Daddy Dearest

Look at the man with his young daughter at the Father-Daughter ball. And all the other dads dancing there with their daughters. They look kinda sweet, don't they?

I would have thought that these two girls were a bit young for a ball, although they do look very excited.

This dad made a special effort to get dressed up for his little girl's special night.

This dad didn't make any effort to get dressed up at all. I think his daughter might be a little embarassed.

But nobody looked embarassed when the girls were handed out cards to read while standing opposite their dads. What a special moment.




Are you wondering what those girls read out to their proud beaming dads?

I pledge to remain sexually pure...until the day I give myself as a wedding gift to my husband. ... I know that God requires this of me.. that he loves me. and that he will reward me for my faithfulness.

And there's something on those cards for the dads to read back to the daughters as well.

I, (daughter's name)'s father, choose before God to cover my daughter as her authority and protection in the area of purity. I will be pure in my own life as a man, husband and father. I will be a man of integrity and accountability as I lead, guide and pray over my daughter and as the high priest in my home. This covering will be used by God to influence generations to come.

Just wow. Hey kid, you're seven or maybe eleven years old and your dad is so obsessed with your hymen he's getting you to make public vows about it. But at least you get to dress up and go dancing first. Lucky you.

This was the annual Father-Daughter Purity Ball in South Dakota, where they recently outlawed abortion even to save the mother's life. As Amanda at Pandagon pointed out, an event like this makes us wonder less that the law had no exemption for pregnancies resulting from incest. PZ at Pharyngula and Digby at Hullabaloo have more.