Modern Day Modesty...Christians, do you support is?

Question

Ok, i've grown up all of my liffe being taught modesty is beautiful, and i agree with it. "Raw meat only attracts dogs," someone once told me, and i believe it. I think modesty shows high moral standards and someone close to our Father in Heaven. I don't think modesty is enforced enough. There are so many girls(and guys too) walking around in clothes that show so much. What ever hapenned to the good old knee leangth shorts, shirts with sleeves, and pants that actually cover us like they were intended to do? I'm not saying women should be wearing bonetts and long dresses, or men wear suits all of the time, but where did good modesty go? what d oyou think about it?

Oh, by the way, I am 14 years old. I'm just kind of curious what everyone's oppinion is to me being 14 and having these standards in my life.

Yes everyone i do wear knee leangth shorts. They're hard to find, but i find them..that or make my own...cut an old pair of jeans and sew them.

I'm glad to see that even Athiests here are pro on modesty. It's great to see so many people who agree with it. I once heard a story, it takes place in a chruch study group. During the lesson a young man and women walk in together. The young women was wearing all low cut, immodest clothing. At that moment the men in that room were divided into two groups, the ones that staredlustfully at the soman and the ones that quickly turned their eyes to their scriptures to try not to see her. I hope somehow we can get more young men to be in the category of guys who quickly turned away. How great a day that'll be.

Answer 1

Watermel-------I am in complete agreement with you.

Answer 2

Firstly, credentials - I'm not a Christian, but an atheist.

Secondly, congratulations for having the courage to live your life the way you want to live it. In the modern world of labels and the demonising of the different, it takes genuine strength to stick to an unpopular principle.

In essence, I am not a crusader after modesty - I believe people should be allowed to dress in any way that makes them feel comfortable and empowered. However, there is a genuine issue here; in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, we are espousing a societal aesthetic that is potentially unhealthy - women are told that the only "true" beauty is an ultra-skinny body, married to a concept of "if you've got it, flaunt it". This is potentially a cause of significant body-hatred among women, and particularly young women, as the phenomenon has accelerated rapidly in the last twenty years. Similarly, the "flaunt it" concept is becoming entrenched in society, which can lead women to wear clothing that neither makes them comfortable nor empowers them in their self-image, and that's not good.

What's more, there is a growing sense of speed about society, which is pushing the boundaries of childhood (and with it, the "acceptability" of modesty) back earlier and earlier. I saw a ten year old on a London street a couple of days ago in a designer label crop-top, just as an example. Young girls are being encouraged by fashion and popular culture to ape grown women at an earlier and earlier age, often before they have a full understanding of what the aping means, and certainly before they're ready for the consequences.

By actively encouraging the diminishing of the line between young girls and women, I believe we encourage both the young girls themselves and the society they live in to view them as sexual beings, long before many of them are ready to be any such thing, and that many young women (and indeed men) begin this journey sooner than they are ready for because "it's what everyone does". While I'm no puritan, I do believe this is an unfair societal pressure to put upon young people, which perhaps, if they were encouraged to be children for longer than they currently are (in both behaviour patterns and fashions), they would not have to deal with until they were more ready.

Again I say I support your choice and the courage that it takes to make it in the modern world.

Answer 3

My daughter started wearing junior size clothes at age 11. I went to buy summer clothes for her and all the shirts looked like underwear. The poor kid lives in T shirts in the summer. I can't find any other shirts that will cover her up. She'll be 13 this summer and she doesn't like being uncovered either. She wears capris, won't wear shorts. Even when she was a little girl the boys shorts were always 8 inches longer than the girls. The length of the girls shorts were the depth of the hem. There were no legs to the shorts. She wore boys shorts until she got older and went into capris. I applaud you for being modest. I wish more people were.

Answer 4

Oh my gosh!!!

I am so happy someone my age finally agrees with me!

I'm 15 and I believe the exact same thing. I've heard that saying before and it makes sense. I don't wear clothes that go below my knee (self-imposed) and I am almost the only one in my school who seems to have heard of fabric.

The thing I usually think about is God's admonition not to be a stumbling block to men. I'm not saying I can by any means succeed fully in this but I'm saying that I can at least try by not being purposely provacative.

Answer 5

You know, a long time ago women were considered attractive, and yes, at times sexy for their modesty. It left an air of mystery. Today there is no mystery, what with low rider pants and thongs showing, no bras and see thru shirts, bellies showing, bare feet etc. My goodness, whatever happened to values? Who opened the floodgates of lust? The baby boomers? Perhaps, in there way of allowing more freedoms with their kids they did an injustice to society. Sure honey, you can have the short shorts, and no, don't worry about a bra. You want birth control? Ok, at least you asked me. Hey, you don't hear about promiscuity in the Amish society, do you? Girl, stay the way you are and be chaste. You will be a better person for it.

Answer 6

Living in America, after all, where we are supposed to have freedoms, the ability to choose, etc, it is a bit ironic that the fashion industry does give us choice. Clothing at most stores are all of a certain type, dictated by the fashion industry.
It is very hard to find a modest prom dress these days.

Dressing modestly is mentioned several times in the Bible and is the desire of God that we all dress modestly

I Timothy 2:9
Philippians 4:5
I Peter 3: 2-3
Proverbs 31:10

My applause goes out to you fro your stance and for your principles.

Answer 7

Here's an atheist who agrees with you. There is no denying that modern dress is particularly vulgar and immodest and I blame the influence of TV and movies. I would also remind you that you are a developing young woman and your own sensibilities will surely change as you mature. As a 60 year old, I must say I like your style. The burning question is, do you have what it takes to dress as you please, instead of merely mimicking your peers?

Answer 8

First, Good for you. People these days, girls especially dress like sluts. They are so obsessed with their appearance that their mind and values don't matter anymore. Second, I will say that knee length shorts are a little to much. Do you actually wear those? I mean, there's nothing wrong with shorts, just as long as they aren't daisy dukes, I figure. I think that the fault lies in their parents. Their parents see nothing wrong in their children, primarily teenage girls, wearing clothes that are much to mature for their age. It is a sad pity indeed. I also think that TV has contributed to it as well. Not much we can do, except have the youth take a different path.

Answer 9

Even if you think God exists, don't you think the creator of the Universe has more important things to worry about than human political bickering? Regarding the second question: Many of those "Christian Zionist" preachers are themselves deeply antisemitic. They believe the Jews must return to Israel in order to fulfill a prophecy and bring on the Apocalypse, in which they'll all be slaughtered. And some of those televangelists are paid by Israel to propagandize on their behalf.

Answer 10

I agree. I hear from some parents in my parish that it's hard to buy clothes for young girls today that do not look like a Britney Spears look-a-like wardrobe kit! I'm sorry, but when I saw an eleven year old in tight jeans with the word "Juicy" on the rear, I knew that our society had gone over the edge!

Answer 11

God calls us to purity: 1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

God calls all people to control their thought lives, so as women, we should not cause men to lust: Matthew 5:27-29 says, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." 1 John 2:16-17 says, "For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

God calls women to discretion. I love this verse! Proverbs 11:22 says, "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion." Your body is God's. Romans 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."