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Tucker  Carlson

Why Are Christians Having Better Sex Than the Rest of Us?

And not a minute too soon. Americans, despite appearances, don't have enough sex. The country fares decently by international standards (the average Japanese mates just 37 times a year), but we're still nowhere near where we ought to be.

In his 1953 report, Alfred Kinsey found that younger married couples had sex about twice a week. By 1974, that average had risen to a little more than three times every seven days. Like many positive trends in America—larger disposable incomes, longer life expectancy—the trend line pointed up. Then it stalled. For reasons that are still not clear, married Americans failed to meet their potential. By the mid-1990s, the average couple was doing it less than twice a week.

So what happened in the ‘80s? Did the rise of the religious right drag the country back to a sexual dark age? Before you jump to easy conclusions, consider the data. The most comprehensive study of American sexual behavior ever undertaken (published by the University of Chicago and marketed under the notably non-arousing title The Social Organization of Sexuality) found that, in fact, “having a religious affiliation was associated with higher rates of orgasm for women.” The devout are actually having better sex than the rest of us.

So maybe it’s worth listening to the megachurch pastor. Ed Young says compulsory, scheduled sex will improve your marriage. Doesn't sound very romantic. But is it true? Try the following thought experiment:

Let’s say your marriage was falling apart. Alienated, angry, frustrated with couples therapy, you decide to divorce. But before you do, you agree to try one last thing: Every day for a month, you'll have sex. You don't particularly want to, but you will, and you'll be disciplined about it: half an hour minimum, naked, both striving for orgasm.

Let’s say you actually did that. Do you think by the end of the month you'd go through with the divorce? Maybe you would. Likely you wouldn't.

Ed Young is right. Sex is medicine. It’s worth doing, whether you feel like it or not.

Tucker Carlson is a senior political correspondent at MSNBC. Carlson joined the network in February 2005 from CNN, hosting The Situation with Tucker Carlson and Tucker.

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November 25, 2008 | 7:19am
Comments ()
JMLATX

Very true. When you're having great sex, who really cares if someone leaves their socks on the floor?!

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7:46 am, Nov 25, 2008
funkychicken

Sex is good? Wow, this groundbreaking! Once again Tucker and the Repubs are way ahead of the cultural-curve.

Yeah.

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8:54 am, Nov 25, 2008
jkh5804

As for Ed Young's sermon... yeah, so what. Lots of evangelical churches have offered the same advice for years. What made this newsworthy is that it was at a megachurch on Sunday morning, so more people heard it, and he brought a bed on stage to make his point... great showmanship.

The thing I don't get is the open animosity that the enlightened display toward evangelicals. As a liberal graduate student, they irritate me, too, but we "educated, affluent people" go to great lengths to stress tolerance for a religion whose members sometimes blow other people up. But it's open shooting on evangelicals because sometimes they engage in "meth-fueled sodomy with [their] boyfriend[s]."

Really, I get it. Americans hate hypocrisy. I think on some level some even admire the passion of the suicide bomber and wish they had something that they believed in that strongly. But, seriously, to use an illustration my grandmother used, with all of the finger pointing at the hypocrisy of the evangelicals, those pointers have three fingers pointing right back at themselves.

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9:52 am, Nov 25, 2008
cajola

This is news worthy, why???
Does anybody really give a toss about this....is there nothing more important to discuss....I think Tucker must be desperate if this is the best he can find to talk about!!!

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9:55 am, Nov 25, 2008
pencilbox

..."having a religious affiliation was associated with higher rates of orgasm for women."

-because the study counted every time someone said, "Oh god, Oh god!"

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10:00 am, Nov 25, 2008
tcupit

Sex is only good though if you're married and straight...otherwise it's really bad...or so would say Ed Young...and therein lies the problem. All I can say is I hope these evangelicals are using condoms and not reproducing.

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10:03 am, Nov 25, 2008
pencilbox

jkh5804- It might more worthwhile to be concerned about the open animosity of *evangelicals* to "the enlightened".

