AN APPRAISAL OF THE CHURCH RESPONSE TO INDECENT DRESSING AMONG CHRISTIANS
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AN APPRAISAL OF THE CHURCH RESPONSE TO INDECENT DRESSING AMONG CHRISTIANS
Chapter 1: Introduction
Indecent attire is a social issue in our culture, but it is widespread and deeply ingrained among our youth. The dressing has lost the majority of its value in contemporary society. Certain fashion trends pose severe risks to Christianity and its moral ideals. Onoyima (2006) notes that dress rules and traditions are now frequently discarded.
This is the outcome of numerous global conflicts over code and values. Indecent dressing has become the norm among many Nigerian teenagers. This nasty problem affects almost every city in the country.
These adolescents, particularly the females, dress attractively, leaving much to be desired. The skirts that the females wear are only an inch longer than their trousers. When they wear such clothes, they struggle to sit, climb motorcycles, cross roads, and get anything off the ground.
As a preface to the other sections of this study, this chapter will describe the context in which this study was launched, the statement of problems that led to this study, and the study’s aim and objectives.
Other considerations include the study’s significance, scope of work, research hypothesis and questions, study limitations, and term definition.
1.2 Background of the Study
Indecent dressing among Christians has been closely associated with wrong mentality, poor parenting, wrong use of the internet, the types of films our children watch at home also promote indecent dressing, peer pressure, the fading out of our own cultural values and a so-called modernisation, and stigmatisation and ridicule being meted out to young girls in particular who dress decently and well-covered by their colleagues who only see them as being anti-social, backward and Most parents are worse than our youths, who resemble the biblical Jezebel.
According to Olori (2003), rules at the University of Abuja require that any clothes worn conceal an intimate portion of the body and not show the breast, stomach, navel, or bare chest, however students continue to dress inappropriately on this university.
In some of the places where this observation was made, it appears that the establishment of a dress code by culture was misconstrued by the kids, implying that they should dress inappropriately.
This is because, following the implementation of this clothing rule, youngsters in these communities began to dress indecently in shocking and blatant ways.
One is not surprised, however, because most Nigerian administrators consistently fail to bridge the gap between policy development and execution. Indecent dressing, while not considered normal, appears to be increasing popularity.
One wonders what society will be like in the future given the calibre of children being trained. Undoubtedly, these un-African dress styles among this generation’s youths have sparked widespread anxiety and fear among the country’s citizens.
Religions and educational institutions are not sitting back and allowing this moral act to continue; rather, they are speaking out against it.
For example, Olori (2003) claimed that at the University of Abuja, guidelines were established requiring any dress lump to cover personal parts of the body and not display the breast, stomach, navel, or bare chest.
The waist of their trousers is lowered and fastened tightly in the middle of the bottom lobes to reveal their boxers (parts), and when they walk, they drag their legs and one of their hands, particularly the left one, cupping their invisible scrotum as if they will fall to the ground if not supported. Many of them have been victims of rape, lured into prostitution, or used for ritual purposes as a result of how they dress.
Unable to complete their education or training, they became involved in other ancillary social and moral issues such as cultism and lying, to name a few. Dresses vary by region, despite the fact that there are globally accepted methods of wearing.
They are an integral element of the people’s culture and help to define their tribe or ethnic identities. Aside from serving as a source of cultural identity, dresses are also used for ornamental or aesthetic purposes, to protect the body from harsh weather conditions, and to conceal the body’s personal areas.
These goals are significant because they shape major components of a person’s personality. But, as vital as these goals are, they have been defeated by Nigerian teenagers, whose dress patterns are frequently anti-African and inverted.
They usually dress in a way that does not show, especially as Nigerians urge modesty in appearance, as do Christians and Muslims, where the majority of these young people profess to worship God.
As a result, in Nigeria, where the research was performed, the activities were carried out to learn about the Church’s Response to Indecent Dressing among Christians in the Living Faith Church.
1.3 Statement of Problems: An investigation found that Christianity in Nigeria is losing morality due to permissive dress codes that promote shamelessness and a disregard for modesty.
Unfortunately, modern churches have failed to preserve her ancient landmark. It has lost her valour and right to protect and enforce morality among the brethren.
