Should women wear only dresses and not pants?

Should women wear only dresses and not pants?

Q. My pastor preaches that women should not wear pants based on Deuteronomy 22:5. Is it really biblical that women should not wear pants?

(Submitted by: Crystal)

A. The scripture you are referring to is:

"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God."

I understand how you feel, quite confused as I was for a time way back when as some of our ministers also taught that women should not wear pants. So it forced me to do some research on the subject as well.

In the first place, what were the women wearing in the days that the Levitical priesthood was set up and the Law of God was brought down from the Mountain of God? Does any one have a picture to show me what they looked like? Obviously there had to be some differences between a man's robe and woman's robe wouldn't there? Do real feminine women want to look like their masculine males? I don't really think so. So if both wore robes wouldn't one look just a bit more feminine than the other? I have difficulty understanding men who want to dress up in frilly female garb (our perverted society accepts this but I can't) in the first place and ask if this is what most men want to wear? No, I think not. Most men would not be seen in public dressed in a nice looking pantsuit with ruffles and bows and other trim. Or maybe the print would be in flowers and other pretty subjects designed for the feminine mind.

My husband does not have a good sense of color or a great imagination to even appreciate the subtle nuances of fabric or color or shape or any of those things that women seem to enjoy and feel comfortable wearing. He would not care if he had stripes and plaids on in the same outfit or if orange and red were worn in the same ensemble. I do not know about your preacher but I think most men seem to be in this category. Most women that I know not only do the shopping but in some cases arrange the daily dress for their men to wear.

With that said is it not possible that the verse that you quoted could be read with just a little bit of common sense? Do we not have harem girls wearing sheer silk pants dating to the time of Jesus Christ? Would a man wear a sheer (see through) silk pair of pants to go out and dig in his field? No, I don't think so. Do we know what Mary wore under her robe? If women are not to wear any pants then what kind of underwear does your preacher say they should wear?? I know I am getting ridiculous but the idea that God is trying to get across is that men should be masculine and women should be feminine.

There should be none of this transvestite stuff of cross dressing as this is the abomination that God hates. He gave each of the genders their characteristics and it was very good when he created them. Why is it so difficult to maintain those beautiful characteristics as He made them? When we try to be any different we are in effect telling God he did not know what he was doing when he separated the genders in the way he did.

I wear nice looking slacks and pant suits when out in public and find them to be not only feminine and attractive but more modest than the short-short skirts that some wear. I am an older woman and comfort is more important than what others might think. When I am home alone I get out the even more comfortable sweat pants and T-shirts. So if a woman is never to wear pants (by the way this was how I was brought up) then I am sure to go to the lake of fire and vanish, but my God is most merciful.

I hope this helps to make you feel less guilty in what you wear and what you don't. As a note of caution though, when attending church where your preacher would take note of your attire you might want to avoid embarrassment, his or yours, by not wearing something he did not approve was correct. I am always reminded of the verse in 1Corinthians 10:23 in any of these matters. Even if you feel comfortable in a nice looking pantsuit or pair of slacks and lovely blouse (definitely not meant for men to wear) to match it might not be edifying to flaunt it in this environment. There are many things with which we might have to hold ourselves in check until the Spirit has taught the other men and women in this world the same lesson. May God bless your studies.

Answer Given By: Charlotte Grantham