Religions' objections to tampons

[Skeptic]

How true is it that some religions oppose the use of tampons. It's hard to verify as there are so many joke sites claiming this, but there must be some background to it.

[Mama Duck]

I've never heard of any moral objections to tampons. Granted, I know very little of the inner workings of fundamentalist churches. But Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Episcopals, and Reformed Jewish have no known rules against tampons that I know of.

[diddy]

The only group that I can think of that would object would be the group that avoids all medical treatment (I think they are a branch of Mormon's but don't quote me on that)

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by diddy

The only group that I can think of that would object would be the group that avoids all medical treatment (I think they are a branch of Mormon's but don't quote me on that)

Do you mean Christian Scientists? They have little to do with the LDS/Mormons, other than both being American movements begun well over a century ago based on a charismatic leader.

[diddy]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

Do you mean Christian Scientists? They have little to do with the LDS/Mormons, other than both being American movements begun well over a century ago based on a charismatic leader.

That might be what I was thinking of, and my memory just associated them with Mormonism. I really cannot be sure anymore since it is such a faint memory.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

I could believe cultures that place an inordinate importance on a woman being demonstrably a virgin when she marries being opposed to the use of tampons, since that would require stretching or breaking the hymen.

[Buckle Up]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

I could believe cultures that place an inordinate importance on a woman being demonstrably a virgin when she marries being opposed to the use of tampons, since that would require stretching or breaking the hymen.

Not necessarily.

[Towknie]

Satan's little cotton fingers

In all seriousness, when I lived abroad, some of the female teachers had difficulty getting tampons as they were only sold in pharmacies (vs pads which were sold everywhere), and attempts of purchase would be met with interrogations about marital status.

[zephyra]

Is it just me, or was that entire article reminiscent of Stephen King's Carrie?

[vanilla]

Originally Posted by Towknie

In all seriousness, when I lived abroad, some of the female teachers had difficulty getting tampons as they were only sold in pharmacies (vs pads which were sold everywhere), and attempts of purchase would be met with interrogations about marital status.

Because they are only allowed to be inserted by men?

WTH? WHy does it matter if a woman is married to purchase tampons?

[franjava]

Originally Posted by A Turtle Named Mack

I could believe cultures that place an inordinate importance on a woman being demonstrably a virgin when she marries being opposed to the use of tampons, since that would require stretching or breaking the hymen.

An old family friend thought exactly that. "You are no longer a virgin." She was Baptist, but so was my tampon using Mother. Not a religious decision, but a "moral" one for sure.