Posted on 06/17/2006 6:25:09 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Sikh bracelets, but no Christian rings at school bans pupils from wearing 'purity rings'
A group of teenage Christians have been banned by a secondary school from wearing "purity rings" as a symbol of their religious belief in chastity until marriage.
At least one of the dozen pupils, who all attend the same girls' comprehensive in Horsham, West Sussex, is considering legal action against the Millais School for "a breach of human rights".
Although the school allows Muslim and Sikh pupils to wear headscarves or kara bracelets as a means of religious expression, the purity ring - a small band of silver engraved with a Biblical verse and worn as a declaration of abstinence from sexual relations - is not allowed because it is considered to be jewellery.
Lydia Playfoot, 15, who started wearing her purity ring to the school in June 2004, described its policy as "really unfair".
"My friends and I have had detentions and been taught in isolation for wearing the ring," she said. "I feel like I've been treated the same as someone who is caught bringing cannabis into school."
The increasing popularity of The Silver Ring Thing, an American Christian movement that launched in Britain in 2004 and promotes abstinence before marriage, has encouraged a growing number of adolescents to make a "pledge of chastity".
The movement's followers wear a silver ring to demonstrate their commitment. More than 20,000 teenagers have signed up at roadshows in America and Britain.
Staff at the Millais School insist, however, that the uniform dress code stipulates that no jewellery is to be worn, other than a small pair of ear studs.
Lydia said that her ring was more than a "trivial" accessory. "My ring is a symbol of my religious faith," she said. . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Buy more pickles?
Prayer in the guise of "official" school activity was banned, prayer has never left the schools, don't fall for that line.
And as many examples of things being banned in schools as you can come up with, I can find the same things that were reinstated or reinforced by law or common sense.
That said the article was referring to actions in Great Britain, not here.
LOL! Well, have it your way.
There was a WSJ article concerning this year or two ago (I believe). According to that article, Gore probably would have won in 2000 and Kerry in 2004 if there had not been so many abortions of Democrats' babies during the last 30+ years. This, of course, assumes that children generally follow the political views of their parents. Made sense to me.
Stretches the boundaries of 'abortion demographics'. . .and if taken more seriously; could see Demrats taking a new position here.
While we could assume Blanco's signing of abortion ban was an outright 'panderinng' . . .it could long term; serve a greater 'practical' as well in post Katrina Louisianna. (Wonder what her position is on immigration...) _
You are correct about the Ds "new position." I am looking forward to seeing how they rationalize turning that ship around.
Off Topic: The American idea of sexual abstinence before marriage is quite lunatic and very funny for a European like me. We Europeans do not understand the stimulus since there is (for us) no benefit of doing so. Our society left the fixation on virgins behind. I had really many many sexual partners before I married but since I am in a marriage (since 18 years) I am faithful to my wife (who had her own experiences as a young girl/woman too). Do you guys really believe that sex as a unmarried person is sinful and something bad??! Do you really believe that god - who is bigger that anything we can imagine - has interest into your sexual behaviour? Is there a logical reason to stay pure?
Regards from a ethnologically interested European
Andreas
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