The major dispute around dressing and indecent dressing has continued to elicit opinions from people of all backgrounds, orientations, values, and cultures around the world. Some regard laws against indecent dressing as a violation of human rights, particularly women’s rights, because indecent dressing issues are frequently centred on the female gender, and without discrimination, the male gender is not free.
Males also have the practice of dressing indecently when their boxers are visible above their trousers or there is no underwear and their trousers barely hang on to their waists, all in the name of a new fashion trend known as “sagging.”
Most churches today encourage provocative clothes and make their members feel at ease with their worldliness. We can vividly recall that years ago, in orthodox churches, if a lady wore immoral or suggestive clothing to church, she was sent home to change. She may be asked to sit in the back seat of a church or provided garments to cover her naked or provocative and attractive exposed body.
Our young people’s lack of self-confidence drives them to do whatever to draw attention to themselves, including wearing inappropriate clothing.
They forget that there is a reaction to every action, which is why we see incidents like rape. Most young women have been raped because they wear provocative clothing.
Today, preachers are very careful about the sermons they preach from the pulpit so that they do not offend or embarrass members, which may cause them to leave the church.
1.4 Goals and Objectives of Study
The study’s goal is to evaluate the Church’s Response to Indecent Dressing Among Christians in Living Faith Church. To achieve this goal, the particular objectives listed below were established:
To investigate the Living Faith Church’s approach to tackling the issue of indecent dress among its Christian members.
To investigate the practical measures used by the church to ensure conformity with modest dress guidelines.
To examine the theological and ecumenical implications of modest attire in the context of the Living Faith Church.
To explore how the church balances the preservation of traditional values with the adaptation to changing cultural standards in the context of clothing codes.
To clarify the particular requirements and parameters provided by the Living Faith Church to its members, including acceptable attire within the congregation.
1.5 Research Questions.
The study developed research questions to determine the above-stated aims. The specific research questions for the project are listed below:
Can 21st-century church adolescents still dress appropriately for Living Faith Church services?
Is poor parenting a contributing cause to indecent dressing among youths in churches?
How does the Living Faith Church address the issue of indecent dressing among its Christian members?
What are the practical tactics used by the church to enforce modest dress?
What are the broad theological and ecumenical implications of modest dress in the Living Faith Church?
How does the church negotiate changing cultural standards while preserving the holiness of hallowed spaces?
What precise parameters and recommendations does the Living Faith Church provide to its members regarding acceptable attire?
1.6 Significance of the Study
The outcomes of this study will be extremely important to Nigerian lawmakers, policymakers, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), as the study will target indecency and immorality with the express purpose of preserving our cultural norms and values. It will be extremely important for everyone, especially church leaders.
This study will be extremely beneficial to other researchers who want to learn more about it, and it may also be utilised by non-researchers to expand on their own research. This study adds to our understanding and may serve as a model for future research.
1.7 Scope of Study
The research focusses on the Appraisal of the Church Response to Indecent Dressing among Christians in Nigeria’s Living Faith Church.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
Several factors impeded the completion of this research, including the following:
Time Constraint: Due to the school academic calendar, the time window allocated to complete this study was extremely short, and it was carried out under pressure, causing the researcher to overlook several critical features.
The availability of research material is a significant limitation to the breadth of the investigation.
Frequent power outages prompted the researcher to spend extra money on gasoline to ensure sustainable power.
Financial constraints: Insufficient funds tend to restrict the researcher’s efficiency in accessing relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in data collecting (internet, questionnaire, interview).
1.9 Definition of Terms.
Indecent dressing is defined as the deliberate act of revealing certain sensitive portions of one’s body.
Lifestyle: A set of attitudes, habits, or possessions associated with a specific individual or group.
Living Faith Bible Church: Living Faith Church Worldwide (formerly Winners’ Chapel) is an international Evangelical charismatic Christian denomination.
Chapter Two: Literature Review and Introduction
This chapter’s major topic is a review of pertinent literature. A literature review examines theoretical and methodological contributions to a specific subject, as well as the level of knowledge at the time of publication. It gives information on the state of the art in regards to the topic you’re writing about. It explores the body of literature on the specified topic. This study’s literature examination includes the following:
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