Do you think people wearing shorts and a t-shirt while attending church is inappropriate?
I have seen it at weddings and funerals. Some adults wearing shorts and a t-shirt while attending church. Perhaps I am a little old fashioned, but I feel people should put on some nice clothes while attending church.
I agree. I think it is disrespectful to attend "formal" occasions in very casual attire.
This post was edited by SpunkySenior at May 16, 2019 5:44 PM MDT
It depends. If everyone is wearing that type of attire and it is acceptable, what does it matter?
If you are in a "normal" church it is. It is rude. I would think if you are getting ready to communicate with God, you would want to put forth the energy to look your best, it is the least you can offer. Intention is important. I know we ALL KNOW God doesn't care what you wear. BUT. If you haphazardly just show up, you will get little out of your attendance. Your clorthing can reflect how earnestly you consider the event.
This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at May 16, 2019 6:30 PM MDT
T-shirts, tank tops, shorts and flip-flops are pretty much the required attire at my mom's church but they might relax the dress code a little in the winter and let people wear sweatshirts and sweatpants with sneakers when it gets really cold out.
The way they describe their church attire is "Come as you are". Translated from Christianese to English that's "Dress as crappy as possible, bonus points if you went dumpster diving behind Goodwill for that outfit."
I think it shows disrespect for God to attend church in shorts and a t-shirt. Would one wear that same "getup" at work? When meeting their boss? Applying for a job? When meeting a high official (governor, president or a foreign dignitary? Yet it's perfectly "ok" to wear it when coming before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? (I am not including those whose only clothes are shorts and a t-shirt).
** Now before anyone gives me the "God sees the heart", line, let me ask this....
How is the way you dress affecting the others who are there to worship? Is your manner of dress taking their minds away from God? (personally, I find it very hard to worship with a woman wearing a t-shirt and shorts sitting/standing next to me.) Is your personal comfort more important than another person's soul? I am NOT saying everyone has to dress fancy to go to church, only that one should show respect to God and other parishioners by how they dress. Sure, you may have the right to wear whatever you please, but is it worth it? If your style of dress is distracting to others, then you aren't showing love for them. Love puts others ahead of self (you do what's best for them). Dressing for one's own personal comfort or style is akin to being selfish.
This post was edited by Shuhak at May 16, 2019 5:44 PM MDT
God's not inserted in what one wears, what He is interested in is the heart. When one is thinking "I'll wear whatever I please", or "I have the right to be comfortable", or "God doesn't care what I wear" (and the like), one is having a selfish attitude. (Jesus said to deny self).
But there is zero evidence that the Bible was written by some supernatural being. It was written by people, so it wasn't God somehow telling anyone about anything. And Jesus was Jewish and a rabbi. The god he prayed to (and the one we refer to) is not evident in human form. The divinity of Jesus is strictly a Christian idea and is not universally accepted. I have never understood why Christians like you think it's OK to speak for everyone.
Yes, the bible was penned by people, but God inspired them in what they wrote.
Yes, Jesus was a jewish rabbi. However, He claimed to be God. He was executed because of those claims. Yes, some say Jesus was a prophet; some say He was a "good" man, some say He was a fanatic. I, personally (based on the evidence), believe He is the Son of God. Just because something is not universally accepted doesn't make it incorrect. It used to be universally accepted that the earth was flat.
I do not speak for everyone, I speak for myself. I found something I believe is valuable and want to share it with others. I don't force my beliefs on anyone, but I will speak them - just like those who don't believe speak theirs.
You will find no scientific or material evidence that the bible was written by a supernatural being---that is outside the province of scientific research.
Belief is based on the theological virtue of Faith.
If one believes, one's reason and intellect and study will help one to understand the reasonableness (and inherent beauty) of the concept of the Abrahamic God.
And like Hannibal Lecter, we remind the Clarice Starlings that we encounter that---to get to the truth---one must start with the "first principles."
[Edit: added (and inherent beauty)]
This post was edited by tom jackson at August 11, 2019 6:48 AM MDT
Depends on the church and what is the general attire worn by the regular congregation there.
I have attended a church were most were formal. But we did not care if someone came in in casual dress, we were just glad they came. Usually as people became regulars they would start to dress accordingly.
I have attended a Pentecostal church in jeans and a nice shirt (I do not own a dress). We knew the preacher, he did not care. And even said the same thing all stuff will change in time.
Jesus pointed out that God doesn't care what your profession is ... so I doubt He cares what you wear. I would say people tend to "dress up" more for the expectations of people, than for God. Which brings to mind the parable of the rich man making a big deal of giving - or Jesus' exhortation to his followers to pray in private, as it is only between God and the individual.
The question says CHURCH. Is there another religions that calls its places of worship churches?
If it said Mosque or Synagogue then that would mean something different. Temple would be a more general term that could relate to many different religions.
It depends. I would not go to the 11AM high-church service in shorts and a t-shirt but where I now live I don't hesitate to dress like that for Saturday Mass or Friday night worship service.
I remember growing up my mother would dress us in our best and said something like we should want to wear our best before God. Later I realized all too many of the ladies were just trying to outdo one another with finery. And if God is really God doesn't God see us at our "best" and our worst? Started becoming much more informal thirty years ago though true older people would wear what they were accustomed to. I think comfort and simplicity are best and I am happy with them. Though I would not wear shorts and T-shirt I don't see anything wrong with them. Every local church it seems will have some consensus that, if not in their By-laws, most members seem to conform to.
(1 Timothy 2:9-10) Likewise, the women should adorn themselves in appropriate dress, with modesty and soundness of mind, not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls or very expensive clothing, 10 but in the way that is proper for women professing devotion to God, namely, through good works.
Give that in some societies, modesty is defined as to whether a woman is naked or wearing a thin belt of beads, I suspect there's no one size fits all answer.
And then what's "appropriate" has to consider both your intent and the effect what you're wearing will have on other people.
The rest of us can only speak accurately about our reactions to what you are wearing and why we had them.
Shuhak 