Christian women are required to cover our heads!!

I have been asked by both family, friends and strangers as to why I have taken up the hijab a few months ago. I often cite 1. Corinthians 11:4-7 to justify from a biblical prespective my reason for doing so, because God commands it. Often I have been told that a latter verse in the same chapter says that a womans hair has been given to her for a covering and that a cloth covering or hat is not nessecary. Sadly this verse has been misinterperted. I found an interesting artilce from a Christian prespective that examines this issue. So I do not think that a Chrisitan woman voluntarily wearing the hijab is not incompatiable with Christian teaching, if anything it is very compatiable.


http://www.biblicalresearchreports.com/headcovering-today.php

ragdollcat1982 said:

I have been asked by both family, friends and strangers as to why I have taken up the hijab a few months ago. I often cite 1. Corinthians 11:4-7 to justify from a biblical prespective my reason for doing so, because God commands it. Often I have been told that a latter verse in the same chapter says that a womans hair has been given to her for a covering and that a cloth covering or hat is not nessecary. Sadly this verse has been misinterperted. I found an interesting artilce from a Christian prespective that examines this issue. So I do not think that a Chrisitan woman voluntarily wearing the hijab is not incompatiable with Christian teaching, if anything it is very compatiable.


http://www.biblicalresearchreports.com/headcovering-today.php

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have you ever seen a picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, wearing anything other than a hijab?

Shouldn't we be seeing more Christian women covering their hair if this is the case?

ragdollcat1982 said:

I have been asked by both family, friends and strangers as to why I have taken up the hijab a few months ago. I often cite 1. Corinthians 11:4-7 to justify from a biblical prespective my reason for doing so, because God commands it. Often I have been told that a latter verse in the same chapter says that a womans hair has been given to her for a covering and that a cloth covering or hat is not nessecary. Sadly this verse has been misinterperted. I found an interesting artilce from a Christian prespective that examines this issue. So I do not think that a Chrisitan woman voluntarily wearing the hijab is not incompatiable with Christian teaching, if anything it is very compatiable.


http://www.biblicalresearchreports.com/headcovering-today.php

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Hi ragdollcat

I think it is perfectly acceptable for a Christian woman to cover her head if she chooses to do so.
Like your article states, there are different views and interpretations on the Bible verses relating to this topic - but covering your head certainly does not contradict Biblical teachings.
Some Christians nuns still wear the veil, other Christian groups cover their hair; and in medieval times it was common for women to wear a headscarf not unlike the hijab.

Perhaps it is a case of following one's own conviction.
Like I said I have found using a prayer shawl when praying very beneficial at times.

Do you get negative responses for wearing hijab? Or are people more curious?
What convinced you to wear hijab in the first place?
Are you doing it alone or with other likeminded women?

You just keep doing what you believe is right, ragdollcat!

God bless

YusufNoor said:

have you ever seen a picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, wearing anything other than a hijab?

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No sister I have not and one can still find many devout Orthodox Christian women wearing the same thing. If one has seen the movie my Big Fat Greek Wedding, you will notice that grandma wears a headcover that covers all of her hair. I dont cover all of it nessecarily sometimes I will let my bangs show and there have been times I go out of the house uncovered and I do not like how I feel I cover about 3/4 of the time. I have some slip on hijabs that do cover all of my hair and I love them the most. Mary is portrayed as having the front of her hair exposed in the same fashion as I may wear mine.

Malaikah said:

Shouldn't we be seeing more Christian women covering their hair if this is the case?

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I would think so, but like the article says many misinterpert and twist the verses meaning around. My paternal aunt who claims to follow all of the bible literally disapproves of me wearing hijab. I asked her if she is so devout than why does she not cover her head in some fashion whether it be with a scarf or a hat.

glo said:

Hi ragdollcat



Do you get negative responses for wearing hijab? Or are people more curious?
What convinced you to wear hijab in the first place?
Are you doing it alone or with other likeminded women?

You just keep doing what you believe is right, ragdollcat!

God bless

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I have gotten mixed reactions. When I was at the mall Christmas shopping this year I had a teenage girl come up from behind me and try to rip my scarf off of my head and told I need to go back to where I blanking came from. Boy was she surprised to see blonde hair and green eyes! I have had some curious people ask me why I do it and I tell them because God commands it and no I am not a Muslim but a Christian and that hijab has been around long before Islam came into being. I am doing it alone right now but I have some support online from likeminded sisters.

