Are Breast Implants a Sin?

Posted on November 18, 2009
Viewed 2951 times
(43) comments

It all started with this quote from Ingrid Schlueter yesterday: "Breast-enhancement surgery for purposes of engendering male lust is no way to represent Jesus Christ."

I was reading my RSS feeds yesterday and saw an article entitled "Carrie Prejean, Sexting, and a Lost Generation". Interesting title, I thought. Then I read the quote. It was interesting and provacative. So I twittered it.

It ignited a firestorm on a couple of Christian discernment blogs. And, as usual, Ingrid and her supporter Ken Silva, took me to task.

Here's my original tweet:

"Breast-enhancement surgery for purposes of engendering male lust is no way to represent Jesus Christ." Ingrid speaks.

Ingrid responded on her blog, saying that my tweet was "snarky". Um, all I did was post a quote (along with a link to her blog). Here was her response:

So does Mr. Rhoades feel that surgical breast enhancement for the purpose of male is a good way to represent Jesus Christ? I’m interested in that line of thought. Does he have a wife? Does she know what her husband is saying on Twitter? Is she OK with that tweet? Do the “ministry” guys who follow Mr. Rhoades also follow the breast enhancement ministry line of thought? Just asking.

So, I guess I'll just answer:

First of all, I do have a wife. Thanks for asking. Her name is Dawn. She read the comment and laughed. She suggested that some people have too much time on their hands. She does read my tweets.

As for the ministry guys that follow Mr. Rhoades (I guess that would be me), I guess you've all been put into the 'pro-breast ministry' camp. If you want to change affiliation, unfollow immediately (I guess).

Let me say, first of all, that I am pro-breast.

But to be honest, I've never taken the time to think about the potential sinfulness of breast implants.

So... how did we get from a simple accurate quote put in a tweet, to me being 'pro-breast ministry'? That's a leap that I doubt anyone could explain.

But seriously... there are two camps here:

1. Carrie Prejean: Quoted as saying: "I think it's a personal decision. I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn't get breast implants."

2. Ingrid Schlueter: Quoted as saying: "For the sake of Carrie’s soul, somebody needs to explain the rudiments of the biblical gospel to her."

Let me say: I have no reason not to believe that both these ladies are my sisters in Christ. Both have professed Christ as their Savior. Yet both have extremely different views. Both profess to love Jesus, but both live out that love in desperately different ways.

About the original quote from Ingrid. It may surprise her that I actually AGREE with her statement. IF breast enlargement surgery is done for the purpose of getting men to lust after you, it is definitely no way to represent Jesus. My problem with the quote is two-fold:

1. I do not believe that all women who get breast enhancement do so for the express purpose of making men lust after them.

2. I do not believe that all men are sexually aroused by breasts that have been augmented in some way.

Does the Bible forbid breast implants? Of course not. Does it promote them? Of course not.

And I'm fine with that. Why make a big deal out of something like that?

The issue of sin and past lifestyle decisions comes into play here as well. Prejean definitely does have a past. She's done some things that she'd rather not have everyone know about. When you're a Christian in the spotlight, those are never great things to have lying around in your closet. When they are exposed, it is ugly. But you can always count on a great group of Christians ready to beat you with sticks:

“Nothing is private,” complained Carrie in a TV interview last week. No, Carrie, not even privates are private. For the sake of Carrie’s soul, somebody needs to explain the rudiments of the biblical gospel to her. (Family values are not the gospel.) Her mentor can move on from there to help her understand biblical modesty and decency. Christ has been mocked and shamed, not because Carrie stood up for traditional marriage, but because she did so in a barely-there bikini.

Christ is mocked and shamed every time we sin. But thankfully, we have a Savior who forgives.

What do YOU think?

Todd

PS -- I also thought it was interesting that the term "Sexting" was used in the title of Ingrid's post. Not sure why she used that other than to grab our attention. The article had nothing to do with, or even mention 'sexting'.

Also, Ken Silva reminds me that if the men won't speak up, then God will raise up women (like Ingrid) to speak to us: Ken posted: "I’m wondering where the men are in the Christian blogosphere, for if they won’t speak the Lord will use women."

Ken also writes: And I also wonder, is Rhoades now prepared to defend Prejean’s “need” to have her body surgically altered in order to better serve Jesus by winning so-called “beauty contests,” and/or to more alluringly model skimpy outfits and underwear? My answer: WHAT? I don't understand how you got to that line of thinking! I'll just answer the question in this way: I really have no concern (nor is it any of my business) how large (or small) Carrie Prejean's breasts are. I simply don't care.

Comments

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Stretch Mark Mama on Wed, November 18, 2009

The bible *does* say that Jesus was not much to look at… so I’d say ugliness is a virtue.
Fred on Wed, November 18, 2009

Surely it’s OK for a wife to cause her husband to lust after her? If she doesn’t someone else will?

Don’t these surgeries leave visible scars? Don’t they lead to possible health problems later? Don’t they cause a lack of sensitivity? Don’t they cost way too much money?

I can’t see it’s sin if a wife is doing it for herself or her husband. Is weight lifting a sin? Is dieting a sin?
Rev Eric on Thu, November 19, 2009

Like a few other gentlemen who commented, I too am pro breast. I lost track of what the topic was after the word “breast.”

