I’ve read with some concern about recent moves in parts of the US and UK against different types of clothing in public.

With the relative freedoms we enjoy down here, it’s a good idea to put the debate in perspective: Privacy International is a nonprofit watchdog that observes the intrusion of governments on privacy and freedom of expression around the world. In their most recent rankings, the UK was listed as an “endemic surveillance society”.

Against this backdrop, we can perhaps understand why many people in the UK, and the US, see nothing wrong with dictating what people are allowed to wear, and when.

We can understand, but it’s still a scary concept. Even as Catholics, on this blog, we have trouble agreeing on which clothing suits our understanding of modesty, or celebrates the beauty of God’s creations… for governments to dictate not just on normal clothing, but on religious attire, then, is more than questionable.