Hooters, the water park, sin??

[DrZaius]

After a few weeks of simmering down, some friends came around and brought back up the issue of whether a christian should attend a water park where the girls prance around in thongs and string tops that cover only the areola.

I am dead against going there, wouldn't want to be seen there.

Some Christians wanted to see thw UltimateFighting championships and they went to Hooters to watch it. I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. They called me "puritan".

Is it wrong? Doesn't it seem that a child given a lot of freedom when he is young will only rebel when the parents tighten the noose later on?

I know of kids who have gone to questionable places, then as 16 and 17 yr olds were told those places were not good for a teenager. Wouldn't that seem to be perplexing to a teen?

[TR3]

Oh, where is the Al Franken cartoon pointing out the inconsistencies of "Christians" here? It ought to be good for a <snicker> and a chuckle or two.

I don't expect that there will be one coming...I guess we're just inconsistent when it comes to pointing out our inconsistencies.


(sorry DrZaius. If that makes no sense it's because it came over from another thread...)

[just john]

Originally Posted by DrZaius

After a few weeks of simmering down, some friends came around and brought back up the issue of whether a christian should attend a water park where the girls prance around in thongs and string tops that cover only the areola.

I just want to know if this is literally true? I have been to a couple of water parks and they won't allow thong bathing suits. I had to go buy another bathing suit. (j/k)

But seriously, these are family-oriented places and such clothing would not be appreciated by most moms....Christian or not, and these rules are enforced...even in SoCal. I only ask because Christians have a habit of making things worse than they are sometimes and then losing some credibility.

[Chris Huff]

Risky, at the least.

[subllibrm]

We used to take our Awana kids to a water park as the reward for finishing their handbook. Never saw anything like what is described in the OP.

My bigger issue with the OP is why would any Christian watch ultimate fighting regardless of the venue? There you go Doc. I'm even more puritan than you!

[subllibrm]

Originally Posted by Chris Huff

Risky, at the least.

yup, ultimate fighting should be avoided.

[AmazedbyGrace]

Originally Posted by just john

I just want to know if this is literally true? I have been to a couple of water parks and they won't allow thong bathing suits. I had to go buy another bathing suit. (j/k)

But seriously, these are family-oriented places and such clothing would not be appreciated by most moms....Christian or not, and these rules are enforced...even in SoCal. I only ask because Christians have a habit of making things worse than they are sometimes and then losing some credibility.

Agreed. I have never seen anything like what is described in the OP at a waterpark...ever.

Here is the dress code for the largest waterpark in So. California:



Traditional swimwear is required in order to participate in the aquatic attractions. Tube and mat rides, as well as the Amazon Adventure and Wave Cove, require that guests are free from long pants, loose jewelry, denim, cut-off shorts, and eyewear (tube and mat rides only). ALL BODY SLIDES require the absence of cotton-based clothing (including T-shirts, socks and sweat pants), as well as the absence of any kind of footwear, loose jewelry, long pants, denim, cut-off shorts, riveted clothing, and eyewear. Children in diapers and those being toilet trained must wear approved swim pants in the water. No provocative or thong swimsuits, clothing with rivets, buckles, belts or metal ornaments. No long pants or cut-off shorts. No oversized or baggy clothing that cannot remain at or above the waistline without a belt or other support. Displayed tattoos must be in good taste and not offensive to a family environment. Guests may not display anything that contains obscene, foul, profane, illegal or unacceptable language, pictures, symbols, phrases, etc. Guests may not wear any article of clothing that conveys a gang look or appears to be gang related.

[Riverwalker]

Originally Posted by DrZaius

After a few weeks of simmering down, some friends came around and brought back up the issue of whether a christian should attend a water park where the girls prance around in thongs and string tops that cover only the areola.

I am dead against going there, wouldn't want to be seen there.

Some Christians wanted to see thw UltimateFighting championships and they went to Hooters to watch it. I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. They called me "puritan".

Is it wrong? Doesn't it seem that a child given a lot of freedom when he is young will only rebel when the parents tighten the noose later on?

I know of kids who have gone to questionable places, then as 16 and 17 yr olds were told those places were not good for a teenager. Wouldn't that seem to be perplexing to a teen?

It is not a sin for me to go to a water park or to Hooters.

[Kevin Keever]

Originally Posted by AmazedbyGrace

Agreed. I have never seen anything like what is described in the OP at a waterpark...ever.

