Purity Culture: Good or Bad?

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network purity culture.

This is a positive movement or destructive movement stage or the line of fire with your host activist all the international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience and the president of fire school of ministry under the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH that's 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown welcome welcome friends to the line of fire. We got an important discussion today.

You can join in.

866-34-TRUTH 866-34-TRUTH 87884 that is the number to call 86634. What's your own experience with what is commonly called purity culture, is it negative or positive. It was a pastor or youth pastor is a young woman growing up young man growing up, it is apparent today when you hear the words quote purity culture which comes to mind up to some, but what does it mean it's certainly better than impurity codirects help if were talking about a culture that encourages purity versus a culture that encourages impurity. Obviously, all of us who love Jesus walked a purity culture not in impurity, culture, but the term purity culture has a more narrow, more specific meaning. If you think of Josh Harris who is the best-selling author of I kissed dating goodbye was a pastor for years and now has completely renounced his faith is no longer a Christian and regrets his teaching about so-called purity culture.

He would be a name that would be associated with it that there were there were strong morals taught to young people saying you don't have sex before metal that's been a given in the Christian world for generations. For centuries, but in our age of promiscuity and sexual freedom was important to reinforce this, then some of say well you don't kiss at all before your wedding and and this is the best way to keep yourself from sexual sin and to keep yourself pure.

That would be in an ethic that people would think of associated with quote purity culture or a young lady would put a ring on and this would be her purity ring.

This would be her guarantee that I will remain sexually pure until I marry and then modesty was encouraged among young women to address certain ways and to not reveal certain parts of their body and then obviously men were called on young men in particular to live godly lives and not to give weight all kinds of sexual sin or be some kind of sexual predator in the circles in which I've traveled there has often been at as a man I can say this a great call to meant to be holiness that holds it to live holy lives to walk in holiness. Maybe it's because I've spoken at men's meetings versus women's meetings. Maybe it's because I've spoken to more men struggle with porn who struggled other aspects of sexual sin, and in the temptations and problems so I've been constantly emphasizing that at the same time. Over the years I've absolutely been part of movements where we strongly encourage modesty when raising our daughters. We strongly encourage modesty. We told him about the way guys are wide and the way guys think. Not to say to the young ladies that you have to cover yourself up from head to toe because these boys are such animals.

And you gotta protect yourself from them and not give them any cause to stumble, but rather to say recognize that the female body is very attractive to me. I don't know vice versa. But generally speaking, men are to be more attracted to go to be more attracted by the either they're gonna be more attracted to state a physical carnal way, your mom, you're more likely to have a woman attracted to a man because it is his gentleness and his graciousness and his honesty and his compassion.

Even I was, playing into it for man to be attracted to a woman for this cause when she accidentally of course. It happens all the time, but generally speaking, we understand that the the industries of of all of the swimsuit models in the industry, supporting industries of scantily clad women that's to appeal to men more than the reverse. So we would just remind our daughters about the way guys are wired and this may seem somewhat innocent to you, but if you dress a certain way if you got that low cut shirt know the boy's gonna be a boy at school. Try looked on your shirt is so you if it's not quite as suggestive infants buttoned up a little bit better so you're being modest.

No need to show that off. You're being modest and helping the guy the process.

At the same time were telling the guy not to look at the girls as objects of sexual lust and desire etc. so to me it it always went both ways.

But as things are now fleshing out years later from Manny purity culture as it's called was very negative was very destructive was very binding was very legalistic whiz was very much one-sided all put emphasis on women are much of the emphasis putting on women and girls, and as if they were responsible to not allow the guys to lust as if it is that that could happen and things like that so many have been hurt and the last thing I want to do is deny that people were hurt or to deny that there was legalist I was talking to a young lady. Since many years later, who is in our school of ministry or friend of our family and she was an attractive young lady and she sometimes and we had rules of of of dress in the school and we said some of them are completely arbitrary. It is completely arbitrary, but just what we chose would have to legislate nose capris, for example, the girls consumer capris.

