it is a sin to add to your natural appearance? really? where did God say so?

[Junia]

I am being deadly serious here

A christian lady told me the other day that it is a sin to add to your natural appearance or take away from it. she told me adornments are a sin. she said that women go to hell for wearing make up or jewellery. she also believes hair dye sends you to hell. she says there are testimonies based on this.

Some other christians have told me that wearing perfume, heels of any sort (even low heels. as someone with a disability all i can wear is low heels! a,m gonna be toast then!), wigs, weaves, etc even wedding bands can send you to hell.

oh and you cannot bob or trim your hair if you are a woman. or wear trousers. because, you know, hellfire.

I have hirutsim due to severe PCOS, if i don't shave or wax my face, legs, arms etc then i become very hairy (in summer this feels uncomfortable like am wearing a hair shirt, hot and sweaty) . I assume armpit shaving is OK as is to do with hygiene. so is it a sin to shave as a woman? for my comfort rather than vanity? also i don't want to look ungroomed or scruffy. that will limit my opportunities in life badly.

also is tweezing eyebrows ok? not to change shape of the brow or thin them but just if i want to pluck any straggly bits out?? for sake of looking neat, tidy, respectable?

I cannot find a scripture about any if these things saying they a sin except the one about not letting your beauty be due to pearls or braided hair and i assumed those were not forbidding these things per se but saying "let not your adornment MERELY be outward as in the wearing of costly clothes, jewels, braided hair etc" Maybe it only an issue if you wear those things to show off "Look how rich i am" or for other vanity reasons.

Also, if we are saved by grace, by faith in Jesus blood alone, i know we have to live holy as a sign of our salvation, but we don't do holy things to BE saved. so why would wearing say a wedding ring actually send soemone to Hell??? unless these things are an idol, i do not see why a problem? or the jewllery or clothes are linked to occult rituals (in some countries certain amulets linked to witchcraft)

To be fair i have gooogled a few of these "I saw women in hell for wearing x y z" testimonies and some of those churches linked to them have some bizarre doctrines eg tithing is mandatory under the new covenant, so is sabath keeping. now i realise many Godly christians practice these things and find them helpful and that is great! but i was under the impression that they weren't conditions for salvation? one of the churches also claimed that their founder had a vision by God that they were the last days "Ark"- the one true church by which you can be saved???!! many of them believe any contraception including natural family planning is sinful and that medication of any kind is witchcraft (again, i guess am gonna burn).

i do want to live a holy life before God but all these demands are making me a bit nervous? i grew up under a differen tkind of christian legalism and also suffered an abusive parent who created a picture of God in my mind as a stern cold wrathful hateful God... i am having much healing for that and am ina church where the emphasis is on Grace saving us and holy living being a result of that grace and not being alwys easy but not being a burden of dos and don'ts....my past led me to serious mental breakdowns and my MH has improved so much since learning about grace and how much am loved by God. This woman said my church is false because they dont talk about the wrath of God and how we live to live perfect and with NO SIN to make the rapture (this kind of thing reminds me of my upbringing, so not good for the Complex PTSD and associated issues). i shared my testimony with her but she was like "oh God did nice things for you so you would walk on the narrow way with Him and actually get saved properly!" oh, ok, then. unfriend. block. pray God help me forgive her and get me back on even keel

But seriously this has got me thinking WHERE did this idea come from that Christian women are not to adorn themselves? when i googled this is ofund an american website that said wearing a dress with a patter on it (eg flowers, polka dots) is adornment and a sin. now i am ona limite dincome and cannot sew. i have had lessons but i have no gift for it. many of my clothes are patterned or have short sleeves or skirts are mid calf (am also tall. i love maxi dresses but hard to find ones for 34 inch leg in the UK on a low budget). so am i going to be the devil's fried bread then? or is this all a load of nonsense?!

 

[Tra Phull]

Load of nonsense

Woman with alabaster jar anointed Jesus, He said it was a good thing

 

[SeekingGloryOnThisJourney]

I am being deadly serious here

A christian lady told me the other day that it is a sin to add to your natural appearance or take away from it. she told me adornments are a sin. she said that women go to hell for wearing make up or jewellery. she also believes hair dye sends you to hell. she says there are testimonies based on this.

Some other christians have told me that wearing perfume, heels of any sort (even low heels. as someone with a disability all i can wear is low heels! a,m gonna be toast then!), wigs, weaves, etc even wedding bands can send you to hell.

oh and you cannot bob or trim your hair if you are a woman. or wear trousers. because, you know, hellfire.

