In Muslim nations and communities, women dress in burkas or long-sleeved abaya in order to be considered appropriate in their culture. Yet in Indian culture, an exposed belly is not considered revealing—whether it is 20 years old or 80, and whether its size is 2 or 32. Meanwhile, in the United States, Amish women dress only in dresses comprised of a simple scoop-neck bodice attached to a loosely gathered straight skirt, and perhaps only pinned together, because pleats and buttons are considered too ostentatious.
Depending on where you live, culture does play into how one should dress. However, with a few exceptions here and there, most Western nations have a lot of leeway in what is considered appropriate or inappropriate for women to wear. But do we have that much latitude in God’s view?
Biblically, women should not be ashamed of their bodies. When God created Eve, He made her beautiful, and women are designed to want to be that way. Peter acknowledges that women want to be beautiful, and he extends that to beauty that is more than skin deep (1 Peter 3:3). Our character needs to be beautiful, and every godly woman wants to be beautiful on both the outside and the inside.
So, if God meant for women to be beautiful, why must Christian women be concerned with what they wear in public? Does God care if we wear yoga pants and a cropped sweatshirt to the mall? Does God care if we wear a low-cut blouse with a keyhole opening? Does God mind if, when we sit down and cross our legs, anyone in front of us can see halfway up our thighs? Although it is godly for women to desire to be beautiful, is that the same as being sexy—by definition, “sexually suggestive or stimulating”—in public?
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Tomorrow’s World
When the Tomorrow’s World Magazine Was Upgraded
/in Uncategorized/by Your Friendly Neighborhood EditorsWe mentioned in the last podcast that the Tomorrow’s World magazine was upgraded ten years ago this month, and some of you would be too young to remember! So, here are the two covers on either side of that change, from March-April 2013 to May-June 2013. And we are working on additional “refreshing” of the inside this year, so we’d appreciate your prayers!
And, while you’re at it, check out the newest issue! Yes, it talks about WWIII possibly making life terrible—but, hey, it talks about A.I. possibly making life terrible, too! No, seriously, give it a read. It will keep you up to date, and you get to see the adorable and totally fake space kitty that Mr. Ben Graham whipped up for us with a little A.I. help.
Podcast 49: Who in the World Are You Guys, Anyway?
/in Podcast/by Wallace Smith & John RobinsonA lazy podcast at the end of a very busy week, but still hopefully a helpful one! A listener asked us to explain our work backgrounds and what brought us to where we are today, so we jump in and answer. And, still, there are opportunities to model biblical thinking. We hope you get something out of it, and for those in the middle of the Days of Unleavened Bread, we pray that the Festival is a profitable one for you!
(Also, we talk in the podcast about the change in the magazine format that the Church made ten years ago next month. We’ll add a post about that after this one.)
Podcast 48: The Poisonous Power of Blame
/in Podcast/by Wallace Smith & John RobinsonWe’ve all done it. Adam and Eve did it! But it’s not helpful.
Blaming others. It blinds us and twists our thinking. But there is real power in “owning up” to our mistakes, errors, and sins. As the Spring Holy Days approach and we are all examining ourselves, let’s consider the effect of blaming others for our choices and aim at doing better.
Podcast 47: Sweet, Sweet Deleavening Meditations
/in Podcast/by Wallace Smith & John RobinsonThe deleavening that you do leading up to the Days of Unleavened Bread can bring some sweet, sweet meditations. There are a lot of lessons packed into that crumb-sweeping! Today, we flash back to some lessons we’ve learned, and we hope they inspire you to do some meditating yourself this season. [BTW: The Apple Podcast is taking a while to load. We’ll come back and add it when it is up, too!]
Men and Modesty
/in Uncategorized/by Mark SandorOne of the biggest complaints I ever heard from my students was about the school’s dress code, and these complaints sometimes caused me to think about the relationship between female modesty and male thoughts. The students had been told that boys were easily distracted by female dress—hence, at least one of the reasons to have a dress code. While the students did not like to acknowledge that connection, the Bible also points out in 1 Timothy 2:9 that women should “adorn themselves in modest apparel” and focus more on “the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:1-6). Young ladies in the Church are taught this principle and given instructions on how to put it into practice, and if you’re one of them, a great place to start is the companion to this post, Mrs. Jeanine Smith’s “Women and Modesty.”
But this post is for young men: When you think of modesty, do you think it only applies to the ladies? That can be a dangerous trap, for two reasons.
Read moreWomen and Modesty
/in Uncategorized/by Jeanine SmithIn Muslim nations and communities, women dress in burkas or long-sleeved abaya in order to be considered appropriate in their culture. Yet in Indian culture, an exposed belly is not considered revealing—whether it is 20 years old or 80, and whether its size is 2 or 32. Meanwhile, in the United States, Amish women dress only in dresses comprised of a simple scoop-neck bodice attached to a loosely gathered straight skirt, and perhaps only pinned together, because pleats and buttons are considered too ostentatious.
Depending on where you live, culture does play into how one should dress. However, with a few exceptions here and there, most Western nations have a lot of leeway in what is considered appropriate or inappropriate for women to wear. But do we have that much latitude in God’s view?
Biblically, women should not be ashamed of their bodies. When God created Eve, He made her beautiful, and women are designed to want to be that way. Peter acknowledges that women want to be beautiful, and he extends that to beauty that is more than skin deep (1 Peter 3:3). Our character needs to be beautiful, and every godly woman wants to be beautiful on both the outside and the inside.
So, if God meant for women to be beautiful, why must Christian women be concerned with what they wear in public? Does God care if we wear yoga pants and a cropped sweatshirt to the mall? Does God care if we wear a low-cut blouse with a keyhole opening? Does God mind if, when we sit down and cross our legs, anyone in front of us can see halfway up our thighs? Although it is godly for women to desire to be beautiful, is that the same as being sexy—by definition, “sexually suggestive or stimulating”—in public?
Read morePodcast 46: How Can I Have Hope for My Future?
/in Podcast/by Wallace Smith & John RobinsonToday we answer a question from a listener: With the world getting worse as Jesus Christ’s return approaches nearer, how should a young person think about his or her future?