Category: Modesty

Responses from a recent poll indicated that sexually addictive behaviors are not foreign inside churches, and a large number of women in the pews struggle with the same temptations as men, The Christian Post reports. According to a poll by ChristiaNet.com and Second Glance Ministries, half of all Christian men are addicted to pornography. That may be nothing new, but the poll found 20 percent of all Christian women to be addicts to pornography. Additional findings showed 60 percent of the female respondents admitted to having significant struggles with lust, 40 percent admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year, and 20 percent of the church-going female participants struggled with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis.

Religion Today Summaries – Aug. 11, 2006
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff
Crosswalk.com

Analysis:

The statistics mentioned above are of course, disturbing. “Half of all Christian men are addicted to pornography.” Of course, this article defines “Christian” rather loosely. It has reference to those in the denominational world, many of which are not only steeped in doctrinal error, but have also never renounced as immoral the lusts of the flesh. Having said that, only the naïve will claim that pornography is not a problem in the Lord’s church.

And now, we read that some women are struggling with the sin of lasciviousness as well. There are cultural reasons for this, as we are living in a society which has lost its respect for female modesty. Men have objectified women, and women have often contributed to the problem by parading themselves about in unseemly dress. One of the byproducts of such ungodliness is that more and more women have become sexually predatory and aggressive. Profanity, the objectification of men and promiscuity is common.

It seems that calling the woman the “fairer sex”, and seeking to protect the sensibilities of the female is no longer applicable in at least certain parts of our ungodly society. In the face of such crassness, the apostle Peter described the type of woman a Christian lady should be. Notice the difference: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward–arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel– rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:1-4).

Brethren, we live in a world where immorality is the rule rather than the exception. It is a challenge to keep ourselves pure, and we must maintain diligence to present ourselves acceptable to God in our time.

I recently came across an article from the online edition of the Kansas City Star, detailing objections of the Chinese government to scenes contained in the recently released movie, Mission Impossible III.

The movie contains a few scenes shot in Shanghai, which the Chinese government finds objectionable. Of course, most are aware of the fact that China’s government is repressive, and does not allow the almost unlimited expression of free speech we see in other societies.

Continue reading “In The News: Movie Nudity – A Moral Issue” →

(Click here to view the Baldo cartoon to which this post refers)

(To those who are unable to view the cartoon, or if the link ceases working, the cartoon consists of four frames.  The first three frames show Baldo’s little sister talking about how she had been looking at bugs and insects, and saying that you can learn a lot by staring at nature’s beautiful creatures.  She then asks Baldo, who is dressed in his swim trunks with a towel over his shoulder, where he is going.  In the last frame, Baldo puts on his cool sunglasses, and says, “I’m heading to the public swimming pool, to work on my doctorate!”)

On June 21st, summer officially began.  Of course, the hot weather has been around for some time now, and as is the case every year, is the reason why many drop any pretensions of modesty in the name of comfort and fashion.

The world embraces immodest dress, and as seen in the cartoon above, does not hesitate to glory in lasciviousness.  In this, the world seems more able to see the nature of immodest dress:  “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8).

Young ladies, please understand that young Baldo in the cartoon above is not the only young man who seeks a doctorate from staring at the female form.  The cartoon was written because of its obvious truth.  No Christian lady should ever be guilty of parading herself in front of the leering men.  “In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.” (1 Timothy 2:9-10).

ROME (Reuters) – An Italian priest is resorting to some innovative theology to rid his church of young women’s bare midriffs.

“God knew what your navel looked like even before you were born, so there is no need to expose it in church,” commands a sign at the entrance to the church in Cinisello Balsamo.

Guards at major churches in Italy routinely keep out people wearing skimpy attire. But Father Felice says he resorted to the signs because his parish cannot afford guards to keep out the low-cut jeans and high-cut tops, newspapers reported Monday.

Monday, 6/5/2006 Reuters

Analysis:

It is summer, and clothes are coming off… all over the world. It is to the point that people are not only willing to dress immodestly, but they are not hesitant to do so in places where it is offensive to others.

