Olympic Competition and Manhood and Womanhood, Part 4: Does Modesty Matter for the Athletes (and Viewers)?

In ancient Greece athletes competed in the nude, and it seems we are increasingly headed in that direction. I understand that somewhere between Athens and today, athletes wore more modest dress. My parents say they remember a time when women (and men) did not dress so immodestly when they competed, but that hasn't been my experience as a viewer.

Some could make the argument that "less is best" when it comes to competing in high speed events, such as track and swimming. But even if this were true (and necessary) could the same logic be applied to events where speed is not a factor, like volleyball?

In any case, what does it say when we have an entire generation of women competing in revealing clothing all for an improvement of a few seconds on their time? And what are we teaching our sons and daughters about the value of womanhood compared to a gold medal?

Even if there are supposed benefits to minimal clothing during events, God has still established parameters for modesty. As Christian women, we should care more about pleasing God than speed and winning. Christian men should care more about pleasing God with their eyes than watching a favorite event (not to say that women are not immune to the pitfalls of viewing immodesty).

Fathers (and mothers) have an especially important responsibility to instill a desire for modesty in their kids. C.J. Mahaney says that "Fathers are absolutely essential to the cultivation of modesty. When a young lady dresses immodestly, it usually means her father has failed to lead, care for and protect her.  Without a father's care and protection, she may be daily exposed to the lustful minds of men." Our standards regarding modesty should be God's standards.

Parents must lead in this area. Silence over the Olympic athletes attire essentially teaches our children that modesty is irrelevant in the pursuit of a gold medal. When we do not take a stand on modesty, we are inadvertently teaching our daughters (and sons) that womanhood is defined by how you look.  And as is the case in every arena, a worldview is being established—either by the parents or the television set.

For example, every year during the Super Bowl my brothers have a back-up plan. Don't get me wrong. The Super Bowl is on in our house, but the commercials and half-time show is a different animal. So at every commercial break we abandon the NFL for the Disney Channel.

With the Olympics fast approaching, we will face this problem again. So as you prepare to watch the Olympics in the coming weeks have a plan ready. Here are some suggestions for a plan at your own home:

• Give someone the remote and ask them to be prepared to change the channel if necessary—a designated clicker of sorts
• Have conversations topics ready for commercial breaks
• Have an ongoing game (Scrabble, Scattegories, cards) that picks up at the commercials
• Be willing to forego events if the clothing is beyond simple eye diversion

Nothing, apart from the saving work of Christ, is going to stop our culture from completely imitating the Greeks. In feminism's quest for "equality" we have simply given ourselves over to the very thing we say we despise—objectification. But, we have an opportunity, during the Olympics, to teach God's truths about manhood and womanhood.