Why because we thought guys were hung up with ankles with it, although those so their pants, their little short that the guys were all voted to be lusted after echoes.

No, no, it's just when you have thousand 1200 young female young people and you capris, mostly capris or shorts annexing ends like we just didn't want folks wearing shorts to the class B dissident, no capris, but was a sunset holiness is the reason for no capris is not holiness.

If other things are holiness.

If so, there were certain sensitive guy couldn't come to class without a shirt. For example, right.

So any anyway this one young lady was Thomas, the many years later as a as a mother. You know, maybe 40s. She was saying that she would buy clothes that were a little bit too big, you should buy them a size or two too big so they fit her more loosely so no one would think she was trying to be sensual and she showed up for class one day and in their one of the ushers said it's to your obituaries to suggestive and of thrusting abroad and the tears so people get hurt like that these things happen to a woman is a feeling ashamed of her body is as of feeling ashamed that she's attractive, or that she's well endowed, or whatever the thing is, or, or some sought if we just keep her sister before marriage them were guaranteed to have an amazing marriage and were guaranteed to have an amazing sex life and that didn't pan out like I thought. You reap what you sow.

We sold holiness that was supposed to reap an blessing in this way, and so a lot of people got hurt and if you are one of them. I love to hear from you. How did you get hurt what was done wrong. What was destructive what was harmful what could've been done better.

What have you learned now and in raising your own kids in your own families love to hear from you on the other hand, for many, this was just being biblical.

This was just recognizing our bodies are not around or our bodies in terms of their sexual aspects are made for our spouses and nobody else but the last thing that we wanted be doing is parading around in such a way so as to draw sexual attention to ourselves betterment to it from a spouse in private. Were talking about in public outfits with your married or single, Celestine. We will be doing as followers of Jesus that that many of you came out of the world were promiscuous in the world.

Dress certain leisure act in certain ways his party drugs and drinking all sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll stuff and you got saved you just changed the address changed gratitude chains similar to the learned thought is not right, doing that to an interesting story true story.

I have confirmation on in the early days of the Brown's revival. There were two Playboy bunnies who flew down to Pensacola, Florida. I believe they were from Chicago and and worked with Playboy bunnies of club. Whatever was leaving Chicago. They flew down to Pensacola to do a photo shoot on the beach and what happened was there was hurricane weather canceled the photo shoot, so they were just stuck down there so that night they hired a taxi and asked the taxi driver.

Where's the action and Pensacola and he brought them over to the Brown's revival kicking up to start many witnesses to it so that night. They responded to the altar call broken in tears, weeping under conviction and Jaco Patrick. The pastor happened to notice there's something that seemed to be most extreme in the repentance that that they were just crying profusely and sweating from head to toe, so he went over to find out what what your story what's going on in this role we have really lived the best lies told him their story will play only found out recently, was that an older woman in the congregation befriended them that night gave them Bibles. They went back home about a week later they called her and said you were reading our Bibles and and we don't feel right about the we were living I love both of them moved back to Pensacola. But one of them did for sure.

And one of my colleagues told me a week ago Sunday that he knew her that she completely changes if you meant you would never have guessed her background. We should dress the way she conducted associate was vibrant she was involved in ministry in the church will no surprise here radically transformed so for many of you this is positive in purity, culture, adjustment, following Jesus in every area of your life. So if this was something positive, or if you've learned to incorporate life in the spirit of Hartford purity and modesty without legalist without making people feel ashamed of just their own sexuality and things like that. I love to hear from you. 866-34-TRUTH. What brings this up is especially with Josh Harris first renouncing I kissed dating a buy them renouncing his faith entirely.

