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Whatever happened to dressing up on Easter Sunday?
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, April 10, 2004 | Alyson Walls

Posted on 04/11/2004 9:02:32 AM PDT by Willie Green

Although famed musical composer Irving Berlin thought them lovely enough to write a sonnet, nowadays few women are donning Easter bonnets.

In fact, you're more apt to see wrinkled khakis and rumpled polo shirts than pressed suits and pastel pumps at church on Sunday.

While Easter Sunday has traditionally been the day to show off your new spring finery, America has become a nation that dresses down, and not just on "casual Fridays" in the office.

(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 5thavenueparade; church; easter; easterbonnets; easterparade; eastersunday; fashioncritiques; fashionreview; fasionistas; slobs; springfinery; theguild
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To: Cicero
But if you're paying Him a formal visit, a tanktop would be inappropriate.

Of course, according to Esquire's Things a Man Should Know About Style...

"No level of fitness justifies wearing a tank top in public. No level of fitness - or, for that matter, drunkenness - justifies wearing a tank top at home."

Good words...

381 posted on 04/13/2004 12:49:28 PM PDT by Ulysses ("Most of us go through life thinking we're Superman. Superman goes through life being Clark Kent!")
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To: Protagoras
I'm glad I don't go to church with hypocrites like you.

As if you're practicing what you preach.
The difference is that I expressed my general opinion of the slovenly behavior of a generation, allowing exception for individual circumstances.
You, OTOH, pass individual judgement as a personal attack.
Truly bad form, but typical of your character.

382 posted on 04/13/2004 12:56:05 PM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: adiaireton8
Moses could have said the same thing when he struck the rock. (Numbers 20:11)

Which time?

Once, at least, Moses was doing exactly what God told him to do when he "struck the rock" (Exodus 17:1-7).

383 posted on 04/13/2004 12:56:18 PM PDT by Ulysses ("Most of us go through life thinking we're Superman. Superman goes through life being Clark Kent!")
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To: adiaireton8
There was nothing anti-Catholic about my statement. Many of my good friends are Catholic.

The act of seeking truth often results in an interpretation of the truth rather than the truth itself. Unfortunately I do not see a need or have the desire to put on a suit in order to praise God, which is a truth you seem to have come to.
384 posted on 04/13/2004 12:59:00 PM PDT by RockyMtnMan
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To: Willie Green
I believe it’s what you look like *inside* that God cares about.

Christians who judge others based on what they wear to church need to get their own hearts and attitudes right. They remind me of the Pharisees.

385 posted on 04/13/2004 1:07:30 PM PDT by k2blader (Some folks should worry less about how conservatives vote and more about how to advance conservatism)
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To: Willie Green
The difference is that I expressed my general opinion of the slovenly behavior of a generation, allowing exception for individual circumstances.

Nonsense. You think you can insult and namecall as long as you don't name anyone in particular and it's OK. You are incorrect. And I'm not the only who called you on it.

You, OTOH, pass individual judgement as a personal attack.

More nonsense. Anytime someone calls you on anything it's a personal attack as far as you are concerned.

Was it personal when you called three people aethists? And hypocrites? By name?

Truly bad form, but typical of your character.

That is a personal attack in case you didn't notice. Very Christian.

Go dress up for church, but remember, you are only fooling yourself.

386 posted on 04/13/2004 1:10:03 PM PDT by Protagoras (When they asked me what I thought of freedom in America,,, I said I thought it would be a good idea.)
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To: k2blader
Woodstock-era Baby Boomer hippies are all a bunch of lazy, atheistic slobs.
1 posted on 04/11/2004 11:02:32 AM CDT by Willie Green

Christians who judge others based on what they wear to church need to get their own hearts and attitudes right. They remind me of the Pharisees.

Just remember, he didn't insult you when he made the first post of the thread, it was nothing personal, so it's OK.

387 posted on 04/13/2004 1:18:59 PM PDT by Protagoras (When they asked me what I thought of freedom in America,,, I said I thought it would be a good idea.)
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To: Protagoras
Just remember, he didn't insult you when he made the first post of the thread,

I should hope not. I'm pretty much the exact opposite of a baby-boomer-hippie-atheist. :-D

388 posted on 04/13/2004 1:38:55 PM PDT by k2blader (Some folks should worry less about how conservatives vote and more about how to advance conservatism)
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To: GOP_Thug_Mom
I believe you and I have different views on this. Isn't it far more important that we have our souls right, I know many a man who cannot afford a "decent" outfit. I like to believe that God cuts through all of the showmanship we put on in both our worship and dress.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with showing up to church in your sunday best....but alot of people put way too much emphasis on how we look and dress at church.

