Priest Condemns Miniskirts

[mortify]

==QUOTE==

[b]Women outraged at priest's condemnation of miniskirts[/b]
09:18 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Associated Press
[url="http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/082008dnintminiskirts.392cc3d.html"]Link to article[/url]

[color="#0000FF"]MEXICO CITY – A Catholic priest's condemnation of miniskirts on an official church Web site is causing outrage among some Mexican women, who say the Roman Catholic Church is making it easier to justify sexual violence against women.

The Rev. Sergio G. Roman sounded the alarm against miniskirts in an online publication to prepare Catholics for a church family-values forum next year in Mexico City.

"When we show our body without prudence, without modesty, we are prostituting ourselves," wrote Roman, a Mexico City priest.

Mexican newspaper columnists lampooned the article, and women's rights advocates have assailed it.

Women dressed in miniskirts and low-cut shirts have rallied at the doors of Mexico City's Cathedral during Sunday Mass, carrying signs that read: "Clothed and naked, I am the same."

Guadalupe Loaeza, a renowned Mexican social commentator, said she worries the priest's statements will be taken seriously and make it acceptable to blame the victim.

"It gives rapists permission to say, 'Well, she had on a miniskirt,"' Loaeza said. "What the church says has credibility – that's why this type of statement is so dangerous."

The archdiocese says the news media have twisted Roman's words and that the article was meant only to provide "moral guidance for the Catholic community."

Skimpy outfits are a common sight on national TV broadcasts in Mexico, but are still frowned upon in most social settings.

Roman's statements echo recent comments by government authorities elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean.

A police superintendent in Jamaica called on women last week to dress with greater modestly to curb rapes on the island.

After an 8-year-old girl was gang-raped by five men at a market in Montego Bay, Steve McGregor blamed rapes this summer partly on girls wearing short shorts and tiny bathing suits.

McGregor was criticized by a Jamaican group that monitors the portrayal of women in the media.

"It's time we stop penalizing the victims," said Afola Shade, the director of Women's Media Watch. "There are men raping babies. Can babies dress skimpily? I think it's time we stop this foolishness now."

APNP 08-19-08 1853CDT
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==ENDQUOTE==

[havok579257]

I think the priest's comments are wrong here.

[mortify]

[quote name='havok579257' post='1633050' date='Aug 20 2008, 05:49 PM']I think the priest's comments are wrong here.[/quote]

Not surprised

[havok579257]

[quote name='mortify' post='1633052' date='Aug 20 2008, 06:51 PM']Not surprised[/quote]


Just as I am not suprised by your sarcasm.



Please tell me how a miniskirt makes a woman prostitute herself?

Edited August 20, 2008 by havok579257

[Selah]

lol

[quote]Please tell me how a miniskirt makes a woman prostitute herself?[/quote]


[quote]When we show our body without prudence, without modesty[/quote]

[TeresaBenedicta]

Good for that priest, speaking out for modesty's sake.

[HisChildForever]

I agree that miniskirts should not be worn.

[quote]A police superintendent in Jamaica called on women last week to dress with greater modestly to curb rapes on the island.

After an 8-year-old girl was gang-raped by five men at a market in Montego Bay, Steve McGregor blamed rapes this summer partly on girls wearing short shorts and tiny bathing suits.[/quote]

This infuriates me. Girls who wear skimpy clothing are partially to blame for being raped? Is this insinuating that they deserved it, due to their wardrobe selection? Are murder victims partially to blame for their deaths if they walk alone through the park at 2am? Are store managers partially to blame for theft if their register is close to the door?

This is a great way to encourage rapists. Now they'll specifically target the women dressed this way, and use it as an excuse to get a lesser sentence (if they get caught).

[dominicansoul]

How ridiculous that these "women advocacy" groups are outraged! The priest is actually offering sound advice. When women show off their assets, they are basically turning men on. And sometimes, men can't get turned off, so it does cause rape. That's not saying that the men are right to rape them! And the priest is definitely not saying this!

