Question about fundie girl non-conforming hair

[Happy_Anabaptist]

If I were hot, baring my head would be the last thing I'd do. ;) My headcovering is white and my hair is dark... and my scalp is very susceptible to sunburn!

I strongly disagree with churches that mandate a certain type of hat for men, because that puts it in the category of religious covering. But I see nothing wrong with protective coverings, either for men or for women. I'm known to tie a scarf over my headcovering, or wear a cap to shade my eyes from the sun. Why should a man be expected to do differently?

[Burris]

Why should a man be expected to do differently?

For the same reason as some churches mandate that women should always cover their heads, regardless of circumstance: Because the Bible (allegedly) says so.

Goose...gander...all that.

[Happy_Anabaptist]

You don't see a distinction between religious and non-religious coverings?

[Shina]

I see something wrong with a religious mandate that orders women to do something that makes us stand out significantly from the people around us (which is the opposite of modesty), while the requirement for men is to dress as they always do.

Or,

You, woman! Put on a headcovering!

You, man! Don't wear a hat!

See a problem here?

[Happy_Anabaptist]

I see something wrong with a religious mandate that orders women to do something that makes us stand out significantly from the people around us (which is the opposite of modesty), while the requirement for men is to dress as they always do.

Or,

You, woman! Put on a headcovering!

You, man! Don't wear a hat!

See a problem here?

To me the mandate for men to wear beards does the same. They stand out too, maybe not as much as women, but enough to easily pin them as conservative.

[icecreamycakeycake]

Wow! Thanks apple1. That is totally fucked up.

I figured they had to have long hair but styling it a certain way? That's why they crunch it all up? Am sure hair mousse isn't in the Bible...

It's crunchy because they perm it. It's a side effect of trying to wear it long and wavy.

[Burris]

You don't see a distinction between religious and non-religious coverings?

I do, but I think that distinction should apply to both genders. A woman who covers all the time can say her veil is a religious garment, but there are times when it's not - for example, during any period where a man in a similar situation is allowed to cover his head.

I'm not actually arguing that men should never wear hats. I'm arguing that there are certain times when the veil is a purely optional garment for a woman, even as the hat is optional for a man.

[Happy_Anabaptist]

I do, but I think that distinction should apply to both genders. A woman who covers all the time can say her veil is a religious garment, but there are times when it's not - for example, during any period where a man in a similar situation is allowed to cover his head.

I'm not actually arguing that men should never wear hats. I'm arguing that there are certain times when the veil is a purely optional garment for a woman, even as the hat is optional for a man.

Agreed.

[Guest Anonymous]

Happy_Anabaptist - stop trolling.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Truth to be told though, that whether we like it or not, enormous amounts of 'power' *is* ascribed to women's hair, cross-culturally.

Just think hijab in Islam and a married woman's obligation to cover her hair in traditional Judaism. Then, there are quite a number of head-covering sects in Christianity also.

Speaking of Jewish women who cover their hair, among those who are okay with using a wig for the purpose (rather than snoods and scarves and such) there are people who will argue that if your wig is too LONG, it's immodest. So you can find threads about "well, I really like this wig (link to image) is it too long?" and people saying it is, or saying that if your wig is longer than "your community standard" then it's out, etc.

So yeah sometimes it doesn't even have to be your own hair! :D

(Though that particular subset of posters seems to think anything that might possibly be in style among some popular group anywhere in the world should be forbidden as immodest, so I'm not claiming it's a mainstream thing...)

Of course there are groups like the Amish, where generally women aren't supposed to ever cut their hair, but they aren't supposed to go out without putting it up in that standard "twisted in the front and then into a bun" style either. I suppose that's how they reconcile the "don't cut your hair ever" and "women's hair is sexy so should be only for the husband" thing, dunno.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I think they also have " long flowing hair" or even just long hair (and bangs, love the aqua net bangs many have) because that equals the stereotype of femininity. Same reason all fundie guys have short hair.

This too, I think.

