Girl barred from wearing 'no sex' ring says school biased

[Amelia]

Girl barred from wearing 'no sex' ring says school biased against Christians

ANGUS HOWARTH

The Scotsman

Sat 23 Jun 2007

A TEENAGE girl yesterday accused a school of discriminating against her Christian faith by banning her from wearing a "purity ring".

Lydia Playfoot, 16, told the High Court she was unlawfully prevented from wearing the silver ring symbolising her Christian belief in chastity before marriage.

Her evangelical family is at the centre of the "Silver Ring Thing" movement which promotes abstinence from sex before marriage.

The Millais School in Horsham, West Sussex, stopped her and several other Christian girls wearing the rings on the basis that the uniform code did not allow jewellery in school.

However, Muslim and Sikh students had been allowed to wear headscarves and religious bracelets as part of their faith.

Ms Playfoot said that although "proud" to be a pupil at the non-denominational school, "it does not afford equal rights to Christians".

Ahead of the court case, she insisted the purity ring was not a fad: "It says I'm not going to have sex until I'm married and I'm going to stay sexually pure until I'm married.

"In the Bible, it says you should remain sexually pure and I think this is a way I want to express my faith. I think in the society we live in today, with lots of pregnancies and STDs, something like this is quite important and should be taken hold of."

In a written statement to the High Court in London, Ms Playfoot said: "Many teachers are aware of the ethical and moral crisis among young people who are not given any direction. Sexual problems among the girls are not uncommon."

Ms Playfoot, who joined the Millais school in 2002 and leaves next week, said that since she had been at the school, other girls had become pregnant and had babies. She said the Silver Ring Thing was a movement which educated young people "on the issues of sexual purity".

Leon Nettley, the Millais school headteacher, said in reply there had been no discrimination. In a written statement, he said the purity ring "is not a Christian symbol, and is not required to be worn by any branch within Christianity".

A Muslim girl had been permitted to wear a headscarf "as it was understood this was considered to be a requirement of her faith" and the school believed to do otherwise would unlawfully breach her human rights.

Two Sikh girls had been allowed to wear a "Kara" bangle on a similar basis.

However, Paul Diamond, appearing for Ms Playfoot, accused the school authorities of relying on "folklore" information about religious requirements and acting with no real knowledge.

He argued that the school governors were violating Lydia's right to "freedom of thought, conscience and religion" under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Jonathan Auburn, appearing for the school governors, argued that there had been no interference with Ms Playfoot's fundamental religious rights.

She and her parents had freely chosen a non-denominational school when they could have picked other schools in the area with a religious ethos, and they had voluntarily accepted the restrictions in the uniform code.

Ms Playfoot's father, Phil, a pastor at Kings Church in Horsham, claimed yesterday:

"She's not living our beliefs or wishes - it's something she wants to do for herself.

"I think she represents thousands of young people, not only in this country but around the world, who have made a very similar commitment, not only in their beliefs but actually through wearing a ring as well."

He added: "I think what is happening in our culture more generally is what I would describe as secular fundamentalism is coming to the fore, which really wants to silence certain beliefs and Christian views in particular

[Dr. Shane]

Quote:

...and I'm going to stay sexually pure until I'm married.

Hopefully she stays sexually pure after she is married too

I don't know what the law is in the UK but I think it a bad policy to discourage religious expression. Students should be free to express themselves religiously. It shouldn't be a matter of whether the student's religion requires them to wear a piece of jewelry or clothing. As long as the student using such an item doesn't disrespect or provoke other religions, I would think it would be wise to allow it.

[cricket]

Hopefully she stays sexually pure after she is married too

That brings up an interesting thought, I wonder if the teachers/staff are allowed to wear wedding rings.

[Amelia]

Quote:

Two Sikh girls had been allowed to wear a "Kara" bangle on a similar basis.

Five Sikh Symbols

Sikhs have five symbols of faith natively known as Kakaars. These are Kesh (uncut hair), Kanga (comb), Kara (Bracelet), Kirpan (sword) and Kachehra (a special type of shorts). A baptised Sikh is to keep all five symbols of faith. These symbols are not merely symbols, they not only represent or identify a Sikh but also have deep meanings. Guru Gobind Singh Ji created a lifestyle within which one does not dwindles and remains focused on the path to attain salvation.

Kesh: Hair is not just a symbol, it is the gift from God. Guru Nanak started the practice of keeping the hair unshorn. The keeping of hair in its natural state is regarded as living in harmony with the will of God, and is a symbol of the Khalsa brotherhood and the Sikh faith. Hair is an integral part of the human body created by God and Sikhism call for its preservation. Sikhs live the way God made humans and never cut their hair. Guru Gobind Singh Ji instructed Sikh to wear Turban in order to protect their hair. Turban has many purposes and one is to keep a Sikh focused in his beliefs.

Kanga: The comb is necessary to keep the hair clean and tidy. A Sikh must comb his hair twice a day and tie his turban neatly. The Gurus wore turbans and commanded the Sikhs to wear turbans for the protection of the hair, and promotion of social identity and cohesion. It has thus become an essential part of the Sikh dress.

Kara: The bracelet symbolizes restrain from evil deeds. It is worn on the right wrist and reminds the Sikh of the vows taken by him, that is, he is a servant of the Guru and should not do anything which may bring shame or disgrace. When he looks at the Kara, he is made to think twice before doing anything evil with his hands.

Kirpan: The sword is the emblem of courage and self-defense. It symbolizes dignity and self-reliance, the capacity and readiness to always defend the weak and the oppressed. It helps sustain one's martial spirit and the determination to sacrifice oneself in order to defend truth, oppression and Sikh moral values.The rule is never to do injustice and never let anyone do injustice.

Kachehra: Kachehra symbolizes to live a faithful life. It reminds the Sikh of the need for self-restrain over passions, lust and desires. Apart from its moral significance, it ensures briskness during action and freedom of movement at all times. In todays dark world, filled with lust, if ever a Sikh gets carried away in the moment of lust, the Kachehra refrains one from making wrong moves and reminds him of his duties.

The Five K's are not supposed to foster exclusiveness or superiority. They are meant to keep the Sikhs united in the pursuit of the aims and ideals of the Gurus. They enable them to keep their vows made at the time of baptism. Keeping the symbols of faith keeps one close to being a Sikh and being a Sikh brings one closer to God. Whatever Gurus narrated has a purpose and meaning because it was told to them by God Himself. God has created a religion, a path, a faith which brings one closer to God and helps one to Unite with Him.

In order to meet God, one has life an honest life and meditate on God. Sikh Gurus themselves lived an honest life and showed everyone how it can be done while living a family life. If one is not a Sikh, it is harder to live truly. One Sikh writes his experience about his turban as follows:

"My turban has saved me so many times that I cannot even begin to explain. Like most, I am also filled with greed and lust. I even thought about looting or robbery in order to accumulate wealth. But everytime I think about it I think about my turban. A thought comes in my mind that how will my Guru feel if I do such a thing. I am a Sikh and a Sikh must walk on the path of humility and respect and live happily in whatever God has given me. If I have not had a turban on my head, I probably would have become a thief, a rogue, and probably a murderer. My turban saves me." [More ...]

The Sikh symbols keeps a Sikh focused. It saves a Sikh from bad company and keeps a Sikh close to God. Guru created a livestyle which helps one to be close to God and less likely to detour. Now a days, rare are Sikhs that walk in the path shown by the Guru. Rare are the ones that do not cut their hair and live an honest life like a Sikh suppose to. And to the ones there are Guru Nanak says he is willing to sacrifice himself for them.