It has caused a lot of people to talk about how they were hurt and bad experiences and recently a youth pastor for on and off over 20 years posted long post on Facebook we he wanted to apologize for requiring that on swimming outings with young people that the girls had a where one piece bathing suits and he goes through an apology was some humor in the midst of it. But the thing is really resonated it it's it's pastor price per I don't know personally but it was posted July 11 on Facebook and as of now it has 98,000 shares of income back to that long after you read it to you right, but the fact that so many shares the fight to get some of the comments indicates that he hit a nerve. In other words, that from many that that this was a harmful expression, for people who love Jesus for people who want to honor the Lord for people who want to walk in godliness that the purity culture was very damaging for them and obviously his post as has struck a nerve and they said yes, thank you for posting this. At the same time. I'm concerned about a reaction in the opposite direction. I'm concerned that in our generation. There is so little understood about holiness, modesty, purity from the inside out, that will be seen on the outside. I'm concerned that we swing from one extreme to the other letter were talking about today you get to weigh in 866-34-TRUTH number and it's the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown of your voice and more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown x-rays for joining us on the line. Yes yes yes got disclosed purity not to impurity, it's crystal clear in Scripture, true followers of Jesus will love holiness will of the beauty beautifully. The beauty of holiness will will will love to honor God with their bodies if their true followers of Jesus.

That's a far cry from legalism. That's a far cry from trying to change people from the outside in. That's a far cry from shaming people into living rightly that's what happened to many in what was called the purity culture. So do I think it's wonderful that many young people say I'm wearing this ring, and when I wear this ring. It's a reminder to me that that I belong to the Lord until I get married and then I'll belong to my spouse beautiful those meaningful to them. Beautiful, just like wearing the wedding ring is meaningful to me after over 45 years is still meaningful to me. Well same way from anywhere in the purity ring was meaningful but you know what happened with some young people they just okay.

That means we can have sexual intercourse but we can have all other forms of sex seriously. They sold were still preserving our virginity. That's just empty.

Legalism doesn't help anybody. I sit for many years that legalism's laws without love rules without relationship standards for the Savior.

Legalism tries to make people holy from the outside in.

God makes us holy from the inside out, but be assured that the outward appearance, in many cases if we intentionally lived present ourselves and worldly, sinful, rebellious ways that that will change but then even there it's going to be different for each individual.

I remember one woman that friend said too many years ago. You know you're an attractive woman. This is one married woman talking to another married woman and said to her you're an attractive woman and you just need to be conscious that when you wear certain outfits. It they are your little suggestive and so on. Her response was this a super modest remediation to see me before I was saved so the Bible does not give us every specific guideline but but there are principles by which we should live. And I hope we can agree on those again I undertake calls little while, 866-34-TRUTH, I just posted this poll on Twitter moments ago so I got the first hundred 33 votes. Do you agree with this statement. A Christian man or woman should never address meaning for the public, not for spouse in such a way as to intentionally make themselves into an object of sexual desire, not not everybody responding to this is necessarily Christian.

Let's just say that all of them were right. I was running about 84% yes to 60%. No sense of wonder where the 60% are coming from but anyway we reach you this post that got so much attention a pastor price per I don't know him personally if I was going to be attacking his position or criticizing him I would reach out to him privately. I'm interacting with it so I'm simply posting it here but he said so I need to issue an apology I'm using some unit hereto. I've been a youth pastor on and off over 20 years and have issued a ridiculous ultimatum to my female students at summer camp. One piece swimsuits only first mom. Sorry what I'm sorry that it and teach boys to control themselves to. I'm sorry legally purity on the girls swimsuit while she was swimming. None of the boys responsibility to not be gross. Three. I'm sorry to all the girls and frantically search for an appropriate one piece. It's a male youth pastor to deem them appropriate story here accompany my fiancé and her daughters. We desperately look for Q1 piece that would be appropriate for camp. It was hard and it sucked before.

