Your father is your boyfriend? Ewwwwww. A new conservative religious ritual, the Purity Ball, is currently observed in 48 out of the 50 states. During this disturbing event, fathers present their daughters with a gold ring to symbolize the girls’ purity and pledge to remain virgins. The group’s interpretation of sexual abstinence holds that girls cannot go on dates, kiss boys or even hold hands until their wedding day. During the ball, girls carry crosses into the wedding-like ceremony where their fathers present them with “purity rings”. One of those fathers named Ron tells his daughter during the ceremony:
‘This is just a reminder that keeping yourself pure is important. So you keep this on your finger and from this point you are married to the Lord, and your father is your boyfriend.”
The girls are locked in a tower of virginity. Their fathers, as protectors of that virginity, hold the only key. Then at the occasion of marriage, fathers pass that key to the newlywed husbands. David Magnusson, Swedish photographer, has authored a book, “Purity.” He writes:
“A Purity Ball is a formal event where girls or young women and their fathers participate in a ceremony. The daughters dress up in ball gowns and the evening usually consists of dinner, a keynote speech, ballroom dancing, and a vow by fathers and daughters. The girls make a pledge to ‘remain pure and live pure lives before God,’ to stay sexually abstinent until marriage. Their fathers sign a commitment undertaking to protect their daughter’s purity.” The father or mentor pledges “…to shield and protect his daughter; to live a pure life himself as a man, husband and father; and to be a man of integrity and responsibility, acting as a role model for his family.”
Here are some of the images:
It is evident that any move to share physical intimacy is this conservative group’s equivalent of infidelity. As a result, this religious group places girls in the position of feeling dirty and tainted. The ABC show, Nightline Prime, investigated Purity Balls. The full investigative documentary is available here. In her 2010 book “The Purity Myth,” the feminist writer Jessica Valenti, founder of the blog feministing.com, writes:
“The message is clear and direct: It’s up to men to control young women’s sexuality.”
David Magnusson’s book, Purity, is published by Bokforlaget Max Ström and available for pre-order on Amazon.
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Holy Hell that is creepy and wrong.
ReplyDeleteSome of those girls look WAY too young to be making any vows about anything. And a lot of those fathers look disturbingly predatory... Most of those pics make me want to call children's services.
Deletewoah, leave a little room for jesus.
ReplyDeleteat first glance, I thought number 4 was floating. but this is crazy
ReplyDeleteWhat about the sons?
ReplyDeleteSo, the link to the book "Purity" at the end of this article is by Veronica Bates, not David Magnusson. The linked book is clearly about something very, very different: http://www.amazon.com/The-Purity-Ball-Veronica-Bates/dp/1484132688 This might be the correct link? http://www.amazon.com/David-Magnusson-Purity/dp/917126292X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399919257&sr=1-1&keywords=purity+magnusson
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out My mistake.
DeleteOne of the comically striking things about these photos is how desolate and vacant the landscapes are, almost mirroring the girls' independent sexual futures.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see anything in this article about the fathers actually taking anyones virginity, "protecting" maybe bit not taking. The whole ritual and custom in itself is weird yes, but it seems ro be another backwoods tradition like snake handling or talking in tounges. But I digress, I'm obviously missing something here otherwise I would be appalled like the rest of you.
ReplyDeleteI think whats messed up isnt so much that she thinks that they are having sex with them but that these girls fathers are showing a strangely intimate connection with their daughters. and the way they are holding them is certainly inapropriate.
DeleteWhat I would LOVE to know is: where is the purity ball for boys? Why does the church continually place the weight of responsibilty for abstinence & purity on women? I grew up in the church, studied at a Christian college , etc, and saw this constantly.
ReplyDeleteBecause boys can't get pregnant and contaminate the family bloodline.
DeletePurity balls! The name alone is bizarre... sheeshh... "The father presented his daughter with his purity balls". Well well well :-(
ReplyDeleteAnother message is clear here, to me: "A woman's purity" only refers to her value as a baby-maker. A girl could be a murdering psychopath, mentally handicapped, a world-class athlete, or a Harvard Graduate; None of that shit matters. A woman only has value if she hasn't been "used" yet. If she has been "deflowered" (What an ugly term) before her father sells her to her new husband, then she is a failure.
ReplyDeleteThis is all fine with me, by the way. You don't want some beautiful, young woman, simply because she's had sex in the past - more for me, I say! I'll gladly take her off your hands, idiot!