Modesty a nod to women's liberation
Andrew Weatherford
Often times, when I am on campus, I cannot help but wonder if some of the young women are making their way to class or to the club. But before I get myself in too deep and offend someone, I should say that I do not take for granted how far we have come in a society that for decades oppressed women.
In fact, drawing attention to this less-than-modest trend is in honor of that great struggle, not in contention with it.
In a 2004 TCU Magazine article, former TCU student Sherry Bush Smith, class of 1968, said "We could not wear slacks on campus, so we wore skirts, dresses, hose and sometimes pumps to class."
Thankfully we have come a long way from those days. But the truth is that excessive amounts of cleavage, skirts and shorts leave very little to the imagination and I see a lot of guys lusting over and objectifying women.
I do not believe that the arduous journey to women's liberation was for freedom such as this. On a campus with no dress code, I suppose it is fair game to wear what you want. But for myself, as a pastor, I have made a covenant with my eyes to keep them on the ground, because every woman is someone's daughter and/or someone's wife. And each lady deserves to be treated with dignity, honor and respect.
So, this is a call to action, not judgment. Despite the objectification of women in the media and advertising, we should rebel against the standards that our society has set and dare to be modest. We could start a radical movement among our generation in which guys have enough respect to keep their eyes and hearts pure, and ladies insist on carrying themselves as individuals who are worthy of deep-seated respect and honor from men.
According to XXXChurch.com, a Christian ministry that helps people who struggle with lust, $89 is spent on pornography every second, 72 percent of pornography viewers are men, and 89 percent of pornography is made in the United States. These statistics paint a picture of America and it reflects in our culture in many different ways.
Let's dare to break the bondage of lust in our society by starting with ourselves. The severity of this issue has echoed across two millennia by the words of Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 5:28, "Any man who looks lustfully upon a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Andrew Weatherford is a junior religion major and pastor of Deliverance Bible Church in Fort Worth.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 21
That Guy
posted 3/10/09 @ 10:40 PM CST
Good article, but please stop with the religion based arguments. Not everyone at TCU believes what you believe so please write an article that finishes as well as it starts. (Continued…)
Summer
posted 3/10/09 @ 11:39 PM CST
I must respectfully put forth a differing opinion. The problem with your argument in this article is that it still classifies women and their bodies strictly as something to be either displayed for, or hidden from, men. (Continued…)
The secret place
posted 3/11/09 @ 2:43 AM CST
I must agree with your article and the fact that women today cannot seem to keep their wardrobe modest. I believe women can be beautiful in jeans and a t-shirt. (Continued…)
Kelly
posted 3/11/09 @ 11:58 AM CST
Summer, you and Eve Ensler can dream on. Men's and women's bodies *are* beautiful, as Western and non-Western art have demonstrated for millenia. And if you display your healthy body, don't be surprised that others want to look at it. (Continued…)
Kelly
posted 3/11/09 @ 12:06 PM CST
From Summer's comment, an excerpt from Eve Ensler:
"My short skirt is a liberation
flag in the women's army
I declare these streets, any streets
my vagina's country. (Continued…)
CEO
posted 3/11/09 @ 12:15 PM CST
I have three comments that will hopefully be thought-provoking because I believe this is a good discussion.
One, I think it is important to remember that articles of clothing and body parts have no essential value in themselves but rather reflect our culturally constructed understandings of these parts and articles. (Continued…)
Summer
posted 3/11/09 @ 1:13 PM CST
Hi, Kelly. Thanks for your response. I think.
It looks like you didn't catch everything I wrote. Please refer to the following: "It is each individual's responsibility to keep their own thoughts in check, and each individual's right to dress as they choose--with the awareness that, realistically, they can expect to be looked at if they dress a certain way. (Continued…)
Summer
posted 3/11/09 @ 1:25 PM CST
P.S. That poem you alluded to sounds like it would be awesome. Somebody should write it.
linds
posted 3/12/09 @ 9:28 PM CST
the way a woman dresses is not the issue if a man is objectifying a woman. if a woman is dressed by conventional(or whatever) standards "scantily", and a man looks at her as anything other than a human being. (Continued…)
Fellow Frog
posted 3/12/09 @ 10:52 PM CST
Personally, thanks for adding the religious comment and perspective. Though some can get offended by anything that has a Christian concept, some of us find it refreshing that you are able to use it in your article. (Continued…)
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