In the book of Genesis, it is written that our awareness of our nakedness began after Adam & Eve consumed the forbidden fruit (the fruit of knowledge of good and evil), that causes the whole universe and humanity fell into a sinful state of being.
Genesis 3 7.* Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. 10.* He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." 11.* And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" Awareness of nakedness is related to guilt and shame. Primitive tribes wear minimum clothes/ nothing and they do not feel naked/ ashamed. If we ask the opinion of primitive tribes about these modern sport outfit, they might say these modern sport women are overdressed for such activity, because their own women do daily activity naked and their men do not see them as naked. On the contrary, we as modern people, we focus our mind on nakedness, we see women as naked regardless they are naked or not really. The latter, according to the bible, is related to our guilt and shame. Whose guilt and whose shame? The naked primitive tribe & sporty women? In my opinion, no. It's the beholder's own guilt and shame. Living in the sinful nature of the world do not mean one commit sin until one does. When it happens, he/ she will most of the time blame others for their own poor choices in life. I am talking about adultery, porn, lust. The fact that there are wide spectrum of cultural dress code among different cultures (and even within moslem culture alone, there is spectrum from sayla to burqua) shows the arbitrary nature of cultural dress code. Dress code should be about cultural dress propriety and not about building prejudice towards people based on their dress. Example of building prejudice: we praise men who wear long trousers and long sleeves as "being a good person", and then we condemn men who wear short-sleve & bermuda/ jeans as "being a bad person". Dress code should not be allowed to devalue anyone's dignity as a human person. It's should be about cultural politeness with no relation to "being morally good or bad as a person, in relation to how they dress", because our dress can't decide a person's value/ dignity. Two aspects of dress code: First, decency should be decided by the members of the community about what is decent/ indecent dress. If it is a gendered-dress-code, then it should be decided by the said gender and not by the opposite gender that has nothing to do & will not wear the dress. Second, dress code standard must be reasonable. Example: if you go for sport, then you should dress according to sport activity. It is unreasonable to demand a person to dress for sport activity in a way that makes him/ her can't do the sport activity. Another example of dress code being reasonable: If you go to work, then you should dress according to the demand of the job. |
it is more understandable for Christians, and I think that the understanding is similar to the understanding of Muslims on the subject.
You gave interesting examples for the arguments.
So, you believe that Scripture advices relates to a specific time and culture?
1 Timothy 2:9-10
9: I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,
10: but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
1 Peter 3:1-6
3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
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Similarity between Mennonite, Christian and Moslem dress code is arguable, because it only relies on stereotypes. Besides, among the moslem themselves are wide range of opinion. For example those who believe in burqua would consider sayla/ hijab indecent. Exposing ankle is indecent, thus if the fabric too short a few centimeters is seen as a wrong doing. Exposing lips and neck is sensual. But for me, it is normal for a person to show their face head neck just as the primitive tribe belive that its normal to dress according to their culture.
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1 Timothy 2:9-10 9: I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10: but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. |
verse 9:
the primitive tribe consider their traditional woman dress code (which consist of minimum leaves being sewn together around the groin area a MODESTY according to their stadard. Thus if these primitive men&women read Timothy2:9, the women wouldn't be guilty of anything, and the men wouldn't condemn the women either: it's their proper traditional dress code.
verse 10:
good deeds and appropriate dress are actually two different issues. If it is translated as modesty, again to dress appropriately is as explained in my previous post: decent and reasonable according to community standard.
Quote:
| 1 Peter 3:1-6 3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. |
verse 3: all the more reason we should not pay attention to outward look, because outward look doesn't represent inner beauty
verse 6: Sarah's obedience do not equal fear, rather, do what is right. This is inner beauty!
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In Him (Jesus) all the promises of God have come to be a YES, and we also say in his name : Amen! giving thanks to God. 2 Chorinthians 1:20.
In Him (Jesus) all the promises of God have come to be a YES, and we also say in his name : Amen! giving thanks to God. 2 Chorinthians 1:20.
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