Did You Know That Tucking In a Shirt is Oppressing Christianity?

[OtakuLoki]

This story from Dallas Texas has me scratching my head.

To summarize things, a woman just got a dress code waiver for her daughter, based on 1 Timothy 2:9, so her daughter is not required to tuck in her shirt at school. For those of you, like myself, who don't have the Epistles memorized here's the verse:

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,

*NIV version. I'm afraid I am having trouble understanding how tucking in a shirt is less modest than letting the same shirt fly free.

But what really gets me from this story is the way this woman argued her case:

"I feel I am being persecuted for being a Christian," she told the board before the vote. "There will be a day of reckoning, and you will have to answer to God."

There's a nasty part of me that wants to ask this woman how she feels about an Islamic woman being required to bare her face for a driver's license photo.

The article brings up the question of does this very loose interpretation of the written scripture mean that in effect almost anything goes once a parent justifies their objection based on religious texts? I really don't have any great driving need to see shirts tucked in (Though I do happen to believe it is the more modest option.) and really couldn't care less about why this parent feels so strongly about this. But being persecuted for being a Christian? For the love of green aphids, get you hence and read what real persecution might be!

[jali]

That chick is a big ole bag o' crazy!

[phouka]

I feel so, so sorry for that daughter. Hope she escapes as soon as she can.

[featherlou]

The phrase "silly waste of time" comes to my mind. Doesn't want her daughter's behind showing? Well, that's what the pants are for, honey. I don't think being asked to tuck your shirt in counts as persecution for your religious beliefs, either, unless you are a member of the Church of The Slob.

[Tuckerfan]

The phrase "silly waste of time" comes to my mind. Doesn't want her daughter's behind showing? Well, that's what the pants are for, honey.

Yes, but you can still see the shape of the daughter's ass through the pants. Having a shirt untucked which hangs over the ass hides it from all those pervy menfolk out there.

[Batman]

Pfft. Nobody checks out Jesusfreaks anyway, they're as hot as a beige wall.

[danceswithcats]

I'll take Nutbags for $500.

[OneCentStamp]

Um...not only is the kid in question seven years old, she and her mom are both shaped like mangoes. Maybe there's something immodest about highlighting your muffin top?

[Guinastasia]

It prevents them from seeing her shape, I suppose. (Does she also refer to her "dirtypillows?")

[Inner Stickler]

I liked the disconnect between the verse she used at the hearing and the fact that she hasn't been to church for a while because she can't afford a nice enough dress.

[featherlou]

There's more disconnects in that woman than a night full of telemarketers calling at suppertime.

[danceswithcats]

There's more disconnects in that woman than a night full of telemarketers calling at suppertime.

I like that!

[ulfhjorr]

Pfft. Nobody checks out Jesusfreaks anyway, they're as hot as a beige wall.

Man, have you got it all wrong. There's nothing better than "ruining" one of those "good girls."


Well, nothing except tasting their sweet, sweet tears when they realize what they've done...

[Skald the Rhymer]

Pfft. Nobody checks out Jesusfreaks anyway, they're as hot as a beige wall.

My wife is a Jesus freak, and also hot.

[don't call me shirley]

OK- embiggen the picture in the article. That kid's hair is braided. The verse the mom is quoting about modest dress also says that their hair can't be braided.

The amazing thing here is that people this stupid can even figure out how to get dressed.

[Batman]

The amazing thing here is that people this stupid can even figure out how to get dressed.

What's amazing (although not so much in Texas) is that 6 out of 7 people thought she had a good point and agreed with her instead of just telling her to fuck off.

[OtakuLoki]

OK- embiggen the picture in the article. That kid's hair is braided. The verse the mom is quoting about modest dress also says that their hair can't be braided.

The amazing thing here is that people this stupid can even figure out how to get dressed.

It's Emerson's fault. Not our heroine's. You're just trying to persecute her and her daughter.



On preview: Batman, I don't think she has a good point, but I wouldn't have voted against the dress code waiver, myself. It's too goddamned petty an issue for me to care about.

[OneCentStamp]

What's amazing (although not so much in Texas) is that 6 out of 7 people thought she had a good point and agreed with her instead of just telling her to fuck off.

(bolding mine)

I'm glad you added that qualifier. I've been in Texas for three years and am still baffled on an almost daily basis by things I see and hear. If Jesus-flavored stupidity was flammable, Texas could completely eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. Christianity here is almost like a magic button you can press to get Texans to completely bypass all higher brain functions.

[jayjay]

All she has to do is stick a phone book in her daughter's pants...

o/` I like square butts and I cannot lie... o/`

[Clothahump]

Why do nutjob religious freaks like this have to come live in my state? There are 49 others they could have chosen to spread their idiocy in; why did they have to pick mine?

[terrifel]

Why do nutjob religious freaks like this have to come live in my state? There are 49 others they could have chosen to spread their idiocy in; why did they have to pick mine?

There's probably a verse in the Bible that'll explain it to you.


The real comedy here is of course the mother holding up I Timothy 2:9 to justify her complaint, when only two verses later we read:

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

So what the hell is she doing arguing with the (male) head of the School Board anyway?

Thy Bible commandeth thee and thy daughter to shut up, woman.

[OneCentStamp]

Why do nutjob religious freaks like this have to come live in my state? There are 49 others they could have chosen to spread their idiocy in; why did they have to pick mine?

At least this time it's Dallas.

[silenus]

1 Timothy 5:17 - Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.


I WANT A RAISE!!!!!

[featherlou]

I double honour you - happy now?

[Malacandra]

Pfft. Nobody checks out Jesusfreaks anyway, they're as hot as a beige wall.