I have hirutsim due to severe PCOS, if i don't shave or wax my face, legs, arms etc then i become very hairy (in summer this feels uncomfortable like am wearing a hair shirt, hot and sweaty) . I assume armpit shaving is OK as is to do with hygiene. so is it a sin to shave as a woman? for my comfort rather than vanity? also i don't want to look ungroomed or scruffy. that will limit my opportunities in life badly.

also is tweezing eyebrows ok? not to change shape of the brow or thin them but just if i want to pluck any straggly bits out?? for sake of looking neat, tidy, respectable?

I cannot find a scripture about any if these things saying they a sin except the one about not letting your beauty be due to pearls or braided hair and i assumed those were not forbidding these things per se but saying "let not your adornment MERELY be outward as in the wearing of costly clothes, jewels, braided hair etc" Maybe it only an issue if you wear those things to show off "Look how rich i am" or for other vanity reasons.

Also, if we are saved by grace, by faith in Jesus blood alone, i know we have to live holy as a sign of our salvation, but we don't do holy things to BE saved. so why would wearing say a wedding ring actually send soemone to Hell??? unless these things are an idol, i do not see why a problem? or the jewllery or clothes are linked to occult rituals (in some countries certain amulets linked to witchcraft)

To be fair i have gooogled a few of these "I saw women in hell for wearing x y z" testimonies and some of those churches linked to them have some bizarre doctrines eg tithing is mandatory under the new covenant, so is sabath keeping. now i realise many Godly christians practice these things and find them helpful and that is great! but i was under the impression that they weren't conditions for salvation? one of the churches also claimed that their founder had a vision by God that they were the last days "Ark"- the one true church by which you can be saved???!! many of them believe any contraception including natural family planning is sinful and that medication of any kind is witchcraft (again, i guess am gonna burn).

i do want to live a holy life before God but all these demands are making me a bit nervous? i grew up under a differen tkind of christian legalism and also suffered an abusive parent who created a picture of God in my mind as a stern cold wrathful hateful God... i am having much healing for that and am ina church where the emphasis is on Grace saving us and holy living being a result of that grace and not being alwys easy but not being a burden of dos and don'ts....my past led me to serious mental breakdowns and my MH has improved so much since learning about grace and how much am loved by God. This woman said my church is false because they dont talk about the wrath of God and how we live to live perfect and with NO SIN to make the rapture (this kind of thing reminds me of my upbringing, so not good for the Complex PTSD and associated issues). i shared my testimony with her but she was like "oh God did nice things for you so you would walk on the narrow way with Him and actually get saved properly!" oh, ok, then. unfriend. block. pray God help me forgive her and get me back on even keel

But seriously this has got me thinking WHERE did this idea come from that Christian women are not to adorn themselves? when i googled this is ofund an american website that said wearing a dress with a patter on it (eg flowers, polka dots) is adornment and a sin. now i am ona limite dincome and cannot sew. i have had lessons but i have no gift for it. many of my clothes are patterned or have short sleeves or skirts are mid calf (am also tall. i love maxi dresses but hard to find ones for 34 inch leg in the UK on a low budget). so am i going to be the devil's fried bread then? or is this all a load of nonsense?!

Hello friend, lots of places in the Bible women have worn such things. Of course, it’s all in your intentions. Do you want to attract sinful attention, or look modest in the Sight Of God?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

It depends on why you wear makeup. Is it to cover blemishes, make yourself 'presentable', or to deceive others regarding your actual looks, or to become alluring to men.

 

[Michie]

I am being deadly serious here

A christian lady told me the other day that it is a sin to add to your natural appearance or take away from it. she told me adornments are a sin. she said that women go to hell for wearing make up or jewellery. she also believes hair dye sends you to hell. she says there are testimonies based on this.

Some other christians have told me that wearing perfume, heels of any sort (even low heels. as someone with a disability all i can wear is low heels! a,m gonna be toast then!), wigs, weaves, etc even wedding bands can send you to hell.

oh and you cannot bob or trim your hair if you are a woman. or wear trousers. because, you know, hellfire.

