Bikinis & Religion

[TANGA TANGA]

When you consider that a lot of men back in Bible times wore an undergarment that closely resembled a thong or a big diaper, I don't think that anybody is going to hell for wearing bikini underwear or a thong under their clothes. It is something that only your spouse is going to see.

Swimwear is a different issue. I don't think The Lord would want us wearing anything out in public that will cause others to have lustful thoughts and tempt them to sin.

Oh Dear! That last paragraph really had me sitting up and taking notice! What you're saying is that if someone sees me sunbathing in a g-string,thong or string bikini,they might get lustful thoughts and be so driven with crazy desire,they will lose all self control and carry out a sinful act! Does that mean all guys MUST wear a baggy t-shirt and shapeless dork shorts at the beach rather than a slick speedo,in case the sight of their manly bulges is too much for some to deal with? What about cyclists in their figure hugging lycra shorts and guys at the gym in compression tights? Does a woman who wears a mini skirt to a night out deserve to be sexually assaulted because she is showing too much leg? Men and women have every right to wear whatever they want,however skimpy,and the onus is on the onlooker to control their urges,not for the rest of us to be buttoned up from head to toe!
Just a thought,but would The Lord approve of a man buying his gay friend women's panties? Religion can be a great source of guidance and comfort to an individual,and they have every right to a personal faith,but the problem arises when that individual tries to force their beliefs and lifestyle choices onto everyone they meet!

[stringbikinidude]

I get the argument of not causing someone to stumble/fall. But there are scriptures that also seem to suggest to 'not worry about clothes' (Matt 6: 25-30) and to take it further ...to not be so concerned about what 'man' (others) think about you. I think that is really freeing. Wasn't it John the Baptist that walked around in some pretty interesting clothing!? Matt 3:4 'John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist....' that almost sounds like it could have been a loincloth!? Or maybe even an early form of bikini brief? (Furkini maybe!?) How many 'sword and sandal' movie had ripped guys in almost loincloths? I think it's too easy to judge someone based on what they're wearing.

[JustSomeDude71]

Loincloths were nothing more than a thong. A long strip of cloth that you wrap around your body to cover your genitals, while still exposing your buttocks. Japanese men traditionally wore something like it called a Fundoshi. Men have been wearing thongs in one form or another for thousands of years!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundoshi

[JustSomeDude71]

"'Its a funny contradiction how women can be made to be sexual objects in the media if they're wearing a bikini swimsuit but it also seems that way (or worse) for guys! The body shaming culture upsets me! I think we in North America are probably the worst for it! In Europe I found a much much more body accepting culture...that was very cool to see.'"

I know exactly what you mean. Go to any department store that sells clothing- first go to the boys clothing section. You will see nothing but tighty whities and boxer briefs with silly cartoon prints- superheroes, rocket ships and race cars. Then go to the girls section and you will see bikinis, string bikinis and you might even find a few thongs in some department stores... panties that one would assume that only adult women should be wearing. Finally, go to the menswear section and you will see mostly the same thing as in the boys underwear section- tighty whities and boxer briefs with silly cartoon prints- superheroes, rocket ships and race cars. Our culture is sexualizing girls before they're even out of elementary (primary) school, while boys are encouraged to remain boys well into their thirties. When my oldest daughter was 6 years-old, her mother bought her what I felt was a rather inappropriate and rather skimpy bikini swimsuit. I was embarrassed to take her to the public pool and water parks wearing it because I know that it was drawing the attention of older men who may have had nefarious thoughts towards my child! Suffice to say, we got rid of the bikini real fast and replaced it with a more modest and less revealing swimsuit that was appropriate for a six year-old girl.

[SM_Thongguy]

Me as well. Religion I feel is not concerned about what kind of underwear I wear, it’s what kind of beliefs and values I have.

Hi Gents

And especially stringbikinidude thanks so much for bringing this up. Not knowing most of your ages and lives - I think as a young man who only recently seriously started following Christianity I battle with these thoughts too.

I am also only been wearing thongs for a little over a year now- not full time as I would like but wearing it.

