Dress code for Christian females |
We know Paul was an advocate of the Hijab (head covering) to the extent of essentially forcing Christian women to wear the Hijab by offering the ultimatum of chopping off their locks (hair) or wearing the Hijab, but we are not sure why Paul was so in favour of the Hijab.
The Jesus scholar,Geza Vermes, offers some insight concerning our difficulty and his theorizing is interesting to say the least:
The idea of potential sexual rapport between angels and women continued to float in the air even as late as in the New Testament times. Indeed, when St Paul forbade the female members of the church of Corinth to attend Christian assemblies with the head uncovered, he justified this prohibition by his belief that the sight of their hair might lead astray some passing-by sons of heaven: 'That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels', Paul insisted (1 Cor 11:10). [1]
Christian men tempted by Christian women without hijab?
If Vermes' view concerning Pauls' reasoning is correct one wonders as to the extent early Christians thought hijab-less women as a temptation to sin. After all, if they thought angels could not resist unveiled Christian women then what about the lay Christians? So why in the world are they freely mixing with uncovered Christian women at churches every Sunday? Not only that, what about day to day activities. I cannot ever recall seeing a lay Christian woman in hijab yet I have lived in the Christian West all my life!
Christians need to stop presenting Christianity as secualrism with a belief in a trinity and blood sacrifice. It's not.
Paul ignored by Christian women...
Paul's precautions against sexual sin (the hijab) have largely been ignored by most Christian women.
We would very much encourage Christian women to ignore Paul on his mistakes but act upon the teachings which have a ring of truth and sense to them. The hijab is something Mary wore and something which all women should strive for.
Of course, we as Muslims are not going to accept the idea that angels are tempted to sexual sin. Muslims believe angels do not disobey God.
Christian men...
Why are Christian men so lax in encouraging the Hijab? For some reason, Christians follow Paul theologically to the letter yet ignore him practically as in this case. I'd like to see Christians ignore Paul theologically and adopt Paul's teaching of hijab...
You don't have to believe Paul's alleged reasoning for the hijab, just start handing out hijabs to women who claim to love Jesus (p).
PS You can get all your hijabs from an Islamic centre near you, please pick some literature up on the way out. Thanks. May God bless you.
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Do you want a relationship with God? The God who created Jesus and whom was worshipped by Jesus? If yes, please come to Islam today.
[1] The Nativity, Geza Vermes, Penguin Books, 2006, p53
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11 comments:
So any sort of head covering that women wear is a Hijab?
Radmod,
Email your comments - I am thinking of commenting on those debates.
Radmod,
Email your comments - I am thinking of commenting on those debates.
Rad
Stop changing the subject from Christian head coverings. Do Christian ladies in your church follow Paul and cover their heads?
Snowman
The subject will always be the Debates until you address Osama's performance
From Minoria:
I tend to see Paul's preference for the covering of women's hair in church as a personal opinion because:
1.Jewish men then covered their hair when praying but Paul was against it,and certainly Jesus had covered his hair.
2.There is the fascinating custom that in Paul's churches,and that of the other Christians,MEN and WOMEN would KISS EACH OTHER(called the "Kiss of Peace".I think it was on the cheeks,most probably.
It is is:
Romans 16:16
1 Peter 5:14
I Corinthians 16:20
II Corinthians 13:12
3.OK,but JEWISH WOMEN and MEN in the synagogues,as far as I know,did not then do it.
4.So you have another example of a personal preference by Paul.The historical Jesus most like NEVER KISSED a WOMAN in a SYNAGOGUE.
From Minoria:
I forgot to add that it is also in I Thessaloniaens 5:26 and that we know it included MEN KISSING WOMEN because it was later eliminated because there were men who were kissing women too passionately in the churches
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