The Infamous Inverse Clothing Law
I hope that I don't scandalize anyone by this post (that's always a great way to start a blog entry). So in light of that, I must preface the main topic with a key point of the Theology of the Body.
Pope John Paul II talks at length about a correct understanding of human sexuality. So, in light of women, they should act like women. They should also dress like women. They should dress modestly, which means to dress in that you're showing that you're a woman, but at the same time, you're not revealing too much. Be proud of the beauty of the way that your body is created but keep it precious and don't reveal it. In other words, modest dress for a woman lies somewhere in between wearing tight clothes that cover everything but reveal all a woman's curves and the clothes that a muslim woman would wear that are so loose that you wouldn't even be able to tell that she's a woman from behind were it not for her headress. Modesty is modesty, not an extreme.
In light of that and the idea that you should read the whole entry before jumping to any weird conclusions, let me get to the main topic.
Lately, my roommates have been discussing the "Inverse Ninja Law," which basically states that the more opponents a ninja fights, the more chances he has of winning. If he only fights one opponent though, it is extremely hard for him to win. While one of these said discussions was ensuing, these same roommates were watching the Kung Fu channel, and a movie came on with a martial arts tournament. In one of the first rounds, a woman entered the ring wearing the traditional kung fu outfit, which is pretty modest, especially for active wear clothing. My one roommate commented how she was sure to lose because she was wearing too much clothing. We thought, that's silly, but sure enough, she lost right away. Soon after there was another fight where one of the competitors was a woman wearing much less clothing, and my roommate said that she would definitely win because of the "Inverse Clothing Law," which states that a woman who has less clothing is more powerful than a woman with all her clothing. Yet, if a woman has no clothing, then she has no power and is extremely vulnerable. Sure enough, the woman clearly won the battle as well as her next three.
This thought is found in many movies and video games of today and is very interesting because when we apply it to modern culture, it also bears a truth that is extremely disturbing and simultaneously degrading to women.
Basically, what we can learn and find proof of in the way women we see walking around the city dress is that when they wear less clothing, men often show them more attention. Thus, a woman feels more empowered. So often you'll see very wealthy young women wearing extremely short skirts and very low cut tops when it's warm outside (and on weekend nights, even when it's cold). Because of the lustful attention that men show them, they often feel more in control. They feel like there is a good chance that they will be able to steal the show. And unfortunately, but it is true, we can see something here. Women are looking for someone to love them. They're looking for security and support. Society, rather than looking for love in God, has taken this desire and distorted it. Rather, the devil has taken this legitimate desire for communion and twisted it so that women look for love in all the wrong places. And because they legitimately seek love so much, they think that no matter how they are going to get it, it's alright.
Unfortunately, we then see the last part of the "Inverse Clothing Law" play into affect. When a woman has no clothes, she is extremely vulnerable. After a woman has found what she thinks is a fulfillment of her desire for communion with another, she often finds herself as an object of man's lust. She finds herself degraded. She finds herself used and vulnerable. It is the time when she is naked after seeking the power, that she is really naked before God and seeking to find fig leaves to cover herself. It is in this moment, when woman is most fragile that she needs the most help. Unfortunately, society tells her otherwise.
In light of all this, what can we do? What can we as members of the Body of Christ, do to aid our bruised and beaten sisters who have fallen prey to the devil and his lies? First, we can try to restore a true understanding of womanhood. We can use the Blessed Virgin as our prime example. The picture to the right is a wonderful example of what it means to be woman. Mary shows us so profoundly and humbly that the gift of self will weild the greatest power in a world that is so self-centered. We can see in the Blessed Mother that continuous drive to give of herself and come into a relationship with God and with others. She shows us what it means to give ourselves through the nuptiality of our bodies and so live out the meaning of our existence. That's what this whole clothing thing is about.
Mary is clothed with the sun. The glorified bodies of the saints in heaven will yield great power through their gift of clarity (seeing into the reality of the person interiorly just by looking at their eyes - in a way they're naked, but more in the sense that Adam and Eve were pre-fall). The truth is that nakedness is not shameful. Unfortunately, the nakedness that society proclaims is not a nakedness like Adam and Eve experienced before the fall, but rather afterward. Women are looking back to get back to what it was before Adam and Eve ate of the fruit. But, they're going about it all wrong. Instead of wearing less clothes to find love, they should find love through a gift of self. They should reveal themselves in a true sense of intimacy - in to me see. We should all focus on understanding the human person. Only in that way will we be able to see the true beauty of the human body and not be scandalized by our lustful thoughts and not fall into the trap of seeking love in all the wrong places.
