True Love Waits

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This article is for the Christian sexual abstinence group. For the Radiohead song, see True Love Waits (Radiohead song).

True Love Waits (TLW) is an international Christian group that promotes sexual abstinence outside of marriage for teenagers and college students. TLW was created in April, 1993, and is sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources. It is based on Christian views of human sexuality that require one to be faithful to one's husband or wife, even before marriage.

In addition, they promote sexual purity, which encompasses not only abstaining from intercourse before marriage, but also abstaining from sexual thoughts, sexual touching, pornography, and actions that are known to lead to sexual arousal.^[1]

1 Criticism
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Criticism

The program has also begun providing public school teachers in the United States with lessons about sexual abstinence. They teach that sexual abstinence before marriage is the best way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Many argue that this leaves students with an inadequate education about sex. Supporters of TLW point out that the program does not claim that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and STDs, simply that it is the only "foolproof" or absolutely sure method.

The program was specifically criticized in the 2004 documentary, The Education of Shelby Knox, which dealt with a high school student's efforts to bring comprehensive sex education curricula to her Lubbock, Texas high school. Knox, who led the efforts to change her school district's policy, had taken a vow of purity through the True Love Waits program.