IS NUDITY MODEST?
The dress question has probably been the most sensitive area in which to draw lines based
upon biblical principle. Disagreement over definition of terms has frightened many ministers
away from the subject. What is modesty and immodesty? Other concerned church spokesmen
have been troubled by the angry charge of liberals that dress critics themselves are obsessed
with evil minds.
Some have even made a gross misapplication of righteousness by faith and have taken the
position that any discussion of external conduct constitutes a legalistic denial of Christ's
imputed righteousness.
Does this subject merit a few specific observations? Has it been overemphasised? How many
books have rolled from our church presses on the subject? No one can say that it has suffered
from overexposure. Hardly a tract or leaflet has expounded on the matter, and few of our
books give it any appreciable recognition as a spiritual problem.
But is it spiritual problem? Listen to this statement from Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 647: "Fashion
is deteriorating the intellect and eating out the spirituality of our people.Obedience to fashion
is pervading our Seventh-day Adventist churches, and is doing more than any other power to
separate our people from God." If this could be said of the dress problem over a hundred
years ago, what could be said about it in these days of unisex, the bikini, and toplessness?
Although the miniskirt comes and goes on the fashion scene, there will always be an element
of nudity in prevailing styles that needs to be recognised as immodest and unchristian. Lest
some should quibble over that word "modesty" let us not try to define it precisely here. But
there can be no debate over the fact that anything which hurts a fellow Christian is wrong.
And certainly any kind of dress which causes our fellowman to commit sin must be classified
as wrong.
Then let us be honest enough to admit that the exposed human body is quite capable of
stirring up sin in both thought and action. Too many have acted very naïvely toward this
mushrooming problem of nudity. It is time to speak very plainly so that both men and women
understand the true nature of this evil.
Ann Landers printed this letter in her column at the height of the miniskirt craze several years
ago:
"Dear Ann Landers:
"Here's a message from a dirty old man--age 22. I'm a college senior and the point of view I
express here reflects the thinking of a lot of guys. There is nothing so ludicrous as a chick in a
thigh-high mini, sitting on a chair or sofa, tugging at her skirt, trying to pull it down to cover
her status of respectability. She blushes ten shades of red and asks with eyes big as saucers,
'Am I sitting all right?' Or, 'Is anything showing?'
"If they don't want anything to show, why don't they buy a skirt with some material in it?
More than once I've gotten a dirty look because I was caught popping an eyeball.
"Please tell the Great Pretenders who feign insult to come off it. The reason why they go half
naked is because they want to create a little unrest. Tell them that act should have been
cancelled when they accepted the hike of the hem and said 'to Blank' with decency."
Many women have brushed aside criticism of their short dresses by blaming everything on
the dirty old men with their evil thoughts. But is that the basic fault? Some months ago I
received a telephone call while holding an evangelistic series in the state of Texas. A barber
who listened to my daily radio program wanted a personal interview in my motel room.
Being a Catholic he did not feel free to attend the public service, but he indicated on the
phone that he desperately needed some spiritual counsel.
This man turned out to be a wonderful Christian gentleman. He spoke of his great desire to
be saved and to live a godly life. Then he confided the problem. Mini-skirted women came
into his barber shop day by day. He prayed and struggled to keep his thoughts pure. With
tears in his eyes he asked me, "Is God going to destroy me because I cannot always keep my
thoughts clean and holy? Please tell me what to do. I want to be saved and I want to keep my
mind upon God, but how can I do it with these half-dressed women before my eyes?"
I felt sorry for that barber. He was wrestling with the same problem that every Christian man
and boy has to face. It is not confined to "dirty old men." Every man, woman, and child in the
world has a carnal nature by birth. But the male struggle to keep the thoughts straight is
based upon more than the fleshly nature. It is rooted in the fact that God created men with a
completely different sexual makeup than women.
God made man in the beginning with a very sensitive sexual nature that could be quickly
aroused by the sight of female nudity. Woman, on the other hand, was created with a sexual
nature which would not be so easily stirred, especially by sight. She was made to be more
responsive to touch and tenderness. Her more subtle sexuality could be drawn out by the
physical attentions involved in the conjugal relationship.
God gave man his emotional sex nature for the purpose of making marriage more pleasurable
and happy. The husband was to be the aggressive one in the relationship. Under this beautiful
plan of God, the sex instinct of both husband and wife could be lawfully stirred. But mark
this: God never intended for man's sex emotions to be stimulated outside the marriage
chamber. And in order to protect him God placed within the woman a delicate sense of
modest reserve, so that she would not expose her body except to her own husband.
