More on the 'Purity Ball'

I posted the link to the Colorado Springs Gazette's story yesterday, and this morning the New York Times also published a substantial piece, including a photo of the men with the swords.

Here's a local mother on what the event means to her family:

In a word....the Father-Daughter Purity Ball is about Daddy being his daughter's knight in shining armor until her earthly prince comes for her. Our daughters are beautiful and I suspect we may have occasion to meet many would-be princes who would sweep them off their feet. If their Daddy doesn't teach them to stay pure in mind, body, heart and soul....how will they know which one the Lord has chosen for them?

Egad. And Colin Morton pointed out the poor choice of words in the NYT's tagline for their article:

At the Purity Ball, fathers and daughters unite to make public pledges of sexual abstinence until marriage.

So romantic!