Why is it that some fundies are more tolerant of casual dress than more liberal churches?

[ButterflyBlood]

I know this is a huge generalization, but it does seem like most newer evangelical and often fundie churches don't have a problem with people dressing casually and wearing jeans and T-shirts to their services and often encourage it. This is often mentioned on sites I've seen for evangelical megachurches. Smaller newer ones are the same way and I've found a lot of churches that are incredibly casual and have even the pastor wearing jeans but then teach the same fundie theology and sometimes tend to be kind of cult-like in demanding total obedience to the pastor (Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill are probably the textbook example of this.)

On the other hand while more liberal churches in mainline denominations will obviously not refuse entry or throw you out of a service for casual dress like I've heard of in Southern Baptist ones and more traditional fundie churches, I have got the impression it is something a little frowned upon or at least not encouraged. I know I got some nasty glances in high school from old people wearing jeans and a T-shirt at the somewhat liberal Lutheran church my mom was taking my family to and while some of the "High Church" Episcopalian ones here are some of the most progressive ones in accepting gays and all but it seems if I went to one wearing what I normally do I would feel more than a little out of place. They're not full of suits and ties and fancy dresses like Southern Baptist or rural Pentecostal churches but it doesn't seem like there's many people wearing holey jeans and post-hardcore band shirts either.

This is part of the reason I go to a liberal-ish evangelical church now instead of a mainline Protestant one now, no one (including the pastor) dresses up there. I even once without thinking wore a shirt that has a lyric on that back that includes the word "fuck" and heard nothing of it. What I think is pretty odd is by the whole nature of their belief systems you'd expect most fundies in their typical narrow-minded and bigoted ways to be totally against this while liberals to not see it as a big deal.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I think it has to do with tradition more than anything else...

Up to my 20s I attended a Protestant church in RI - as liberal as they come - but it was an old, old church with many long time, founding family members and their offspring - and you are right - pretty formal (suit and tie), though it loosened up with time. But I do remember my parents' comments when some of the younger people came in wearing jeans and T shirts.

The newer churches are far less formal, far newer - less traditions for sure.

I just can't do the modern churches with the palms and comfy chairs - my favorite part of church was always the music - give me the old Episcopal hymns (many written by Vaughan Williams) played on an old organ anyday, in comparison with the corny modern stuff that is wailed away on in the new churches.

Just a matter of taste...and yes, tradition!

[Boojatta]

2. Fundamentalism focuses on the Bible. Does the Bible say anything about neckties or T-shirts?

[ret5hd]

3. so they are checking labels at the door checking for mixed fibers?

:rofl:

[RC]

4. The fundies are looking for warm bodies to occupy the churches

The red necks attracted to these churches are not known to lean toward dressy.
The more "Liberal" churches are tend to be more richy also.

[ButterflyBlood]

7. It's not really a redneck type crowd that goes to these type of churches

There's one near me, in an area that voted in the upper 80s for Obama and has a mostly younger congregation, and it's obvious how they lean. I checked out their Facebook page awhile ago and took note of the people commenting's pages, many of them were quite liberal and belonged to pro-Obama or pro-marriage equality groups. So they're either not aware yet of the bigotry and craziness promoted (which I'll admit is fairly well hidden on their site), or they are but ignore it because they aren't comfortable in a more traditional church.

[beam me up scottie]

5. The fundies down here will do anything to get their claws into young people.

Once they've got them grooving to the church rock-n-roll band the brain washing starts.

[xchrom]

6. In part, fundies are anti-Church.

This helps them have the Look of being different from what they think of being Establishment churches.

It's a pretense of authenticity.

[KatyaR]

8. Megachurch/fundie churches are more about entertainment and

getting your money than actual faith. Videos on big screens, 300-member choirs, rock bands, there's one here that has it's own shopping area, along with the private school that claims to be better than public schools but can't keep smart kids enrolled. Many kids don't like to dress up; the parents take them to these churches because the kids can have fun there. They keep you happy and then slowly rot your brain with crap religious and political teachings until you no longer can think for yourself.

One of the nicest men I've ever met has had his and his children's heads filled with such nonsense from their church that he and his son LOVE Glenn Beck and all those other idiots. This guy would give you the shirt off his back, but he believes everything those idiots say.

I'm no longer religous, but I think church is a place to be respectful. That means dressing and acting appropriately. You are there to WORKSHIP, not be entertained; if you want to have fun, go to the mall and see a movie.

Just my two cents, I'm glad you've found a place you feel you can belong. :hug:

[ButterflyBlood]

10. Those trashy megachurches aren't anything like my church

We meet in a rented room in an old industrial building, there's just a sound system and a normal band and two normal sized monitors on the wall.

I agree about how awful those are, but I really hate dressing up. I guess I never grew up in this sense.

[tanyev]

9. Yeah, that always struck me as odd, too.

Down here ultra conservative doctrine goes hand in hand with praise teams and casual dress. The liberal churches I like have traditional worship styles with pipe organs and people dress up more. Personally, I prefer it that way.

[LuvNewcastle]

11. It's mostly about class.

If I had to attend a Christian church, I would probably be Episcopalian, but they have a bit of a reputation for being snooty. If you were to survey the people in an Episcopal church, you would find a higher percentage of lawyers, doctors, and other highly educated professionals than you would in your average non-denominational church. It isn't so much that professional people intentionally dress up when going to church; dressing up is just normal to them. They wear suits to work every day and many of their kids where ties to school. Middle class people tend to where their mall clothes to church. It's just different standards.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. In practice, a lot of liberal churches do have casually dressed people

but it can be interpreted as disrespectful to show up to church in your grubs when you might dress up to show respect for a human being.

[ButterflyBlood]

13. I'm not talking about "grubs", just my normal clothes

I wear t-shirts (usually band shirts) and jeans everywhere I go. It's my normal outfit.

I can't dress really formal, it gives me serious anxiety. Even "business casual" makes me somewhat uncomfortable.