New PURITY Conference!

[bea]

I'd suspected that an old high school friend had turned fundie. Funny, since he was an atheist punk rocker in high school, but people change. I know his wife is fundie - and has gotten more so. Anyway, she posted a link to this today:

http://pureinheartconference.org/

She's taking their older daughter.

[clibbyjo]

The link is not working for me.

[bea]

Fixed. I think.

[SamuraiKatz]

Oh now this is just over the top! What 7 - 12 year old girl NEEDS a purity conference? Do these people actually think their ten year old is going to go Girls Gone Wild! on them?

The Pure in Heart Conference is an exciting one-day event that addresses the tough issues of purity. It is uniquely designed for tween girls (ages 7-12) and for moms, grandmothers, and mentors of children.

Really? WTF!

[Kitty]

So, they're going to be talking about purity, which to these kinds of folks means no sex before marriage, but they won't actually be talking about sex.

What?

Instead, they'll be talking about modesty, which to these kinds of folks is supposed to make boys not want to have sex with you.

Okay, really, what?

[Brainsample]

The link is not working for me.

Did you take the "dot" out and put in a real one?

I didn't recognize anyone or any of those groups with which the speakers are affiliated, save for some chick who was a "Character First" counselor or something. The rest seem to be associated with the organization that is running the conference, and one worked in a crisis pregnancy/prolife venue.

It's being held in Cleveland, TN which is Church of God territory, though it may have absolutely nothing to do with them.

These kinds of things always bugged me when I was in the system, because if you didn't want to participate, it made you sound like you were against whatever was going on. I thought of this with that "True Woman" stuff. If you are opposed to their doctrine and their manifesto, are you saying that you aren't a true woman or a true Christian? If I were a teen, I would not have wanted to go to a purity conference, but then, doesn't that imply that you are or want to be slut? That is, if you are in a group of people who are really engaged by these kinds of conferences... I'm just so jaded anymore, and the conference thing is not a huge deal, either. People create a lot of hype, and then it makes your regular life seem like garbage when its over when you leave the magic world and return to RL.

[Brainsample]

So, they're going to be talking about purity, which to these kinds of folks means no sex before marriage, but they won't actually be talking about sex.

Kinda like their parents who go to home education conferences where they don't actually talk about education? Apples don't fall far from their trees.

[Kitty]

Kinda like their parents who go to home education conferences where they don't actually talk about education? Apples don't fall far from their trees.

Yeah, but still. To me it's pretty much like setting girls up for asking questions about sex, and while 7 isn't a bad time to talk to kids about sex, I think the whole purity aspect is really inappropriate.

It bugs me that they're like "oh, don't worry, we won't talk to your 7 year old about sex!" at a conference that is in fact about sex. For seven-year-olds.

They're preparing them for the purity ring/ball bullshit for when they get older.

[Kitty]

As much as I hate this fancy new buzzword "tween" (something I never heard until I was actually a teenager- when I was a "tween" they called us preteens!*), 7 year olds are not tweens. 7-9 year olds are children. You don't get to call your daughter (or son) a tween until their age is in the double digits.

*holy fuck I felt so old typing that.

[ThisOlGirl]

Somehow, my daughter has made it to the ripe old age of 8 without having wild sex with various random men (or anyone for that matter). And she's done so without a single purity conference/ball/ring. Weird!

[GeoBQn]

I looked at the conference schedule. They actually have shopping time allotted.

Also, you'll be glad to know that you can contact them to find out how to adequately pray for the conference.

[Hane]

The only saving grace here is that they're actually including mothers instead of fathers, for a change.

[dawn9476]

It's disgusting that people out there are making money off preaching purity to little girls.

[Marian the Librarian]

The founder has an older website, princesspureinheart.com/pih.html - Equipping you "to plant the “seeds†of God’s “Gift of Purity†at an early age … before they hear the locker room version," and "with hope in talking to your child about purity even if you’ve blown it."