The plan was perfect, but it has broken down in one area. Satan has managed to destroy to a
very great extent that inherent modesty with which the Creator endowed womanhood. Under
the growing curse of transgression, women have thrown off the moral restraints. Uninhibited
nudity or provocative haft-dress has become the accepted norm of modern fashion. On every
side, the Christian, as well as the non-Christian, is forced to look upon scenes of nakedness
which are utterly foreign to the original plan of the Creator.
What has been the effect of this perverted order of things? It has produced a sex-saturated
society whose moral qualities just about match those of the antediluvians. Jesus said, "But as
the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:37. And
what were the conditions of Noah's day which would be duplicated in the end of time?
Genesis 6:5 says that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually."
We have only to look at the sorry state of today's entertainment and communication media to
know how fully this prophecy has been fulfilled. Pornography has been legitimatise. The TV
channels are crowded with lewd sex, either implicit or explicit. The world of advertising, and
even the daily news commentaries, are sprinkled with profanity and suggestive double-talk.
The imagination of modern man seems obsessed with the subject of sex, often deviant and
perverted. Homosexuality has not only received the tolerant coexistence which it sought
after, but has been given recognition by the majority of psychiatrists as normal sex
behaviour.
And what about the Christians who are surrounded by this glorification of the flesh?
Unfortunately, it has not been left outside the church doors. Slowly the world edged into the
remnant church. By degrees the sight of knees and thighs even in the sanctuary began to be
tolerated. The sense of outrage disappeared as we got used to the weekly display.
What about the Christian men whose inherent sex nature is so easily influenced by this
nudity? Do they respond to the external stimuli by thinking evil thoughts and committing
mental adultery? By the grace of God true Christians can lay hold of victory, even over the
imaginations of the heart. Through submission and prayer any man can claim the power of a
pure mind, but the styles of dress make it a more difficult struggle.
Jesus made it clear that men are easily led into wrong thinking. He said, "Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in
his heart." Matthew 5:27, 28.
And what can be said for the women who dress in such a way that they stimulate this kind of
thinking? They are equally guilty before God. For this reason no tree Christian woman, who
understands the effect of such a course, will wear the revealing clothes which create such
illicit desires. As the dress inches above the knee, the climate of sin is created. For the carnal
man, who has not the power of the gospel in his life, there is no chance whatever to resist the
temptation. Every miniskirt is fuel which triggers the mind to think the most debased
thoughts of which the carnal nature is capable. Christian women should have no share in this
kind of enticement.
Indeed, the second greatest commandment of Jesus would be violated by such a course.
Christ said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' How could a woman wear clothing
that was designed to cause her neighbour's husband to commit mental adultery and not be
guilty of breaking that law of love? Would she love her neighbour as herself if she wilfully
did something to cause her neighbour's husband to sin against his wife and against God?
We are dealing here with actions which cause others to sin. Moral issues are directly
involved. We are counselled to close every door of temptation.
"Our example and influence must be a power on the side of reform. We must abstain from
any practice which will blunt the conscience or encourage temptation. We must open no door
that will give Satan access to the mind of one human being formed in the image of God."
Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 360.
Because the female reaction to nudity is so different from that of the male, women often
minimise the spiritual problem we are talking about here. Too often their attitude is that men
just ought to use more power of serf-control and stifle their mental images. They fail
completely to grasp the significant difference which God Himself put into the male nature.
That nature cannot be reversed by any human effort or determination. It can be controlled by
complete Christian commitment, but Christian women must co-operate in closing the
avenues of the soul to temptation.
"Our only safety is to be shielded by the grace of God every moment, and not put out our
own spiritual eyesight so that we will call evil good, and good, evil. Without hesitation or
argument, we must close and guard the avenues of the soul against evil. It will cost us an
effort to secure eternal life. It is only by long and persevering effort, sore discipline, and stem
conflict, that we shall be over-comers." Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 324.
Perhaps we can better understand Satan's way of operating today if we remember some of his
classic manoeuvres in the past. In 1 Corinthians 10 we read that the experiences of ancient
Israel were written for our admonition and example. Reference is made to their leaving
Egypt, journeying through the wilderness, and entering the promised land. There is a direct
parallel between God's people then and God's people today.
We cannot ignore the fact that Satan's final, win-or-lose-all attack against Israel to keep them
from entering the promised land involved the illicit interlude at Baalpeor. The amoral pagan
women of Moab swarmed into the camp of Israel with breezy abandon and caused thousands
of the men of Israel to fall into sin. God described the scene thus: "For they vex you with
their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor." Numbers 25:18.
Is there not a striking parallel with the way Satan is seeking to keep modem Israel from
entering the heavenly Canaan? Through the wiles of sexual license stirred up by brazen
nudity, a last-ditch effort has already been launched to subvert the moral integrity of the
remnant church. In the judgement plague which swept the camp of the Israelites, 24,000
died-24,000 men who were overwhelmed by the exotic beauty of the seductive women, and
lost the privilege of entering the promised land.
