Gag Round Up: Christians on Women’s Modesty
Too Much Skin
In which a holier-than-thou author assumes that a mom is trying to make her daughter look like a prostitute because the toddler is wearing lip gloss
I bite my tongue a lot whenever I’m let loose in public. The other day at a large, upscale mall in Denver, I almost bit it off. A toddler was dressed in high-heeled sandals, a very short skirt and a camisole. Her curly hair was pulled up in a frilly barrette and her mother was putting gloss on her mouth in what seemed to be an attempt to “tart up” her daughter. Then the woman told her little girl, “Oh, you look so sexy! You look great!” No, she didn’t. And my whole mouth was on fire
Should a Christian Girl Wear a bikini?
In which Christian Girls are given the go-ahead to wear that two-piece, as long as they’ve done their due diligence of making sure there are no men also at the pool, in the house, in the neighbors house, or potentially walking past…
Are there any situations where a bikini might be appropriate? If a girl has no intention to cause temptations or draw attention to herself, then it might be perfectly fine for her to wear a bikini. A lot depends on the situation and location and the people around her. Just a bunch of the girls in a friend’s hot tub? Probably fine! A private swimming pool in the backyard, where no neighbors can gawk and stalk? Totally okay, so long as there are no guys present who are going to have a problem with your swimwear.
Modesty, Yoga Pants, and 5 Myths You Need to Know
A melodrama in which the author goes from degrading other women’s fitness attire to wearing it herself, to calling herself a failure at modesty, to advising other women about how they should dress… all in one post…
As we walked into the estate store Mr. M glanced at my outfit. The pants I had found in my harried search were workout capris — otherwise known as yoga pants. “You know … ” he said. “You are dressed a lot like those girls you always comment on at the gym.” We had talked about this before. Mr. M has requested, not commanded, that I refrain from wearing the pants to the gym, and really not in public at all. But I’d ignored the request, and here I was walking down the sidewalk in them. “I was kind of surprised you wore them,” he said sadly… I like those pants. I like them because not only are they comfortable — as all yoga pants are — but I look trendy. I look like one of those suburban moms with a ponytail, pushing her children through the market in a twin-seat stroller. And I like that look, regardless of the consequences.
But there are consequences.
Modeling Healthy Behavior
In which a mother is blamed for her son’s sex addiction due to having too-comfortable standards about leaving the bathroom door open.
Little Johnny grew up with a mom who lacked boundaries. As he became older, she often walked in on him in the bathroom. By the time he was sixteen, Johnny’s mom began to invite him into the bathroom while she sat naked in a tub. In one way, this reoccurring activity desensitized Johnny. Nakedness became normal and routine. His boundaries for reasonable modesty were damaged. In another way, this activity led to an unhealthy focus on the naked body where he learned to obsess over the opposite sex. In time, this objectification would lead to a lustful objectification of women. Is it any wonder that John became a sex addict? Sadly, John’s story is fairly common.
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Caveat: Obviously, since Christianity is so broad, there will be swathes of Christians who are innocent of every criticism I make. This blog isn’t about criticizing ALL of Christianity, or every Christian. I wouldn’t even argue that it is about criticizing True Christianity (whatever that is…) It’s about criticizing the Christianity that I knew, loved, and lost. It’s a personal blog with a broader application. It’s a long letter to the love of my life, who is now an ex of mine. An ex that who knows, maybe I’ll find my way back to one day…