I have hirutsim due to severe PCOS, if i don't shave or wax my face, legs, arms etc then i become very hairy (in summer this feels uncomfortable like am wearing a hair shirt, hot and sweaty) . I assume armpit shaving is OK as is to do with hygiene. so is it a sin to shave as a woman? for my comfort rather than vanity? also i don't want to look ungroomed or scruffy. that will limit my opportunities in life badly.

also is tweezing eyebrows ok? not to change shape of the brow or thin them but just if i want to pluck any straggly bits out?? for sake of looking neat, tidy, respectable?

I cannot find a scripture about any if these things saying they a sin except the one about not letting your beauty be due to pearls or braided hair and i assumed those were not forbidding these things per se but saying "let not your adornment MERELY be outward as in the wearing of costly clothes, jewels, braided hair etc" Maybe it only an issue if you wear those things to show off "Look how rich i am" or for other vanity reasons.

Also, if we are saved by grace, by faith in Jesus blood alone, i know we have to live holy as a sign of our salvation, but we don't do holy things to BE saved. so why would wearing say a wedding ring actually send soemone to Hell??? unless these things are an idol, i do not see why a problem? or the jewllery or clothes are linked to occult rituals (in some countries certain amulets linked to witchcraft)

To be fair i have gooogled a few of these "I saw women in hell for wearing x y z" testimonies and some of those churches linked to them have some bizarre doctrines eg tithing is mandatory under the new covenant, so is sabath keeping. now i realise many Godly christians practice these things and find them helpful and that is great! but i was under the impression that they weren't conditions for salvation? one of the churches also claimed that their founder had a vision by God that they were the last days "Ark"- the one true church by which you can be saved???!! many of them believe any contraception including natural family planning is sinful and that medication of any kind is witchcraft (again, i guess am gonna burn).

i do want to live a holy life before God but all these demands are making me a bit nervous? i grew up under a differen tkind of christian legalism and also suffered an abusive parent who created a picture of God in my mind as a stern cold wrathful hateful God... i am having much healing for that and am ina church where the emphasis is on Grace saving us and holy living being a result of that grace and not being alwys easy but not being a burden of dos and don'ts....my past led me to serious mental breakdowns and my MH has improved so much since learning about grace and how much am loved by God. This woman said my church is false because they dont talk about the wrath of God and how we live to live perfect and with NO SIN to make the rapture (this kind of thing reminds me of my upbringing, so not good for the Complex PTSD and associated issues). i shared my testimony with her but she was like "oh God did nice things for you so you would walk on the narrow way with Him and actually get saved properly!" oh, ok, then. unfriend. block. pray God help me forgive her and get me back on even keel

But seriously this has got me thinking WHERE did this idea come from that Christian women are not to adorn themselves? when i googled this is ofund an american website that said wearing a dress with a patter on it (eg flowers, polka dots) is adornment and a sin. now i am ona limite dincome and cannot sew. i have had lessons but i have no gift for it. many of my clothes are patterned or have short sleeves or skirts are mid calf (am also tall. i love maxi dresses but hard to find ones for 34 inch leg in the UK on a low budget). so am i going to be the devil's fried bread then? or is this all a load of nonsense?!

Silly. Legalistic nonsense. Keep waxing if it makes you feel better.

 

[Junia]

It depends on why you wear makeup. Is it to cover blemishes, make yourself 'presentable', or to deceive others regarding your actual looks, or to become alluring to men.

alluring to men? no way. am shy and not seeking a relationship at the moment. i rarely wear make up anway. i can take it or leave it. i just chafe at all these rules. jewellery though- i do like it but am not wealthy so mostly costume jewellery. i am an artist so my eye is drawn to beautiful things.

i guess sometimes i worry that if i did not shave i would feel so ugly my self worth would be even lower and it isnt high to start with. coming from a trauma background (abuse survivor, many different kinds) i am aware that i may be prone to the sins of low self worth and inferiority. but i mostly just dont want to lose opportunities in life for being a lady with a beard if i dont wax/shave. the Uk is pretty transphobic and women with PCOS are sometimes mistaken for trans. this could lead to being beaten up. i have enough to deal with. i know christians are supposed to suffer for Christ but this seems like an unneccesary thing. suffer for sharing the gospel? goingwithout to give to someone in need? yes, if it means going without a luxury i dont need. maybe even a neccessity if my faith is big enough. sure. but this is suffering which is not inevitable or neccessary.

