Modesty

[deut31:12]

I'm all for more modest clothing for women.....some of things I see, even at work, are ridiculous! Cleavage seems to be the order of the day (watch the early morning t.v. news shows!). Half the women I see shouldn't be wearing short, tight, or midriff baring anyway....not at over 200 pounds. That being said...those 'brothers' need to practice some modesty in their own dress, especially when wearing shorts, cease going shirtless in public, throw out the baggy pants that won't stay up, and get your minds out of the gutter; it's not a woman's responsibility to keep your thoughts pure. If you're stumbling in your walk it's probably your dirty mind that you're tripping over.

I agree with you 'glory2000' there needs to be more modesty in our society both men and women. If one don't know what modesty is then it is "Cover It Up" it not really about what you wear or don't wear but it is about keeping it covered.

OC

I'm all for more modest dress for men and women. I just don't think women should be responsible for men's thoughts. Nor should men think that they are not immodest when they dress in very little. What about causing us women to stumble? Huh?

You are right in that men have to take responsibility for their minds, but if I dress in an immodest way that could cause others to think impure thoughts then I am responsible before God for being a stumbling before others.

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. - Romans 14:12-13

If you look at this honestly you will see that a woman's wardrobe is much less covering than a man's. Male shirts aren't designed to show cleavage, to show midriffs, to conform to the curves of their bodies, to fit tightly, and/or mad of 1/3 to 1/2 of the material. I.e., I used to work at a place that sold sports uniforms to High Schools. There was one uniform that was made for both male and female in the same colors and material, but the woman's uniform had higher cut shorts and a showing midriff.

Look at people who go swimming. Males have shorts that come down to their knees, but women look like they are wearing 3 eye patches.

The feminine qualities and attractions of women have always been ways to attract men. That is why they would have immodest women in advertisements selling cars, motorcycles, tools, etc. Many women today dress the way they do in showing cleavage, legs, midriffs, formfitting, etc. for the attention of men.

The greatest carnal attraction for man is woman and today woman are using that to their advantage.

I have an 8 year old daughter that we have to buy boys clothes for because even at her age a lot of clothing in the stores around here are to tight, already starting to reveal cleavage, and/or show midriffs. A teenager last year wrote to a major department store asking that they please bring back the modest clothing because everything they are carrying is now bent towards the defining of a woman's body.

Do you know how hard it is to talk to a woman who looks like she is about ready to fall out of her blouse?

It may be up to the men to control their minds, but women don't need to be making it any harder. This also is sin before God.

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; - 1 Timothy 2:9

[deut31:12]

If you're stumbling in your walk it's probably your dirty mind that you're tripping over.

Exactly. We should all strive to be as modest as we can so as not to tempt others, but you can think impure thoughts if no one is dressed immodestly. We are not held accountable for others' thoughts, just our own actions and thoughts.

We are also held accountable for other's thoughts if I am a stumbling for their thoughts to go astray. If I was a woman who walked around in public showing a lot of cleavage, wearing tight clothing, showing midriff, etc. I would be responsible for every thought that would go astray that looked at what I was advertising. Where it would be a sin for the men is if they continued to stare in lust and every lustful thought that I would indulge in as a result of it.

So, basically, if I am walking in public and walk right by a very immodest woman, and happen to catch what she looks like passing by, I don't sin if I gird up my mind and keep walking. If I happen to stare out of lust then I sin in my mind. The woman sins before God because of her immodesty and because she has made herself a stumbling block for everybody who sees her.

If I stare at a woman who is NOT immodest and have impure thoughts then I am the only one who sins and the woman is not at fault before God.

[deut31:12]

I'm all for more modest clothing for women.....some of things I see, even at work, are ridiculous! Cleavage seems to be the order of the day (watch the early morning t.v. news shows!). Half the women I see shouldn't be wearing short, tight, or midriff baring anyway....not at over 200 pounds. That being said...those 'brothers' need to practice some modesty in their own dress, especially when wearing shorts, cease going shirtless in public, throw out the baggy pants that won't stay up, and get your minds out of the gutter; it's not a woman's responsibility to keep your thoughts pure. If you're stumbling in your walk it's probably your dirty mind that you're tripping over.

I agree it is a two-way street but I have to be honest, speaking as a man...

...it confuses me when women who expose themselves act shocked when men stare. I try to be pure of mind but it is hard in certain enviroments. I lock out the "bad" channels on my satelite but it is hard to lock out trips to Wal-mart.

Amen, brother, I hear ya. One guy says he prays for the woman that God will save her or show her how wrong she is if she's already saved.

It would help if Pastors would preach on these subjects. People seem more inclined to listen to them rather than an ordinary person like me.

A lot of people won't accept it because they either don't or won't see it as wrong. My ex-wife and I have a 16 year old daughter who was growing into womanhood physically at the age of 11-12 years old and she quickly started wearing clothing to show herself off. Her mother's motto was "if you got you flaunt it". For years we have had many disagreements with our daughter's immodest attire. As long as her mother keeps telling her there is nothing wrong with it our daughter will keep fighting me what is appropriate wear.

