country had just announced he was a virgin. As Tebow gauged the reaction from the reporters in the room, he burst out laughing. They were a lot more embarrassed than he was.”

Accompanied by his infectious smile, Tebow broke the ice, saying, “I think y’all are stunned right now! You can’t even ask a question!” Jenkins reflected on the awkward moment: “That’s how far we’ve come from any kind of sane viewpoint about star athletes and sex. Promiscuity is so the norm that if a stud isn’t shagging everything in sight, we feel faintly ashamed for him.”

She’s right. Where was the spontaneous applause?

Set aside the fact that Tebow’s audience was filled with journalists whose role it is to maintain a degree of objectivity. I’ve got to believe some of those present were parents with children. I’d think from the parental perspective they’d be thrilled to learn about Tim Tebow’s commitment to sexual restraint. Talk about a positive role model for their sons!

Tim Tebow should be commended for taking a stand for virginity. Especially in light of a new American Medical Association study this month appearing in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Robert Rector, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, noted that this study demonstrated “abstinence education is highly effective in reducing sexual activity among youth” and “showed ‘safe sex’ and ‘comprehensive’ sex ed programs to be ineffective.”

Sally Jenkins connects the dots between Tebow’s personal commitment to chastity and the prevention of abortion. She writes, “You know what we really need more of? Famous guys who aren’t embarrassed to practice sexual restraint, and to say it loud. If we had more of those, women might have fewer abortions.”

I couldn’t agree more.