should women wear dresses/skirts all the time

If its modest, and its obvious what gender you are, its fine. That is really the only tenable position that can be supported by scripture. It has many cultural overtones as well, certain types of clothing may be acceptable in certain cultural settings, foreign missionaries would understand that better than those of us who have never been off of our continent

 

They should also wear gloves that don't "show the shape of the hand", since a woman's hand can be very sensual. They should also wear only long sleeves that aren't tight that "show the shape of the arm" since a woman's arms can be very sensual. They should also wear shirts with high necklines that don't show the shape of the neck, since a woman's neck is very sensual. They should also require that a woman's facial features be obstructed, since the woman's face can be very sensual.

I think I've just dscribed a burkha.

Sounds to me that the problem is not what is on the bodies of our women. Rather, the problem is what is in the minds of our men. And before anyone uses the excuse "it's natural for men to look" yeah yeah, it's natural for us to sin, but that doesn't mean it's acceptible.

 

Yes. All the time!

When they are working in the garden.

When they are riding horseback.

When they are driving their motorcycles.

When they ride their bikes.

When they swim in the ocean.

When they go to the beach.

When they climb a ladder and paint the house.

When they split wood with the wood splitter.

When they shovel snow in the winter.

When they go to bed at night.

When they play football in the back yard.

When they stand upside down on their heads.

Yes sir. I can't think of a single instance when women shouldn't wear a dress.

 

Yes. All the time! Correct!

When they are working in the garden. Yup!

When they are riding horseback. Yup, my skirts are full and flowing!

When they are driving their motorcycles. Haven't been on one lately, but yup, I'd wear my skirt.

When they ride their bikes. My girls do-I don't ride.

When they swim in the ocean. Don't live near one, but have jumped in the pond a time or two with my dress on.

When they go to the beach. Don't go there.

When they climb a ladder and paint the house.And tote the bundles of shingles to roof!

When they split wood with the wood splitter. My mister does that for me.

When they shovel snow in the winter.Don't have snow, but do when I push mow.

When they go to bed at night. Nice gown serves me well.

When they play football in the back yard.Haven't played outside games with the children in years, but yup, did it in a dress!

When they stand upside down on their heads. Why would I want to do that?

Yes sir. I can't think of a single instance when women shouldn't wear a dress. You got it, bubba!

 

Please show me your scripture.

 

This would qualify as immodesty. A man who is not your husband might be tempted to look up your skirt. Baggy work pants would be much more modest and appropriate.

My wife does sometimes playing with our kids. I wouldn't want her skirt flying over her head with my 11 year old son standing there. Warm-ups work much better.

 

I am of the persuasion that women have liberty to wear whatever is modest. Pants or dress. The arguments here for both sides are very entertaining. Silly, but entertaining.

 

If they feel led, fine. I don't feel led.

By the way, on a shapely woman, a church dress can be more revealing or prevocative than a pair of slacks and a sweater. I don't know too many women who wear the giant moo moo type things to hide any feminine shape.

I'd like to know how these women work with the little kids each week in dresses! A long full skirt makes a wonderful hiding place for three or four little 3 year old boys! Give me a pair of well fitting slacks any day!

 

The girls and I did jump in a pond when there were no men around, so whatever we looked like when we got out was for our eyes only.

Our family had a roofing business and sometimes it was absolutely necessary to help my husband & the boys...the girls helped too.

The pioneer women wore dresses across the prairie and did just fine. I lived in Alaska for a year or so and found no problem with keeping warm. It's all in how you layer.

Mine are long and lined and nothing or noone is ever gonna take a look-see...and as for playing with small children, never had a problem there either. No slits or form-fitting and no muu-muus.

When I hang out the clothes, you don't gotta figure out which is da mama's and which is da daddy's.

And thanks for realizing I'm not forcing anyone to follow my standards, but please don't make fun of them.

 

With some the more important thing is the clothes they wear, rather than the attitude of the heart.

 

Let me ask a question.

Does any man or woman have the liberty to wear a bikini or thong swimsuit to church?

(Some will think I'm not serious, but I really am.)

Tell me, from the Scriptures, why or why not?

 

I have the liberty, but since it is immodest, I wouldn't do it.

It has nothing to do with the scriptures. It has to do with the common sense God gave me (which many are lacking today when it comes to being modest)...

 

to quote:

Deuteronomy 22:5
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Pants was invented by Levy Strauss during the time of gold rush in cali... it was made and developed intently for men who were mining... it was a kind of rigid protection but gentle on skin... the original design is a jumper and later developed into pants... to make the long story short, pants were designed for miners and was intently designed for men...

in the Church, i believe, it would be very gracious for a woman to wear a descent modest dress... though it is a gray area to establish it as a teaching, but it would be very neat to see women in the church wearing a dresscode during service and other church activities, a dress code that would exclude wearing pants... especially that pants for women right now are tightly fitted to configure the body...

imagine in the church when you have to greet a sister and say to God be the glory to that pants your wear... that would be awful i think...

just an oipinion.

 

I'm blessed with Ma'am Granny_gumbo...

