by 
One of the strangest things to me in regards to the current trend of exploitation of the feminine form from girly mags to your local coffee shop is that women do this of their own free will. It would be a whole lot easier to speak out against women being dressed down and in things that only their husbands would wear if they were being forced to do it. It would be something if “this is the only job I could get.” However, the fact that a lot of these women like this kind of attention and job (as evidenced not only by these things, but the abundance of cam girls and people on Flickr showing whatever for comments) we have to ask the deeper question. If it all right to display ourselves because we choose to– or is there something intrinsically wrong with it?
The women pictured above are from the site for the Sweet Shot Cafe, a place featured in an article from the Independent Online about the Sexpresso taking Seattle by Storm. I’ll spare you the quotes of what these places are selling– or more, how they’re selling. What has happened, however, is that these women have been reduced to prostitutes– no, they’re not selling sexual favors, per se (we can’t peer into people’s minds, and I think we’d be scared to). They are selling their look for tips– since their pay is minimum wage. They are selling sexless sex.
It’s the same philosophy behind the statue being built in Amsterdam honoring prostitutes. In order to empower women, feminism says that we have to let her be able to use her body whatever way she chooses. Does she want to kill her unborn baby? Fine. Want to trade pleasure for money? You go girl! Want to dress however you please? Burn that bra!
What is going on is an eradication of a sense of shame and the promotion of a prideful mentality.
We have to work at removing the sense of shame– just ask any young girl that has to wear a bathing suit (after she’s no longer a toddler) or the model the first time she undresses for the camera (or spouses on their honeymoon and they see each other for the first time!). They don’t do that naturally. They have mental barriers that are to protect their purity. They have God-given shame (received at the fall because of sin).
They have to promote a prideful attitude– I’m able to do this, because I want to do this, and I don’t care how it effects other’s families ( “The married men that visit prostitutes should know better!” “We’re only providing a service that would disappear if married men wouldn’t visit us!” ), my own family, or my culture as a whole. It gets me some great tips, some good money, and it’s a profession that I don’t have to have a degree for!
The problems are manifold. First, it’s a sin to have sex outside a committed marriage relationship and a sin to look on another to engage your mind in having extra-marital relationships with them. Second is that everyone is different. Sin effects each person differently. Not everyone is going to become a prostitute killer, but some may. Also, sin has a way of escalating– right now it might be ok for the guy to visit the girl in the bikini, but as the newness wears off, what will they have to do or take off to get more money. Where does it end? Some of the descriptions of these Sexpressos make Hooters look tame.
This is some dangerous fire these ladies are playing with. Regardless of whether they think they have the right to do this, the Bible (and decency) says it’s the wrong thing to do.
there is the GAP between Christians and pagans. Between the theology and philosophy. The Greek notion of “drink, love and be merry” – Epicurean type of thing, is prevailing in today’s culture, or, to be historically correct, has been since the Renaissance.
God is not acertainty – but life is, and life is short, so I will worry later, but let me have fun now, and the only fun I know is provided by my flesh. Think about the conditions of those times – they lived short lives, the diseases were numerous, dying in child birth a norm, and prosperity non existing. Furthermore, the only God they saw was the God of the Roman Catholic Church, and we all know why Luther wrote his theses, don’t we?
The philosophy of sin remained with us.
The theology of light and Truth is not palatable for a sinner.
We have to pray, we have to believe… Some of us were not born into the Christian mindset, myself included. Give them some time. God is certainly patient. He was patient with me.
I think you’re right here, ann_in_grace, and you have a good point. I think that, for far too long, Christians have just assumed that everyone knows about Christ and what He has done– and that’s simply not the case. More people are being born that aren’t beign exposed to the Gospel or the church and they need to hear of the great thing that Jesus did for us on the cross.
Thanks for the reminder!
You both bring up good points. In light of our prior discussion about taking the gospel to the people, perhaps Christian ladies should frequent these places.
Just a thought!
I know that I would not want to frequent a place where women purposely put themeselves on display, it is just to distasteful.
The world is just spiraling out of control. We are now living in a country that is becoming “godless” and it is a frightening concept to ponder. Everywhere we look sex is viewed as a form of expression and something not to be taken seriously.