Lydia Playfoot, Chastity Ring - UK

Gallagher
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Lydia Playfoot, Chastity Ring - UK

Watching the BBC this morning my stomach churned as a 16 year old girl was talking about how she is taking her school to court.  This is because of those stupid chastity rings that Christians wear to symbolise that they will remain 'pure' until they are married.  She was breaking school rules by wearing it during secondary school (11-15yrs) because it is not part of the uniform and she was constantly being told off.

This makes me want to scream.

 

IF she is a 'good' Christian (don't get me started on that one) then one would assume she follows a little thing called THE LAW.

In this country (UK) the legal age for having sex is 16.

Therefore one would assume that she won't be having sex anyway.

On this premise she should perhaps start wearing it AFTER turing 16 which is about the time when she left school.  Why drag the school through the High courts for this load of bull.

 

This whole thing is just her being used by her parents who are obviously having a pop at the muslims in this country for the whole vail thing.  They are feeling generally intimdated.  I can see why.  Theres a massive 1.5 million muslims living in England and Wales which they obviously feel threatens their measily (!) 35 million christians.

 

For me this ring symbolises that she is tempted to break the law constantly, and has been for some time!  I think the authorities should keep an eye on her as she is publically stating that she is a potential trouble maker and law breaker!!!!!


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lol! Excellent points!

lol! Excellent points! Smiling

On the other hand, it's not just fundies scared of Muslims.
I've got a friend who I go out drinking with, and by the end of the night he's always accusing some poor taxi driver of being a suicide bomber! Laughing out loud

On a serious note, if there's a religion in England that needs a rational response then it's Islam. Christianity is mostly tame down here while Islamic fundamentalism seems bent on tearing Europe up.


The Patrician
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Islamic fundamentalism

Islamic fundamentalism isn't tearing Europe up anymore than the speratist, communist or fascist terrorist groups did.  Most Muslims I know find the rantings of the radical clergy both embarrassing and offensive.

Secondly,the girl's parents are Christians and her father a pastor.  They're obviously goign to push this because it gives them a chance to put their views out to a largely uncaring audience.  Her case was initially turned down but now she has been given leave to present her case.  It will, however, fail because:

a) Both she and her parents agreed to a voluntary dress code at the school.

b) The school is not banning items essential to religious worship.  For example, she would be entitled to wear a crucifix.  The SRT is not, hower, a recognised mainstream religious sect.

c) This is a play for publicity rather than a direct concern about an abuse of human rights.  Our courts tend to take a dim view of people cluttering up their time with these cases.

Freedom of religious belief is an inalienable right. Stuffing that belief down other people's throats is not.


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I cannot say enough good

I cannot say enough good things about this ring idea.  It seems to me that this is a primo opportunity to label Christian girls who need to be deprogrammed and devirginized.  If only we had thought of this sooner!

"Tis better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." -Lucifer


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Would that be deprogramming

Would that be deprogramming through devirginization? I remember this one girl in school...

 

[edit]damn my terrible spelling 

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LOL!    I've deprogrammed

LOL! 

 

I've deprogrammed a few girls in my time, but that was nothing to do with religion !! (Im a girl btw)

 

 

Is this ring thing quite popular in the US?

 

From what I see on tv alot of schools don't wear uniforms, so this sort of case might not come up.  I am wrong?

 


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They should allow this so

They should allow this so the boys know which girls to ignore.


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purity ring denied

Fri Jun 22, 10:40 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - A teenage schoolgirl will appeal to the High Court on Friday to overturn a ban on her wearing a "purity ring" at school to symbolize her decision to abstain from sex before marriage.

Lydia Playfoot, 16, from West Sussex, says the silver ring is an expression of her faith and should be exempt from the school's rules on wearing jewellery.

"It is really important to me because in the Bible it says we should do this," she told BBC radio. "Muslims are allowed to wear headscarves and other faiths can wear bangles and other types of jewellery. It feels like Christians are being discriminated against."

Playfoot's lawyers will argue that her right to express religious belief is upheld by the Human Rights Act.

There have been a series of rows in schools in recent years over the right of pupils to wear religious symbols or clothing, such as crucifixes and veils.

Last year, the Law Lords rejected Shabina Begum's appeal for permission to wear a Muslim gown at her school in Luton. That case echoed a debate in France over the banning of Muslim headscarves in state schools.

Lydia Playfoot's parents help run the British arm of the American campaign group the Silver Ring Thing, which promotes abstinence among young people.

