is cross-dressing a sin?

[Charity4Ever]

I'm the teaching assistant for this one professor at my school, one of the tasks she asked me to do was to organize her files for her psychology and gender class.

So, I'm going through all the readings and assignments and all that, and I came across one that she gave--the first one--where men must wear skirts and women must wear distinctly men's clothing, for a grade.

Now, I'm not part of the class, and I neither cross-dress nor do I plan to but, Scripture says,

Deu 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

However this is in Deuteronomy and covers the law where one must also not wear garments of mixed fibers (linen and wool) and wear the three fringes...and Deuteronomy is the only Scripture where this is found...

So, for the sake of discussion...is cross-dressing a sin, and would it be sinful for a Christian to do this assignment?

[Harley]

...So, for the sake of discussion...would it be sinful for a Christian to do this assignment?
no.

[Moony2ns]

I'd like to know what the assignment is supposed to accomplish, and if it involves blurring the lines of gender. More and more, psychology wants to present every unnatural thing as perfectly acceptable and something to be embraced, and I myself could not and would not participate in such a thing.

[The Norm]

I'll throw in my two cents. If its not a sin its running the ragged edge of being one. The problem is the association that cross dressing has with todays perversions. Also, you know how paul says that one thing is fine for a person to do, but the same thing may be wrong for the next person to do? If I (me personally) were to cross dress for a class, it would for me, be a sin. Because for me, it would cross the line I've set for myself. My conscience would be convicted, and I would feel guilty. Paul addressed it for some who ate meat and some who felt eating meat was wrong. Both in that case were right. To me, that would be like putting little white lines of white powder, lets say fine flour, on a mirror, rolling up a dollar bill and snorting them for a class assignment, or bringing whiskey bottles to class that are filled with lemonade and drinking them. Me personally, I wouldn't, again, because of the association it has with the real thing. But......thats just my opinion.

[keela1979]

I dont believe the actual act of cross dressing is a sin, but the sexual devience behind it is. People rarely cross dress without acting out some fantasy or engaging in some type of sexual behavior.for a class assignment it would probably be ok, but like Moony2ns says psychology tries to rationalize the behavior of people and make it ok.If I had to cross dress for the assignment and then speak from a psychological stand point on how that behavior is natural or acceptable i would not do it.I'd probably get a F though,because I was one of those people in my psychology classes that argued everything from a christian prespecvtive.Needless to say I made alot of enemies and got less than superior grades!!!How did I ever end up with 30 hours in that discipline??!!:heh

[joy4Him2day]

...wow. I was just thinking about when we got excused from the dance section in phy ed for religious reasons............
if you think about it, an instructor could ask you to do all sorts of things for the sake of "experiment",.......isn't there going to have to be a line drawn somewhere?

[alrdyreg]

hey... why do we not follow the laws in deut and leviticus?

[Laura-bell]

I don't know if it's a sin to participate for a grade. However I do know that the scriptures do condemn those who approve of sin. I believe it's in proverbs somewhere. So with that said wouldn't that be condoning that lifestyle? Therefore a sin?:confused

[Laura-bell]

...wow. I was just thinking about when we got excused from the dance section in phy ed for religious reasons............
if you think about it, an instructor could ask you to do all sorts of things for the sake of "experiment",.......isn't there going to have to be a line drawn somewhere?


AMEN

[coltrek]

Is it wrong for policemen to dress up or do to it on Halloween?
I know it's not.

[ImaSaint]

I think perhaps the woman is just crazy........:pound

[nancyjean]

But again, men would and should therefore wear long robes, short robes, (dresses) and women must also wear robes, cause we all know that pants are masculine. I think that it is a sin if the purpose of dressing is to push forward a sexual connotation to it. Especially since we know that most cross-dresses are on the edge of sexual deviant behavior.

[bopeep1909]

Well, when you are cross dressing are you commiting a sin in thought,word or deed? If yes then it is a sin.<><

[Silvermane]

bah, sin. Look, nobody doesn't sin because nobodies perfect (cept for the lord of course) and this thing isn't something you are doing personally is it, its for a assignment right. I say let it go, if its a sin then its one of many that person probly committed that day and since no sin is really greater than another except for those few centered out in the bible, than why worry about it. Second, its not like cross-dressing for one assignment is going to turn anybody toward that particular lifestyle, and even if it did it would be err on the side of that person, not yourself.