I occasionally stop to watch Spanish news to hear their spin on news stories. I am always aghast at what these women wear. If you ask me, they DO dress like hookers! I often wonder if they even look at themselves in the mirror before coming on television. But it is like they are wanting that kind of attention.

[HisChildForever]

[quote]When women show off their assets, they are basically turning men on. And sometimes, men can't get turned off, so it does cause rape.[/quote]

So men are so ruled by their physical urges that seeing a woman in a miniskirt turns them into rapists?

I believe that when a (lustful) man sees a woman dressed like that, it's "easier" for him to seduce her because she most likely wants to be seduced.

Normal men don't rape.

[dominicansoul]

It's definitely more likely to happen in this sexually saturated world we live in...

I know the Holy Catholic Church has a dress code. There's a reason for modesty. It's even more important now than ever.

[CatherineM]

First off, I should say that no one on Earth wants to see me in a mini-skirt, so that may bias my answer. In Mexico City they actually have to have separate female only buses so that women can ride without being groped. I'd say that in that kind of atmosphere, why would a woman want to be provocative? If you treat yourself as if you are only worth the sexuality you have on display, men will also treat you as if that is your only worth.

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1633077' date='Aug 20 2008, 06:24 PM']First off, I should say that no one on Earth wants to see me in a mini-skirt, so that may bias my answer.[/quote]

Classic Catherine!

[quote]In Mexico City they actually have to have separate female only buses so that women can ride without being groped. I'd say that in that kind of atmosphere, why would a woman want to be provocative? If you treat yourself as if you are only worth the sexuality you have on display, men will also treat you as if that is your only worth.[/quote]

AMEN!

[HisChildForever]

[quote]It's definitely more likely to happen in this sexually saturated world we live in...[/quote]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1633077' date='Aug 20 2008, 07:24 PM']If you treat yourself as if you are only worth the sexuality you have on display, men will also treat you as if that is your only worth.[/quote]

Valid points.

But that doesn't mean a woman should've "seen it coming" so to speak. They might dress like that because it's their culture.

Also, where do we draw the line? Like I said in my other post, rapists may now target those women and use it as an excuse for their behavior. But what if it gets to the point where the rapist says "Oh, she was wearing a tank top and has her hair colored blonde, I couldn't resist!" The rapist can really play the system and use "immodesty" as his case!

[MissScripture]

[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1633082' date='Aug 20 2008, 06:28 PM']Valid points.

But that doesn't mean a woman should've "seen it coming" so to speak. They might dress like that because it's their culture.

Also, where do we draw the line? Like I said in my other post, rapists may now target those women and use it as an excuse for their behavior. But what if it gets to the point where the rapist says "Oh, she was wearing a tank top and has her hair colored blonde, I couldn't resist!" The rapist can really play the system and use "immodesty" as his case![/quote]

Legally, what a woman is wearing when she is raped should be of no importance.

However, telling women that they should dress modestly to help protect themselves is not a bad idea.

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1633082' date='Aug 20 2008, 06:28 PM']Valid points.

But that doesn't mean a woman should've "seen it coming" so to speak. They might dress like that because it's their culture.

Also, where do we draw the line? Like I said in my other post, rapists may now target those women and use it as an excuse for their behavior. But what if it gets to the point where the rapist says "Oh, she was wearing a tank top and has her hair colored blonde, I couldn't resist!" The rapist can really play the system and use "immodesty" as his case![/quote]

If women have no religious scruples about dressing the way they do, they should use common sense. I think it sends a sexual message that men may misunderstand. You say normal men do not rape. But I know today's fashions make even the most normal men fantasize and lust. They may never touch the object of their lust, (more likely they may touch themselves.) And I think in these situations, the woman is very much to blame. In this situation, the Father wants women to be more responsible for themselves. To have more respect for the dignity of their persons. He's a shepherd trying to show his sheep the right way. What he is saying is what the Church teaches in this matter. Modesty is an obligation.