I have been to one too many services where someone walks in with a wrinkled shirt and jeans on and is given judgemental stares by fellow Christians who seem more pre-occupied with how they or that man are dressed than what the pastor/priest is saying from the pulpit.

Once again, I like to dress nice when I attend church, but it is by no means the be all/end all of my day.

This whole idea of we always have to wear our best to church seems somewhat foolish to me. Does anyone here think the Apostles or Jesus for that matter wore fancy clothes to their services/meetings?

I do however understand what you mean by dressing appropriately to show respect to God, but I view it to be much more important to have a honest heart and soul than to be properly attired.

389 posted on 04/13/2004 2:04:25 PM PDT by Blue Scourge (Off I go into the Wild Blue Yonder...)
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To: Ulysses
Moses could have said the same thing when he struck the rock. (Numbers 20:11)

Which time?

Once, at least, Moses was doing exactly what God told him to do when he "struck the rock" (Exodus 17:1-7).

Uhhh, the time referred to in Numbers 20:11. Hello?

390 posted on 04/13/2004 2:05:23 PM PDT by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: RockyMtnMan
Unfortunately I do not see a need or have the desire to put on a suit in order to praise God, which is a truth you seem to have come to.

I completely agree. It is indeed unfortunate for you that you have not come to this truth.

391 posted on 04/13/2004 2:09:36 PM PDT by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: RockyMtnMan
What I'm hearing is people see dressing up as a sign of respect to God. When in reality it is a show of respect among men that they respect God, a showing of their faith in God.

Abusus usum non tollit. Abuse does not nullify proper use. Just because some people dress up with the wrong reasons does not mean that there are not good reasons to dress respectfully and reverently in God's presence. The church I go to does not require this . . . .

Is your church infallible? Is this question (whether one should dress respectfully and reverently in God's presence) determined by what your church requires?

My boss wears jeans to work regularly.

Is the question (how should we dress in God's presence) determined by how your boss dresses to work? Is that how we do theology??

I don't think less of him when he does since I have a personal relationship with him.

So, since you don't think any less of your boss when he wears jeans to work, therefore it follows that God does not think any less of you when you come into His presence looking shabby. That's a non sequitur. The way you think of your boss when he comes to work in jeans has absolutely nothing to do with how we ought to dress in God's presence.

Having the same relationship with Christ is far more important than what your neighbor thinks of you.

Do you really believe that your personal relationship with your boss is equivalent to your personal relationship with your Creator? Don't you think that His being the almighty transendant creator of all things and the judge of all men, ought to merit some significant *asymmetry* in the relationship? Like I said earlier, much of this problem with regard to way contemporary Christians treat God stems from bad theology, i.e. 'God is my buddy' theology.

392 posted on 04/13/2004 2:29:46 PM PDT by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: adiaireton8
I look forward to discussing it in the distant future so that we might look back and realize the insignificance of this topic in the grand scheme of life.
393 posted on 04/13/2004 2:30:59 PM PDT by RockyMtnMan
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To: adiaireton8
I don't recall calling God my buddy, although that put's a twist in the phrase "you've got a friend in Jesus". He is our heavenly father and creator to whom I bow down to and revere.

You seem to have a very strong desire to convert me to your view, do you feel that it will make me a better Christian? Do you feel others will want to come to Christ because I wear a suit versus dress business casual? Do you think God will grant me greater favor and think better of me as his disciple and child? Just curious if you are concerned more with the image of the church or the character of it's congregation.
394 posted on 04/13/2004 2:40:30 PM PDT by RockyMtnMan
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To: adiaireton8
re: The way you think of your boss when he comes to work in jeans has absolutely nothing to do with how we ought to dress in God's presence.)))

I'm in God's presence many times when I'm not in church. Adam and Eve got into trouble with that first fig leaf.

Given the Church-lady righteousness of your tone--exactly what theology, scripture, or what dictates a certain dress code for church attendence? What I find in scripture refers sometimes to "washing one's face" or donning sackcloth and ashes, but nothing about ties and pantyhose.

While I miss the dressing up of years gone by, just as I miss old hymns and the King James Version--I sure don't think it approaches the importance of getting there in the first place. I'd rather have someone wake up, put on the jeans, and arrive to partake in communal worship than miss because he doesn't have the suit cleaned.

