Men are very easily aroused sexually. That is why semi-naked women are used in television and magazine advertisements. Parents need to explain to their daughters how easily a man is aroused sexually by a womans body. They need to know, because many of them do not understand what happens to a man. At one church, after I had spoken on the topic of clothing, a young woman came up and told me that she had only been a Christian for six months. She was dating a young Christian man and was perplexed as to why he often told her not to wear certain things. Every time she asked him why, he started to feel embarrassed. She had not realized before that what she wore (or did not wear) could put a stumbling block in a mans way by causing him to commit adultery in his heart.

Fathers need to explain to their daughters about how men react to a womans body. They also need to explain to their sons that although womens clothes, or lack of them, can be a stumbling block to a male, it is not an excuse for them in relation to what their mind does with what they see. Job had an answer for this problem: "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31:1). As Christians, males should have a covenant with their eyes and be reminded of this when lustful thoughts come as a result of what they see or hear.

Jesus states that if a man lusts after a woman in his heart, he commits adultery in his heart: "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). Sin distorts nakedness. Even the perfect relationship experienced by Adam and Eve before the Fall degenerated. After the Fall, they hid from God and were ashamed of their nakedness. Many Christian women wear clothes that really accentuate their sexuality. And many a roving eye follows every movement. But what is happening? Men are committing adultery in their hearts. Adultery for which they and the women will have to answer.

In many Christian homes, parents have certain beliefs about clothing. They say to their teenager, "You cant wear that."

The teenagers reply, "But why not?"

"Because it is not the Christian thing," answer the parents.

"Why not?" ask the teenagers again.

"Because Christians dont wear that," the parents insist.

"Why not?" the reply comes.