I forgot that it wasn’t you who had first mentioned the youth pastor… I guess we are emphasizing different points. You’re saying it’s not that important what the youth pastor wears so long as he connects with the young people. While I agree that one may choose the clothes one wears as a means of relating to the people we’re trying to reach, I’m also saying that that’s not the only consideration of importance in what we wear. If one considers that as a pastor he is representing Christ (just as we all represent Christ) then what we choose to wear should first please God.

So for example, wearing tattoos that have occult significance seems to me inappropriate for the believer, who is supposed to be set apart from ungodly practices. Women or men wearing immodest clothing that draws attention to their anatomy is something we should also avoid. Historically the people of God are influenced (usually negatively) by what they allow themselves to interact with. And certainly in the last 20 years are culture has become much more permissive in general, in a way that has had much negative impact on youth today, in terms of teen pregnancy, abortion, attitudes towards sex, etc, and has certainly filtered through into the church. So is all this unrelated to a youth pastor deciding to have long hair and wear a nose ring? Perhaps, but my point is that if we don’t even think about these issues and dismiss them as unimportant, there is a slow but sure slide towards accommodation to the immorality of the culture.

Of course this whole discussion has not been related to the topic of the original article. I only hope that we have spoken in a spirit that exemplifies what Michael Patton was addressing in the original post– gentleness and respect.

Blessings,

Alex

My initial comment, which I would like to return to, was about the youth pastor with the nose ring and the long hair. I think that such things are morally neutral, are not accomadating any ungodly aspects of our culture, and that we as Christians have more inportant things to concern ourselves about. Long hair and piercings on parish leaders are simply not worth getting upset about, most especially if they help said leader interact with unreached people.

Anyway, this is getting pretty off topic, and I don’t want to hijack the thread any further!

I think we have liberty as Christians to dress in a variety of styles, as suits our own personalities. I wasn’t referring at all to the long hair and nose ring of the youth pastor in your church but making a more general observation that we in the USA live in a culture that is highly immodest and encourages young people to dress more and more immodestly (Europe perhaps is worse than us in this respect but we’re catching up).

Dressing in such a way as to relate to people you are trying to reach is also not what I was speaking about. I think there’s a difference between making that good effort vs accommodating to the ungodly aspects of human cultures.

It seems to me you sense there’s something inappropriate about the youth pastor wearing his clothes in such a way that his underwear is showing, but you still seem to want to justify it on the basis that dressed in this way he reaches the kids? But if clothes really don’t matter, and it’s what inside that counts, which is what you were initially saying, then why should the youth pastor have to dress in a certain way to reach the kids? That seems to me a contradiction in your argument.

Again, I’m not saying all Christians must dress alike, I’m saying that clothes are not neutral and do reflect something about us and the God we represent. We are called to be a holy people, and the way we dress has some bearing on this calling.

Blessings,

Alex

If a person dressed inappropriately comes into the church, I might assume that he/she is either an unbeliever or doesn’t know any better. But I wouldn’t treat them any differently than anyone else because that would show partiality:

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (James 2: 1-9)”

So yes it is absolutely critical than believers on the inside are acting as truly Christian. Nevertheless, as I pointed out in the previous comment, Scripture does give us guidelines for dressing appropriately as Christian men and women, showing that what is worn on the outside makes a statement to the entire world about my faith on the inside– so what one wears is not an entirely neutral matter.

I don’t need to dress like the world in order to reach the world. In fact, I ought to be distinct from the world in my dress, just as the Bible teaches me to distinct from the world in attitudes. It is not so simple as to say, well she/he has good attitudes on the inside so what is worn on the outside doesn’t matter or has no meaning.

The world teaches our children all kinds of wrong attitudes: disrespect for elders and for authority figures, “my clothes have to be cool or else I won’t fit in and then I’m worthless”, “I must flaunt my sexuality through my clothing”, etc. So to reach them am I supposed to adopt their same clothes, that are a reflection of a rebellious, anti-Christian culture?

Now I think most kids aren’t consciously rebelling; they’re just imitating one another and getting their cues from MTV and movies and music stars, etc. So one ought to be understanding and compassionate and not pre-judge them as people by what they’re wearing. But if we can teach and help children to think Christianly, they themselves will begin to grow up in their understanding and see the connection between how they express themselves on the outside and who they are inside. I think that as they mature in this they will then make appropriate adjustments.

But we need to help them in this, and not just capitulate to the culture and say it doesn’t matter what they wear. The Bible says it does matter, and as their leaders we’re accountable for setting a good example and giving them right principles to act on. You say, “I hope the underwear showing fad goes away soon”, but don’t you see it’s not just going to go away–in fact it’s going to get worse– unless we Christians act counter-culturally and show the youth the kinds of biblical truths I’m talking about, so that they can learn how to think in a way that honors God, and in turn they will act in a way that honors Him.

Blessings,

Alex

Actually we can’t know what is on the inside of another person (as far as their heart), but we all called to evaluate the fruit (works) of our own, and other ministries.

I think comments 1 and 2 raise up very valid concerns, especially for our youth today.

Paul addresses the issue of what Christians should wear, though he knows that Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (so what is “inside” them is good). For example, in 1 Tim 2:8-10 he says “women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”

The principles expressed here would apply to Christian men’s attire as well: we ought to wear that which is: “respectable” and appropriate to one professing godliness. We are to have “modesty and self-control” in our demeanor and dress.

Also, Paul contrasts wearing “braided hair and gold and pearls or costly attire” against that which is proper for women who profess godliness. I think the principle here is that wearing flashy, expensive clothes draws attention to ourselves, but as Christians we are to draw attention to the the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There isn’t a Christian “uniform” that Christians should wear at all times. But the Bible gives us principles to follow so that what we choose to wear will be appropriate on all occasions because honoring to God.

As for tattoos and piercings, I concur that they have occult significance. God prohibited tattoos in Lev 19:28, apparently so that His people would be distinct from pagan cultures surrounding them, and also because we belong to God– His “mark” of love should be upon us, reflected in our actions.

The disrespect, lack of civility, inappropriateness, sexual immodesty, rudeness and coarseness which have become rampant today are at least partly influenced by the philosophy that everyone should have complete liberty do do whatever they want, including dressing however they please in every situation. The kids today have grown up with this notion and that’s what our culture teaches them, but Christians should be teaching them something different. Perhaps the world does not know any better and embraces this libertarian philosophy, but Christians ought to recognize that what they wear reflects on their relationship with God.

I write these things as one who has failed in many ways and is a sinner. But I am in a process of repentance and I hope that my past dishonoring of the Lord will be forgotten and overlooked and that the grace of God will enable me to honor Him much better in the future.