No Sex, No Alcohol, and Take a class? No Takers.

Thursday October 23, 2008

According to an article by Helena Oliviero in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a contest open to engaged couples doesn't have any entries.

The prize is $10,000 cash, free flowers, free invitations, and more.

The catch? No premarital sex or say that premarital sex is not a good idea. Must attend premarital education. Agree to not serve alcohol at reception.

"Someone asked me, ‘Is anyone going to respond?’ ” said contest organizer Phillippia Faust, director of an abstinence education program for Rockdale, DeKalb and Newton counties. “In our society, it is going to be hard to find [a couple who has not had premarital sex]. … But the standard is the standard.”
Yet in a recent interview, Faust seemed inclined to relax the rules, saying couples engaging in sex can still qualify but they must acknowledge, “The right choice is probably not to have had done it.”

The contest is sponsored by Marriage Appreciation Training Uplifting Relationship Education (MATURE) which received a $2.27 million federal grant in 2006. That averages out to $455,510 annually for five years.

We do believe in premarital education and inventories. However, it is obvious to us that this contest with an emphasis on abstinence is not working and is teaching nothing. It seems like a waste of federal money to us. We're also not pleased with the mock weddings presented by this non-profit group. We hope their classes in conflict resolution and financial management skills are worth our tax dollars.

Full Article and More Contest Details:
Don't have sex, win a $10,000 wedding