Anyway, sitting there next to my fourteen-year old daughter, I could see the appeal of this story.
So, I assume that's part of the thinking behind the purity thing.
On the other hand I have always thought that there's more to virtue in action than in denial.
My own private fantasy is that my daughter will explore sex with another woman until she gets to the age where men actually know what they're doing. And even if they don't, by that time, she'd be able to show them.
Sigh,
Joanna
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: WD <mister.wd at gmail.com>
> There was a thread a long time ago about "purity balls" where
> evangelicals throw these big parties and daughters promise their
> fathers they'll remain celibate until marriage. This video explains
> the purity ball concept: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgA6KFKDBQw
>
> Yes, they're incredibly creepy, and grossly patriarchal with
> incestuous undertones, etc. Okay. But the NYT article today talks
> about two kids being "promised" to one another -- which sounds an
> awful lot like an arranged marriage to me. Is this some awful new
> Christian fundamentalist trend?
>
> It's weird to think who your parents would have picked for you to marry,
> -WD
>
> Dancing the Night Away, With a Higher Purpose
> By NEELA BANERJEE
> Published: May 19, 2008
> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/us/19purity.html
> ...
> "Stephen Clark, 64, came to the ball for the first time with Ashley
> Avery, 17, who is "promised" to his son, Zane, 16. Mr. Clark brought
> Ashley, in her white satin gown, to show her that he loved her like a
> daughter, he said, something he felt he needed to underscore after
> Ashley's father left her family a year ago."
> ...
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