Please don't get mad!?!?

[JCPhoenix]

I think the original question was answered as it relates to contraception.

As far as the vanity issues…I am going to very honestly admit I color my hair because I am vain.

It is my best feature…God has blessed me with good hair…now if I could just get it to behave.

I recently splurged and got a professional color job…black with red hilights. No, it doesn’t look “punky” or anything. It’s very professional because I have to be a professional. And the red has faded to a beautiful natural looking red, and the black has faded to a natural dark brown.

I love my hair. (incidentally, I veil at Mass or adoration).

I also have tattoos, but they are only seen when I am swimming, and neither are in places which required that I bare anything inappropriate.

As far as the cost of hair coloring…it’s only expensive if you have it done professionally. I’ve been doing it myself for years…red, black, brown, back to red, auburn, burgandy Xena hair…all that. Seven bucks every 4 months or so. That’s not much and I had fun.

Now I’m getting gray hair and it actually is growing in kind of a cool streak…but if I follow my mother, I’ll be gray by the time I’m 40. I’m 31 now.

For awhile I didn’t dye or do anything…I struggled with modesty/vanity, and a wise priest and I spoke aobut this struggle…and he affirmed that it’s OK for women to adorn ourselves, to color our hair, and to do things that make us feel beautiful. We are, after all, temples of the Holy Spirit, and it is appropriate to dress up such a temple.

That’s not to say to go overboard, but hair color, a little jewlry, a little makeup, clothing that compliments us…etc…

That actually helped me a lot and made me realize that I had been neglecting this temple cosmetically, and therefore doing injustice to God. He did not create us to go about in sackcloth, just as he did not create us to dress as harlots. There IS such a thing as a happy medium and most of us fall within this wide spectrum with fantastic results.

I don’t speak for myself regarding the fantastic results…but I don’t look like a troll all the time, either.

And regarding contraception again…this does NOT honor God, it does NOT honor the Holy Spirit. Period.

 

[1st_Raven]

As far as the vanity issues…I am going to very honestly admit I color my hair because I am vain.

Ok, contraception aside, I get that part now! Anyway, the whole hair thing is great to know, cause that’s one of my problems, I’m an artist, and I love color, needless to say my hair has been every color in the rainbow, lol I love to color my hair, I think it might fall out if i don’t stop.I agree with you I think we should look our best, but we need to do it modestly, where I come from down here in south florida, there are so many woman that defile the church with there attire, that Father Harris has had to make comments at Mass, it’s pathetic, anyway I wish you luck with your hair, lol peace be with you

 

[1st_Raven]

Mother Church empowers me to embrace the feminitiy God blessed me with - whether or not it falls within society’s definition of beauty. The Church reassures me that it is beautiful to God and She instructs me to insist men treat me with dignity and respect for the woman that I am. Her support in that effort keeps me strong. May she empower you as well.
[/quote]
:D Thank you so much for that quote :D peace be with you my fellow sister to the faith :thumbsup:

 

[Nance]

JCPhoenix:

He did not create us to go about in sackcloth, just as he did not create us to dress as harlots. .

I couldn’t agree more…my previous post was more on the concern for the extreme. Woman should try to look more feminine and dress accordingly too…but with modesty. I minimumly wear make up, tastefully and mean only to convey a modest approach.

 

[Red_Meg]

One other point I’d like to add, regarding contraception vs. other “unnatural interferences” with the human body: people will sometimes falsely claim the Church’s opposition to contraception is rooted in the fact that it is “unnatural,” and then say, “Well what about open heart surgery? Isn’t that unnatural too?? What about organ transplants? What about…” You get the idea. As if this were some kind of anti-medical bias on the Church’s part.

The point I guess I want to interject is that while these other admittedly “unnatural” and highly invasive procedures are our attempts to restore a “broken” bodily system to its normal healthy function. Bypass surgery attempts to restore the proper, healthy bloodflow to the heart, which normal bodies normally possess. Contraception, on the other hand, takes a bodily system (the female reproductive system, in this case) that is functioning perfectly, and deliberately causes it to “malfunction,” if you will. Instead of attempting to repair something broken, contraception deliberately breaks something that is operating exactly as designed…

Sorry if this sounds nuts, it’s rather late, but I’ve used this explanation before with engineering-minded people and it made sense.

 

[neocatechumen]

One thing I am really struggling with is this position of the Catholic Church. I don’t understany why it is right to use any medications or anything else that would alter the ability of God to manipulate life if it is not OK to use contraception. I regularly give medications that alter the ability of people to live or die – and haven’t been upset that I am doing the wrong thing. Besides that, I don’t understand how a God who wants us to take care of his creation can be happy that we are overpopulating it like rabbits. Natural Family Planning works only for a minority of people – the rest of them are known as parents.

 

[pira114]

First off, Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute. It’s a common misconception. You can look it up, I think it’s on this website somewhere.

As for tattoos and piercings. I don’t think they’re bad at all depending on why you got them. If you got them for vain reasons like trying to look intimidating or cool, then you MIGHT have an issue. But most who get tattoos get them for personal reasons. Especially those who get them in places that can easily be covered up.

I have a few tattoos. I don’t believe in piercings for males, but that’s just my personal opinion. My tattoos are for personal reasons and I can choose to show or hide them if I wish. Nowadays, especially, people don’t put the stigmatism on them that they used to. And hair color? Come on. If a person wants to color their hair to look nice, that’s not vanity. They just like the way it looks.

 

[leaner]

vluvski:

MamaSusie, I don’t think you’re vain to want to look womanly.

A word of caution: someone I know suffered a serious botched breast reduction and lost a nipple! She now has supply issues with breastfeeding, and this is so incredibly sad for her. Even though it can be done 99% of the time without a problem, the 1% chance of something going on is still very real!

One of my best girlfriends was also in that “1%” – perhaps it’s larger than 1% now?! She lost a nipple as well; the tissue just died. They have to tattoo a nipple on her…she never breastfed and doesn’t plan on more children so i suppose that’s not an issue… but she was in a lot of pain and feels very self conscious even tho her DH doesn’t seem to mind at all (I have to say, she is SOOO much more comfortable and happier overall with her new “set” – I can’t imagine living the way she did before…ouch!) – but you’re so right – there is no “risk free” alteration…even the ones that are deemed necessary can be dangerous