If you are between 25 and 40 years old and from a conservative religious background, odds are excellent that you know the name “Josh Harris.” As a very young man, Harris wrote a best-selling book — “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” —in 1997 that helped propel the so-called “purity culture” in evangelical circles.

The core message of the book was that the best way to avoid pre-marital sex and the temptations thereof was to avoid dating for any reason or of anyone who is not a serious marriage prospect.
According to young Harris, as long as those adolescent hormones rage, the best thing to do is to avoid any situation that might give them occasion to run riot. It’s not unlike deciding to be silent because you fear if you speak, you will invariably curse, say something hateful or call somebody a dirty name. Continue reading “What About Josh Harris?”