It must have not been that important.
Patty Faussett on Thu, November 19, 2009

Unfortunately, this article has hit quite close to home for me, only because I am a dedicated Christian, who in a season of my life made the foolish mistake of getting breast implants, and as a result, lost my precious health. I have suffered greatly from them. They were removed, of course, and I spent the next 4 years on a long journey with God back to health, a path that led to a deeper faith in Christ, a maturing of my beliefs, and a realization that the ONLY reason I got breast implants in the first place was because I was believing a LIE. That lie was that I needed to improve what God had already made perfect with the extreme risk of invasive surgery, or that what I looked like really mattered. In light of James 1:27, it becomes painfully obvious that breast implants have no place in the life of a sincere and devout believer in Christ, if those implants are received for augmentation purposes only. Pure and faultless faith points our energy, money and resources toward orphans, widows, the helpless, the needy, the hungry, the poor…and if we are to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world, what better example of worldly pollution is there than a woman PAYING someone else to stuff her body with an unecessary toxic bomb that has the potential to destroy her life? That’s the work of the enemy of Christ, who came only to steal, kill and destroy. There are thousands of women in this world who have been harmed by breast implants, and some have died from them, though they remain a neglected casualty in the medical world. It’s sad.
Patty Faussett on Thu, November 19, 2009

PS…..I have been involved in breast implant support groups for over a decade and am a founder of my own Yahoo support group that has been active for over 9 years. I have talked with and counseled hundreds of women who have become desperately ill from breast implants. I am networked with at least a dozen doctors, lawyers and other medical ... Read Moreprofessionals who KNOW that implants have caused women to become ill with devastating illnesses. I know this is a controversial subject! But as one who experienced it firsthand, I can tell you that the risks are very real, and very serious. God bless us all.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SalineSupport/?yguid=193700069
Patty Faussett on Thu, November 19, 2009

Let me ask one more question of my own…..Are breast implants a sin if the children born to women with implants are harmed?

(And yes, those harmed children exist….)
Rev Eric on Thu, November 19, 2009

Patty Faussett, I am so sorry for the pain you experienced. I praise God that through that horrible experience, you have found yourself closer to him and are using that experience to bring glory and honor to him by helping others.

I hope you did not find my previous post offensive.
Josh Hatcher on Thu, November 19, 2009

I’m pro-breast too.

As for Carrie’s…

to be honest… I cringe everytime I see her parading on the news in the bikini….

it seems to be the only clip that they show on the news, everytime they say something about her.

I could care less whether or not they are enhanced…. I just wish I didn’t have to SEE them all the time.

And, you know how the “groom” a political candidate… making sure there are no skeletons in his closet before he runs for office… and they cut off any of them out there that have nude photos or sex tapes before they get a chance to run for office..

cuz we would HATE to see nude photos of barack obama… it would erode the presidency!

and if they do have skeletons…. they make a point to bring them out in the open right off the bat… saying, “hey… i’ve made mistakes in my past, but now i don’t do that.”

that should be done with “christian spokespeople”.

Carrie’s answer to the gay marriage question should have been,

“Well, i know I’m not perfect. I have fake boobs, and I made a sex tape with my ex boyfriend… but I don’t think marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman”

then none of this would be a surprise, nor an issue.

as for your friend Ingrid… WTHeck? So a boob job disqualifies you from being a christian?
And she seems to have an issue with Prejean promoting family values as opposed to the gospel… but what do you think would happen if Carrie Prejean presented the Roman Road everytime the media stuck a microphone in her face? They would butcher and edit it, and the only thing that anyone would get to hear is “You’re all going to hell.”

Ingrid… be nice. Thanks.
handbags shop on Thu, November 19, 2009

Too serious��cannot hold it in��must ask��what about Titus?
R Bradford on Thu, November 19, 2009

Interesting conversation. In this situation Ingrid is right. When you get away from personal opinions and start quoting scripture, it is hard to defend Ms. Prejean’s activities.

I write this noting that I am not familiar with the tug of war between Ms. Schuelter, Mr. Silva and Mr. Rhoades. I am just noting that it was a mistake to make Ms. Prejean an evangelical superstar.
Jim B. in Indiana on Thu, November 19, 2009

Of course they’re sinful! Otherwise, why do they attempt to keep them covered up? Don’t people try and cover-up and keep their sins hidden? But the real issue, pardon the pun, are butt implants. On this we can all agree; they are sins on which we can all comfortably sit on around that table. Forgive me for the poor attempt at humor, but it’s been one of those weeks.

Sins of implantation would be determined by one’s motive for such an implant. Some are truly for physical issues, while some are for for less than pure motives. It’s the motive more than the actual implant.
Mark on Thu, November 19, 2009

“...Let me say, first of all, that I am pro-breast…

LOL!! This is the best Christian quote of the year.

... and just for the record, I’m also “pro-breast”

I will be giggling about this for weeks

Thanks, Todd, for a little levity this week!
Al on Thu, November 19, 2009

I think that there are all too many people ready to stir up storms in tea-cups that make all of us look stupid. If we spent less time looking for loopholes and sin in other people’s lives, then how are we to address the sin in our own… People jump on causes and publicity-inducing events far too quickly in my humble opinion…

If I were Miss Prejean, I would add to the debate by getting piercings and tattoos that would feed the frenzy of people too willing to elevate their own righteousness by judging others!
Pastor Matt on Fri, November 20, 2009

This is becoming a bit of storm in a d cup if you ask me.

Seriously though, whoever mentioned the dress modestly thing in Timothy has missed the point of that passage - the dress modestly is about not flaunting your wealth not about showing you can park a bike in your cleavage.
rbud on Sat, November 21, 2009

Interesting, somewhat comical, what topics stir the most debate. I’m a butt man, mostly, so when butt-implants come up, let me know and I may have more constructive comments to share.

Whether or not breast implanting is a sin, is, as many have said, a matter of motive and heart. The greater sin here, is that Schuelter chose to publicly point at and make an issue of Prejean, and apparently discredited her soul’s position. Arrogant in my view, and we all know what the Lord thinks about arrogance.