Left to Right: Ed Morrissey, Rick Santorum, Tina Korbe

I would not have blogged on this at all if Stacy McCain hadn’t, and if it did not have something to do with Rick Santorum, and if Tina Korbe were not Catholic. (At least, I think she is. I’m not sure about that, to be honest.) Tina is getting some blowback for wearing a short skirt for a video interview with a candidate and I think I should come to her defense because sometimes things seem blatantly obvious to people when they are not obvious at all…and we need to remember Who is in charge. (Hint: It’s not us.)

Melissa Clouthier blogged about modest attire without mentioning Tina’s name. That’s to her credit. If someone blogs about the importance of IM-modest attire, then it’s perfectly fine for someone to blog a response directly naming that person and being critical, but otherwise, it’s good not to mention names. As it stands, it’s pretty clear that Clouthier was referring to no one in particular, but Stacy McCain tied her post in with his remarks about Tina Korbe..and I think some others have, as well.

Our keen-eyed readers will note that at the 0:28 mark of the video, Miss Korbe gives a little tug at the hem of her skirt and, not to get all Melissa Clouthier about it or anything, some folks might say that’s kind of a telltale clue that your skirt’s too doggone short.

My take on all of this is that I am not at all surprised to learn that Tina Korbe has thighs..but then, seeing thighs in public may not have the same effect on me that it has on a lot of other people. I’m a “radical Catholic,” I am told. ..a.k.a. the “Catholic Taliban.” You know…like Rick Santorum.

Many Catholic theologians will tell you that Jesus did not really have a loin cloth when He was hanging on the Cross. He was completely stripped of His clothing, as the Scriptures say, and the depictions we see of Him in our artwork, with the loin cloth, are not accurate, as such. The loin cloth is added by artists in order to prevent an occasion of sin. It is not a sin to be naked. It’s a sin to lust. If we could all see each other as we Christians would see Christ hanging naked on a Cross, or even as two very small children might see each other if they were naked, then we would have no need for clothing in the first place. The loin cloth is added to the paintings, again, to prevent an occasion of sin, and we also all have a duty not to provide an occasion of sin.

I have taught my daughters the same rules that Melissa Clouthier denotes in her post on modest dress…but if for some reason they are unwilling or unable to live up to them, it’s the responsibility of others to be able to look at them as they really are — children of God — and not to try to judge their hearts.

So, that’s why Tina’s short skirt didn’t bother me. I’m not surprised to learn that she has thighs. I am not psychic, and even if I were psychic, I would still be wholly and completely unable to judge any person’s heart. Only God can do that. Certainly, we need far more discussion about things like Melissa Clouthier’s excellent discussion of modest dress and much less judgment of the hearts of others.

I think I will leave the topic of Stacy McCain’s fleshy ads for another day. That’s a related, but still separate, topic.

Watch Ed Morrissey and Tina Korbe’s interview with Rick Santorum.

It’s always great to see Tina Korbe, no matter what she is wearing, and if she were completely naked, she would still be a child of God to me…but, that’s me. I happen to think she’s a very decent person. Follow her on Twitter.