Mercy mercy mercy! Who establishes the criteria to determine whether or not parents have "blown it??"

[darkplumaged]

I didn't even know what sex was until I was 9 years old. It's not necessarily good to keep your kids in the dark the way my parents did, but the point is that a purity conference is particularly absurd for 7-year-olds, many of whom probably have no idea how babies are made. A conference on liking and respecting yourself and standing up for yourself would be much more useful and sensible, but since fundie girls are supposed to be "dead to self" doormats, I guess that wouldn't be cool in fundieland.

[kaetrin]

The founder has an older website, princesspureinheart.com/pih.html - Equipping you "to plant the “seeds†of God’s “Gift of Purity†at an early age … before they hear the locker room version," and "with hope in talking to your child about purity even if you’ve blown it."

Mercy mercy mercy! Who establishes the criteria to determine whether or not parents have "blown it??"

I think it means you can still talk to your children about sex even if you've had some.

[clibbyjo]

Purity balls are gross.How about dads spending time with their daughters in a less creepy way? They always make a big deal out of their stupid purity balls, which are what, once a year? How about spending time everyday with your daughter? That is what real dads do. My daughter and her dad are at hockey 3 times a week. Its their thing and there are not purity rings involved. However, they both bought bracelets at the last hockey game to help support the hockey players who died in the plane crash,so the have their matchy bracelets rights now. I am cool with that.

[Kitty]

Somehow, my daughter has made it to the ripe old age of 8 without having wild sex with various random men (or anyone for that matter). And she's done so without a single purity conference/ball/ring. Weird!

I made it to the ripe old age of 18! 18 years and 5 months! And I've been an evil godless pro-choice, anti-abstinence education atheist since 14! :o

[Miss M]

I made it to the ripe old age of 18! 18 years and 5 months! And I've been an evil godless pro-choice, anti-abstinence education atheist since 14! :o

I made it to 14 1/2, but I was one of those "don't tell me what not to do, cause I will run right out and do it" girls...eh...I still am!

M.

[NurseNell]

It's being held in Cleveland, TN which is Church of God territory, though it may have absolutely nothing to do with them.

That answer a question for me. I have been in Cleveland, TN a few times on my way to raft the Hiwassee , and I always see people I'd define as fundies by their dress.

Purity conferences and balls just sound weird to me. And esp for 7 to 12 y.o. My grand daughter is 7, I can't even imagine what she'd get out of it, other than maybe some shamed based stuff.

[emmiedahl]

Well, let's just say I hope my daughter does not follow my example in these matters. But my goal is to never say the word virginity to my children. Maybe the words "condom", "self respect" etc.

[Kitty]

That answer a question for me. I have been in Cleveland, TN a few times on my way to raft the Hiwassee , and I always see people I'd define as fundies by their dress.

Purity conferences and balls just sound weird to me. And esp for 7 to 12 y.o. My grand daughter is 7, I can't even imagine what she'd get out of it, other than maybe some shamed based stuff.

My niece is 7. I don't know what she'd get out of it either, except some pink purity princess stuff that she'd promptly forget about.

[NurseNell]

My niece is 7. I don't know what she'd get out of it either, except some pink purity princess stuff that she'd promptly forget about.

My grand daughter would hate pink princess stuff. She's into fishing and can't wait til she's old enough to go deer hunting.

[fundiefun]

This looks like a knock off of Danah Gresh's Pure Freedom seminars and Secret Keeper Girls Events

http://purefreedom.org/ if this comes to my town I am down for some infiltration and reporting back to FJ I could take my younger sister who is 13 to blend in.

[NurseNell]

if this comes to my town I am down for some infiltration and reporting back to FJ I could take my younger sister who is 13 to blend in.

It's not coming to MN or anyplace nearby. The fundie conferences, etc seem to bypass the Twin Cities. I'd be willing to go to any that came, and didn't cost an arm and a leg to attend. We're a pretty liberal area although the burbs elected Michelle Bachmann to congess.