I read recently that men – men who think women should dress in modest ways – are prudes. A prude, according to the dictionary, is one who “…is easily shocked by sex or nudity; one who pays a great deal of attention to proper social behavior.” I don’t particularly like the word, but if they think it fits me, I can take it.
Even those who are not “shocked”, as the definition says, are concerned about the present attitude toward “sex or nudity” and “pay a great deal of attention to proper social behavior”. And this time of year is when preachers dust off their sermons on “modest apparel”, and well they should.
Am I a prude to state that almost everywhere you look there are reasons to be “shocked”? To watch the network TV stations is to invite immodesty into your home and before your family. The response one woman made was, “So what?” To many in the present generation, preachers are just narrow-minded fools who are living in the past.
What does today’s young man think of the way our girls are dressing? One such young man responded to an Ann Landers article a few years back. He made no claim to being a Christian – and, perhaps he was just seeking an excuse for his behavior. He wrote the following that was published in hundreds of syndicated newspapers: The title of Mrs. Landers’ article was:
“Clothes that Turn Guys on.”
“Dear Ann Landers: I have had enough of you. I am a 17-year-old boy who thinks your advice to the girl whose steady boyfriend had “wandering hands” is all wet. Instead of telling the girls to give the eight-handed idiot a ‘clop in the chops’, or however you worded
it, why don’t you put the blame where it belongs – on the girl? No guy in his right mind ever starts to paw a perfect lady. The chick that finds a guy’s hands all over her has more than likely asked for it in one way or another.
“Sometimes it’s not in words, but it’s in the way a girl gets herself together. The mini-skirts are a pretty good eyeful when a girl is standing up. When she is sitting down – well, you get the idea. No normal guy can look at all that flesh and not get ideas.
“Transparent blouses, sweaters and jeans that fit like sausage casings are worn to get guys excited, and when a normal guy gets excited, he wants to do more than just look.
“So please, Ann Landers, since you are supposed to give advice, give some to the girls. They are the ones who need it.” TIRED OF BEING TURNED ON
When Ann Landers responded to him, this is what she said:
“Dear Tired: There’s a great deal of truth in what you say, and I’m glad you took the time to say it. The moral of this story is simply this, girls: Don’t let your clothes issue any invitations you don’t mean to fulfill. When you turn a guy on, he can be awfully hard to turn off.” ANN LANDERS
Having read their statements, we may disagree with the boy or Ann Landers – or both. I want to make one thing very clear at this point: no male, regardless of the provocative apparel of any female, has the right to assault her. On the other hand, no female should take advantage of a male’s testosterone in choosing her wardrobe for their time together – or any other time.
It was God who put the attraction of the male for the female – and the female for the male within His creation. And when He did that in the beginning, He said it was “very good,” Genesis 1:26-31.
That attraction between male and female is a part of God’s creation, and it provides for the survival of the species. It also was given as a means by which husbands and wives demonstrate their love for one another. God made it clear that that sexual relationship between male and female is limited to marriage, and is not merely a way of “pleasure” for either gender. Take a look at an Old Testament statement about adultery:
“Thou shalt not commit adultery,” Exodus 20:14.
Easy to understand.
And what does the New Testament say about “modest apparel”:
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but which is proper for women professing godliness with good works,” 1 Timothy 2:9-10 NKJV.
Note that the standard given for a woman “professing godliness” is apparel that is “modest,” that is in harmony with her being a woman that is “professing godliness,” neither gaudy nor too revealing.When a Christian woman dresses in immodest apparel, she is certainly not “professing godliness,” no matter what she may claim.
What can we do about the women who do not profess godliness? Men will have to guard their thoughts
and their actions. Immodesty on the part of any woman is no excuse for a man to sin. Young men who have similar problems with their female friends’ clothing should talk to them about this very subject. If they persist in their immodesty, the Christian needs to look for young women who will profess godliness in their apparel and their behavior, and who respect the honorable intentions of young men.
