Religion: No Hooters shirts in Mass, please

[Hecares]

God is everywhere. Granted, He is in Church, in a special way. i have lived in many different kinds of places and the standards for dress at Mass vary widely by location. The whole idea of suits, ties, heels suits or dresses was standard dress up attire in the 50’s and maybe the 60’s. It’s not so in many places now.

When I lived near DC, more people dressed that way for Mass, but when I think of it most of those dressed up were older people, and the dress code relaxed some before I moved. Where I live now, there is a lot of poverty. Even those who do fairly well don’t typically have much to spare. In this situation, I’d rather see people have decent casual clothes and sports shoes for Church, and save the money they would spend on dressy clothes for college for their children.

A few miles outside of town is a rural parish. There is less problem with modesty there, but jeans and a nice shirt are the dress code. I find when I stay in this area, it is harder to keep my nice clothes clean - mud, dust, gravel driveways and parking lots and tar and chip roads. High heels would be a safety hazard, and it would be expensive to keep suits clean.

It is hard for me to understand why a lawyer would expect a farmer to dress like him. To buy suits just for Mass would be much less practical than for someone who wears them to work. People and places are different. it’s not wise to provide universal dress codes.

 

[Dubstep16]

I know a woman who regularly goes to Mass in a bikini top.

 

[ANNE_2]

youtube.com/watch?v=PZHECJJbzPM

The Priest from this video is 100% correct.

I had jury duty last week, and many potential jurors were dressed improperly. This Country has a real problem.

We should all combat improper dress at Mass by setting a good example ourselves.
Complain to the Pastor or Diocese Bishop when you see others improperly dressed.

Just think, how much time each one of us will spend in Purgatory or Hell for our sins of Scandal.
We should remove all clothing from our home that is too revealing or inappropriate.

Show a respect for God and for other People.

 

[eegardner]

(I believe our Savior’s traditional attire was a tunic, a cloak, and thong sandals).

True, however that was the accepted, and pretty much the only option for dressing at the time. They had nothing else to wear. So what we wear today can not be based on middle Eastern culture of 2000 years ago, unless of course you are Muslim. If someone had worn a short tunic that showed their legs, that would have not been acceptable and the people would have possibly stoned a woman to death for it.

 

[eegardner]

I know a woman who regularly goes to Mass in a bikini top.

Totally unacceptable!

 

[eegardner]

Kind of off subject, but my pet peeve at Mass is people talking after they enter the main hall. The vestibule is for meet-and-greet! I’m trying to prepare myself through prayer and Mrs. Faversham’s talking about the roast she has in the crock pot! Ugh!!

I know how you feel. Sometimes it is ridiculous how loud it gets with everyone talking in the pews.

 

[Holly3278]

People shouldn’t be wearing immoral shirts or other clothing at all.

 

[Hastrman]

People shouldn’t be wearing immoral shirts or other clothing at all.

Well yes, but there are non-immoral shirts that aren’t appropriate to Mass. There’s one I’m thinking of getting, a hooded sweatshirt with a quote from the webcomic Penny Arcade—the guy who writes it originally said it because the guy who draws it was saying Warhammer was ripping off Warcraft (if anything the reverse is true).

Considering the trivial context, this is so over-the-top it becomes hilarious:

Up until now, I’ve been polite. If you say anything else—word one—I will kill myself. And when my tainted spirit finds its destination, I will topple the master of that dark place. From my black throne, I will lash together a machine of bone and blood, and fueled by my hatred for you this fear engine will bore a hole between this world and that one.

When it begins, you will hear the sound of children screaming—as though from a great distance. A smoking orb of nothing will grow above your bed, and from it will emerge a thousand starving crows. As I slip through the widening maw in my new form, you will catch only a glimpse of my radiance before you are incinerated. Then, as tears of bubbling pitch stream down my face, my dark work will begin.

I will open one of my six mouths, and I will sing the song that ends the Earth.

It’s funny, at least in context—saying that over a game—but I wouldn’t wear that to Mass if someone took orphans hostage to make me.

 

[ANNE_2]

Any clothing that easily causes a distraction to others - clothing with advertising or sending a message - should not be worn to Mass.

There is plenty of clothing that is not distracting, and/or immodist.
Help people to practice virtue rather than making excuses for them.
We should never be an occasion of sin for other people.

Clothing with advertizing and clothing that is immoral is just as expensive (sometimes more so) than proper clothing.
We should wear our best clothing to Mass. We should not purchase clothing that is not modest,
Beach clothing should never be worn to Mass.

As the Priest said, " Before purchasing any new clothing - do a modesty check."

youtube.com/watch?v=PZHECJJbzPM

 

[Pat_the_elder]

I agree that clothing worn to Mass should not be irreverent - however I well remember my old Dad saying ( he personally always wore a shirt and tie, even to morning Mass on weekdays) “Be carefull. remember it’s Mass - Not a fashion parade!”. This was said in answer to someone who had remarked that everyone who attended the local protestant church were always attired in finery.

 

[Phemie]

A few miles outside of town is a rural parish. There is less problem with modesty there, but jeans and a nice shirt are the dress code. I find when I stay in this area, it is harder to keep my nice clothes clean - mud, dust, gravel driveways and parking lots and tar and chip roads. High heels would be a safety hazard, and it would be expensive to keep suits clean.

