Is Showing Your Stomach a Sin? Inappropriate to Show Belly Button?

[Anti-Fear]

I have met girls who are Christian but they also wear clothes that reveal their stomach and belly button. It feels kinda too revealing to me.
In this matter, I am not as much asking what Bible says, but do you think it is inappropriate from what you read in Bible?

 

[Svt4Him]

Some women dress to impress, and they need to take some ownership, but a belly button isn't a great turn on, imo.

 

[kayanne]

hmmm...interesting question. there's certainly not a specific dress code given for us in the bible, although we are given some general guidance, ie

What does the bible say about showing your stomach?

[bible]1 timothy 2:9[/bible]

In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment;​

modest means different things to different people, and in different times and cultures. i know that a couple of years ago when i first started seeing belly buttons showing, i was pretty mortified (maybe self-righteously indignant is the right term). i guess the more i saw this style, the less shocking it became to me, but i still don't really like it. i just really don't know.
back when i was a teenager, i had one midriff shirt (that's what short, belly-revealing tops were called back in my day ) and i certainly didn't wear it to be "sexy" or get guys to look at me or anything like that. that truly never crossed my mind. but i was pretty naive back then--well, everyone was more naive back then.
now teens are smacked in the face with sexual messages everywhere, so it's harder for me to believe that teen girls who show their belly (or their thong underwear, or their cleavage, or their whole body by wearing really tight clothing) can do so with the same ignorant naivete that I did 30 years ago. i would hope that today's young christian women would not feel "flattered" by the kind of attention males give them for dressing immodestly. i hope that christian parents are teaching their daughters about purity and the importance of relationships with males that are not all about physical attraction. i don't have daughters, but my sons get the male version of these teachings.

 

[Mother Vashti]

I ... don't know. But this is one where I'd just be safe and not show my belly button. They can be very erotic.

 

[kayanne]

but a belly button isn't a great turn on, imo.

i appreciate your male perspective. do you think most guys feel the same as you do on this? i figure that the point of having the belly show (and having belly jewelry or tatoos) is to draw guy's eyes to that general "zone" which is pretty close to another "zone" that most likely is a turn-on.

 

[covenant914]

Ok if it is cute.

Lighten up people. There are age appropriate behaviors. A 12 year old should not try to be sexy.

Under 7 and over 16 is ok. But...(see first line)

 

[Jenna]

Ok if it is cute.

Lighten up people. There are age appropriate behaviors.

So, at what age do women ignore modesty and purposefully dress to be seen as sexy? Is it ok for children? Would they not grow up thinking it is ok? Is it ok for an older person? Are they any less bound by what God wants for us?

 

[Ainesis]

I have met girls who are Christian but they also wear clothes that reveal their stomach and belly button. It feels kinda too revealing to me.
In this matter, I am not as much asking what Bible says, but what do you think is the right way from what you read in Bible.

If you are asking for personal opinions, then my response would be that it is not appropriate. I have two young girls and I don't want them to think of themselves as sex objects or to portray themselves as such.

Now, sometimes they have shirts where, as they are playing or what have you, their belly buttons may be visible. So, I think it is also important not to get extreme about this. Further, if anyone is trying that hard to see their stomachs, then they have problems. LOL

But seriously, I try to raise them to dress and conduct themselves appropriately, in a way that would bring glory to God. There should never be a point where if God were to suddenly appear before them, they would feel self-conscious. That is usually the barometer I use with them.

 

[Dust and Ashes]

i appreciate your male perspective. do you think most guys feel the same as you do on this? i figure that the point of having the belly show (and having belly jewelry or tatoos) is to draw guy's eyes to that general "zone" which is pretty close to another "zone" that most likely is a turn-on.

Must be a matter of opinion as I find them quite erotic. Navels are very sensitive and in my experience can easily become an erogenous zone if properly stimulated. With that experience, I tend to see them in a different light. Of course the same can be said of ears and necks and the backs of the knees so for pity's sake wear a burkha!! hehe J/K

The wife of a very close friend comes to mind. She persistently wears provocative clothing, including crotch length mini skirts (well, maybe 2 inches below) low rider jeans and short shirts (low enough to see stubble ) and it makes me very uncomfortable since they are both Christians. I usually end up pointedly not looking at her as it is so difficult to look at her without the eyes wanting to wander. My wife even told her she needed to keep her legs crossed once at a party when all us guys were away from them.

 

[kayanne]

Ok if it is cute.

Lighten up people. There are age appropriate behaviors. A 12 year old should not try to be sexy.

Under 7 and over 16 is ok. But...(see first line)

i don't think i'm understanding your point. i'm not sure what you mean by the difference between "cute" and "sexy" (i'm thinking that revealed bellies are pretty much a sexy look rather than a cute look). and why is 8-16 not ok but over 16 is?
no argument intended--i just didn't understand.

 

[allieisme]

I personally do not agree with showing stomachs or any other body part that will make a man lust after them

 

[revrobor]

Girls (and women) who emulate Britney Spears in this manner, IMO, look cheap and are extending an invitation to men and boys to look and lust. Whenever I see a girl or woman dressed this way I get a little annoyed because I have to put out extra effort to turn my eyes away and I assume the girl has few morals and is perhaps trying to make up for shortcomings in her personality by drawing attention to her body.

 

[Eusebios]

I concur with what forgivensinner has said. For me, as a man, it is highly provocative.

 

[on fire 4 christ]

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS......WHAT WOULD JESUS DO WWJD THINK ABOUT THAT

 

[aggie03]

I'm glad to see some other people here think the same as I do. I believe that it is inappropriate for a woman to show her stomach in public. As for a dress code that we could find in the Scriptures (at least in principle), we should look back to the way that God dressed Adam and Eve - anything that is more revealing than that is probably something that we shouldn't be wearing.

 

[Sketcher]

I believe it is immodest. The one exception may be the beach, but that's another context. If a woman in a bikini were walking downtown, people would think of her differently than they would at the beach, because at the beach that's pretty normal. Then again, I may be wrong about the beach exception.

 

[BarbB]

The wife of a very close friend comes to mind. She persistently wears provocative clothing, including crotch length mini skirts (well, maybe 2 inches below) low rider jeans and short shirts (low enough to see stubble ) and it makes me very uncomfortable since they are both Christians. I usually end up pointedly not looking at her as it is so difficult to look at her without the eyes wanting to wander. My wife even told her she needed to keep her legs crossed once at a party when all us guys were away from them.

What did your friend's wife say to your wife? Has she changed her dress or behavior?

 

[ShilohCity]

i personally think women who dress that way are making themselves into sex objects, even if they don't intend to. What REALLY bothers me is when i see young girls and teenagers doing it just because thier pop icons dress that way. To me it seems like they are being blindly led down a dangerous path.

 

[Church Punk]

I feel women don't need to try to look good. GUYS WILL LOOK ANYWAY! LOL
I think of the Christian artist Rebbeca St.James, she dresses very conservative and still is sexy. I think girls of all ages should cover up (more so with christian girls) so they don't help their brothers stumble. IMO
Grace and Peace to you,
Punk

 

[BronxBriar]

I have three daughters, 14, 10, and 5. I do not allow it except at the beach.

I take even greater issue with belly-button piercings which draw even more attention and are becoming more prevalent.



In Fellowship.