Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-28
n IN CHURCH.
Advice to Ministers 10 Let the Women
settle the Question Themselves

Advice to Ministers to Let the Women
settle the Question Themselves.
New York Times.
The ministers OF various denominations
are having a great deal of what would
appear to be unnecessary trouble concern
Ing the way women dress for church,
especially as to their heads. Hats of fash
ionable shape and trimming, and especially
what are known as picture hats, have been
repeatedly denounced as sinful abomina-
tons, ~blanketing the preacher from those
behind the wearers and attracting a de-
gree Of attention from other women incon-
sistent with devotional concentration And
now a pastor OF a church near New York
has launched the major communicate
OF Its equivalent, against the immodest
creatures who come to church without hats,
declaring that to thus present themselves
in a place OF worship argues disrespect to
God, because st. Paul is reported to have
said that women should come to worship
covered.
st. Paul doubtless spoke wisely in his day
and generation, though perhaps in this
instance not for all time; but 1t would be
an interesting recreation to follow the pro-
cess Of reasoning which leads a pastor to
conclude that millinery involves more re-
bPCNN " NOu ludu IL ldCh Vi I INSTANCES
might be called to mind Of millinery in
such shocking taste that even fallible and
sinful human beings have resented it as
an ohense. II a minister OF the gospel
feels himself authorized to say what is or
Is not pleasing to the Creator in such mat
tiers, and declares ex cathedra that some
hats and no hats are alike anathema. what
is a poor woman to do who wants to 20 to
church, unless some form OF ecumenical
council shall be called to decide what sort
of bonnet she may wear? Meanwhile the
pastor who proclaims the latest OF the can
ons Of the toilet makes the following an
nouncement: Now, hereafter, any woman
who attends church without a hat will not
be admitted" The conclusion is inevitable
that II this message was inspired a large
discretion was left to the bearer OF It in
the choice Of language in which to express
1t, since his syntax is not inerrant. Obvi-
Ously a woman cannot attend church unless
she be admitted. The language Of our
clerical friends proclamation recalls the
wording of a notice printed on the tickets
Of a recent east side social function, and
intended to convey the idea that they were
not transferable, which read: mo gentle
man admitted unless he comes himself"
Would 1t not be a good scheme for min
listers to let the women Of their congrega-
lions regulate their attire to suit them
selves? The confidence with which some
OF them frame dicta in such matters is not
even indicative OF the confidence Of half
knowledge" Of which Tyndall speaks in his
beautiful monograph on Dew. The church
is at it's best in dealing with the hidden
mysteries. and becomes purile and meddle-
some when 1t concerns itself with fashion
in outer garments and styles In millinery.
In such matters society establishes its W
conventions. Even modesty and propriety
are relative terms. depending for their
definition upon what happen to be the local
and possibly temporary standards. The less
its ministers give heed to such matters the
better for their usefulness In the discharge
Of their legitimate functions.