If I was a member where the dress code says wear a tie I wear a tie but also a shirt, pants, socks, shoes, and underwear.
Probably a coat/jacket also depending on the AC.
If the dress code was show up in shorts or less I would leave the organization.
Actually my daughter and her husband are members of a large Church on the Georgia side of the Savannah River.
He has told me that a onetime chairman of Deacons, who holds the Wed night business meeting, would show up in sweaty t-shirt and cutaway shorts after cutting grass.
To me there is no excuse and this is sacrilegious at best.
If I had been a member I would have objected.
Looking at the many simply overwhelming posts chastising anyone for wearing less than their "Sunday best" to church, I have but one thing to say:
Legalism lives, and apparently quite well.
Tell me, do those of you who hold to the necessity of dressing per that opening line of my post here have a sign in front of your church stating, "If you want to get saved, get dressed up first!" I won't be surprised if someone of you says, "Yes!"
I'm guessin' you wouldn't darken the door of where this guy goes to church:
If you won't, good! They might actually do some good then.
That is, to put it politely, crap.
Legalism has nothing to do with this discussion on dress code.
Legalism has to do with earning salvation.
That being said it appears that Deuteronomy 22:5 has gored a lot of oxen!
Brother, you're making this too personal. Relax. Look, I don't know anything about pagans making dresses for men, but if a man wore a dress I wouldn't let them in the stand to preach, but I wouldn't run him off either. Dresses were never made for a man, correct. But where's your evidence that pants were made solely for a man?
Look, making dresses a requirement isn't ideal, imo. Repentance, grace, mercy, faith, salvation needs preached instead of outward appearances. If the inside gets cleaned, the outside come clean also.
I thought that would be your response. Why do you cut women some slack but none for the man?
Actually as I noted earlier the Scots wear kilts and the robes that some men wore were more like dresses than pants.
The point is that the shape of clothes is irrelevant.
It is the fact that in the western culture women wore dresses for centuries.
Some years ago they started wearing pants.
Deuteronomy 22:5 condemns this and to demonstrate that this is correct I posted several modern translations of that passage.
Where is your evidence that pants were made solely for men? Where is your evidence that dresses were made solely made for women? Kilts are acceptable for Scots, so if a Scottish preacher preaches in a kilt, would you leave?
Okay Brother Baker, let's both step back, take a deep breath, and look at this objectively. I see Deut. 22:5 as pertaining to that time of both wearing robes. I agree that men shouldn't wear dresses. But, I can not find anywhere where pants were made solely for men. If they were, then I'll concede that point. But too many churches address people's outward appearances and fail to address the mess they're in inwardly. Preach Jesus to the lost, watch Him save His sheep, and He'll cause the outward to come clean also.
Also, forgive me for the Union Assoc remark.
The assoc I was raised around, they'd turn women out for cutting their hair, and wearing pants, but have people who lived "on the draw", but could always deer hunt, coon hunt, squirrel hunt, ride four wheelers all day long, etc. They had people who also wouldn' t pay their debts, either. However, they wouldn't turn them out either. I know this for fact too, because most of them were my relatives.
OldRegular, I just had to chuckle when you declared "Mrs. Mohler is correct".
Did you click the link and see the lady modeling a Mrs.-Albert-Mohler-approved dressy pantsuit?
And I agree with what Mrs. Mohler said. She never mentioned dresses only, and even said short shorts weren't allowed for her kids. I know this is not for church, but apparently it was okay for them to wear shorts in public.
CARM's wrong, and I've seen that "definition" before. "Legalism" is excessive adherence to any law or formula, and the "legalism" dress codes in the church adhere to are the pious attitudes of those who think they have a right to dictate to others about how they worship the Lord God Almighty. News for those of you that describes: He don't care!!!
Proverbs 51, NASB
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
... no matter how it dresses. If a man or woman comes into a church seeking Him in rags, pleading for forgiveness, understanding, and salvation -- crying, "Be merciful to me, O God, a sinner!" -- He isn't going to say to him/her, "Nope, gotta go home and change into something presentable before I'll hear you." However, it appears there are some churches represented on this forum that just might.