I just read a post by a Catholic man that asked women to consider wearing dresses and skirts. I thought it was really well done. I found out about it on The Thinking Housewife. One of her readers brought it up because it caused such a controversy with some other Catholic bloggers. So I read what a few of those bloggers had to say and a sampling of the comments that their readers submitted.
I was embarrassed for Catholicism. Not because of the arguments, but because of the overall lack of charity in expressing disagreement. These Catholics not only didn't have the courtesy to give a fellow Catholic the benefit of the doubt in the way they interpreted what he wrote, they insulted him personally. For the record, I did not get the same understanding from his post that the other bloggers did on the points that they were so furious about. It made me wonder if they really read it carefully before they responded. Ditto for most of the commenters.
I've heard most of the reasons for and against women wearing pants. So there was really nothing new as far as that argument goes. Anyone who has read my blog knows that I think wearing modest but beautifully feminine dresses and skirts is the best. I don't understand why Catholics can't, for the good of the Church and their own souls, present their sides charitably and agree to disagree about this topic, no matter what side they take.
9 comments:
Reminds me of what Fr. Zendejahs was saying: ( some weeks ago now.) "Everyone wants to give there opinion and to be heard, but they don't want to hear anyone else."
Dear Tom,
Thanks for commenting!
I wouldn't mind them not wanting to hear anyone else as long as they did it amiably.
Great post, Miss Wen. Understanding and appreciation of truth are so much more likely in an atmosphere of tolerance. I sure don't practice what I preach nearly enough.
Not to hog your blog, but I just found this great quote :)
“If a profound gulf separates my neighbor's belief from mine, there is always the golden bridge of tolerance”
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, dear Bev. We've all got to cross that tolerance bridge if we are to love our neighbor.
And blessed are the peacemakers, whether they wear pants or skirts.
My belief is the same as yours, Mrs. H, but I also don't understand why people cannot express these opinions charitably. Either you are going to hell for wearing skirts or you are going to hell for not wearing them, if you listen to some of these people.
Wasn't it Saint Augustine who said, "In all things, charity" ? Love of God, love of neighbor--we cannot truly have one without the other. Thank you for your wise words, dear Wendy. I write from Saint Mary's, Kansas so you can probably guess where I stand on this subject. Beauty, truth, and goodness--they will save the world, but we are the instruments through which they must come into the world. May Almighty God give us the grace to let our light shine before all men. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
hmm, just what Fr. Ziggrang was saying yesterday: "the two golden laws, to Love God with your whole soul, whole mind, and whole heart. And the second is to love your neighbor as your self. and you can not love your neighbor with out first the love of God; other wise the love for your neighbor is prideful, and selfish." now I say this in quotation marks, but it's not exactly correct word-for-word; I just thought that it was interesting, and would help further your point, or rather, at least support it, Kindred Spirit Ma'am..
I'd think that Catholic women would try to imitate our Lady more, especially traditional Catholics. Our whole philosophy is based on maintaining tradition, and not only are dresses for women tradition, but pants are often immodest, and I believe that the Bible says that women and men should not wear the clothing of either sex. Ah, yes, I just found it, Deuteronomy 22:5. "A woman shall not be clothed with man's apparel, neither shall a man use woman's apparel : for he that doeth these things is abominable before God." I understand that nowadays, there are things that are difficult to do in a dress, so I try to understand the other side too. But if women really wanted to appeal to men's chivalrous side, they would act and dress more like women. I think a feminine woman in a dress brings out the best in a man.
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