I'm sorry that we've deemed the young woman's body is something that used to be covered. Let young men's bodies be okay to be seen for five I'm sorry ever. Let this be an item of discussion usually led by man at any used leader meeting is most awful for my female leaders and students to be part of. So there lots of things he realizes were uneven, unequal, abusive, unfair again. It's been shared almost 100,000 times. That's a lot and it isn't like a massive online following is that that's a lot a lot of people are saying yes thank you for posting this. This is so helpful to he said, I'm still a fan of the new protist rule no buns bananas or breast need to be seen, but were stomachs overtly sexual was little cleavage sinful where women meant to feel their responsible for men's actual sin of lust. So I'm sorry to all the students, especially female that was subjugated to a rules. I'm sorry my female students as as they desperately tried to search for swimsuit the days leading up to camp. I'm sorry if you felt sexualized bias tell you to cover up. I'm sorry didn't teach boys commendably that responsible young women. Female students were swimsuit that lets you have fun male student stopping disgusting control yourselves youth pastors mail especially stopping chauvinist and making female students feel better and breast Christians live like Jesus. Okay so I appreciate so much what he saying the spirit of it is spacious and I put all the emphasis of the women on the men and the pressure that was put on women in the fact that shared so many times so my same into it indicates a lot of positive so may we all learn from his experience same time. I have massive concerns when I read this when I see how many others are responding to Fort for example, okay. Our standard would've been if you going to the beach as as girls are girls which would wear modest swimsuits that I mean they weren't super into your wanting to flaunt who they were, but but anyway whatever the bathing suit was the rule was the rewards that you you were a long T-shirt over over that when you're at the pool etc. hanger and then you go and swim taken off when you got out you put it on and by the way, when we had when we'd be doing like a joint same with guys at the beach and gals of the guys were as whatever swimsuit they were wearing.

I was in the Speedo's response was there wearing and and and throat T-shirt owed same way. So sweet. We were kind equal in that regard right and there was a constant. Every Circle ever been in his been a constant emphasis on on helping men to control their thoughts on helping men to grow in holiness and purity than helping meant walking discipline, helping, and to avoid places of temptation, which is why for many we go to a beach for many, they would be hanging out the swimsuit at the pool. This is just too much flesh and temptation around and from much of the Christian world that a close look at somebody crazy you mix bathing we would never do that to just you know much of the Christian world.

Look at us is terribly immodest.

The Muslim world looks at us terribly immodest. The Orthodox Jewish world looks at us terribly immodest and much of the Christian world worldwide looks at us terribly months. Just to let you know that some of these things are issues that come more like America or Europe or Australia, etc. okay but but here's my issue. Female students were swimsuit the letter from a wife that's a thong bikini. Is that okay is that okay for for followers of Jesus in public in public. Is that okay you will be around people of the opposite sex. Didn't Jesus the same Jesus who said to us that if your right eye causes the sin, pluck it out thoroughly. Meaning if if the things that you are seeing because you sin do's and a radical which would mean maybe Internet support or get rid of your TV or staying away from the beach that's amusement. Pluck out the Godself doesn't cause anyone to sentence a metaphor so it is essential is that fine and and if any bathing suits okays are you having fun in your free them while we walk around in her underwear. The underwear that we where most people is more modest than bathing suits at the beach. Everyone thinking that I just going to church hereunder who would think of that or the worship team come straight from the beach as you lead us you know the guys and gals in the skimpy bathing suits. Praise the Lord.

Tell me no one is going to be distracted and nosing up stomach bug for the from the same Jesus that said pluck out the eye that offends is the same Jesus who said woe to those with stumbling blocks in front of us the liberty we have is a sacrificial liberty. It's liberty from sin, not liberty to sin. So, if it's legalistic to say one piece been since only I'm sick of essential one piece but if that's legalistic is it legalistic to say no thong bikinis if it's legalistic to say what's wrong with a little cleavage, or to say let's asked that question was simply legalistic was horrible cleavage. What was wrong with a lot of cleavage.

Why is one question legalistic and the other not legalistic and if if paid we don't want women to be ashamed that their breasts. I remember we were in Israel.

