Pastor Cancels Wedding Over ‘Sexy Dress,’ Persecuted For Modest Mindset

[John81]

And maybe so they can feel good about themselves, falsely thinking that their marriage will be blessed by God.

I think there are a few who were raised somewhat in church or their family had a "little religion" so they want that connection. For many others, perhaps even most these days, it seems to be more a matter of tradition and ease. Getting married in a church is just what people do. They most often thing little or nothing of God or a real spiritual point. This is why we have so many looking to get married in a church who have to go to a church and pastor they don't know.

 

Another major factor in this is simply because pastors can legally marry and since they need a pastor and have to go to a church to find one. they might as well do it all there.

 

Although I know in some areas there are plenty of "pastors" around who will marry anyone, anywhere so long as they get paid well. This, in part, is why in some places there is a move away from church weddings.

 

While "themed" weddings have been around a long time, today those themes are typically not only of a worldly variety, but of an overtly bad worldly variety. This year alone I've seen farmer, sports, Duck Dynasty, hunting, biker, outlaw biker, 50s and several other "themed weddings".

 

Sadly, for many folks that wedding means little more than a celebration, getting a piece of paper, partying, and on with it.

[Salyan]

That gets me a little... if people are living together and see nothing wrong with it, why do they bother getting married? Yes it's good that they are getting married, but why do they bother? ESPECIALLY with the white dress and all. My biggest wedding-pet-peeve is people who don't care about purity AT ALL and still wear a white gown. :verymad:

[OLD fashioned preacher]

That gets me a little... if people are living together and see nothing wrong with it, why do they bother getting married? Yes it's good that they are getting married, but why do they bother? ESPECIALLY with the white dress and all. My biggest wedding-pet-peeve is people who don't care about purity AT ALL and still wear a white gown.

I've even know of a woman wearing white at a second wedding. Many think it's just a "traditional color" without knowing the symbolism.

[Covenanter]

Most wedding dresses are secret until the bride arrives at the church, & most wedding dresses are less than modest. While that dress looked more like a worldly skimpy dress, I think in the situation the pastor should have gone ahead with the wedding, but learnt from the experience & counselled future brides.

 

Hymns are normally chosen & notified in advance, so if unacceptable ones are chosen, the couple can choose again or change the venue.

[John81]

That gets me a little... if people are living together and see nothing wrong with it, why do they bother getting married? Yes it's good that they are getting married, but why do they bother? ESPECIALLY with the white dress and all. My biggest wedding-pet-peeve is people who don't care about purity AT ALL and still wear a white gown.

With marriage comes certain governmental and other benefits. For some, marriage comes with many gifts. Marriage is part of the culture (at least for now), it's a part of tradition. The same applies to the white wedding dress. That white dress no longer holds the symbolism of purity, it's simply the traditional wedding dress color.

 

For a lot of folks, living together is viewed as nothing wrong, but it's also viewed as a step towards marriage; or a "test run" of marriage.

 

We also have to remember that even while some aspects of marriage once held more symbolic power, the sad fact is most marriages even in the "good old days" were not between born again believers or even worldly Christians who took the symbolism seriously beyond the moment.

 

Most aspects of what we consider a Christian wedding became a traditional cultural aspect long ago.

[Alimantado]

I've even know of a woman wearing white at a second wedding. Many think it's just a "traditional color" without knowing the symbolism.

 

I've always found the wedding dress thing a little odd. I mean, when else is it appropriate to flaunt one's chasteness to others? If I turned up to a regular service with a t-shirt that read 'look at me, I never covet', or something like that, what would people think? It's never struck me that there's anything particularly Christian about wearing a white gown to denote female 'purity' or virginity.

 

Of course, like John, says, mostly it's done for the sake of tradition. And I've just read on the net that it's not even an old one: apparently a pure white wedding dress became popular among upper classes after Queen Victoria did it and it was embraced because it was a class symbol, a pure white wedding dress being unaffordable to many at the time.

[Alimantado]

That story is crazy by the way. I did begin by thinking that, however misjudged the dress, it was the pastor's fault for not being on the ball. But then I thought that actually if someone was contemplating wearing a dress like that, it should have made common sense to them that given 99% of churches would object they ought to make real sure the one they're getting married in doesn't.

[Invicta]

When we were considering marriage, my wife said "I am not a fairy and I have no intention of dressing up like one."  She didn't.

[John81]

That story is crazy by the way. I did begin by thinking that, however misjudged the dress, it was the pastor's fault for not being on the ball. But then I thought that actually if someone was contemplating wearing a dress like that, it should have made common sense to them that given 99% of churches would object they ought to make real sure the one they're getting married in doesn't.

I would like to think that 99% of IFB churches would object to such a dress but I'm not sure they would anymore. What I am sure of, if we consider churches in general, then there is no way 99% of them would object to her dress. The newspapers in the are carry wedding photos and I've seen many brides wearing dresses similar to the one in question and a wide variety of other immodest and very immodest dresses in church weddings.

 

While I've not seen one as low cut as the one in the OP, I've seen Christian women attending church wearing dresses of about the same length and low cut (just not as low as the OP dress).

 

We had a woman visit our church a couple years ago wearing one of the tiniest mini-skirts I've ever seen. She could barely sit down and had to sit in a very awkward position to retain any tiny bit of modesty at all.

 

Dresses like the one on the OP are even more common in the college towns and bigger cities, and not just for late night partying and guy chasing.

[The Glory Land]

I took a look at this picture, you made me sin. not really, people dress like this in some church services today. I think this is where the women's should take time to teach a member or person. Someone should have told her that in the house of God, the flesh should be covered. On her honeymoon she can dress like that, in their room to please her husband. He might like it."

[JerryNumbers]

As far back as I can remember I've known that the white dress at a wedding stood for purity, yet I've been in church the biggest part of my life.

[Alimantado]

I don't know if it's true, Jerry, as I only looked it up on the net briefly, but the pages said that white wedding dresses didn't become the norm until the 1920s and that previously women had just worn the best frock they owned.

[heartstrings]

I don't know if it's true, Jerry, as I only looked it up on the net briefly, but the pages said that white wedding dresses didn't become the norm until the 1920s and that previously women had just worn the best frock they owned.

Nothing wrong with that. Some people, even today, cannot afford the expense of a fancy dress and a lavish wedding. The whole point of a white dress, I believe, can be found here.....

^{Ephesians 5;25...........}Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish

 

A bride adorned for her husband, in  a Christian wedding, I believe, represents the church, or bride of Christ. Marriage is a holy and sacred thing. My wife wore a white wedding dress, her mother's actually, and it was decent: it covered her shoulders up to her neck, and it had a vail.....and I will assure you that my Daughter will be dressed the same way. The bible speaks about the church being as a "bride adorned her her husband"...HER husband: not flaunting her flesh for everyone else.

[The Glory Land]

Any color works just fine....  as long as it is a man and women. 

[heartstrings]

Another thing that irks me is this business of "removing the garter". Folks can do what they want but It has no business in a Christian wedding. My daughter won't be doing that either, which I doubt seriously that she would want to.