Quite often, a compelling reason for refusing to attend a temple is the strict appearance requirement that exists in the Orthodox Church. Women, in particular, may be deterred by a ban on trousers. Is it possible to go to church in trousers for a woman? This will be discussed in the article.
Female look
Some Orthodox claim that women can go to church in trousers. There is an absolutely opposite opinion. This prohibition on wearing them is not as straightforward as it might look at first glance. Some Christians observe it too zealously, not wearing trousers, not only when visiting the temple, but even in everyday life. Other women say that if you compare between trousers and miniskirts, the first option looks much more modest.
No matter how paradoxical this may sound, there is no consensus among priests about whether a woman wearing trousers can go to church .
The question is aesthetic
Can a woman in trousers attend church? The discussion should begin with a rather important question of aesthetics. Orthodoxy is treated with special trepidation. The world was created by the beautiful God. Wide landscapes or a barely noticeable flower - everywhere you can see the traces of the Creator's touch. Therefore, a truly believing person tries to be a reflection of the beauty that was created by God. This is done not only spiritually, morally, but also materially. You should not trust those who are trying to convince you that a "true believer" is supposed to walk with unkempt and unwashed hair, in holey clothes.
It is necessary to respect beauty, to love and try to preserve what the Creator has invested. Based on this, a simple conclusion can be made - Orthodox women should have beautiful, neat and modest clothing. Things should not become the most important part of life, make a cult of it, dealing only with this issue - sin. But watching your own appearance is not just not forbidden. It is even commendable.
Pants as a male element
Is it possible for a woman in trousers to go to church? Now few, besides historians, will be able to remember that wearing this wardrobe item when visiting a church used to be categorically forbidden even by men. In the 9th century, the Bulgarian prince almost refused the baptism of the country due to the fact that the Byzantine chiefs demanded that his subordinates be forbidden to wear pants even outside the walls of the temple. This form of clothing was called pagan.
At a later time, no one saw anything in their trousers that was not in line with the Christian faith, and until modern times, women still did not wear pants. Thus, trousers were only a masculine attribute.
Bible prohibition
Why is a woman not allowed to go to church in trousers? The ban on wearing clothes of the opposite sex, for men, for women, can be seen in the Old and New Testaments, which did not cancel it. To a certain extent, such behavior was equated with non-standard sexual orientation, which is also condemned by the Bible. But there were other reasons.
Dressing in other clothes was characteristic of the Gentiles during magical rites. Magic and everything that touched it was strictly condemned by the church at all times. Similar norms also extended to women wearing men's clothes, especially when it comes to visiting the temple.
But precisely because of this, today some priests say that it is not necessary to adhere to such a restriction so blindly. Pants have long ceased to be purely men's clothing. Today there are ladies' varieties that are not suitable for any man. It is simply impossible to say about a girl in this form that she wears a male element of the wardrobe, hence there is no reason to forbid her from attending temples.
It must be borne in mind that such a ban is taken seriously in monasteries. In such clothes, you should not go there even in the form of an excursionist.
Other reasons
But some of the priests still adhere to these standards and prohibit women dressed in trousers from attending church. They say that such clothes dictate clear forms of behavior that run counter to Christian foundations. A girl in a skirt will not be able to afford to be in an inappropriate position, and in trousers - quite simply. When changing the way you behave, you can observe previously uncharacteristic behavior and character traits.
Is it possible for a woman in trousers to go to church? The degree of severity can directly depend on the mood of the parishioners and the priest from a particular parish. In some places, girls in pants are quite tolerant, somewhere not, but in any case, you should not risk it, especially if you first decided to visit the temple. Moreover, such actions can lead to conflict situations. Even in the case when parishioners are not inclined to be indignant at this, they will understand that the woman who came in the skirt not only understands, but also respects the established rules. Thus, it will be possible to immediately establish fairly warm relations.
What can I attend church
Is it possible for a woman in trousers to go to church? The main requirement for clothes in which you can go to the temple is discreetness and modesty. T-shirts and shorts fall under the strictest ban. Women's shoulders must be covered. There are some recommendations about what kind of appearance is acceptable when you decide to go to the temple:
- Going to church, representatives of the weak half of humanity should wear scarves. If you purely by chance passed a temple and decided to go into it, but there was no scarf at hand, then you can cover your head with a hood or any hoodie. A beret or hat is also permitted.
- If you decide to wear a dress, then pick up a model with long sleeves and a closed collar (a model that has a three-quarter sleeve will do). In any case, a prerequisite - closed shoulders, chest.
- It is forbidden to come to the house of God in shoes that have high heels. For a while, dress in shoes with low running or flat soles.
Are there exceptions
If a person is not a regular parishioner, but decided to come in to pray in trousers, no one will drive him out of the church. Often priests simply keep silent, but at confession they tactfully point out mistakes.
True, in fairness it should be said that there are such varieties of trousers in which it is better not to visit the house of God. These are, for example, tight-fitting options in combination with a short jacket.
Of course, there are various situations. For example, on the street it is winter and thirty degrees of frost, a woman simply does not have a warm skirt, and the temple itself is at a fairly distant distance. Do not refuse because of this prayer. In the case when a person himself understands that his act is wrong, but simply does not work out differently, it is worth trying to still respect decency. Put on a long fur coat or coat so that the trousers are not visible.
It is also possible to take the skirt with you and just put it on top of the pants in front of the temple. The main condition is that it should look more or less decent. At the worst, of course, take pants with a loose fit that do not emphasize the figure, but rather, on the contrary, cover it. Let the outfit in which you are going to church be modest enough.
Output
Despite all the foundations that have been developing for more than one year, the main condition is a sincere desire to pray, having come in contact with something beautiful, thereby becoming a little closer to God. It is important to want to attend church and believe that miracles are possible.