I believe it was 1988 was a large crowd of Jewish believers and Christians come from America to be at this big big rally in Israel and on the first day were there. We heard this, there is this commotion with this massive hotel in Tel Aviv and bunch of the families gone up to use the pool to their shock. There are a bunch of ladies topless around the pool and these are parents with their kids there and they get upset they told hotel, motel, had tested women into the tops on the women were very offended and upset by that because their culture is perfectly normal, perfectly normal was that legalistic. Then, why, why do we tell girls they can be topless so that the issue friends is that we go from one extreme to the other Paul syndromes 14 if if eating meat because my brother sin that on there many was I'm going to think of the brother sister. So for me as a male understand the way men are wired understand how much we can be drawn outwardly and how sexually we can be pulled to the outward appearance of those, things I am constantly going to be urging meant to be vigilant. I'm constantly going seek to give guidelines for holiness and purity for discipline.

I am constantly speaking to a man about that at the same time, I will always teach both men and women, but in particular women with her sophomore temptation or pressure you have to look a certain way after Pearson we have the perfect body.

After the after the scan shows skin here and there. I will strongly encourage them never dress in such a way so as to make yourself an object of sexual temptation for the opposite sex. I will always urge that holiness goes both ways, our bodies and our own Paul wrote you bought with a price. Therefore glorify God you bought get away and become back 866-3423 agree to disagree get away in the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now by calling 860 Jim is Dr. Michael Brown so I just typed in the words purity culture" and did a search. The first article that came up there 207,000 results in Google. The first article that came up March 28, 2021 purity culture in the evangelical church harms women. Then another, as I scroll down seven lies that purity culture teaches women of then another, their generation was shamed by purity culture. Another what is purity culture why this extremely damaging and it goes on from there. So when this term is used is used in a very specific way about a specific type of teaching and movement, and here as defined on the Gospel coalition purity culture is the term often used for the evangelical movement that attempts to promote a biblical Bureau purity. First Thessalonians 4328 by discouraging dating and promoting virginity before marriage, often to the use of tools such as purity pledges symbol, such as purity rings an event such as purity balls. Then again, the way it would break down. Be good to be bad.

The fact that so many feel injured and hurt by it means we need to find out what did hurt than what was bad what was done wrongly to be done better because again, if we love Jesus we should look purity. If we love Jesus we should embrace sexual purity. If there is anything that would immediately more Christians in every culture from the world around them was that they prized sexual purity and chastity in the world around them didn't. I mean this is common in history for 2000 years. Aside from their specifically's Jesus and talk about lifestyle conduct.

This would certainly come up so again your experience, what you learned was positive what was negative really go to the phones and then I'm going to give you some interaction. We got online of its start in Jacksonville Florida with George.

Welcome to the line of fire. Thanks for calling but your take of Micah going to give that it connector so I within purity culture before all the tricks and essentially what they it was largely ineffective. It was unrealistic and they that is there will have about all the church here in America that I think The validity in all, at least been when I was in church.

I mean, I think only sermon from all on the polymer song you know if if not here talking about it openly and let it unit design or in the whole thing. Mainly, the message was told, you know, just don't do it here right so the only Association the sex was its negative and gets to when you're married, but before that you stay away from it. So there was was very little that was positive what was being taught, etc. but let me ask you this. You speak of it being unrealistic to think it's unrealistic to expect that Gabi couples will not have sex before their marriage of thinking about that very thing you know that it may be difficult. I'm just beyond 52 now and so you know, maybe it's just called having with the long. I can't think it is a little bit unrealistic, but it still something a standard that you got a really you got a really shoot for any deer. Okay I mean it. Don't you have not. I just can't wonder about that, but it still when I think it's unrealistic.

I'm talking about the environment and the culture that we have all those pressures I just can't wonder though I know I'm sure many people with all is really tough, this course are cultured out young people getting married in older ages, which means longer times that they have to be celibate. During during the times when there there there sexual desires can be at their peak.

Let me ask you one more question. We know that the same God.

This is fornication is sin, so, so sex before your marriage or outside of of the context of marriage is sin. He also says that adultery is and you think it's it's unrealistic to think that a married couple could refrain from committing adultery. Yeah. I think you got me there. Dr. Brown, if the I think it is realistic that they should think from a bill dated into a relationship that right that part of that damning that the thing is we have such an incredibly promiscuous culture. Certain things may be changing a bit for the better but it's just been saturation for long.

