Why Is It Acceptable for Christians to Dress Like Slobs to Church?

Zatek

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I did read what you wrote. It was very sad and unfortunate.
Yet you have presented no argument to argue why I am wrong. You think so highly of yourself that you expect is to take you what you say as fact without an argument?
 
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Noxot

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I try not to judge another mans servant seeing that I am not their Lord and because I don't know their hearts like the Lord does. nor do I think everyone must follow my own laid down laws in order to be considered worthy.

how can you know if what a person does is wrong? if they beat others up and rob them I would say they are sinning against the Lord. but what you wear does not seem to give enough evidence as to if it is right or not.

i'm sure there are plenty of people with nice clothing and bad clothing that hate or love the Lord.
 
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SPF

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Would you come to church in your sweaty gym clothes? If clothes don't matter, then why not? Of course dress matters. I'm not prescribing particular dress items, but how do you normally dress for important things? As someone else mentioned, how would you dress if you were going to an important business meeting? To meet the president? To meet your spouse for an special date night? If you would meet your wife and your business clients and the president in a graphic t-shirt and jeans, and flip flops then fine, I won't argue you're disrespecting God, but if you do dress up for any of those then you'd better do the same or more for God.
This line of argumentation falls short. In fact, it's nothing more than begging the question. Here's why: More often than not, what we wear is dictated by where we are going. if I was going to swim practice, I wouldn't wear a suit and tie. If I was going to watch a movie, I wouldn't wear a bathing suit and no shirt. If I was going to a client meeting, I wouldn't wear pajama pants and a t-shirt.

The problem with the above line of reasoning is that it assumes (this is where it "begs the question") that what we ought to wear at Church is "dress clothing", and that if we are not dressing in our nicest, or close to nicest clothing, then we are somehow disrespecting God. Well the problem is that it's assuming the very thing that needs to be established. Therefore, this line of argumentation is not an argument at all.

In the above examples, what is expected to be worn is already established. So we can say that wearing a suit and tie for a swimming tournament is not proper attire. But as we have not establish what IS proper attire for Church, we cannot then say that not dressing up for Church when we dress up for work is tantamount to disrespect. That's why it's not an argument, it's merely begging the question.

So you're saying disrespect for God is not heresy?
Zatek, do you know what heresy actually is? Disrespecting God is something I would certainly never want to do, but disrespecting God would not be heresy. If you aren't familiar with the term then I can further explain it to you if that would be helpful. But simply put, heresy has to do with wrong doctrine.

I'm judging people based on their heart. I'm pointing out their laziness and disrespect for worship time.
It's not very often that someone comes outright and makes the statement, "I'm judging people based on their heart". I say this because Scripture is pretty much explicitly clear that not only can we not do this, but that we aren't to even try to do this.

As Christians, we judge people based upon their actions, not their hearts. Only God can judge a person's heart, we cannot. In fact, this single statement of yours I suspect does more to reveal your heart than anything else.
 
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Dave G.

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Zatek, why does it bother you what others wear at church, aren't you there to worship God and learn from His word ? He ministers to the heart not the wardrobe. God bless those people that they feel free to come as they are and hear from God and are not concerned about what man is judging them. They are probably there to hear from Jesus, from His Word and to be set free.

I submit to you that in this case you are the pharisee without realizing it, maybe a cultural change you have not gotten used to yet in your move. I would pray to understand this.
 
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meyerjd

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I dressed up more for church when I lived in a larger city as most others did as well. I've been in a rural area where jeans are the norm for church for over eleven years now. In the last year I've given in and usually wear jeans just like the rest of the congregation.
 
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Episaw

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It is all down to culture and fitting in with everyone else. It is no different to how you conduct yourself in the meeting. You do what is expected of everyone. No one speaks in tongues in a Calvinist Baptist church. No one gets a word from the Lord if the culture is that the pastor is the only one who gets a word from the Lord.

So as they say, you pays your money and makes your choice.

Just for laughs, I got thrown out of one church because I asked a question of the preacher. Apparently, you don't do that because the preacher is considered infallible and it wasn't a Catholic church. They took an AVO out against me to stop me coming. I pointed out to them that 1 Cor 6 1-8 forbids this but they still went ahead. I wrote to the court and told them why I would not be there and why they should not hear the case but the church was determined to have its own way, not God's way.

I had promised to not do it again and let sleeping dogs lie but they still went ahead.
 
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Paidiske

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An AVO is an Apprehended Violence Order. They are awarded by the courts to protect someone who has been subject to violent behaviour, to protect that person from further harm. They will have conditions determined by the court; for example, that the violent person must not come within a certain distance of the subject, or go to their home or workplace, or the like.

AVOs are not granted by the courts because someone asked a question. There must be more to that story.
 