Continue reading “In The News: No More Navel Gazing in Church” →

AUSTIN – Forget education reform and taxes. On Tuesday, the Texas House turned its attention to a measure dubbed “the booty bill,” voting to crack down on cheerleaders who perform sexually suggestive routines at school-sponsored events.

The legislation, which passed 65-56, would give the state and school districts more power to shut down or punish drill teams, dance squads, cheerleaders or “any other performance group” that perform ribald acts.

Many members chortled, joked and jovially waved blue and white pompoms during the debate, but the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, said the legislation is no laughing matter.

“Girls can get out and do these overtly sexual performances and we applaud them. And that’s not right,” said Edwards, an ordained minister. “This is the beginning of an era to change some of what we’ve been seeing.”

Though Edwards is a Democrat, most in his party opposed the bill while most Republicans voted in favor.

Opponents said the bill has already made Texas a national laughingstock, can’t be enforced and gives the state a power that should be reserved exclusively for local school districts&ldots;

…State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, said the bill was embarrassing and insulting, particularly as more pressing issues — like a major overhaul of the state’s school finance system — await consideration.

“We can’t legislate morality,” Thompson said. “I don’t know how this bill got to the floor. It’s stupid!”

The measure, which would still have to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law, would allow the Texas Education Agency to require that school districts review possibly lewd performances.

If the school district determined that the act was conducted in an “overtly sexually suggestive manner,” they would have to take unspecified “appropriate action” against the performers and the performers’ sponsor.

Will Harrell, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the legislation was too vague, petty and “patently unconstitutional.”

“This broad, morally restrictive legislation reminds me of the Taliban,” Harrell said, referring to the former hard-line regime in Afghanistan. “Why not go all the way? Why not require them all to wear a burka?”

Ft. Worth Star Telegram
Jay Root

Analysis:

I purposefully printed most of the article, as it speaks for itself. While I will not comment on the wisdom of the legislation itself, the present attitudes toward what is obviously lasciviousness is interesting:

• The view that we can’t legislate morality is obviously not so. Laws against murder, for example, do just that.

• We live in a society in which many think that any limitation of prurient activity is tantamount to fascism.

• The world recognizes that the routines and dress of cheerleaders are sexually suggestive. Why is it that so many Christian parents still allow their daughters to participate?

There is a simple mathematical principle that children learn early on in their education, as they are taught “sets” of numbers.

Simply, we could state that one set of numbers would be all “positive, whole” numbers. The set would be described in the following manner:

{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,…}

Within that set of whole numbers, we could have a subset of all odd whole numbers that have a positive value. Described as:

{1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,…}

Other similar sets could be represented in similar ways. Continue reading “Sets and Subsets” →

(Modesty, Dancing & Behavior)

Dress

When I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving, as a high school assignment, I was struck by a short passage which I have remembered since as the “ankle passage.” At the time, I was struck with how times had changed, regarding the morals of the day. Recently, I read the short story again, and came across the passage. It is a description of a young woman, (a bit of a flirt), who was the object of Ichabod Crane’s attention. Here is an excerpt: Continue reading “A Little of a Coquette” →

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Guards at the St. Joseph County Jail are doing double duty as fashion police, enforcing new regulations that prohibit visitors from wearing scanty attire.

The new rules are on a sign posted at the jail entrance, the South Bend Tribune reported Tuesday. See-through tops, mini skirts and short shorts are out, and underwear is required to remain invisible. Hats also are banned, since they can be used to smuggle items into the jail or may be a gang emblem.

“A lot of people have gotten away with inappropriate clothing in the past. Hopefully this will prevent it,” said Keith Rininger, director of inmate services at the jail.

Warm weather brings out more bare skin, but sometimes visitors bare even more, officials say.

“We’ve had women flash the men they come in to see,” Rininger said.

In the confines of a jail, such behavior can cause problems, he said. “I don’t know how to put it delicately, but when men are locked up for a long time and they see their girlfriend, or their wife, or someone else’s girlfriend, it can cause tension. That’s not a good thing in this kind of environment,” he said.

AP, May 19, 2004

Analysis:

It is that time of the year again when temperatures rise and clothes are shed. The above article makes note of the effect which insufficient clothing has on men.

Continue reading “Jail Imposes Dress Code for Visitors” →