A Call to Modesty (& Chastity) and the Valuing of Women

I have to be honest here, I’m upset by what’s going on. There are too many strange sexual behaviors being displayed in magazines and on other forms of social media.

At times I feel literally sickened by what’s being put out there.

People touching people where they shouldn’t be touching them. Three nude women embracing while holding a product for sale. It creeps me out how mainstream this is going.

Those who keep the sexual anatomy private, hid from public display by wearing attractive but modest apparel, are seen as Victorian and prudish. The woman’s body is being displayed in all sorts of ways. Suggestive stances and manners are a promotion of sex; an invitation we can’t avoid noticing.

Modesty is considered archaic.

I am surprised at the movement in some sectors where professional appearance includes bosom-displaying open necklines in mainstream news, shows, and businesses.

Where are we supposed to look?

The invitation is there for all to take note. It is both insulting and distracting. The lines have become blurred. Virtue and chastity seem to be a thing of the past. How society now measures women, especially young women, has become insulting and degrading. The outward appearance has become a marketing tool to sell practically anything and everything. Our young women have become victims in this cultural shift.

It is upsetting for those who want a different standard for their daughters.

One mother said to me, I can’t find any clothes for my little girl that aren’t provocative. Have you noticed the change in underwear logos, where they’re placed, and what they say? Our little girls get the message that it’s all about sex, that they are sexual objects.

That’s not good enough.

A photographer writes a blog about photographing senior portraits, how the girls want poses that are more like sexual invitations. She’s concerned with where this is heading.

I’m concerned too.

Is looking sexy really the measure of a person? Women should expect more, and be more. The pressure to look sexy is marketed to the youngest of young. Teachings about sexual restraint and morality are no longer subliminally emphasized in the public arena.

What is the message being projected?

Is the message this, that sleeping with someone is just an impersonal and expected recreational activity? If you got it, flaunt it. If you want it, go and get it? Do we really want our little girls to believe they are only a booty call, that they can’t keep a relationship if they don’t give the other person everything, and on the first date?

No. Absolutely not.

Meaningful relationships are not created from a romp in bed. We all know this. Why are we accepting this trash? Our girls have worth and value. Their sexuality should be protected, not exploited.

I want my daughters to be loved for who they are, not for how they look or for what they show off, even though they are very attractive young women.

The beauty of a woman isn’t revealed if she displays it all. The less a woman/young woman shows off by way of their dress will give a message to those around them that tells how they see themselves. They will seem more attractive when they learn to accent their physical beauty and not degrade it with slut-like, body revealing clothing.

It shows some self-respect too.

A woman doesn’t need to dress unattractively, that is not what this is about or what I am trying to accentuate. This is a call to bring back a social standard that says we appreciate and value moral behaviors, self restraint, and an appreciation for dress that is decent and not suggestive. And I wish for there to be a change of heart across the board which says, healthy relationships are built, not hap-hazard or cheap. Sex is good, but it must have boundaries, or it seduces and then fails to deliver on its promises.

Our little girls and women deserve to be loved well. If we get this right and change the trajectory, they will benefit in the long run.

What do you think?

Louis Zamperini, A True Hero, … Date of Passing, July 2, 2014

Remembering Louis Zamperini:

Forgiveness is Difficult: I am writing about the area of “forgiving” for a short ebook about the spiritual path. You cannot be spiritually whole if you are unforgiving of an offense (even the horrible ones). I wanted to include a true story about forgiveness. I remembered a story of a man who forgave an atrocity in World War Two. I listened to him once, many years ago. I was sure I could find him in an internet search.

Louis Zamperini’s Life: A few minutes later I began a google search to find out his name and, hopefully, a video clip from when this man (Louis Zamperini) spoke in a casual interview while at the Olympics when they were held in Japan. He was speaking with the announcer in a short late-night segment, at the very end of the Olympics. It was my first and only time hearing Louis Zamperini. His words impressed me. He shared about his war experiences and capture, and then how he and the men were tortured. He described some of it, water-boarding etc., and the fear he and the other POWs experienced, especially toward one of their worst torturers. It was grim.

Louis Zamperini went on to tell of his life after being freed, how he was angry, damaged, then his coming to faith at a Billy Graham crusade and how God changed him. Later, he was able to forgive those who had been so cruel to him long before during the interrogations and tortures. He also said that he had tried to meet with his former tormentor during his visit at the Japan Olympic games but was not given audience.

Louis Zamperini’s Death: I was saddened to learn that Louis Zamperini passed away earlier this month. He was 97. Somehow I missed the news report. What a man. He was kind and good. You could see it in his eyes and in his smile and by the things he said. There was a graciousness.

There is a bestselling book about his life, Unbroken, and a biography he wrote, Devil at My Heels. An interesting interview with Louis Zamperini can be viewed at this link: http://newsok.com/an-interview-to-remember-louis-zamperini/article/4986354

Louis Zamperini, a true hero.