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These social norms reflect the ways of doing things

Standard, generally speaking, is an established norm which in the context of a social environment is related to decency; standards of decency differ from one cultural context to another and are incorporated in the social norms of a nation. Social norms represent behavioral expectations that a society requires from its inhabitants. These norms define a set of rules that a group uses in order to delimitate appropriate values, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs. These social norms reflect also the ways of doing things, of bridesmaid dress, of appearance, etc.

Restricting the notion of standard to the biblical principles we can get the holiness standard that has its own set of rules that are not so far from the ones imposed in a mundane world. But talking about holiness standard is like talking about modesty and separation from wordliness as it is required by the Bible. In the conditions of isolation from the wordly things and the given society holiness standards are very easy to follow, since there are no material temptations, distractions from the pure and simple life that such a separation requires, they are "social" norms easy to handle within the frame of a solitary space.

The difficult and tough thing to do is to follow the holiness standards in a social environment where temptations watch from behind every corner of your existence, where the consummation society is grabbing at your mind, never leaving you the time to meditate on the spiritual needs of your being.

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Relating these notions to the holy matrimony there are a set of rules to be followed when it comes to wedding gowns for holiness standards. First of all make up wore by a woman is considered to be a sin, since the purpose of the make up is to lure men, noting that make up was used only by prostitutes in order to seduce men in exchange for money. Christian women are supposed to stay natural, as long as God made their appearance and every attempt to change it is considered to be done out of vanity.

The wedding gowns for holiness standards are in a sense a contradictory phrase in terms, if we take into account that there are religious groups that consider marriage a sin. They proclaim that women and men alike to devote themselves as virgins to their belief in God, therefore the only marriage accepted is the one between a virgin and the holy spirit of God. But if we extend the phrase to the social context we find that there are some simple rules to meet the holiness standards.

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These rules relate to the simple white (since the color white is the symbol of purity and simplicity) wedding dress without jewelry adornments, a veil worn over the face and the only piece of jewelry allowed is the wedding ring. On a second thought we have to admit that these rules are not so drastically drawn, they can be easily followed by wedding couples that wish to be in a special relation to the Divinity, thus knowing that their marriage is going straight to the heaven and have the holy bless.

From : http://www.allisonjayne.com/bridal.htm


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