The Practice of Monogamy

I believe the Bible is a guide for people to have a healthy, progressive and happy life just as other scriptures from the Koran, the Indian texts, Confucius and writings of the old-timers. I also believe these texts are all in congruence with the Bible having written before or after the Bible. But for my basis of discussion below, I would cite the Bible because I am not familiar with the other texts although I consider myself as a beginner in the Bible. The topic below is about the hair which is somewhat blurry to me at first but thing is you have to see things in context to have a better understanding. 

1 Corinthians 11:1-16

1Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. 

2Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 

3But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

4Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.

5But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.

6For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.

7For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

          8For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;…

9for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.…

10Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.…

11However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

12For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.…

13Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?…

14Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,…

15but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.

16But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.  

St. Paul, the writer of this epistle, said be like Christ. It means learn from me the good word. Then he illustrates the hierarchy of God to Christ to Man to Woman. Men are supposed to lead women because of superior genes as what is happening in almost fields of work today.

In verse 4, it tells us of distractions to the thinking of man. This can be explained by the image below:

Mahatma Gandhi and Jose Rizal, two of four geniuses of the Far East that I read somewhere, came from relatively well-off families and when it comes to women, Gandhi married at a young age, around 17 if I remember correctly, and Rizal's women can counted by the number of languages he spoke according to his friend and historian Ferdinand Blumentritt. What I mean is that their needs at the triangle above are satisfied at young age that is why the two geniuses went up to their level of thinking.

Verses 5-9 just reiterates that men are superior than women and must lead the women. However Verse 10 talks of exceptional women who lead.

Verses 11 to 15. Verse 14, long hair is a dishonor for man while in verse 15, long hair is a glory to a woman. One man and one woman dependent to each other and to God. Remember the verse that said "Let us make men to our image and likeness". It says be knowledgeable and search for the truth. And the conscience in your heart will tell if a teaching is right or wrong.

And as verse 16 implies as long as a couple based their relationship with God, they wouldn't need to join a church. Although for camaraderie and fellowship I think couples should join a church.

Incidentally, the Proverbs talk of gray hair:

Proverbs 16:31
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

Hoary head refers to gray hair and old age. Gray is a combination of white and black. So it means people cannot avoid to commit sin but as long as the sins are not grave, you can live a life of righteousness. The hair is composed of dead cells which means how you live your life will be your legacy that will live on long after you die. And it does not matter whether a man or a woman has long or short hair.