Should a Christian woman wear a bikini?
It appears that this entire article may be a quote from the book, Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman: Proverbs 31 by Elizabeth George. It really scares me that a woman can write something that is so misogynistic.
Another issue to consider is that God calls all people to control their thought lives, so as women, we should not cause men to lust: "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-29). When we cause men to look upon our bodies lustfully, we are inducing them to commit the sin of lust and this is displeasing to God.Mrs. George apearantly blames women for the stray thoughts of passing men. It's this kind of mentality that causes people to blame rape victims for being raped. It's also this kind of mentality that'd get laws passed to force a rape vitim to carry the baby of her attacker. It's the same kind of misogyny that was seen in Afghanistan under the rule of the taliban. I am of the opinion that nobody should ever be blamed for the thoughts of other people. We should all be responsible for our own thoughts and actions, not the thoughts and actions of other people.
I could be wrong, but it seems to me that ultra-modesty can actually cause lustful thoughts in men. When women cover up everything (such as wearing a burqa or the floor length long sleeved dresses of Mennonite women), any exposed skin could be sexy to a man who's not used to seeing any part of a woman. Women have been stoned to death in some countries for exposing a bare foot. In the USA, few men worry too much about bare feet, because they're use to seeing bare feet. Stone age native men in the amazon don't worry too much about seeing bare breasts, because it's a normal thing for women in that society to go around bare breasted. Modesty is subjective. Modesty is something different for each society. The European women who are raped by muslim men because they weren't wearing a veil, can't be blamed for the thoughts of someone who belongs to a different worldview. It's the muslim man's and his religion's fault for making something innocent into something lustful.
Also, I don't see anything wrong with having a lustful thought or two. The thoughts are not what hurts people. As long as I don't act upon the thought, I don't see anything wrong with it. If for some reason the thoughts were so strong that I couldn't resist, then I would probably need psychiatric help. Even so, I would never blame some woman for my thoughts and feelings. No matter how provocativally she dresses. There's no justification to blame someone else for feelings that are entirely my own.
6 comments:
Another thing that always strikes me about this business, Robert, is what goes through the head of a man who rapes a woman, anyway?
As you say, there is nothing particularly wrong with being attracted to a woman. I will often see a woman and think what a beautiful woman she is. But I would never think that this "attraction" should ever give me reason to approach her, let alone force myself on her.
Men who are capable of doing such things are not just guilty of being unable to control their impulses; they are obviously very, very fucked-up in the most perverse and criminal manner possible. Their attitude towards women is simply one of objectification in a psychopathic sense; they are incapable of empathy, and have the slavishly selfish "belief" that the world exists purely for their own gratification.
I ask you, and all men: could you actually remain so sexually stimulated that you could maintain an erection when a woman was pleading with you not to harm her? Those who can possibly entertain the thought that they could, under those circumstances, need, at the very least, serious counselling. My preferred counselling method for these beasts would be undertaken with a very sharp knife.
Laurie asked, "Could you actually remain so sexually stimulated that you could maintain an erection when a woman was pleading with you not to harm her?"
No way.
"Also, I don't see anything wrong with having a lustful thought or two. The thoughts are not what hurts people. As long as I don't act upon the thought, I don't see anything wrong with it. "
So now, we not only know you are a rapist, but vulnerable to rape too and you are simply writing to shame throw, project and transfer through your own vulnerability and ignorance.
Do you ask these people if your thoughts are ok, or just justify and assume, like any rapist does?
SC, If I had such a thought and supressed it and didn't act upon it, how does that make me a rapist? A rapist is some who forces himself on to another person, not someone who thinks that the woman has nice whatevers. That was the point I was trying to make.
Also, if for some reason a lustful thought was bad, I'd be responsible for that thought, not the person I had lustful thoughts for.
Sc, you missed my points entirely. Also, calling me a rapist is just not nice. Trust me, I wouldn't be able to force myself on another person like that. The thought of it makes me sick. When, I said lustful thoughts, I most certainly didn't mean violent thoughts.
I've heard it said that rape is usually more about violence and control over women than sexual gratification. It's ironic that fundies would exercise control over women in the form of burquas and modesty clothing in order to stop the male from exercising control over the woman. Is there anything so absurd that even fundies won't eat it up?
SC also said, "Do you ask these people if your thoughts are ok, or just justify and assume, like any rapist does?"
Why should anyone have to ask another person if a private thought is ok? My thoughts are my own, they are in my own head. What I think about privately has no effect on someone else. That is of course as long as they stay thoughts. But as long as they stay thoughts, no harm is done. If the thoughts are bad, then it's my fault for having such thoughts, not the person I was having thoughts about. That was my whole point. Also Shona, you neglected to mention my statement after that comment.
I said, "If for some reason the thoughts were so strong that I couldn't resist, then I would probably need psychiatric help."
Does that clear the air about me being a rapist? I hope so. I am done with searching for civilized fundies to discuss theology with. Most fundies appearantly can't handle it and this last episode with the GotQuestions Blog has left me disgusted beyond description. I'm done with fundies. I don't think they have anything to teach that I'd want to learn anymore.
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