Don't judge a book by it's cover, or lack of

As identified in my last post, Gypsy and Traveller women obey a strict moral code on the inside but what about the outside? What pops into your head when you see these girls?

Immodest, loose, shameless…? Well you’re probably not alone. These are Gypsies and Travellers.

So not to be accused of 'reducing a whole culture to a few crystals, lipstick and a big skirt', I’m not saying that all Gypsy and Traveller females dress like this but there’s certainly no denying that it’s become a common style within the community. The question is, how can people claiming to be moral Christians dress, to what appears to us, so improperly? Can both these individuals obey the same God?

Gypsy girl

Amish girl

Though most strains of Christianity have never officially outlined the ‘Christian’ code of dress, the term ‘Christian modesty’ is often applied. Let’s just say you wouldn’t see a mini skirt or a boob tube in the Virgin Mary’s wardrobe. And why?...

Modesty = spiritual integrity

In a nutshell, skimpy clothes are a ‘temptation’ attracting male attention and inciting immoral, lustful behaviour and a ‘distraction’ from spiritual worship preventing our purpose of seeking God. This understanding is expressed well by Charles Hill, an Ohio church planter, in his article "Butts and Boobs" where he raises worries over skimpy dressing during the summer.

So, in this respect then, Gypsies and Travellers are certainly at odds with Christianity. Especially being so highly strung and not agreeing with sex before marriage why are they wearing clothes their own religion would reject on the basis that it leads to lust? Or aren’t the motives surrounding their dress really that innocent?   

When marriage is the goal and dating is forbidden then you use everything you’ve got to attract a husband, including your appearance.  Therefore, aren’t the Gypsy and Traveller community just condoning this lustful behaviour that the Christian church is so against. Maybe Gypsy girls should adopt the approach taken by other Christian girls through the campaign 'Modest is Hottest'.

Though in all fairness we can’t give this Christian interpretation full credibility as it itself has been labelled as dangerous by presenting the female form as sexual temptation it seems to objectify women as just sexual objects surrounding them in a sense of shame. Arguably then this view isn’t compatible with future gender equality within Christianity, discussed in the earlier post. Are Gypsies and Travellers ahead of their time dressing as a freedom of expression rather that obeying out-dated Christianity?

Extravagance not important

‘It’s all about looking the best’ – declared Cheyenne, a Gypsy, in an episode of ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings’

And how is this achieved? LOTS of ‘bling’ and ‘sparkle’. But it’s this extravagance that’s arguably in contradiction to Christian teachings.

‘Also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God’ (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

So is a Christian someone who doesn’t wear jewels and extravagant clothes, which would certainly contradict ‘Gypsy fashion’? It seems more realistic to suggest that like other Christian interpretations of the Bible it’s exactly that, not a literal reading but read to uncover a wider message. The message of this then is that at the very least we shouldn’t place importance on our appearance as a status symbol, rather we should concentrate on the purity of our inner being. So can Gypsy and Traveller females justify their clothing by being so highly strung morally? As 'The Bible says man looks on the outside but God looks at the heart'. So if their hearts are pure and Christian then surely God can forgive their immodest outfits?  

‘A man is a man and a woman knows her place’

I was astonished last Tuesday when the Church of England voted to reject the ordination of women bishops. Living in the 21^st Century I would’ve never imagined the Church to be so out of touch.  And it appears I’m not alone with the PM himself expressing disappointment.

Was this somehow an expression of the ideological justification from Christianity for the gender division that I witnessed when watching ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings’?

‘The Feminine Mystique’ a book found on the shelf of any Gypsy or Traveller caravan? I think not. If feminism has gone any way to breaking the gender barrier, then the Gypsies and Travellers have certainly overlooked it. For Gypsies and Travellers the course of one’s life is determined at birth according to their gender.

Female = ‘Homemaker’, Male = ‘Breadwinner’

So, let’s just say the phrase ‘born to wed’ certainly defines your Gypsy or Traveller woman and as you heard, life before marriage is no picnic with all those strict codes of behaviour. But for the man it’s a completely different set of rules, or lack of. So the question is, is this gender distinction compatible with Christianity? 

Historically, there’s no denying that the Church has facilitated gender inequality and as we can see from recent events there is still an imbalance between the sexes. So it wouldn’t seem too far-fetched to claim that the Gypsies and Travellers’ gender distinction resonates from the ‘stained-glass ceiling’ in Christianity.