It is hard for me to understand why a lawyer would expect a farmer to dress like him. To buy suits just for Mass would be much less practical than for someone who wears them to work. People and places are different. it’s not wise to provide universal dress codes.

Yet I grew up in farming and fishing country and most men had a suit to wear to church. Most women had a ‘going to church’ dress, just like we had our play clothes, our school clothes and our church clothes.

Today, with thrift shops in most communities there is really no reason to not dress up – unless you’re totally destitute. 17 years ago I was involved in a ‘thrift shop fashion show’ to teach women how they could spend $25-30 and dress to look professional for job interviews and I recently spent under $10 for a couple of pairs of black dress pants to wear to work. There are ways of doing it when one cares enough to make the effort.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

People are at different places in their spiritual journeys. Suggestions are okay but they need to be done in charity which also means privacy. Formal dress would be a barrier to some who are on the edge of not attending due to a weakness with staying in bed on Sunday. At mass is THE place for spiritual growth, but if you don’t get there…

I thank God for bringing me to Mass on Sunday.

 

[Petergee]

People are at different places in their spiritual journeys. Suggestions are okay but they need to be done in charity which also means privacy. Formal dress would be a barrier to some who are on the edge of not attending due to a weakness with staying in bed on Sunday. At mass is THE place for spiritual growth, but if you don’t get there…

I thank God for bringing me to Mass on Sunday.

Nobody has suggested “formal dress” is appropriate, in fact it would be a distraction. Just that everybody wear what he would wear to a meeting with, say, the mayor of your city. You are going to meet Someone infinitely more important than a mayor.

 

[DaveBj]

Last Sunday there was a man who came in and sat down in the front pew, right in my field of vision, wearing a “Salty Dog Cafe” t-shirt. So for the whole Mass I was looking at a blatant sexual reference from the folk/blues culture. Yuck!

(Full disclosure: I dress nicely, but not fancily, for Mass.)

 

[Tigg]

Yet I grew up in farming and fishing country and most men had a suit to wear to church. Most women had a ‘going to church’ dress, just like we had our play clothes, our school clothes and our church clothes.

Today, with thrift shops in most communities there is really no reason to not dress up – unless you’re totally destitute. 17 years ago I was involved in a ‘thrift shop fashion show’ to teach women how they could spend $25-30 and dress to look professional for job interviews and I recently spent under $10 for a couple of pairs of black dress pants to wear to work. There are ways of doing it when one cares enough to make the effort.

Yes!!!

We lived in the south for a time and the Protestants (many who were very poor “mountain folk”) were positively scandalized by the way the Catholics dressed for Mass in jeans and tee-shirts. Those were work clothes to them and poor, tho they were, the boys wore long-sleeved white shirts every Sunday (you could tell they were hand-me-downs - the sleeve length was way too short) but their shirts were always freshly ironed and the girls never, but never, wore pants to church.

I think most of this problem is only Attitude - sometimes we are so busy patting ourselves on the back that we even went to church we care not what scandal we might be giving - after all, it’s only about ME, and the Lord doesn’t care how I come to church as long as I’m there.

 

[PatriceA]

Yes!!!

We lived in the south for a time and the Protestants (many who were very poor “mountain folk”) were positively scandalized by the way the Catholics dressed for Mass in jeans and tee-shirts. Those were work clothes to them and poor, tho they were, the boys wore long-sleeved white shirts every Sunday (you could tell they were hand-me-downs - the sleeve length was way too short) but their shirts were always freshly ironed and the girls never, but never, wore pants to church.

I think most of this problem is only Attitude - sometimes we are so busy patting ourselves on the back that we even went to church we care not what scandal we might be giving - after all, it’s only about ME, and the Lord doesn’t care how I come to church as long as I’m there.

To be honest, causing scandal for the Protestants is the absolute last thing on my mind when I dress for Mass, any day of the week, not just Sunday. I don’t care what other denominations think about me as a Catholic.

 

[Mountain_King]

100% in agreement: No Hooters shirts in Mass, please!

Completely agree! Can’t believe somebody would do this!

 

[Contarini]

At the height of the war protestor frenzy (funny how that disappeared with Obama’s election), I saw some woman in church with her daughter of about 12 years old. The kid was wearing a long tee shirt with six inch letters: MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR!

I’ll be that kid is pregnant by now, and her mother doesn’t have a clue how it happened.

Why would you bet this? Do you actually have any evidence to support this?

In my small Indiana town, where support for war is common, I notice a lot of teen pregnancy. I see no evidence that being pro-war is a particular incentive to chastity.

Your remark seems baseless and malicious.

Edwin

 

[Hastrman]

In my small Indiana town, where support for war is common, I notice a lot of teen pregnancy. I see no evidence that being pro-war is a particular incentive to chastity.

But the slogan “make love, not war”, and related hippie drivel, is highly correlated with promiscuity.

 

[Tigg]

To be honest, causing scandal for the Protestants is the absolute last thing on my mind when I dress for Mass, any day of the week, not just Sunday. I don’t care what other denominations think about me as a Catholic.

The point was trying to be made that the Protestants consider church to be God’s house. Even though some may be poor, they show deference toward all the things of God, even in the way they dress for their Sunday worship, i.e., “take off your sandals for you are on holy ground.” Perhaps we could be taught a lesson by their good example.