With a lot of the Christian fundies we snark on here it seems they're trying to find that nice middle ground of being feminine, but not sexy. Plenty of pages will come right out and phrase it like that, talking about the clothes they're looking for.

[titus2_4u]

@Happy_Anabaptist

Stop making anabaptists look bad. As a group, they've been some of the most inclusive, tolerant, humble people I've known: people who seek to understand others' beliefs and not try to force their own on others.

If you choose to wear a headcovering because it fits in your religious beliefs, fine. But, don't come to a diverse board like this and tell us "it's biblical." There are lots of practices that are Biblical--found in the Bible-- that modern Christians don't currently do. Including Anabaptists. Eat shellfish lately? Wear polyester lately? Do you actually "pray without ceasing?" I could go on forever.

I hope the other posters don't caricature all anabaptists based on what you're posting here.

[CanadianHippie]

Just the only men they are allowed to interact with: their dad, husband, employers, etc.

Silly, you mentioned the same person twice on your list. Women who aren't harlots only work in the home.

[keen23]

In high school, I dated a guy with what can only be described as a hair fetish. I used to have blond hair that went past my butt (think Marcia Brady hair). The only reason this guy was into me was because of my hair. Our "dates" consisted of him taking me to a movie or whatever and then he'd stroke my hair the whole time. Eventually he wanted my hair for more "intimate" actions, and I got rid of him because I wasn't into it (and the allure of his car had quite truthfully worn off for me).

[VeraAnne]

Pentecostals very, very rarely wear their hair down. It's not that the see doing it as sinful, but rathet that hair down to your ankles gets a but unruly.

[fakepigtails73]

It's more convenient to not wear one at all.

Yup!!

[Boogalou]

Happy_Anabaptist - stop trolling.

Lol. I now have an uncontrollable urge to go do that to random people in the street. With the same face.

[Renting with Raggles]

A lot of fundie gurus seem to need to devise make-work schemes for SAHM. Grinding your own flour takes time; maintaining 'long, flowing' locks is damn near impossible for anyone; homskooling kids over a wide age range while running a home business ditto; keeping a perfect house and table as well as being sexually available to hubby at the drop of a hat... obviously keeps them from thinking too much. I'd go nuts from the busy-work.

[anniebgood]

My husband used to wear a beard and believe me he was far from (and still is now though clean shaven) very liberal. He wore his beard as a tribute to the gold miners he emulated and nothing else. Personally I thought he looked like a hippie terrorist and told him so.

I have extremely short hair because I look like hell with long hair. I've had it short since I was a kid. No one in my church cares what color your hair is, how long it is, or if you wear a covering. We don't teach it, it's not in our theology and therefore not necessary.

Sola Scriptura

Sola Fide

Sola Gratia

Sola Christus

Sola Deo Gloria.

None of that demands head covering before God.

[bananacat]

My hair adjusted to the water here (its a lot harder quality than my last home) and now it finally feels clean! I am totally "immodest" with my hair- I toss it around and spend way too much time petting it and putting sparklies in it. I did that when it was three inches long too (less tossing and more ruffling, though). Length has very little to do with hair pride for me.

I can see how its an example of systematic, embedded racism- you have to look like X, and Y group of people can't reach that ideal without Z amount more preparation than X group. The factors that limit that ideal (time, money, equipment, practicality, health) all help play into the discrimination.

This is what I was trying to say but you framed in a clearer way. Bill Gothard only approves of one hairstyle, and it just makes it that much harder for certain people to fit into the group. I doubt that Gothard did it intentionally to exclude people, but there's a reason why he likes a certain hairstyle in the first place. It's an example of really subtle racism that people often don't even realize they are practicing.

I think the VF crowd is a little more lax on hairstyles for women as long as it is somewhat long, but even that is hard to achieve for some African American women. Gothard doesn't approve of adoption so children adopted from Africa aren't really a concern for his followers, but plenty of the fundies who do adopt still believe that all women should have a certain hairstyle.