Pants on Women

[calledbyHisgrace]

Is it viewed as okay for women to wear pants in your church? Is it different in church vs. other public places? What is the predominant view amongst the IFBC? There seems to have been a shift away from skirts/dresses only in my area.

 

[AustinC]

Is it viewed as okay for women to wear pants in your church? Is it different in church vs. other public places? What is the predominant view amongst the IFBC? There seems to have been a shift away from skirts/dresses only in my area.

Kilts on men?

Honestly, my church is gracious. We don't teach legalism and man-made cultural requirements for dress. Did Jesus wear a suit and tie when teaching?

 

[JonC]

I never attended a church (and would not) that forbids women from wearing pants. I visited one that preferred women to wear skirts/ dresses and men to wear coats and ties.

Should there be a standard for church vs public dress? No. The idea of wearing one's "Sunday best" is far from biblical. But if somebody expresses their worship through their clothing choices it isn't for me to argue. It's when Christians dictate to other people what they must wear that we venture into legalism.

That said, we should dress modestly (not only by wearing unrevealing clothing but also by refraining from materialism).

 

[calledbyHisgrace]

@AustinC and @JonC
Out of curiosity, do your churches consider themselves IFB? Prohibiting pants on women seems to be common in the IFBCs in my area, including the one that I attend. There seems to be a slow movement away from this though. Is this the case in other areas as well?

 

[JonC]

@AustinC and @JonC
Out of curiosity, do your churches consider themselves IFB? Prohibiting pants on women seems to be common in the IFBCs in my area, including the one that I attend. There seems to be a slow movement away from this though. Is this the case in other areas as well?

My church isn't. The one I visited (that did not require women to wear dresses or skirts, but preferred so, especially for women in teaching positions) is IFB.

 

[AustinC]

@AustinC and @JonC
Out of curiosity, do your churches consider themselves IFB? Prohibiting pants on women seems to be common in the IFBCs in my area, including the one that I attend. There seems to be a slow movement away from this though. Is this the case in other areas as well?

I was raised in an IFCA church.
When I came to understand that free will theology wasn't supported by God's Word, I was lead to a reformed Baptist Church.
I do note you mention the IFBC and in that light, I cannot speak to that conference.
I only speak to the legalism that lead to such rules.

 

[Salty]

...I do note you mention the IFBC and in that light, I cannot speak to that conference. .

IFB (Independent Fundemental Baptists are not a conference, convention or ect.
They are simply independent local churches - in fact some are so independent that they will not fellowship with other IFB.

But then again all Baptists churches are independent Baptists!

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

I am an IFB, but my family and I attend a Reformed Baptist Church that is not IFB.

My wife and young daughter wear pants when working on the farm, generally on our property, or in my daughters case, when playing outside. If we're working in the garden, pasture, butchering chickens, hogs, turkeys etc then my wife and daughter wear pants that day.

If we go out in public I have my wife wear a dress if possible, and if not possible (below freezing temps) then non-form fitting pants. If she has to wear pants we make sure her loose fitting shirt covers her rear. Some females in our Church family wear a cloth on their head in addition.

We are really kicking into gear with my daughter on dresses this year as she hits 2 yo so that she gets used to dresses and skirts. She will largely be wearing plain dress akin to what my Mennonite Sisters wear.

In our Reformed Church women do wear pants, but the Pastors have the expectation that they are to be modest and not form fitting. Still, however, some women choose to play the harlot in this camp.

 

[agedman]

I don't care what a person wears, as long as it is modest!

Too often the focus is on the female, but the male population needs to also attend to this matter.

Tight fitting clothing is not good for anything but to display the body.

Moderation and Modesty.

And I do like M&Ms.

 

[AustinC]

I am an IFB, but my family and I attend a Reformed Baptist Church that is not IFB.

My wife and young daughter wear pants when working on the farm, generally on our property, or in my daughters case, when playing outside. If we're working in the garden, pasture, butchering chickens, hogs, turkeys etc then my wife and daughter wear pants that day.

If we go out in public I have my wife wear a dress if possible, and if not possible (below freezing temps) then non-form fitting pants. If she has to wear pants we make sure her loose fitting shirt covers her rear. Some females in our Church family wear a cloth on their head in addition.

We are really kicking into gear with my daughter on dresses this year as she hits 2 yo so that she gets used to dresses and skirts. She will largely be wearing plain dress akin to what my Mennonite Sisters wear.

In our Reformed Church women do wear pants, but the Pastors have the expectation that they are to be modest and not form fitting. Still, however, some women choose to play the harlot in this camp.

play the harlot...
I am willing to bet that more men are simply undisciplined in fighting temptation than women are "playing the harlot."
It's time men fight their own sexual lusts instead of blaming women for their lack of discipline.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

It's time men fight their own sexual lusts instead of blaming women for their lack of discipline.

Let's see if God's Word agrees with you...
"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.". 2 Tim 2:22

That's odd. God tells men to flee rather than fight lust. Was Joseph wrong to flee Potiphar's house instead of fighting his own sexual lust?

I am willing to bet that more men are simply undisciplined in fighting temptation than women are "playing the harlot."

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

So...to sum up God tells men to FLEE lust. God tells women to dress modestly at all times to stop tempting men to lust.

That's 2 strikes so far.

 

[JonC]

I am an IFB, but my family and I attend a Reformed Baptist Church that is not IFB.

My wife and young daughter wear pants when working on the farm, generally on our property, or in my daughters case, when playing outside. If we're working in the garden, pasture, butchering chickens, hogs, turkeys etc then my wife and daughter wear pants that day.

