Silver Ring Thing
Silver Ring Thing
Silver Ring Thing is a United States-based sexual abstinence program which encourages teens and young adults to remain celibate until marriage. Based on Christian theology and until recently funded by the U.S. federal government, SRT uses rock/hip hop concert-style events in an attempt to appeal to 21st century teenagers. It was set up by pastor Denny Pattyn while working at a Christian youth ministry in Yuma, Arizona, in 1996
Silver Ring Thing promotes the message of abstinence until marriage centered in a relationship with Jesus Christ through two methods: a Live Event and a small group resource called Project 434. Since 1995, SRT has hosted 750+ events in 8 countries, reaching more than 465,000 total attendees. We welcome the opportunity to bring this program to your community and partner with you to impact students and parents with the truth of God’s plan for purity.
Initially, SRT was funded entirely by private sources, but beginning in 2003, SRT began receiving money from the federal faith-based initiatives program. By 2004, SRT had received more than US $1,100,000 in U.S. government federal funding.
In 2004, SRT began expanding operations into the United Kingdom, with mixed results. While some teens in the UK embraced the message of abstinence, others rejected and ridiculed SRT for being anti-sex and unrealistic. Critics have stated that it seems unlikely that abstinence programs will attract widespread support in the UK because of the UK’s different attitude about sexuality and sex education, but the group’s Assistant National Director for the UK, Denise Pfeiffer, says there is a real need for such a movement in the UK to curb what she sees as the ever-increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies, both of which she claims are the highest in Western Europe.
This SRT is already engage in some popular culture, whether in contra or agree about this act, for instance, A parody of SRT is depicted in the Family Guy episode Prick Up Your Ears, called ‘Opal Ring Crusade’. An episode of The War at Home (TV series) titled ‘Like a Virgin’ features a character who is a member of the “Silver Ring Society” and wears a silver ring while pledging abstinence.[citation needed]
In the horror-black comedy Teeth (film), the main character is a teenage spokesperson for a Christian Abstinence group called The Promise, which gives purity rings to schoolchildren, followed by a rave party. The first episode of the 13th season of South Park ‘The Ring’ greatly parodies chastity rings. Also, The Jonas Brothers are known for wearing these rings.