Inexcusable, and Absolutely Inacceptible

I heard a SHOCKING and TERRIBLE thing today. A 71-year-old lady in my church was raped by a 20-year-old boy. When I told my landlady this, I was amazed at what I heard. And no, I’m not angry, but I feel very strongly about rape in any situation, and so I just need to get this off my chest.
When I told her about this, she said, “Yes, it’s bad. But you know these ladies that go into the shopping centres just about naked, with their whole breasts sticking out, they are looking to be raped.
I can understand this argument coming from a man, but it saddens me that it comes from so many women as well.
I think rape of any man or woman is a terrible violation, and though there may be two sides to every story, I think we are too hasty in finding excuses for rape.
Firstly, just the mere fact of a 20-year old raping a 71-year-old is sick in itself. What? Was she leading him on? How could we justify it?
But the issue that’s close to my heart is this:
Does the fact that a woman has hardly any clothes on, automatically give men a license to rape her? Who decides what her motives are for dressing the way she does? Yes, it may be because she’s trying to entice men, or it may not be. Who are we to decide?
I will not make a judgement about how much clothes a woman needs to wear, except to say that if she respects her body, she will show that respect by the way she dresses and carries herself.
The way she dresses is her issue, but the way you react to the temptation that’s before your eyes, that’s your issue.
Animals have no control over their desires. What they see, they want, and they will leave everything and pursue what they want till they get it.
But we are not animals.
We are created in God’s image, and because of this, he has given us some Godly qualities that we can choose to develop within ourselves. The Bible calls them “fruits of the Spirit”. One of these is called self-control.
Although I understand that no man is a stone, seeing a naked or semi-naked woman before you, does not give you a license to rape her.
There’s an old song that says:

Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin,
Each victory will help you
Some other to win …

Each time you overcome your weakness, it gets easier to say no.
Women, respect your bodies, and don’t cheapen it.
Not all of us can be oil paintings, but if you have good looks, cherish it as a gift given to you by God.
Hey, even if you don’t, remember that a woman’s true beauty comes from within. Outer beauty gets distorted with age, and eventually becomes worm food, but the beauty within you lasts forever, and never fades.
So let’s all stand together that rape of any man or woman is wrong, and let us stop rationalizing and finding excuses which enslave our minds and cause us to be judgemental.
And if you are a victim of rape, remember that it is NOT your fault, and that you are loved by those around you, but especially by God, who created you to be the beauty that you STILL are.