If we go out in public I have my wife wear a dress if possible, and if not possible (below freezing temps) then non-form fitting pants. If she has to wear pants we make sure her loose fitting shirt covers her rear. Some females in our Church family wear a cloth on their head in addition.

We are really kicking into gear with my daughter on dresses this year as she hits 2 yo so that she gets used to dresses and skirts. She will largely be wearing plain dress akin to what my Mennonite Sisters wear.

In our Reformed Church women do wear pants, but the Pastors have the expectation that they are to be modest and not form fitting. Still, however, some women choose to play the harlot in this camp.

I notice we focus on "modisty" in the sense that clothing hide the human figure. But sometimes we miss Scrioture as a whole:

"Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire"

I find it ironic that some will shun women wearing pants as they wear earrings, pearls, expensive shoes, dresses....or men wear nice suits, gold watches, etc.

I am by no means saying you are wrong, but I would add that modesty is more than non-form fitting.

 

[AustinC]

Let's see if God's Word agrees with you...
"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.". 2 Tim 2:22

That's odd. God tells men to flee rather than fight lust. Was Joseph wrong to flee Potiphar's house instead of fighting his own sexual lust?


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

So...to sum up God tells men to FLEE lust. God tells women to dress modestly at all times to stop tempting men to lust.

That's 2 strikes so far.

Yep, men fail to flee and fail to fight...then they blame women for their failure. Men are masters at blaming others for their failure to fight temptation.
Men, pick up the armor of God and fight temptation like our Champion did. He never blamed women for tempting him. He fought against all temptation and won.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

I notice we focus on "modisty" in the sense that clothing hide the human figure. But sometimes we miss Scrioture as a whole:

"Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire"

I find it ironic that some will shun women wearing pants as they wear earrings, pearls, expensive shoes, dresses....or men wear nice suits, gold watches, etc.

I am by no means saying you are wrong, but I would add that modesty is more than non-form fitting.

I agree with all that, but I don't see a need to focus on that as we don't have an epidemic of women being encouraged to wear distracting earrings, pearls, expensive shoes, fancy dresses, etc. Nor do we have an epidemic of men wearing fancy, flashy suits or big flashy watches that I know of.

We sure do have women all over this country being encouraged to degrade themselves and show off their body in tight pants, low cut shirts, shorts and essentially nude on the beach. As a fireman I focus on putting water on the fire, not on the non-involved part of the structure.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Yep, men fail to flee and fail to fight...then they blame women for their failure. Men are masters at blaming others for their failure to fight temptation.
Men, pick up the armor of God and fight temptation like our Champion did. He never blamed women for tempting him. He fought against all temptation and won.

God tells women to dress modestly at all times. Why do you suppose that is? Are you going to dodge this question too?

 

[JonC]

I agree with all that, but I don't see a need to focus on that as we don't have an epidemic of women being encouraged to wear distracting earrings, pearls, expensive shoes, fancy dresses, etc. Nor do we have an epidemic of men wearing fancy, flashy suits or big flashy watches that I know of.

We sure do have women all over this country being encouraged to degrade themselves and show off their body in tight pants, low cut shirts, shorts and essentially nude on the beach. As a fireman I focus on putting water on the fire, not on the non-involved part of the structure.

I'm not so sure.

Paul wrote of sexual immorality but he also saw fit to include women braiding their hair, wearing gold, pearls and expensive clothes.

As a man I may not be attracted to earrings, expensive dresses, etc., but that does not mean those things are not just as much an issue.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

I'm not so sure.

Paul wrote of sexual immorality but he also saw fit to include women braiding their hair, wearing gold, pearls and expensive clothes.

As a man I may not be attracted to earrings, expensive dresses, etc., but that does not mean those things are not just as much an issue.

I may not have been clear. If there are Churches where women do this then yes, it needs to be preached on. I have visited with some Black Churches in the past and the women there are often dressed in ways that aren't form fitting, which is great and good on them for doing so, they likely wouldn't need to hear a sermon about tight clothes as much as a sermon on expensive, fancy and distracting dresses in this case.

I think God's intent with this verse is to address anything distracting from Him, whether that be sexually distracting, jealous distracting, or just plain big and gawdy distracting. It all needs to be addressed. In my experience the sexually distracting part is what is currently plaguing the majority of the American Church, although like above there are occasional instances of the expensive clothing and earrings and distracting hairdos that pop up as well.

My area is very, very poor so most of us don't have the money for expensive anything. In my area the biggest problem is immodest dress on women rather than distracting, gawdy, expensive things.

 

[AustinC]

I can recall ever being in a church service where women "dressed like harlots." I have always thought they were modestly dressed.
I go back to the fact that we are a product of culture where some still think that women must, culturally, wear skirts. That cultural moré can go the way of the dinosaur as far as I am concerned.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

I can recall ever being in a church service where women "dressed like harlots." I have always thought they were modestly dressed.
I go back to the fact that we are a product of culture where some still think that women must, culturally, wear skirts. That cultural moré can go the way of the dinosaur as far as I am concerned.

Well, we're on opposite ends of the spectrum then. We live happily like the 1800s here.

 

[AustinC]

Well, we're on opposite ends of the spectrum then. We live happily like the 1800s here.

And I live happily in 2022, knowing God created me for this time and place, to be a witness to this generation of rebels.
I only encourage you to accept your own responsibility for your lusts and don't blame women for your temptation.