Is headcovering required for Christians today? Some Christians say yes, some say no, some say sometimes. Is head covering required for Muslims today? Some Muslims say completely, some say no, some say fashionably or partially.
Personally, I believe that wearing a head covering is a choice, and as such, no one can insist that I don't need to wear one, or even more so that I am not allowed to wear one. I choose to wear a head covering to pray, to teach the Scriptures, to worship in public and sometimes in private, even by my own choice as a reminder throughout the day as I work or relax. As a rational human being I believe that I have the choice to wear a head covering or not, to obey my conscience or not, to follow what I understand the Scriptures to teach, or not. And I believe that others have the right to make that choice as well. If I force someone to wear a headcovering because I believe it's a requirement, but they disagree - if they wear it anyway, are they truly obeying? or just complying in rebellion? Likewise, if I believe that I should dress modestly, and that covering my hair is modest, humble, less distracting; I cannot make someone understand that belief, but I can only instruct and dress as an example. I can be sad that someone else doesn't agree with me, because in the case of modesty we affect not only our own lives but the lives and minds of others as well - but I cannot change their mind for them.
On another hand altogether, I would have no problem complying with a company policy that required a hat, scarf, or other covering as a uniform policy. These policies have existed for years and in all sectors of society. Was the woman in Jordan required by God to wear a covering? She didn't think so. But God does ask us to live in the world even when we are not a part of it. To love others as we love ourselves. What would have been the sin or crime in donning the uniform when another company (or country) takes over your own? No one asked her to give up her faith. If she felt that they were, then that should be the reason for a suit, but not a simple uniform policy. Example: Is every woman who works as a hostess for Emirites Air a good solid Muslim? Most of us would guess not; but the women all wear those lovely hat/scarf ensembles to work at the airline. And another example, if Hillary Clinton can don a head covering to visit a mosque or the Pope out of respect for others and we all still know that she does not represent either religion AND that she's a strong powerful woman, then is there really a problem?
In another look at this story, and one of the first that I thought of (as a head covering Christian woman), is the sad fact that this woman who refuses to wear a head covering on religious grounds is a member of the church of Christ which follows the teachings of the Bible, wherein is found a good solid teaching that women are to wear a head covering. People outside the church who are aware of this fact will see Christians in general as those who don't even obey their own Scriptures. As I alluded to earlier, Christ also taught his disciples by example and word that it is more than okay to spend time with those who may be considered "sinners" - even when someone more pious-feeling than you may accuse you of being one of them. His disciple, Paul, wrote that he would "become all things to all men, so that I might win some". We are not to condemn; that is not our place or our ability. We can use our eyes to discern (to "judge" in an old fashioned kind of translation), but not our place to stand before a crowd as the Christ of God did when he condemned those of his generation for being hypocrites. This defiant, rebellious, suit-seeking behaviour is counter-Christ behaviour, and the world will see it as such, and continue to judge (or discern, see) Christians in general as self-seeking, rebellious, or even "holier than thou". The opposite of humble, which was Christ. And because head covering in the Muslim faith is a part of feminine modesty, she will be perceived by others as immodest, thus putting all Christians in general into that same category.
As I mentioned, and I may be in error in my understanding of this issue, I don't believe that anyone should change their religious beliefs because an authority tells them to. Unless they have been truly converted. I did not read that this bank was asking her to change her religious beliefs. She understood the long modest skirt and complied, but somehow that piece of cloth on her head meant that she was being asked to "go against" her religious beliefs - which apparently unknown to her, is actually a part of her religious beliefs.
It is a sad situation. A frustrating thing to fully comprehend and try to explain why it might be seen as sad. I am sad that the media had to be involved, because of the misunderstandings that will abound. I am sad that Christians and therefore Christ will be misrepresented yet again. I am sad that these head coverings cause so much division when they are such a lovely symbol of faith and modesty. Head coverings are not (and should not be) worn just because of some ignorant male-dominated mandate. They have such a higher meaning than that.