However, is this version of Christianity just a dying sect? Surely we must be able to find a few feminist Christians or what’s to be said for the future of Christianity?

The video found in the link below represents arguably what are Christianity’s beliefs on gender… 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20438747

An illustration of the old out-dated alongside the young future of Christianity, reflected on closer scrutiny in the margin of votes, with 324 out of 446 actually voting in favour of women bishops. Therefore the eventual course of Christianity does look to ultimately be one of gender equality.

“In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27)

It appears it’s not just the future of Christianity that the Gypsy and Travellers’ views are incompatible with but the Bible itself!!

I’m not saying that gender discrimination can’t be found in the Bible but like the one above there’s certainly many biblical references that support gender equality. If we’re all equally created, then in the eyes of God this doesn’t include any inequality between genders. By holding and enforcing this aren’t Gypsies and Travellers just going against the freedom of equality created by God?

However, perhaps a slight breeze of modernity is drifting through the Gypsy and Traveller community. Arguably a tiny fraction of the Gypsy and Traveller community are rebelling? 

But there’s a more dangerous side of the Gypsy and Traveller gender distinction in the form of the domestic abuse it leaves women vulnerable to. It’s not hard to find a link between the arguably submissive status of a Gypsy or Traveller woman and the domestic abuse supposedly kept secret, but accepted in the Gypsy and Traveller community. A recent article referenced findings that between 61 and 81% of married Gypsies and Traveller women in Wrexham had experienced direct abuse from a partner. I mean would God really approve? If this gender distinction allows for such devaluing of women and un-Christian behaviour it can’t be compatible with being Christian. Isn’t Christianity all about love and tolerance? 

“Till death do us part”…they’re not kidding

As I mentioned earlier, divorce in the Gypsy and Traveller community is rare. Why?...because of their beliefs on marriage. Seen as something not to be entered into lightly, amazing I know considering the age at which they tie the knot, a mere average of 17. But, for them it means life! And what is the root of this understanding?…RELIGION!

“The biggest honour you could ever achieve is getting your child married in a chapel, a church, the house of God” – declared by Paddy Doherty, an Irish Traveller, in an episode of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings

So certainly from the stance of ‘Holy matrimony’ the Gypsy and Traveller community are Christians, right?

YES, they do seem to reflect the religious stance of marriage possessing the fundamental belief of Christianity that marriage is sacred and should be entered into with the expectation of a lifelong marriage.

BUT, is this the only motive behind marriage for the Gypsy and Traveller community? Isn’t there a reason why Gypsies and Travellers only ever seem to marry other Gypsies and Travellers? Well yes there is – the continuation of racial purity. A community who consider themselves under threat, Gypsies and Travellers are expected to marry their own to preserve the Gypsy and Traveller way of life. Paddy Doherty expressed this flawlessly asserting “I want my name to stay in the Traveller culture”. So for them is marriage really more important because God says it’s a must or because of its social purpose?

In recent years the subject of divorce has ‘rocked the Christian boat’, but for Gypsies and Travellers it’s plain sailing – for them divorce is wrong! But I ask you, where’s the sacredness in an abusive marriage? Isn’t God all-loving, so how can He accept watching someone suffer abuse? Conclusion - divorce should be an option to allow someone to escape certain marriages. Well many sectors of Christianity are now starting to agree.

People like Jocelyn Andersen, a Christian domestic violence survivor, justifies divorce using theological arguments, supporting abused wives’ rights with biblical reference. Arguments such as this one reflect a rising sector of Christianity that prompts one to consider the Gypsies and Travellers’ opinions on divorce as outdated and no longer compatible with developing Christianity.

Okay, I have to point out here I’m not single-minded. I’m not saying that all Gypsies and Travellers disagree with divorce and condone domestic violence. If anything a small window of hope has opened up for those stuck in a troubled marriage. The recent presence of some Gypsy women publicly getting divorced, such as Joan Furey, a bride from the ‘Big Fat Gypsy Weddings’, who one year later went and got a divorce. Her interview in a Daily Mail article implies she had no shame and no one blamed her. Do these women stand for a changing culture? Is it possible for the Gypsy and Traveller community to hold these strong views of marriage and accept that in some cases divorce is acceptable as it’s the most ‘Christian’ thing?