Randy Wilson, one of the co-founders of the purity ball, states that "The idea was to model what the relationship can be as a daughter grows from a child to an adult. Beliefs and rationale Īdvocates of purity balls assert that they promote physical, psychological, and spiritual integrity. Wilson advises fathers to praise their daughters' physical attractiveness: "I applaud your courage to look your daughter in the eye and tell her how beautiful she is." Participants are described as "dates", and, according to Glamour magazine, could be mistaken for heterosexual romantic partners in the absence of information about their parent-child relationship. Lisa Wilson, wife to Randy Wilson and co-founder of Generations of Light, a popular Christian ministry in Colorado Springs, states "We wanted to set a standard of dignity and honor for the way the girls should be treated by the men in their lives". The ceremonies close with a father-daughter waltz which aims to solidify the bond between father and daughter and elucidate the promoters' concept of a "proper date". One form of token is a charm bracelet or necklace in the shape of a heart for the girl and a key for her father, which symbolizes the father's duty to protect the young girl's heart, only giving away the key to her husband on her wedding day. Remembrance gifts are given at some ceremonies to represent the girl's promise of chastity and the father's oath to protect her and guide her in her lifestyle. This covering will be used by God to influence generations to come." I will be a man of integrity and accountability as I lead, guide and pray over my daughter and my family as the high priest in my home. I will be pure in my own life as a man, husband and father. They need to be rescued by you, their dad." One widely used pledge for fathers reads: "I, (daughter's name)'s father, choose before God to cover my daughter as her authority and protection in the area of purity. The father's protecting role over the daughter's virginity is emphasized throughout the night, as Wilson states "Fathers, our daughters are waiting for us… They are desperately waiting for us in a culture that lures them into the murky waters of exploitation. Each 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 as he acts as a role model for his family. Īlthough the chastity pledges differ between organizations, the purity balls held by the creator of the concept, Pastor Randy Wilson, follow a symbolic ritual. Some ceremonies state a minimum age requirement. The girls can range in age from their college years to four years old however, the majority of girls are "just old enough… have begun menstruating" as purity ball guidelines advise. The ceremony is a formal event as daughters get dressed up in ball gowns, and the evening typically consists of dinner, a keynote speaker, ballroom dancing and a vow for fathers and daughters. This event was created for the Wilsons' five daughters and the fathers that he viewed as not having a place in their daughters' lives. In 1998, the first purity ball was organized by Randy and Lisa Wilson in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America. Critics of the balls argue that they encourage and engrave dysfunctional expectations in the minds of the young women, making them vulnerable to believing their only value is as property, and teaching them that they must subjugate their own mental, physical, and emotional well-being to the needs of potentially or actually abusive partners. Fathers who attend a purity ball make a promise to protect their young daughters' "purity of mind, body, and soul." Proponents of these events believe that they encourage close and deeply affectionate relationships between fathers and daughters, thereby avoiding the premarital sexual activity that allegedly results when young women seek love through relationships with young men. Typically, daughters who attend a purity ball make a virginity pledge to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. The events are attended by fathers and their teenage daughters in order to promote virginity until marriage. A purity ball is a formal dance event typically practiced by some conservative Christian groups in the United States.
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