I think sometimes the pressure to get married early is an attempt to make it easier to keep vows of chastity--obviously, the longer you wait, the greater the chance of a transgression, right?  But there really isn't any honor in not sinning because you weren't exposed to the temptation--I would think that Christians would value abstaining even more in the context of a long, compassionate courtship that may test you at times, but which has the end goal of a happy union created at the right time.

I don't see a need for abstinence from premarital sex--unfortunately, many Christians seem to take the idea that an unmarried union cannot be fully committed.  I think this may relate to the fact that they believe the ceremony itself instills the couple with a special "grace" or "blessing" that no unmarried couple can get from God.  I highly disagree with that, but then again, I don't consider myself a Christian anymore.  I think if you really think something fundamentally changes about your relationship when you have a Church ceremony, then you'll be pro-abstinence.  If you don't, you won't see the difference.  But it's extremely dangerous to think that the ceremony can fix or increase a commitment that's broken or lacking before marriage.  Please think about the message THAT sends to your children.  Please think about the potential heartache when they find out it's not true.

How wasteful.  How absolutely wasteful that we spend all this time telling people that a ceremony makes the difference, instead of worrying about whether they can have a 100% committed, sexual, healthy relationship, without anyone else's sanction or permission.  For those of you who say that sex is major, and physiological, and emotional--I say, all the more reason to have it before marriage.  The way these individuals handle issues of commitment, sexual generosity, and physiological stews say SO MUCH about the kind of people they are, the kind of care and compassion they can have for one another.  Your sexuality is too big a part of your identity to not fully understand about one another (BEFORE you decide on forever and always).  

Sex: Don't get engaged without it.