WWJW?

okay so this is going to be an admittedly ignorant and speculative post, as are most...

as i was driving back from the grocery store this morning, i saw some people headed to church, dressed in suits and nice dresses, among other fine threads. it got me thinking

where did this tradition originate? why do people feel the need to dress up to go to church? many of these people wear a suit 5 or 6 days a week as it is, cant sunday be their free day?

perhaps there is something in the bible about reverence and appropriate dress, which i wont refute, but how does this translate into being ostentatious?

if anything, i think it would be irreverent to be ostentatious, as if you are focused on the wrong thing and may detract attention away from god. its the same reason they say women shouldnt dress too sexy to go to church -- modesty and humility in front of the lord. (insert bible passage)

jesus didnt wear a tuxedo, as far as i know. more likely is that he dressed very modestly and normally for the fashion of the time. its all about where your head and your heart are, and i dont think you need a 1200 dollar suit to learn about or worship whatever god you believe in

but hey, thats me, and i could be wrong (but im not)

People still go to church?

are you sure they weren't going to a funeral? or a funeral?

honestly, i think a lot of people go to church for the social aspect of it or for the status associated with it. for some reason i cant escape the parallel to american psycho and the aspect of oneupmanship -- trying to be more pious than the next guy, trying to look just a little bit nicer...showing off your custom-made italian suit, your new wife/girlfriend, and/or her new tits (tommy john surgery to the lay person)
i would say at the particular church i passed, less than half of the people go for the "right" reason

"You hate that job, anyway. Why don't you just quit?"

...because... i want... to fit in