The Preacher's Pen
Mark Roberts
Who would’ve thunk it? The Texas Legislature is
concerned about the sexually provocative practices of
school cheerleaders! The good Legislature is only a
little behind. For years preachers have been saying the
standard “uniforms” high school cheerleaders wear
(namely very short skirts) are immodest and that their
“dance moves” in these short skirts provoke teen-age
boys to lust. Of course, when preachers say this
mothers shriek at the mere thought that anyone would
suggest their daughter might be dressing suggestively.
How antiquated! After all, being a cheerleader is so all-
American. Who could possibly oppose such?
Apparently, the Texas Legislature will. Al Edwards
has introduced a bill that directs the state education
commissioner to intervene when high school cheerleaders
dance routines get “too down and dirty.” The bill has
passed a Texas House Committee and is now continuing
on its way through the process for a final vote.
Edwards said he wanted to put an end to “sexually
suggestive” performances at athletic events and other
extracurricular competitions. “It’s just too sexually oriented,
you know, the way they’re shaking their behinds
and going on, breaking it down,” said Edwards, a 26-
year veteran of the Texas House. “And then we say to
them, ‘don’t get involved in sex unless it’s marriage or
love, it’s dangerous out there’ and yet the teachers and
directors are helping them go through those kind of
gyrations.”
Finally someone has recognized the outrageous
hypocrisy that is much of today’s cheerleading. I expect
much of this is due to the professional dance teams that
now degrade themselves and pander to carnal lust at
every professional sporting event. These dancers perform
during time outs, and are enough to make one
wonder if he is at a strip joint or a ball game! Naturally,
high school and junior high cheerleaders are now copying
what they see on television and at the pro games.
How sad. I firmly believe that if there never had been
cheerleaders and someone just now came up with the
idea of dressing up high school girls in short skirts and
bare midriff tops to dance around before everyone
people would call the idea sexist, chauvinistic and
perverted. But because it was introduced slowly, and
because cheerleader skirts gradually got shorter and
shorter, America has been conditioned to expect such,
and want more. I applaud the Legislature for finally
doing something about these embarrassing scenes at
ball games and urge every Christian, especially Christian
girls and their mothers to heed Paul’s admonition:
“women adorn themselves in modest apparel.” (1 Tim
2:9).