Buddha used as decoration?

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Treytot99

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My room is decorated in a Japanese type style…but my question is…I received a small statue of a Buddha from my aunt on my birthday. She said it would go great with my room. I know that she had nothing but good intentions when she gave it to me. But, I am not sure as a catholic I should put it In my bedroom…because it may be against Catholicism. If I were to put in in my bedroom it would be ONLY for decoration…does this make it ok to place it in my bedroom?:confused:
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            Thanks in advance,
                      Trey C.
 
Treytot99 said:
My room is decorated in a Japanese type style…but my question is…I received a small statue of a Buddha from my aunt on my birthday. She said it would go great with my room. I know that she had nothing but good intentions when she gave it to me. But, I am not sure as a catholic I should put it In my bedroom…because it may be against Catholicism. If I were to put in in my bedroom it would be ONLY for decoration…does this make it ok to place it in my bedroom?:confused:
Code: 
            Thanks in advance,
                      Trey C.
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I would avoid putting it in my room, for it is pagan.
 
Plato and Socratese were pagan also. I wouldn’t let it bother me.
 
I’ve thought about this issue when visiting Pier 1 or when looking at photographs in home design books. I think it’s disrespectful to Buddhists to use their religious articles as decor.
 
That’s an interesting question. Because it’s normal with greek gods, even by catholic artists.
 
Treytot99 said:
My room is decorated in a Japanese type style…but my question is…I received a small statue of a Buddha from my aunt on my birthday. She said it would go great with my room. I know that she had nothing but good intentions when she gave it to me. But, I am not sure as a catholic I should put it In my bedroom…because it may be against Catholicism. If I were to put in in my bedroom it would be ONLY for decoration…does this make it ok to place it in my bedroom?:confused:
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There is nothing wrong with using a Buddha statue as a decoration, especially given it is commonly used for decorative purposes, and does not necessarily have any religious significance if used in this context. Furthermore, Buddhas do not consider themselves gods nor to they wish to be worshiped. That’s a western misunderstanding of the concept of Buddha.
 
There are some really beautiful icons of Our Lady of China if you’d like to stay in-theme.

It’s weird if you have a room where the only religious decoration is a Buddha if you’re not Buddhist but are devoutly something else and/or don’t know much at all about Buddhism. Your room is part of your witness, and ideally it should be clear without you saying a word that you are Catholic. If it is clear (and for instance if you just admire Buddhist ethics or art), having a small Buddha in the room does no harm.
 
Treytot99 said:
My room is decorated in a Japanese type style…but my question is…I received a small statue of a Buddha from my aunt on my birthday. She said it would go great with my room. I know that she had nothing but good intentions when she gave it to me. But, I am not sure as a catholic I should put it In my bedroom…because it may be against Catholicism. If I were to put in in my bedroom it would be ONLY for decoration…does this make it ok to place it in my bedroom?:confused:
Code: 
            Thanks in advance,
                      Trey C.
Click to expand...
As long as you don’t believe what it represents, I don’t see a problem. Why not also get some icons of Our Lady or a Crucifix to also put in your room…
 
Several years ago a priest friend who is from an Asian country gave me an ornate Buddha from his homeland. It’s a beautiful piece and I display it an a prominent place in my home. Since it was a gift from a cherished friend, I value it very much. However, I have never felt the urge to worship it.
 
I dunno man, one day you put a Buddha statue in your room, and before you know it you’re running around naked in the woods sacrificing chickens to strange pagan gods. Danger danger danger!
 
Forkfoot said:
I dunno man, one day you put a Buddha statue in your room, and before you know it you’re running around naked in the woods sacrificing chickens to strange pagan gods. Danger danger danger!
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You forgot to put your sarcasm icon. 👍
 
Buddha is not a pagan deity worshiped by Buddhists. He is thought to be an enlightened, awakened man, and is respected as such in Buddhism.

I had, at one point, several busts of interesting people worthy of respect in my room, including, for instance, Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. I respected those historical figures, but did not venerate or worship them. I respect Buddha, too, and would probably put the statue on display if I was into Japanese culture and received one as a gift.
 
One of my guideline that help me to make decision is that i worry more what God think of me then others.It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t care about her feeling and wanted her to be happy. Since, it is displeasing God, i would get ride of it and offer her to take it back. You can explain to her that it isn’t allow in your religion.

Blessings!
 
Forkfoot said:
I dunno man, one day you put a Buddha statue in your room, and before you know it you’re running around naked in the woods sacrificing chickens to strange pagan gods. Danger danger danger!
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Yeah, so what’s your point? 😃
 
Treytot99 said:
…I am not sure as a catholic I should put it In my bedroom…because it may be against Catholicism. If I were to put in in my bedroom it would be ONLY for decoration…does this make it ok to place it in my bedroom?:confused:
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I don’t know if you “should” put it in your room, but this does not fall into the category of “ought not”, not unless you find it a near occasion of sin or it creeps you out or you simply don’t like it enough as a piece of art to even have it in your room as a reminder of your aunt’s affection, something like that.

Let’s just say this: If your aunt is knowledgeable about Catholicism and you tell her you don’t have her gift displayed in your room because Catholics aren’t allowed to have such a thing, she isn’t going to buy that. As others have pointed out, Catholics and Catholic organizations, including the Vatican, do own and display art with non-Catholic themes. It doesn’t belong in a church, but it is OK to use it as a decoration in other places.

Still, if it makes you uneasy, it is OK to simply say, “I had it in my room, but it just didn’t work there.” People who give art as gifts don’t always get that, but you don’t have to display the art that those who love you think you ought to like. You are free to find another home for it.
 
Forkfoot said:
You don’t know that.

Wrong.

Siddhartha Gautama lived like five hundred years before Christ, dude.
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Don’t tell me, you are involve in new age yourself! If not, why you are defending it so much?

New Age, isn’t new, it is from Heretic and pagan.

Buddha, is greatly admire and copied for anyone seeking for enlightenment. (Self Mastering) which isn’t in alignment with the Catholic Church. Catholic seek to copy Saint in the hope to better our life for God, but enlightenment is the believe that you can become an ascendant master and ascend which doesn’t fit Jesus teaching concerning humility.

I know his story etc… Nevertheless this doesn’t make it right to worship his way of living versus what Jesus taught us.

He is greatly used in New Age practice but again, we can argue or try to do God’s will.

Anyway, this is your soul.
 
Treytot99 said:
My room is decorated in a Japanese type style…but my question is…I received a small statue of a Buddha from my aunt on my birthday. She said it would go great with my room. I know that she had nothing but good intentions when she gave it to me. But, I am not sure as a catholic I should put it In my bedroom…because it may be against Catholicism. If I were to put in in my bedroom it would be ONLY for decoration…does this make it ok to place it in my bedroom?:confused:
Code: 
            Thanks in advance,
                      Trey C.
Click to expand...
In my opinion I dont think that is good idea at all. Jesus Christ or a saint would not put something like that in their room so I dont think you should regardless if you dont believe in it. And I have been seeing this Buddha stuff a lot in so many stores around my area they have all these buddhist and hindu decorations and very little to no Christian decorations even though everyone is Christian in my area. But it will not draw you closer to Jesus Christ so I would definatelly avoid it. Its not worth risking upsetting God over or hurting your faith. And as someone else said on this thread It would probably upset real buddhists if you use it as merely a decoration.
 
Chantal25 said:
Nevertheless this doesn’t make it right to worship his way of living versus what Jesus taught us.
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Dude nobody’s talking about worshiping anything here. It’s a buddha statue; they have them at Chinese restaurants. Do you refuse to eat Chinese food cuz you might catch paganitis?
 
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