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

HereIStand

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All other things being equal, my preference would be that people make a little bit of an effort. However, there are theological liberal churches in my area where a jacket and tie is the norm. So dress is secondary to right doctrine.
 
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Brian Mcnamee

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Hi it is acceptable because God is looking at your heart and dressing up can be pretentious. My honor and respect for God is born out in many other ways besides what clothes I am in. There are churches that still hold to come in your Sunday best and I believe it is one of those areas where the Lord leaves it up to the individual to deal with. In the 60's 70's the counter culture of drugs and rock and roll went searching for answers and many churches kicked out them barefoot hippies while a few others loved them and taught them the Bible. These guys got saved in cut offs and tie dyed shirts will long hair and beards. So for them moving up to to Hawaiian shirts and flip flops is a big deal. The thing is many of these guys are still walking with the Lord 50 years later and this issue was a barrier at that time and this is where the casual approach got started and still has a place. You can be very reverent in casual clothes and be a jerk in a suit you know.
 
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buzuxi02

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I recently moved to a new city and I've been checking out a lot churches in the area and I'm curious why it is acceptable to dress like a slob at so many of them. People wear flip-flops, pajama pants, sweat pants, graphic tees that make them look like a billboard, athletic shorts, or shirts that actually might be parachutes I'm not sure. Stuff that doesn't even fall into the casual dress category, just straight up lazy slob.

Clearly it is not a money problem. Everyone has a $2-600 cell phone in their pocket they pay ~$60 or more a month for data, they can afford to go buy a collared shirt and some nice pants. Even designer stores have really nice clothes for ~$20-30 during their seasonal clearance sales which seemingly go on all year round these days.

I can only guess it's a respect problem? I mean I can't imagine these people dress like that all the time, do they? I know anyplace I've ever worked will tell you to go home if you dress like that, and I know if I was on a date with a woman and she showed up in sweats or flip-flops and we weren't going to the beach I'd just shake my head and leave. I can understand visitors, but why is it acceptable for Christians to dress like slobs to church?

In one word: minimalism. It is a byproduct of the secular enlightenment that everything religious should be the bare minimum.
Why make an ornate temple, just give the money to the poor.
Why judge what they wear? God doesn't care as long as they come.
Who cares about modesty? Never judge a book by its cover.

This is what minimalism does. It strips away the sense of awe and the Holy and the sense of something special.
 
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seeking.IAM

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...In the 60's 70's the counter culture of drugs and rock and roll went searching for answers and many churches kicked out them barefoot hippies while a few others loved them and taught them the Bible. These guys got saved in cut offs and tie dyed shirts will long hair and beards...

Yep! I was once one of those hippies worshipping and sharing a pew with ladies in mink stoles at a Presbyterian church we motley hippies called "Our Lady of Cadillac" for the vehicles in the church parking lot. No one looked down their nose at me or made me feel unwelcome. But, the revolution is over. My hair is gone. My bell bottoms don't fit. And now I wear a tie.
 
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Zatek

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I really do not think dress is the biggest issue with the church today. With that being said, there is absolutely no mention of dress codes in the bible and we know that Jesus and the disciples were not flashy dressers.
Life is not a set of completely unrelated values and actions. Most of how people act in life all stems from the same set or core values. If people view church as unimportant and not worthy of the respect of even dressing up, then they probably don't find it very important to support the church financially, to volunteer to support church functions, or to even be all that serious about being obedient to God. Try showing up to an interview for a job looking like a slob and convincing them the way you dress isn't "the biggest issue" with whether or not you're qualified for the job.
 
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Anguspure

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I recently moved to a new city and I've been checking out a lot churches in the area and I'm curious why it is acceptable to dress like a slob at so many of them. People wear flip-flops, pajama pants, sweat pants, graphic tees that make them look like a billboard, athletic shorts, or shirts that actually might be parachutes I'm not sure. Stuff that doesn't even fall into the casual dress category, just straight up lazy slob.

