Purity rings (also known aspromise rings,abstinence rings, orchastity rings) are rings worn as a sign ofchastity.[1] Since the 1990s, Christian organizations in theUnited States used the purity ring as a symbol of commitment. In particular,Catholic andevangelical Christian groups which promotedvirginity pledges and virginity before marriage, such asTrue Love Waits andSilver Ring Thing.[1][2][3][4] Wearing a purity ring is typically accompanied by a religious vow to practice abstinence until marriage.[5] Chastity rings are part of theabstinence-only sex education movement and are intended to act as a physical reminder of the wearer's chastity vow.[4]
Unaltered, known until 2019 asSilver Ring Thing (SRT), is an Americanvirginity pledge program founded in 1995 by Denny Pattyn. The program encouragesteens and young adults to remainsexually abstinent untilmarriage. For a few years, it was partially funded by theU.S. federal government.[6] Drawing onChristiantheology,[7] SRT usesrock/hip hopconcert-style events in an attempt to appeal to 21st-centuryteenagers. During the gathering, participants commit to a vow of sexual abstinence until marriage by purchasing rings. The organization's theme verse is1 Thessalonians 4:3–4.
In 2004, SRT began expanding operations into theUnited Kingdom, with mixed results. While some teenagers in the UK embraced the message of abstinence, some critics rejected and ridiculed SRT, saying it wasanti-sex or unrealistic, and that it seemed unlikely that abstinence programs would attract widespread support in the UK because of the UK's differing attitude toward sexuality and sex education. The group's Assistant National Director for the UK, Denise Pfeiffer, said there was a real need for such a movement in the UK to curb what she sees as the ever-increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies, both of which she claims are the highest in Western Europe.[8][9]
In 2005, theACLU of Massachusetts sued theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services because it believed SRT used tax dollars to promote Christianity.[10] SRT presented a two-part programme: the first part about abstinence, the second about Christianity's role in abstinence. The ACLU claimed federal funding given to this program violated theseparation of church and state. On August 22, 2005, the Department suspended SRT'sUS$75,000federal grant until it submitted a "corrective action plan".[11] In 2006, a corrective action plan was accepted by the department. The lawsuit was dismissed, and SRT received federal funding.
In a 2007 case in England,R (Playfoot) v Millais School Governing Body, a 16-year-old student Lydia Playfoot alleged that her school had violated her rights by forbidding the wearing of a purity ring.[12][13] The case was funded by the groupChristian Concern.[13] On July 16, 2007, the High Court ruled that Playfoot's human rights were not violated.[13] Her father, Phil Playfoot, was the British pastor for Silver Ring Thing at the time,[14] and was ordered to pay £12,000 towards the school's costs.[13]
In 2019, Silver Ring Thing changed its name to Unaltered.[15]
True Love Waits (TLW) is an internationalChristian group that promotessexual abstinence outside ofmarriage for teenagers and college students. TLW was created in April 1993 by theSouthern Baptists, and is sponsored byLifeWay Christian Resources.[16] It is based on conservativeChristian views of human sexuality.
The True Love Waits pledge states: "Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate and my future children to be sexually abstinent from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship." In addition, they promote sexual purity, which encompasses not only abstaining from intercourse before marriage, but also abstaining from "sexual thoughts, sexual touching, pornography, and actions that are known to lead to sexual arousal."
By the late 1990s, Christian music groups were promoting the program, and events similar to youth rallies were held at Christian music concerts, providing an opportunity for adolescents to sign pledge cards.[17]
In the first year of the campaign, over 102,000 young people signed the pledge, which was also taken up by other church groups including theRoman Catholic Church andAssemblies of God. The campaign spread across the US, making the use of occasions such asValentine's Day to gain attention.[18]
By 2004, groups supporting abstinence numbered in the hundreds. During the preceding decade, approximately 2.5 million American youth took the pledge of abstinence.[19]
Various individuals advocate for purity rings, or have previously advocated for them.[20]
Some studies of the efficacy of virginity pledges have found they may be effective in delayingvaginal intercourse but ineffective in reducing the rate ofsexually transmitted infection. They also reduce the likelihood ofcontraceptive use.[24] Additionally, it has been reported that pledgers replace vaginal intercourse with other sexual activities, such asoral oranal sex, thinking they "don't count".[24][25] At least one study has found no difference in the sexual behavior of pledgers and non-pledgers after controlling for pre-existing differences between the groups.[26]
David Bario of the Columbia News Service wrote:
Under theBush administration, organizations that promote abstinence and encourage teens to signvirginity pledges or wear purity rings have received federal grants.The Silver Ring Thing, a subsidiary of a Pennsylvania evangelical church, has received more than $1 million from the government to promote abstinence and to sell its rings in the United States and abroad.[27]
According to a study conducted byPeter Bearman andHannah Brückner published in 2005 in theJournal of Adolescent Health, 21% of young adults who had taken the pledge hadvaginal intercourse, 13% reported having practicedoral sex and 4%anal sex.[28] In the 2011 bookMaking Chastity Sexy: The Rhetoric of Evangelical Abstinence Campaigns,Christine Gardner criticizes True Love Waits[29] for "using sex to sell abstinence" by promising more satisfyingsexual activity withinmarriage for those whoabstain frompremarital sex; she argues that thisrhetoric reinforcesselfish desires forgratification, sets people up fordivorce and dissatisfaction with marriage, and simply adapts "secular forms for religious ends".[30] In 2014, Jimmy Hester, one of the main founders of the program, said that although some studies have shown that many young Christians have broken their commitments, it has served as a benchmark for some who have returned to the faith.[31]
TheJonas Brothers made an abstinence pledge through True Love Waits as teens.[32] The band and pledge are satirized in the 2009South Park episode "The Ring".[33] In 2013, Morgan Lee, a journalist ofThe Christian Post, conducted an interview withJoe Jonas and wrote:[32]
In an exceptionally raw and frank interview, Jonas also mentioned that although he had made a good-faith, preteen, commitment with Christian abstinence organization True Love Waits to keep his virginity until marriage and donned a "purity ring" as an 11-year-old, he was overwhelmed when this became the focus of media attention when the band started to blow up.[32]
In 2019, the Lutheran ministerNadia Bolz-Weber called for people to send her their unwanted purity rings so that she could cast them into a sculpture of a vagina.[34]Apologetic ministerAlisa Childers criticized Bolz-Weber for her project, but acknowledged that purity ring campaigns needed to improve.[35]
Believe it or not, wearing a purity ring was once a thing Miley Cyrus strongly believed in. Of course, the former Disney star wasn't alone in her conviction in waiting until marriage to have sex. In the past decade, scores of teen stars have talked about their pledge to abstinence by wearing it on their finger, from Jessica Simpson to the Jonas Brothers.
Trust in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Be still and know He is working for you behind the scenes and in a moment…
