Christians and the beach

You mean you're trying to catch up with us like Avis? [no Hertz meant to anyone]

 

Excellent post, as usual, Pipedude. :thumbs: We'll need to be reminded of it periodically through this thread, it seems.

 

Context. This passage is not about sexuality. Although common sense and the Holy Spirit (as I've said before) tells us that flaunting our sexuality is not God-centered behavior, it is self-centered behavior.

 

So clothing that "flaunts" one's sexuality is improper clothing. Based on your own explanation, the verse seems eminently relevant to bikinis.

 

I think it is the duty of older women to teach younger women about Christian behavior. I don't think it is the duty of a man to teach these things. It's the duty of a man to keep his eyeballs in their sockets.

Tts 2:3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,
Tts 2:4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
Tts 2:5 {to be} sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

 

The Bible is so full of balancing truths such as "speak the truth with love", stop lying... speak the truth one to another" ,,, "don't steal, but work so you can give"

It's with the modesty issue also. Women are to dress modestly, but the balncing truth is that men are not to look on a woman with lust in our hearts because it is adultery. It's interesting that Jesus would talk about lust in the heart in a day when dressing was shoulder to foot. sexual lust happens in the man's heart not with a woman's dress.

 

No, I said common sense and the Holy Spirit. I said the verse does NOT have anything to do with sexuality. That is my interpretation and you are free to disagree.

 

You've got to be kidding.

That is definitely an extreme example and not really worthy of discussion, but you are implying that "old" people can't lust? Ever hear of a "dirty old man"? I'll bet blind men don't lust either since they can't see how a woman is dressed.

As usual in these discussions, all the blame for the lusting of men is heaped upon the woman. I don't even know why this topic was started on the board to begin with, as I have only met decent Godly women on this forum since I have been a member of the BB. Who is being addressed here anyway? It sounds to me like men want to blame their sin on women. Wait...I think I've heard this before.

 

But it does have to do with proper clothing, and you were explaning why bikinis were improper clothing. Or do you think sexuality is the only consideration in proper clothing? If so, see Pipedude's post.

But no one is free to have the wrong interpretation.

 

That includes you.

Why don't you just state your own interpretations and beliefs and stop with all the questions?

 

Isn't it obvious that it's your fault that we're tongue hanging ape-armed slack-jawed perverts?

 

As a wife and mother, I have learned that everything is my fault, even global warming. :laugh:

 

Aaron, do blind men lust?

 

Bravo!:applause: Excellent point! But, they will ignore it just as they ignored my reminder that we ladies answer to our own husbands, not other men. I guess they can't find a decent argument to contradict that one!

 

Is the Pope Catholic??

Do Bees buzz??

Do Bears live in the woods???

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

I was just thinking about that point, that women are to be taught by their own husbands, not other women's husbands. Thanks for adding that. :thumbs:

 

The Word of God exhorts us:

"Neither give place to the devil"

Men, women, childen, husbands, wives, preachers, laymen, whoever you are, we are all to walk in all manner of conversation that becometh holiness.

If you know that some may lust after you because of wearing certain articles of clothing, then you shoud not wear that article of clothng.

To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

 

I agree with that. Women do have a responsiblity to dress in an appropriate manner that does not deliberately entice lust. That's the woman's part.

Here's the man's part.
Men are to NOT LUST. Period.

Jesus said to lust is sin and he that lusts commits adultery in his heart. He didn't say if a woman walks down the street in a bikini, that it's ok and doesn't count as sin because it's her fault.

 

Right, good point.

I used to have long hair when I was first saved(skateboarder). I kept it for about a year. Many people treated me bad for my long hair and my 'skater' appearance and it caused me to become alil bit resentful. Then as I read the Word more and grew in the Lord, without anyone telling me long hair was wrong, and being personally convinced that it wasn't wrong, I cut my hair because I felt the Lord was telling me not to be a stumbling block to any person. When people spoke against my long hair, I resented. When the Holy Spirit spoke against it, I obeyed. It made all the difference.

In fact, I left churches for awhile due to this type of legalism, so I am adamantly against it. I have seen it drive people further away from Christ, such as me. My mom helped with the childrens class for awhile at an old church, but because she wore pants instead of a dress she was discouraged from helping. This really made me mad, because my mom is a single parent without much money, and she doesn't really have the money to go out and buy new dresses. Since she didn't wear a dress she was made to feel 'spiritually inferior', and needless to say, as a new Christian, I was pretty perplexed as to why wearing a dress was such a big deal... This caused me to become dissillusioned with church in general, so I flew solo for about 6 months, just reading books and watching TBN. Those were some dark months. I attribute them, to legalism.

I just wanted to clarify my stance on legalism. I am against it and will always be against it. Certain things, such as mixed swimming, I am against(atleast for all young, horomone driven males like myself). Movies that contain immorality, of course I'm against! Revealing clothing, I think all Christians are against! Dresses on women, Music with a back-beat, so on, I don't think we have the right to speak dogmaticaly on.