Causing Men to Lust

Good golly people! I listened to the first few minutes of this message and was horrified. I would have very quickly gotten up out of my seat and walked out of the service. Just so you know, I wore a long skirt to church this week that went below mid calf, had on boots that went to my knees and wore a turtleneck sweater that showed...nothing. So I was only showing my chin up and my hands. Yet I would have walked out of that sermon within the first minutes.

As I just read through this thread, I opened a bunch of tabs of posts to quote and respond to but it's too much so I'm just going to give my thoughts:

* Yes, women need to be aware of what they wear and what affect it has on men. An excellent book for women on this is "For Women Only". It explains how men think about women and such and it's an excellent read. We DO need to be cautious at all times to be sure that we are covered decently and that we do not show more than we need to. Now understand that I wear shorts, sleeveless tops and v-neck tops - sometimes all at the same time! Some might not consider that modest but I am not afraid to stand in front of anyone in them and wonder if I'm not covered enough. *I* don't want to show off too much and what I wear, I do not feel is immodest. My husband agrees that it is modest and I have wonderful women around me who would gently say something to me if it were not modest.

* We need to be sure that women are teaching women and men are teaching men when it comes to sexuality. In our church, that is done. Our pastor has had specific men's breakfasts and men's retreats addressing lust and the pastor's wives and other leaders have had specific meetings addressing the women and our part in leading men to be in a place where they can sin. But to address this from the pulpit in the form that this pastor did is sinful, IMO. It is not Biblical (show me where any man in Scripture taught women how to dress) and it was done to mortify women who don't even dress this way! To use the terms he used - the graphic language - that was so wrong.

* To be offended by this message does not mean that we felt he was addressing us. I also get offended by abortion but have never had one. I get offended by bad language but I do not use it. I get offended when someone uses the Lord's name in vain but I never do it myself. Just because we get offended by something doesn't mean we feel that issue is addressed at us. Instead, we get offended when someone uses the pulpit to push his own agenda and say it's from God.

 

Oh - I remembered one more thing. We need to be careful that we do not project on our congregation the sins of the world around us. We need to caution them to be watchful but we do not need to castigate women in the congregation for what women in the world wear. That is a poor excuse for a message.

 

Thank you, I shall. Does he preach anymore at all? If he doesn't get behind the pulpit anymore then my writing to him is moot. If he does, I would like to drop him a polite line since he did ask for comments.

 

I'd be awake from walking. I hate messages like this. It's very legalistic and offensive and could be handled in a MUCH more Biblical method that still gets the point across without having to be crude.

 

No, brother, you are wrong on that criticism. It isn't the quasi-feminist in me that got her feathers ruffled - it's the conservative, modest, and prudent side of me that was flabbergasted. The QF in me hasn't offered a response. I don't think she has dog in that fight. :saint:

I have to ask - even though I already know the answer.. Would you be comfortable if a man talked to YOUR wife like that and used the exact words that this pastor did and told the story of the young man who wanted to slip his hand down the back of a woman when she bent over and he saw her panties?

You would be comfortable with a man talking TO your wife like that in your presence?

 

How old is this sermon in question?