Poll: Jewelry, Rings, and Bands

[DarkShallNotPrevail]

I would agree with other posters; the way I've taken the verses referring to gold/pearls/etc was in the context of not being ostentatious or showy.

When my husband and I first got engaged, I worked and went to college in a very secular environment, and it was important to him that I have a clear token of our engagement. So I did wear a ring he picked out for me, based on one of our favorite books, and it was special to us. We do wear simple wedding bands as well now. But we're also not very plain, to be fair.

[Praxis+Theodicy]

When my wife and I committed to trying to move to join a church where the wedding ring is not practiced, I decided to start right away with not wearing mine. I don't have a strong personal conviction about it, but I understand and appreciate the reasons for abstaining from wearing one.

Then during a garage sale I accidentally gave away a bookbag to a customer, and it turns out this was where my wife had decided to stash our wedding rings and her diamond engagement ring. So there's really no turning back now.

[twinpines]

My wife and I attend a conservative independent mennonite church and still wear our wedding rings, one reason we are not members yet. (My wife has dropped her engagement ring however). This is my personal experience with it. At the time my wife and I got married we were living in different states and due to the circumstances we continued to live a part for another 2 months till we were both done with school. At the time of the wedding, I was church hunting. Prior to the wedding, every time I visit a new church, several single girls would come up to me before I left and try to strike up a conversation. After I got married and hence had a wedding ring on, visited many more churches and never once ever had even one single girl ever attempt to strike up a conservation again. At least in the Baptist circles that I was in at the time, the wedding ring had an effect on peoples behavior. Now I work in emergency medicine, and occasionally have to do invasive exams which I absolutely hate doing by the way. Several times, I have been told by female patients that they notice my wedding ring and feel much more comfortable knowing that I am married. I prefer wearing the wedding ring because it lets society know that I am married and I live in a state where plain people are basically non-existent save for the small Mennonite church we attend. Also we don't live particularly close to the church, over an hour away so really no one around us in our community is familiar with Mennonites. As others have stated, I still struggle to find any biblical reasons or evidence of the early church being opposed to the wedding ring. In fact, in every reference I find to the wedding ring in the early church, it is only in support of it

[MaxPC]

My wife and I attend a conservative independent mennonite church and still wear our wedding rings, one reason we are not members yet. (My wife has dropped her engagement ring however). This is my personal experience with it. At the time my wife and I got married we were living in different states and due to the circumstances we continued to live a part for another 2 months till we were both done with school. At the time of the wedding, I was church hunting. Prior to the wedding, every time I visit a new church, several single girls would come up to me before I left and try to strike up a conversation. After I got married and hence had a wedding ring on, visited many more churches and never once ever had even one single girl ever attempt to strike up a conservation again. At least in the Baptist circles that I was in at the time, the wedding ring had an effect on peoples behavior. Now I work in emergency medicine, and occasionally have to do invasive exams which I absolutely hate doing by the way. Several times, I have been told by female patients that they notice my wedding ring and feel much more comfortable knowing that I am married. I prefer wearing the wedding ring because it lets society know that I am married and I live in a state where plain people are basically non-existent save for the small Mennonite church we attend. Also we don't live particularly close to the church, over an hour away so really no one around us in our community is familiar with Mennonites. As others have stated, I still struggle to find any biblical reasons or evidence of the early church being opposed to the wedding ring. In fact, in every reference I find to the wedding ring in the early church, it is only in support of it

Your experiences with the ring are similar to ours. In some areas and cultures, the lack of a ring means the person is unattached. We have worn our wedding rings to avoid uncomfortable encounters with the opposite sex who are assuming we are free to enter a relationship. Our rings were purchased in a second hand shop for 5 quid.

Of course at my age I do not think any female would flirt now.

[mrbilliam]

Prodigal son was given a ring by the Father.

[ken_sylvania]

Prodigal son was given a ring by the Father.

The local State Troopers like to do the same. When they catch a bank robber around here they put a ring on his hand.

[Heirbyadoption]

Prodigal son was given a ring by the Father.

In an utterly different context from marriage. Until you recognize that fact and quit attempting to force it to mean something else (aka eisegesis), this discussion won't really go anywhere, unfortunately.

[steve-in-kville]

Prodigal son was given a ring by the Father.

The local State Troopers like to do the same. When they catch a bank robber around here they put a ring on his hand.

You mean matching bracelets?

[Soloist]

Wife: Amazon had an ad today for smart rings, which I decided to go on a bunny trail and look up, and they basically are like a smart watch, except a ring, and can be used for health and fitness tracking. I also stumbled upon an anxiety ring, which I looked at just to try to figure out how that works, and it’s apparently a fidget ring for $25 at Walmart so that you can fidget at work or school without everyone knowing it. I told hubby that I do not want a ring, but if I did ever have a ring, that would be the one I wanted. I can only imagine someone proposing with a fidget ring. Terribly romantic and practical for the right type of woman

In other news, silver jewelry is not supposed to be used while using cleaning supplies. Go figure.

[Coifi]

Coming from an Anglican background and then moving to the Orthodox Church, I cannot understand why there is such a blanket prohibition again jeweler these communities. @Ernie, can you take pity on a poor, ignorant Orthodox Christian and explain why? And maybe add in a bit of commentary regarding this topic in relationship with Colossians 2:20-23?

I bring this up knowing full well that the same request for commentary with respect to something like fasting applies to me, but the Orthodox Church has an interpretation that addresses the apparent contradiction and I trust that Anabaptists have the same. I merely seek to find the points of continuity and discontinuity between us.