Wearing a head covering is (and should be) a
FREE-WILL,
MODEST,
FEMININE and
NATURAL*
CHOICE
made by women all over the world,
throughout the ages.
Stop making it into some kind of evil thing to be fought about.
FREE-WILL,
MODEST,
FEMININE and
NATURAL*
CHOICE
made by women all over the world,
throughout the ages.
Stop making it into some kind of evil thing to be fought about.
3 comments:
Does she think wearing the veil is some sort of sin/ that she must refuse to wear it to be a true christian? Oh my, if the first christians would have heard that! Seriously, I wonder if this is just another sign of the end times. (Weather she is actually christian or just out to make people belive virtue is vice.) But I will leave that thought aside for a while.
"She and Salameh said that five other Christian women employees at the bank accepted wearing the headcover". Well, no wonder they did! A white veil and a cross is like THE “devoted christian”-look! All the saints pictured with white veils.. The muslims maybe even chosed white for the sake of the christians. I know I should have felt honoured to get to wear a white veil all the time! Now if they would have forbidden them from wearing crosses, I would understand her reaction. But a cloth on the head showing the hairline and her cross around the neck.. That is THE “traditional-christian” look everywhere in the world. She can sue them, but not on religious grounds. Because even muslims knows that the very mother of christ was veiled. Did the veil violate Marys christianity? How absurd does that sound.
And as someone who has actually read it I can say that in the quran the veil is just mentioned as a cloth the women already wore. It prescribes extending the covering to THE BOSSOM. But the spiritual SYMBOLISM of the headcovering IN ITSELF is ONLY to be found in the New testament. Not an old testament-law, but in the NEW testament! That kind of makes the headcovering first and foremost christian. (Even though jews wore it before and muslims wears it now.)
But I don´t think this woman loves christianity as much as she wants people to belive. If she did, she would have KNOWN the veil has christian symbolism. Not only because she would have seen iconic paintings. She would have studied the long, intricate explanation about the glory of God, the glory of men, the spiritual symbolism of the veil, the symbolism of the beauty in womens long hair and about the angels. (1 Corinthians, chapter 11) And if christianity was REALLY important to her, she would have studied the original language. For example this text says to cover the peribolaion (the long hair of a woman that covers her back) with a katakalupto (a long, draping veil). Not like in many of the bibleversions where these two words have both been translated into simply “covering”. (And that is why some people are confused and think the veil is the long hair.) Just as we all can see on old paintings the first christian women wore long, draping garments over their hair.
The New testament also tells christians to always rejoice, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 16-18) I wonder if she ever reflected on the fact that the most devoted christian women, nuns, wear veils all the time. It´s because they always give thanks to God. (I´ve talked to several of them.)
And another, more serious thing about how christians should threat radical muslims. Some of the first christians prayed to God to forgive people WHILE they where STONING THEM TO DEATH. They where the REAL followers of Christ, knowing he had showed them the way to salvation- forgiveness! They remembered when he was crusified he prayed to God to forgive the people torturing him to death, because they did not know what they where doing!
This so called “christian” woman first makes wearing the veil into some sin and then she is SUING and going out in the papers to get publicity all over the world... Just like some desperate attention/affectionseeker. The first people that dismissed christianity wanted to be seen as righteous/ be admired by the people of the world rather than be righteous in the eyes of GOD. Now if she refuses to wear the veil to be seen as more “religiously christian”/holy by people of the world of this time and age that is just the same way of acting. And in addition to that, it says a lot about what kind of times we are in. Because the (first) christian women that refused to wear veils was actually the ones that the long explanation was written for. Paul must have thought the true symbolism of the veil was something important for christians to know. And just as you said, the veil has such a higher meaning than something just for people of this world.
What a great ending to a thought provoking post.. I am glad I came upon your blog this was helpful in my own continued prayer in reference to veiling.
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