[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

PO, more to the point of ILG's thread (although I think this is a good, if not predictable, rabbit trail), do you agree that the conservative church creates a framework of respect for women? I'm curious as to what you think of the conservative lifestyle outside of a rulebook or even any real or perceived scriptural mandate.

I don't think it was a rabbit trail, but I digress. lol

You know what startled me the most when I starting attending a Pentecostal church? The men were so stinking nice, I thought some were flirting with me. LOL! So, in answer to your question - huge respect. I wasn't used to it.

When I try to compartmentalize and look at our lifestyle impersonally and sort of "outside myself", I see that there are things I'm attached to and find beneficial and agreeable, regardless of whether they are scriptural. I definitely agree that there are old-fashioned values which support women in traditional roles, while those same values might hinder freedom of choice in non-traditional roles. Some of our practices make us stand apart from the secular world in a positive way, and even command respect.

I think that we certainly can and do stand apart from the secular world in a positive way, and I have never experienced disrespect because of my beliefs. I may think of some incident after I log out, but it would be very few.

I also believe that some have presented themselves in a negative way by how they dress and act in the community. But, that's people for you.

I remember a women in town, who is now the Mayor's wife, sharing that in her daily walk past my house, she heard me correcting my children. She said she was surprised that I wasn't using curse words. I was thinking, "That's what you do to your children? Really?" We were raised Catholic and my parents would never have cursed at us. I couldn't imagine cursing at my children.

I started a book from my sister some time ago called A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue by Wendy Shalit (a Jewish woman). She discusses modesty and its benefits at great length, initially from an outsider's POV. It's the most intellectual and fresh look at modesty I've ever read, although Steve Pixler's blog/book on modesty is still my favorite, particularly since it's from an Apostolic point of view.

When I encounter Muslim women at the grocery store or other women who obviously ascribe to modesty and conservatism, I feel appreciation for their choice and respect their ability to make a hard choice in such an immodest and liberal world. At the same time, I usually have a twinge of...something...hoping that it was indeed their choice, and they weren't forced into something that wasn't of their making. My take is that as long as the lifestyle is freely and knowledgeably chosen, it can be positive and beneficial. If the lifestyle is forced, it's negative from the get-go. Working from that theory, there has to be a way to both raise our children in the Apostolic church and still somehow allow them the leeway to mature into their choices or make as many of their own choices as possible.

Here again, God found me and here I am. I agreed to follow Him, but He chose me first. So, really it was His choice in the first place. Again, I am very simplistic in that, His will is paramount. It's like asking your earthly father for permission. I tell God and ask Him about everything. I even tattle on my husband. (lol) I'm just a little girl in His world. He gives me everything. I don't mature into choices. I ask Him if I can have them. I don't really know how to live any other way.

I asked Him about the hair issue. He showed me Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and that what He made was good - male and female, made He them. That was the order and authority in the first part of Corinthians. Then he showed me gender distinction. That's the second part referring to hair. So, I didn't make a choice about my hair. I asked God about it. I agree with my daughter. If my hair is long, I have not violated scripture.

So, in a nutshell, I don't believe there are choices outside of the will of God - ever. I am not my own, I was bought with a price. A huge price - the price of blood. How do I make my own choices with that knowledge?

Coming back to clarify on the topic of "choices". I am certainly not speaking in terms of whether I will decide to take a bath, do the laundry or whether I want a Smoothie or an egg and oatmeal for breakfast. I can decide those things on my own. LOL!