I just read something about it (in dutch), so i don't have an immediate good link for you english folks. I just googled for purity balls and picked the 2 first articles that seemed to cover it:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070322/lf ... 0322082138
http://www.glamour.com/news/articles/20 ... balls07feb

So if you read it, you now know that it's balls as in dance-party thingie, not as in .. well balls.
If you didn't read it, definition by wikipedia:

A Purity Ball (also known as a "Father Daughter Purity Ball") is a formal event attended by fathers and their daughters. These events promote virginity before marriage for teenaged girls, and are often closely associated with U.S. Christian churches, particularly evangelical Christians.

So what do you guys think of it? Harmless or a way to 'brainwash' your children? I think it's parents avoiding their responsibility to teach children about safe sex etc. If can imagine if anything happens (like the daughter gets pregnant), they'll be like "but you promised to stay a virgin". Instead of telling her how the pill or a condom work.

Hmm diner time, gf is telling me to stop posting. Nag nag nag.

I think it would be an awesome place to pick up desperate virgins. Wait, how old are these girls?

I think it's ridiculous and kind of sad, you know those promises are broken on the first possible occasion anyway.

mixed thoughts on it, i have no problems with the no sex til marriage beliefs, but i do have problems with ideas being forced onto others. So I guess if it is just a "this is one way" kinda thing then fine, but if its a "this is how you WILL do it" thing then they're stupid in my eyes.

I agree Pevil, i don't have trouble with the idea of keeping virginity, everybody has to make up his/her own mind about that.
But how i see it in this case is that the parents decide that's this is the way it will be. These girls often don't have a clue what it's about probably. It's just a party where they get to wear fancy dresses. And probably recieve gifts.

Btw Mole, i think there are girls from 7 years and such, so ehm ... probably not the best idea to pick up some virgins there.

lol, what're you on about? Egyptians will give you many camels for 7 year old virgins, we could have a massive import export business!

Virgin, no virgin... converge to the same thing. But to be a virgin to death... that sux, IMO.

Regarding the original issue, I dont really give a damn. People can do what they want, but i know if I had a daughter, I wouldnt bother with that crap.

Agreed derf!