The New York Times has an interesting story on so-called Purity Balls this week. I had read about this in Glamour last year, and I do find them both interesting and troubling.The idea of fathers taking their daughters to prom-like events where they pledge their purity until marriage is slightly creepy to me, but not in the sense that I don't think fathers should be involved in this arena of teens lives. Having been raised Christian, I definitely knew where my parents stood on such things and it made me feel secure to be raised with a definite compass, whether or not I rebelled or agreed.
I like what it says here about the role fathers play -- I think it's true that a healthy father-daughter relationship can prevent what one girl interviewed in the story describes as teens "searching for love elsewhere," and ending up hurt or, worse, pregnant or infected with an STD.
What I DON'T agree with about this notion is the onus always being on the young woman to stay pure for her future husband in Christian circles.
How often it's drilled into girls to stay "pure," while Christian parents turn a blind eye to their sons dating, and/or sleeping with, non-believing teenage girls. It's almost like they see it as unavoidable in teen boys, and they see those non-Christian girls they fool around with as expendable. I applaud fathers -- who already have a difficult, challenging job raising daughters -- for trying to set a protective example, and to let their children know they're valued and worth waiting for. But the so-called "hook up culture" goes both ways, and it's time Christian families raised their boys with the same standards!
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