Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The real issue with the crucifix

It's not that crucifixes are somehow "anti-resurrection", it's how they are used, or rather, misused.

Helpful definition for today: (from The American Heritage Dictionary)
Superstition - noun
1. An irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.
2. (a) A belief, practice, or rite irrationally maintained by ignorance of the laws of nature or by faith in magic or chance.
(b) A fearful or abject state of mind resulting from such ignorance or irrationality.
(c) Idolatry.

Examples of superstition:
Heaven’s Home Protection Packet...Our Lord stated we must have crucifixes upon the outside of all of our outside doors. In the "Heaven’s Home Protection Packet" there are instructions, four crucifixes, a tube of special cement for wooden or metal crucifixes. Wooden crucifixes adhere better to the doors when the aluminum strap is removed from the back. Put a light coat of cement on the back of the crucifix and then press it to the outside of the door.

Crucifix on front and back door... The only real protection against terrorists...
Jesus - "Pray and wear your sacramentals. And, also, My children, I ask you again to place a crucifix upon your door. Both front and back doors must have a crucifix. I say this to you because there will be carnage within your areas, and this will pass you by if you keep your crucifix upon your doors."


Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of Mothers promises to help protect our children. On September 13, 1977, She said, "He has an army of ogres wandering now throughout your country and all of the countries of the world. They are in possession of great power; so wear your sacramentals, and protect your children and your households. Learn the use every day of holy water throughout your household. Insist even with obstructions, insist that your children always wear a sacramental. One day they will understand that they will repel the demons."

On February 1, 1974, Our Lady said, "My children, know the value of these sacramentals. Guard your children well. You must awaken to the knowledge that you will not be protected without the sacramentals. Guard your children's souls. They must be surrounded with an aura of purity. Remove them if necessary from the sources of contamination, be it your schools or even false pastors."

Our Lady tells us to be protected from all evil, we must wear the following sacramentals around our necks: a Rosary, a crucifix, the St. Benedict medal, Our Lady of the Roses medal, the Miraculous Medal, and the scapular.

This is from Virgin Mary's End-Times Prophecies. Very much along the lines of Jesus-is-Lord, this one is the National Enquirer for Roman Catholics. Interesting.



2 comments:

Kelly said...

I admit, we have a group within Catholicism that I call "those apparition people" that correspond to the Jesus Is Lord crowd. It happens.

But, the Catholic Church is aware that some go from religious practice into superstition, and speaks out against that.

CCC 2110 The first commandment forbids honoring gods other than the one Lord who has revealed himself to his people. It proscribes superstition and irreligion. Superstition in some sense represents a perverse excess of religion; irreligion is the vice contrary by defect to the virtue of religion.

2111 Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.

2138 Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic.

Just because you can buy a kit in Catholic bookstores that provides a statue of St. Joseph to bury in your yard in order to sell you home does not mean that it is a practice condoned by the Catholic Church.

I've never actually met a Catholic who felt that their crucifix was protecting their home from invaders. If we get rid of them just for those few people, then we would be doing a big disservice to the many faithful Catholics who find a crucifix a gentle reminder, and an aid to prayer.

Sue Bee said...

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not among the "anti-crucifix" people. I am anti-crucifix misuse/abuse.

Non-Catholic people are certainly guilty of idolatry in its many forms, including looking upon spiritual and nonspiritual objects as "good luck charms".

Given the current real estate market I am sure plenty of St. Joseph statues are flying off the shelves and landing in the yards of Roman Catholics and non-Catholics alike.