Luigi Bobbio, Miniskirt Ban

A very controversial topic has been flooding search engines and news sites the last few days.  It is about something called "The Miniskirt Ban."  Luigi Bobbio, the mayor of a small town in Italy, has proposed to put a ban on miniskirts. This ban should be accepted and go into effect immediately.  Violators would receive up to a $700 fine if caught.  As to be expected, female politicians, women's rights activists, and countless others have been heavily opposing this ban.

       This ban is not just about miniskirts though.  It will also outlaw men going shirtless, sunbathing and undressing in town, blasphemy and foul language, and playing football in public spaces since they often result in fights.  Bobbio had this to say about the ban, "It's a matter of common sense, of common decency" (Christian Science Monitor).  So, let's get this straight.  Under this ban, people would have to dress better, be more decent in public, speak better, and fight less.  Is this law really so bad?  It seems this controversy is not so much about the length of a skirt or women's rights, but that these people simply do not want to be told what to do. 

       No matter what opinions people may have, what is most important is to see what God has to say about all of this.  In 1 Timothy 2:9, God said, "I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly..." (c.f. 1 Peter 2:11-12; 3:3-4; Romans 13:13-14; etc).  Obviously God wants people to dress appropriately.  As we know, modesty is not just for women.  Bobbio must have known this since he included men under the ban as well.  Lust is something that applies to both genders, and God has clearly told us to stay away from it (Matthew 5:8; Romans 6:12-13; 2 Timothy 2:22; James 1:14-15; etc).  God wants both men and women to dress in a modest fashion and in a way that will not bring out lustful thoughts.  If anything, this ban brings people one step closer to what God plainly commands.

       While there is not as much controversy about the "blasphemy and foul language" part of the ban, God has also spoken on this as well.  Ephesians 4:29 states, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth..." (c.f. Matthew 12:34-37; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:8; etc).  Undoubtedly, God wants people to dress well and speak well.

       We live in a world which is at a highpoint on the "indecency scale."  It is encouraging to see a mayor taking bold steps towards "common decency."  Obviously we too should seek to be modest in the way we dress and wholesome in our speech.  However, these are probably commands we have already applied to our lives.  So, beyond that, hopefully some of Bobbio's boldness will rub off on us and we too can stand up for things which are pure, wholesome, and above all else, what God commands (Philippians 4:8).  Brett Petrillo