[boxer77]

Ah, we cant blame others for our sin, we will be personal accountable for our sin before a rightous Judge in the end.
Cross dressing can give the devil a foothold, if you are weak in that area, even if you didnt know it was a weak point.
He chisels and picks apart till he finds a way in.
I say its no good.

[boxer77]

But again, men would and should therefore wear long robes, short robes, (dresses) and women must also wear robes, cause we all know that pants are masculine. I think that it is a sin if the purpose of dressing is to push forward a sexual connotation to it. Especially since we know that most cross-dresses are on the edge of sexual deviant behavior.
:nod :thumb

[Flossie]

If that verse is meant to be relevant today, then most of us ladies are in trouble. It's is only our generation (I'm 55) that is wearing pants or jeans. I spent 10 years trying to convince my mother that she could wear a pantsuit. My mother's generation NEVER wore a man's garment.

I still to this day will NOT wear a dress or skirt, simply because I loathe nylons and pantyhose and even my fancy evening wear is flowing black pants.

So....having said all this....does it mean I'm in trouble with that bible verse? I don't think so, because my generation wore pants and jeans for "comfort", not for sexual connotations. Now if men want to start wearing dresses, then it will NOT be for comfort....there will be a definite sexual connotation there, because in my opinion, dresses are not comfortable.

So....basically, I think Paul's comments come into play here, about doing anything to cause your fellow Christian to sin or to stumble. I honestly don't think women wearing jeans will cause a Christian to stumble (unless they're way too tight), but I DO think a man wearing a dress might have that effect...:twitch

[ub4war]

yes it is definitaly a sin ---talkin bout a man right?

Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6:9-11

[carmen]

nor effeminateJust to clarify, this word doesn't merely refer to men wearing women's clothing or acting feminine. 2. metaph. in a bad sense
a. effeminate
1. of a catamite
2. of a boy kept for homosexual relations with a man
3. of a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness
4. of a male prostitute

[frisian1970]

yes it is definitaly a sin ---talkin bout a man right?

Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6:9-11

[Harley]

yes it is definitaly a sin ---talkin bout a man right?

Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6:9-11
a male putting on culturally female clothes (i say "culturally" because clothing norms for the genders are culturally determined) in a "controlled setting" whether that is an experiment/experiential thing for a class, or a bunch of guys in drag for a talent show does not make them effeminate - and certainly is not the object of paul's command to the corinthians.

[boxer77]

I always wondered what I would look like in a Itsy bitsy teene weiny yellow pok a dot bikini:laugh :B: :heh :nod :thumb

[Flossie]

I always wondered what I would look like in a Itsy bitsy teene weiny yellow pok a dot bikini:laugh :B: :heh :nod :thumb
:freaked I don't think I'd want to know! :pound

[Paul]

hey... why do we not follow the laws in deut and leviticus?Acts 15 tells us we don't have to. Those laws were given to the nation of Israel.

[living4JC]

I always wondered what I would look like in a Itsy bitsy teene weiny yellow pok a dot bikini:laugh :B: :heh :nod :thumb

:fear :faint :tape

[roadrunner570]

What about Scotish men wearing kilts?

and didn't everyone wear robes in the Bible times?

[isawthelight]

Most cross dressers nowadays are very much on the line of sexual deviants. They are doing it for reasons that are sick and twisted and it is becoming more and more prevalent. As part of my job, we focus on society's various ills and so on and the number of married men who cheat on their wives with crossdressers is STAGGERING! Out of say 100 men, I think a full 10-20% of those that cheat cheated with transvestites/sexuals. Now that is deviant!

[ub4war]

:help men in bikini = heart burn for me

[keela1979]

:freaked Thats a really high number!Where did you get that information from?

[Strnghrt]

I have struggled with this for years. I used to attend a church where the women only wore dresses and I really tried to do it too but I just could NOT. I HATED getting up in the morning because I knew I had to put on another stinking dress! I HATE to wear dresses, I find them VERY uncomfortable. I can't wear heals and have you ever seen a woman look nice in a dress and tennis shoes? Really doesn't work well together.
I wear jeans, every day. I Pray I am not sinning but I seriously don't feel this is what this verse meant. That women shouldn't wear pants because as others have said in those days men AND women wore robes.
I don't wear jeans for any sexual depravity but because they are the most comfortable to me.

