(Photo by Selma Komisky)

Skewed Definitions

By Daniel Daugherty

Alright guys, let’s get straight to the point. Purity isn’t a girly concept. It’s not something that is only for women. It’s also not just something physical. It’s not just about saving yourself for marriage. It’s something that fits into every aspect of our lives. In reality, purity is a spiritual thing.

Let me explain. When you look up the definition of purity on Google, it reads, “Freedom from contamination.” In a Christian sense when we’re talking about contamination, that translates to sin. Most times we think that when you mention purity and sin together, you automatically go to sexual sin and immortality. But it really can mean anything, from lying and cheating on a quiz, to stealing. Unfortunately, with purity culture becoming more and more prominent, the definition of purity has become skewed. Hurting the definition as well, is that many guys believe that purity only affects women. That guys don’t have to be pure, so us guys can do whatever we want. Honestly, it’s a very, very sad way of thinking

We should change our way of thinking about purity. It shouldn’t be seen as a gender-specific concept, but as a human concept. And not just something that involves sex, but everything the world throws our way. Being pure is part of our commitment to God. To keep ungodly things from becoming the most important things in our lives. If we can start viewing purity as a way to live our lives in a way that glorifies God, instead of just keeping yourself pure for marriage, I think we would see more people choosing to live that lifestyle.