The Thing About The Silver Ring Thing

I remember well the Mothers Against Drunk Driving campaign. My mom still has the faded contract stuck to the side of the fridge. It was a fun bit of teen activism that also gave me an opportunity to show my mom that I was responsible. Golly, she was so proud of me.

The latest way to con your parents into thinking you're mature enough to have some freedom is the Silver Ring Thing.
Take a vow of celibacy, wear a silver ring stating your choice, buy merchandise... sounds good, eh?

Yeah, NOT.
The original definition of celibacy is: an unmarried state
So, do I vow to remain celibate until I'm married? I guess I do!
The proper word to use is chaste. Chastity is defined as: abstaining from sexual relations
Just wanting to be clear.

Let's try this again. Take a vow of chastity until you are married, wear a ring and buy merchandise.
Yeah, that's better. Except the only way to get the ring is to attend a 2 hour "high tech presentation". Perhaps I should let them speak for themselves.
This is an edit-free cut and paste from their "about" page:

"What is the Silver Ring Thing?
Real life questions and answers about sex. Silver Ring Thing uses sketch comedy and music videos to make the abstinence point. Don't worry. We'll help you get our point! Our program features high-tech club-style lighting, videos and, of course, a sweet sound system. YOU'VE GOT TO BE HERE!
The History of the Silver Ring Thing
Silver Ring Thing (SRT) sexual abstinence program was created by Denny Pattyn and the Youth FORUM Southwest leadership team in 1995. The program was designed to attract the attention of the typical 21st century teenager and offer them protection from the destructive effects of America's sex obsessed culture.

In 2000, Denny joined the John Guest Team as the Executive Director and with him brought his vision for the Silver Ring Thing program. It was here that the national SRT program was developed.

The Silver Ring was designed by Paul Bensel Jewelers of Yuma and is worn as a symbol and reminder of the abstinence pledge. The "Thing" in Silver Ring is the high-tech presentation that makes this program uniquely attractive. By featuring awesome lighting and video systems, hilarious skits, concert sound systems, high-energy music, TV's, computers, and a faith-based abstinence message, students become interested in the message being offered to them about their sex lives. In the first five years of operation, nearly 1000 teenagers completed the two-hour program, received a silver ring and signed an abstinence vow.

As other cities have become interested in the Silver Ring Thing, a national deployment program has been initiated. In the next three years (2001-2004), 45 U.S. cities will bring the SRT program to their community. Over 40, 000 teenagers will put on the Silver Ring and sign an abstinence pledge. Your city can participate in this exciting sexual abstinence program. Contact us at info@silverringthing.com for more information."

Every page is filled with self-righteousness... And every page has the same sickening picture at the top. The center and right of the picture holds 8 wholesome looking caucasian youth, proudly displaying their rings. The left corner holds a pair of unsmiling, gangsta-gear wearing, black men. The white kids are brightly lit, while the black men are in shadow. I didn't even notice them at first.
I feel like I'm going to vomit.

And now for my humble opinion. I think the ring of abstinence would be quite successful for a few years, and I think the religious indoctrination is completely unnecessary. I think the religious aspect will turn kids away. I find their program oppressive, rather than empowering.