Sometimes, I look around at the so called “Christians” of the world, people who have twisted contexts and theories and even phrases of the Bible to serve their bizarre and horrid purposes ::cough:: Fred Phelps ::cough::, and I picture Jesus, sitting at a big desk, Pine I think, sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose as he watches us fuck everything up.
Here’s a fun event, where fathers drag girls as young as 11 to a dance and make them read aloud a pledge to remain a virgin until marriage. Then the father “the head of the household” pledges to protect her from unknown sexual dangers.
One of the things a lot of these Promise Keeper type Christians forget is how Jesus told us to save our prayers and meditations with God for private times, personal times, and not to be all showy and ‘Godly’ in the temple.
The only reason they make these poor girls read this shit aloud is so that someday when maybe, heaven forbid, they do get fingerbanged before marriage, they’ll feel the full force of shame and disappointment from the four hundred people they promised that they’d remain pure.
I think it’s ridiculous, I think it’s also tremendously sad that they just can’t have a beautiful dad and daughter dance, which most little girls would LOVE, some special time with dad…and then leave the talks of sexual activity for an intimate discussion with Mom AND Dad at home.
tiny ham, christian since 1978 - “we’re not all like that”
Seconded. Strongly. How can you ask an eleven-year-old girl to “swear” to something she can’t fully understand yet? She’s not old enough to drive, drink, vote, hell, not old enough to set her own bedtime, but you ask her to make a promise of that magnitude?!!! :smack:
And a father/daughter dance, sans “promise”, would be such a nice bondeing event.
Maybe I read this wrong. I read that the father makes a pledge. Where does it say the girls read out the pledge?
A man reads out a pledge that he will be a standard of integrity. That is what you are pitting?
I am not a christian. There must be worse things in the world to complain about than this.
I know this sounds odd, I don’t particularly want any of my daughters to be a virgin at marriage. I’m afraid they’ll feel pressured to get married at 15 or something, and I’d rather they be a little more mature and experienced (no not sexually, just generally) when/if they decide to get hitched.
I was assuming that the OP had more information and provided a cite for background. tiny ham, is your quote below something you thought you gleaned from the article or something you have knowledge of from another source.
If the latter, can you provide it? Thanks. Otherwise, I’ll have to agree with blinkingblinking.
I don’t think it sounds odd. I agree with you. I want my daughter to experience everything that single, independent living has to offer before she enters into an agreement that essentially means that all the big decisions get made by committee.
Marriage also has much to recommend it, and I’ve nothing against it, but I want her to get married for reasons *other * than that she’s just wicked, *wicked * horny.
I remember being a young tyke, 10 years old or less, in Sunday School, and the subject of pre-marital sex came up. “It’s bad news kids, don’t ever have sex out of marriage!” the teacher said, and I solemnly agreed. Why would anybody ever want to have sex out of marriage, I wondered.
Here’s the daughter’s pledge;
I pledge to remain sexually pure…until the day I give myself as a wedding gift to my husband. … I know that God requires this of me… that he loves me. and that he will reward me for my faithfulness.
and here’s where I read it:
which is a relatively biased site, i know, so I went to google for the other side of the story for the OP. YEs, the daughter makes a pledge, in front of everyone. And no, I’ve not been able to find a mother/son purity pledge.
I fully agree (that’s a rare event). Children should never be made to take oaths or pledges. They aren’t able to weight the consequences. Heck! I’m 40, and I would be reluctant to swear anything. Besides, an oath can only be taken freely, and with full knowledge. Not only the 11 yo can’t understand what she’s promising, but more importantly, she’s going to be pressured into taking this oath. And what’s the likehood that the parents are going to expose her to other points of view so that she can meaningfully choose? There’s no free will involved in this farce.
These pledges are obviously worthless, totally meaningless, and all these adults atending should be ashamed of putting children in such a situation.