And I'll warn you that it's much easier to manage smaller children than teens in this regard--you may live to eat your smug words and self-congratulation.

395 posted on 04/13/2004 4:18:09 PM PDT by Mamzelle (for a post-Neo conservatism)
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To: RockyMtnMan
I look forward to discussing it in the distant future so that we might look back and realize the insignificance of this topic in the grand scheme of life.

I'm not afraid of discussing it right now. I'm willing right now to compare the best reasons in defense of your position against the best reasons in defense of my position. This is a *very* important issue. How we treat God is extremely important. There is nothing more important. This is why martyrs are rightly willing to die before they deny God or blaspheme God. It is no accident that you think that how one acts and dresses in God's presence does not matter. That's why you think this topic is "insignificant". Look at my biblical examples in #356 and you'll see that form in worship is not insignificant.

396 posted on 04/13/2004 5:13:46 PM PDT by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: RockyMtnMan
You seem to have a very strong desire to convert me to your view, do you feel that it will make me a better Christian? Do you feel others will want to come to Christ because I wear a suit versus dress business casual? Do you think God will grant me greater favor and think better of me as his disciple and child? Just curious if you are concerned more with the image of the church or the character of it's congregation.

Of *course* I desire you to know the truth on this matter, and I believe I know the truth on this matter. So therefore it follows that I want you to accept my position on this matter. If you believed you knew the truth on this matter, wouldn't you want me to know it too? Or would you not care that I continued on in ignorance and deception? You're a good samritan, I assume.

Since you are interested in my motives, here they are. On account of my love for God, I desire that God be worshipped and honored rightly. Anyone who loves God shares this goal. Anyone who loves God is deeply pained when God is dishonored, disrespected, blasphemed, etc. Just as it pains you (and me) to see people burn our flag, it pains me much worse to see Christians dishonor God with their irreverent and disrespectful manner of dress and behavior in church. My secondary motive, as I described above, is simply that you know the truth.

397 posted on 04/13/2004 5:23:35 PM PDT by adiaireton8 ("There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse." - Plato, Phaedo 89d)
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To: Protagoras
What do you suggest?
398 posted on 04/13/2004 7:23:00 PM PDT by Vision (Always Faithful)
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To: adiaireton8
Obviously, if you are actually unable to dress [in the manner you, adiaireton* interpret as] respectfully and reverently as long as you are in that condition, you are not obligated to do so.

Not "unable"... it's just pure misery. One counts the minutes til one can get out of the clothes and has a really hard time thinking about anything else.

The medical term is "tactile defensiveness" and it presents in relatively mild to severe forms. Some autistics are *genuinely* unable to wear starchy clothing, but a great many ordinary folks with ADD, ADHD, or mild Asperger tendencies, are *able* to wear those clothes --only at the cost of suffering that can't be imagined by other folks.

The fact that "normal" people definitely do not experience the same sensations we do, is clearly demonstrated by the very fact that they willingly, often enthusiastically, dress up in clothing that we cannot bear. It's inconceivable to me that there's an alternate explanation -- they simply CAN'T be feeling what we feel, or those clothes would become extinct in a day.

Totally apart from the ADD/ADHD/mild autism question, there's also the fact that our Anglo-American "formal" dress code evolved in Northern Europe and is totally inappropriate for the much hotter climates of the southern half of the United States -- especially for people genetically descended ethnic stocks who lived in cold climates for millenia.

Most people are not in your condition.

Are you so sure of this? Ever stopped to wonder *why* so many people, who are otherwise the picture of faith, morality and respectability, resist this clothing issue so furiously? I won't deny that *some* people who dress sloppy for church, are indeed the disrespectful types you mention, but I've heard a LOT of people -- very righteous, holy people -- express sentiments similar to mine over the years.

All I'm asking of you, is that you give folks the benefit of the doubt when you see them dressed cleanly, neatly, but casually. You don't know WHY they do it. Please, just CONSIDER the POSSIBILITY that "nice" clothes might be a lot more uncomfortable for them, than they are for you.

399 posted on 04/13/2004 7:49:38 PM PDT by Rytwyng
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To: adiaireton8; Mamzelle
Requiring your children to dress up for church is a way of teaching your children reverence and respect for God

Or, a way of making them hate church because they itch so much.

400 posted on 04/13/2004 7:50:43 PM PDT by Rytwyng
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