The BBC published the following:
‘Virginity is a myth we’ve given too much power’
26 July 2026
When the poet Hollie McNish lost her virginity at the age of 19, she stared at her face in the mirror for half an hour, expecting some sort of transformation.
She wondered how to stand like a non-virgin so her family would not guess, and worried her parents were looking at her weirdly across the dinner table, while they all ate mashed potato.
The word virgin might only have six letters, but not many other words carry as much power, she says. …
The question “have you lost your virginity yet?” was a recurring one with friends throughout her teens.
“Virgin is my least favourite word in the English language,” she tells an audience of hundreds at Latitude Festival, in Suffolk.“Life is full of first times but nothing else is sold as being powerful enough to change our entire state of being – from virgin to non-virgin.” …
McNish says virginity is a man-made myth created by those in power, in times that “also spoke positively of slavery and stoning”.
It has been used across cultures to control, shame, praise, and define people, especially women, she adds. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jl8jv22gjo
No, virginity is not a myth.
No, it was not created by those in power to control or shame.
When one loses ones virginity, one can end up with a baby.
Also, those who fornicate are subject to getting sexual transmitted infections.
Ignoring those facts ignores reality.
The Apostle Paul warned:
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: … 13 … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1,13).
The above applies to many, in and out of the media.
The Bible further warns:
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)
The BBC and Hollie McNish are prudent in their own eyes, yet are promoting evil.
Another reality that the article left out is that once a man has engaged in fornication (and other forms of sexual immorality), it is much more difficult for him to keep from wanting to continue in it. Once a woman has engaged in fornication, she knows she is no longer a virgin and it is more difficult to turn down fornicating pressures.
Faithful couples who married as virgins never have to worry about sexually transmissable diseases or passing them on to their children. Those who have physically committed adultery, including fornication, do.
Statistically, one of the best things a woman can do to prevent divorce is to be a virgin when she is married.
This is not simply “old fashioned” or biblical morality, it is supported by studies in the 21st century.
Consider the following related to a multi-year study from University of Utah professor Nicholas Wolfinger:
Though divorce rates have risen pretty much across the board in the last three decades, the group with the lowest divorce rates was those who had zero sexual partners before tying the knot. It’s also the group that’s shrinking most rapidly. In the 1970s, 21 percent of women were virgins before marriage. In the 2010s, that number fell to 5 percent. (Study: ‘Virgin Marriages’ Less Likely to End in Divorce. Relevant Magazine, June 7, 2016)
So, we see that divorce rates rise when virginity are drops (male virginity rates are similar to female ones). Yet, we still see that virgin brides have the lowest divorce rates. There are likely many reasons for this, including the attitude a man has toward a virgin bride vs. one he knows was involved with one or more others. One report stated that men had more trust in their wives if they were virgins when married. Men and women who have only had sex with their spouse also report happier marriages than those with additional sexual partners (Wolfinger NH. Does Sexual History Affect Marital Happiness? Institute for Family Studies, October 22, 2018).
Yes, saving oneself for marriage increases the probability that the marriage will be happier and not end in divorce. Avoid fornication.
The Apostle Paul was inspired to write:
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
The above is not a myth.
Consider also, what has been called the world’s longest-term study related to happiness suggests that caring for others and staying married is better than the emptiness associated with self-focus careerism:
‘The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness’
“We may be capable of extraordinary feats of intellect and creativity … but when it comes to making decisions about our lives, we humans are often bad at knowing what is good for us.” This observation from The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness may seem obvious to most readers—too many short-term indulgences often lead to long-term misery—but there are less obvious reasons that Americans today are confused about how to achieve a certain level of personal satisfaction and well-being. There are cultural and political messages pushing them into what are often less fulfilling and more destructive directions. …
There is much conventional wisdom in The Good Life. … Making money and landing your dream job are not predictors of happiness, the authors write, but the relationships you have are. …
There seems to be little curiosity about the difference in outcomes for people who grew up in homes with single parents compared with those who had fathers in the home. They don’t seem to make much distinction between marriage and cohabitation either in terms of the long-term happiness and security of the spouses. “The essential point is that close, nurturing units of people that have a formative effect on our lives can come from a variety of places, include a variety of people, and be called any number of things. What matters is not just who we consider to be family, but what our closest relationships mean to us over the course of our lives.”
This is no doubt true on some level, but the research on the impact of marriage, not just “nurturing units of people,” is quite clear, and it would be surprising if the study did not show some correlation between two-parent households and children’s happiness and success or the difference in happiness between people in cohabiting relationships versus marriages. February 5, 2023 https://freebeacon.com/culture/study-shows-youre-nobody-until-somebody-loves-you/
Yes, many of societies’ “experts” have it all wrong about life and happiness. And while not everything that the authors of The Good Life have concluded is accurate, at least they have called out some of the myths of modern Western societies.
Notice the following instruction from God to young men:
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.
10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,
And put away evil from your flesh,
For childhood and youth are vanity. (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10)
Girls and boys and men and women should strive to live God’s way:
1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”: (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
Besides acknowledging that God exists, remembering Him also means being thankful to Him for your existence, for your parents, for His plan, and for the material things you enjoy.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her. (Proverbs 3:13-18)
Yes, wisdom can bring happiness to all: males and females.
Striving for virginity until marriage is wise.
That is not a myth.
If people everywhere obeyed God’s laws, there would be no war, no unhappy families, no divorce, sexually-transmitted infections, crime, violence or stealing. People would be honest and concerned for one another’s welfare and property.
Consider also that the Apostle Paul wrote, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12).
God’s ways are best for us. It is wrong to suggest they are a myth.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage This booklet is a practical dating guide for Christians. It discusses many aspects of dating, as well as who to not consider for marriage. Two related sermons are available: The Art of Christian Dating. and No One to Date? Teen Q&A? Engagement? 2nd Marriage? A short animation is also available: First Date: Worldly vs. Christian.
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
God Created Marriage Some falsely claim that God did not create marriage and that fornication is fine. What does the Bible really teach? Here is a version in Mandarin Chinese y^R ZZYû.
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not always easy, but it pictures a divine relationship. How can you make your marriage work? Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.
Here’s the Plain Truth About OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY by Herbert Armstrong. Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Es la poligamia una senda de Dios?
Husbands Love Your Wives An article written by the late Selmer Hegvold.
Five Rules for Effective Parenting Do you know that there are five simple rules that can make you a more effective parent? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese N”ga{€SUg eHv„[PYsQ{€²‰ÄR. There is also a 12 1/2 minute English language YouTube video on this, also titled Five Rules for Effective Parenting.
Biblical Keys to Happiness This is an article for those interested in biblical teachings about being happy. A related sermon is available and is titled: 14 Biblical Keys to Happiness.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.