Purity Balls? Ever heard of this before?

Question

Watch this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC2VqOXZd84&eurl=http://feministing.com/

Girls pledge their abstinence to their Father until marriage?

Feministing.com

Answer 1

While I find purity balls morally objectionable, I'm torn, because anything that makes fundamentalist Christians hold off on breeding seems like a good idea to me.

Answer 2

Well - on the one hand it is creepy, like Baba Yaga said. What about the girls who do give it up - should their dad not protect them? (I'm just playing the devil's advocate here - I'm sure you understand). I'm all for talking to your kids about sex... but "pledging" virginity... I'm not sure... it's such a personal thing. It also sounds like something that belongs in Afghanistan or Iran... it's so funny how religions can be different yet manage to control people in the same way (or at least certain ppl's interpretation of the religions). Kids abstaining - good thing, less pregnancies, less chance for VD. Pledging "it" to your dad - really weird - my opinion. Are the boys pledging it to their dads too? Or to their moms?... Or to no one?... These are some of my questions.

I guess as long as it works for them - who am I to judge?...

Answer 3

I find this idea sort of intriguing. Discussing my sexuality with my Dad has to be on my short list of "conversations I don't want to have". I will say that a healthy relationship with Dad is at the heart of a healthy self-respect for many girls, and this certainly leads to less promiscuity from low self-worth.

I admire any young person who takes a moral stance on something. However, at this age, ideas of right and wrong can change by the week. She shouldn't feel humiliated if she later decides to become sexually active before marriage, or worry that her father will love her any less. Perhaps parents can express their hope that the daughters wait for marriage in a more private setting.

Answer 4

Yes, I have seen this and think its sick.
Why don't they do this for boys???
These poor young women are denying every personal power that they posses as independent modern girls and letting this silly pledge be that is being pushed upon them by their church and parents decide their own views of their own sexualities before they have even had the chance to decide for themselves. It seems like such an archaic practice and reminds me of the goofy ceremonies that took place just around the Christian/pre-Christian era over 2000 years ago. Men did this type of thing to claim women as their property.

Answer 5

I saw one woman and her father on GMA- The young woman HAD NOT even kissed her future husband until the wedding. The whole thing is a tad extreme in my book.

She had several sisters and they were expected to follow her lead. One of the younger ones was skeptical - did they give her the dirty looks.

Answer 6

That video is of a local TV station in Philadelphia. I can't see where that would fly too well in that city, I think they are a little more open minded.

Answer 7

Yes, I've heard of them. I think it's baloney. It's a cute idea, but there's no proof that they work, and the idea of a young girl pledging her virginity to her father is just creepy.

Answer 8

Ok; I watched about 20 seconds of this crap and that was enough. This is ridiculous. It's complete nonsense. It's sooooo insulting and patronising. How HUMILIATING. How DEGRADING. I can think of many other adjectives to use but I think I will leave it alone now...

Answer 9

Yes it is a crazy concept. I read an article about it Glamour. I think the article is archived on their website (www.glamour.com).

Answer 10

it is creepy and it's a step back to our past - where fathers and husbands were in control of our bodies and our lives.

i have nothing against abstinence, but why can't it be a pledge to one's god, one's self or to both parents?