[Flossie]

I HATED getting up in the morning because I knew I had to put on another stinking dress! I HATE to wear dresses, I find them VERY uncomfortable. I can't wear heals and have you ever seen a woman look nice in a dress and tennis shoes? Really doesn't work well together.
I wear jeans, every day. I Pray I am not sinning but I seriously don't feel this is what this verse meant.

:hug Don't worry. You aren't sinning, sweetie. I can really relate. I LOATHE dresses too. I too can't wear heels.

Men in kilts? Women NEVER wore kilts, so it was strictly a man's garment, so there really isn't an issue there either. I think there's nothing more gorgeous than a Scot in full kilted regalia.....:love .....sigh.....:lol

[Strnghrt]

:hug Don't worry. You aren't sinning, sweetie. I can really relate. I LOATHE dresses too. I too can't wear heels.

Men in kilts? Women NEVER wore kilts, so it was strictly a man's garment, so there really isn't an issue there either. I think there's nothing more gorgeous than a Scot in full kilted regalia.....:love .....sigh.....:lol
ESPECIALLY is they are playing bagpipes, I am a sucker for a man playing bagpipes and it just isn't the same if they aren't in a kilt.
As far as heels, I hate to admit this but I have flat feet and bunyons, heels are NOT my friend. I feel the most feminin in a pair of slack, a dress shirt, a blazer, and a pair of boots. I am not even so sure it's the dress I hate so much as the shoes but to wear a dress every day, nope, it is totally not me! Does that make me rebellious? I wonder because I do tend to walk my own path so to speak. I've tried to do all that changing because it was expected of me but ended up being very angry and feeling old and ugly. it got to the point where I didn't know which was Gods voice and which was my own thoughts about what was expected of me and trying to fit in. Make sence?
I have been fighting the fight trying to find my way back to my first love. The love got blurred somewhat and I left the church.
Anyway sorry to ramble I realize it seems totally off topic but my walk has LOADS of baggage. This topic is just a fraction of it.

[Harley]

Most cross dressers nowadays are very much on the line of sexual deviants. They are doing it for reasons that are sick and twisted and it is becoming more and more prevalent. As part of my job, we focus on society's various ills and so on and the number of married men who cheat on their wives with crossdressers is STAGGERING! Out of say 100 men, I think a full 10-20% of those that cheat cheated with transvestites/sexuals. Now that is deviant!
agreed - cross dressing as a lifestyle accompanied by deviant behavior is more along the lines of what paul was condemning...

[Slightly Miffed]

Most cross dressers nowadays are very much on the line of sexual deviants. They are doing it for reasons that are sick and twisted and it is becoming more and more prevalent. As part of my job, we focus on society's various ills and so on and the number of married men who cheat on their wives with crossdressers is STAGGERING! Out of say 100 men, I think a full 10-20% of those that cheat cheated with transvestites/sexuals. Now that is deviant!

BOGGLE!!! That's the most inefficient form of cheating I ever heard about. :twitch

[boxer77]

I always wondered what I would look like in a Itsy bitsy teene weiny yellow pok a dot bikini:laugh :B: :heh :nod :thumb
Of course I was just kidding....:laugh :heh I like pants, Nothing like a good pant.:D: :thumb

[Laura-bell]

[QUOTE=Flossie]If that verse is meant to be relevant today, then most of us ladies are in trouble. It's is only our generation (I'm 55) that is wearing pants or jeans. I spent 10 years trying to convince my mother that she could wear a pantsuit. My mother's generation NEVER wore a man's garment.



Yah, but those are women's clothes. The pants we wear are designed especially for women...not men. So maybe it has more to do with the idea of trying to look like the opposite sex for whatever reason, if the reason is for a sinful purpose or to promote a sin then it is sin. Right?

[boxer77]

[QUOTE=Flossie]If that verse is meant to be relevant today, then most of us ladies are in trouble. It's is only our generation (I'm 55) that is wearing pants or jeans. I spent 10 years trying to convince my mother that she could wear a pantsuit. My mother's generation NEVER wore a man's garment.



Yah, but those are women's clothes. The pants we wear are designed especially for women...not men. So maybe it has more to do with the idea of trying to look like the opposite sex for whatever reason, if the reason is for a sinful purpose or to promote a sin then it is sin. Right?
That makes sense.