Does it matter what you wear to church?(God doesn’t have a dress code)

I don’t want to sound silly but have you ever given thought to why we come into this world naked? I know God gave man the knowledge to make clothes but that should not be the deciding factor on who should go to church and who should not.

Thursday, January 30, 2014
doreen umutesi

I don’t want to sound silly but have you ever given thought to why we come into this world naked? I know God gave man the knowledge to make clothes but that should not be the deciding factor on who should go to church and who should not. Centuries back, people used to walk around naked and no one was bothered, but now when a girl puts on a short skirt to church, she is considered immoral. Actually there are some churches - I will not mention names - that don’t allow women dressed in trousers to enter. In these churches, the women have to keep short, natural hair and also wear veils. I stand to be corrected but I believe God looks at someone’s heart and deeds but not how they are dressed. This is why I will confidently say that the God I know doesn’t have a dress code. We are the ones who think that how we dress matters because we believe that how one dresses says something about who they really are. We are also blinded by fake notions that our dress code has an impact on others. In fact to avoid discrimination in church we should not look at the way people dress. If dress code is at the forefront when considering going to church, we may end up missing out on bringing the rebellious youth to church yet it is the best place to reform them. There is a phase in most teenagers when they want to dress in an outrageous manner. So, if dress code is greatly emphasised in church, they may end up never going there. Some of the questions raised in an article "Faith vs Fashion: Should church have a dress code?” by Ishmael Sistrunk were what does God say about the subject matter through the Bible? How much of our beliefs are based on scripture? How much is on tradition and personal preference?  The writer cited scriptures such as Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”Therefore before you start criticising how one is dressed when in church, first appreciate the fact that they have gotten time to worship God who created them.