Our ladies in our church wear dresses everytime they step out of their homes where other people could see... You know it's a good thing to be different in a good way... Our lives are testimonies to others, wearing a dress is a good testimony i believe... there are dresses that are revealing and sexy, but i think i know what Mrs. granny_gumbo is talking about...

God bless you ma'am.... a good conviction indeed!

 

In Old Testament times, men and women wore clothing that was superficially similar; long robes and wrapping garments were common for both sexes. Yet, the specific types of garments and the way in which they were worn made a clear distinction between the sexes, and this command instructs God’s people to respect those distinctions.

Some have taken this command to be the "proof-text" against women wearing pants. Yet, this is not a command against women wearing a garment that in some ways might be common between men and women; it is a command against dressing in a manner which deliberately blurs the lines between the sexes.

All who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God: This command to observe the distinction between the sexes is so important, that those who fail to observe it are called an abomination to the Lord. This was not only because cross-dressing was a feature of pagan, idolatrous worship in the ancient world, but also because of the terrible cultural price that is paid when it is pretended that there is no difference between men and women.

Are you saying that the Levy Company cannot design a pair of pants specifically cut and made for women, b/c it’s original intent were for men?

My family and I are members of an IFB church whose majority of its female members wear skirts. My wife will wear a skirt or nice dressy pair of pants (not blue jeans) to Church and when the temperature is in the 20’s she doesn’t even think about wearing a skirt.

To be honest, my wife can look a heck of a lot more dressed up in a pair of nice dressy pants compared to a lady wearing a denim skirt.

My wife works in our nursery from time to time, the Church requires the workers to wear dresses. I have a problem with that and so does my wife, its called legalism. My wife likes to play with the kids and get on the floor with them and it’s not easy doing that in a dress. Just last night (Wednesday) she worked in the Nursery and she wore pants, partly b/c it was in the upper 20’s and the fact that she shouldn’t be made to wear a certain style of clothing, just to volunteer her time to our church. And my wife dresses very modestly, when in Church or in public.

Furthermore, my wife just gave birth about 4 months ago and is now 7 weeks pregnant. She doesn’t feel attractive at this point and a dress only makes her look “bigger” (these are not my words mind you).

We love our Church, but it’s getting ridiculous to say the least. We hardly participate in any Church activity because of this legalistic rule. We are more likely to participate in other functions at other Churches with our friend’s b/c of this.

And as much as we love our Church it may be time to move on…

I thank God that in order to worship Him, He doesn’t require a legalistic dress code and it’s an even greater shame when women frown upon a woman wearing a pair of pants when the dress she wears is showing more skin than that of my wife!

 

I agree, in fact, I have been rather roughly handled on this board in the past for saying exactly that.

I am glad to see a pretty civil discussion here. Check out Romans 14 (I think)

There is no reason why anyone should go after those who want to uphold this particular standard for themselves, after all, they are fully persuaded of their position, and should not be encouraged to go against their conscience.

On the other hand, Granny doesn't go after those of us who have in our own freedom, applied the scriptural principles of dress standards differently, since even those who wear pants are hopefully evaluating the modesty and femininity of their clothing. And this issue is one where the principle rules, no specific descriptions of where the hemlines ought to be, or what pattern the clothes are to be cut from.

When we get the clothes out of the dryer, you don't have to figure out whose is whose either, of course most of that has to do with the fact that I am 6'4 205, and the missus is 5'1 and we'll just say she's about half my weight. She actually though about borrowing some shorts from me while she was pregnant (they went almost to her ankles) and even being great with child, they wouldn't stay up. I have never mistaken her for a man, so I guess she is dressing correctly.

 

Okay...

But for me, if we are on service or attending other church activities... it's a blessing for me if a woman wears a modest dress... that's all i'm saying...

No argument there if you want to wear pants... you cannot kick out those women while in service or in any church activites, it would definitely mean different to them... We love them of course... But you can share your testimony with them that it is better to wear modest dresses in church without legalizing the issue... at the end, the question there would be their conviction...

It comes from the heart by conviction...

What is IFB church again sir?

 

PS...

SO as not to confuse the lively discussion, i would just like to emphasize that when i say pants i mean "blue jeans"... that's what i thought of...

When u say dressy pants, i thought of it as a slacks... that would be descent enough...

My wife as a nurse wears a descent white loose pants(requirement as a dress code in the hospital)with something that they wear inside so as not to emphasize anything... But my point is that when we go to church she always change herself for a dress... and its a blessing to have someone with that kind of conviction...

my opinion only and may not be acceptable to others... but i believe that it is Acceptable in the sight of God... My conviction.

 

Modesty is a Scriptural principle, and it isn't an elective. No one gets to opt out of being modest, so I would have to say no one has the liberty to be immodest.

Okay. Modesty. There is one Scriptural purpose for clothing.

"Horse Sense," I guess could be an appeal to nature, and that's another Scriptural appeal. Doth not nature itself teach you?

There's another. Modesty and Nature.

Are there other Scriptural purposes? Anyone?