Do Christians Stand out in the way they dress?

.

The Amish and Minonites atand out because of the way they dress. I would rather not stand out as a specticle because that makes us the center of attention and I really don't think we need that. If we stand out at all we need to stand out for the way we live and the suranity that surrounds us.
People can joke about a fashion statement and draw laughter from others in doing so. It's hard to redicule a peacful existance and a well run life, because there are so many out there who crave one and our detractors really don't want to bring attention to what will gain us envy.

oagh said:

We seem not to stand out like other religions in this instense like Jews and muslims even though we are called to in the OT and NT.

Click to expand...

You are right, in the New Testament the women are called to dress in modest apparel, not with gold or braided hair, but adorning themselves with good works.

I think some do, however some you cannot determine their religion.
I don't think you will see a Christian is clothing with swearing or deplorable behaviour on.
I haven't anyway.

I see no reason for Christians to adopt any particular dress code that identifies us as being Christians.
To me what should stand out is our love for one another.
Look at some if the fringe sects of Christianity that have chosen to dress a certain way, all members wearing the same 'costume'. To me that smacks of legalism.
The Kindom of God is not in the material things of the world. What'S wrong with jeans and a tee shirt like most secular people wear? Why go out of your way to look like a nut case?
We are to be in this world but we are not of it. If that message does not come across to non-believers then the problem is with us, not our attire.
I'll stop there rather than offend those who see otherwise.

Grafted In said:

I see no reason for Christians to adopt any particular dress code that identifies us as being Christians.
To me what should stand out is our love for one another.
Look at some if the fringe sects of Christianity that have chosen to dress a certain way, all members wearing the same 'costume'. To me that smacks of legalism.
The Kindom of God is not in the material things of the world. What'S wrong with jeans and a tee shirt like most secular people wear? Why go out of your way to look like a nut case?
We are to be in this world but we are not of it. If that message does not come across to non-believers then the problem is with us, not our attire.
I'll stop there rather than offend those who see otherwise.

Click to expand...

Exactly, it'd be like wearing a badge "hello, I'm Christian".

The dress code should only be dress in moderation.

AHH who-stole-my-name said:

The dress code should only be dress in moderation.

Click to expand...

Of course; you can dress fashionably if that's your thing and we moderate about it.

Jesus' Follower said:

Of course; you can dress fashionably if that's your thing and we moderate about it.

Click to expand...

Some things that the world calls fashion looks more like an advertizments

AHH who-stole-my-name said:

Some things that the world calls fashion looks more like an advertizments

Click to expand...

I agree, I'm not overly fashionable, however I see what you mean, especially with the named brands.

I think it all depends on how they choose to dress. Lately I've been wearing skirts instead of pants, and dressing more modestly. I find that the more modest you dress, especially as a woman, the more it's usually noticed.

This topic concerning dress has been a contention with me for quite some time lately.
Right off the bat I want to say that I would never look down on a person based on how they dress, nor would I expect the individual who is spiritually lost and visiting our church to be anything other than who they are. To expect dress codes or evidence of holiness from someone who is not even a believer would be ridiculous.
So my thoughts on the subject will only be viewed with the Christian believer in mind.

Personally, I have no problem with casual dress for church services. The problem I have is that we have taken the term casual to the extreme in some cases. The vast majority of us, if we were going to go visit the Governor of our state, would probably dress up to some extent with the best that we have. Suit and tie if we have one or at minimum a nice pair of Dockers and a conservative shirt, tucked-in our pants with a belt. And for most church attenders, if we knew the exact day the Lord was coming to our church for a visit we would probably run out and buy something special even if we had to put it on a credit card. I think it all boils down to our level of respect for God and His house of worship.

When God was giving His instruction for Tabernacle and Temple worship in the Old Testament He went to great lengths to explain what was acceptable and expected for worship. The New Testament also talks about women dressing modestly.
However, in our modern day effort to make everyone feel comfortable we have lowered our standards of dress practically to the point where anything goes. I have seen in the church I attend and churches that I visit things that make me cringe with disbelief. Teenage girls in short shorts and very low cut tops and sometimes adult women members of worship teams that are just barely clad and leaving hardly anything to the imagination. Modesty is a very important aspect for women who are leading the congregation in worship music. Women who are scantily dressed on stage are ambushing the worship music experience for the men in the congregation if the men are having a wrestling match with the devil in one ear while trying to appreciate the music with the other. These men should not have to hear that they need to "just get their minds out of the gutter". Men are naturally visual and that's the way God designed them to be. By dressing the way some women do they are forcing the men to have to stand there with their eyes closed. Their worship time should not have to be hindered in such a worldly way. I've also seen teenage boys serving communion and taking up the offering wearing hoodies with skulls and crossbones on their backs and others with highly offensive statements printed on theirs. And no one has the courage to complain for fear their parents will flip out and leave the church.


I have no problem with a minister that wants to wear a nice pair of Dockers and tucked-in dress shirt, or maybe even a Polo that is designed to be worn outside the pants. I do have a problem with the minister that shows up in his tattered blue jeans and un-tucked tails looking like he slept in his clothes all night or just finished doing his yard work.
I think this displays a severe level of disrespect for the congregation, God's house of worship and a very low level of professionalism. Dressing in this manner makes it difficult to take the preacher or his sermon seriously.

There was a day when one of the largest Christian churches in the southeast had a rule that a man would not be seen on their auditorium stage with nothing less than a suit and tie on. They have since laxed that rule a little bit.

I'm not saying we need to go back to the days of suits and ties and ankle length dresses with hats and gloves, but we do need to move a little closer to center than we presently are.

I think one of the reasons the church is in the condition it is in today is because our laxness and sloppiness in our attire has also spilled over into all other areas of our church and personal life. To a point now where it is difficult to tell the difference between the church and the world. As a result in many cases, the philosophies of the world are storming and crashing the doors of the church with little resistance from within.

This issue got me in hot water when a friend and coworker invited me to his church.
It was a very small building with perhaps no more than 25 people present. My friend gave no indication that they adhered to a rather formal dress code. It was a nice warm day so I jumped on the bike and entered the church wearing just jeans and a tee shirt, my hair vaguely resembling Einstein'. To my horror I was the only man not wearing a nice, well tailored suit.
So.....I sat clear in the back and left shortly after services.

Not a bad idea to inform those you invite as to how well they dress.

Double post

I personally follow the Bibles code of dressing modestly. Even if I don't have the fanciest of attire I will go to a church. I am there to worship the Lord not grab any attention.