Honest Question (ritual, reject, Creator, tradition, mission)

[Tigress]

As question was asked on another message forum about how a religious person might act, think, or feel toward a person not of their religion wearing their religious garb, and I thought this would be a good question for members here.--I am not talking about clergy garb, but a specific style of clothing worn by members in general--in particular, headcoverings.--The asker in question stated that she simply liked the way certain styles looked, but was curious if practitioners would find it offensive for her to wear any of them.

I hope I've been clear, as feedback would be nice since I, too, have considered wearing certain things like a hijab. I'm not sure yet about my personal views on the topic.

Thanks,
Crystal

[ayani]

Crystal- this is interesting.

as a kind of experiement in faith and garb i've worn Hijab for the past four days. i am not muslim, but i did cover out of convicion that it would be better religiously to cover my head than to not. plus i'd never worn Hijab (gone with kufis and baseball caps in the past) and wanted to know what it was like.

the responses from muslims on campus were interesting- they seemed to like it. i let them know i was not muslim, and that didn't seem to bug anyone. a number said it "reminded them of home" where girls wear Hijab often, and they seemed more comfortable around me. i got to talk to men and women i'd only smiled at in passing before.

i still cover my head (got a cap on right now) but i'm not sure about sticking with Hijab or not. we'll see.

[michel]

As far as I am concerned, people can wear whatever they wish to wear; I was very disappointed when France refused schoolchildren the Hijab. To be fair, they don't even allow a crucifix (if it is showing).

Heck, what's the matter with people? If something is important to one person, as long as it does no harm to others, what does it matter ?..............

[silvermoon383]

As long as it's done out of respect then I have no problem with people wearing another religion's garb. If it's done to mock or denigrate another religion, then me and that person are going to have a few problems, and maybe even have to take it outside.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Tigress

As question was asked on another message forum about how a religious person might act, think, or feel toward a person not of their religion wearing their religious garb, and I thought this would be a good question for members here.--I am not talking about clergy garb, but a specific style of clothing worn by members in general--in particular, headcoverings.--The asker in question stated that she simply liked the way certain styles looked, but was curious if practitioners would find it offensive for her to wear any of them.

I hope I've been clear, as feedback would be nice since I, too, have considered wearing certain things like a hijab. I'm not sure yet about my personal views on the topic.

Thanks,
Crystal

As silvermoon said, it depends on whether it's done with respect. By respect, I don't just mean not mocking; I also mean that the person has some understanding of the meaning of the religious garment and is wearing it in that context, even if they are not practitioners of that religion. Personally, I don't think it's appropriate to wear someone else's religious symbols as merely a fashion statement. Practitioners of a religion invest a lot of emotion and meaning into their symbols. When we (and it's usually us Westerners) pick up something one day because it looks cool and then discard it the next day because we've found something that we like better, I think that shows a disrepect, treating religious symbols as a consumer product.

[lilithu]

Tigress and Gracie, do you both generally wear head coverings? Is this traditional for Friends? Just curious.

[Real Sorceror]

Lilithu and Silvermoon already said exactly what I was thinking, so I won't bother being redundant.

As far as I am concerned, people can wear whatever they wish to wear; I was very disappointed when France refused schoolchildren the Hijab. To be fair, they don't even allow a crucifix (if it is showing).

As if I needed another reason to dislike the French.

[lamplighter]

I believe the french are just trying to keep prejudice and conflict down to a minimum. It's not like Europe hasn't seen its fair share of religious persecution or anything.

[Tigress]

Originally Posted by lilithu

Tigress and Gracie, do you both generally wear head coverings? Is this traditional for Friends? Just curious.

I wear a simple kerchief to services. For me, it symbolizes a kind of simplicity, and 'submission' to the Inner Light. Traditionally, Quaker women wore the same fashions as everyone else, though sometimes altered them slightly to make them appear plainer, or more simple. It was not until the mid to late 19th century that Quakers began to establish what we think of today as Quaker attire.--For Quakers, headcoverings and established Quaker dress is optional. Those who wear it are generally lead to do so by conviction. However, you might find that many Quakers today dress in a simpler fashion, such as avoiding brand name products, and anything truly gaudy, or excessive. (Rejection of brand names may also stem from connections to child labour and unfair trade).

Thanks for the replies so far.

[winnieg]

I think it is important to remember that some religions and the clothing can be a sticky point with those who wear it and how we approach it.

Some wear it, as a reminder that they are below their creator and is a outward sign of a inward commitment to others it is a status thing.
Some it would hopefully be a warning not to touch them depending on the sec they belong to. LDS people wear sacred garments, those who been to the LDS Temple.
These is a constant reminder of a inward commitment and promises made. It brings a strong feeling of spiritual comfort.
This has brought up questions from co-workers who have caught a glimpse of my garments. Their understanding was a mix of “yah that cool” to “aren’t you hot in the summer”? always respectful.