Hi
bapmom! :wavey:
This is a spin-off of another thread that Dan started in which he condemned short hair on women and women wearing make-up. That's why I threw that in there.
Our church is separated, but not to that point. The Bible says that nature itself teaches us it is wrong for men to have long hair.
I believe this speaks of the natural hairline in the back. I don't know what else it could refer to.
IMO, it means the men should not have hair longer than that and the women should not have hair shorter than that.
Yes, and here it is!
Since you drug the "dirty wash" over to this site, I'll bite! :saint:
I noticed you DO believe it is wrong for a man to have long hair, right? You quote the Bible as teaching us it is wrong for men to have long hair, but conveniently ignored anything that it says about women having long hair. How is that??
Verse 14 of I cor. 11 says: "Doth not even nature itself teach you that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? "
But what about vs. 15? it goes onto say in the same vein: "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering."
Now I will admit, that whether or not a woman wears a veil or some sort of "other" covering, could be excluded perhaps by this verse which says her long hair is given for a covering. But no where is a woman excused from having long hair. That hair is her glory and a covering given by God. Why would you want to remove it? I believe if a woman does remove it, then she is uncovered as verse four says and if she is going to have short hair, then it had better be covered by an "artificial" covering, i.e. scarf or veil.
I am not so ancient by I well remember when no woman would have come into church without something on her head.
And, I might add, that I believe a lot of "modern" shorn women would believe that women are "held in bondage" by men who forbid their wives to cut their hair.
My wife has beautiful long hair. It was long before I married her. She keeps it long because of conviction to follow what the Bible says. Now my personal conviction is that besides the hair, Christian women should wear a "headship covering" of some sort. This is my conviction and I have not forced it upon Mrs. because she believes the hair to be the covering.
I know she WOULD cover her head with an additional veil if I required it because she is a good wife and would obey her husband. I want her to do what her convictions are and I can see where as long as a woman has long hair, she may be free of the additional covering. I do not see, however, where anyone can think it is OK for a man to have long hair or a woman to have short hair and not keep her head covered.
It's interesting I think how in passages like this we will say: "Oh, that's cultural" or they will pick a point as had been done here where they will quote one verse while ignoring the one right next to it.
Is the Word a smorgasbord that we can pick and choose?
I believe we try to walk in obedience and holiness not in order to be saved, but because we are and we are to be an example or a "peculiar people" to others.
And as for make up: My wife (and I too) believe the instructions are given in I Timothy chapter 2. 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; But whichi becometh women professing godliness with good works. Vs. 9 &10.
I don't see how immodest apparel, makeup and jewelry wearing can be justified by this passage.
Might I ask why a woman would want to paint herself or wear immodest clothing unless it was to attract attention to herself. And why and what kind of attention might that be?
I have been in some fundamental churches where dresses were required of their women and the dresses were anything but modest! My word, with some of these so called dresses pants would have been more modest.
In dress modesty is what God requires. He doesn't want us to dress for show. A Christian woman (and man) should want to bring no shame to the Lord or the gospel and should not want to attract anothers attention but should be faithful to their spouse.
Now, back to my OP. I NEVER mentioned hair length here. I didn't know that was a requirement of being fundamental other than to me a fundamentalist claims to believe the Bible and therefor should also practice what the New Testament says.
I should hope that's what it means, and not a bunch of man made rules. I believe God has clearly laid the rules out if we don't purposely put blinders on to ignore them.
Man made rules are not always bad. I fully understand how some of our Brethren in the German Baptists and Mennonites have arrived at their man made rules and how and why they should be practiced within their fellowship. It wouldn't perhaps hurt us to study up on some of what they do.
Yours in the struggle,
Dan
