MAKE-UP "UNNATURAL" AND "TOO SEXY"?
by Keith Hunt
I do get from time to time an email from people who disagree
with my studies on MAKE-UP and JEWELRY.
The TWO usual arguments of disagreement are (1) make-up is
"unnatural" and (2) make-up is too sexy.
MAKE-UP "unnatural"
The unnatural argument is rather weak indeed. Is it natural
to cut the hair? Or should we allow it to grow its natural
length, whatever that may be? Should men shave their face? Or
should all men have to let their facial hair grow? Then should
that facial hair be cut or let it grow to its natural length?
Should women "pluck their eyebrows" or let them naturally grow
without plucking (many women would then have as thick eyebrows as
men)? Should women shave their legs as most women do? Or let them
be naturally what they will be without shaving them? Should women
shave under their arm-pits, or let them be as natural as they
will?
Should women shape and put into various styles, their head
of hair? Should they pull their head of hair up and put it in a
"bun" on top of their heads, or should it hang down loose and be
natural? Should women, use perfume, and men, after shave lotion?
Would using such be "too sexy"? I suppose some would say yes!
Is it more natural for women to be covered from head to toe,
as they do in some "religions" such as in the fundamental Islam
religion?
Should people leave their teeth to be "naturally" crooked,
twisted, broken, or discolored? Is it somehow more pleasing to
God to leave your teeth as "natural" as they may naturally
develop? Is it unnatural to have "braces" on your teeth to
eventually correct their formation. Should you have "false teeth"
when you loose one or more from "natural" causes? Is it pleasing
to God to have false back teeth (where they do not appear to be
seen) but displeasing to God to have false "front" teeth, where
they are seen and could present a false "sexy" smile?
I once saw a middle aged "court judge" with these bushy eye-
brows. Some of the hair in the middle of each eye-brow stuck
STRAIGHT UP. It was most distracting. I do not know if he forgot
to comb his eye-brows that day, or if he was one that believed
"natural" should be left "natural."
Is it more pleasing to God for women to leave their hair
natural (whether that be straight or "naturally" curly) and less
pleasing to God, if women put their hair into pony tails, or
ring-lets, or braided, or whatever other pattern women shape
their hair into?
What about men and their facial hair, those that let it grow
that is. Is it more pleasing to the Lord that men just simply
leave their facial hair to form its own "natural" pattern? Or is
it less pleasing to God if men "shape" their facial hair into the
various patterns that some men do?
Most would probably agree its okay with God that men and
women "shampoo" or wash their hair. But what about making it have
LUSTRE and SHINE? Should we leave it to the natural - whatever
natural shine or lustre it naturally has? Is it less pleasing to
God if we un-naturally make our hair have lustre and shine?
You can probably think of many other "naturals" or "un-
naturals" to add to what I've given, but the point I think is
made by what I've stated above.
The "natural" argument has its weaknesses indeed, even I
think to the point of silliness and down and out laughability!!
Well laughability to most of us, but I guess some people out
there would not laugh, but do take the "natural" argument
literally and so try to live it. Fortunately for the rest of us,
the "naturals" are usually off in the wilderness or the woods, off
into the forests and hills, and stay away from all us "un-naturals."
MAKE-UP AND SEXUALITY
Now we come to the area where the "NO make-up for women"
people feel they have a pretty good case. To them it is simply
"make-up makes the woman look more sexy and so invites men to
lust after her easier."
Let's first talk about "sex" - the male and female sides of
it. Oh, its been kinda known for centuries that men have a larger
and quicker sex drive than women - generally and in the norm of
things that is very true.
It's only been in the last few decades that modern science
has been able to find the arithmetic on the male and female sex
drives. Now science can tell us in down to earth formula that the
male has 10 TIMES the HORMONE sex drive than women. Did you get
it? The male has TEN TIMES (THAT IS 10 TIMES) the hormone sex
drive than females.
They have done studies on the male and female sexuality.
They came up with this result: The female thinks about sex about
TWICE a day. The male has sex pop into his mind about EVERY
MINUTE of the awake hours of the day!! We are of course talking
about the male and female in their prime sexual years and in the
normal healthy male and female, with the natural sex hormones
that God created them to have.
Possibly the male having sex pop into his mind every MINUTE
is overstating it somewhat. If the male mind is concentrating on
his work or assignment or hobby etc. he is not thinking about
sex.
