Immodest Dressings In The Church; My Infuriations, My Questions, And Angsts -By Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun

While growing up in one of the most conventional orthodox churches, the Baptist Church to be specific, we were taught and groomed in the most knowledgeable ways of exhaustive morals. We were taught the principles of what God desires and many things that he despises. We were taught the all-round ethical versions and apprehensions that were expected of us to portray such as respect to our parents and God, strictly accordance to consequential rules of the Ten Commandments and most especially we were groomed in the right way to dress, most imperatively when we come to the Lord’s presence, that is coming to the church in the whole armor of decency.

However, as we continue to grow and glean, our perceptions and foresight about things lead off to changes. Hence, we no longer dwell around the perceptive of what we were trained within a church or even at home. We were outrightly influenced by the 21st century “fathom of illusions” and galore of luxuries. Some of us were influenced positively which didn’t compromise our beliefs, while some of our friends were completely soaked in the bargain with the devil. Thus, they so dwell in the citadel of the modern-day transitions, part of which is the way they dress, most especially the insouciant pattern of dressing to church, which is seriously provoking and against our religious lessons. I don’t know if perhaps I’m the only one that gets irritated when you go to church in today’s contemporary period, most especially the Pentecostal Churches who freely give their members the freedom to exploring and exploiting their fashion prowess. Sometimes, maybe with my occasional visits to any of those churches, I go steamed up each time I see young and beautiful ladies in their vulnerable ages exposing and flaunting their breasts in different seductive manners. Hence, they tell you they are comfortable with this ‘satanic’ act, even in the sacrosanct places like the church of God. Apparently, these set of fashion-oriented ladies done blatantly in all kinds of mini seductive skirts and provocative in every privileged religious gathering. Quite bad on the other side, you also see the young and astir men expose and parade their brands of indecency. Some of them unfurl their underwear by sagging their trousers, some piercing of the ears, some put on ripped jeans, hot bosom, low waist, unkempt hair and loads of indecent dressing. Yet, I might not be really concerned about their fashion ideas, but I’m horn-mad at them wearing all these ‘partying’ clothes to this respected place of worship.

Maybe they might need to answer some of my flurry questions, maybe perhaps they might have some reasons for this accepted mien. Maybe they need to answer why they go to church with irresponsible clothes. Why they are not ashamed to show their foolhardiness? Why God will be pleased with their freewheeling thoughts of craziness? why they wouldn’t care if embarrassed by any member of the church? why they wished to be sexually assaulted, considering the numbers of indisposed people that might even come to church? And of what is the difference between the ‘sainty’ church itself and other ‘dented’ places? Maybe they need to answer? Or perhaps, maybe I should ask like this, that what will you chirp of a student that guided herself in a cleavage shirt, and thus intentionally seats in the place of attention in church? Is it to provoke the pastors? or to attract his attention? I really can’t say. Or maybe you might have something to aver of a young man who is in an all brown-tinted hair and a left side pierced ear, tell me, is he in the church to please God or please men? Maybe you might want to tell me God is interested in the mind and not the look. What a shame, I’m sad to tell you they are the thoughts of outright hypocrites who just want to catch our attention.

True, Fashion is fast overwhelming the 21st century in the speed of light, which is not a bad idea afterward. In fact, I’m a fan of fashion, I mean creative and innovative fashion ideas. Withal, as fashion is procreating its own wisdom, thus it’s influencing, compelling, and brainwashing the brains of youth adults, motivating them to wear the wrong clothes for the right places, such as the place of worship. Maybe the dressers of this indecency are perhaps dead with their consciences, Maybe some of them really need to be tutored that the clerics in the church or the people in the church are also human beings, and can be tempted to do the impossible. Maybe someone needs to tell them that all these skimpy and tight-fitting nature of these dresses in their transparent appearances are not supposed to be revealed in the Churches. Maybe they need to be enlightened that revealing certain parts of the bodies is a big sin itself which God himself will not pleased. But my concern still remains that will all these youths ever see the writings on the wall?

However, I will not be an advocate of punishment or discrimination for any of these footloose youths. They should still never be expelled or discharge out of the church, as I still believe that casting aspersions on them will not yield the results we yearn for. Thus, I’ll suggest that youths should be expressly oriented that exposing the v-shape of the breast and wearing contour-exposing skin-tight dresses might sprout unnecessary interest and attractions and that also expose the thighs and beads mainly to seduce unsuspecting men might lead them into the unnecessary troubles of sexual harassment within and without the church environment. Consequently, we might not want to predict why youths might be interested in this devastating canker, maybe the influx of influence, poverty, poor orientations, peer pressure and all. Moreover, Parents and Guardians can do little or nothing concerning this issue of indecent dressing in the churches. Perhaps the parents can address them in their utmost best and the or can also bring up severe punishments which they have been doing over these years. Hence, I would push up the duties of guidance to our various denominations of communities. They should all bring the youths closer to the tents, and tell the implications of acting in such acts. Fashion will remain a highlight of this century, but it ‘extravagancies’ should be made distanced away from the church.

Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun