Is it possible for men to church wearing shorts? The opinion of theologians, priests and the principles of common morality

Is it possible to enter a man in shorts in a church? It would seem that finding an answer to this question will be quite simple. But the reality is that every clergyman has his own view of this dilemma, which leads to some ambiguity. So let's try to find the answer ourselves.

From the point of view of morality ...

Most Orthodox people to the question: "Is it possible for a man to wear shorts in a church?" - they will say unequivocally: "No!" For in their minds this element of the wardrobe is associated with an unseemly appearance, which in itself speaks of contempt of God. And in this you can understand them, since shorts are an "idle" kind of clothes.

For a better understanding, let's imagine an interview for a large company. Around the business situation reigns, people in strict suits are waiting for new candidates for the post of manager, and then a man is entering the door, dressed in short beach shorts. Naturally, such a character at the best will be asked to leave, at worst - they will be exposed for doors. After all, in fact he neglected all the rules of propriety and simply did not want to show respect for others.

From this follows a very obvious conclusion: if people are used to keeping the dress code in official meetings, they also should not violate it at the Lord's house. Otherwise, it turns out that the believer puts the secular laws of tact above the spiritual.

Theology of theologians and theologians

The Bible also has some indications as to whether it is possible for men to church in shorts. Naturally, this is not said there by direct text, but the main idea of the holy message is more than clear. As a prime example, theologians often quote lines from the New Testament, which describe the meeting of the apostle Peter and Jesus.

In them the reader learns about how Christ first calls to himself a new disciple fishing on the river bank. But he does not dare to approach him, because he is half-naked in the water. Only after dressing, Peter rushes after Jesus, not ashamed of his appearance (in detail about this tells the Gospel of John 21: 1-7). This story teaches us that to meet with God should only come in decent clothes, because it shows the sincerity of our respect and faith.

In addition, there are many lines from the book of the psalms, which say whether men can go to church in shorts. In general, they insist that any trip to the temple is a sacred mystery. And the appearance of a person must fully correspond to the level of this event.

How do Orthodox priests look at this question?

To the question: "Is it possible for men to church in shorts?" - the servants of the Lord often answer: "You can." This is due to the fact that they are much more important than a person's faith than his appearance. Therefore, even if a man comes to the temple in shorts, he will still receive the blessing of the priest and his instruction.

However, they still do not recommend treating such things so lightly. After all, even in extreme heat, a person can wear light pants, which immediately solves the problem. What is worse is that many specially wear short clothes in order to stand out against the general background. In this case, their act is a sin, because it is based on pride and self-love.

So, can men in the church wear shorts?

Summing up all the above, we can say with confidence that no one forbids a man to go to church in shorts. However, from the point of view of morals and spiritual canons, such an act is, to put it mildly, reckless. After all, the way a person dresses, shows how he treats the shelter of God on earth.

As an exception, you can take those situations when a man unintentionally does so. For example, after getting out for a walk into the city, he wills by the will of fate near the temple. In this case, the appearance should not stop the believer from wanting to talk with the Creator on its territory. It should be understood that the sincerity of the soul is always an order of magnitude higher than the appearance and clothing of a person.