Ohhhh I'd be so angry if someone did that to me :-[
But mashaAllah, keep donning that hijab!

The wearing of a headcovering for religious purposes in America is not limited to Muslims. Many Christian women cover their heads either full-time or for prayer. Where does this "tradition" come from?

Biblical Command

The command to wear a headcovering while praying is found in the first book of Corinthians. Many modern Christians do not believe that this command is relevant today, which is why most Christian women do not cover their heads. It is not my intention to try to
prove them wrong. Instead, I hope to help fellow Christians better understand the reasons that some Christian women do practice headcovering.

The fact that the Bible says: But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. (1 Cor. 11:5) is enough to convince many Christian ladies to cover their heads while in prayer. That we are told elsewhere in the scriptures to pray without ceasing seems to indicate that Christian women should cover their heads at all times.

I am well aware, having read extensively on the subject, of all of the arguments against covering. However, none of the arguments have convinced me otherwise. To myself and other headcovering Christian ladies, there are no ifs, ands or buts about it. God set it down in His word, and that is good enough for me.

Misconceptions

Some people may assume that Christian women who cover do so because they were raised that way. In fact, all of the Christian women I know who cover were led to do so as adults.

Another misconception about covered ladies (as well as those who dress modestly and/or plainly) is that their husbands, misogynists on a religious power trip, force them to do so. Again, all of the Christian ladies I know who cover, including myself, choose to wear a headcovering of their own free will.

Holier-than-thou?

What if you are a Christian woman who does not cover? You may feel that those of us who do cover think we are holier-than-thou. The opposite is actually true in many cases.

The wearing of a Christian headcovering is a very humbling experience. It was after I outgrew the, "Oh, look at that so-and-so...I would never do that!" phase and started looking closely at myself that I was led to cover my head during prayer.

Salvation Issue?

Most Christian ladies who practice headcovering do not believe it is essential to one's salvation. Salvation is a free gift of God and made possible through the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. To cover in obedience to scripture is not an attempt to earn one's way
into Heaven; and to decide not to cover is not going to send any woman who has accepted God's free gift of salvation to Hell.

The decision to wear a headcovering was not an easy one for me. I always felt that my long blond hair was one of my best features and was reluctant to cover it up. I worried about what people would think. I was scared of being different from the world around me.

But God is faithful and true, and He has used the covering and the testimony it carries to change my life and the lives of people who I encounter in my daily walk through life.


Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/239780/why_i_wear_a_headcovering_a_christian_pg2.html?cat=47

That's very interesting, Zico. Thanks for sharing.

I can certainly understand that covering yourself would be a very humbling experience indeed.
I also quite like the idea of having an external sign which signals to other people your way of life.

But this below quote demonstrates in my mind the difference between hijabi Muslimahs and head-covering Christian women:

Zico said:

Most Christian ladies who practice headcovering do not believe it is essential to one's salvation.
Salvation is a free gift of God and made possible through the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To cover in obedience to scripture is not an attempt to earn one's way into Heaven; and to decide not to cover is not going to send any woman who has accepted God's free gift of salvation to Hell.

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Salaam

Women of all Abrahamic faiths are required to/should cover their hair.

ragdollcat1982 said:

I have gotten mixed reactions. When I was at the mall Christmas shopping this year I had a teenage girl come up from behind me and try to rip my scarf off of my head and told I need to go back to where I blanking came from. Boy was she surprised to see blonde hair and green eyes! I have had some curious people ask me why I do it and I tell them because God commands it and no I am not a Muslim but a Christian and that hijab has been around long before Islam came into being. I am doing it alone right now but I have some support online from likeminded sisters.

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Probably surprised to learn that you are not Muslim, the same way you would be surprised from your description of the event to learn that not all Muslim sisters have dark hair beneath their scarves?.. even those from eastern origin. my niece a product of a red headed mother and a brown haired father and she came out blond, many wondrous things exist indeed.. I fear the west has a certain prototype of what a Muslim looks like and that is why they always remain in a state of fear (they are fighting with a religion) not a race.. we certainly don't come only from the middle east in fact middle eastern Muslims make up only 20% of the 1.86 billion Muslims in the world and even middle eastern Muslims from the 'sham' region and those in Turkey have pretty European features-- we are certainly not a one size fits all, although I appreciate your plight with the random haters!


peace

Malaikah said:

Shouldn't we be seeing more Christian women covering their hair if this is the case?

