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"It's also a good way to show how materialistic you are."

If you have to look at the negative, yes, some people probably like to show off.

"Clothes don't make the man, the MAN makes the man."

On some levels and in some contexts that is true; when universally applied there are areas in which it is quite false.

"Christ didn't die so you'd have a day to show off your most expensive suit and shiny Rolex."

The widow's mite is an acceptable sacrifice coming from the widow. If a rich man gives no more than the poor widow, is he honoring the Lord?

"Saddam dressed nicely and he wasn't much of a saint."

And I don't think you'll find many of the people going to church on Easter Sunday are operating their own torture chambers, either.

I remember when dressing up passed out of fashion and dressing down became chic. Dressing down had its beginnings in and is a part of the rejection of the values of Western Civilization. It was originally a way of showing deliberate disrespect.

Over the decades, many seem to have forgotten that, and many have been born whom I guess never knew it.

But in human societies, even the most primitive, the rule is, dress up to show respect, dress down to show indifference or contempt.

You can go on with Bob Dylanistic "his face is dirty, but his hands are clean" counterculture working hero sophistry if you want to, and I'd agree that if a person is too poor to dress up, then no one should look down on him for wearing what he has.

But if you're not too poor to dress up, refusing to do so is a display of deliberate disrespect.

I can think of no better way to honor Jesus, who lived a life of poverty by choice, than to dress in a humble fashion. The idea that dressing nicely commands respect is laughable at best, look at Clinton.

Dressing down is also a sign of humbleness before others. If you attend a church full of impoverished people do you dress to the T or dress according to the means of the average man?

God cares little for those who place value in things of this earth. I would rather earn the respect of church members by getting to know them than having them automatically "respect" me for dressing nice. If they shunned me for my attire I would know I'm in the wrong kind of church.