The Toronto “Slutwalk” – a clueless protest

By: American Decency Staff

As a new Christian quite a few years ago now, I came upon the writings of Paul in II Timothy where he talked about “in the later dayâ€Â when there would be a great falling away, an increasing evidence of godlessness, rebellion, arrogance, degrading attitudes and  behaviors. [II Timothy 3:1-7]   I wondered how this would ever come to pass in my life time.  Now I see that it is coming to pass. It’s very difficult not to see that we are living in such times as these. In Toronto, a large group of women stood together to protest a law enforcement official who suggested that women could avoid sexual assault by not dressing provocatively. Quoting:  In fishnets and stilettos, t-shirts and jeans, a three-piece suit and a birthday suit, hundreds of self-proclaimed “slutsâ€Â marched through downtown Toronto Sunday afternoon, protesting a police officer’s suggestion that women could avoid sexual assault by not dressing provocatively. Polly Esther walked off the subway in a plunging neckline and knee-high platform boots to join the noisy, spirited march from Queen’s Park to police headquarters on College St. She raised a hand-lettered sign, its simple but stark message definitive of that of the protest: “Xmas 1985. 14 years old. Bundled in layers. How did I deserve it?â€Â ‘It has nothing to do with what you’re wearing,’ said Esther, 39. ‘And I’m living proof of that.’… SlutWalk, as organizers coined the march, was a response to comments made by a Toronto police officer during a safety forum at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in late January. Const. Michael Sanguinetti is said to have told the room that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.â€Â Sanguinetti has since apologized to the university and been investigated by the professional standards unit. He was disciplined internally, the details of which have not been made public, and is still on the job in 31 Division, though not working Sunday. See for full article: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/968466–sluts-march-against-sexual-assault-stereotypes?bn=1 See the picture of the Slutwalk, too, at our webpage www.americandecency.org “Every man’s battleâ€Â – that’s what most men would say referring to pornography and or lust issues they face at some point in their lives. I would never say that women who dress ‘slut-like’ are solely responsible.  That is ludicrous. However, I would say that women are naïve if they don’t think there are men who are affected by provocative dress (or lack thereof) and have made bad decisions and looked at pornography and become addicted and are set up to lust and act out beyond what is healthy and wholesome. Nancy Leigh DeMoss speaks to this serious concern in a widely used resource called “Does God Really Care What I Wear.â€ÂÂ  Quoting: What we wear + How we look = A picture of what we believe It’s not only our way of thinking that’s in question.  Believe it or not, what we wear can have a major effect on others’ thoughts.  Are we responsible for that?  Here’s a true story that really made me think… A friend shared with me, “Five years ago I learned about my husband’s failures with his thought life, which led to an affair with a woman at work who dressed very sensually.  My heart was broken.â€Â Let me ask you a question:  Who was responsible for this affair?  Was my friend’s husband?  Absolutely!  Did the woman who dressed sensually have any responsibility?  Absolutely! Richard Baxter was a 17^th century pastor who recognized, even then, that women’s clothing could snare a man’s mind.  He used a word picture that graphically illustrates how our choices as women affect the men around us:  And though it be their sin and vanity that is the cause, it is nevertheless your sin to be the unnecessary occasion … You must not lay a stumbling-block in their way, nor blow up the fire of their lust … you must walk among sinful persons, as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder, or else you may see the flame which you did not forsee, when it is too late to quench it.â€Â Ladies, God calls us to each walk in this world as “a candle among straw or gunpowder.â€ÂÂ  A fire or explosion can be devastating, and it can injure and destroy many lives. This isn’t to suggest that men aren’t responsible for their thought life or their behavior.  They are. And they have to learn how to walk with God and bring those thoughts under the control of Christ, even though they live in a sex-crazed culture where immodesty is rampant. However, as Christian women, our clothing choices can either help men succeed morally or can put temptation in their path that they may find it difficult to overcome. That means both men and women are responsible for moral purity! Melody Green, widow of gospel music legend Keith Green, described the mixed message many Christians send through their willful choices: Unfortunately, it seems that many Christians are lost in their own selfish little world – either oblivious or uncaring about the effect they have on others.  They may even appear to have a real excitement and love for the Lord – however, their body is sending out a totally different message.  I know, because … I have done it – partly in ignorance, but mostly in rebellion.  I can remember thinking, “Well, it’s not my fault if they can’t keep their eyes off of me and on the Lord.  They just aren’t spiritual enough.  Why should I have to change just because they are weak?â€Â But the Lord showed me that it was my fault.  I was responsible for causing my brother to stumble and it had to change.  Once I really saw the damage my selfishness was doing to others and to the Lord, I was really ashamed of myself and embarrassed that I had been representing Jesus in such an unbecoming way.â€Â What convicting words.  We should do everything in our power to help our brothers stand, and to be sure that our dress and appearance bring glory to God. Ask yourself, “Am I reflecting the world’s philosophy of beauty and clothing, or God’s? and “Am I helping or hindering men who desire to be morally pure?â€Â =============================================== To order Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s booklet “Does God Really Care What I Wearâ€Â http://secure4.afo.net/ada/store2/index.php?route=product/category&path=26 ==================================================== American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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