In a recent post (#71) I examined the food regulations in Judaism, Christianity and the Qur’an. Muhammad mostly agrees with the Jews about food, except for camel (Moses: Nay! Muhammad: Yay!). My contention is that God has far more important things to worry about than food. But what about clothing? Does God care what we wear? If you see a man wearing a yarmulke (or kippah) on Friday night it’s a pretty fair bet that he’s a Jew. If you see a woman wearing a hijab it’s a pretty fair bet that she is Muslim (unless it’s just a pretty scarf). Some Christian sects also require (or expect) women to cover their heads during a church service. But do these clothing regulations have any basis in the Scriptures of their religions?
As for the Quran, there are a few verses about women covering themselves, such as:
And tell believing women that they should lower their glances, guard their private parts, and not display their charms beyond what [it is acceptable] to reveal; they should let their headscarves fall to cover their necklines and not reveal their charms except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their womenfolk, their slaves, such men as attend them who have no sexual desire, or children who are not yet aware of women’s nakedness; they should not stamp their feet so as to draw attention to any hidden charms. Surah 24:31
From what I have read most Muslims think this is still proper instruction for women, while some think this was geared toward Muhammad’s time and place and thus take a more liberal view of this passage. Interestingly, the preceding verse gives men some instruction, but it is much simpler:
[Prophet], tell believing men to lower their glances and guard their private parts: that is purer for them. God is well aware of everything they do. Surah 24:30
Men always seem to get off easier in the Abrahamic religions. Also in Sura 33:59 women are told:
Prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and women believers to make their outer garments hang low over them so as to be recognized and not insulted: God is most forgiving, most merciful.
There is a minority view in Islam that this last verse suggests women should cover their faces, maybe only showing one eye, but I don’t see it (no pun intended!).
Now lest we pick on Islam as too restrictive let’s consider some Christian scripture. In 1st Corinthians 11:3-10 the apostle Paul gives these instructions to the church:
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
(See, I told you women tend to get the short end of the stick in these religions!) Now, at least Paul does not say that women have to cover their heads at all times; this is when she is praying or prophesying in their assemblies. But then Paul goes on to say in verses 14 and 15:
Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
Well, Paul, if a woman’s hair is her covering, why does she need to cover her head? Don’t expect religion to always make sense.
Now, there is another passage attributed to Paul but most scholars think it was written by later disciples in his name:
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 1 Timothy 2:9, 10
“Braided hair, gold, pearls or costly garments?” That doesn’t play well in todays’ American churches! And the author does not give the men any similar restrictions, of course.
Now, let’s pick on the Jews. They have some specific clothing regulations in their laws. In Leviticus 19:19 you shall not wear a garment of two kinds of material mixed together. Well, that would have a rather major impact on today’s clothing! In Deuteronomy 22:11 it is more specific: don’t wear a garment of wool and linen mixed together. That same chapter also says “A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.” (v.5) So, can women today wear pants? Like blue jeans? Can a man wear skinny jeans? Or a crop top? This could get complicated in today’s fashion world.
Was Marlene Dietrich breaking the Law?! What about him?
Now here’s an interesting clothing law:
“Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.” Numbers 15:38-40
The odd thing is that I’ve known various Jewish people over the years and I don’t recall seeing tassels on their garments. It seems particularly odd that Jewish men should make a point of wearing a yarmulke (or kippah), which is not prescribed in the Torah, but not wear tassels, which is prescribed. But that’s religion for you. And why blue specifically? (I’m sure there was some reason a few millennia ago.) Now, some Jews still use prayer shawls or special undergarments with tassels on the corners, but that is not what the Torah specifies: it says garments, literally ‘covering.’ That was probably easier when garments were of simpler of construction and had corners, so perhaps having special clothing items with tassels is a fair compromise. (Not that religious people are as quick to compromise on other issues!)
Now, did Jewish Jesus wear tassels on his garments? It is possible, as there are occasions where the Gospels say someone touched the fringe of his garment. For example, in Mark 6:56: ‘Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.’ Kind of ironic that Jesus, the founder of Christianity, complied with the Jewish Torah and wore tassels on his garments while many modern Jews do not. However, I don’t think Jesus commanded any specific clothing regulations. He spoke against materialism, so one might infer that he would not look kindly on overly expensive clothing and jewelry, but that’s a judgment call. He perhaps would approve of modest rather than revealing clothing, but again, that’s a judgment call.
One might think that requiring modest, less-revealing clothing is reasonable, but religions often take that to extremes. I take that as part of religion’s official anti-sex stance. Do regulations of modest dress even work? The history of religion, right up to today, shows an abundance of sex and sexual perversion, even among religious leaders. Think of David and his wives and concubines, his son Solomon outdid him with 700 wives and 300 concubines, Muhammad had his wives and concubines, and like Muhammad Joseph Smith and Brigham Young incorporated polygamy into the Mormon religion. And some of these (all?) had underage wives. And of course in recent years there has been the scandal in the Roman Catholic Church of pedophile priests, along with frequent sex scandals in various prominent churches. It’s seems to be a case of “Do as I say, not as I do.” If you want to learn more about this I recommend the book “Sex and Religion: Teachings and Taboos in the History of World Faiths” by Dag Ølstein Endsjø (2011). He shows how various sexual practices have been alternately condemned and practiced throughout the history of the world’s religions.
But doesn’t “slutty” clothing cause people to lust? I think Jesus had an interesting take on this. First, does lust come from the outside? He said it comes from within: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21-23) The problem is what is in your heart, not what you see in the world. In another passage he reinforces this point:
“If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you! It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the Gehenna of fire.” Matthew 18:9
If it really is what you see, like that scantily-clad person, that causes you to lust, then blind yourself! He does not blame the clothing and in particular he does not blame the woman, as in some cultures. He puts the blame on you and if you can’t control your thoughts then pluck your eyes out! Because in reality the problem is in your heart, not what your eyes see, not what that woman is wearing (or not wearing). To be clear, I think he was not recommending self-mutilation, but he says it like this to put responsibility on oneself: pluck out your own eyes, don’t stone that woman to death! If given the choice of exercising self-control or plucking one’s eyes out I think most would work on their self-control!
To sum up, I can understand religion encouraging modest dress, but not to an extreme, and I’m not even sure it is effective in curbing our thoughts. (“Hmm, I wonder what’s under that burqa? Let me imagine…”) To require thing like tassels on your garments, not mixing materials, wearing something on your head when in church or synagogue, or extensive coverings (only for women, of course) – I just don’t see what that has to do with spirituality. If you find certain customs comforting or useful in some way then I certainly would not argue with you. But to make them commands from God and enforce them on others? Doesn’t God, and His people, have bigger issues to deal with in this world than blue tassels and scarves on the head? I think so. What do you think?
(Be sure to leave comments and questions below!)
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