Virginity/sexual abstinence pledges:

True Love Waits^®;
Products associated with abstinence pledges.

Sponsored link.

True Love Waits^®:

The largest of the abstinence groups is believed to be True Love Waits^®. Organized in 1993, they report that 2.4 million youths have signed their abstinence card. It originally stated:

"Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, those I date, and my future mate to be sexually pure until the day I enter marriage."

A more recent version reads:

"Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship." ₁

In the newer version, the commitment involves the person's future children. The term "biblical marriage relationship" apparently is intended to exclude same-sex couples and those who enter a common-law marriage.

The True Love Waits (TLW) concept was first presented as a possible campaign for youths on 1992-SEP-9. Richard Ross suggested it during a conservative Christian brainstorming session. In October of that year, TLW was presented to LifeWay Christian Resources leaders for integration with their Christian Sex Education Plan. Lifeway Christian Resources is part of the Southern Baptist Convention; it operates 122 LifeWay conservative Christian stores in the U.S. and two large Christian conference centers.

TLW held its first meeting on 1993-JAN-13 in Nashville TN. In 1993-FEB, the youth group at Tulip Grove Baptist Church in Hermitage TN was the first to sign TLW commitment cards. TLW was formally launched at the Youth Ministry National Conference in Nashville TN on 1993-APR-21, By mid 1993-JUN, 100,000 signed commitment cards were presented at the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston, TX. In Atlanta GA on 1996-FEB-11, 340,000 cards were stacked to the roof of the Georgia Dome and beyond. ₂

Products associated with abstinence pledges:

The abstinence until marriage movement has created a cottage industry of posters, T-shirts, bookmarks, tattoos, fridge magnets, bracelets, pencils, balloons, bumper stickers, rings, lapel pins, necklaces, pendants, books, videos, literature etc. which promote the abstinence concept.

References used:

1. Chris White, "Group suggestions for introduction to True Love Waits," Page 10, at: http://www.lifeway.com/ This is a PDF file. You may require software to read it. Software can be obtained free from: 
2. "History: Highlights from our past," LifeWay, at: http://www.lifeway.com/
3. "Abstinence Education," Heritage House '76, at: http://www.hh76.com/
4. "True Love Waits purity jewelry," BiblePainters http://stores.ebay.com/
5. "True Love Commitment Ring," Global Jewelry, at: http://www.globaljewelry.us/

Copyright © 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally posted: 2005-MAR-20
Latest update: 2005-MAR-29
Author: B.A. Robinson