Clearly it is not a money problem. Everyone has a $2-600 cell phone in their pocket they pay ~$60 or more a month for data, they can afford to go buy a collared shirt and some nice pants. Even designer stores have really nice clothes for ~$20-30 during their seasonal clearance sales which seemingly go on all year round these days.

I can only guess it's a respect problem? I mean I can't imagine these people dress like that all the time, do they? I know anyplace I've ever worked will tell you to go home if you dress like that, and I know if I was on a date with a woman and she showed up in sweats or flip-flops and we weren't going to the beach I'd just shake my head and leave. I can understand visitors, but why is it acceptable for Christians to dress like slobs to church?
Do I have to dress up to hang out with my family?
My wife dresses down when she is at home because she doesn't have to impress anybody, she is secure in her relationship just "slobbing" it as she feels. It is only when she (or I) wishes to impress in front of people who do not know her and may not like her that she puts on the special gear so as to make an impression and be accepted.
Perhaps it would be nice for her to dress up for me every now and again but I would hate to think that she feels that she has to in order for her relationship to be secure.
So for the bride of Christ...
 
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W2L

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I recently moved to a new city and I've been checking out a lot churches in the area and I'm curious why it is acceptable to dress like a slob at so many of them. People wear flip-flops, pajama pants, sweat pants, graphic tees that make them look like a billboard, athletic shorts, or shirts that actually might be parachutes I'm not sure. Stuff that doesn't even fall into the casual dress category, just straight up lazy slob.

Clearly it is not a money problem. Everyone has a $2-600 cell phone in their pocket they pay ~$60 or more a month for data, they can afford to go buy a collared shirt and some nice pants. Even designer stores have really nice clothes for ~$20-30 during their seasonal clearance sales which seemingly go on all year round these days.

I can only guess it's a respect problem? I mean I can't imagine these people dress like that all the time, do they? I know anyplace I've ever worked will tell you to go home if you dress like that, and I know if I was on a date with a woman and she showed up in sweats or flip-flops and we weren't going to the beach I'd just shake my head and leave. I can understand visitors, but why is it acceptable for Christians to dress like slobs to church?
God looks at the heart, not the mans suit and tie. Invite some homeless folks into the church and your fancy clothes would look awkward. That should put a perspective on things.
 
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Halbhh

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I recently moved to a new city and I've been checking out a lot churches in the area and I'm curious why it is acceptable to dress like a slob at so many of them. People wear flip-flops, pajama pants, sweat pants, graphic tees that make them look like a billboard, athletic shorts, or shirts that actually might be parachutes I'm not sure. Stuff that doesn't even fall into the casual dress category, just straight up lazy slob.

Clearly it is not a money problem. Everyone has a $2-600 cell phone in their pocket they pay ~$60 or more a month for data, they can afford to go buy a collared shirt and some nice pants. Even designer stores have really nice clothes for ~$20-30 during their seasonal clearance sales which seemingly go on all year round these days.

I can only guess it's a respect problem? I mean I can't imagine these people dress like that all the time, do they? I know anyplace I've ever worked will tell you to go home if you dress like that, and I know if I was on a date with a woman and she showed up in sweats or flip-flops and we weren't going to the beach I'd just shake my head and leave. I can understand visitors, but why is it acceptable for Christians to dress like slobs to church?

Some may be heeding Christ's words not to look at outside appearances, but instead to truly change on the inside --

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

And

24 "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

In order to be dressed well for Heaven, we must be clothed in hearing and doing the words of Christ.
 
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Zatek

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I think it all comes down to the culture of the church you are attending. If the church is in a big city, people will tend to expect people to dress up for church. If the service is extremely traditional, people will expect those attending to dress up more than maybe if the service is a little more contemporary. If the service is held in an elaborate sanctuary, then you will be expected to dress up for that probably more than at other places.

Two of my cousins (who are sisters) got married in the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. I was expected to wear evening dresses for both of those weddings, and the men were expected to wear black tie to the weddings and receptions. If I wore the same outfit I wore to those weddings to most any other wedding, I would be over dressed.