Time with your if you went back to the days of our grandparents the norm the norm for nonbelieving people was that women did not have sex before their marriage. That was just normal in the world yeah and so you have the gala slept around was it was a loose woman that was not the norm was now it's it's the exception for someone to to be a virgin until their marriage especially if you have some celebrity will notice the guy got all kinds of flak for look, it's in our grandparents and resend temptations like every other time in Britain.

We had our own. Our grandparents have their own sets of issues and since to deal with because let's be realistic.

You can have number one songs like we repeat the name of it distal vulgar and so sexualized beginning and can talk about it without being defiled.

Anyway, thank you for weighing and candidly, let's go to Kara in Cleveland, Tennessee. Welcome to the line of fire which are take around our property arm fell I grew up on.

Culture will grab our INR character God in harmony arm will do Tara on 2444 okay perfect. Thanks and anyway I know I bottle that court ideas on how we leave it in my now husband and coming. He let me know he propelled me on and we never even had a quick kiss until we are at Darrell and the books that were written during that time were actually a really big help to me on talking to you and that comment at my church.

They heard an adverse coping healing. Thank you. Feel quite a bit and I think what you're hitting on earlier that the way responsibility. Jack directly on the email and not resting on the dynamic layout as well and what quite terrible, so interesting. I was just chatting with two young men on our production team here right before this and in their minds. It is always the emphasis on the Mandan and the call to the man but is you you women have to take responsibility as well and in my mind I'm primarily thinking about men and their responsibly as a male and yet is this is playing out as we hearing more for more people who were hurt clearly the feeling that women had was that it was on them, click so clearly there was something very wrong in the emphasis or the way it was presented in many circles because if it's not a clear thing that both have to honor God and honor one another and be respectful, etc. then you can have all kinds of problems.

So obviously what was positive for you, and you heard a certain way either of the circles wasn't taught the right way or was emphasized in such a way that it was all laid on the women, who then walked around in bondage and and and feeling you know, feeling guilty for just being pretty or some whatever it was, so that's that's obviously so that we have to recognize and address is as a man, where we teach and preach on these things, soliciting on both maybe specially dealing with Mandan and sexual lust among men, but obviously a lot of the weight fell on women in a way that was unhelpful and it's because the letter Herzog appreciate the perspective very much and I agree. I don't know.

Go ahead you go, you go out with equipment, girl one I have five labor and talking about getting your purity ring and making the golden back to you have enough and an integral you're telling me you know where we are under great on it being a word for didactic permit concerning right so that the very same that I preached about for decades don't run from legalism into license is exactly what's happening that this is part of the hyper grace culture.

This is part of the culture that looks at any standard as legalism. Any call to holiness or purity is as death giving and guilt driven and doesn't realize that the grace of God calls us to a higher standard than the law does the grace of God so transforms us on the inside that were transformed on the outside limits. One last question. Your 44 your around these younger women are college-age. Do you think that a woman saccade met some of the sexual college-age woman in older woman you know some incentive 30s. Just think that she's aware if she dresses a certain way that she is drawing attention to certain parts of her body, or that men will look at her certain way or just think that this younger generation is completely oblivious to that are all around or I now correctly absolutely, and I think I'm okay. I then there though, and that the craving clothing start at a young age are really really short shortly really really fair for my little one defective had a technical think about it, but you have to defend level of awareness and in Canada girl that vocally happening to indicate that as well yeah you know my wife Nancy always says a woman knows the woman understands on the one hand, yes culture shifted so much that what one generation thinks is immodest. Another generation may think is modest and vice versa. And yet I wonder you know fit for young lady gets dressed and looks in the mirror. She's got on something supertight super low cut she not thinking that guys going to look at a certain part of her body is 100 and guys they have their own responsibilities feature here is the deal. Each of us has responsibility for God honor him, glorify him and to be respectful of her brother and sister back with more your calls and some results from Twitter, it's the line of fire with your host activist, author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution get into the line of fire now by calling 66343 here again is Dr. Michael Brown to sit is one thing, as it is the Olympics there is all kinds of sexism within Olympic standards.

