“In fact, if you weren’t married by age 23, we wondered what was wrong with you,” he said.
Mr. Gungor’s position is that “the real disaster” is young people thinking they are supposed to have sex with a lot of partners, accumulate a bunch of baggage from failed relationships and avoid marriage until “later” - or until “the one” shows up.
“We’ve heard this mantra over and over again … if you do it young, it’s a disaster, it’s a disaster. But I think it’s baloney,” he told me.
Perhaps family support is a part of the reason for Mr. Gungor’s successful marriage.
“When you talk about premarital pregnancy, and marrying at age 17, the risks are really high,” Mr. Doherty told me. “This means they need a lot more support from friends and family, and from their church, if they’re religious.”
And premarital counseling? “Crucial,” Mr. Doherty said. “Absolutely crucial.”
• Cheryl Wetzstein’s On the Family column runs Tuesdays and Sundays. She can be reached at cwetzstein@washingtontimes.com.
Cheryl Wetzstein covers family and social issues as a national reporter for The Washington Times. She has been a reporter for three decades, working in New York City and Washington, D.C. Since joining The Washington Times in 1985, she has been a features writer, environmental and consumer affairs reporter, and assistant business editor. Beginning in 1994, Mrs. Wetzstein worked exclusively ...
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