Inappropriate T-Shirt in Mass

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I think that it’s inevitable that wearing a shirt like that is a sin. I think it might even be a mortal sin. Here’s why.
It causes scandal. It leads little ones astray. I visited a Catholic Church about ten years ago. I wasn’t a Catholic at that time.
I saw an offensive t-shirt at the Mass. It is the ONLY thing I remember from that Mass. Scandal was the ONLY thing I knew about of the Catholic Church. So basically, I just chalked it up to,
Catholics are so lost, all they believe in is ritual. All Catholics are hypocritical. There is no holiness there. :rolleyes:
It was the scandal inside the church that caused me to stay away from the Catholic church.

The PRIEST should have asked him to turn the shirt inside out if he wanted to stay for the Mass and the Sacrament. That’s what we do in the schools.
 
Exalt said:
Maybe this guy doesn’t believe that those things are sinful? Or maybe if he does, he doesn’t think it’s grounds to reject or ignore or rebuke gay, transgenered, or bisexual people. Maybe he thinks like Jesus did - to embrace the rejected and scorned, even if they are sinful.
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Jesus embraced the sinners to bring them out of their sin, but He NEVER embraced the sins they were committing. The Church does not reject people, but it does reject certain beliefs, actions and attitudes, just like Christ did.
 
Thanks for all your responses. The church I was at caters to a college community, so many people wear t-shirts to mass, however they are usually Catholic T-shirts, spreading God’s love, or with bible passages, etc. However, every now and then I notice t-shirts like this one, or others that promote excessive drinking, or maybe say curse words. I find these inappropriate for mass. And I just am curious if we have a duty to say something politely to these people?

I also am curious how far is too far when it comes to inappropriate and disrespectful things at mass. For example, if someone had a shirt with a pornographic image on it, I’m sure there would be no question that people would say something to him and suggest he change his shirt. If a person had a shirt that said “I support Abortion and Murders and Rapists” I bet something would be said. However, what should be done in the more “borderline” cases?

I am saddened by these situations when I think of the children in church who see these shirts or even just other parishioners being distracted by these shirts. I also think of the church as a throne for our Lord. Is it not offensive to Him for people to wear shirts that embrace or promote sinful behaviors?

If I knew this person, I would have had a conversation about it with him, however I was unsure how to approach this with a stranger. Any more suggestions?
 
Catherine_W said:
I am saddened by these situations when I think of the children in church who see these shirts or even just other parishioners being distracted by these shirts. I also think of the church as a throne for our Lord. Is it not offensive to Him for people to wear shirts that embrace or promote sinful behaviors?

If I knew this person, I would have had a conversation about it with him, however I was unsure how to approach this with a stranger. Any more suggestions?
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I would have approached the priest or an usher to talk to the guy.
I’m kinda used to this. As a protestant, I worshiped in an “inner city” church. All kinds of people (weirdos, even) entered the church. Yes weirdos should be able to go to church. But on occasion, they would be disruptive, and the ushers had the right and responsibility to take care of the disruptions, even if it meant ushering the person outside.
 
Originally Posted by Exalt
Maybe this guy doesn’t believe that those things are sinful? Or maybe if he does, he doesn’t think it’s grounds to reject or ignore or rebuke gay, transgenered, or bisexual people. Maybe he thinks like Jesus did - to embrace the rejected and scorned, even if they are sinful
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Also, I don’t think we should reject the sinner, but we should not accept the sin. Jesus did not say I love you and don’t worry about your sins, its no big deal. He said he loves us, but we must follow him, repent for our sins, and sin no more. Embracing sinful behaviors does not help these people who are committing them, if you are worried about their immortal soul, then you should lovingly tell them of sin and help them to sin no more.
 
Catherine_W said:
If a person had a shirt that said “I support Abortion and Murders and Rapists” I bet something would be said. However, what should be done in the more “borderline” cases?
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If it’s not permitted in public schools, it shouldn’t be permitted in Church. If they really are clueless, and ignorant, and thus, not committing a mortal sin by wearing the shirt… (Perhaps they are illiterate…), all that needs to be done is ask them to turn their shirt inside out.

There is a dress code at the public schools here. Offensive print is not permitted, and the teacher who “catches” one may ask the student to turn their shirt inside out. All students up through high school have to submit to this authority, or they will be asked to leave. (suspended)
 
He_Man said:
Flawed argument, you just got done defending t-shirt wearing and message spreading. You can’t pick and choose which messages you find appropriate. You need to embrace and all that nonsense.
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Actually, I *can *pick and choose which messages I find appropriate. I have the mental capacity and - I would say - even a moral obligation to do so.

In my opinion, I think that man’s T-shirt ought to be the official doctrine of the church. I wish the church was more open to people of all minorities.
 
I agree with most of that. Maybe he meant “love the sinner hate the sin” and it didn’t quite come across that way. Most likely it wasn’t what he meant. I do disagree with embracing others as a hippie notion.