I used to attend two services at two different churches -- one was the church I grew up in, and the other was a non-denominational church. I would dress for the church I grew up in (although I tend to dress up more than most people who attend church there. Most women tend to wear nice pants with a nice top. I usually wear skirts in nice weather.) I ended up being over dressed for the non-denominational church, and people would judge me a bit for that. Everyone at the non-denomination church would wear jeans and a t-shirt. For them, dressing up was seen as being too religious, or trying to please people instead of God. Because I saw that my dress was bothering them, I started changing my clothes before attending the non-denominational service.

In some churches, the people don't want to dress up because they don't want other people to perceive them as being above them. Do you know what I mean? Some poorer people view those who do dress up as being above them, and people they cannot relate to. Maybe even viewing those who dress nicely as lording it over those who are not as well to do.

If that is honestly how poorer/less well to do people view those who dress nicely, then perhaps it is better to not dress up as much in church. Again, this is going to depend on the culture within the community that your church is a part of.

If, on the other hand, the church you attend is in a wealthy part of your community, then it's probably best to dress up more for church because the people attending will view it as a respect for God issue. It's culturally expected.

I don't think how we dress should be a barrier to other people worshiping God.

We also need to be careful how we react to those who don't dress how we think that they should. One time there was a guy who came to my church who rode a motorcycle. He wore a leather jacket to church. People made comments about his attire within his hearing range. He decided to never attend our church again. Someone from the church knew this man and let us know what happened. This happened quite a number of years ago, so I'm not sure people would necessarily react the same way now...but who knows.

We had a reputation in the community for being a rich church that was snooty towards poor people. The above incident was not an isolated incident, and it has taken our church a long time to build up our reputation again among the community.

And, again, the older generation tends to dress up more than younger generations -- but that is to everything -- not just at church. There has been a gradual cultural shift.

I think people should dress in a way that they believe is pleasing to God, and at the same time, take into consideration the culture and the values of the people in your community. Examine your own heart, and please seek to please God.
I do live in a big city, I live in Dallas. Well between Dallas and Ft. Worth, but there's only like 8 bigger cities in the entire country.

Unless you're walking around comparing how much your clothes cost and trying to brag "oh I paid $$$ for my shoes" or whatever, then how is dressing in clothes that everyone can afford being "above" anyone? Like I said in my original post you can get designer shirts on clearance for $20-30 a piece. If people can afford giant TVs, cell phones, expensive cars and trucks, they can afford a nice shirt. Expecting people to wear normal formal clothing is not snooty or looking down on poor people.

And of course we're not talking about visitors, if that guy you mentioned with the leather jacket was a visitor. If he was a frequent attendee then perhaps it was justified. Depends. Leather jacket can range from anything from a simple solid color jacket made of leather, to a leather jacket cover in tacky skulls and other gang related symbols. Some leather jackets are design for and fit really well with formal attire.
 
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Baby Cottontail

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Life is not a set of completely unrelated values and actions. Most of how people act in life all stems from the same set or core values. If people view church as unimportant and not worthy of the respect of even dressing up, then they probably don't find it very important to support the church financially, to volunteer to support church functions, or to even be all that serious about being obedient to God. Try showing up to an interview for a job looking like a slob and convincing them the way you dress isn't "the biggest issue" with whether or not you're qualified for the job.
It's apparent that the people who attend the churches that you've been going to see things differently than you do. It might be helpful to sit down with some of them and ask them about why they dress the way they do, and then see what they say. If you get to know the people, you might change your mind about their motivations and their values.
 
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Zatek

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Some may be heeding Christ's words not to look at outside appearances, but instead to truly change on the inside --

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

And

24 "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

In order to be dressed well for Heaven, we must be clothed in hearing and doing the words of Christ.
Nice try. Jesus isn't even talking about clothes in this passage. He's talking about their actions. Just look at the whole context, Jesus mentions how they give a tenth of all their spices but that they neglect justice and mercy and faithfulness.
 
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Halbhh

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Nice try. Jesus isn't even talking about clothes in this passage. He's talking about their actions. Just look at the whole context, Jesus mentions how they give a tenth of all their spices but that they neglect justice and mercy and faithfulness.