 

[Michie]

alluring to men? no way. am shy and not seeking a relationship at the moment. i rarely wear make up anway. i can take it or leave it. i just chafe at all these rules. jewellery though- i do like it but am not wealthy so mostly costume jewellery. i am an artist so my eye is drawn to beautiful things.

i guess sometimes i worry that if i did not shave i would feel so ugly my self worth would be even lower and it isnt high to start with. coming from a trauma background (abuse survivor, many different kinds) i am aware that i may be prone to the sins of low self worth and inferiority. but i mostly just dont want to lose opportunities in life for being a lady with a beard if i dont wax/shave. the Uk is pretty transphobic and women with PCOS are sometimes mistaken for trans. this could lead to being beaten up. i have enough to deal with. i know christians are supposed to suffer for Christ but this seems like an unneccesary thing. suffer for sharing the gospel? goingwithout to give to someone in need? yes, if it means going without a luxury i dont need. maybe even a neccessity if my faith is big enough. sure. but this is suffering which is not inevitable or neccessary.

Do what makes you feel better as long as it is not scandalous. Regardless of popular belief, women groom themselves to make themselves feel better. Not for men.

Some get skanky about it but the majority do not.

 

[Junia]

I also do like to wear bright colours and floaty scarves. just because i like them. i am a watercolour painter and i love colours. i find they help my moods. psychology supports this also so for me not vanity thing. i just would feel very low if God told me i could only wear grey or brown or something.

 

[Michie]

I also do like to wear bright colours and floaty scarves. just because i like them. i am a watercolour painter and i love colours. i find they help my moods. psychology supports this also so for me not vanity thing. i just would feel very low if God told me i could only wear grey or brown or something.

Nothing wrong with wearing colors.

 

[Behold]

I am being deadly serious here

A christian lady told me the other day that it is a sin to add to your natural appearance or take away from it. she told me adornments are a sin. she said that women go to hell for wearing make up or jewellery. she also believes hair dye sends you to hell. she says there are testimonies based on this.

Some other christians have told me that wearing perfume, heels of any sort (even low heels. as someone with a disability all i can wear is low heels! a,m gonna be toast then!), wigs, weaves, etc even wedding bands can send you to hell.

God looks at your heart. What is your MOTIVE.
If your motive is pure....then what's the problem?
If your motive is not pure, then you have a problem.

"well, the reason i have 98 Tattoos, is not because i want to be like the world...see, i really did it to make my Grandparents proud.."
"well, the only thing i have not had pierced is my eyes"... = so, maybe you have a problem inside there somewhere....

Why are you doing, what you are doing, is where everything that matters, exists.
God looks right into that part of you.

 

[Radagast]

A christian lady told me the other day that it is a sin to add to your natural appearance or take away from it. she told me adornments are a sin.

That is wrong, although the Bible speaks against over-doing it (as you indeed mentioned):

1 Peter 3:3: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.

so is it a sin to shave as a woman?

Of course not!

so why would wearing say a wedding ring actually send soemone to Hell???

The woman with silver coins in Luke 15 was probably wearing them as a necklace or headband. Rebekeh, in Genesis 24, was wearing a fair bit of gold jewellery.

It's an ancient tradition that women are given silver or gold by their husbands when they get married.

a few of these "I saw women in hell for wearing x y z" testimonies

Those are all false.

 

[Sketcher]

I am being deadly serious here

A christian lady told me the other day that it is a sin to add to your natural appearance or take away from it. she told me adornments are a sin. she said that women go to hell for wearing make up or jewellery. she also believes hair dye sends you to hell. she says there are testimonies based on this.


Some other christians have told me that wearing perfume, heels of any sort (even low heels. as someone with a disability all i can wear is low heels! a,m gonna be toast then!), wigs, weaves, etc even wedding bands can send you to hell.

oh and you cannot bob or trim your hair if you are a woman. or wear trousers. because, you know, hellfire.

I have hirutsim due to severe PCOS, if i don't shave or wax my face, legs, arms etc then i become very hairy (in summer this feels uncomfortable like am wearing a hair shirt, hot and sweaty) . I assume armpit shaving is OK as is to do with hygiene. so is it a sin to shave as a woman? for my comfort rather than vanity? also i don't want to look ungroomed or scruffy. that will limit my opportunities in life badly.

also is tweezing eyebrows ok? not to change shape of the brow or thin them but just if i want to pluck any straggly bits out?? for sake of looking neat, tidy, respectable?

