PS;I will qualify one important point David Boaz,homo sexuality is fine if those who practise it,don't try to convert the rest of society to their way of thinking .We have to accept the fact that some people are born that way,but today many are converted because they think it's trendy.

Interesting topic, Graham.

It’s a shame that kids are not happy anymore to spend most of their days covered in mud and grime.
Kids have become very self-conscious about their looks and image.
There are even kids as young as 6 that show signs of anorexia!

It seems like we are being told by advertisers not only what we (and our kids) should eat, but also what our kids should wear and how they should look.

But I agree that we do not want about 1-2% of the population (pedophiles) to regulate what our kids are wearing. I believe that most of the girls clothes on the market are innocent and seen as fashion items rather than as seductive clothing.
When my daughter was little she picked out her clothes in the mornings, but as soon as she had dressed herself she went off to play and forgot all about what she was wearing.

I think parents will be good judges in deciding what is ‘too much' (or should I say: 'too little') for the age of their daughters.

BOAZ, the fact that you post on this site is proof that you are not with the Exclusive Brethren, but you sure sound like one!
I find it hard to believe that, in the 21st century, people still haven’t accepted homosexuality and even worse, mix up homosexuality with pedophilia.

Rex, excellent post!

Celivia,
The fact is most pedophile acts on young boys are homosexual, and rarely bisexual. That is the reason for the association.

Quote, "I find it hard to believe that, in the 21st century, people still haven’t accepted homosexuality and even worse, mix up homosexuality with pedophilia."

One of the most basic of human needs is acceptance by others. We ought not dress in public so our sexuality is overtly expressed, such should be reserved for the bedroom. The most common purpose of dress and make-up is to find acceptance by others. Of course we ought not dress to raise the displeasure of others - burka being a case in point. We ought to dress so that our clothes do not draw others attention to them rather than to who we are. We have much to give to others without pushing our sexuality upon them as the most enticing part of who we are.

Philo, I'm hoping this has some kind of tenuous connection to Graham's topic "We ought to dress so that our clothes do not draw others attention to them rather than to who we are."

Would you then condem the backwards collars of anglican priests, or the variety of odd clothing worn by various catholic orders? What about the strange attire of the Amish? I don't like Burka's either but they are the choice of the wearer (hopefully) just as other clothing choices are.

People dressed to cover up or show off, thats their choice and not yours to control. It only becomes a real problem when society starts trying to enforce one or the other on those who don't want to make that choice.

A more difficult issue is with parents who's kids want to make choices different to the parents preferences.

How much are the childs preferences influenced by marketting rather than values?

How well does the parent cope with the ongoing change as a child grows older and should have more say in what they wear and how they act?

How well does the parent go at accepting that their child is an individual who will need to make their own choices as an adult and that part of childhood is learning to manage that responsibility?

Worry a bit less about those burka's and a bit more about getting the balance right in our own families.

R0bert

Arjay.. yes.. Puritanism can also be very dangerous. In fact the greatest danger for we Christians is our success. If a society becomes like 95% Christian (and I've seen this at village level) then the temptation or perhaps even the natural consequence is to make laws which reflect the faith.

This works fine for those of that generation, but their offspring, or some within the community who might be intelligent and stubborn, may dislike this and begin campaigning against it. Then tension arises, and possible conflict. That is the point of departure from the very foundation of Christ.

The point about drawing attention to "what we are wearing" rather than who we are.... is interesting.
There is the peer pressure angle, requiring people to wear 'designer' stuff for social acceptance, where the image conveyed by Calvin Klien etc is clearly not only "be with it" but.."and be sexxxxual"

I think most people assess what a person 'is' BY what they wear. A skimpy spagetti strap halter top (or strapless tube top)with mid rift showing and short short hotpants kind of convey a very clear message to me.

My daughter often throws this back at ME by telling me my wearing of Lycra bike shorts to the gym is 'sending the wrong message' but my motive was in reality that I don't get chafed inner thighs when I run. Still, I've now bought some looser basketball shorts, and use my Lycra's mostly for running alone.

The bible teaching about modesty does not mean 'no fashion sense' it just means not drawing deliberate attention to the shallower aspects of our personhood. A man can clearly see if a woman has generous breasts without needing to see 30% cleavage. But the more cleavage he sees, the more he thinks about her breasts apart from her total personhood.. unless I and Tony Barber are alone in this :) (see his add for Cash Trivia with Elise and watch his eyes :)

Just so with childrens clothing. It should be age appropriate and 'message' appropriate.

Crikey David, I’m at a loss to understand why you have twice ignored my straight and highly relevant question.

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This business of judging people by what they wear has got knobs on it. I really hate the shallowness inherent in this outlook. I knock around with bare feet and very casual dress practically all the time. As far as I’m concerned, this is eminently sensible attire for the climate. But lots of people turn up their noses at me for daring to go anywhere in public with bare feet or a singlet. Now lots of these people have big pot guts or thunder thighs or are puffing on a cigarette ….and aren’t exactly smart dressers themselves. I have to seriously question their values.

So, should I be a smarter dresser and always wear footwear? Nope not on your life.

We just shouldn’t worry too much about clothing. Let’s stop trying to appeal to people we don’t know, and who would judge us based entirely on a split-second’s observation. Practicality should be our priority. Likewise with our children.

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Philo, “The fact is most pedophile acts on young boys are homosexual, and rarely bisexual. That is the reason for the association.”

What about heterosexual acts on girls? I mean, the heterosexual connection to paedophilia had surely got to be stronger and than the homosexual connection. So why is there a perceived much stronger homosexual connection in many peoples’ minds?