I'm not sure how I feel about this. I know firsthand the challenges and joys of marrying early. I look around at later marriages and don't feel they are any stronger or happier than mine...just different. On the one hand, I do think there are things you learn about yourself in your early 20s that will make you a better husband or wife. On the other hand, sometimes the emphasis on 'waiting' bothers me because I don't think early marriage is any kind of failure or recipe for disaster, and I also believe there is such a thing as waiting too long, or waiting for something unrealistic.

So, I guess I'm torn. :) But I do agree with you that there is far too much emphasis on the sex-before-marriage issue. To me, that's entirely separate from the marriage issue (though I do understand why they are so interconnected).