If you support the idea that young teenagers should be encouraged to take a virginity pledge and get a purity ring as a symbol of their promise to themselves? If you support it, do you think it's equally as important for both sexes or just for the girls? I've heard of purity balls given for the girls when they get their rings but I've never heard of a boy getting a party. Do they have them, too, or am I just out of the loop on what's going on with this trend?
2007-11-29 03:27:09 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Gender Studies
Baba: I agree with you about it being creepy to have the girls do their pledging to their fathers at the balls. The idea of the ball is to make the pledge mean more because it's celebrated, but they should come up with another way the handle the pledge part.
In my opinion, we've gone about as far as we can with casual sex with very young teenagers and it's time for the pendulum to swing back. Anything that can help kids postpone sex a little longer is worth a try. Postponing until marriage is unrealistic but if the purity pledges get the kids to ages17-18 they'll have a better chance of not screwing up their lives.
2007-11-29 04:32:31 · update #1
I think it's a fair question. The trend follows centuries old ideas of keeping women chaste and leaving males out of the equation.
I think the problem is that keeping women out of sexual intercourse, traditionally until marriage, is beneficial from the standpoint of past and current societies. Women getting pregnant out of wedlock has always ended with the woman being shabbily treated. Men have traditionally got away with it by not being burdened by pregnancy.
It possibly is sexist and reflects our lop-sided views of gender in society, but as a simple measure to ensure young women's lives aren't ruined in such societies, it might be worth it.
2007-11-29 03:34:55 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 1⤋
I have not heard of purity balls for any gender. I do support the virginity pledge. Most people I know get a ring, I have known of a few guys who wear a purity ring or necklace. I think though it is just made more apparent in girls because they tend to wear more jewerly and are more open about being virgins than males are.
2007-11-29 03:32:01 · answer #2 · answered by Mel 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Yes, purity balls and purity rings are sexist, and just a little creepy (and they don't work). Nothing wrong with encouraging and practicing chastity, but the idea of girls pledging their virginity to their fathers until marriage is repulsive. (What if they don't marry young, or don't marry at all? Being a virgin at 40 is nothing to be proud of.) If boys pledged theirs to their mothers that would be just as bad. If both parents their children to respect themselves and their bodies as well as their peers, there would be no need for these bizarre "purity balls."
There is no such reciprocal celebration for boys. I guess Christians still think it's easier to condemn women for harlotry than train men to be responsible for their behavoir.
2007-11-29 04:08:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 0⤋
If they are only for young women, then yes they are. If some one wishes to do that its fine by me- to each his own.
I saw one segment on AM TV that showed a family where there were 4 daughters and one son. The purity ball for the youngest daughter was featured as well. But they didn't have that system for the son. They didn't even mention what he was expected to do! The oldest daughter's wedding was highlighted- she had not even kissed her husband prior to the wedding! Thats a little extreme.
I went to catholic school and our senior year our 'Christian Living' class had sex as a topics (half of the course). We had a very young priest who was our teacher- and he was very realistic. I think he got in trouble for saying so, however he told us: you should not have intercourse, but you should make sure that you both can be aroused. And even back then by senior year it was too late for 20-30% of us.
2007-11-29 04:14:04 · answer #4 · answered by professorc 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, they are. They're expecting the girls to remain pure until marriage. However, what happens if the girl never gets married? Does she die a virgin as a form of punishment for never finding a husband?
2007-11-29 07:35:28 · answer #5 · answered by RoVale 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Baba , your statement is pure ignorance. Im a 40 year old virgin and im very proud of it. Its attitutes like urs that lead to a 65% divorce rate and single parent hiomes.
I support promise rings for both genders. Virginity shouldnt have a time limit. Its about saving all of urself for your soulmate on ur wedding night. Most people in our country unfortunately think like baba. Now look at our society today.
I think i made my point
2007-11-30 05:20:19 · answer #6 · answered by virgin guy 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I support the virginity pledge also for a lot of reasons.
However, the parties and other stuff I've never heard of.
2007-11-29 03:35:27 · answer #7 · answered by Big Bear 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Slippery slope argument. Nobody has the right to say what a woman should do with her body. Her ovaries and her uterus and her vagina and her Body. And abortion should be treated as a woman's body issue too.
2007-11-29 03:46:21 · answer #8 · answered by ByTheWay 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Girls who get purity rings don't get invited to parties.
2007-11-29 03:33:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 6⤋
No, just stupid and ineffective in the extreme.
2007-11-29 04:13:13 · answer #10 · answered by Steve-O 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