Is it wrong to wear sagging pants?

by Deacon Andre Harris

What is Pants Sagging?

Pants Sagging is wearing pants below the waistline exposing underwear. It’s an ungodly trend and an immoral, disgraceful, ignorant, shameful fashion statement. It is a controversial and questionable urban dress style.

 Origins: based on multiple sources

Many say the origin of the pants sagging trend is not clear. Some of the public believes it is not absolutely known on how it was started, merely “hear-say”. There are several versions on how pants sagging began.

According to Greg Mathis, sagging was adopted from the United States prison system where belts are sometimes prohibited to prevent prisoners from using them as weapons or committing suicide by hanging themselves. The style was later popularized by hip-hop artists in the 1990s. It later became a symbol of freedom and cultural awareness among some youths or a symbol of their rejection of the values of mainstream society.

Some say that in the 80s pants sagging started in the prison system which became a trend in the 90s. The 1992 famous pre-teen rap artists Kris Kross wore the pants backwards and sagging. Pants sagging became a popular trend in urban fashion predominantly with males.

When an inmate first becomes incarcerated, their belt is confiscated. When ex-convicts are released from prison back into society they have no belt causing their pants to sag or droop.

My explanation: The generation that came up in the 90s emulated this act of sagging into a fashion. A freed ex-convict did not have a choice but to sag because their belt was taken. A new generation rose up in the prison system which was pants saggers. Prison inmate Fleece Johnson speaks on saggy pants. This man practices homosexuality and states he fulfills his sexual desire with other men because he was unable to fulfill them with a woman in his incarceration which was a common practice amongst inmates. Johnson says fulfilling ones sexual desires in prison was more important than eating food and drinking water. As the new generation of pants saggers enters the prison system was faced with trouble from the old generation of prisoners. Johnson states as a new generation came to prison with saggy pants they appeared sexually appealing in the eyes of old prison inmates and took it as an invite for sexual intercourse. Men caught sagging their pants in prison caused sexual arousal amongst homosexual inmates which provokes them into making sexual advances.

As the generation of the 90s embraced the saggy pants fashion its meaning has changed in prison life and has become a signifier of sexual availability. Prior to the 90s saggy pants was not practiced by inmates. Their prison uniforms did not sag because they are worn jump suits or a two piece which the pants were elastic around the waste. The saggy pants came after they were freed because they lacked a belt to hold up their pants. The practice was adopted by many rap artists in the hip hop culture which has hit mainstream. On the street saggy pants became a symbol for strength or toughness.

What does saggy pants represents?

Many of those in society that sag their pants believe it is a cool thing to do. Many believe it makes them look tough or “gangster”. It is a symbol of a freed ex-convict because he did not have a belt coming out of prison to prevent a belt from being used as a weapon.  Society has popularized and envied this image. It has become dominate as well as a long lasting fashion trend.

When is comes to saggy pants it is linked to the prison system, hip-hop culture, and homosexuality. There has been a ramped growth in sagging pants and at the same time an increase of homosexuals! Why is this? Because, there is a direct core relation between the two acts. Now how does hip-hop music plays a part in this? Ok lets get into the spiritual side of things. Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. A person will eventually grow to believe and have confidence in something that is constantly being heard in their ears. There is power in a person’s spoken word. James 3:2-6. Galatians 1:8-9 [8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.  The word “preach” means to BRING good news, to ANNOUNCE glad tidings, to PROCLAIM glad tidings, INSTRUCT (men) concerning the things that pertain to certain subjects. Hip-hop music carries a message in which the messenger (rapper) BRINGS, ANNOUNCES, PROCLAIMS, and INSTRUCTS their tidings. They are preaching their gospel to the people. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 [13] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ [anointed one]. [14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. [15] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. There is a hidden message in the hip-hop music that has been making melody in the ears of many. The hip-hop culture has embraced and promoted saggy pants which carry homosexual connotations. There are many that follow after hip-hop culture which is causing a massive corruption in people’s lives.

What are the reasons why people sag their pants?

There are a few reasons as to why people choose to “sag” their pants. As a result of peer pressure or popularity many think it is a cool thing to do and that it makes them look tough (strong), gangster and sexually appealing. There are others who choose to sag their pants because that was how they were taught to wear their pants. Example: I was at a bus terminal and I observe a man (about 30 years old) with his son (about 5 years of age) wearing his pants extremely low to the ground and was son sagging in the same matter. Older generations are passing this trend down to the younger generations.

What does the word of God say about this subject?

Job 38:3: Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Job 40:7: Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

The word “gird” means to bind, to put on a belt around your loins which is the waste-line (not around or below your butt). In the word of God, when you was commanded to gird up your loins it was to prepare oneself for action.

 

Examples

Jeremiah 1:17: Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

 

1 Kings 18:46: And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

 

The word “loins” means the hips. When a person is sagging their pants they are not girding up their loins. Furthermore, they are never prepared to carry out action or a mission uprightly. You can not affectively run or walk with your pants below the waistline because it restricts or stunts mobility. As an ex-convicts is released from prison they are released without being girded around the loins because the system, as they send them out into society, do not expect them to achieve anything or succeed in life. Many of their dreams and hopes have been destroyed being effected or corrupted through the prison system. Ironically ex-convicts had become role models or even heroes to outsiders because ex-prisoners are mistakenly seen as survivors of the prison system.

What actions are being taking against saggy pants?

Lawmakers across the states made attempts to outlaw or prohibit the unseemly practice which mostly were failed attempts. The church needs to rise up and stand against this trend because it is ushering in uncleanliness, ungodliness, immorality and homosexuality.