Imagine this: You’re a 16-year-old Christian girl from middle America, who happens to believe in abstinence as a religious choice. You attend a session from a popular abstinence-based program and are given a sterling silver ring inscribed with a Bible verse, to remind you of your choice. It is reminiscent of a crucifix worn by many Catholic students, or perhaps a headscarf worn by Muslim schoolgirls around the globe. However, your school, which just so happens to have a strict jewelry policy, banned you from wearing your ring.

This is exactly what happened to Lydia Playfoot of West Sussex, UK. She is appealing her school’s rule on her ring wearing to London’s High Court. According to an article from Reuters, Playfoot says that the ring is an expression of her faith and should be exempt from the school’s rules on wearing jewelry.

Playfoot’s parents run the British leg of the popular program “Silver Ring Thing,” which promotes abstinence among ‘tweens and teens. Members who participate in the program (which one of my sisters did a few years ago with her Youth Group…she thought it was pretty funny and the program taught her a lot with a humorous twist) are given a ring inscribed with “Thess. 4:3-4,” a Bible passage speaking about sexual sin.

I think that the fact that Playfoot was not allowed to wear such a ring is ridiculous. The school apparently does not ban Muslim headscarves or Sheikh bracelets. It is some of our basic human rights to have religious freedom, and I feel that we should be able to wear symbols telling us so, no matter what those symbols may be. The video I linked to above also mentions another woman who worked for British Airways. The airline banned her from wearing a cross necklace until they finally turned their decision around.

The school said that they would only make an exemption if the symbol was an essential part of the girl’s religion, which to them it isn’t. I think that is atrocious, because remaining a virgin until marriage is a huge part of my religion. I think that having such a ring is a great way for girls like Lydia to remind themselves of their choice, and to help them remain steadfast in their decision. Also, I think that it’s a great way to spark debate in schools, and to let kids know that they have a second option to sex.