Let’s face it. Jesus was a hippie. Long hair, baggy clothes, facial hair, loves 311 (3:11)

Just a little joke. Have a great day!

YACatholic
 
He_Man said:
Maybe his beliefs are irrelevant so far as Church teaching is concerned?

Perhaps his intent was to say “love thy neighbor”, and we really don’t know. But more than likely is was to make a statement against judging certain behaviors.

I doubt he’d get much support if his shirt said

"Rapists, Muderers, Adulterers, Pedphiles, Pet Molestors, Necrophyliacs"

"We are all different embrace it."

Why not, we should embrace one another, right? Such a foolish, outdated, hippie notion.
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Comparing the acts of two consenting adults to crimes such as rape and murder is such an extreme as to be meaningless, IMO. They are not on the same scale, regardless of one’s opinion on their sinfulness.

Also, it seems that most of the folks on this thread automatically assumed the T-shirt guy meant he supported sin, not that he embraced the sinner. Why is everyone so eager to interpret his stance in a negative way? His shirt said we should embrace everybody, no discrimination. This is a pretty Christian sentiment. But you’ve jumped to a negative conclusion. You have no idea how the guy feels so why not give him the beneift of the doubt? Why assume the worst? How about a little charity? I’ve seen a shirt that says “God Bless Everybody” - would you find that offensive too? :confused: There is a bit difference between this guy’s shirt, which really says “love everybody” to wearing something obscene. No one is condoning the latter. 🤷
 
Such shirts could well be labeled “shock shirts” and the message does not of necessity have anything to do with the wearer’s beliefs. These folks just like to get a rise out of people and by correcting him one would play right into his hands. Its just so kool, dudes. Such shirts would be the least of my worries. 👍
 
My first response is to tear it off of him and then beat him with a rolled up missal.

**Tooooo Funny ! 😃

I like the suggestion that someone else made is to have lunch with him or either talk to him in a freindly way, get to know him and then see why he would wear a shirt like that. Most people are ignorant of what they do and why they do it.**
 
The T-shirt is not appropriate in my eyes. It is obviously a provacative political statement on the part of the wearer.
 
TemplarKnight said:
My first response is to tear it off of him and then beat him with a rolled up missal.
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**Tooooo Funny ! 😃

I like the suggestion that someone else made is to have lunch with him or either talk to him in a friendly way, get to know him and then see why he would wear a shirt like that. Most people are ignorant of what they do and why they do it."]**
 
Kitteh said:
I don’t see what the problem is. We ARE all different, after all. There’s nothing wrong with being different.
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That is correct, however we don’t have to embrace sinful behavior.

And yes if different is sinful NO that is NOT ok!!! :mad:
 
Here’s a “shock shirt” for the secular world:

"Moral Relativism - Don’t Buy the Lie"

You’re likely to get beat with a rolled-up Cosmopolitan.
 
Embrace atheism?

Hardly.

Methinks the message on the shirt refuses to distinguish the difference between the sin and the sinner.
 
I would tend to say that all T-shirts (especially those like OP mentioned) are inappropriate at Mass. Then again, I don’t believe jeans are appropriate either. It’s just a matter of respect. After all, if we can’t be bothered to show respect to God, why should we show respect to anyone else? meh. I guess this is just one of those things that gets on my nerves.
 
I think that any shirt with a printed message, even a Catholic one, is inappropriate during mass because it is distracting to the people around you.

In the case of this particular shirt, it looks very un-Catholic to me. This man may have meant it to be taken a different way, however. In the interest of not jumping to conclusions and making a fool of myself, this is what I would have done:
  1. Ask him if you can speak to him for a moment.
  2. Ask him to explain what he means by said message.
  3. If he means it in a different way, thank him for taking the time to explain. Otherwise, explain that you find it offensive and inappropriate for Mass. Ask him to wear a different shirt next time.
 
😛
Swan said:
Comparing the acts of two consenting adults to crimes such as rape and murder is such an extreme as to be meaningless, IMO. They are not on the same scale, regardless of one’s opinion on their sinfulness.
🤷
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Mortal sin is fatal, simply put. We don’t concern ourselves with degrees of morality. One mortal sin can cut us off from the Lord.

This isn’t a case where 1 murder equals three homoseuxals acts equals 5 looks at pornography, or whatever. They are are mortal in sinfullness, and one if enough to destroy us, spiritually.

And you are now being arbitrary and changing the argument that was made because you don’t like the notion of flaunting pedphilia, murder, or rape. That’s a bit fickle in terms of debate.

The argument was whether or not we, the Church, should be accepting of minorities and differences, and have that adevrtised in Church.

The argument was NOT whether or not those minorities in question were healthy, good, or acceptable.

If you want to argue that, that’s fine, but that is a COMPLETELY different argument than Exalt was making. I simply provided a counter-example to the notion that we have to be accepting of all differences and minorities in society as Jesus would…
 
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