Members wear a ring on the third finger of the left hand. It is inscribed with "Thess. 4:3-4," a reference to a Biblical passage from Thessalonians which reads: "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin."

Lydia's father, Phil Playfoot, said his daughter's case was part of a wider cultural trend towards Christians being "silenced."

"What I would describe as a secular fundamentalism is coming to the fore, which really wants to silence certain beliefs, and Christian views in particular," he said.

Leon Nettley, head teacher of Millais School in Horsham, denies discrimination, saying the ring contravenes the school's rules on wearing jewellery.

"The school is not convinced pupils' rights have been interfered with by the application of the uniform policy," he told the Brighton-based Argus newspaper. "The school has a clearly published uniform policy and sets high standards."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070622/od_nm/britain_purity_dc;_ylt=ApbwrLorMINlnDQN5fS_rSwDW7oF

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djneibarger wrote: "What I

djneibarger wrote:
"What I would describe as a secular fundamentalism is coming to the fore, which really wants to silence certain beliefs, and Christian views in particular," he said.

 

Damn right it does. 

"The World is my country, science my religion" - Christiaan Huygens


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"It is really important to

"It is really important to me because in the Bible it says we should do this,"

It does?

 

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Susan wrote: "It is really

Susan wrote:

"It is really important to me because in the Bible it says we should do this,"

It does?

 

Yes, didn't you read that passage? Something to do with Moses pulling the sword out of the stone and yelling to all the POW's in Vietnam that they should wear a ring engraved with a reference to the bible on their finger until they are married.

Something like that anyways...I'm a bit rusty on the 'thou shalt not slut and wear ring engraved with biblical markings to symbolize slutlessness".

The reasoning actually has deep impact on the potential for the second coming of Jesus since God needs to make sure that he has at least 1 random virgin girl left out there for him to inpregnate with his manly god seed.


The Patrician
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Actually 1 Thessalonians 4

Actually 1 Thessalonians 4 doesn't really mean what she's saying at all. The SRT has 4:3-4 engraved on it, however it doesn't have 5-7. The verses in context are:


"3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

6That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

So it's not about saving yourself for marriage, it's about not shagging everything that moves or getting up to all sorts of kinky stuff. The point is that this applies to married people just as well as to single people - verse 6 refers to adultery, for example, which you have to be married to commit.

In other words it's a call to general chastitiy, not a commandment to keep pure until marriage.

 

 

Freedom of religious belief is an inalienable right. Stuffing that belief down other people's throats is not.


Nero
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The Patrician wrote: In

The Patrician wrote:

In other words it's a call to general chastitiy, not a commandment to keep pure until marriage.

 

 

GAH!  Chastity is overrated.  I mean the concept of Chastity, not the topless dancer, of course.

"Tis better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." -Lucifer


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I know a crazy Catholic

I know a crazy Catholic girl who claims she doesn't "ever want to have sex" and how holy she is. She wears Hooters shirts to school and blogs about her kissing experiences.

 Go figure.

*Our world is far more complex than the rigid structure we want to assign to it, and we will probably never fully understand it.*

"Those believers who are sophisticated enough to understand the paradox have found exciting ways to bend logic into pretzel shapes in order to defend the indefensible." - Hamby


Nero
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peppermint wrote: I know a

peppermint wrote:

I know a crazy Catholic girl who claims she doesn't "ever want to have sex" and how holy she is. She wears Hooters shirts to school and blogs about her kissing experiences.

 Go figure.

Well, of course, she is going to say she doesn't want what she doesn't know.  Ask her if she will give up other pleasures for God as well.  No more chocolate, kissing, or whatever she likes.  She'll be a slave to it like the rest of us once she tries it.

"Tis better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." -Lucifer


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Nero wrote:   GAH!

Nero wrote:

 

GAH! Chastity is overrated. I mean the concept of Chastity, not the topless dancer, of course.

 

I utterly dispise the idea of Chastity as a virtue.  Not haveing children i might understand, but chastity? my fucking ass.  It's not just overrating it's utterly stupid.  


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Quote: "What I would

Quote:
"What I would describe as a secular fundamentalism is coming to the fore, which really wants to silence certain beliefs, and Christian views in particular," he said.

In the public forum and amongst children, you're damn right I do. If it's your perogative to raise a little God robot, do it within the confines of your own home.

"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven." -- former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien


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I don't understand why

I don't understand why there are so many people concerned about this in England, and why there is a law that says you can't have sex until you are sixteen.

