Christian Fundamentalism makes great hay about modesty. About being a feminine woman. There is no better way to display this femininity than when all "like-minded" individuals are gathered in the same place - namely church.
Femininity, in fundamentalist and patriarchal (even bled over to areas of mainstream or evangelical Christianity) is no better displayed than by the wearing of dresses, jumpers, or skirts. Pants are frowned upon on a woman. And if you happen to be the lucky girl not confronted by a busy-body, nose-in-everyone's business, old lady guru, you will discover the pleasure of being talked about behind your back, or even worse, become the subject of a sermon.
Don't worry. Most preachers don't name names. But you KNOW they're talking about you, you heathen.
During my formative years, many a theological discussion, centered around pants on women, cropped up in the circles of young men. Dads preached the necessity of looking like a lady. Curriculum for Sunday School, as well as extracurricular classes run by women, noted the virtues of the pant-less society of femininity.
For whatever reason, the theology began to change a bit. We started to discuss that God actually knew the heart and pants didn't matter all that much. Maybe people were getting picked on in public and it became imperative. Maybe cloth was too expensive. Maybe fewer godly daughters picked up sewing. Maybe they all wanted to look a bit more attractive, seeing the frumpy jumpered females not getting married and living at home into their forties.
Then I left and the whole subject bored me to death.
...until today.
I was browsing Facebook and saw a friend's status, excited about wearing her favorite jeans to church today. Why? Because she finally reduced her post-baby bod down to the size of the pant hips and could rock the pants again.
YES! YES! YES!
THAT is the REAL parameters of the discussion of pants on women. Do they look good on you? Yes?
Then rock 'em.
Femininity, in fundamentalist and patriarchal (even bled over to areas of mainstream or evangelical Christianity) is no better displayed than by the wearing of dresses, jumpers, or skirts. Pants are frowned upon on a woman. And if you happen to be the lucky girl not confronted by a busy-body, nose-in-everyone's business, old lady guru, you will discover the pleasure of being talked about behind your back, or even worse, become the subject of a sermon.
Don't worry. Most preachers don't name names. But you KNOW they're talking about you, you heathen.
During my formative years, many a theological discussion, centered around pants on women, cropped up in the circles of young men. Dads preached the necessity of looking like a lady. Curriculum for Sunday School, as well as extracurricular classes run by women, noted the virtues of the pant-less society of femininity.
For whatever reason, the theology began to change a bit. We started to discuss that God actually knew the heart and pants didn't matter all that much. Maybe people were getting picked on in public and it became imperative. Maybe cloth was too expensive. Maybe fewer godly daughters picked up sewing. Maybe they all wanted to look a bit more attractive, seeing the frumpy jumpered females not getting married and living at home into their forties.
Then I left and the whole subject bored me to death.
...until today.
I was browsing Facebook and saw a friend's status, excited about wearing her favorite jeans to church today. Why? Because she finally reduced her post-baby bod down to the size of the pant hips and could rock the pants again.
YES! YES! YES!
THAT is the REAL parameters of the discussion of pants on women. Do they look good on you? Yes?
Then rock 'em.
Love this :) <3
ReplyDeleteHow they would hate me. I'm a woman. i preach in church. I sometimes preach in jeans!
ReplyDelete