Here is the dress code for the largest waterpark in So. California:



Traditional swimwear is required in order to participate in the aquatic attractions. Tube and mat rides, as well as the Amazon Adventure and Wave Cove, require that guests are free from long pants, loose jewelry, denim, cut-off shorts, and eyewear (tube and mat rides only). ALL BODY SLIDES require the absence of cotton-based clothing (including T-shirts, socks and sweat pants), as well as the absence of any kind of footwear, loose jewelry, long pants, denim, cut-off shorts, riveted clothing, and eyewear. Children in diapers and those being toilet trained must wear approved swim pants in the water. No provocative or thong swimsuits, clothing with rivets, buckles, belts or metal ornaments. No long pants or cut-off shorts. No oversized or baggy clothing that cannot remain at or above the waistline without a belt or other support. Displayed tattoos must be in good taste and not offensive to a family environment. Guests may not display anything that contains obscene, foul, profane, illegal or unacceptable language, pictures, symbols, phrases, etc. Guests may not wear any article of clothing that conveys a gang look or appears to be gang related.

I believe that the policy is the same at the only water park I've ever been to, the one adjacent to Carowinds in Charlotte. The problem is the enforcement.

What is the 16 year old kid on top of the 3 story slide going to say? "I'm sorry ma'am, your swim suit is provacative so I am not allowed to let you ride this slide." I doubt that it would happen. Perhaps if another patron turns them in they would be asked to put on something else, but unless a worker sees them and deals with it, it goes unaddressed. That is at least the case at Carowinds; most of their policies like that are not enforced. People aren't allowed to leave the water park area with swim suits on, but they do it ALL the time. You can see women all over the main park with bikini tops on. Guys leaving the water park often just throw on shoes and a t-shirt so that they can still have their suits on (the look like shorts) when they ride the other water rides in the park.

[Kevin Keever]

Some repetative info here, but I typed this out before I responded to AbG.

Carowinds in Charlotte has a water park adjacent to it. It used to be seperate, but now the two are connected. Carowinds has a policy that you can't walk around the park in a bathing suit. You have to put something else on when you leave the water park and enter the regular part of the park. This policy is often not enforced so those who go to Carowinds, but skip the water park still have to see people in bathing suits.

At Cedar Point in OH, many people put on tee shirts and shorts when they leave the water park, but when they ride the water rides in the regular park, they take off the outer wear to enjoy the water rides in a bathing suit. It is often a matter of enforcement or the lack thereof. Also, just because people are in bathing suits doesn't mean other have to look at it. It is frustrating. I'm sure it is true at other parks also.

I took my daughter to the water park at Carowinds as a reward for graduating from swimming class. I wore a regular men's suit and a tee shirt. She wore a one piece and a life jacket (can't be to careful.) I think she was four or five. We rode the lazy river and several slides. We didn't spend much time if any in the wave pool. I was glad that I went with her because my attention was so focused on keeping up with her and keeping her entertained and safe that I didn't look at much else that was gonig on around me.

I also attended there two other times with some friends of mine. We had a good time as we rode the slides and then rode some roller coasters to dry off! I don't know if I would call it a sin to attend a water park, but I don't really prefer to go there. There is a temptation to look at the people around you. I remember as a PCC student, people criticizing me for going to the beach. Thing is, at the beach we went to...there was nothing to look at. No one was there but us! Anyway, I may go to a water park again some day, but I'll go with my family and my attention will be focused on them, not on the nudity around me.

Unfortunately, in today's society, I don't have to go to water parks to see inappropriate dress; it is all over our town. It is as if the first day of over 50 degree weather is the sign to all the ladies in town that it is time to stop wearing clothes. Ok, a slight exageration, but I think you get the idea.

There is a temptation to look at things around you at a water park. It is right there. Seems like it would be easier to avoid temptation than to resist it. Now, some say that it isn't a problem for them; others say they aren't tempted to look at it; others say they can see it and not lust. Some would insert a phrase like "are you gay" right here; I won't. I just think it is a risk. How can I teach my children it is right to dress modest at all times and then take them into an environment where no one is dressed modestly except the few Christian families walking around in tee shirts and knee length suits? Maybe I won't go again after all?

We can ask, "Is it a sin to go to water parks?"

or a better question:

"Is it a sin to dress immodestly or attend a place were everyone else is dressed immodestly as long as we throw in some rides and call it a park?"

You might attend a water park, but would you attend a beach party? Would you let people walk around your house in bathing suits? You might say, "Of course I wouldn't. It is my living room not a water park." So, attending some rides makes it okay? I'm preaching to myself now. I'm about to move into a house with a pool so I don't need water parks any way! LOL. I'll just install a fence and a slide. Then I'll have my own water park. LOL.

Good topic.