Josh wrote:The scriptures say to do it. So just do it.
The alternative is to invent some way that 1 Corinthians 11 doesn't apply today.
But to do it, we have to agree on what "it" is, and what we teach about what "it" means.
Josh wrote:And I'm open to very, very narrow interpretations of 1 Co. 11:
- It only applies to married women.
- It only needs done during prayer, prophesy, or during formal church gatherings.
- Long hair can substitute for a covering.
If I were starting a church - and I'm not - I would probably ask women to cover their heads during public worship, at least the prayer portion of it. But my wife doesn't understand these texts the same way, and neither does my church. Any one church has to come to agreement on how they approach these things.
This is not something I think of as the acid test of true Christianity. I don't have a problem with Christians approaching this in different ways.
Josh wrote:But, in general, that's not how typical evangelical Christianity practices these things. It's entirely acceptable for a woman to have short hair when praying and in public gatherings with no covering. This doesn't personally offend or bother me.
What does bother me is that the scriptures in 1 Co. 11 seem to be completely ignored. And if we can ignore 1 Co. 11, why not ignore Romans 1? That's exactly the path progressive Mennonites have gone down, and I have no desire to repeat that journey.
My bigger problem is that the most central teachings of the Bible are largely ignored, and we major in minors. I'd like to see a faith that is mostly about what Jesus said and did. Sometimes external religious practices can feel a bit like tithing mint and cumin. Especially when the justice, mercy, and faith are not at the heart of things.
Why aren't we having the same focus on obeying the teachings about how we relate to the poor and the sick and prisoners, reaching out evangelistically, showing genuine love, etc?
And if the letter of the law is to wear a head covering, what exactly is the principle, the spirit of the law, that we want that to express? I feel like you are dodging that question, and I think it's a centrally important question. Bible-believing Christians answer that question in different ways.
Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?