The Bible On Butt Cracks

The church I attend once held service outdoors during the summer.  Not anymore.  The reason given by our pastor--with no apology--is the "inappropriate way people dress."  When it's hot outside some people show up pretty much undressed, and I am not prone to exaggeration.  Women attend services dressed in short shorts, low-cut clingy tops, or crops.  In some cases skintight low-rider jeans are worn as low as they go so that permanent artwork (tattoos) etched into backs and hips can be viewed by all.  Excuse my bluntness, ladies, but exposing your butt crack in church is unacceptable, even if you're sporting a Rembrandt across your back. 
 
"Outfits are immodest," says Stephanie Martin, "if they create greater interest in the wearer by potential sexual partners, make members of the same sex more conscious of their physical inadequacies, and are worn to attract attention to one's body."
 
The male species does their share to attract attention, too.   The younger guys show up in pants worn so low that six inches of their boxer shorts are exposed.  If that's not bad enough, they wear t-shirts emblazoned with logos that promote everything from grunge to gangsta rap to heavy metal bands like Exodus, a group that topped the charts with Shovel Headed Kill Machine. What sort of message does this send?  Is a grunge t-shirt appropriate to wear in God's house?  And don't give me that "Come just as you are" excuse that pastors offer when you broach the subject of inappropriate church apparel.  A lot of these kids come from Christian homes!  Many of them profess to be Christians themselves.  Will someone please tell them that we serve a holy God!  Parents, are you listening?
 
I realize the dress code for most churches has relaxed considerably over the last thirty years. Initially the philosophy went something like this: "It doesn't matter how you dress; what's important is that people come to the service."  The come as you are attitude took root because hippies wanted more than a drug-induced high; they wanted to get high on Jesus.  So a number of them started attending worship services and were summarily snubbed by congregants who were put off by their grungy clothes and hair.  Hence, non-denominational churches did away with any sort of dress code.  The plan was to make visitors feel like they fit in.  It worked!
 
Here's the difference between then and now.  Hippies may not have washed their hair or spit shined their sandals for church, but they showed up fully clothed.   
 
Today's pragmatic clergy avoid the issue of improper church attire.  They steer so clear of potential controversy that even the teaching of essential Christian doctrine is avoided.  Heaven forbid they should offend anyone. 
 

                 
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