Thanks for bringing it up, I myself is still looking for the answers but in the same breath I think I am not bringing anyone harm at this point. More importantly I too am more concerned about a change in my actions and if that is appeasing to God.

[JustSomeDude71]

Me as well. Religion I feel is not concerned about what kind of underwear I wear, it’s what kind of beliefs and values I have.

Hi Gents

And especially stringbikinidude thanks so much for bringing this up. Not knowing most of your ages and lives - I think as a young man who only recently seriously started following Christianity I battle with these thoughts too.

I am also only been wearing thongs for a little over a year now- not full time as I would like but wearing it.

Thanks for bringing it up, I myself is still looking for the answers but in the same breath I think I am not bringing anyone harm at this point. More importantly I too am more concerned about a change in my actions and if that is appeasing to God.

I think the most important issue about this is, not IF you can follow Christ, while continuing to wear bikini and thong underwear, but to always keeping Jesus first and foremost in your life and in your thoughts. Don't let underwear replace Jesus as the Lord of your life. As Pastor Jack Hibbs points out, the word "Antichrist" has several meanings, one of those meanings is that you allow other things take the place of Jesus and become a false god in your life, so antichrist can also mean that your love and passion for other things (or thongs in this case) takes the place of Jesus in your life. Keep your eyes on Christ, not your underwear (or someone else's underwear)!

[SM_Thongguy]

Amen

[stringbikinidude]

SM_Thongguy - Thanks for your input. Cool to hear of you as a young guy following Christianity also. I sometimes feel that as a relatively young christian guy, it's kind of a challenge to find a 'christian speedo wearer model' to follow...aka famous or non famous christian guys that wear speedos. JustSomeDude71 - I appreciate what you said and I agree what you said about keeping Jesus as Lord in your life. I've attempted to do just that...I sometimes feel that it isn't always easy as a christian guy because there's kind of a 'expectation' of what a christian guy (or girl) look like. I feel like i'm 'going against the grain' a bit as far as speedo wearing - but on that note there are different styles of speedos of course. Does it depend on how skimpy or not skimpy a speedo is? When I've worn the skimpy speedo, it just felt so cool to be wearing something out of the norm and maybe a little 'dangerous'. It felt kind of macho in a way....or I could say sporty (in a bodybuilder way). When I was young I always wanted to wear skimpy speedos and be a bit 'buff'. Is that just a guy thing? What do you guys think? Sometimes I think we as guys ….let alone christian guys have zero options for self expression ( "wear the boardshorts" ) Where is our individuality? When I saw a skimpy speedo guy at the pool a couple months ago I thought ...wow that guy is totally being himself. I admired his bravery for stepping out of the norm. Unfortunately he did have a bit of a mouth on him as I overheard him talk. I just didn't like to hear him say 'g**damn' as I want to try to honour God. I wonder if he felt he had to swear a bit for the situation...as in if he was insecure at all about how tiny his speedo was and to appear more masculine he felt had to swear? I do get that when you wear a tiny, skimpy speedo to the pool that you are really putting yourself out there. I do understand the judgement from people too. It takes balls to be seen in a skimpy speedo! The speedo is either hardly seen in North America or made into jokes. I think that a lot of it comes down to body-shaming actually. Im going to leave my rant here for now though.

[Pennbikini]

I'm not very religious, but was interested in reading this thread. It prompted me to remember when I was in 9th grade, I was in my final year of confirmation and one of the activities was a weekend camp. The class was small, maybe a dozen, and of course we segregated boys and girls. The teacher was a man, early 30s. I was the only boy that slept in bikini underwear...one kid the second night ditched the PJs and went with his tighty whities. The others were in PJs, but the TEACHER had conservative bikinis on. (And there's me, 9th grader, wearing string bikini briefs and a cropped Ocean Pacific T-shirt or whatever! )

[jason_greets]

I was raised Catholic, but I'm now more agnostic. Lately, however, I've been drawn to religion again. I was thinking of becoming more actively Catholic, but I find Orthodox church very appealing too.