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

  • Thread starter Thread starter Starwynd
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Starwynd

Guest
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.
 
It’s not a sin to dress this way for Mass…but you could ask yourself how you would dress to visit with the president, or the Pope. At Mass you are in the presence of God. You might dress somewhat better than a t-shirt and tennis shoes…just a thought.

Your friend seems to be a bit over the top in her opinion though.
 
Just make sure you wash the inside of the cup…you’ll need to go to Matthew 23 to understand.
It may be that someone else will be there who cannot afford a suit and tie, and that you make them more comfortable with what you wear. As you said, you are clean and neat, no logos.
Again, wash the inside of the cup - and take a bus.
 
Ilroy said:
It’s not a sin to dress this way for Mass…but you could ask yourself how you would dress to visit with the president, or the Pope. At Mass you are in the presence of God. You might dress somewhat better than a t-shirt and tennis shoes…just a thought.

Your friend seems to be a bit over the top in her opinion though.
Click to expand...
I try to dress every Sunday as if I were to be invited to a private audience with the Holy Father himself. That is as close as I can get to Jesus Christ on Earth…and I dress accordingly at every Sunday and Holy Day Mass as if I were to be in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI at Mass.

Since you are in the presence of God Almighty ~ why would you be dressed in anything other than what you would wear in the presence of the KING!
 
Jeans actually can be quite fashionable along with a nice t-shirt and sneakers. As for a being a sin, no, I would say Jesus likes the cup to be clean inside.
 
I’m curious about a couple of things. Do you have nicer clothes? If you do, what is your reason for not wearing them to church?

Note that I am not saying you must wear you nicest clothes to church. What I am saying is that it may be beneficial for you to explore your reasons for choosing the clothes you choose. Then you should be able to answer your own question.
 
I am not judging you, but have you heard of sins of ommision?
If you are going to Mass, it sounds like you know its not your best, but you have stopped caring about that. Do you dress for Mass? Or do you dress for the ballpark?
When I dress for Mass, I keep in mind who I’m going to worship.
That would be Jesus Christ. I’m neat, clean, modest, and only few pcs of jewelry.
I am sorry for all the people who lost their respect for attending Mass with dignity to Our Lord. Sincerely, Franny
 
It’s not a sin.

But, dressing well is a good mortification. However, dressing too well can be vanity. It all depends on your interior intention.

I would never comment on another’s dress (well, unless it was my kids). That’s kind of rude.

For my family, I ask my kids and husband to wear a shirt with a collar and nice slacks if clean. If there aren’t clean slacks, their best pair of jeans are acceptable. I consider that acceptable.

For my daughters and myself, I encourage skirts/dresses, discourage jeans (but, have given up the fight with my teen), modest blouses, and nice shoes.

Those are our standards–dressy for some people and not dressy enough for others.
 
VociMike said:
I’m curious about a couple of things. Do you have nicer clothes? If you do, what is your reason for not wearing them to church?

Note that I am not saying you must wear you nicest clothes to church. What I am saying is that it may be beneficial for you to explore your reasons for choosing the clothes you choose. Then you should be able to answer your own question.
Click to expand...
I do have nicer clothes, and I do wear them on special occaisions.

I just prefer to dress casually for everyday things.

But I always clean myself before church and always have clean clothes and so on.
 
It does not matter what you wear only that you bring yourself. God cares not of material belongings in the same sense that many do. Needless to say good sense should be applied. Wear your best if possible, respectfully.
 
I don’t really get this. It’s humans who judge people by appearance, not God.

I usually wear a nice shirt and jeans to Mass. Would I wear that if I met the president or the pope? Sure would, I don’t really care one way or another what I’m wearing as long as its presentable (suit and tie or nice shirt and pants are both “presentable” and not off putting).

If someone told me the pope was coming to my house, I doubt the thought would occur that I need to change into a suit and tie. I would go to a wedding in shorts and a t-shirt if I could get away with it. The only reason not to is because people judge you if you do. I’m not sure how we get the notion that God has a particular fashion sense.
 
The exterior is a reflection of the interior. Dressing well can be both good or bad depending on the intent.

Dressing skimpily good intent or not is not good.
 
Starwynd said:
I do have nicer clothes, and I do wear them on special occaisions.

I just prefer to dress casually for everyday things.

But I always clean myself before church and always have clean clothes and so on.
Click to expand...
Re: the bolded portion…

Do you consider *being in the *presence of Christ to be an “everyday thing”?
 
Going to church regularly does not warant special out of the way clothing to worship God.

That is not a demand by God to do so. It is a demand by people. It is also a petty one to be so concerned about. As long as I am clean and not immodest, like say a pair of shorts and no shirt or shoes, I can understand, and it should not be an issue.

Let me put it to you this way, let’s say a dirty bum comes in to the church. I can see a bunch of people getting hostile to him and wanting to throw him out of the church just because he has on dirty clothes.

That is not Christian like.

Neither is the junk saying that a person has to wear a suit and tie to worship God.
 
I’m grateful that God takes no offense where none is intended.

The same cannot be said of those that cannot miss an opportunity to take offense on God’s behalf.
 
Blue jeans and t-shirt is the best I have except for some dresses I have that are a little too tight. I’d wear the dresses to Mass but I absolutely hate wearing dresses and I think God would prefer me to be comfortable. Besides, I’d be a little out of place wearing a dress to Mass. Almost none of the ladies at Mass wear a dress.
 
Having read several of the posts made me start thinking about the way I dress for Mass. Okay, I guess, but not as well as when I was younger.

I have several non Catholic relatives and I have noticed the difference in what they wear to their services (men, usually a suit, women and nice dress, or pantsuit) and what I myself and many others wear who are going to be present before the Eucharist. Sometimes it ain’t a purdy sight.

I have gotten used to jeans, if they are clean, have no holes in them, they are acceptable. What I find MOST shocking are the young “ladies” and sometimes young “gentlemen” who come to church in shorts. Some of them are realllllllly SHORT, the girl’s shorts.

Society in general has forgotten how to dress for special occasions and unfortunately that has come to include Mass. It is the whole social structure that plays down special dress for special times.

I remember attending a symphony after several years of not going. Hubby had on a suit, I wore a very nice pantsuit. We got to the Hall, got to our seats, (way up in no man’s land), I looked around and what did I see but bodies encased in jeans and sweatshirts. Gasp! At a symphony!! So if I GASPED at the dress of the majority of people sitting near us at the symphony, I think maybe I had better change my dress code for Mass, at least a little. As for the shorts wearers, maybe I could take a shawl with me and wrap it around at least one little exposed dierriere??? 😉
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top