Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

 Richard:

           As usual you've come up with an interesting topic.
     I am of the opinion that we all wear our different uniforms
     every day. My typical daily uniform is blue jeans, a T-shirt
     and sneakers. Every now and then I have go forth into the world
     in an "official" capacity and I put on a suit and tie. I find
     the reaction of most people to seeing me "out of uniform" to
     be rather amusing. I am also sure at most of the places I have 
     to go when I am "dressed up" there would be serious doubts
     about letting me in the door if I were dressed the way I usually
     am when I show up for work.
            The idea of clerical garb is pretty odd when you think
     about it. The idea of any kind of particular clothes for most
     activities is pretty weird in most cases with the exception of
     attire for specialized use like say...scuba diving or fire fighting.
             Let's face it the Pope would still be the Pope in shorts and
     and a tank top and bankers could just as easily conduct business if
     they had on plaid flannel shirts, corduroy pants and work boots.
             Social convention seems to require that we dress certain
     ways depending on what we are doing. Clerical activities sure seem
     to fall into the category of "special cloths" activities.
             I had a Uncle who was a Catholic Priest and I remember how
     shocked a lot of the family were when one Summer during a family 
     get together he emerged from the bath house at the beach wearing
     only a bathing suit. To make matters worse he flopped down on a 
     towel, turned on the radio and proceeded to drink a couple of beers
     while he listed to the Red Sox game. Why you'd have thought the poor
     guy had committed murder or something the way some people reacted.
     Most of them had never seen him out of his "uniform" and apparently
     the idea that he might lay on the beach, drink beer, eat hot dogs and
     be a Red Sox fan was beyond their comprehension. 
              Thoreau once wrote, "Beware of enterprises that require 
     new clothes and not a new wearer of clothes." It is unfortunate that
     so much importance is placed upon what is superficial. 

                                                               Mike 
            

    I support clerical garb. I think it is great for someone to express an
    outward sign of what they believe. Men who become priest and women who 
    become nuns, have given something of themselves that few of us ever
    come close to. Our society has few role models for young people to see
    who have taken a different approach to life, than what the world
    promotes. To be a religious today is really somewhat radical,
    especially where we try to reduce everyone into one common denominator.
    Most people live out their lives conforming themselves to the social
    demands put upon them. Clerical dress, is a symbol of inspiration that 
    there are some that don't conform to worldly standards and have 
    vision of a different world.

    Peace
    Jim

    In my own religious faith (Quakerism), there is no formal distinction
    between the priesthood and the laity; everybody is, in effect, a
    minister, and thus the concept of clerical garb has no meaning in that
    context.

    -- Mike

 Jim:
        Funny, I tend to view this in just the opposite way. I happen
      to think that traditional clerical garb is very much a way
      conforming to roles society expects of us or in this case
      those who have chosen a religious vocation. Clerics dress
      like clerics because that is what is expected of them.
        I am neither for or against clerical attire, it just is.
      To the extent that it puts people at ease and helps those in
      religious vocations to do their jobs because they will look
      like people expect them to it is probably a good thing. It does
      seem to me that it represents a common denominator for a particular
      group. 
         In any case it is not a big deal to me either way. To tell you
      the truth to a certain extent conforming to social expectations 
      regarding attire, like wearing a suit and tie on a business trip,
      probably helps more than it hinders it that it puts a lot a of
      people at ease in a given situation. 
          I am sure some suppliers or customers would not be too relaxed
      if I showed up wearing a leather jacket an a Grateful Dead T-shirt,
      maybe some would, but the majority would no doubt be a bit put off.
          As a former Marine you well know that showing up in the wrong
      "uniform" can have unfortunate consequences.


                                                            
                                                               Mike
                                              
       
        

    RE:297 Mike
    
    Well to me the wearing of the garb may be conforming, but it is a symbol
    of a noncomforming life style by worldly standards. How many today, take
    vows of celebracy, poverty, obidience, chasity and seek to serve God
    by serving others ?
    
    Peace
    Jim

I've noticed that the donning of robes and accouterments are more typically
a part of liturgical or "high church" worship.  In less formal worship,
leaders tend to wear business-like attire.

My present pastor wears the shirt with the Roman-type collar and a cloisonne
cross.  He must have several such shirts.  I say this because the color
changes with the liturgical calendar.

My former pastor wore a robe about half the time and a suit and tie the
rest of the time.

And, as Mike V has pointed out, when I was a Quaker, the ministers wore
pretty much what they felt most comfortable worshiping in.

Peace,
Richard

I've always thought that formal robes made the clergy seem set apart from the
congregation.  To me, this sense of separation was not a healthy thing for
the lay people or the minister.  

The minister at the Science of Mind church I go to wears suits on Sundays (his
concession to those more comfortable with formality) and jeans and polo shirts
on Wednesday night services.  (The exception is our 2 annual outdoor services 
where he wears chorts and a t-shirt just like the rest of us!)  :-)

Nanci

    
    Chortle!
    
    Cindy

Each to his own, huh Cindy?  ;-)

(just call me fumble-fingers)

Nanci