What is modesty?

Traditionally, adults in our society sought to protect young women from male sexual exploitation in two ways. First, they made rules: Decent boys treat girls like ladies; college students live in single-sex dorms. Second, they respected and encouraged girls' natural modesty. In their view, modesty -- the quality which leads human beings to avoid sexual displays -- acts as a kind of armor to protect girls' sexual vulnerability. Modesty provides a crucial counterweight to girls' desire to please boys, and their tendency to place great importance on personal relationships. Far from oppressing girls, modesty puts them on equal footing with boys, by prompting them to avoid casual sex while they search for a suitable lifelong partner.

Let me elaborate further on this. Most girls yearn to find a man who will respect and love them forever, while most boys just want to have fun (sexual fun, that is) so long as they can find a willing partner. Thus a difference between boys and girls is that, the day after sex, the girls wait for the boys to call. The boys have got what they wanted, and to get more may not be as much fun as moving on to other girls.

This is not to say that boys are incapable of commitment and true, long-lasting love. Just don't look for these things in boys chock-filled with testosterone. Also this doesn't mean girls are not as capable of fun-searching and betrayal. In some cases it's even worse. Some girls may use sex to fulfil their emotional needs alone or to gain power over men. But I digress.

Though modesty may not stop boys from sexually desiring a girl, immodesty will definitely increase the chances and frequency. Girls being who they are (they laugh at naked men. Can you find me a man who laughs at naked girls?) cannot imagine the power of a fine female body on the eyes, mind, heart and penis of a staright man. If they do, they would be more tolerant of oogling. They would dress modestly so they wouldn't cause the poor fella they come across to entertain lustful thoughts. They wouldn't go for men who are attracted solely by their female form and then complain when those men prove untrustworthy.

(Some of the above content is taken from http://www.goodmorals.org/kersten.htm )

Home Beyond The Sun

I watched this movie tonite with a (unfortunately small) group of church friends. This movie's basically about a little Chinese girl's journey to becoming a part of an American family, which is "beyond the sun" (i.e. to the east- America is to the east of China). Which reminds me- remember Mahathir's policy of Look East, which basically involves M'sians emulating cultures to the east of Malaysia (like Japan)? Well, USA is to the east of Malaysia, yet I doubt Dr M. wanted M'sians to emulate them.
Anyway, here's a synopsis taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Beyond_the_Sun:

Home Beyond the Sun is the story of persecution, faith, and freedom escaping a world of fear. A bible college student, Jenna goes to teach in an area of China where her faith is forbidden. She discovers an orphanage and befriends a Chinese orphan, Chu Lee. Jenna helps with the adoption to a family in the United States. However, the Chinese Police are strictly preventing this when they find out that they are Christians.

But don't make conclusions based on the synopsis, cause it's inaccurate. A more accurate synopsis would be like below:

Home Beyond the Sun is the story of love (the brotherly kind) triumphing over religious persecution and bureaucratic corruption. A bible college student, Jenna goes to teach in an area of China where her faith is forbidden (Sound like she went there to proselytize her Christian faith right? Wrong). She discovers an orphanage and befriends a Chinese orphan, Chu Lee (More than befriend if you ask me. More like sisterize if there's such a word). Jenna helps with the girl's adoption to a family in the United States. This is where the religious prosecution and bureaucratic corruption comes in: the manager of the orphanage was removed for teaching her wards the Christian faith, and a much-more-strict manageress was put in charge. But Jenna managed to get Chu Lee to US of A through the intervention of a certain officer- and there discovers a truth that will rock her world.

Home Beyond The Sun is basically a story of faith in God's will. And also of the power of prayer. The story's a bit cheesy (your classic chick flick minus romantic love), but what can you expect of a movie where the majority of the characters are female? At least they didn't portray all the men as bad, bad people and all the women as goody-goodies.

Today's Readings

Ah some more readings for Thu 8th of Nov:

Luke 15: 1-10 (The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin)
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Romans 14: 7-12
For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living. But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God.