Good reply Tessa
In Him
SB
Shaving for women
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Benjamin W. C. Waterhouse
- Jr Member
- Posts: 87
- Joined: Thu 31 March 2005 9:15 am
- Location: Isle of Wight England
Dear Tessa,
Thankyou for this. I feel a lot better. I appreciate your reply and I myself have heard this too. Finally someone who understands this matter especially being a female. Have a blessed Pascha. Also I don't wear make up too or pants as I have been told the same. I noticed as soon as I posted this question male's started answering which seemed a bit odd. God Bless
Angela+++
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joasia
- Protoposter
- Posts: 1858
- Joined: Tue 29 June 2004 7:19 pm
- Jurisdiction: RTOC
- Location: Montreal
I think the question of whether it is a sin or not depends on the degree of vanity in the heart of that woman that does these things. And that can only be judged by God.
But, what it does promote is choice of clothing. A woman that shaves would probably be more encouraged to choose clothing that is less modest. And it doesn't mean that she is not faithful to Orthodoxy, but that it desensitizes her to thinking about modesty. She will even come to church dressed in tops with no sleeves and shorter skirts and think that there is nothing wrong with that. I've seen women dress like that in church. Where as, if she didn't shave, she certainly wouldn't want to wear tank tops because she knows that it would definitely be offensive to others to see that because of our society's mentality.
Also, point made, is that the men are also effected by our culture and it would take a very loving and understanding man to accept a woman's decision not to follow the culture's mode of hygene. So that puts pressure on the woman's choice.
Of course, there is that aspect that the society we live in has raised generations to accept shaving as correct hygene in order to ingrain an unconscious level of vanity which leads many women unable to discontinue that habit(since they have been doing it since they were teenagers). And it is coupled with the popular fashions of tank tops...and let's not forget the high popularity of halter tops.
Plus, the point that those women, who are ultra-feminists, who donot shave are doing it for purely political reasons which has nothing to do with worshipping God and humility....so not shaving has been correlated with political feminists, including hippies, in our society. And I'm not referring to you, Tessa. You are doing it for your Orthodox beliefs. I'm talking about the feminist movement.
But, is the question of shaving isolated to, let's say, the beginning of the 20th century? Did the women of past centuries have the same concern or did the majority not shave, no matter what they wore? Is it a matter of vanity or just a cultural habit of our times? I know that, at a time, women in Europe didn't shave. It was just a matter of their culture.
To some it's a source of vanity, but to others it's just something that is done because we grow up doing it from the time of puberty?
Angela, don't break your head about it. Don't let it distract you from focusing on other spiritual teachings. I'm not saying that the question is invalid...it's a good question to discuss...but don't worry about it too much.
Joanna
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 50)