But to illustrate the point is this true life experience of
one woman. The article appeared in a news-paper I was reading a
few years back. This lady in her prime years had been given BY
MISTAKE, the male hormone of sexuality (she was taking hormones
for some health problem she had at the time). In her own words
she said, "Wow, I could not believe it, I was thinking about sex
all day long. I do not know how men can function, with such a
strong sex hormone. I could not stop thinking about sex."
The doctors soon got her back to being a normal female with
TEN TIMES less sex hormone than men.
The Islamic religion did not have the science facts that we
have today, but they did understand the male sex drive. They have
in their religion the teaching that women are to be covered up
from head to toe when out in public, so men will keep their sex
hormone is check. Some religions do not even allow the female to
SPEAK to men in public (other than their husbands) because even
the female voice it is taught can lead men to wrong sexual
thinking.
Now, maybe you can understand why under the Old Covenant in
Israel, God allowed POLYGAMY! Solomon had 700 wives and 300
second wives (concubines - see my study on that topic - "Wives
and Concubines") with APPROVAL, as being ALLOWED by God, under
that Old dispensation. David at one time had "wives" (2 Samuel
12:11). Under the New Testament God's Spirit comes to unite with
our spirit and gives us POWER of mind to be able to think and
live differently than those under the Old Covenant. Yet, even
then, SOME fall down (even some ministers of various church
organizations) and find the control of their sex drive is hard to
shackle, hence some of the "sex morality scandles" you've
probably seen and heard about on the National or World News at
times.
Well so much for the science of the sexual drives of the
normal healthy male and female. Back now to the point at hand,
about make-up for women, then again it will touch on the sex
drive of the male. For those against the use of make-up for the
woman will attest that it makes the woman "more sexy" and so the
male can be easier led to lust after the female.
The answer is a POSSIBLE yes, for some men who let their sex
minds run free and easy, who are making no attempt to control
their thoughts. But even such men, if you talk to them, will tell
you that make-up is really secondary per se. Let me explain. The
male mind does not work in that specific way of make-up being the
all in all drive of sexually lusting. A woman who is NOT
naturally blessed (if we are still calling it a blessing - to me
it is) with good looks and a nice figure to match, can put on all
the make-up she likes, but the male mind on sexuality, is still
attracted more to the woman with NO make-up on, but has good
looks, smooth "peaches n'cream skin," (or any other color) and a
good figure.
Look, today, there are plenty of women who do not put on
make-up. You see them all over the place, in fact probably more
women do not use make-up than do use it. As I walk around in this
world, that's what it seems to be to me. The females who have the
good looks, nice figure, who are keeping themselves tidy and well
groomed, are the ones who still catch the male eye, even if they
have not one speck of make-up on. Make-up is NOT the ALL IN ALL,
that a lot of "no make-up theology" people would like to claim!
In fact, as a lot of women do not know how to use make-up
correctly, the use of it by them, can actually be a "turn off"
for men. I speak now as the world looks and speaks.
Make-up (and jewelry) used correctly (so you do not end up
looking like a Christmas tree) does not transform a plain Jane
into a Miss Universe. I do not want to offend any female, and it
is not my intention to do so, but to speak openly on this
subject, I have to put the cards on the table. A Miss Universe
will be a Miss Universe whether she puts on make-up or not!! A
plain Jane (no offence to Jane's out there) will never be a Miss
Universe no matter how much make-up she uses.
God's word speaks of "moderation in all things." The
moderate use of make-up by women has VERY LITTLE bearing on the
male sex hormone per se. Those who say differently are just not
admitting the truth to themselves, or to you.
The moderate use of make-up is another pleasing way to adorn
ones self. It is much like the use of clothes, of this color and
design (which of course can be overdone or under-done is usually
the case) and so is also the use of jewelry. It can be pleasing
or pleasant, just as a garden with color and care can be
pleasing, or the inside of a house with color and decor can be
pleasing. So with the clothes, jewelry, make-up, for the female.
But when it comes to the argument that such will lead men to
"lust" in their hearts towards women FASTER, IT JUST AIN'T SO!!
As SHOCKING as it may sound to you women who have been told
over and over again, by your parents, or church, or minister,
that make-up leads men to lust quicker after women than after
women with no make-up on, YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT A LIE!! They say,
tell a lie often enough and people will believe it, and that IS
OFTEN TRUE!
