The Bikini Question: A Rebuttal

[Socrates]

pro-tip: don't take any modesty advice from discussions on phatmass. that way leads to scrupulosity and madness. :|

 

Naw, taking advice from discussions on phatmass usually leads to moral laxity and relativism.

[Lil Red]

Naw, taking advice from discussions on phatmass usually leads to moral laxity and relativism.

 

either way, I'd trust my priest in real life over discussions on phatmass. 

[Basilisa Marie]

When I went to Prayer & Action this week, they made an announcement that both men and women had to be modest. When we went swimming, women had to wear shirts, and so did men. And they absolutely couldn't be white. If all you had were white shirts, you were simply going to hang out around the pool. It was a blanket law that covered everyone. I couldn't help but think of how that would bring a smile to Basilisa Marie and the171. :P

 

That DEFINITELY just made me smile. :)  

[Guest]

.If a girl wants to go stark bare nekkid at the beach (or anywhere else) she should....end of thread...

Don't be such a prude.

there is a difference between naked and a bikini. Do you think men should wear shirts when they swim at the beach ?

[PhuturePriest]

there is a difference between naked and a bikini. Do you think men should wear shirts when they swim at the beach ?

 

Yes. As has been discussed, being shirtless can incite lust in women. It also saves you from skin cancer. Win-win.

[Lil Red]

When I went to Prayer & Action this week, they made an announcement that both men and women had to be modest. When we went swimming, women had to wear shirts, and so did men. And they absolutely couldn't be white. If all you had were white shirts, you were simply going to hang out around the pool. It was a blanket law that covered everyone. I couldn't help but think of how that would bring a smile to Basilisa Marie and the171. :P

 

honestly, i think this is silly. I would've hoped that the conference organizers gave a heads-up to the chaperones before the conference, so the chaperones could tell their group. 

[PhuturePriest]

honestly, i think this is silly. I would've hoped that the conference organizers gave a heads-up to the chaperones before the conference, so the chaperones could tell their group. 

 

There were emails to the kids themselves saying that we might go swimming and to bring colored shirts and bathing suits just in case. They were simply restating it again when we got there.

[Guest]

Ok well my parents never had me swim in a shirt...I never took swimming lessons in a shirt...If you really believe that males should wear shirts when they swim whatever lol Everybody has their own views...But that's not real to me...Its more like up tight religious stuff...But to each their own...

[havok579257]

Ok well my parents never had me swim in a shirt...I never took swimming lessons in a shirt...If you really believe that males should wear shirts when they swim whatever lol Everybody has their own views...But that's not real to me...Its more like up tight religious stuff...But to each their own...

great attitude.  if you want to be modest for yourself you up tight religious.  nice. :ohno:

[Socrates]

either way, I'd trust my priest in real life over discussions on phatmass. 

 

Agreed.

[Lil Red]

The reason I had to wear a shirt when swimming was as a kid. And only because I am a redhead and butn like crazy.

[PhuturePriest]

The reason I had to wear a shirt when swimming was as a kid. And only because I am a redhead and butn like crazy.

 

Bahahaha. :evil:

 

I would probably be neon-white had the small native American gene not been passed down to me (It was to my sister, but she's whiter than I am, and my brother is a neon-white redhead who burns from everything). As a result, it's been at least six years since I last got sunburned, and that's with almost never using sunscreen.

[MithLuin]

Do I get credit for reading 2 out of 6 pages before replying?

 

 

 

My sister lives in the south of Spain, and I've visited a couple of beaches there with her and her children.  The Spanish attitude towards clothing on the beach is very relaxed; people wear what they feel comfortable in.  So, yes, lots of naked kids running around, and occasionally women go topless.  I don't think there's a lot of lusting going on when a grandma takes off her top, though, to be honest.  And the men wear speedos.  If you don't want to see this stuff, you avert your eyes.  If you feel more comfortable in a one piece, you just go ahead and wear one (I did).  No one seemed too troubled or bent out of shape about what others were doing, and the beaches we were at seemed very family friendly.  I wasn't concerned about people watching others, well...lecherously.  

 

 

I think that it's helpful to remember the cultural part of modesty (and that America was founded with a Puritan bent).  If a woman in Western Africa is standing by the side of the road pounding something into a pulp while shirtless, no one is going to stop and gawk at her.  Breasts are for feeding babies, and they aren't seen as all that attractive anyway.  A woman in a bikini, on the other hand, would get plenty of stares, because the woman's thighs are visible and you JUST DON'T DO THAT there.  See how that works?  The topless woman would be seen as more modest than the woman wearing the bikini top - it's a cultural thing.  

 

When men and women dress, they have all sorts of things to consider.  What is available to them?  Comfort.  Utility.  Purpose for which they are dressing.  Then there is the consideration... how will other people perceive me?  After all, when we dress and go outside, we are presenting ourselves to the world, and they can see us.  We know this, and if we have the luxury of choosing what we wear, we can manipulate that, in a positive or negative way.  I want people to see me as professional and responsible, trustworthy!  I want people to see me as being in the same social ranking as they are, not above or beneath them.  I want people to think I look cool...or sexy...or hot. Petty and serious concerns, all wrapped up together.  It's difficult to sort out how we judge ourselves and what criteria we use to choose are clothing.  

 

But at the end of the day, that's a first world problem, as people like to say.  The truly impoverished don't have much choice in what they get to wear. They wear what they have, and...that's that. If it's modest or immodest, they go out the door anyway.  There was a story of a female reporter during the depression who travelled to a town for a story of how things were, and she was surprised that most of the men averted their eyes when they were talking to her.  She asked one what that was about, and he said, well, you see, the women haven't been able to patch their clothes properly, so many of them are walking around with threadbare or less than decent outfits.  So, out of respect for them, we just look away so they won't be shamed.  I think that's a case of men doing their best to respect women who were walking around dressed that way not by choice.  It's not always easy for a guy to maintain eye contact when faced with such a circumstance, but hats off to the ones who do.  

 

It's a both/and situation, not either or.

 

Both women and men have a responsibility to dress modestly.  Yes, men.  Don't make me go find pictures of immodestly dressed men on the internet.  

Both men and women have a responsibility to guard their eyes and not gawk at whatever display happens to cross your path.  Yes, it's not your fault if you saw it.  But it *is* your fault if you keep looking...the 2nd look is all on you!  [And sometimes the first look is your fault, if you walked into a place knowing you'd see indecent displays of human flesh.]

And rather than pointing blame at others, we all have to work on our own behaviour and consider out own choices.  Some friendly reminders to others can be helpful, but pointing fingers and being accusatory tends to reek of mote/plank.  It's always a good idea to make sure your own house is in order.  

 

 

 

 

Oh, uh, yeah, so...nice blog post; thanks for sharing.  It was interesting, even if I didn't necessarily agree 100% with it.