Are Catholic women required to be beautiful?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rozellelily
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What’s that other thing that’s coming? More of your criticism and nothing to offer?
 
Looks like you prove a negative assertion about yourself.
 
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I think you mentioned elsewhere you are Indian background-is that right?
Please ignore any social pressures to look “Eurocentric” as in my opinion,all nationalities have their own form of beauty and I don’t really get why some people in society try to push onto us for 1 ideal/version of attractiveness.
Even amongst Europeans,there’s a wide variety of looks.

It seems like it’s all “random” genetics without Gods direct involvement,but then on the other hand some Catholics say that nothing is random and all is Gods plan/will 🤷‍♀️.
The bible would seem to support this line of thinking because “God gave job the most beautiful daughters in the land”.
 
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Code: 
  In this passage the Bible (Proverbs 31:10-31) characterizes a good wife. The Bible
doesn’t say she should be beautiful–in fact the Bible says here, “beauty is vain” (in line 30)

“Ode to a Capable Wife.”

10 A good wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant,
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and tasks for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds her loins with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor,
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes herself coverings;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers girdles to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates
 
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"Besides being beautiful, Esther had influence as the King’s favourite (and many equally beautiful did not)"

The intelligence and courage may have been the better traits,but in reality she wouldn’t have even been one of the kings “options” if she wasn’t beautiful.
The bible talks about women and physical beauty more than it talks about men and “beauty” (with a few exceptions).
So what I take from that story is that the ideal (greatest) Christian woman should not only be beautiful,but also intelligent and courageous.
 
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My rough guess would be that in her worldview,she views her femininity as being “countercultural” in a society where things like gender sameness are promoted.

Obviously knowing she is attractive also contributes to the posting of all the photos.

What I find had to determine though,is that type of femininity a construct of culture or of Catholic religion?
 
I think it depends on the situation. If you have a disfigurement that you can’t come to terms with, plastic surgery would be an option that can help someone get to a plateau wherein they are able to blend in without feeling like an object of attention everywhere they go. Conditions such as this can do a lot of damage to a person’s psyche and it’s wonderful when it can be corrected. With regard to plastic surgery simply to correct the minor flaws we all have or simply to make oneself more beautiful, I think that level of obsessing about ourselves diminishes our ability to focus on and engage the world around us. I have observed a good number of people who are like that, and it’s an itch they never seem to be able to scratch, especially as they get older and this thing and that pops up with regard to appearances. At some point it’ll become like a whack-o’-mole game at an arcade. You whack one mole and three more pop up. Better to find other interests before that time comes.
 
I think beer drinking is more associated with masculinity in countries like Australia and America.
I often drink beer, and so do many women of my Slavic background.
My mum has always drank beer and she’s a traditional feminine housewife.In fact,she will drink stout beer too,and Rakia/vodka!
 
Rozellelily said:
Are Catholic women required to be beautiful?
women should be…
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All human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, and are therefore, beautiful.

1 Peter 3 Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; 4 rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight.
Rozellelily said:
Personally I think It’s a worthy topic as issues of social media,pressures of beauty and weight etc affect many younger people of today.
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only if you let them. Avoiding them is a good way to prevent yourself from being defined by them.
Rozellelily said:
Instagram “models” wouldn’t have such a huge following in the first place if it didn’t make such a big impact on people and if it wasn’t culturally relevant.
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We are not of this world, and should not be swept away by what is “culturally relevant”.
Rozellelily said:
Women are told to be feminine and different but are rarely given the details of what that actually “entails” (apart from motherhood and being modest in clothing).
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What you have written here seems to indicate that you have not spent much time in your Bible.
Rozellelily said:
Catholic “womanhood” is usually talked about through the lens of motherhood,but very little else is said about it.
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Perhaps focusing on being a disciple of Christ will help? Comparing yourself the Jesus mother as a model, rather than social media, would be a great help.
Rozellelily said:
I don’t know if that’s because people want to avoid controversy in today’s “times” where there is a cultural push by some people towards gender neutrality etc…?
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No, it is just ignorance. Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ, and ignorance of Christ will cause people to be swept away by fashions and trends.
 
I think what was controversial wasn’t the campaign itself but rather how it was done (the area where the money was spent).
The campaign was good (for the reasons you mentioned) but the way they went about it was what people took issue with.
Ie:they used a lot of tax payers money to pay Instagram models who’s focus is on beauty obsession,being thin for looks sake,excessive beauty focus and people thought that contributed to the problem of girls/women’s unhealthy relationships with their bodies in the first place and perpetuated the problem of eating disorders and self loathing etc.
People thought that money should have been used instead on funding the programs out there that focused on women and sport/health for the sake of feeling strong,healthy,adventure and achievement instead of for pure image which is what the Instagram “models” often promote.
The more “healthy programs” felt they were getting short changed.
 
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Is she right?
Maybe by showing how beautiful she is and Catholic it forms some association in people’s minds and they then get more curious about Catholic?
 
Rozellelily said:
Is she right?
Maybe by showing how beautiful she is and Catholic it forms some association in people’s minds and they then get more curious about Catholic?
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Like I said, I hope she I seeking spiritual direction. I don’t know if her point is that she is beautiful and a Catholic. I think her point is that you can live a modern lifestyle and still be authentically and unabashedly Latina and Catholic.
 
Are you suggesting that externally beautiful women have more beautiful souls and vice versa?
Perhaps I have misunderstood what you were saying but if this is what you meant then I think that is not right because Mother Theresa had the most beautiful soul but externally she didn’t have "classically beautiful features ".
 
Rozellelily said:
I think beer drinking is more associated with masculinity in countries like Australia and America.
I often drink beer, and so do many women of my Slavic background.
My mum has always drank beer and she’s a traditional feminine housewife.In fact,she will drink stout beer too,and Rakia/vodka!
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Similar background to yours - but my family are much more wine drinkers than beer or anything heavy. Although I remember a family occasion overseas in which rakia was a prominent feature. To me it tastes like jet fuel!
 
Rozellelily said:
Out of curiosity,would you consider the girl in my links posts as being a witness to Catholicism or as vanity(or neither if you see a third option) etc?
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It would be of great benefit to you to avoid focusing on what others are doing, and focus on how YOU can be a good witness to Christ. The mirror to use is that of Scripture, rather than social media.
Rozellelily said:
,I think beauty will always have an influence in women’s lives,positively or negatively,because we live in a society that places great value on it.
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This is a false assumption, but you are welcome to espouse it, if you so desire.

The concept of “beauty” that should be of use to Christians is what the Bible teaches, not what is found in social media.
Rozellelily said:
Bible stories seem to suggest that the greatest accomplishment for a woman is to be beautiful.
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What are you reading? Really?
Rozellelily said:
I have come to accept that this is Gods way
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That is too bad. Sad, really. It is warped.
 
Rozellelily said:
"Besides being beautiful, Esther had influence as the King’s favourite (and many equally beautiful did not)"

The intelligence and courage may have been the better traits,but in reality she wouldn’t have even been one of the kings “options” if she wasn’t beautiful.
The bible talks about women and physical beauty more than it talks about men and “beauty” (with a few exceptions).
So what I take from that story is that the ideal (greatest) Christian woman should not only be beautiful,but also intelligent and courageous.
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Not true. Look at Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir. None were beautiful.

Most of our female politicians and business leaders aren’t either (from an Aussie perspective think about the premiers of Queensland and NSW and our richest woman Gina Rinehart).

And yet they still had/have serious power and influence which makes/made them at least potentially great forces for good.
 
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