More Proof It’s a Good Idea to Update the Doctrine

I’ve always maintained that certain old books were written in the context of particular societal norms which may no longer be completely relevant 2011 years on. Guess that’s the problem if you believe in the infallibility of said book, unless you can “interpret” the bits you don’t like away.

Abstinence Only couples have pre-marital sex only 8% less than non-abstinence couples (80% to 88%). One reason? A while ago it would be common to be married by your 17th birthday anyway, so there was no need to wait into your late-20′s as is the average marrying age now. In other words: it was a lot more realistic. Also, due to the lack of contraception back then, it was a lot more important!

This is what I like about Buddhism, as Wikipedia states, Buddha taught: “Rejection of the infallibility of accepted scripture: Teachings should not be accepted unless they are borne out by our experience and are praised by the wise.” i.e. it’s OK to update to maintain relevance!