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Arkadin
Guest
And you wonder why church attendance is low.
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theistgal
Guest
I remember a time when I was standing in front of the church, waiting for a friend of mine to arrive.
This friend of mine was “unchurched”. She was also very skeptical about whether God exists at all. But she’d been asking some questions, and after many invitations from me, finally agreed to “drop by” and attend Mass.
“But remember,” she warned me, “I’m just visiting! If I don’t like it, I’m not coming back!”
“Don’t worry,” I assured her. “You’ll be more than welcome!”
She arrived a few minutes before the start of Mass, and as she got out of her car, I noticed she was wearing a pair of jeans and a neat, but faded and slightly torn, T-shirt. But I didn’t say anything, because I knew that was just her way of saying, “I’m here, God, but I’m not ready to change my ways yet!” and figured God would deal with her in His own time.
Unfortunately, one of the parish babushkas saw her, and decided it was her responsibility to be “Dress Code Cop” that day. She walked up to my friend and made some VERY derogatory comments about her clothing - in a VERY loud voice.
My friend, obviously embarrassed, turned around, got back into her car, and drove away. To this day she has never returned.
Wouldn’t it have been nice if that lady had just minded her own business?
This friend of mine was “unchurched”. She was also very skeptical about whether God exists at all. But she’d been asking some questions, and after many invitations from me, finally agreed to “drop by” and attend Mass.
“But remember,” she warned me, “I’m just visiting! If I don’t like it, I’m not coming back!”
“Don’t worry,” I assured her. “You’ll be more than welcome!”
She arrived a few minutes before the start of Mass, and as she got out of her car, I noticed she was wearing a pair of jeans and a neat, but faded and slightly torn, T-shirt. But I didn’t say anything, because I knew that was just her way of saying, “I’m here, God, but I’m not ready to change my ways yet!” and figured God would deal with her in His own time.
Unfortunately, one of the parish babushkas saw her, and decided it was her responsibility to be “Dress Code Cop” that day. She walked up to my friend and made some VERY derogatory comments about her clothing - in a VERY loud voice.
My friend, obviously embarrassed, turned around, got back into her car, and drove away. To this day she has never returned.
Wouldn’t it have been nice if that lady had just minded her own business?
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Prodigal_Son1
Guest
Yet you didn’t respond to the fact that I have friends that no longer attend Church because someone said something to them about the way they were dressed. I’ve tried to get them to come back, but they can’t see the body of Christ being what they experienced by other members of the body.
I’m sure your coveralls make everyone understand your point though.
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ElToro
Guest
You’re trying to set-up a false zero-sum game and I’m not playing. The fact that as an usher I had that man remove his hat and turn his shirt inside out IN NO WAY limited my focus on the Mass.
I hope you understand what I just said.
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ElToro
Guest
First, a “slightly torn, T-shirt” does not equate to a horrifically crude Deicide t-shirt. I want to make that clear at the beginning.
Did this happen at Saint Mary’s? I can’t imagine that it did but if it did I would have simply turned my back (literally) to the lady in the babushka and led my friend into the DL. Done deal. After DL you could have apologized for the lady.
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estesbob
Guest
Seems kind of hard to focus on the Mass what with all those t shirts to read
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ElToro
Guest
Yeah because people want to get theri kicks by wearing “Death in June” t-shirts to Mass.
One of the BIG reasons Mass attendance is down is because people no longer equate the Mass to something supernatural, something from God. They can’t resolve people acting and dressing the way they do at something that is supposed to be miraculous which of course it is.
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theistgal
Guest
I notice you didn’t mention in your OP that you were an usher. It was only when people started challenging your authority to tell others how to dress that you brought it up.
And just because you’re an usher still doesn’t mean you have the right to turn people away based solely on how they’re dressed. It’s God’s house, not yours.
And just because you’re an usher still doesn’t mean you have the right to turn people away based solely on how they’re dressed. It’s God’s house, not yours.
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ElToro
Guest
Possibly for you that might be the case…
Then again there was only one. Not sure where you came up with “all those t shirts to read.” Nice try though.
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ElToro
Guest
Pardon me. I mentioned that I was an usher when I took action one time in one posting. Otherwise it makes no difference.
I didn’t turn anyone away. I told him to take off his hat and to cover his shirt or turn it inside out. Please don’t ever lie about me again and say that I turned anyone away from the Mass. That is very offensive.
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Arkadin
Guest
The font on my Death in June shirt is a bit difficult to read with a quick glance, so I’ll have my kicks with people trying to read “From Nothing to Nowhere”.
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Arkadin
Guest
You never know, you may turn someone away one day. Has this kid return to church since then?
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ElToro
Guest
The fact that you even own such a shirt says volumes…
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Prodigal_Son1
Guest
Christ didn’t care about appearances, evident by the company He kept. He came for the sinner, not the righteous. He came to heal. It’s a shame when people keep people out for such trivial reasons, in my honest opinion.
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ElToro
Guest
Please don’t lie about me.
Well, he’s away at college right now, but yes he continued to attend and still does as far as I know.
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Prodigal_Son1
Guest
So judgmental, without even knowing a person, or attempting to know them or what’s in their heart.
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Arkadin
Guest
Don’t judge since you do not know what it is implying!
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Prodigal_Son1
Guest
I don’t see anyone in agreement with his views???
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theistgal
Guest
That’s funny, I used to go to a church in downtown Los Angeles where a lot of immigrants (legal and illegal) attended Mass daily.
Many did not speak or read English very well, and on more than one occasion I saw a sweet, elderly woman wearing a T-shirt with a really weird graphic on it - heavy metal or risque joke or whatever.
Didn’t bother me a bit. I knew they didn’t understand what it meant and were just wearing it because they thought the colors were pretty, or something.
As I recall, those of us who understood what the slogans meant weren’t offended - we just thought it was kind of cute.
Many did not speak or read English very well, and on more than one occasion I saw a sweet, elderly woman wearing a T-shirt with a really weird graphic on it - heavy metal or risque joke or whatever.
Didn’t bother me a bit. I knew they didn’t understand what it meant and were just wearing it because they thought the colors were pretty, or something.
As I recall, those of us who understood what the slogans meant weren’t offended - we just thought it was kind of cute.
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ElToro
Guest
By golly here’s the shirt:
http://img.hottopic.com/is/image/HotTopic/463564_hi
The graphic is front and back. No way was he going to get past me without covering this piece of trash or turning it inside out. No way. For those with a problem with that, I don’t care – I honestly don’t.
This was all about dealing with this matter in a tactful manner which I did. It’s not a matter of being apathetic because one does not want to scare someone away. If they lack the skills to deal with such a situation, they shouldn’t be ushers.
http://img.hottopic.com/is/image/HotTopic/463564_hi
The graphic is front and back. No way was he going to get past me without covering this piece of trash or turning it inside out. No way. For those with a problem with that, I don’t care – I honestly don’t.
This was all about dealing with this matter in a tactful manner which I did. It’s not a matter of being apathetic because one does not want to scare someone away. If they lack the skills to deal with such a situation, they shouldn’t be ushers.
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