Indeed, actions are key. As Christ tells us more than once. The parable of the Wedding Banquet is especially pointed in this -- that we be clothed for Heaven, well dressed in God's eyes.

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

----------------

We see that dramatic theme Christ said more plainly --

12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."


We indeed must be well dressed for that day.

There is no harm and no gain in mere worldly clothing, but that it covers our nakedness. But that clothing that does matter -- there is very great gain in that clothing.
 
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seeking.IAM

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God looks at the heart, not the mans suit and tie. Invite some homeless folks into the church and your fancy clothes would look awkward. That should put a perspective on things.

I completely agree with your first sentence. I don't wear a tie to get points from God, only to honor Him. I once hunted pheasants with a chap who always wore a tie to honor the bird. I'm quite certain the pheasant was unimpressed.

Interestingly, my church is a few blocks from our city's homeless shelter. We have more than a few homeless join us and they don't seem to mind an occasional tie anymore than we mind how they dress. Just like God looks at your heart, so do people.
 
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FireDragon76

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You should wear nice clothes to church, but what exactly is "nice" is going to be open to interpretation.

Most people have a very casual attitude to church now days as compared to the past.
 
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W2L

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I completely agree with your first sentence. I don't wear a tie to get points from God, only to honor Him. I once hunted pheasants with a chap who always wore a tie to honor the bird. I'm quite certain the pheasant was unimpressed.

Interestingly, my church is a few blocks from our city's homeless shelter. We have more than a few homeless join us and they don't seem to mind an occasional tie anymore than we mind how they dress. Just like God looks at your heart, so do people.
Yes, sounds good. You actually supply the homeless with a suit?
 
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joshua 1 9

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I recently moved to a new city and I've been checking out a lot churches in the area and I'm curious why it is acceptable to dress like a slob at so many of them. People wear flip-flops, pajama pants, sweat pants, graphic tees that make them look like a billboard, athletic shorts, or shirts that actually might be parachutes I'm not sure. Stuff that doesn't even fall into the casual dress category, just straight up lazy slob.

Clearly it is not a money problem. Everyone has a $2-600 cell phone in their pocket they pay ~$60 or more a month for data, they can afford to go buy a collared shirt and some nice pants. Even designer stores have really nice clothes for ~$20-30 during their seasonal clearance sales which seemingly go on all year round these days.

I can only guess it's a respect problem? I mean I can't imagine these people dress like that all the time, do they? I know anyplace I've ever worked will tell you to go home if you dress like that, and I know if I was on a date with a woman and she showed up in sweats or flip-flops and we weren't going to the beach I'd just shake my head and leave. I can understand visitors, but why is it acceptable for Christians to dress like slobs to church?
The bride will be without spot, blemish or wrinkle. This refers to the garment or the flesh. We have to put off the old and put on the new. When people attend our church we want them to feel comfortable, even if they are homeless and do not have any fancy clothing to wear. Then over time people begin to clean up and dress better.
 
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Zatek

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James 2:2‭-‬4 ASV
James 2:2-4; For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing; and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool; do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

I have heard preachers and pastors say that if jesus walked into a church today dressed and in appearance as he was when he was walking the face of the earth alot people would think he was a homeless guy off the street because he would look more like them than people who put on nice clothes.

People from that time didn't always recognize him because he didn't stand out because of his appearance. His ministry and mission had absolutely nothing to do with outward appearance.
We don't live in ancient times. No one in American is starving because they just don't have access to things. The poorest of poor have modern luxury like air-conditioning, smart phones, internet access, refrigeration, running water to their house, cars, trucks, sanitation, etc, etc. Nice clothing is not something only available to the super wealthy. If they've got a $400 cell phone in their pocket with a $60 monthly data plan, then they can afford nice clothes, they just choose not to. Even people making minimum wage are super wealthy compare to most of the world.
 
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seeking.IAM

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Yes, sounds good. You actually supply the homeless with a suit?

Of course not. Like you said, and I agreed, God doesn't care. And if I prefer to wear a tie to honor God, why should you?
 
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