My wife is a Jesus freak, and also hot.

I thought she was a born-again atheist who delighted in explaining to her oppressive family about how things like Elisha and the she-bears had convinced her there was no God, and they were convinced she was ill because the Devil had gotten hold of her?

[ivan astikov]

I'm detecting an element of wishful thinking in this woman's belief that anyone would wish to stare at either her or her daughter's butt. FFS, give a pedophile some credit!

[jayjay]

I thought she was a born-again atheist who delighted in explaining to her oppressive family about how things like Elisha and the she-bears had convinced her there was no God, and they were convinced she was ill because the Devil had gotten hold of her?

I believe that was his niece.

[Exy]

My wife is a Jesus freak, and also hot.

I thought she was a born-again atheist who delighted in explaining to her oppressive family about how things like Elisha and the she-bears had convinced her there was no God, and they were convinced she was ill because the Devil had gotten hold of her?

revelolation!

[Malacandra]

I thought she was a born-again atheist who delighted in explaining to her oppressive family about how things like Elisha and the she-bears had convinced her there was no God, and they were convinced she was ill because the Devil had gotten hold of her?

I believe that was his niece.

No, his niece is the one who's rebelling against her authoritarian church-folk and parents, getting gated for it, and citing verses about iron chariots, and needs advice on atheist reading material. I admit there's some crossover, but I do try to pay attention and keep things separate.

[Skald the Rhymer]

I thought she was a born-again atheist who delighted in explaining to her oppressive family about how things like Elisha and the she-bears had convinced her there was no God, and they were convinced she was ill because the Devil had gotten hold of her?

I believe that was his niece.

No, his niece is the one who's rebelling against her authoritarian church-folk and parents, getting gated for it, and citing verses about iron chariots, and needs advice on atheist reading material. I admit there's some crossover, but I do try to pay attention and keep things separate.

First cousin once removed, actually. Maybe it's nit-picking, but I always get vexed when people conflate the terms. But that's probably just me.

As for Mrs. Rhymer, she's not an atheist, but during one of her bouts last year, her uncle harassed her for being insufficiently Christian, and after her last bout she seems to be moving to a more-- well, I don't quite know how to describe it. The best I can say is that she's almost entirely lost faith in her meds and is hoping for a miraculous healing, but she still thinks fundamantalists are full of crap in general.

[Malacandra]

No, his niece is the one who's rebelling against her authoritarian church-folk and parents, getting gated for it, and citing verses about iron chariots, and needs advice on atheist reading material. I admit there's some crossover, but I do try to pay attention and keep things separate.

First cousin once removed, actually. Maybe it's nit-picking, but I always get vexed when people conflate the terms. But that's probably just me.

So this chick isn't the sassy atheist, then. I must've gotten confused. My bad. Genealogically, I am well aware of the distinction.

Best wishes for Mrs Rhymer's health although I was sure I remembered something about how she stopped believing years ago for "Lots of reasons. Evolution. Psalm 137. Elisha and the she-bears". And from what I hear about American fundamentalists, I sympathise deeply.

[Skald the Rhymer]

No, his niece is the one who's rebelling against her authoritarian church-folk and parents, getting gated for it, and citing verses about iron chariots, and needs advice on atheist reading material. I admit there's some crossover, but I do try to pay attention and keep things separate.

First cousin once removed, actually. Maybe it's nit-picking, but I always get vexed when people conflate the terms. But that's probably just me.

So this chick isn't the sassy atheist, then. I must've gotten confused. My bad. Genealogically, I am well aware of the distinction.

Best wishes for Mrs Rhymer's health although I was sure I remembered something about how she stopped believing years ago for "Lots of reasons. Evolution. Psalm 137. Elisha and the she-bears". And from what I hear about American fundamentalists, I sympathise deeply.

She's gone from cultural Christianity to liberal Christianity to....something. I don't know what she is right now.

[Oliveloaf]

Well, here's an interesting thing.

In the picture, the kid is wearing a shirt that doesn't appear long enough to cover her butt.

Just saying...

[vison]

You can't make this stuff up.

Wonderful.

Makes Canada seem so bland and boring.

Yeah. I know.

[Jaglavak]

If Jesus-flavored stupidity was flammable, Texas could completely eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.

:: snif ::
Beautiful, just....
:: dab, dab ::
Mingle amongst yourselves for a minute, I'm all yclempt.

[Green Bean]

Well, here's an interesting thing.

In the picture, the kid is wearing a shirt that doesn't appear long enough to cover her butt.

And, as noted above, her hair is braided. And under the existing dress code, she's allowed to wear a skirt.

Anybody else amused that the school board president's last name is Christian?

[featherlou]

Well, here's an interesting thing.

In the picture, the kid is wearing a shirt that doesn't appear long enough to cover her butt.

And, as noted above, her hair is braided. And under the existing dress code, she's allowed to wear a skirt.

Anybody else amused that the school board president's last name is Christian?

Yes - there's a joke in there somewhere that I just can't quite find.

OK- embiggen the picture in the article. That kid's hair is braided. The verse the mom is quoting about modest dress also says that their hair can't be braided.

The amazing thing here is that people this stupid can even figure out how to get dressed.

Her scriptural consistency may be poor, but she posesses a kind of low animal cunning. It takes a certain amount of intelligence to realize that, as OneCentStamp pointed out, religion is an "off button" for people's higher faculties. It then takes another (small) leap of reason to decide to lie, by publically adopting an absurd position where your sincerity will not be challenged, in order to get what you want.

[The J Word]

Fucking morons.
Anyone that tries to apply biblical "logic" to the modern day deserves a spike in the brain.

J