I agree that finger-pointing is a waste of time. Still, if someone is trying to ban the teaching of evolution in your child's school, or keep your gay sister from marrying, or basing a political ideology on the fact that you're not a "real American", something needs to be said. Loudly.

More sex is a great idea for everyone, not just for married couples (I doubt many singles will "just eat chocolate cake", as the pastor suggests).

Make love, not baseless assumptions that reference a an arbitrary moral code!

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10:11 am, Nov 25, 2008
JeepRover

This is something I can totally get behind. Now, just to convince my wife.

@jkh5804: I don't think its the educated religious right that the liberals have a problem with. I myself went to a very fundamental Christian school and to this day have to defend comments I make like, "I don't care if the GLBTs want to marry." I'm immediately flooded with messages stating I need to talk to Jesus and that I need to confess my sins. That is what irritates me. I know many who are tolerant and observant of their Christian faith, and we get along fine. It's the ones that are intolerant that I have to restrain myself.

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10:16 am, Nov 25, 2008
mikey05

I would like to see the methodology for the University of Chicago study. Every time I hear about Christians having supposedly better sex I think of the Alexandra Pelosi documentary about the religious right, where Ted Haggard asks two of his male followers "How often do you have sex?" and they both quickly answer "Every day! And our wives orgasm every time!"

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10:19 am, Nov 25, 2008
zazzer

'Striving for orgasm.' Never thought Tucker Carlson would write those words.

And is heterosexual sodomy permitted? If not, they ain't winning the best sex contest.

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10:30 am, Nov 25, 2008
muddog

As usual Tucker "White Lie's" his way......

Christians have better sex, NOT!!!. They may have more unprotected sex, I.E. higher birth rate but that does not mean they enjoy it.
I live in RURAL Oregon and I read the NYT's, so save the usual LA / NY are the only people reading it BS.
Having some creepy Evageleical tell his "Flock" to have more sex is beyound SICK, can you imagine sitting in the pew's next to some "Conservative" as the preacher talks about sex!!?? LOL!!!!
Sorry Tucker, you will need more than this to make the Evangelicals more, um should we say, Hip / Human / Real / Warm blooded.

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10:36 am, Nov 25, 2008
discussed

Is this really new? Hasn't the church been promoting sex since the dawn of christianity as a means of growing the size of congregations? Obviously we're not talking about "protected" sex, because evangelicals are huge fans of teaching abstinence-only sex ed, so the more babies they can indoctrinate, the more money will eventually fill their collection plates. It worked for the roman catholic church, why not evangelicals?

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10:38 am, Nov 25, 2008
lizziellen

What happened in the 80s? Women went to work and maybe had less time to be ready, willing, and able for when their husbands came home from the office, especially if they had to start a second shift. Also, long distance relationships got easier and more accepted as the nuclear family became less pervasive. Forcing time for sex might treat the symptom, not the cause...post hoc ergo propter hoc.

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10:46 am, Nov 25, 2008
erikaf

Evangelical circles have been preaching the "more sex" theme for years and what no-one seems to mention is that is all about creating more little evangelicals in a hurry (under the guise of sex is good for marriage) to see if they can out sex the browning of the US. I am completely convinced that this is the underlying motivation.

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10:52 am, Nov 25, 2008

This user is no longer registered.

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11:11 am, Nov 25, 2008
aninigma

It seems no one is even giving this a chance to be true. Let me tell you why I think my husband and I have better sex than most: we were both virgins until we got married, which means we carried no sexual baggage from previous relationships and we gave each other the most intimate gift possible.. "Bad sex" is just something your last boyfriend liked that your new boyfriend does not. Also, we "make love". Our goal is to please the other person with each sexual encounter. Per I Corinthians 7:4, my body is his for the taking, but per Ephesians 5:25 it is his to take care of.
It is because of the reactions of people here that I shy away from using the label "Christian". Not all of us are just interested in numbers or in judging other people, just as not all Muslims are interested in dominating the world and stoning women who wear pants.

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11:15 am, Nov 25, 2008
aharding

Don't you mean Christians have better SECTS than the rest of us? ;-)

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11:20 am, Nov 25, 2008
satyricaldude

I wouldn't mind that once-a-day experiment with Tucker.

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11:34 am, Nov 25, 2008
squishyechinos

Honestly, I'm very happy that they're having a lot of sex. I think a lot of people would be happier if they could follow suit. I know I would be loads happier if I my boyfriend didn't live 4000 miles away. But you know what ticked me off? Young's advice to singles -- "I guess they could eat chocolate cake". Sure, dude -- and start popping pimples and double the size of my stomach, and thereby lessen the likelihood of ever having sanctified sex, much less fun, unsanctified sex. I'm sorry, I have better things to do with my life than get married and knocked up at 24, and behaving like a depressed person is not going to make it any better.

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11:56 am, Nov 25, 2008
bitter-bierce

Married Christians aren't having enough sex? I'll be damned...

PS - Tucker, if you feel the need to write crap like this, I think there's a vacancy on the Thomas Road Baptist Church newsletter (read Falwell)

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12:03 pm, Nov 25, 2008
statusquomustgo

I really don't give a crap about Christian sex

Tucker you really have DISINTIGRATED into the low of the low

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12:37 pm, Nov 25, 2008
sjnrrslt

Another piece of tried and true wisdom is, "Don't knock it until you've tried it." Too many of you uptight posters have obviously not tried it.

As one who enjoys this wonderful activity far more often than the twice a week average listed in the statistics, I'm converted and thoroughly happy. I'd invite you to follow suit, but it seems that many of you are too busy complaining and making excuses to take the time to enjoy one of the nicest gifts available to humanity (whether you believe it's God-given or not). Try it - you'll like it.

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12:51 pm, Nov 25, 2008
Andeeroo

What a fascinating group of horny thinkers gathered here.

Muddog - I live in a metro area and read the New Yorker. As I attend church and love my wife, I must be one of the "creepy" people you refer to in your comment. BTW - "Eva geleical" was an Italian model last time I checked. Keep on sharing your hip/human/real/warm-blooded pragmatism to the world!

Discussed - I am going to our local indie-house to watch "Religulous" with my son when he's home on Thanksgiving break. Along with our discussion of Bill Maher's worldview of religion, I will share your enlightening comments on church endoctrination of babies - a true surprise to me. This should help my son get a greater understanding of the whole concept of liberal intellectualism and tolerance.

Erikaf - Fo-rizzle? Sex by people who practice a religous faith to stop the "browning" out of America? The new immigrants you refer to come to the U.S. merely join those of us who practice faith with their sincere commitment to Catholic, Muslim, Protestant, Hindu and Buddist worldviews. Knock off the conspiracy sex stuff and leave a little room for others from differing perspectives than yours.

Ktartiste - Bravo from a wingnut. Sex is a wonderful part of a complete relationship with the one you love. Your comment is on the money, even if your presentation is biased towards people of faith.

Squishyechinos - making your own decisions in life is one of the greatest gifts we are given - chocolate cake or sex is one of the most sublime.!

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12:53 pm, Nov 25, 2008
barky2

we can see how the unprotected sex worked so well with the palin children

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1:05 pm, Nov 25, 2008
prostock69

For anyone to presume that God is telling them to have more sex is preposterous and they should be immediately checked into a mental hospital. It is a well known fact that Christians have the biggest hang-ups regarding sex. There are so many dos and don'ts that are placed upon them by religions and this is a perfect example of why. And now it seems Christians now need their preachers to tell them they aren't F*cking enough! The problem with Christians is not that they don't have enough sex, is that they don't question their beliefs and are incable of thinking for themselves. And in case you are wondering, I am a former Christian.

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1:22 pm, Nov 25, 2008
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Why Are Christians Having Better Sex Than the Rest of Us?

by Tucker Carlson

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