Schmelke wrote:
"The answer is obvious: Jewish law. The same laws derided by missionaries enable Jews to practice the standards that evangelicals preach. The rabbinic fences (yichud, negiah, etc) enable Jews to follow Biblical law. The discipline of law, like abstaining from non-kosher food, enables them to just say no."

First of all, I think that you are right. Second, what kind of missionary derides those laws? A pretty sorry kind, I would say. I know that many missionaries do not, though you don't care a fig about that, I know, in fact, you would wish they did. It would make an anti-missionaries job much easier. Third, a Christian from the red states is not necessarily dedicated to his beliefs. It is often just a cultural thing that is easily overridden by convenience. A substantial number (not all) of those who like the Christian doctrine of "eternal security" take the position that they can sin to their heart's content, ask for and receive forgiveness and keep on the heavenly trail.

To me the answer is very personal. I did not engage in premarital sex and I also came to take a solemn promise to God to stop looking at pornography, and both were done because of my belief in Jesus and the New Testament. It sounds like DanFTL is saying that I missed out on a good time because of interpreting Paul too strictly.