Head Covering and Religion

There is a Facebook Group that advocates removing your hat for the National Anthem. Most of us were taught to do that as kids. But why? Where does this tradition come from? Turns out it has to do with 1 Corinthians 11. (1) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (4) Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. (7) A man ought not to cover his head; for he is the image and glory of God. Link to full text

I've known this for a decade and haven't removed my hat since. I'm waiting for the day to take this issue on as a religious matter. I'm intentionally baiting. Yeah Yeah, I'm an ass. I might have to wait until I have kids because I'm not the kind of guy that people choose to push around. I'm not the path of least resistance. One day someone will remove my kids hat and I guess I'll be into my late 40's before I get to take the matter on and teach my children to stand up and not be cajoled into fitting in.

If you didn't know about that passage and reasoning before, who will change now? Who will not change? Read the full text and recognize that it's entirely sexist. Women must cover, men must not. Why would one keep this tradition if you know that it's sexist and religious if you are not sexist and religious? There are a pile of traditions that shouldn't be observed and many that have been removed. This is just one of them that should be next on the long list for non-believers. Will you stand and be recognized as not being a Christian?

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Permalink Reply by Christopher McGuire on May 2, 2010 at 8:33am

I'll stand beside you on this, sir. I vow to no longer remove my hat for any religious or 'non-religious' reason. Also, keep me updated on whether or not you find more socio-religious absurdities such as this, if you would. Thank you, and Stay cool, sir.

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Permalink Reply by Silenus on May 2, 2010 at 9:43am

I don't really wear hats, but maybe i should start.

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on May 2, 2010 at 7:24pm

I never knew this. Thanks for the education, Gaytor. I don't wear hats nearly as often as I used to, but no longer will I feel compelled to doff my cap for some ritual.

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Permalink Reply by Will on May 3, 2010 at 2:11am

I think its more along the lines of showing respect. "back in the day" (if you will) This showed as a sign of respect, such as walking into someones home, It was a way to show respect for the person you are visiting. It is a way to show respect for you country. I am not so sure it has a direct Christian view to it, but you may not believe that.

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Permalink Reply by Matt on May 3, 2010 at 2:50am

I'm with Will on this one. Though this tradition may have started through religious practice, it is in no way shape or form an expression of religion today. It's merely a gesture of respect just like a firm handshake, at least that's my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Jewelz on May 3, 2010 at 3:40am

Hmm... I'm not sure I buy this one. The writers of the bible threw their racist sexist views of the time into that book, so it's likely they also threw in their established social traditions of respect. I imagine many gestures such as removing a headdress in front of a chief, lifting a visor or removing a helmet when entering a civilian home, and kneeling or bowing before a leader when making a request became established ways of showing respect in cultures of various faiths long before the bible was written. Today a lot of these gestures have evolved into acts such as removing the hat, tipping the hat, giving a military salute, or taking a bow. They're just a simple way of showing respect and like Matt said, not an expression of religion.

Even if hat removal did originate in the bible, I'd still prefer people remove things like hats or sunglasses in certain situations. I usually don't care, but anything that obstructs my view of someone's face while I'm having a deep conversation with them (like over a nice dinner) kinda bothers me, though not enough to complain about it.

But if you love hats, by all means wear yours even when you shower. FIGHT THE POWER, MAN!!!

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Permalink Reply by Gaytor on May 3, 2010 at 10:17am

As far as it being simply respect, maybe we should ask some more questions about head covering and these passages.

Line 5 and 6 of this section... "And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head."

Notice the sexual difference. Men walk into a Church or do anything of reverence, they are obligated by etiquette to remove the head covering but women aren't. The more faithful a congregation is, the more likely you'll see women covering their heads too. It's consistent with 1st Corinthians.

What Cultures remove their head covering? It's pretty universal throughout the historically Christian nations. Do Jews do it? No. Do Muslims do it? No. Hindu, Sikth, Native American, etc. If there isn't a Christian history associated, it's less likely for head covering to be removed. It's an example of religious law morphing into common etiquette.

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Permalink Reply by Apple on May 3, 2010 at 2:15pm

You're right, but that's just the thing. It has morphed into common etiquette, meaning that it no longer holds the religious meaning that it may have once had. I am more concerned with things that obviously exclude atheists. "In God We Trust" on our currency is a big one. Who is this "We" that it refers to, because it's certainly not the whole nation.

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Permalink Reply by Matt on May 3, 2010 at 3:19pm

I just feel like it doesn't matter where it came from, it's a common way to show respect these days. You're argument to not wear headgear is kind of equivalent to not calling the planets Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, ect. because they were originally gods not planets. No one feels like they are performing a religious act with the hat, it doesn't really matter where it comes from in my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Reggie on May 3, 2010 at 7:32pm

I'm slightly torn on this. If standing on one foot and hopping three times was a common way to show respect, should we continue to do it despite the emptiness of the actual act? Maybe. But as I get older, I am growing more and more comfortable with being the "eccentric" that questions things like this and refuses to participate in empty gestures that are more a public display of group loyalty than anything actually conveying respect. I know hopping on one foot three times does not really mean I respect something and therefore I don't feel obligated to perform the ritual because it is meaningless to me.

This is why I don't pledge allegiance to flags anymore, also.

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Permalink Reply by Jewelz on May 3, 2010 at 4:04pm

"What Cultures remove their head covering?... Do Jews do it? No. Do Muslims do it? No. Hindu, Sikth, Native American, etc."

Which religions ask followers to remove required religious head coverings as a gesture of respect? Obviously none, because in those cases wearing the headgear IS the respectful gesture. Some orthodox Christian clergy still wear religious caps just like the women of the more more faithful congregations you mentioned.

But people all over the world remove head coverings in certain situations out of respect. I asked a Muslim woman in an elevator a question the other day and she pulled down her face covering to chat with me. She put it back on before getting off the elevator. I've also had little old men take their hats off in elevators and hold them while talking to me. In Japan, arriving guests remove hats before you even open the door and remove shoes upon entering. They don't do these because the abrahamic god requires Christian men remove hats in church and Muslims remove shoes in Mosques. These were already common social gestures of respect in the societies the writers of the holy books lived in.

There's a blurry line between the historical act of forcing women to wear religious head covers and the more recent respectful chivalrous act of not forcing women to remove their tied or pinned fashion hats when men remove theirs. I agree there's a bit of a sexist double standard there. I guess my personal solution to this is the opposite of yours. Though I rarely wear hats, when I do I remove them at dinner tables and while standing for the national anthem. I also hold doors for men and if I'm seated, I'll stand up to greet a stranger or hug a friend goodbye. But like I said earlier, I'm not offended if people don't do these things for me. Most of these gestures are dying out anyway. My boyfriend (ex-catholic) never used to take his ballcap off in church. These days, clergy are just happy to fill seats! They're not too picky!