While a little of the above here and there probably won’t hurt anybody beyond the individuals doing them, too much will. They’re not victimless activities if taken to excess, which they frequently are. So I guess there are those who figure it’s best not to even start. To whom I say “good luck with that”. 
Dude, get a grip.
Sex Vise
Let me pinch that for ya.
Death by Snoo-Snoo!
I just think it’s odd for anyone to take an absolute stance on anything, whether that’s not drinking, not eating meat or not wearing orange. I mean how does someone decide they NEVER drink? An occassional beer with friends? A glass of wine with dinner? What do they think will happen? One drink and they’ll go off on this downward spiral?
Certain things I can understand. Not smoking or shooting heroin because they are highly addictive. Not doing drugs because they are illegal. But you can have a few beers at a college keg party without turning into some reject from Animal House.
I’ve never done drugs
I dont’ gamble.
I do drink, but in moderation.
If asked the question “Have you engaged in pre-martital sex?” the honest answer would be “Yes”. But that was 10 years ago. Since then I’ve been engaged, married and divorced, with no sex outside of marriage. I must say that as far as I’m concerned now, I’d much rather “save myself” for my future wife. I find it more fulfilling and liberating. What you do is your descision, have some respect for mine.
I find it amusing when friends say “Man, you just need to get laid.” Yeah, that’ll solve all my problems. It is also funny when people assume I’m lying. Like I go to secret trysts or something. I enjoy sex, but I can do without it until I’m married. I’ll be all right.
Hmm… So in short, anyone who doesn’t agree with your sexual views and preferences is warped and unworthy of respect? Where oh where have I seen this attitude before…
Hardly. There are plenty of sexual behaviors that I have no interest in or find personally distasteful that are neither warped nor render the indulger unworthy of respect. For that matter, in this case it’s not so much that I think that absolute abstinence is warped; I just think that it’s being warped that leads to absolute abstinence.
I considered abstinence right for me for basically one reason…that I couldn’t personally afford for birth control to fail. I had certain things I wanted to do with my life that I couldn’t if I had a baby, I didn’t want to have to go through giving a baby up for adoption, and I knew I could never have an abortion. I wasn’t willing to risk any of that, and that was my bottom line.
This made me laugh. If you think abstaining is easy for everyone who does it, you are dead wrong.
Alcohol is a drug. A powerful one, at that.
If you can’t think of anything worthwhile in life other than drugs, alchohol, sex, or gambling, I pity you. (Not that there’s anything wrong with any of those four diversions, when pursued with prudence and moderation, but the implication that they are the be-all and end-all of life is just ridiculous.)
Just so I’m clear: Do you acknowledge any valid, non-pathological reason(s) an unmarried person might choose to abstain from sex (even if many or most people make that choice for invalid reasons)?
Quite true, however as phrased in the OP they’re distinct so I’m answering in the same vein.
Plenty of medicines are drugs too…the fact that I was about 30% by weight Demerol when they took my wisdom teeth out doesn’t make me a “drug user” 
Hence the moderation. It was the OP that seperated the 2. He could just as easily have said “Drugs, and smoking.”
Why distinguish between tobacco and other drugs? Why not just “drugs?”
Folks who have rampant (and not so rampant) alcoholism in their family sometimes abstain from any drinking for fear they’ll end up in the same boat as those who have made others’ lives miserable.
Are you waiting until marriage or until you meet someone with who you would consider marriage? IOW, I can understand not having one night stands to avoid potential drama or health concerns, however I don’t understand not having sex with someone you are in a serious relationship with, even if it doesn’t end up in marriage.
Ok, well if you have something more important to do than getting laid, I’m interested in hearing about it.
So it’ll seem longer.
Recovering alcoholics, for one. Also, there are some people who can’t drink for medical reasons. Or else they simply don’t want to.
Quite frankly, if you can’t imagine having fun without booze, then maybe you’re the one with the problem.
I dont think it’s easy; in fact in most cases I consider that to be the point. Guilt and suffering, like I said in my first post.
Does a lack of interest in sex qualify as pathological ? Or Sarahfeenah’s example, where she felt it was necessary. Not, you’ll note, moral or edifying or anything like that; her example is more a critique of unreliable birth control than a reason to admire abstinence.
Quite likely there are non-pathological reasons for abstaining, but if so they are very rare - if for no reason other than abstaining in the first place is rare.