~The Parable of Foot Binding~

[Pastor Keith]

The Parable of Foot Binding

Is a practice that is difficult to comprehend, Foot binding (simplified Chinese: 缠足; traditional Chinese: 纏足; pinyin: chánzú, literally "bound feet") was a custom practiced on young girls and women for approximately one thousand years in China, beginning in the 10th century and ending in the early 20th century.

The practice supposedly started when a female child of the Emperor was born with a club foot, so word spread that all in the realm, had to have this done so the child of the Emperor would not stand out as being odd or being deficient

As the practice or standard of foot binding continued for centuries, it became a mark of beauty or desirability, thus those with this standard or practice were called beautiful.

Learn the lesson of the Parable of Foot Binding. What started as someone’s weakness, became a standard for all to partake of, and then was called beautiful.

If you have a problem or weakness, allow God to help you through it, don’t make a law for others to help you deal with your weakness. Because what was your issue, after years of practice and being removed from the original causation, might be called beautiful when in actuality it binds the soul/spirit.

[Justin]

Wow, that's good. Thanks.

Did you create that?

[noeticknight]

Thanks for this PastorK.

After reading, it seemed of no surprise to me that this story hails from Ancient China. After all, that's where legalism originated. Legalism was their core political philosophy, and perhaps, still is.

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Justin

Wow, that's good. Thanks.

Did you create that?

My wife told me the story of Foot Binding that she heard yesterday, I thought about the parallels that happen in church life, it was to obvious of a simliarity to pass coming up with the parable.

So in one sense I created it but taken from the chronicles of History.

[Pastor Keith]

Possible example of something ugly happening, something more ugly being done, then believing that all along it is beautiful, when in fact it is quite ugly, demeaning and ultimately deforming.

[Elizabeth]

[Apocrypha]

Originally Posted by Pastor Keith

The Parable of Foot Binding

Is a practice that is difficult to comprehend, Foot binding (simplified Chinese: 缠足; traditional Chinese: 纏足; pinyin: chánzú, literally "bound feet") was a custom practiced on young girls and women for approximately one thousand years in China, beginning in the 10th century and ending in the early 20th century.

The practice supposedly started when a female child of the Emperor was born with a club foot, so word spread that all in the realm, had to have this done so the child of the Emperor would not stand out as being odd or being deficient

As the practice or standard of foot binding continued for centuries, it became a mark of beauty or desirability, thus those with this standard or practice were called beautiful.

Learn the lesson of the Parable of Foot Binding. What started as someone’s weakness, became a standard for all to partake of, and then was called beautiful.

If you have a problem or weakness, allow God to help you through it, don’t make a law for others to help you deal with your weakness. Because what was your issue, after years of practice and being removed from the original causation, might be called beautiful when in actuality it binds the soul/spirit.

Footbinding is a horrific practice that cripples women for life.

[noeticknight]

Originally Posted by Apocrypha

Footbinding is a horrific practice that cripples women for life.

Which is the point of the story. Is it any less crippling than the legalistic, rule-minded philosophy that has crept into our churches? A philosophy that demands certain unnecessary rules (standards) upon every Christian, because of the weakness of a few.

[GraceAmazing]

Oh, those pictures made MY feet hurt!!!! That is absolutely, positively awful!