I cannot find a scripture about any if these things saying they a sin except the one about not letting your beauty be due to pearls or braided hair and i assumed those were not forbidding these things per se but saying "let not your adornment MERELY be outward as in the wearing of costly clothes, jewels, braided hair etc" Maybe it only an issue if you wear those things to show off "Look how rich i am" or for other vanity reasons.

Also, if we are saved by grace, by faith in Jesus blood alone, i know we have to live holy as a sign of our salvation, but we don't do holy things to BE saved. so why would wearing say a wedding ring actually send soemone to Hell??? unless these things are an idol, i do not see why a problem? or the jewllery or clothes are linked to occult rituals (in some countries certain amulets linked to witchcraft)

To be fair i have gooogled a few of these "I saw women in hell for wearing x y z" testimonies and some of those churches linked to them have some bizarre doctrines eg tithing is mandatory under the new covenant, so is sabath keeping. now i realise many Godly christians practice these things and find them helpful and that is great! but i was under the impression that they weren't conditions for salvation? one of the churches also claimed that their founder had a vision by God that they were the last days "Ark"- the one true church by which you can be saved???!! many of them believe any contraception including natural family planning is sinful and that medication of any kind is witchcraft (again, i guess am gonna burn).

i do want to live a holy life before God but all these demands are making me a bit nervous? i grew up under a differen tkind of christian legalism and also suffered an abusive parent who created a picture of God in my mind as a stern cold wrathful hateful God... i am having much healing for that and am ina church where the emphasis is on Grace saving us and holy living being a result of that grace and not being alwys easy but not being a burden of dos and don'ts....my past led me to serious mental breakdowns and my MH has improved so much since learning about grace and how much am loved by God. This woman said my church is false because they dont talk about the wrath of God and how we live to live perfect and with NO SIN to make the rapture (this kind of thing reminds me of my upbringing, so not good for the Complex PTSD and associated issues). i shared my testimony with her but she was like "oh God did nice things for you so you would walk on the narrow way with Him and actually get saved properly!" oh, ok, then. unfriend. block. pray God help me forgive her and get me back on even keel

But seriously this has got me thinking WHERE did this idea come from that Christian women are not to adorn themselves? when i googled this is ofund an american website that said wearing a dress with a patter on it (eg flowers, polka dots) is adornment and a sin. now i am ona limite dincome and cannot sew. i have had lessons but i have no gift for it. many of my clothes are patterned or have short sleeves or skirts are mid calf (am also tall. i love maxi dresses but hard to find ones for 34 inch leg in the UK on a low budget). so am i going to be the devil's fried bread then? or is this all a load of nonsense?!

Since clothing adds to our natural appearance, and since jewelry was worn by virtuous Old Testament women, and since the Law gives provisions for trimming male facial hair, and since the New Testament essentially commands that men not let their hair grow long for the assembly, I wouldn't put any stock in this argument whatsoever.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

but i mostly just dont want to lose opportunities in life for being a lady with a beard if i dont wax/shave.

Have you considered permanent hair removal?

 

[crossnote]

No, but if there is a sin to be found it would be in... the dissatisfaction of the way God has formed them.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

No, but if there is a sin to be found it would be in... the dissatisfaction of the way God has formed them.

I support "Doctors Without Borders", because I support the corrective surgery for hare-lip and cleft palate afflicted children. I am more touched by this than by any other need that I support.

 

[Junia]

Have you considered permanent hair removal?

i have but would take ages to save up for it. i am thinking of goign ahead with it though, and shaving and waxing in meantime

 

[crossnote]

I support "Doctors Without Borders", because I support the corrective surgery for hare-lip and cleft palate afflicted children. I am more touched by this than by any other need that I support.

I was thinking more in terms of 1st world spoiled brats rather than 3rd world needy children.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

i have but would take ages to save up for it. i am thinking of goign ahead with it though, and shaving and waxing in meantime

My problem was dental. I bit the bullet (no pun intended) and had a full restoration of crowns and bridges, back and front, upper and lower. Cost me a fortune (I had one implant, $3500). Best money I ever spent (total bill, about $25,000). Did wonders for my confidence and my smile, as well as promoting proper chewing of food (helps the digestion). I didn't do it all at once but over a period of about 10 years.

 

[Radagast]

shaving and waxing in meantime

Shaving and waxing is fine. Nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[Radagast]

I was thinking more in terms of 1st world spoiled brats

Walk a mile in someone else's shoes before you throw accusations like that around.