No Sex "Purity Ring" Schoolgirl Goes To Court

A teenage schoolgirl is going to court to appeal to High Court in the UK to overturn a ban on her wearing a "purity ring" at school to symbolize her decision to abstain from sex before marriage.

Sixteen-year-old Lydia Playfoot says the silver ring is an expression of her faith and should be exempt from the school's rules on wearing jewellery.

"It is really important to me because in the Bible it says we should do this. Muslims are allowed to wear headscarves and other faiths can wear bangles and other types of jewellery. It feels like Christians are being discriminated against".

Her lawyers will argue that her right to express religious belief is upheld by the Human Rights Act.

Lydia's parents help run the British arm of the American campaign group called the 'Silver Ring Thing', which promotes abstinence among young people.

Members wear a ring on the third finger of the left hand. It is inscribed with "Thess. 4:3-4," a reference to a Biblical passage from Thessalonians which reads: "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin".

UPDATE:

The teen has lost a High Court fight against the ban. "I am very disappointed by the decision this morning by the High Court not to allow me to wear my purity ring to school as an expression of my Christian faith not to have sex outside marriage," she said.

"I believe that the judge's decision will mean that slowly, over time, people such as school governors, employers, political organizations and others will be allowed to stop Christians from publicly expressing and practicing their faith."

Those who sign up wear a ring on the third finger of the left hand. It is inscribed with "Thess. 4:3-4," a reference to a Biblical passage from Thessalonians which reads: "God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin."

During the case, Playfoot's lawyers argued that the ban by her school breached her human rights to "freedom of thought, conscience and religion" which are protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.

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