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Well, as ragdollcat1982 says, most Christians don't understand those verse to be speaking a universal command for all time to all women. And that is why most Christian women don't feel the compulsion that ragdollcat1982 does. However, she is most certainly not alone. In the part of the USA where I live there are large numbers of Amish and Mennonite women who regularly wear their hair covered. Some just have a small cap on top and their hair shoes out underneath it. Others, put their hair up so that it is completely covered under a hat. I don't know any Christians here in my part of the country who wear an actual hijab, but I do in other countries. And all because of the verse that ragdollcat1982 shared.

I never/rarely see Christian women wearing head covers...maybe not many know about this ?

ragdollcat1982 said:

No sister I have not and one can still find many devout Orthodox Christian women wearing the same thing. If one has seen the movie my Big Fat Greek Wedding, you will notice that grandma wears a headcover that covers all of her hair.

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My apologies if this comes across as ignorant, but is head covering associated with widows in some Christian cultures?

If Christian women start covering their head, more power to them. The only thing is that they should adapt a distinct style, so that they dont appear to be muslims.

What if these verses have nothing to do with actually covering of the hair but with submission of the woman to the man as the head of the household? We know through Jesus' teachings that GOD is more concerned with what is in our heart.

What if wearing a head scarf makes you believe that you are more submissive and so better then the woman not wearing a scarf?

How much of the head needs to be covered? Can a small cap like the one the Amish wear do the job- you can see through these very thin caps? How about the scarves tied behind the neck- the group in southern Canada and northern North Dakota- can't think of their name.

How do you understand this verse:
1 Corinthians 11
6If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.

Any cutting hair no matter the length is shorn, but check out the 4th definition.

shear - sheared or shorn,
–verb (used with object)
1. to cut (something).
2. to remove by or as if by cutting or clipping with a sharp instrument: to shear wool from sheep.
3. to cut or clip the hair, fleece, wool, etc., from: to shear sheep.
4. to strip or deprive (usually fol. by of): to shear someone of power.
5. Chiefly Scot. to reap with a sickle.
6. to travel through by or as if by cutting: Chimney swifts sheared the air.

The scarf/hat wearing for the woman no longer holds the meaning of being submissive- it is a fashion statement. The Christian woman has a choice and she can show her submission to her husband in other ways.

عاشق نبي;1147433 said:

If Christian women start covering their head, more power to them. The only thing is that they should adapt a distinct style, so that they dont appear to be muslims.

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Can you explain why that would be of importance?

Peace

عاشق نبي;1147433 said:

If Christian women start covering their head, more power to them. The only thing is that they should adapt a distinct style, so that they dont appear to be muslims.

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Here you and I differ on opinion. I believe it is appropriate for all women to cover their heads. What is a more appropriate cover than the hijab?

Among us Muslims the style of hijab does differ from culture to culture, it would be difficult to say what type of head cover is or is not Islamic. If it covers in accordance with sunnah and is halal, the style will not matter and if a non-Muslim woman chooses to cover, if the scarf does cover properly, it is going to be some form of hijab.

If a non-Muslim woman chooses to cover, I believe we should encourage it if her intentions for covering are to respect Allaah(swt)

Problem is that if Christian starts covering their head in a way similar to Muslims people will mistake their identity, and this will not only be detrimental to Muslims it will also be detrimental to Christians, as their religious identity is being taken away from them. dress is very important part of identity. This is the reason why we Muslim men trim down or shave our mustaches, so as not to be mistaken as Jews, as Jewish men grow large mustaches and usually dont cut their mustaches, so our beloved Prophet salallahu alaihi wa salam said to keep a distinct style different from jews and pagans. Also, it is sunnah to wear turban that is wrapped around a cap, which is opposite to pagans especially sikhs who wrap their turbans around their head without a cap underneath it. Another example is that it is haram in Islam to shave part of your head and keep some hair (i.e. mohawk) because this was a pagan custom (and still is). I can give so many more examples but I think the point is clear.

Therefore back to the original subject, how christian women should cover their head, they should have some unique style so that no one will mistake them for muslims.