Today I'm going to put myself in an interesting position. With a single decision, I will limit the number of churches that would welcome my attendance. I will make some people I know including some family probably, doubt my salvation. And, there are some people that will shake their heads at me as I walk down the street.
Want to know what my decision was?
I decided to cut my hair.
I'm female, by the way, for the readers out there that don't know. I have nearly waist long hair, and I'm having it chopped off. Every year and a half to two years I do this, and I donate it to Locks of Love. If you have long hair or the ability to grow it please at least consider donation to a great program like Locks of Love.
But back to my main point. Since, at least for the next few months, I'll have short hair, actually, according to all the websites I've looked at I'll have what's called "Medium" hair, I'm going to incur the disappointment of my dad, and no longer be as welcome when I visit the church they attend.
The thing I want to know is, Why? I understand the stricter churches are following after the scripture that says a womans hair is her glory 1 Cor 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But, why is there a double standard on the word "Long"? If man showed up in their midst with hair to his shoulders, the same church that would call my hair short, would call his hair long. He'd have to have a haircut, and I'd have to grow mine. And also, (this is turning into a rant now) it doesn't say it's a SIN for a woman to have short hair. it doesn't say it's a shame for a woman to have short hair (like the bible does say about men having long hair 1 cor 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?) It just says it's my glory and my covering.
I've often wondered, especially lately, if the whole reason some people go to the strict churches, is because they know they don't want to give their hearts to God, so they're hoping maybe they can work their way in with wearing the right clothes, abstaining from the right specific things that they've (seeming to me anyway) made up on their own to be unholy.
The thing that gets me is how strangely it hurt to be in their presence. To watch their rituals that I could find no biblical explaination for. Knowing, that without their own special rulebook (that they don't actually have so you can stay up with their rules) you are just one mis-step away from embarrassing yourself.
I'd maybe feel better coping with all those rules, if I could just understand why. Why is this rule here.
So if any commenters happen to attend a strict church (The one I was at was strict Assemblies of God) please feel free to tell me why it is the way it is.
I'll be happy to respond - but not now because I have to go get a hair cut. ;)
UPDATE: So, I'm at the salon ready for my cut. I sit down in the chair, and this lady I'd been chatting with before my stylist was ready for me comes up and the stylist and I try to explain the locks of love program. When this elderly lady, with short short curly hair informs me that...OH that's a sin! You shouldn't cut your hair off! You're not really are you?
I kid you not.
What's with my town?
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2 comments:
So someone I know the other day visited my church (He happens to go the the strict Assembly church that you mention here). He later made the statement about a woman there that she was "one of three women there wearing a dress." He of course said it with obvious judgement in his voice. Who makes these rules? What on earth does your hair or clothes have to do with your salvation, your heart. Could you not as easily say in judgement "Only two men were wearing brown shoes," or, "There was only one off-white Oldsmobile in the parking lot." Would either of those conditions make you more or less spiritual? This is a doctrine of devils and sends as many people to hell as the liberal, anything goes doctrines.
I want to encourage you to be careful. While I disagree with the rules I've seen, and it makes me feel bad, and I doubt the sincerity of some of it's groupies... I do want to make sure I'm careful myself about not slandering the whole lot of them. There's a story in the bible - I can't remember exactly how it goes or where it's at, so sue me - but I believe it's somewhere around a feast. Everyone has celebrated, and it's all quiet. When suddenly this guy brings back a lady to his tent from another tribe/country? One of the other guys gets up, and kills them both in their tent. He didn't do it for the sin of fornication, but for the fact that it was wrong for the guy to bring back someone of another tribe/country, WHATEVER IT WAS. *shakes her head at herself* The, uhum... murderer... was later in the chapter blessed by God as God told Moses? I believe that this man had stood up for the Holiness of God.
I'm sure a LOT of these strict churches feel they're doing the same thing. So I just advise you to be careful... especially if you start calling it a devils doctrine.
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