Modesty Should Not Be Controversial

So apparently, some Mormon women and other blog "experts" are up in arms again. This time over an article in the Ensign that talks about modesty and dares to mention that young women can help young men by dressing modestly. I cannot understand why this causes such a response.

I think we need to teach young women AND young men what it means to objectify women and how immodesty contributes to that. Granted, men should dress modestly as well, but let's not pretend that it's the same thing. It's a biological fact that women are not stimulated visually to the same degree that men are. (Okay, Chris Helmsworth in Thor II may be an exception.)

I think that many adult women are immodest, so it's not surprising when those particular women get defensive about this topic. I remember hearing of one mother who when helping her daughter select a prom dress said, "She's got it, so why not flaunt it?" Really? That is the message you want to send your daughter and whomever she is dating?

I don't think that asking young women to dress modestly is the same as blaming them for a young man's thoughts. I don't think anyone is trying to say that. One blogger took it so far as to call it "Mormon rape culture." Seriously? Teaching a young woman to dress modestly is somehow contributing to a rape culture? In what warped world does that make sense?

I seriously doubt that the women who complain about an emphasis on modesty have a close loved one that is struggling with pornography addiction. If they did, they would welcome any effort to help that person. Our society as a whole has no modesty boundary. As Mormons, Christians or believers in God in any context, shouldn't we stand up for modesty? One thing I have always admired about the Muslim culture is their adherence to modesty.

This is my beautiful daughter. We live in a wicked, wicked world. Anything I can do to protect her and strengthen her sense of self worth is worth it to me.

This is my awesome son. Anything I can do to help him avoid the vicious trap that is pornography, I will do. I don't really care if you find that offensive.