It seems that a lot of girls, and women, don't see that dressing immodestly is wrong. As long as we have parents, television, movies, magazines, friends, etc., ushering in and breaking down the walls of intolerance for immodesty the battle of how detrimental immodesty really is will never have the proper impact and we will always be in a stalemate against women and men who don't see it as wrong nor the negative impact. I think most people do it for personal impact in that they want the attention of people looking at them and/or responding.

[deut31:12]

It would help if Pastors would preach on these subjects. People seem more inclined to listen to them rather than an ordinary person like me.

Never sell yourself short.

Lead by example.

Sometimes our actions speak louder than anything we could have ever said.

I wholeheartedly agree!

Amen. We're a light shining on a hill. We should act like we belong to God. We should be compassionate enough to care about anothers weakness.

Most of the women in my church use small blankets to put over their laps when they wear dresses in church. It's just a considerate choice.

[MorningGlory]

If you're stumbling in your walk it's probably your dirty mind that you're tripping over.

Exactly. We should all strive to be as modest as we can so as not to tempt others, but you can think impure thoughts if no one is dressed immodestly. We are not held accountable for others' thoughts, just our own actions and thoughts.

We are also held accountable for other's thoughts if I am a stumbling for their thoughts to go astray. If I was a woman who walked around in public showing a lot of cleavage, wearing tight clothing, showing midriff, etc. I would be responsible for every thought that would go astray that looked at what I was advertising. Where it would be a sin for the men is if they continued to stare in lust and every lustful thought that I would indulge in as a result of it.

So, basically, if I am walking in public and walk right by a very immodest woman, and happen to catch what she looks like passing by, I don't sin if I gird up my mind and keep walking. If I happen to stare out of lust then I sin in my mind. The woman sins before God because of her immodesty and because she has made herself a stumbling block for everybody who sees her.

If I stare at a woman who is NOT immodest and have impure thoughts then I am the only one who sins and the woman is not at fault before God.

There's a lot of merit to what you say. I know that men are much more attuned to the visual and less toward the cerebral than us females. I also know that the 'bare all' clothing of today is demeaning even to women who don't wear it; such as myself. In fact, with the high percentage of overweight women today I'm surprised they sell any of this stuff....but that's another topic. Men should still live by the same rules though.....

[Guest LadyC]

if a woman is wearing a top that allows anyone to see the colour of the bra underneath when she bends over, she DOES need to change her top.

if a woman is wearing bottoms (of any wort) with words written across the butt, she IS intentionally inviting men to "chase her tail".

the purse strap thing is a little ridiculous considering that it is a safety measure, and those who do choose to wear their purse in such a manner really can't avoid it accentuating their breasts.

don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[MorningGlory]

if a woman is wearing a top that allows anyone to see the colour of the bra underneath when she bends over, she DOES need to change her top.

if a woman is wearing bottoms (of any wort) with words written across the butt, she IS intentionally inviting men to "chase her tail".

the purse strap thing is a little ridiculous considering that it is a safety measure, and those who do choose to wear their purse in such a manner really can't avoid it accentuating their breasts.

don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

I agree, Lady C., common sense should prevail. Somewhere between a burkha and miniskirts with a tube top is what we should strive for.

[Guest LadyC]

i should have proofed what i wrote... when you quoted me i noticed a major typo! that should be "of any sort", not "any wort" LOL.

the older i get, the less i like miniskirts. although i do like skorts, as long as they aren't too short.

[MorningGlory]

i should have proofed what i wrote... when you quoted me i noticed a major typo! that should be "of any sort", not "any wort" LOL.

the older i get, the less i like miniskirts. although i do like skorts, as long as they aren't too short.

Yep; after 35 miniskirts are just silly. (Unless you're Tina Turner. ) I didn't notice the 'wort' in your post but .... it's pretty funny!

[Openly Curious]

I think this has a little bit of a twist on it but I believe it's true. Fiirst I want to say I wholeheartly believe in modesty and I practice it and I think Christian men and woman and even your children should do the same.

But I don't think that every man or woman who looks at men or women that looks provacitively neccesarily has lust in their hearts.

I mean I'll admit once I was at a shopping mall and a man got out in shorts and I told the person who was with me that he had pretty legs and I absoulutly know I did not have any kind of lust in my heart at all I just noticed he had pretty legs.

Now the man was dressed modest to me as he had long shorts even but some would say that is wrong and I certainly respect every one's view. But I think it is the same with men not every time you look at a woman doesn't mean you want to go to bed with her nor are you dreaming this just as women and men do. I am talking about those that look because it is put in front of them and it so natural to look at things and that includes people.

Not every Christian man is guilty of lusting after a woman wanting to take her to bed comitting adultery. Just becuse you see does not mean you have your heart filled with lust and it's the same with women. You can only commit adultery men if you take her to bed acting on the lust that has already filled your heart before you even saw the woman to lust after,

If you can understand what I'm saying it ought to lift a burden off the men who realize just because they see a woman not dressed right doesn't mean you have lust in your hreart nor guilty of adultery And it's the same with the women you may see a good looking man but it does't mean you want to sleep with him nor do you have lust in your heart and you are not guilty of fornication or adultery.

So this ought to give woman peace also.

OC