Vinny and others on this topic,

I have been in this type of church, well, pretty close, and just the
opposite.  It works both ways, of course, but the most sickening was the big
church I was in for 13 years that I on the board and traveled out from this
church around the country as a guest preacher.  This particular church
favored the rich people in the church so ostentatiously, it was right down
embarrassing.  We had a Denver Bronco player coming to this church and some
very wealthy business men, too.  Mexicans and blacks were looked down upon
and blacks were not encouraged to become members.  Mexicans, we were told in
the board meeting once, were ok but they are highly emotional people.  I now
have, of course, to mixed raced Mexican grandchildren and they seem as
normal as my other granchildren so I don't know what they were talking
about.  If you drove into the parking lot in a nice 50,000 dollar car back
then, wearing nice clothes, you were instantly accepted by the leadership.
I've never been to disagree with the idea that it shows a little respect to
dress appropriately for any occasion.  I mean, when I did my son's wedding,
I wore a tucks and not my suit.  On the other hand, when I did my mother in
laws funeral, I wore my suit and not a tuxedo.  The sleeves fancy buttons
kept getting caught on the lip of the large glass pulpit and rattling around
and making it difficult, when they got caught, to read my Braille notes, but
I sure felt dressed up that day.

Phil.