“Insta-pure”

So I mentioned before that I have a purity ring and believe it or not, a few stories lie behind it. 

I started out with a ring that I wore on my left ring finger and it was simply a ring that I liked.  I didn’t care if it was a “standard” purity ring or not, it just mattered that it was a symbol to me.  It was something that I could put on every day and look at and have a pretty, little reminder that I am doing something good.

One day during my freshman year in college a group of us were outside playing volleyball and I took off my ring because I kept whacking myself with it.  By this point it had come up that I’m abstinent but some of the guys didn’t quite understand the purpose of my ring.  After I set it by my shoes so I could keep playing, one of the guys picked it up and started going on about how he was pure now because he had the ring on.  I know he was trying to be funny so I didn’t get deep or philosophical in explaining why that’s not how a purity ring works but I did make it a point to say that my purity doesn’t actually have anything to do with whether or not I’m wearing the ring.  Just because it’s called a purity ring doesn’t mean that you become “insta-pure” when you put one on. 

On a similar note, later that year I chose to buy a different purity ring.  I still like my old one and I have since purchased a third but what I really want to say is that my decision is not tied to an object.  You might think it is because if you break your promise you need to stop wearing it or stop calling it a purity ring, but all the ring really is is a visual backup to your words.  It’s one thing to say you are going to wait and it’s a whole other thing to show that commitment by buying a ring and displaying it on a regular basis.  This is the same concept as wedding bands.  They are a symbol of the vows you made to your spouse, but if you take your ring off or buy a new one it doesn’t take away from your marriage. 

Someone could even wear one as a symbol of celibacy.  I think people make too big of a deal about purity rings and when you should wear them and take them off and all that.  But then again maybe I have a different take because I chose to wear one and it was 100% my decision, as compared to others I know that were asked to wear one by their parents.  Like I always say, I will tell you the truth about being abstinent but I don’t care if you believe me or if you judge me, I don’t even care if a guy has lied about what he’s done with me.  The primary and most important reason for my decision to wait is God and His is the only opinion I care about. He knows the truth and He is the only one that truly needs to.