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Q&A Home > E > Earrings for Men I, as a Coptic Orthodox male, am I allowed to wear earrings? Why or why not?
No, men are not allowed to wear earrings under any circumstances. The Holy Scripture reveals that men wearing earrings was a sign of idolatry: "So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears" (Genesis 35:4). Ear piercing for men was also considered a sign of servitude: "then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever" (Exodus 21:6). This profoundly contradicts our position now as children of God, Christians in the New Testament, have complete liberty in that Jesus Christ has freed us from Satan's bondage. Thus, through the Mystery of Baptism, we have obtained the power to become God's children: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). Having put on the beauty of Christ through baptism, it would be awful to regress to the former appearance of a slave. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:26-27). The other issue is that it is an attribute of feminine adornment: "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 22:5).
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