A couple of observations if I may.
The abandoning of headgear by women is not an AMERICAN phenomena but one that may be observed across Europe and the Middle East.
Thank You for making a point that I have been making; it's not an American innovention, but a Cultural change throughout the world, Orthodox and Heterodox.
Personal Preference could be a euphemism for pride perhaps? Certainly I have frequently observed men and women whose apparel can hardly be described as modest, but then they might too respond with the answer it is their personal preference. And those who commit every sin and vice or subscribe to any and every heresy might also answer is it my personal preference.
Didn't I mention something about accidentals in my previous post? When I go to the trouble of undermining a rebuttal in my original argument one could at least take that into account. Furthermore, if you actually observe communities where no one wears a headscarf, compared to communities where they are required, in the former they are simply not an issue, they are irrelevant; in the latter, however, they are a significant issue, I question whether the community in which such issues are not even considered is guilty of pride, or the legalistic communities who force the issue are the prideful and self-righteous ones.
I had thought that taking up the cross was to lay aside one's 'personal preferences' or is Orthodox Christianity simply another example of 'pick and mix' religion rather than The Truth, The Way and The Light?
I cannot agree more, we MUST Maintain the culture of the 4th century without evolution or change, for to do otherwise is to guide the Church into Apostasy. One of my pet peeves are men who wear pants to Church, can you believe the Pride, Arrogance, and Debauchery of such sinners? They mock God and the Customs of the Holy Church by not having enough decency to throw on a proper Robe, but rather deign to show off their bodies in the House of God, as though it were a brothel and den of iniquity, existing for nothing beyond the indulgance of the passions, by wearing clothing that does not drape over them and hide the form of bodies, but rather accents it. Such immorality would be expected amongst the godless pagans, but not even they wore such provocative clothing; verily, the men of our day have surpassed even the pagans of old in debauchery, immorality, and the indulgance of passions. Surely in this evil day of such godlessness and immodesty, amongst so-called righteous Men, all decency and virtue have left this world. The Eschaton must Surely be at Hand!!! Let us cast the sinful wearers of pants from the Churches and commend their souls to Lucifer, whom they willingly serve, that they may spend all of eternity tormented by the demons and fire of Hell; by thus, and by thus only, may the Orthodoxy of the Church and the Will of the Fathers and the Example of Christ be preserved!
(To be read as Patrick Henry's 'Liberty or Death' speech, starting in a normal but emphatic voice and ending very loudly and emphatic, with a gradual climb in tone and volume...and after 'Orthodoxy of the Church,' 'Will of the Fathers,' and 'Example of Christ' the podium/table/desk (or better yet, Bible) should be pounded, then 'preserved' should be shouted at the top of ones lungs with a firm thumping of the bible (or podium/table/desk if a Bible is not available to thump)
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