There really is you can see some of posted this on online the other day and it was the think it was coming Norway at some some of us… I don't remember which which country it was was European country and they showed slight is the men's volleyball team compared to the women's or whatever whatever it was, in the manner nicely covered in the women are in bikinis and like beach volleyball. Whatever it is it's too onto they have certain requirements as remember reading women, saying what we required to to to wear these outfits you know and and and Skippy became let's look part of the thing, and that your women so there's all kinds of sexism it still exists so question about them whenever we can address it and confront it. We we ought to, but we have this whole culture in the church.

They'll be you.

You be you. You crush that religious spirit you be you know now not be you be submitted to God is going to be me. Me, I die right at say you you died when you let say that we live to do the will of God. If the will of God is that we preach on the street corner in the morning, so be it. If the will of God is that we win the Nobel Prize in astrophysics, so be it. If if the will of God is that we preach and live in obscurity. So be it. If the will of God, as it were, the richest person in the community. So be it. But everything we have a long stay him. We do not live for ourselves but for him who died for us and rose from the dead.

Second Corinthians 515 is a legalism is the gospel and and that's what we have to deal with a lot in our culture today. Right. Let's look over on twitter I asked this question on Twitter when you hear the words, purity, culture, what comes to mind to describe your experience or perspective helpful harmful mixed soap as people put their ages down. David comes to my mind is the upbringing I had to be pure until marriage but I guess it means very different things to others on 24 Caitlin the heart behind it was good. In my experience of the execution was poor but in my adulthood I found for greater depth and substance in JP to succumb post to theology of the body. She's 27.

I would there's a she's thought about these issues were deeply than many to be citing a source like that Christian 37.

For me it was mostly positive. I was taught and modeled in a healthy way for the most part it was taught and modeled in a healthy way for the most part.

No real blemish that made it a little weird for me was the whole courtship thing in that book and the one I mean is getting a buy never bought into courtship so courtship would be that you don't age you pray, you wait for the right person you court them, as opposed to one culture say were not sleeping around, get to know each other dating till we find the right person and then we get more serious. Micah mostly harmful and 29 didn't read any of the books growing up, but in retrospect I was deathly taught. Some of it so Wisconsin church youth group service and it wasn't good for me. Susan 34. I didn't grope appearing too much on the topic. The little I did here seem somewhat helpful. Compared to growing up in a secular culture without church is really addressing the topic of much death, depth, Leslie a firstly I would like to say that I appreciate your wisdom and the grace God is giving you to have a voice in these meetings in times we live in. Thank you, Leslie. That's the story here. Thank you.

She says I haven't met a lot of people fit this culture the biblical sense, but I do look up to a few and she can some links I feel is one of the greatest needs in the Sauer Matthew 518 pure heart some 24 being pure heart and a true manifestation of living in the spirit Cason, 28, mostly good intentions, poor in some cases horrible application. Greg blaming the boys sexual sins on girls appearance and girls and fall to sexual sin can never be fully redeemed him 62 and took a long time for me to understand these things Spencer well-intentioned and not scripturally but legalistic and unscripted based 20 or so. Robert, I don't believe in any purity culture. Only Jesus is 100% pure age 72. We to emulate Jesus the right. Let's see reflections of a lowly that's that screen name 31 years old I say it's been mixed, but I'm leaning more towards harmful because we personally created some unrealistic expectations which have impacted how express relationships that I feel is partly to blame for me still being single. Kathy first thought is it's using a form of legalism to to achieve a noble goal.