Again, I say, put as much make-up on as you like, on the
plain Jane; put no make-up on the Miss Universe. Have them walk
by a group of men, and I will tell you as a man, which one of the
ladies the men's eyes will follow. The Miss Universe will win out
every time. I speak again as the world would speak.
Make-up at best, and within the "moderation" of the law of
God, is pleasant for the picture of life, as flowers are pleasant
for the physical scenery of life. Too much make-up is actually
laughable to the male, and to most people, who think the woman so
painted up, should be in the circus as a clown, and not walking
about the streets of the city.
God is not against human kind looking pleasing and pleasant,
with the right use at the right time, with the right attitude of
mind, in dress, perfume, oils, jewelry, and make-up.
It is actually very sad to say, but in my observation of
mankind IN and OUT of the body of Christ, over my life-time (now
65 as I write this) I have found MOST people do NOT look after
themselves in the physical. We of the body of Christ, are told
that we are the VERY TEMPLE of God, yet FAR TOO MANY of us, do
not take care of our body as the Temple of God. We are not
careful with our diet, we eat the wrong things, in the wrong
quantity; we don't get enough exercise; we don't get enough
sleep; we are too stressed out; we dress and look really bad far
too much of the time. And dare I say it ... too many of us in the
Western world are OVERWEIGHT!! And it seems MOST DO NOT CARE how
they look physically! I will also tell you this, those who try to
cover up their "unhealthy look" with make-up, do not cover it up
at all. The poor skin tone, the dry parchment skin, the bags
under the eyes, the wrinkled skin even of the relatively younger
age group, can be seen through the make-up. I've said it before,
make-up of itself, is not the sexy turn on, that "religious"
people AGAINST the use of make-up want to assert that it is!
Today there is a huge amount of money spent on "make-overs"
- have this or that done with modern science to get you looking
half good again, because of the unhealthy beating over years of
life, that people give themselves. And so they want the quick
fix, while they continue beating themselves with an unhealthy
life style, and mis-management of their physical body.
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Of course, I realize that the physical is no where as
important as the SPIRITUAL of serving the righteousness of the
Almighty. Many of God's children around the world have little
control over their physical lives, many live in poor countries,
with little physical means. Maybe that realization by the Western
world Christians should make them all the more appreciative of
how they can have more power over their physical lives, not only
in looking after themselves better, but sharing what physical
riches they have with those around the world in much less
desirable physical circumstances.
So, for many, if not most, all this study on the physical
side of the human body, is peripheral, and they wonder why I take
up all the time and space to talk about it. For most it is a
"none issue" - but for some, maybe only the relatively few, but
for some, they need to study and have the answers on this issue
of make-up, cosmetics, and jewelry. Hence I do then give the time
and space for the issue.
In all things we need BALANCE! It is a trait of the human
mind to swing the pendulum either far to the right or far to the
left, and only now and gain to hit the center bull's eye.
We need to try and not get "fanatical" over physical things,
yet also remember it is written our body is the Temple of the
Spirit of God. The Father and His Son Christ Jesus do LIVE IN us
if we are truly the child of God.
We should also realize this issue is NOT a salvation issue.
Well, some try to make it so, because they have set their minds
to believe GOD MUST HATE THE USE OF MAKE-UP AND JEWELRY, and just
cannot give one fraction of their minds to think OTHERWISE! I
feel a certain sorrow for such individuals, and I'm of myself
helpless to help such set-in-stone mind-sets. I can only hope and
pray that such people will one day be able to give a little space
in their minds, to realize they could be wrong, and that God does
NOT HATE make-up and jewelry per se.
One day the Almighty One WILL SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT for
everyone, until then we need to be considerate of each other on
this topic.
ACCORDING TO FAITH
What should be clear to all who read the Bible, and
especially the New Testament, is that we must all live according
to our personal conscience on matters like what we have been
discussing in this series of studies. This principle is brought
out by the apostle Paul in Romans 14. On such matters where there
is no clear dogmatic "thus says the Lord" on certain aspects of
life, we need to be charitable towards others who may not see it
as we do. We need to live with ourselves in good conscience, in
faith. And actually not to do so IS SIN for us, the apostle Paul
makes that very clear in what he writes, and he was inspired of
the Lord to so write.
So live with yourself in good conscience of faith, keep an
open mind to be corrected, to grow in grace and knowledge, and be
charitable towards others who may differ with you on issues that
do not pertain to salvation.
................
Written November 2007
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