Doubting the effectiveness of abstinence-only education, many states are rejecting the program that the Bush administration claims slows teen sexual activity. Not only is participation down 40 percent over two years, recent studies show that abstinence-only program participants have as many sexual partners as nonparticipants.

Wouldn’t a critical-thinking Congress see dwindling participation, lack of empirical evidence of any type of success, and studies demonstrating an actual lack of effectiveness as signals to not only reduce abstinence-only funding, but to abolish the entire program in favor of more comprehensive sex education? Or is Congress too focused on appearing to obey alleged Biblical teachings that it can’t wrap its collective minds around reality?