This is spawned from manny's flip flop thread. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=175762 In regards to going to church, are you of the belief that those in church should dress up, or should you go to church no matter how sloppily you might be dressed? I have mixed feeling on the issue. I will dress up in slacks and tie and would think that out of respect, those that can do the same will, but I also understand that not all people can afford to wear slacks and tie to church. Who am I to judge how a person dresses? I am at church to worship, not judge.
at my church if you dressed up you'd look out of place. i usually wear jeans and a tshirt...or something like that. i suppose it all depends on context for what's appropriate...but i think that has everything to do with other human beings and zilch to do with God, for what it's worth.
I dont think it matters. I dress how I feel like every Sunday. The day my church tells someone to leave because of a dress code is the day I look for another church. Just my opinion.
Why is this not a poll? Wear whatever you want. A bum probably wouldn't be a good image if he showed up to church, but church isn't supposed to be about image, though it seems that way. Church should be about sharing a mutual love in Christ and God, as well as improving the community, and to a lesser extent the world.
If Im going to dress nice for my mother's day etc or for a funeral, why should I dress up and less for church? It's really just about respect. I have no problem with it and think it is appropriate, but nothing should be enforced. Sorry, there is a line drawn somewhere. Deal with it.
I did not poll this because I wanted to read responses. Personally, I will wear dockers and a button up shirt/tie or knit shirt to church. I have seen people in all different attire. At first, I used to wonder why people didn't respect the church enough to dress up, but I realized that I don't know anyone's situation but my own. I'm sure God does not care what we wear as long as we are there to praise Him and learn of His word.
Dress up out of respect to the other people in the church for whom I wish to avoid becoming a stumbling block. If the church is a casual church though then that's great. The wardrobe doesn't matter at all except to people, and the Bible does implore us to avoid being a stumbling block to others if we can. I wouldn't show up to Church in shorts and a t-shirt because I wouldn't want what I'm wearing to be a distraction for someone else that causes them to miss something important, or worse for a non-believer to be too distracted by me to receive the word of God. Edit: I don't think God cares at all though what we wear.
You shouldn't go there without showering for a few days, nor dressed up like a hobo. C'mon, now. Also, you don't need to wear an attention-getting hat, and you don't need a suit, either. Casual is fine, but not something that shows your butt, midriff, lower-back tattoo, shoulders, half your boobs, or all your toes. Yes, He does. If you're dirty, he won't recognize you.
justtxyank nailed it below. if it causes other people to be distracted, you should probably avoid it at church. in all honesty, at this point in my life, i would have difficulty being part of a church with an implicit or explicit dress code.
Most dresscodes are "enforced" by the members of elderly generations who are against change. That's why the standards get looser as generations go by. Each new generation is a little more slack on what they think it "disrespectful."
I'd say church dress code is a cultural thing, not a religious duty. Nevertheless, I think everyone should always try to dress up properly for church. You may not be able to afford a suit but pretty much everyone can clean themselves up a little bit and try to look appropriate ... if it's the type of dressing that would get you bounced from a restaurant or business office, then you shouldn't be wearing it to church either. God isn't going to reject you because you couldn't dress up properly, but if you can afford to do so and you purposely refuse then it probably indicates some disrespect you have in your heart (and the heart is always what matters). I don't think there should be any strict rules -- business casual is probably appropriate enough. I don't see anything wrong with wearing jeans, but you certainly shouldn't be wearing a wife beater to go with them. At my church we actually have dress down Sundays once a month on the second Sunday. Everyone including the pastor wears jeans. Otherwise we dress up nice for Sunday, but the best suits/dresses/attires are reserved for special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