Who cares if some girl wears a ring, regardless of what it signifies, it is still just a ring. But then of course, you get someone making a big deal out of it and racial tensions explode, next thing you know it will be like the cartoons that poked fun of Islam in Holland.

I lost my virginity when I was 12, I didn't feel like I was breaking any kind of law. It was just a natural progression of my growth, no pun intended. How on earth can some governing body draw a date of demarcation for something so natural and say to one person, you were only 15 years, 364 days at the time of engaging in this sex act, therefore you are a lawbreaker and must be punished. And then on the other hand, say, You are now 16, go out and fuck and be merry. 

"Who, like some evil Atlas, turned the world upside down upon their shoulders, and made shams and delusions into absolute truths, and absolute truths into inviolate heresy?" Elliot Merrick, True North (this may be a misquote, but is close, I don't have th


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There is a big deal being

There is a big deal being made of this because the girl is suing the school, even though she and her parents chose to comply with the rules when she started there.  If they weren't happy, they could have simply chosen to change the school.  It is not really the ring that is the issue but some sort of christian responce to another story where there was a big debate about a muslim wearing the veil in school.  Or perhaps they are playing the religion card to get some money.

 

The law is 16 to protect those that may not be physically or emotionally ready.  They may not have enough information to be able to make the choice, or indeed, be able to deal with the consequences of unwanted disease  or pregnancy. 

 

It's great that you felt so ready at such an early age.  You must have had open and educating parents, and perhaps schooling too.  You seem happy with your decisions.

 

However, as much as I thought about having sex at that age and probably would have if I could have, I was not ready in the slightest. 

 

I totally understand what your saying about being 15 years and 364 days old, but in order to protect the people I descibed above, they government has to draw a line somewhere.  I'm sure we all know people who probably should not be having sex who are well over the age of 16.

 

Just out of curiosity, how old was the girl/boy who you had sex with?  And if they were under that age, how can you be sure that they were as ready as you were?


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I say they should melt the

I say they should melt the ring down in front of her face. The schools rules are quite clear, and her claims are completely baseless. Disgusting waste of taxpayers money is all this is.

Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.


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Anyone think of the free

Anyone think of the free plublicity he is getting....it says he is the scam artist for the UK branch of silver ring thing...

 Im sure he is lining his pockets with increased sales....

 

But they should make those wrap tops knock it off too...you are no longer inthe 3rd world take that junk off your head and act right.

"When the missionaries arrived, the Africans had the Land and the Missionaries had the Bible, They taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the Land and we had the Bible." - Jomo Kenyatta


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Eurgh. Yet more Christian

Eurgh. Yet more Christian nonsense. Reminds me of a Christian I know at Uni, who when I was with my ex, was constantly ratty with us (me especially) because we were in a sexual relationship outside of marraige. She was a total hypocrite though, she would go out on the town and pull random guys (although probably not have sex with them).

*Sigh*. When will people learn.


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Religion is a funny

Religion is a funny thing.  Mainly it was invented to try and understand the meaning of everything and keeping everyone in control.

Though, there are still some strange things going on - still even today!  I'd like to eventually see a ban of all religion.  The more stranger religions out there are the ones that still inflict bodily mutilation of innocent babies - and chopping bits of them off.  Very disturbing - especially when it's still not banned by law.  Though, who is running the laws in most countries?  Who has the influence over others?

We could also move on to the connection of useless materials such as gold etc.  Gold is useless.  You cannot eat it.  People were exploited in getting the stuff in the first place.  Some gullible folk don't realise this and will happily spend lots of their hard earned money on this rubbish metal.

 Anyway, I shall step on down from the mighty soap box and hope I have taught a few people a thing or two about stuff which everyone should know.

Egalitarian equality to all life!


pariahjane
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It seems our friend Lydia

If god takes life he's an indian giver


Nero
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Lost her case or lost her

Lost her case or lost her cerise?  One is a much more interesting tale than the other.


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?

pariahjane
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Nero wrote: Lost her case

Nero wrote:
Lost her case or lost her cerise?  One is a much more interesting tale than the other.

That was just dirty.  Sticking out tongue

If god takes life he's an indian giver


The Patrician
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I'm going to travel down

I'm going to travel down south to punch her in the face for wasting court time.

Yeah.

Oh and:

"I believe that the judge's decision will mean that slowly, over time, people such as school governors, employers, political organizations and others will be allowed to stop Christians from publicly expressing and practicing their faith."

Bit behind the times, love.

 

Freedom of religious belief is an inalienable right. Stuffing that belief down other people's throats is not.