What should clergy wear?

[So the Heroes Fall]

I vote for option 3 of course.

[dead0man]

Where is the "whatever the hell they want to wear" option?  Or I guess that should be the "whatever their congregation expects them to wear since they are paying his/her mortgage" option.

[asexual trans victimologist]

I accidentally voted for option 3 but option 1 is obviously my actual answer.

[useful idiot]

Any of the above, depending on denomination/context/their congregation/their preference

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

Any of the above, depending on denomination/context/their congregation/their preference

[Redalgo]

Where is the "whatever the hell they want to wear" option?  Or I guess that should be the "whatever their congregation expects them to wear since they are paying his/her mortgage" option.

This. However, I voted for ceremonial vestments out of the options provided simply because I find it more culturally expressive and interesting than dressing like a businessperson or conforming to the unspoken public dress code of mainstream society.

[Rooney]

I have gone to churches where the priests have dressed in all these ways. Traditional clerical dress is my preference.

The priest who wore genes and a Jefferson Starship Church was cool and had a great singing voice, but I just could not take him seriously. I also do not know if he became a priest to spread the word of Christ or advertise for his Creed cover band.

When I went to a Reformed Baptist Church the priest wore a brown suit and was a former dentist. He was smart, but boring. I never thought I would be bored at a Baptist Church but it happened. Thus, that look does not really work.

As an undergraduate I went to a Catholic university and I found that the Black Shirt, suit and white collar was a bad ass look. I also found Catholic priests to have the best sense of humor, the most interesting stories to tell and the best education. Thus, I deem traditional clerical dress as the best for priests.

[opebo]

A lady's frock and an enormous cod-piece.

[So the Heroes Fall]

I've always said I'll never go to a church where the pastor is wearing a tie unless they are obviously doing it "ironically". If I see that I'm out the door.

[asexual trans victimologist]

I've always said I'll never go to a church where the pastor is wearing a tie unless they are obviously doing it "ironically". If I see that I'm out the door.

Yeah. Priests dressing like businessmen is the worst. If I can't have my late-Roman secular formal wear repurposed as vestments, I'd rather go to a hipster church than a church that fancied itself a Rotarians meeting.

[So the Heroes Fall]

LOL, but yeah. One of the pastors who baptized me looked like this, just minus the cap and PBR. The other basically looked like a stereotypical Asian female hipster.

[asexual trans victimologist]

I don't know what Asian female hipsters stereotypically look like.

[Yelnoc]

Socks.

[CathKhan]

Ceremonial vestments, etc. And I have to agree with Rooney on the "backwards collar".

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

I've always said I'll never go to a church where the pastor is wearing a tie unless they are obviously doing it "ironically". If I see that I'm out the door.

Because Jesus wants you to judge people by how they dress and not by their words and actions, right?

[So the Heroes Fall]

Hey you were the one earlier arguing that God would care about what people wear to church and not approve of hoodies, band shirts and torn jeans.

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

Hey you were the one earlier arguing that God would care about what people wear to church and not approve of hoodies, band shirts and torn jeans.

That was about respect for your deity - my primary point was that I don't think you have it, that for you going to church is supposed to be about you having fun rather than being about worshiping and glorifying your god. The fact that you would refuse to enter a church to worship and glorify your god based solely on the preacher's clothing only bolsters this argument.

[Is Totally Not Feeblepizza.]

Whatever they want.

[So the Heroes Fall]

Hey you were the one earlier arguing that God would care about what people wear to church and not approve of hoodies, band shirts and torn jeans.

That was about respect for your deity - my primary point was that I don't think you have it, that for you going to church is supposed to be about you having fun rather than being about worshiping and glorifying your god. The fact that you would refuse to enter a church to worship and glorify your god based solely on the preacher's clothing only bolsters this argument.

The thing is, actually dressing up gives me anxiety.

[opebo]

That was about respect for your deity - my primary point was that I don't think you have it, that for you going to church is supposed to be about you having fun rather than being about worshiping and glorifying your god. The fact that you would refuse to enter a church to worship and glorify your god based solely on the preacher's clothing only bolsters this argument.

Which are all good and hopeful indications that perhaps one day he will put this horrible flirtation with brute religion aside and turn to the light of reason and simple humanity.

[So the Heroes Fall]

The main thing though is that any church where the pastor is wearing a suit and tie is almost certainly a fundie one.

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

The thing is, actually dressing up gives me anxiety.

Even if I accept that it isn't justification for judging someone else on what they are wearing.

The main thing though is that any church where the pastor is wearing a suit and tie is almost certainly a fundie one.

Possibly, but should you really prejudge them based solely on that? Shouldn't you actually find out first?

[opebo]

The main thing though is that any church where the pastor is wearing a suit and tie is almost certainly a fundie one.

Back in the 1992-2001 era I used to wear polyester suits from the thrift store sometimes.

[dead0man]

Where is that British guy (maybe guys) that always busts into threads just to threadsh**t that this is a horrible (stupid, pointless, whatever) thread?

[The Mikado]

Nothing.  Clergy should be nude.  Obviously.  You know you want to see Ayatollah Khamenei showing off the hot bod Allah made him.