Chloe Bailey has started another wide-ranging discussion online. Recently, during a press run for Praise This, a Peacock original comedy on Atlanta‘s youth gospel scene, Bailey gave HelloBeautiful her opinion on sporting provocative clothing while representing the Kingdom of God.
The singer and actress was straight up asked does she believe she needs to dress modestly these days to be a Christian.
“No,” Bailey said.
She then continued by citing the Bible.
“Even in the Bible, it says come as you are,” she said. “God sees us. He saw us as little babies when we were naked, so. God loves us as long as we have good hearts. That’s how I feel … You know me, I will be there in a bikini and a small little top and in heels and I would be like, ‘God is good. God is good’ because it’s true.”
While there is no specific Bible verse that uses the phrase verbatim, plenty of verses allude to it, most famously Matthew 11:28.
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” the New International Version of the text reads.
One Christian commenter was against Bailey’s reasoning.
“Come as you are and stay as you are are two different things,” Jacqueline Brown commented under a Facebook post where “The Willie Moore Jr. Show” shared the story. “Where is Ephesians 4:22 in all of this?”
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,” the referred scripture reads, in the NIV translation, “to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”
Other Christians and high-revered leaders in ministry, stand with Bailey, however.
“I think man looks at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart,” Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, told rolling out. “So whether you got on jeans or a dress, you should still be able to come to God.”
In addition to her role in Praise This, Bailey’s starring role in Swam, an Amazon Prime mini-series co-starring Damson Idris, and written by Donald Glover and Malia Obama, also premiered on March 17. At the end of the month, Bailey plans to release her debut solo album, IN PIECES.
