AS soon as she walked in, silence engulfed the room as believers stared in disbelief. You could hear a pin drop. Clad in a see-through backless top and a short skirt that left nothing to the imagination, she had come for the Friday afternoon fellowship at her local Pentecostal church in Remera. Some Christians in the church castigated the 20-year-old girl for dressing inappropriately in the Lord’s House.

But does it really matter how one dresses in church? This is an issue that generates divided opinion among Christians.

Norah Mutesi, a cashier and devote Christian, says that to some extent, what one wears to church matters, though she also believes that people are different, and hence have varying perceptions about certain things.

"I would not go to church dressed in revealing clothes, but that is just me. Someone else might not see that as an issue, besides, what matters most is what we are on the inside and not on the outside,” she says.

Mutesi, however, adds that Christians should be able to understand what God requires of them and let the Holy Spirit guide them.

"We shouldn’t be quick to judge and neither should we behave a certain way just for the sake of it,” she says.

For Prossy Mbabazi, what matters is how God sees us and not how people see or judge us.

"As long as I am right with God why should how I dress to church matter? She wonders. "One can be dressed in a decent outfit but when their intentions and morals are not as upright. I don’t think how one dresses really matters,” she adds.

However for Crème Kantengwa, a staunch believer, what one wears to church greatly matters, and that choosing to dress decently is one way of respecting the Lord’s House.

"Just like there is a dress code for work and swimming time or even bed, there should also be a dress code for church. The Bible emphasises modest dressing and should therefore be observed to respect the sanctuary of God,” she argues.

Is it a question of morals?

Ntare Rwabugiri, a non-believer, argues that at any given point, whether attending church or not, people should endeavour to be decently dressed.

He can’t help but wonder why a person would choose to walk half naked all in the name of fashion.

"As a Rwandan, I think that decent dressing must come first, whether in church or elsewhere. I am against indecent dressing in church and everywhere else in society,” he emphasises.

"People must dress well. On a personal note, I can’t respect a person who doesn’t dress in a decent way. Again, if you are in the House of God, you must dress properly,” Rwabugiri adds.

Ronald Mutabazi, a recent graduate, agrees with Rwabugiri saying that before one questions their code of conduct in church, they should do the same for their conduct in society.

If it’s a matter of decent dressing, one shouldn’t only be decent in the House of God, but should do so wherever they are.

"God is omnipresent, meaning He can actually see us wherever we are. Why then should we only be decent in church?” he points out.

Mutabazi strongly believes that decency is a must, more so when one is attending mass.

What do religious leaders say?

Pastor Hassan Kibirango of Christian Life Assembly says that when attending church, the right dress code matters and that something decent is of paramount importance.

He goes on to explain that decency is however determined by different religious organisations.

"For some, for example, if you are a lady and you wear a dress that doesn’t cover you up to your wrists and ankles, you are inappropriately dressed. For others, you can wear a pair of shorts and they still welcome you. Therefore, decency needs to be observed mostly by each individual,” Kibirango points out.

"The Bible says in Romans 14:13-23 that we need to consider one another and not stumble our brothers,” he quotes.

"Here the main subject used is food but its application could stretch to our apparel. One thing to have in mind is, if what we wear is what causes others to stumble, then for their sake, we need to abandon the outfit so we can live in peace with each other,” Kibirango explains.

Kibirango says that no matter how right one’s heart is, certain aspects are just not proper.

"A lady cannot wear a skimpy outfit to church and expect fellowship,” he says.

Pastor Robinah Ziwa also agrees that whether one is heading to church or not, indecent dressing doesn’t indicate the right morals.

"Provocative dressing in church abuses the glory of God. We are fearfully and wonderfully created by God and in all that we do, we should try to bring out the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ziwa advises.

She believes that churches and Christians in particular should endeavour to uphold Christian values and not compromise in anyway.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw