strapless dresses

[Salty]

Zaac,
How about that, you have a job identicial to Padre

 

[abcgrad94]

Ok Zaak, we get it. You vote "no" for strapless dresses. Thanks.

 

[evenifigoalone]

This is my objection to the whole conversation. How, exactly, does a man's mind work? You would think by your comments that all men see a woman and, based on her wardrobe, automatically turns to lustful thoughts. I give you ten points for methane production. You can infer what you may from that but I don't believe you.

I support my family by working outside the church. I work for a regional hospital and believe I have one of the best jobs a person could have. My principle responsibility is to drive a 42 foot mobile medical coach. Guess what we do on that mobile medical coach? Mammograms. Yep. 20 a day for five days a week. I don't do the actual exam but when I'm not driving I register patients and escort them down the hall to the changing room.

We do our best to keep the changing area unseen through the use of both a curtain and a solid door but in the average week I get to see at least 50 women in various stages of dress. Mammo gowns are not what you would call modest. The back are open and the women folk wear nothing beneath them but what they were born with.

A man has to make choices about where his mind is. If a man chooses to objectify women to the point a man can't see a shoulder without thinking about seeing the rest of it unwrapped he's got a serious problem. I dare say it is a sick, twisted, perverted mind.

A Christian man ought to be able to view any woman as a person of divine worth. She's somebody's wife, daughter, mother or sister. She is a precious being Jesus found worth dying for. She has intellect, emotions, troubles and joys. She lives a life as complex as any of ours. Often, when I see them at work, they are afraid. They are afraid of us finding something, they are afraid of the compression from the machine. They are afraid of the vulneability of being partially clad in a bus full of strangers.

A predator would find this to be an opportunity for fulfilling his voyeuristic behavior. I am convinced that the venue doesn't matter. Weak minded men will be stirred to lust if a woman was wrapped in burlap from head to toe.

I'm not buying the message that women should over dress because men can't control their libidos. No, sir. One of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Use it sometime.

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

Yes, of course women shouldn't dress provocatively. But good to see someone acknowledging that men have a responsibility to control themselves as well.

 

[Zaac]

I think most here are envisioning that strapless dress only on a slim, fit, young, beautiful girl

What I mean is that some seem to think that the gown is automatically going to induce lust in the eyes of every boy in town. But that's not at all the case. If she's 150 pounds overweight, most boys would rather see her in an Eskimo coat

I can tell you - if that girl isn't physically attractive to begin with, there isn't a gown, swimsuit, or anything else that'll make boys drool over her

But if she's a knockout, she'll make boys drool even if she's wearing a pair of coveralls

I don't think anyone said that either. But some seem to be on ignore about the lust problem in the church.

 

[Zaac]

Ok Zaak, we get it. You vote "no" for strapless dresses. Thanks.

You asked and I answered just as others did. So please don't come at me with dismissiveness unless you're doing the same with folks who are defending Yes.:flower:

 

[padredurand]

You asked and I answered just as others did. So please don't come at me with dismissiveness unless you're doing the same with folks who are defending Yes.:flower:

What a perfect opportunity for the church to be the church. Take a proactive role in proper biblical training and instruction. Teach the men to be godly men and to respect women. Teach them their passions are misplaced if they are directed toward any woman that it not their wife. Call sin for what it is. Teach men with sin problems to get on their knees and avoid situations where they may be exposed to their sin. Teach them to look at a woman's face and not her body.

Have the older women teach the younger. Teach them holiness. Teach them about the "hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." Holy women learn modesty as a way to honor their Heavenly Father. Teach them their value lies in who they are in God's economy not how they compare to a photoshopped magazine model.

Zaac, I'm not denying there are pigs among us. Hog tie them or turn them over to Satan but don't be blaming the womenfolk.

 

[Zaac]

What a perfect opportunity for the church to be the church. Take a proactive role in proper biblical training and instruction. Teach the men to be godly men and to respect women. Teach them their passions are misplaced if they are directed toward any woman that it not their wife. Call sin for what it is. Teach men with sin problems to get on their knees and avoid situations where they may be exposed to their sin. Teach them to look at a woman's face and not her body.

Absolutely. We're in complete agreement.

Have the older women teach the younger. Teach them holiness. Teach them about the "hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." Holy women learn modesty as a way to honor their Heavenly Father. Teach them their value lies in who they are in God's economy not how they compare to a photoshopped magazine model.

100% agreement.

Zaac, I'm not denying there are pigs among us. Hog tie them or turn them over to Satan but don't be blaming the womenfolk.

If the womenfolk are dressing in a manner that causes men to stumble, then they bear part of the blame.

As was said, intentions do not make consequences go away.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I don't think anyone is saying that women shouldn't think about how they dress. We are commanded, after all, not to be a stumbling block.

But if someone has a car accident because they were distracted by something interesting on the side of the road, causing them to collide with another vehicle...who do you think has to pay for the other car's damages? The man at the wheel of the car who hit him, or the owner of the interesting thing that took his eyes off the road?

 

[Zaac]

I don't think anyone is saying that women shouldn't think about how they dress. We are commanded, after all, not to be a stumbling block.

But if someone has a car accident because they were distracted by something interesting on the side of the road, causing them to collide with another vehicle...who do you think has to pay for the other car's damages? The man at the wheel of the car who hit him, or the owner of the interesting thing that took his eyes off the road?

If that thing by the side of the road is a strapless, cleavage hugging dress wearing Christian woman, she may not have to pay for the car repairs, but she will answer to God.:smilewinkgrin:

 

[HankD]

rd2, you mentioned Tattoo's. I agree. Very much an abuse. To me, women come with a built in beauty. Tattoo's, while thought by many to enhance only take away. Like too much garlic in the spaghetti sauce. A tattoo is but an extension of another's art work. What a bummer.

There is no such thing as too much garlic in the spaghetti sauce (Che Bella!!).
Yes, I am of Italian descent.

HankD

 

[evenifigoalone]

If that thing by the side of the road is a strapless, cleavage hugging dress wearing Christian woman, she may not have to pay for the car repairs, but she will answer to God.:smilewinkgrin:

Fair enough. Avoiding being a stumbling block is all about thinking how your actions affect others, and we are held accountable for this in some degree. No one is guiltless in this regard, and it's not just limited to dress on either sex. It's about the way we speak, live, choices we make, etc.

But neither should a woman act as a scapegoat for a man's libido. He won't be excused of his sin of lust by pleading "But God, did you not see how low her neckline was?"

 

[HankD]

I saw some Pentecostals swimming in dresses once. Very strange.

On our first trip to Hawaii, my wife and I changed in the beach house.

We both came out wearing sweat pants and shirts - head, hands and feet only showing. It was January but temp was in the 80's and so was the water.

It was an uncomfortable experience.

HankD

 

[corndogggy]

If the womenfolk are dressing in a manner that causes men to stumble, then they bear part of the blame.

Once again, this same logic is in Islam. If a girl gets raped while out in public, people typically act like she was asking for it by dressing provocatively.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friend...e-it-illegal-for-them-to-dress-provocatively/

 

[Zaac]

Once again, this same logic is in Islam. If a girl gets raped while out in public, people typically act like she was asking for it by dressing provocatively.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friend...e-it-illegal-for-them-to-dress-provocatively/

We're not talking about Islam or about women getting raped, but about Christian women. They are called of God to dress in a certain manner befitting the name of Christ.

It does not matter what her intentions are. They can be as innocent and pure as a newly fallen snow. It does not make the consequences of being a stumbling block go away.

I recently attended a youth event in which the young girls on the stage leading worship were clad in skinny jeans with lil form fitting blouses tucked into the jeans. Their intent may not have been to cause folks to lust, but I'm sure it did.

I had older women come up to me after the service and said it was just embarassing that their parents would let them out the house like that, let alone the youth pastor let them get up on stage and lead worship.

I can't tell you the number of times where I've gone places and done panel discussions about sex and staying pure for the young men in churches that one of the things they always bring up for why they don't like coming to church is the way the girls dress.

It's a problem.

 

[corndogggy]

I support my family by working outside the church. I work for a regional hospital and believe I have one of the best jobs a person could have. My principle responsibility is to drive a 42 foot mobile medical coach. Guess what we do on that mobile medical coach? Mammograms. Yep. 20 a day for five days a week. I don't do the actual exam but when I'm not driving I register patients and escort them down the hall to the changing room.

We do our best to keep the changing area unseen through the use of both a curtain and a solid door but in the average week I get to see at least 50 women in various stages of dress. Mammo gowns are not what you would call modest. The back are open and the women folk wear nothing beneath them but what they were born with.

They say that when people are on set during certain skin movie shoots, it only takes about 15 minutes to get acclimated. After that, nobody gives a rip, even the camera guys are only doing their job and could care less.

But then again, a study just came out that says that doctors are giving women way too many pelvic exams, probably for obvious reasons.

 

[corndogggy]

I recently attended a youth event in which the young girls on the stage leading worship were clad in skinny jeans with lil form fitting blouses tucked into the jeans. Their intent may not have been to cause folks to lust, but I'm sure it did.

I had older women come up to me after the service and said it was just embarassing that their parents would let them out the house like that, let alone the youth pastor let them get up on stage and lead worship.

Once again, this is entirely about societal norms. Dressing like that is perfectly normal at school and I'm sure they didn't give it a second thought. Little old ladies aren't ever exposed to it so they thought it was embarassing.

 

[Zaac]

They say that when people are on set during certain skin movie shoots, it only takes about 15 minutes to get acclimated. After that, nobody gives a rip, even the camera guys are only doing their job and could care less.

But then again, a study just came out that says that doctors are giving women way too many pelvic exams, probably for obvious reasons.

corndogggy, I believe that quote is properly attributed to Padre.:flower:

 

[Zaac]

Once again, this is entirely about societal norms. Dressing like that is perfectly normal at school and I'm sure they didn't give it a second thought. Little old ladies aren't ever exposed to it so they thought it was embarassing.

What do societal norms have to do with Christian women and modesty? they shouldn't be dressing like that at school either.

The little old ladies thought it was embarassing because it was unGodly and a distraction to worship.

 

[InTheLight]

Once again, this is entirely about societal norms. Dressing like that is perfectly normal at school and I'm sure they didn't give it a second thought. Little old ladies aren't ever exposed to it so they thought it was embarassing.

Exactly. I'd say that people under 35 or so are inured to the modesty issues a lot of folks on BB struggle with. Men will see a woman with a bare mid riff and it doesn't create lust because they've been seeing it for 20 years.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Regarding dress, we have some very good ideas of what not to do, but it's hard to set an exact line.
So inevitably people are just not going to agree on just where to set the line, even within those who believe in adhering to Christian guidelines. Which I trust all who have posted in this thread believe in.

Even within my church, wherein people dress pretty conservatively, there are differences of opinion. I've seen some members wear clothes I personally would not be comfortable, psychologically speaking, in. And the clothes I'm speaking of aren't even that "bad", considering there's way way way worse in our culture.

My dad used to talk about how "100 years ago" my mom would have been kicked out of some towns for the dress she wore, because it went above her ankles.
Things simply vary from time and culture, and not everyone is turned on by the same things either.


I'm not one to hold it against someone for having somewhat differing views on what is and is not acceptable for dress than I do.