Is It A Sin to Not Look Your Best In Church?

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Starwynd said:
It’s evenly mixed.
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Hmmm…I was hoping that it wouldnt be so, because it would have made things a lot easier.

anyways, I can agree with what you are/were wearing - it seems fine with me. You keep yourself clean and wear modest clothing and that is a lot, considering what some people wear when going to church (tube tops?! belly coming out? skirt/dress barely covering your behind?!). however, just like mercygate says, it depends on the location/culture and what is considered normal. I got to admit, that occasionally, I would dress when going to ‘dressed-down’ church and people would just stare at me. This takes away from the focus of the mass + I was feeling downright uncomfortable.

Anyways, WWJD? would he really care what you were wearing when you meet him or would he just care on how your heart feels? (I think that’s a pretty obvious answer 😉 ). I really wonder what kind of clothing people in those times would wear when meeting him ;).

If I were your lady-friend, I would be more concerned if you were just going to church as a ‘habit’ instead of really focusing on the meaning of the mass. So in this way, your friend might be concerned that since you didn’t dress up for God, this equates with you not caring about God. Taking this to another topic…how about kneeling when the Priest holds the Eucharist? It is now not required (in Canada at least) to kneel down before the Eucharist, however, because of that, more and more people (from what I observed) don’t take the Eucharist as seriously. This is disconcerting, especially this is one of the critical moments of the mass and of our faith . So, in a way, your lady-friend is right that since you don’t dress up, psychologically you may not be focusing on mass as seriously.

However, on the other side of the fence, if we were to focus too much on what we are wearing, it would seem that we only go to Mass to show off and get a few glances our way (I got to admit, when I was much younger, I would dress up to impress a good Catholic boy ;)).
 
unless i am misreading/misunderstanding something…i hope you didnt think that i was trying to make you feel like you are not a child of God. if it seemed so… it was unintended.
 
No. It depends on you on what to wear but remember one sign of showing your deep reverence to God is how you present Him. Its one of the factor. However we sinned if we attend mass as People-Centered not God-centered
 
Starwynd said:
I got into an argument with a friend over what I wore in Church last weekend today.

She said it was inappropiate for me to wear what I wore.

What I wore was jeans, a tee shirt (nothing on it but a solid color of blue), and tennishoes. For some reason she was really put off that I wore them.

But to me, as long as I am clean and clean cut, what should it matter what I wear in church? I never go to church in anything like shorts, no shirt and no shoes nor any kind of shirt that has something on it like Marijuana or a car or anything like that.

She even said that God demands that I must wear a suit, that is a shirt and a tie and slacks and dress shoes and that God demands that I must look my absolute best and that she’s getting really frustrated with me just my tennishoes, jeans and a tee-shirt.

Note, this is not my girlfriend, just a friend who gives me a ride to church on Sundays.

But I’m getting a little bit frustrated with her and think that for the next few sundays I will walk to church since it’s not more than a half hour walk away.
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God has little interest in what humans think is ‘fashionable’. Where whatever you like (just don’t be offensive).
 
Guldenat said:
God has little interest in what humans think is ‘fashionable’. Where whatever you like (just don’t be offensive).
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The problem lies in “who” finds “what” offensive. While I would be reluctant to take offense at anything, we DO live in a cultural context, and broadly speaking, it is pretty easy to know what is acceptable and what is not.

That said, I recall once meeting family members for lunch at a swanky hotel. SIL showed up with the current BF, who was wearing a tank top and shredded jeans with filthy sneakers minus their laces. Truly, truly, this guy had NO idea that his costume might not be the most prudential choice for the occasion. He was absolutely, TOTALLY outside of his own world and had, apparently never been exposed to any kind of life that would have given him “gears” – a sense of what goes where and on what occasion. He had spent all of his life in a cultural submarine.

Is something like that a “church” matter? Not really. But it certainly speaks to an almost delusional world view.
 
mercygate said:
The problem lies in “who” finds “what” offensive. While I would be reluctant to take offense at anything, we DO live in a cultural context, and broadly speaking, it is pretty easy to know what is acceptable and what is not.

That said, I recall once meeting family members for lunch at a swanky hotel. SIL showed up with the current BF, who was wearing a tank top and shredded jeans with filthy sneakers minus their laces. Truly, truly, this guy had NO idea that his costume might not be the most prudential choice for the occasion. He was absolutely, TOTALLY outside of his own world and had, apparently never been exposed to any kind of life that would have given him “gears” – a sense of what goes where and on what occasion. He had spent all of his life in a cultural submarine.

Is something like that a “church” matter? Not really. But it certainly speaks to an almost delusional world view.
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By offensive I was referring to perhaps a t-shirt with profanity and anti racial epithets on it, a manner of dress that promotes something against actual catholic teaching. Simply not approving of someone’s taste in clothing does not qualify as offensive in terms of what would not be acceptable at a church function.

Moreover, how most people dress normally today would have been considered slovenly 60 years ago. That is why you are correct in saying it is not a church matter at all, but one of personal preference. Therefore, for the most part, it matters not what someone wears for church functions.

Now if it is a church that more or less has certain guidelines on how one should dress (many church’s that perform Tridentine services for example) must be adhered to, if for no other reason then to respect the priest’s/bishop’s wishes. However, the opinion of simply the congregation is somewhat irrelevant.
 
I found this interesting: stpetersbasilica.org/

Going to Rome and plan to visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican?
The following information may be helpful.
If you can’t find your answer here, send an e-mail to: stpetersbasilica@gmail.com

Dress Code

The Dress Code is strictly enforced at St. Peter’s Basilica. No shorts, bare shoulders or miniskirts. This applies to both men and women. Even if you get through security, you will be turned away by the attendants at the door. On a hot summer day, I’ve seen dozens of men in shorts turned away.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Steadfast_love said:
I found this interesting: stpetersbasilica.org/

Going to Rome and plan to visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican?
The following information may be helpful.
If you can’t find your answer here, send an e-mail to: stpetersbasilica@gmail.com

Dress Code

The Dress Code is strictly enforced at St. Peter’s Basilica. No shorts, bare shoulders or miniskirts. This applies to both men and women. Even if you get through security, you will be turned away by the attendants at the door. On a hot summer day, I’ve seen dozens of men in shorts turned away.

http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Pics/SQR/DressCode-JG.jpg
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LOL, we have a sign like that outside our church doors during mass, and when you enter, there’s another sign with Jesus on it, and it says to please don’t talk during mass, and be respectful towards the Blessed Sacrament, etc. And then of course there’s the little bit the lector gives about please turn off your cell phones, etc.

Some people might not like being told to do this, as it makes them feel stupid as if they’re being treated like children that they need to be told something so obvious…but that’s how sad things are at churches, even old mission churches with old school priests like my church. The priests are very sweet, but despite their best efforts and the signs, there are still people, almost always women, who someone violate the rules, and father has to occasionally bring it up in mass, after communion, which is sad.

“My dear hearts, I was seeing, again, some immodest dresses during mass. Please, don’t come to church dressed like this, dear ones…”

Having to say stuff like that every now and again must be embarrassing for a priest, but I’m glad father is sticking to his guns on this. Thankfully, he has the support of the parish community, who is mostly all conservative as well, so it helps in balancing things out.
 
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