LUCKY SEVERSON: Now, the growing faith-based movement for teenage sexual abstinence. As parents, teachers, and politicians debate the role of abstinence in sex education, religious teenagers are making promises to themselves, their parents, and God to delay sexual intercourse until marriage. To date, the Southern Baptist group True Love Waits -- a leader in the movement -- boasts over one million pledges from youth. The movement is nationwide. We begin our story in Washington, D.C.

On the mall in Washington this past September, a gathering of thousands of kids, high schoolers -- not a party or a protest, but a promise to remain pure. These are young Evangelicals.

RICHARD ROSS (Founder, True Love Waits): God, through your generation, has won many battles. But the war is not over. Students, we gather today to call the nation to purity.

SEVERSON: This is Richard Ross, a middle-aged Southern Baptist preacher. In 1994, he founded a growing movement called True Love Waits for teenaged kids. His message -- no sexual intercourse until marriage.

ROSS: For teenagers to be bold, standing up for abstinence -- yes, that still goes against the grain.

SEVERSON: And, young people are listening.

Undentified Teen Girl: I've made a commitment to stay a virgin till I'm married.

SEVERSON: And in Philadelphia, another abstinence rally, another group. This one called Pure Love Alliance, sponsored by the Unification Church, founded by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon.

HUNG SU: My name is Hung Su. I'm from New Jersey. I'm 16, and I'm here to promote purity before marriage and fidelity within.

Undentified Male: I really believe that that's God's will. You know, just one. One love, one life, one man, one wife. That's it.

SEVERSON: They're rapping, they're dancing, they're marching. They're upbeat and determined -- one million and counting, across America. Kids swearing to abstain. And saying, it's cool.

JAGO GAVIN (Pure Love Alliance): We're up here trying to say that abstinence is not a boring lifestyle.

SEVERSON: At the Faith Temple Church in Omaha, a ring ceremony. Moms and dads fit a band on the ring finger of their sons and daughters -- a constant reminder that "true love waits."

TERRANCE ENNIS: You can hug her, give her a kiss, tell her goodbye, walk her to the door, give her another kiss, and go home.

SEVERSON: Karnetta Ennis is Terrance's mom, and a youth minister at Faith Temple.

KARNETTA ENNIS: He's a handsome young man, and he's very popular. The girls really love my son. But at the same time, I want to let him know that's okay. That's great. But abstinence, your education, God, all those things, should be first.

SEVERSON: Look what kids today are up against -- a culture that seems preoccupied with sex. Sex is everywhere.

ROSS: School leaders have been so awed by the problems related to sexuality that they have invited people to come in and speak from a "true love waits" perspective. Even though it is a Christian movement at heart.

SEVERSON: Since 1996, Congress has allocated 50 million dollars annually for community based abstinence programs. And an increasing number of public schools are now replacing comprehensive sex education -- which includes abstinence -- with courses that teach only abstinence.

Movement leaders keep the momentum going by keeping it light -- young and hip, even sexy. This is peer pressure of a different kind.

Unidentified Teen Girl: I think it's a lot easier to stay abstinent once I've joined this alliance.

GAVIN: [I] don't think of myself as a big geek or a nerd. And you know, I've had fun my whole high school [career].

SEVERSON: Jago lives in Chicago's South Side. He and his five brothers all belong to the Pure Love Alliance, and he leads workshops to spread the message.

GAVIN: I've taught in five different schools in the Chicago area. And their reflections show that, you know, all they needed was some positive reinforcement, that positive peer pressure.