Let us put on the shield of the Immaculate Conception and so seek union and communion with God and the Church.
Pope John Paul II talks at length about a correct understanding of human sexuality. So, in light of women, they should act like women. They should also dress like women. They should dress modestly, which means to dress in that you're showing that you're a woman, but at the same time, you're not revealing too much. Be proud of the beauty of the way that your body is created but keep it precious and don't reveal it. In other words, modest dress for a woman lies somewhere in between wearing tight clothes that cover everything but reveal all a woman's curves and the clothes that a muslim woman would wear that are so loose that you wouldn't even be able to tell that she's a woman from behind were it not for her headress. Modesty is modesty, not an extreme.
In light of that and the idea that you should read the whole entry before jumping to any weird conclusions, let me get to the main topic.
Lately, my roommates have been discussing the "Inverse Ninja Law," which basically states that the more opponents a ninja fights, the more chances he has of winning. If he only fights one opponent though, it is extremely hard for him to win. While one of these said discussions was ensuing, these same roommates were watching the Kung Fu channel, and a movie came on with a martial arts tournament. In one of the first rounds, a woman entered the ring wearing the traditional kung fu outfit, which is pretty modest, especially for active wear clothing. My one roommate commented how she was sure to lose because she was wearing too much clothing. We thought, that's silly, but sure enough, she lost right away. Soon after there was another fight where one of the competitors was a woman wearing much less clothing, and my roommate said that she would definitely win because of the "Inverse Clothing Law," which states that a woman who has less clothing is more powerful than a woman with all her clothing. Yet, if a woman has no clothing, then she has no power and is extremely vulnerable. Sure enough, the woman clearly won the battle as well as her next three.
This thought is found in many movies and video games of today and is very interesting because when we apply it to modern culture, it also bears a truth that is extremely disturbing and simultaneously degrading to women.
Basically, what we can learn and find proof of in the way women we see walking around the city dress is that when they wear less clothing, men often show them more attention. Thus, a woman feels more empowered. So often you'll see very wealthy young women wearing extremely short skirts and very low cut tops when it's warm outside (and on weekend nights, even when it's cold). Because of the lustful attention that men show them, they often feel more in control. They feel like there is a good chance that they will be able to steal the show. And unfortunately, but it is true, we can see something here. Women are looking for someone to love them. They're looking for security and support. Society, rather than looking for love in God, has taken this desire and distorted it. Rather, the devil has taken this legitimate desire for communion and twisted it so that women look for love in all the wrong places. And because they legitimately seek love so much, they think that no matter how they are going to get it, it's alright.
Unfortunately, we then see the last part of the "Inverse Clothing Law" play into affect. When a woman has no clothes, she is extremely vulnerable. After a woman has found what she thinks is a fulfillment of her desire for communion with another, she often finds herself as an object of man's lust. She finds herself degraded. She finds herself used and vulnerable. It is the time when she is naked after seeking the power, that she is really naked before God and seeking to find fig leaves to cover herself. It is in this moment, when woman is most fragile that she needs the most help. Unfortunately, society tells her otherwise.
In light of all this, what can we do? What can we as members of the Body of Christ, do to aid our bruised and beaten sisters who have fallen prey to the devil and his lies? First, we can try to restore a true understanding of womanhood. We can use the Blessed Virgin as our prime example. The picture to the right is a wonderful example of what it means to be woman. Mary shows us so profoundly and humbly that the gift of self will weild the greatest power in a world that is so self-centered. We can see in the Blessed Mother that continuous drive to give of herself and come into a relationship with God and with others. She shows us what it means to give ourselves through the nuptiality of our bodies and so live out the meaning of our existence. That's what this whole clothing thing is about.
Mary is clothed with the sun. The glorified bodies of the saints in heaven will yield great power through their gift of clarity (seeing into the reality of the person interiorly just by looking at their eyes - in a way they're naked, but more in the sense that Adam and Eve were pre-fall). The truth is that nakedness is not shameful. Unfortunately, the nakedness that society proclaims is not a nakedness like Adam and Eve experienced before the fall, but rather afterward. Women are looking back to get back to what it was before Adam and Eve ate of the fruit. But, they're going about it all wrong. Instead of wearing less clothes to find love, they should find love through a gift of self. They should reveal themselves in a true sense of intimacy - in to me see. We should all focus on understanding the human person. Only in that way will we be able to see the true beauty of the human body and not be scandalized by our lustful thoughts and not fall into the trap of seeking love in all the wrong places.
Let us put on the shield of the Immaculate Conception and so seek union and communion with God and the Church.
Labels: General TOB
posted by Matthaeus Evangelista at 12:00 AM
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