Evangelicals are Disapproving of: Give Me a Kiss for Good Luck?

[PRmerger]

So my family is playing a friendly game of backyard badminton with our evangelical, ex-Catholic, homeschooling neighbors. On occasion, if my 5 yr old DD would run by I’d say, “Give me a kiss for good luck!”.

Although our neighbors did not speak up, I immediately sensed their disapproval. This was confirmed later when my 11 yr old DD told me, “Mom, I was playing soccer with Alyssa (evangelical neighbors’ daughter) and said I wanted to get my lucky ball and Alyssa was mortified that I thought a ball was lucky!”

Let me preface by saying that we do not believe any ball or kiss is magical, or actually provides “luck.” It’s just an expression. It was my excuse to grab a kiss from my darling DD.

However, I feel like I want to defend this form of speech to my neighbors.

Any advice from fellow Catholics?

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

So my family is playing a friendly game of backyard badminton with our evangelical, ex-Catholic, homeschooling neighbors. On occasion, if my 5 yr old DD would run by I’d say, “Give me a kiss for good luck!”.

Although our neighbors did not speak up, I immediately sensed their disapproval. This was confirmed later when my 11 yr old DD told me, “Mom, I was playing soccer with Alyssa (evangelical neighbors’ daughter) and said I wanted to get my lucky ball and Alyssa was mortified that I thought a ball was lucky!”

Let me preface by saying that we do not believe any ball or kiss is magical, or actually provides “luck.” It’s just an expression. It was my excuse to grab a kiss from my darling DD.

However, I feel like I want to defend this form of speech to my neighbors.

Any advice from fellow Catholics?

Yeah, tell 'em to quit being paranoid and loosen up.
(If that sounds harsh though, feel free to soften it up. )

 

[MarieVeronica]

Any advice from fellow Catholics?

Hi “PR” Well, yeah… it does sound like your neighbors are being a little bit over sensitive about it. But as Catholics, we do know the reasoning here. That references to “luck”… good or bad, can be perceived as superstitious or occult and therefore, non-Christian. So… I can see their point of view, too.

It happens that I was born… on a Friday the 13th. In addition, I also have a pet black cat. All my life, I’ve heard talk about “bad luck”… due to the day on which I entered this world. I’ve always thought it was hogwash. Nevertheless, for the past few years… I’ve made a concerted effort to “weed” out the use of phrases such as “good luck”… etc., and have replaced them with “God bless”… “God’s blessings”… or the like. Furthermore, to anyone who suggests I was born on “unlucky 13”… I say, “There is no such thing as unlucky 13. There is 1 God… in 3 Persons and He blessed me with life.”

So, maybe next time your DD runs by… you could ask her to “bless you” with a kiss or a hug. If your kids are young, this change will be easily accepted by them.

God bless.

 

[La-Petite-Fleur]

It seems like an innocent misunderstanding… simply let them know the same thing that you’ve mentioned here, that it’s just an expression and you don’t believe in luck (especially as a Catholic).

So my family is playing a friendly game of backyard badminton with our evangelical, ex-Catholic, homeschooling neighbors. On occasion, if my 5 yr old DD would run by I’d say, “Give me a kiss for good luck!”.

Although our neighbors did not speak up, I immediately sensed their disapproval. This was confirmed later when my 11 yr old DD told me, “Mom, I was playing soccer with Alyssa (evangelical neighbors’ daughter) and said I wanted to get my lucky ball and Alyssa was mortified that I thought a ball was lucky!”

Let me preface by saying that we do not believe any ball or kiss is magical, or actually provides “luck.” It’s just an expression. It was my excuse to grab a kiss from my darling DD.

However, I feel like I want to defend this form of speech to my neighbors.

Any advice from fellow Catholics?

 

[Sr_Sally]

I can see how this can be misunderstood. Because of that, like Marie Veronica, I have made a conscious effort to stop saying things like “you’re so lucky” or “that’s my lucky day”. First of all it was very misunderstood by more fundementalist friends and also strangely enough my non-religious friends as well. Since we are told not to be a stumbling block for our weaker brothers I decided it was easier for me to adapt my language a bit than to either scandalize a fellow Christian (usually non-Catholic) or confuse a non-Christian who I should be an example to.

Since you are goos friends with these neighbors, I’d explain briefly that it is just a turn of phrase and that Catholics don’t believe in luck. Then I’d make an effort to change those phrases to other expressions that won’t cause confusion.