#  389  04/09/07 The issue of modest dress

I recently shopped for a granddaughter’s fifth birthday.  She really enjoys dressing like a girl, so I thought clothes would be just what she wanted.  Mothers often complain that it is difficult to find modest clothing for their teens.  However, I was not prepared for the suggestive, provocative clothing available for preschool girls.  Fortunately, we still have a little shop in Plainview that offers modest, but cute, clothing for girls.

Immodesty in dress is at an all-time high in our nation.  There is not much left to the imagination, not only in the media, but also out in public.  The manner of dress is only a symptom of a much bigger problem:  lack of respect for our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Paul reminds us, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own.” I Corinthians 6:19.

A temple is a sacred, holy place.  Therefore, our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit are sacred and holy.  They should be treated with respect.

How is immodest dress disrespectful? 

When girls and women dress provocatively, they are tempting onlookers to imagine what it would be like to touch their bodies.  Do you want to send your daughter to a school dressed in a way that tempts adolescent boys to use their imaginations about touching her body?

That sounds harsh, but it is realistic.  I am not saying that every male at school will be thinking lustful thoughts about your daughter.  But, I have talked to enough adolescent boys in my counseling office to know that there will be many.

Talk bluntly with your daughter about this issue.  Explain that she is essentially advertising herself as a sex object when she exposes herself in provocative dress.  And then, stand firm where you draw the line about what is acceptable.  If enough parents take a stand, it will make the task easier for all.