Jezebel takes apart the results of a survey conducted by a Christian website. The subject of the survey is modesty, and the responses vary from the odd to the terrifying, depending on your perspective. The thing that comes through most powerfully is the way that lust is almost exclusively the purview of the man in this universe. Notice some of the statements the respondents were asked to respond to:
Decorative stitching and designs on the back pockets of jeans draw too much attention to the rear.
A purse with the strap worn diagonally across the chest draws too much attention to the bust.
Shirts with messages across the front draw too much attention to the bust.
Seeing a girl’s chest bouncing when she running or walking is a stumbling block.
Notice how the statements pertain to both dress and action, but all on the part of the women. The only agency women have is as a potential for the spiritual downfall of men, and that agency is often described in violent terms. The idea that women might be lustful in their own right doesn’t ever seem to come up–perhaps the assumption is that if a woman is lustful, she can’t be godly? Or maybe it’s just that how women feel isn’t a matter of concern in this group.