Some of the times that purity isn't embraced him 61. Kathy, my totally missing with the phrase actually means. I'm sure many are because it is a specific phrase. We tried to define on the show Candace purity culture blaming young women who are modest for young men's indiscretion, a lack of self-control through not so we can assist things the way many experienced which is so wrong, which is so wrong Rafael H 46 harmful is my answer civilization. Determination of purity. Without God's perspective will be destructive and continue to divide tyrant good intention misguided application. There is no depth in the teaching for me, which meant there was no real understanding for me as it's to its importance outside of someone simply saying so. 29 years old Jade up promise rings LOL I think more helpful and harmful 39 didn't think was for the girls had promise rings, but guys didn't. Overall good deal.

Why would the girl wear the ring and not the guy that's a good question, James comes to mind is the inevitable purity spiral like the French Revolution were eventually murder of the impure is justified and 42 obviously never got there, but I appreciate this comment Brooke is 29. It seems legalist movements become defined by hypocrisy, which is generally an unfortunate phenomenon. However, I think the purity movement was a reactionary panic that stole the innocence away from young people. I think only adults should be exposed to sexual topics. Since the opposite of something we didn't talk about sexuality enough to teach people what it meant to be pure attic man pretty culture means trying to be your thinking or something you can't. Susan, you have no ability to attain, but what people believe you can H 48 UK Danielle use directed teachings of modesty that mostly placed the prevention of sexual sin on women that they actress to keep their brothers from stunningly giving little responsibly said brothers okay so let me shout from the rooftops that I categorically reject anything that puts an undue responsibility on women for a man sent categorically from the heart, rejects that shouted from the rooftops and let me also say that no matter what a woman does, no matter how she is dressed the mail. The man, the young person that man that boy is still responsible for what he does in other words, if if a woman is walking down the street. New York City supertight super short miniskirt and super tight super low-cut blouse and she is well endowed and some guy jumps her trust grabber he's broken the law.

He's guilty.

He's responsible. At the same time I could not imagine for a split second woman who loves Jesus dressing like that drawing sexual attention to herself. She is sitting in the process and is causing men to stumble at the same time. If a guy looks at her and decides to lust after her. He's a Christian is God-fearing man but he's weak at that moment he decides to look at her lust after her and takes those thoughts back to his home.

He's guilty he send.

Yes, she put a stumbling block in front of them.

But he said he's guilty. So were each responsible for almost each of us. We are responsible for our own lives. Nobody can make you said nobody can make me sin and I will always teach them and teach regularly because of of of seeking emphasize holding the snow in the difficult culture which we live. Look him. 66 after watch myself to watch my thoughts so I I am always going to teach about the responsibility. What we see and how to respond and teach men, especially young men what it means to be holy and pure and and how they have to honor women and end as married honor their wives respect them and and and I'll teach men how they have to lay down their lives for their wives hundred percent hundred percent and I would be the first to tell a guy if he said so we you know I go to the beach that's good fill with lustful thoughts. I told you not weak or stupid stairway from the beach, stay away from it says that you look half course course if if if I'm at some severest at some hotel and some giant pool and everybody lounging around in all communal ESSENTIAL outfits. I go there to take a walk or walk on the beach I go there's nobody there this.

That's how I live okay Mattel you have to live like that until that's on so I will always emphasize the responsibility of the mail the female as well, but as a man specially talking to men and knowing how were wires emphasize our responsibility. But you better believe I'm also going to urge women to dress in ways that honor the Lord to dress in ways where they could not be ashamed to put Scripture first asked what I remember the one sale my job.

I wear certain outfits and yelling and they take pictures of me on my company Scripture verse their cycle. If you can't put a Scripture verse there then some is funny if if if it's the people say that's up see see that picture thought is that your Christian I thought you loved Jesus and a time of some judgmental person just, your average person believer there. The goal of close is to cover up not to expose while great insight there. Ha but no seriousness friends. We do not dress in such ways so as to draw sexual attraction to her sometime up for the world for for the outsider. We do not do that with husband and wife doing private is between them and God's of friends, let us reject the errors the extremes. The legalism the imbalance of much of the so-called purity culture and let's live pure and godly and holy lust such, we are called another program powered by the Truth Network