1950 This Means Everlasting Life - A2Z.org

162 "THIS MEANS EVERLASTING LIFE"
veiled in public . For a woman to go otherwise to
public assemblies was to brand her a woman of
low moral standards and easy virtue . Women who
were caught committing adultery or fornication
were punished with shaving off all their hair ;
while slavegirls had their hair clipped short . So
for consecrated women of the congregation to go
unveiled in public and to meetings would bring a
bad name and misunderstanding upon the faith
and organization . In the public eye it would be
all the same as if they had their hair shaved off
as punishment for immoral conduct . In these modern
times or in lands where custom does not require
women of the community to go veiled as a
sign of respectability, Christian decency does not
require the woman to comply with that ancient
custom for the sake of the faith and organization .
If a woman is of a race whose females do not
naturally grow long hair, then her short hair is
no reproach to her.
12
But regardless of popular custom, if a woman
today should rise in a congregation and pray or
prophesy to the believing men and women present,
she should veil her head or have a "sign of authority
upon her head because of the angels" . Paul
says of the congregation : "Judge for your own
selves : Is it fitting for a woman to pray unveiled
to God? . . . However, if any man seems to dispute
for some other custom, we have no other,
neither do the congregations of God ."-1 Corinthians
11 : 13-16, NW.
12. Still, how should woman pray or prophesy in a congregation
of believers?