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Commentary Volume 2 Issue 5
Practicing chastity and modesty; for respectful and healthy life
Sumita Agarwal,1
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Agarwal SK2
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1Demonstrator, Government Doon Medical College, India
2Professor and Head of the Department, Government Doon Medical College, India
Correspondence: Sumita Agarwal, Demonstrator, Government Doon Medical College, India, Tel 8393024688
Received: May 07, 2016 | Published: June 15, 2016
Citation: Agarwal S, Agarwal SK. Practicing chastity and modesty; for respectful and healthy life. MOJ Anat Physiol. 2016;2(5):145–146. DOI: 10.15406/mojap.2016.02.00061
Introduction
In today’s sexualized world, we should encourage Chastity and Modesty as these ideals are integral part of healthy, flourishing society in which the dignity of every person is respected.
Chastity
Sexuality is one of the God’s greatest gifted wealth which has to be maintained and controlled as a challenge by the virtue of chastity, an expression of the temperance that rules in our passion and our lives but still chastity is not a negative quality that shatters fun from our lives. Learning and maintaining chastity in our lives is like taming and controlling grips of the reins of wild animal. The goal is to manage and experience our emotions even those which are frightening, buried over the years.
Law of chastity: within our bodies God has provided a sacred power as for human to create other bodies so that life may continue upon the earth. Animal sexuality is for merely reproduction of their own further species while sexuality in humans is altogether different as for humans sexual health includes as well as respects other partner’s mental health, societal factors, biological risks and genetic predispositions.
Modesty
Modesty is derived from a Latin word “Modestus” meaning being modest in behavior and clothing. Like chastity, modesty is also considered in our culture as a restraint sudden urge shown by someone for modesty is considered psychological imbalance. Modesty is a forerunner or is a representation of our chastity. What we wear reveals ourselves and also respect for our body and remaining chaste. Initially when chastity and modesty, emerged as a consequence of religious and economic teachings, were treated with hesitation as if they are innate but in present selfish culture where each person treats others as “something” and not being as “someone.” Especially girls today are raised in a way were toy dolls wear lingerie and even every television commercials, movies are sexualized just to promote themselves in the business markets.1 Intense efforts of elders are required during childhood and adolescence as during these phases of life habits of principles are not fully matured and accepted easily. The adolescence period have strong urge for an awakening sexual maturity by virtue of “self- mastery” that ensures the possibility of giving ourselves in holy charity without damaging our freedom. It is truly said, “If we are not free to choose the good, we are truly acting only from “animal instinct.” Chastity teaches us to constraint ourselves in the palms of our hands, ready to offer to our beloved as a gift and expecting the same in return and not beyond it. The expression of our sexuality is truly human, therefore, only “When it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman”.2
Chastity in women
The concept of “chastity” in the maiden is little known. But with marriage i.e., the passing over into the personal possession of a man, then not infrequently quiet different views came into force.3 Among a few nations the freedom of the women continues even after marriage and sometimes even their own husbands cause them to bestow their love on a guest e.g. Australian woman according to Dingwell EJ4 Keyser, the missionary, says in Neuhauss,s work on Dutch New Guinea, of the Kai, that the moral conditions are much “worse.” Even incest does occur, although only in isolated cases. A true barbaric practice appears to be resorted among many branches of Southern slave as F. S. Krauss reports, “I was told that among the Croats it is a customary for a jealous husband who has to be away for some time to smear his wife’s pubic region i.e., a corrosive substance which cause a painful sore there, making the exercise of cohabitation impossible for her. What corrosive substance was used I have not learnt.” According to him, sewing up the vulva is threatened, but there is no question of its being a really in use.
Female modesty
Heiurich Schurtz wrote “Modesty” is not something of accidental and incidental origin rather it is a necessary consequence of the social development of mankind and clothing is nothing else but an outward expression of a psychical occurrence, it runs parallel with the rise of a sexual monopoly, in other words, of marriage.” In “Tales of old Japan 1871” Mitford said that Europeans consider it indecent for both the sexes to bathe together and a Japanese answered while shrugging his shoulders “Ah, these westerns have such prurient minds.” According to Du Chaillu, similar customs prevailed in the North of Norway and Finland. Many people remarked, the loss of modesty in present culture lacks sexual attractiveness. Modesty ascends attractiveness and even between husband and wife, a “modest wife adds charms to charm”.5 Each and every one of us must encourage others to be modest so that dignity of every one in our culture, society as well as world to great extent is respected and maintained as rightly said, “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud”–sCoco Chanel Chastity and modesty leads to purity of our heart. We all must consider others bodies as our own body, as temples of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus says in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Purity of heart is a work in progress in which both God and man share responsibility. When a person has this, the whole body is full of light. Where there is a light, one can see clearly.
Acknowledgements
None.
Conflict of interest
Author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
References
- Bible the Gospel of Matthew, in the New Testament the King James Version eight.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church the Vocation to Chastity, section two The Ten Commandments part three: Life in Christ. 2337.
- Catholic Answers Chastity Tract, Modesty: what’s the point? Chastity.com
- Dingwell EJ. Woman, William Heinemann. London, UK; 1935. 2p.
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Sirach. 26:15.
©2016 Agarwal, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.