Amateurpoet

Is there scripture somewhere in the new testament that is written that pretty much lays out how one is expected to dress and behave in church?

It is sad. The thing that is the most painful here is that love for God is being repressed. His chosen people are being denied their freedom to practice what they believe. I pray that these Jews stand firm in their faith and continue to look to God in worship without fear.

Honestly see it all as stereotypes. While black can be seen as depressing by some, it can also be slimming. For generations we have been taught blue is a boy's color and pink is a girl's. Yet the one fact that seems to be neglected is grand artist who created them all. So why then should any color be sad at all?

That's a good point, too. Women back then didn't have baby formula, bottles, disposable diapers, diaper wipes, pacifiers, and a whole lot of other conveniences we have now. Try being on the run with a young baby that needs to be breastfed every hour or two - and what do you do about diapers? And Willamina is correct - a male figure trying to tell a woman that being pregnant is no burden or heartache is ridiculous. Yes, there are women that handle pregnancy well, but there are women who don't. My SIL for example during her last pregnancy had a very difficult time keeping any food down. As a result, she had minimal energy to function during the day. Try being on the run with that problem! Of course, that leads to the another issue - nutrition. Men who've had pregnant wives - what would you do if you were on the run with your pregnant wife and she had cravings for certain food? (Guys, you want to share any stories of what it's like to have a pregnant wife with cravings?) Cravings likely had to go without being met. Coin too could present an issue. So too could location. Imagine what the Hebrews went through went through when traveling the desert with Moses.

Civilization was very different then. There were no vehicles, phones, technology. Status and individual worth were measured so much differently too. Perhaps this reference to expecting mothers and nursing mothers could be seen in various ways. 1. Women in those times were property more so than people with value. If indeed a time of tribulation, it is likely a number of these same women were widows. When a woman became a widow in biblical times it was likely not too far off from being abandoned. For unless a member of the dead husband's family took her in, she was to likely risk returning to her own family. Or pray to find herself another husband who was willing to take on another man's sons or daughters. 2. War times were pretty rough on the common people back then. War knew no innocents. For even the innocents perished with those that fought and suffered defeat. It was also not uncommon for victorious nations to make an example out of the defeated nation by wiping out entire cities. Perhaps the reference to women and children is a metaphor of such indifference?

I used to ask myself this same question. Then I looked into the origins of Halloween. I do not like the holiday at all. Then, if we are to look at a bit of today's holidays not too many of their origins are exactly...pure. Is it wrong to celebrate it? I cannot speak with full certainty. My folks brought me up with a single rule for Hallow's Eve. That rule was: No one could dress up as anything evil. So basically no witches, zombies, monsters, devils, etc.