1 Timothy 2

I always knew that the bible promoted dressing appropriately/modestly, but hadn't actually run into any specific verses until earlier this week, when I randomly opened my bible to 1 Timothy 2 and went AH HA!!!! Verse 9 : "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God". It was exactly how I've felt about clothes and how I want to be seen for several years now-probably since I was about 12 or 13. Many women will say "I want to be liked for who I am and what I do, not what I wear" but at the same time go to all lengths to impress men-or other women-with their appearance. I'm not saying that taking a little bit of time and looking nice is an issue, there is nothing wrong with appreciating, enjoying and giving thanks for the wonderful blessings that have been provided. What I am saying is that I want to be seen as a modest dresser, and I wish more would do so. I can say that already I have seen more cleavage, stomachs and even worse than I care to have. My junior high/high school had a pretty strict dress code, but one that I believe should be generally followed at all times. I don't remember everything, but here's what I do remember:
-shorts must be mid-thigh or longer
-skirts must be no higher than 2 inches above the knee
-shirts must not show the middriff
-shirts must not show cleavage
-No clothing promoting alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or individuals promoting questionable lifestyles
-shirts must have sleeves or straps at least 2 inches wide
-Undergarments must not be visible
-No clothes with rips, tears or holes

Granted, some of these regulations are easier for me to follow than others, as I am only 4'9, so skirts that are too short on others are at about my knees (which I have found is just about the only advantage in shopping when you are my height and age).

As my dad so often relates to me, men are very visual. There was a case recently in my province wherein a judge gave a lighter sentence to a man who sexually assaulted a woman who was dressed in a provocative, revealing way. While I completely disagree with this ruling (and so do the provincial officials who are investigating and possibly changing the sentence), I can't help but feel that dressing inappropriately certainly didn't help the matter. And the problem is getting younger and younger. Yesterday, I read an article on MSN that 1/3 of clothes marketed to 'tweens' (c.7-12 year olds) is considered 'too sexual'. As I read further I saw examples, including a push-up bikini marketed to SEVEN YEAR OLDS. It sickened me. It's a rare seven year old that even needs a bra, and in my mind NO ONE should wear a bikini. If it's more revealing than your underwear, why on earth would you publically expose yourself like that? And for a LITTLE GIRL? Given how many children are larger these days, that bathing suit could potentially be worn by a four or five year old. Most parents don't want to think that their sixteen-year-old might be engaging in sexual activity, yet they allow a little girl to wear a bikini...and not just any bikini but a PUSH UP BIKINI. One of the commenters on the story wrote that "some things are inappropriate and they're always inappropriate". I fully agree. To be honest, it's getting hard to go bra shopping and find something that isn't padded or a push-up bra. I'm dreading when my current set wear out-and given that they're about 4 years old at this point...I'd say we are getting close to a due-date (blessings on having not grown more than about a quarter inch there in those four years). I have to say that the over-sexualizing of breasts makes me infuriated. It's not their purpose...their purpose is to provide the perfect source of nutrition and comfort for babies and young toddlers, not to be a man's playthings...suggesting that a little girl should have a push-up bikini...

And that's my rant for the day. My Harold Camping rant comes tomorrow! I admit, I was up late because I was watching the news updates showing up on google and checking the USGS earthquake map. At the same time, I feel horrible for not trusting in God, but I guess the fear of things-spread from the words of a man, not God (which should have been my first clue!) got to me. Jesus may return today, tonight, next week, next century or ten thousand years or longer from now...but man will not know, and I should have remembered that. Let's just say that if Harold Camping lives to make another prediction (he's 89) I will not believe him whatsoever. Perhaps it was just more frightening for me because it is the first time in my life that I'd heard a judgement day/doomsday prediction. Yes, Harold Camping predicted this in 1994, but I was only 4 years old. And yes, Warren Jeffs (leader of the FLDS) predicted judgement day more than once) but again, I did not know about it until years afterwards when I read the books Escape by Carolyn Jessop and Stolen Innocence by Elisa Wall, two women who escaped the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, an fundamentalist group of Mormons. I do admit, I will be interested to see how Harold Camping talks about his failed prediction-if he ever does.