The liturgical leotard is totally not a leotard. However, what it is, is a garment to be worn by worship dancers, who dance as part of church services. It's a relatively recent trend in US churches -- generally they wear flowing robes, do a lot of lyrical arm movements, and interpret the music used in the service.

Culturally speaking, it means that the bigger churches' desire to attract more people who don't want to sit through boring sermons has overtaken their disapproval of dancing.

As a dancer, I say unitards are better because leotards create the worst panty lines known to man.

And some of the best known camel toes.

Four years of ballet with arthritis (and other stuff I did not know I had at the time)... I wore leggings, but hate anything that looks like spandex. They look like pain to me.

A: they are warm.
B: they keep the ticks off of you off-road.