WWJE?
April 30th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
This post is probably going to get me in trouble.
That being said, I’m going to do it anyway. I was scanning the news this morning and saw an article on MSNBC’s website that stated that a California beauty pageant outfit paid for Miss California to have breast implants.
A little background may explain why I’m commenting on this. Miss California, Carrie Prejean caused quite a ruckus at the Miss USA competition when she was asked how she felt about gay marriage. To her credit she gave her opinion and not some politically correct gobbledygook.
Her opinion was that marriage should be between a man and a woman. It also later came out that Miss Prejean’s opinion was formed due to her Christian faith. When later interviewed about the flap this has caused Miss Prejean said “It’s not about being politically correct; for me, it was being biblically correct,”. So far so good.
My question is one of WWJE? or What Would Jesus Enhance? For a long time we’ve been taught not to objectify women (or even men for that matter) based on their appearance. The Apostle Peter even says:
“ Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV
Peter was likely speaking about the Greco-Roman practice of women adorning themselves with ostentatious clothing, jewelry and hairstyles. A commentator on this passage in the ESV Study Bible puts it this way:
“Peter warns against both an inordinate preoccupation with personal appearance and material excess in such matters.”
Is a boob job consistent with being “biblically correct”? Would the thousands of dollars spent on breast implants be better spent on other things? Given that access to even basic medical care is a luxury for many in the world are we really bearing a good Christian witness by a silicon enhanced chest?
Now a point of clarification. I have no problem with breast implants as a part of reconstructive surgery as in the case of women who’ve had a mastectomy after breast cancer. You can put your pink ribbon adorned baseball bats away now.
What do you think?
Shalom,
Scott D
