Secularization and the Influence of Religion on Beliefs about Premarital Sex

Over the past two or three decades there has been a substantial decline in support for traditional beliefs about premarital sex. From theories about religious privatization and religious plausibility structures it was predicted the decline was slower among conservative Protestants who attended church often than among any other group of Christians. The prediction was tested using data from the 1972–93 Cumulative Social Surveys. The findings indicate that among conservative Protestants who attended church often there was no decline in support for traditional beliefs about premarital sex between 1972 and 1993. On the other hand, support for such beliefs declined significantly among mainline Protestants and Catholics at all levels of church attendance and among conservatives who were infrequent attenders. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.