Dear Editor,
Last Thursday, I had reason to patronize one of the major food stores out west. As I walked into the store, a group of five people, who I assumed to be Italian tourists, walked in at the same time.
While four in the group wore modest, casual wear, the fifth wore a thong with her entire bottom exposed. Lately, I have been seeing more and more of this kind of nudity in public places — women with their full bottoms exposed on the beaches or even walking on Bay Street, and always in the view of children.
I find myself wondering how we have come to the place where we so easily allow this kind of thing to happen. I believe this to be indicative of a larger issue in our country and in the world. We have become complacent and indifferent toward what is indecent, immodest, immoral and sinful.
When I was a child in the 70s, if a woman were to walk around with all of her bottom exposed, the entire Bahamas would have known about it, and every daughter would have heard the "If I ever" warning — "If I ever catch you wearing anything like that on the street, I will kill you!"
Sadly, those mothers are almost all gone. Some mothers today actually buy the revealing outfits for their daughters.
This also reveals the failure and complacency of our other institutions, namely, the government and some churches.
How many policemen did that woman pass as she paraded her bare goods for all in the western district to see? Why did the security guard at the store allow her entrance?
Why haven't the cruise ships and airlines been given modesty guidelines to issue to their guests?
Whenever tourists travel to Islamic countries, they are given very strict guidelines as to how to present themselves. A woman must be covered and dressed modestly, and they comply.
Why is this an issue for The Bahamas — a proclaimed Christian nation? We used to be a family-friendly destination.
Another event that I am particularly ashamed of, as a Bahamian, is the annual carnival meat show that parades through our streets as entertainment.
It is alleged that senior women have even gotten tummy tucks and similar procedures to prepare their bodies for the flesh fest.
How do we tell our women to dress modestly and appropriately when a former prime minister (who created the event) has revealed how proud he is of this achievement?
He even called it his legacy! How can we tell Bahamians (and tourists alike) to cover up when our own leaders provide the framework for this debauchery?
The church has contributed to this issue as well. While there are a good number of churches that preach and model holiness, morality and modesty, there are too many that do not.
They preach goodness, but not righteousness, and their members feel quite free to dress, drink, smoke and party as they please. No church should be silent on morality and modesty, especially when it is specifically addressed in the Holy Scriptures.
In closing, I call on women to please dress decently and to ensure that their daughters do the same.
I call on men to act decently, especially toward women and girls, and for goodness sakes, pull your pants up!
I really believe that there should be a fine for showing one's underwear. I call on the government to dust off the decency laws and act on them.
I call on those churches to be the voice and moral compass for the government and the people.
And I call on us as a people to go back to the values that we once upheld and to become a Bahamas where any decent and law-abiding person will want to live and bring up their children.
Jesus Christ remains the only one who can truly transform a person — a people. If you will not repent and give your life to Him, then, at the very least, act right.
— Marcellus Bassett
The post A return to modesty and decency appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.The post A return to modesty and decency appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