How many thousands of God's people today will be enamoured and destroyed by a
duplication of such fleshly lusts? Paul, after reviewing the tragic scene at Baalpeor made this
appeal: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our
admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Corinthians 10:11, 12.
Not one man or woman can boast of any great strength against the pervasive glamour of this
worldly age. Just as the senses were captivated by the invading beauties of Moab in the camp
of Israel, so the homes of modem Israel are being invaded by the dazzling allure of full-
colour televised nudity and carnality. Many who think they are standing are sadly
compromised already and do not even recognise it.
The undress parade of the latest styles and fashions have also breached the spiritual defences
of many in the church. Only time and eternity will reveal how many minds have surrendered
to the sensual appeal of immodest clothing. We wonder if Baalpeor could have been any
more bold in its deliberate assault on the morals of Israel. Note the public boast of Mary
Quant, the inventor of the miniskirt. This fashion designer declared that her creation was for
the purpose of making sex (illicit) more available in the afternoon. In an interview she was
asked what kind of person today's woman wants to be, and she answered, "A sexual creature.
She displays her sexuality instead of this coy business of hiding it. Today she dresses to say,
'I am sexy. I like men. I enjoy life.'" Then she made this bold statement: "Miniclothes are
symbolic of those girls who want seduce a man."
We think the Israelites were n~fve and stupid to fall for Balaam's clever sexual intrigue in
days of old, but what can we say for the thousands of Seventh-day Adventist women who
blithely donned their miniskirts in the face of Mary Quant's confession?
One of the first evidences of Satan-control is the taking off of the clothes. We have proof of
that in Luke 8 where the poor demon-filled man was chained in the Gadarene graveyard. The
Bible describes him as "a certain man, which had devils long time and ware no clothes."
Luke 8:27. Later, when he had been delivered of the legion of evil spirits, he is described as
"sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind." Verse 35. Evidently his first act
upon being set free from Satan's power was to clothe himself again. And the clear implication
is that only people not in their fight minds would go around without clothes.
Can we conclude that the mass craze for nudity may be based upon modern devil possession?
Do the statistics of mental and emotional sickness not support the conclusion also that great
numbers of people are not really in their right minds? And these people are being exploited
today by Hollywood promoters, smut writers, lewd cultists, and weird designers. They
threaten to strip away all modesty and decency from humanity. Their devilish productions
constitute a burning insult to the modesty of the human race.
Paul Harvey, noted newspaper columnist, cited the alarming coincidence of crime statistics
and short skirts. FBI crime files reveal that forcible rape shot upward almost in proportion to
the rise of the hemline. The consensus of law enforcement officers in 50 states agreed that
there is a correlation between the miniskirt and sex crimes. Of the law enforcement officers
who responded to the question, "Does the short skirt invite sex crimes?" 91 percent answered
in the affirmative. The view was summed up by the juvenile division commander of one
large city when he said, "Some sex crimes are committed by individuals aroused by their
sensory perception, and short dresses of some girls could provoke such an attack."
A newspaper article from Toronto, Canada, confirms that Canadian police agree with the
U.S. report: "'91 percent of Toronto policemen think a woman in a revealing miniskirt is
more likely to be a rape victim than is her more modest sister,' a spokesman from the Toronto
force said Tuesday. Since 1964, the year the mini was introduced to the female fashion
market, rapes have increased by 68 percent in the U.S. and by 90 percent in England," said
The Law Officers, a police publication. "Abbreviated costumes are no doubt a factor in
offences against women," said Sgt. George Gough of Toronto's Morality Squad. "When a girl
in a short skirt is followed by a man after she gets off a street car at night, there isn't much
doubt as to what attracted her assailant."
Dr. Luchenstein, physician at Tombs Prison in New York City, worked with 170,000
prisoners over a twelve-year period. He said, "The so-called crimes of passion are increasing
alarmingly, and will continue to do so... until the principal cause is eliminated. This, it seems
to me, is the present style of dress, which, to say the least, is immodest. Immodest dress has a
direct bearing on crime incitation, no matter how innocent the wearer may be."
Lest any should conclude from this data that the male of the human species is the pawn of
uncontrollable urges, let me hasten to say that every individual remains accountable to God
on the basis of personal decision. Each man carries the responsibility of sovereign judgement
and wilful choice, providing no excuse for transgression of God's law.
Finally, we stand or fall not because of the force of temptation, but by the deliberate action of
the mind to obey the truth or reject it. The influence of provocative dress habitually prevails
over the mind which is not fortified with the Holy Spirit.