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Grace2022

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It is all down to culture and fitting in with everyone else. It is no different to how you conduct yourself in the meeting. You do what is expected of everyone. No one speaks in tongues in a Calvinist Baptist church. No one gets a word from the Lord if the culture is that the pastor is the only one who gets a word from the Lord.

So as they say, you pays your money and makes your choice.

Just for laughs, I got thrown out of one church because I asked a question of the preacher. Apparently, you don't do that because the preacher is considered infallible and it wasn't a Catholic church. They took an AVO out against me to stop me coming. I pointed out to them that 1 Cor 6 1-8 forbids this but they still went ahead. I wrote to the court and told them why I would not be there and why they should not hear the case but the church was determined to have its own way, not God's way.

I had promised to not do it again and let sleeping dogs lie but they still went ahead.

I just dress smart casual according to the weather. Nice top jeans and cardigan with ankle boots. Neutral colours. Sensible. A smart jacket for special occasions.
Its just important to be clean, groomed and as if you made the effort. It is the house of God and so it is to show respect. Be respectable and covered up i say!
No need to go over the top. When i see some women who attend for a christening, always those who have no idea about coming to church, i have to say i am amused. The plunging necklines, the short skirts and stilletoe heels. Inappropriate! But at least they are there and maybe a seed is sown.
 
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David_AB

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The plunging necklines, the short skirts and stilletoe heels. Inappropriate!
I read or saw in a video that our clothing should not draw attention away from our faces as it's our faces that show the glory of God.
If they draw our attention away to other parts of the body then it's inappropriate.
 
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Episaw

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An AVO is an Apprehended Violence Order. They are awarded by the courts to protect someone who has been subject to violent behaviour, to protect that person from further harm. They will have conditions determined by the court; for example, that the violent person must not come within a certain distance of the subject, or go to their home or workplace, or the like.

AVOs are not granted by the courts because someone asked a question. There must be more to that story.

I think that there is more to the story in that you should butt out when you have not been asked to pontificate on situations that you know nothing about.
 
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Episaw

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I will say it again that it all comes down to culture. What do you do when you are taking the gospel to the wilds of Borneo and the natives come to the meeting to hear you nearly naked because that is their custom?
 
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SBC

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I dressed up more for church when I lived in a larger city as most others did as well. I've been in a rural area where jeans are the norm for church for over eleven years now. In the last year I've given in and usually wear jeans just like the rest of the congregation.

I get ya ~

It USED to be people dressed in their FINER clothing to attend Church.
Well, if jeans and a flannel shirt is ones FINER clothing, so be it.

It USED to be people dressed in MODEST clothing, to attend Church, meaning actually COVERING their FLESH.

WHY? Because it was mans FLESH that sinned against God, and it was RESPECTFUL to enter the Lords House of Prayer, with their SHAMEFUL FLESH COVERED.

The world (society) teaches, promotes, and dictates..... FLESH is pretty, delightful, sexy. The MORE you REVEAL, the better. The more PEOPLE that SEE your FLESH, the better!

Thus PEOPLE'S clothing .... ie "their FINER" clothing, may be dictated, by fabric, by expense, by revealing, skimpy, form fitting.... AND....thus, wearing "their" FINER clothing does the complete opposite of what was intended to be MODEST, in covering their FLESH, but is OKAY, with the World, society.

Personally, I was turned off, by congregants in a Church, who IMO, treated "going to Church" as a FASHION SHOW. Women sitting in the pews dressed in FINE linen, dripping in diamonds, gossiping about someone two aisles over dressed plainly.

IMO ~ what is on the outside should be covered but matters little, compared to what is on the inside.

As Scripture says; to believers ~

Matt 6
[25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

IOW, put something on, cover your flesh, but don't get all concerned about what it looks like.

As Scripture says; to those who spend a great deal of time all concerned with the OUTSIDE, and not the INSIDE.

Luke 11
[39] And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

IOW, to be like the Pharisees, one spends a great deal of time making their outer side (FLESH) APPEAR clean, refined, holy......WHILE their INSIDES....were WICKED.

The old adage; Don't judge a book by it's cover. :)

Modest? Covered? Yes, I believe that has not changed.
All decked out? No, I don't believe that is necessary.
You said "slobs". I get that. It can be a whole range, from dirty, to unkempt, to revealing skin...
And in that context, I agree.


God Bless,
SBC
 
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seeking.IAM

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I still say if you go to church and start noticing how other people are dressed perhaps your attention is not where it belongs.

I agree. And can we also accept the fellow in our midst wearing a suit?
 
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fat wee robin

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I try to dress neatly for church, button shirt and neat trousers, but this doesn't really matter in my opinion.
o repsect
I mean, they came to Church. Full stop. Who cares how they look? What matters is the heart. After all, I am fairly certain we are not supposed to judge others on their outward appearance.
So God should be pleased that you dained to come to Church .
The poster is talking about 'rich people ', who have no respect , are too lazy ,not poor ,or downtrodden .
 
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