Religious Habit
A few weeks ago, a friend and I went out to dinner. She wore a nice dress, a string of pearls, a pair of sensible shoes (somewhere between 'nun-sensible' and stiletto heels), and a jacket. I opted to wear a pair of khaki pants, a sport jacket, and a tie (yes, I also wore a shirt). Over the course of our meal, my friend asked me if I was supposed to wear clerical attire when I went out in public. To her mind, it would make sense to wear "clerics" for several reasons: Black is always slimming. Given the relative dearth of young members of the clergy, it's a good reminder that there are young men entering into ministry. For people like me who struggle with fashion, it's very easy to match black with black with black. There's little room for error. In certain situations, it might score you an upgrade on an airplane or a free meal. Much of what she said was, of course, in jest. But this is a live issue for many people: should religious wear distinctive garb? I...