Should a woman cover her head to pray?

There are some who teach that a woman must not attend Church or pray without having a covering over her head, basing this claim on a passage written in Paul's epistle to the Corinthians. Is this accurate? Should women wear head coverings in Church or when in prayer?

In 1 Corinthians 11:5 Paul's writes: "But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved."

This scripture has long been interpreted by people of religion as a requirement for a woman to have her head covered by a veil or a hat when she attends a religious service or when she prays. Ostensibly it is thought to be a symbol of humility and subservience to God.

To understand the scripture in question one needs to view the context of the section in which it is found. The chapter is largely dealing with Paul encouraging the church at Corinth to observe the Biblical traditions that they were taught. The hair length of men and women was included in this portion of Scripture. Anyone reading the first half of the chapter will realize this is speaking of hair length and not hats or veils.