Keep Your Modesty, I'll Run Naked Instead

I would dress naked or at the very least provocatively, but because I think it would be too tempting to my female friends (and a few of the male ones) I choose not to. Because I am a man that previous statement sounds absolutely ludicrous. To be fair that I went straight to naked is also silly. There are several levels before that would still revile most people. I am no Adonis, yet.

Avert your eyes men!

I do this to make light of something that in reality really makes me furious. It has always angered me and been one of the proofs in life that as I observe convince me that religion in general and people specifically are fucked. Here I would make a quip about how we are no better than animals and that we are just clever chimps oppressing slightly different chimps for no real reason. Not today, we are far worse than animals and the irony is that we have God to thank for that. Or rather it is more appropriate to say, we have a certain belief in God to thank for that.

*A disclaimer of sorts: Here we must take note that it is not just a certain belief in God that prompts some to adhere to a strict dress code, but also archaic notions of sexuality and passion that have either been disproven scientifically or fallen out of fashion in most places long ago. It would be unfair to say unequivocally that it’s God’s fault as people believe in Him, or do not, in millions of varied ways.  

Before I began this rant I thought about bringing in the big guns; the philosophers and scriptures on which these beliefs in modest dress are based. I opted against this because it doesn’t matter where the impetus comes from, the problem is the decision taken to impose the belief that women’s bodies are to be hidden because of man’s inability to control his thoughts and actions. It denigrates both women and men. Everyone loses.

I am not ashamed of the human form, nor do I think that we should be. Sexual immorality stems not from the physical, but rather from the inner reaches of the mind, soul, and heart which man or woman chooses to act upon or ignore. Sex is not wrong because it is. Sex is wrong because it is when we are not. That is to say, when we are not in possession of all our faculties and choose to cheat on others or ourselves. Sin derives from that. NOT, as others might fear, from the form. A naked female is intimidating to he that either has never seen her before or has never respected her. It is easier to cover up what we are not prepared to see than to prepare ourselves to see it.

Nor am I advocating we all walk around naked. I am saying what we wear does not matter so much as why we wear it. If you love dresses and neck high blouses then by all means dress that way! For the love of God though (huge irony, I know) don’t do it because you think that’s what’s expected. And PLEASE don’t do it because the man in your life tells you so. I have read in many places and seen firsthand that in many of these systems where dress for women is to some degree prescribed it is because the man deems its right.

That’s really what irritates me most; that a man will say “you need to dress this way because I say so,” and the woman will simply obey. We are both people; man and woman alike and there need not be, should not be a moment where one oppresses the other because in doing so we both lose what we can be if we both help each other reach our fullest potential instead of hinder.

Also it not only makes the woman weak by making her subservient to the man, but also it underscores that man himself is a weak creature. Perhaps even weaker than the woman he feels he must oppress. The entire reasoning for the modest dress in a woman, or at least the most compelling is often that to dress revealing would cause the man to think impure thoughts. This, to me is a travesty; it paints the female body as something sinister which causes man to think uncontrollable thoughts. Yes, men are humans and certain instincts are triggered when presented with a female human. This is natural and not evil. Beyond that, when that passing moment lingers and turns to objectification then that instinct becomes sin. To blame that on women though is absurd! The man is at fault for they are his thoughts. Imposing his will on her is in essence extending his weakness on her as well.

What are your thoughts? Depending on the discussion there will be follow up posts and we can discuss scripture, etc. This was a rant to promote my opinion and hopefully move you to write yours below and open a dialogue, whether we agree or not.