Is profile picture offensive to God or Church?

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I strive to evangelize my faith and want to be a witness of God to all I encounter, either directly or indirectly. I am most drawn to this profile picture, but fear I may send a wrong message. (I have chosen this image as an email profile picture, as well). When I see this image, I am constantly reminded of Our Lord’s suffering in the most impactful way. The message to me is as if Mother Mary saying 1) “Look what your sins have done” and 2) “He loves you so much that He died the most frightful death just for you.”

I really feel a deep connection to this image, but don’t want to be offensive to God or the Church in any way. I see it as when we as Catholics wear a crucifix to be reminded of His sufferings and death on the cross. But, I also realize it is a very bloody and graphic image.

What are your thoughts?

+JMJ+
 
I understand your connection to this picture and to our Lord’s Passion, but I’m not quite sure that a revert, convert or newbie would.

For me, the Lord’s Passion is the strongest sign of God’s love for us, but I think you will have to ease into telling this story to a newbie, and all that it means for humanity. Somebody might look at this and have extreme guilt without knowing the whole story of why He had to die for us. They likely would not understand that God did this out of His extreme love for us. It’s like starting the alphabet at “T” and leaving out “A-S”, if you get my drift!:o

My way of evangelizing to a newbie or somebody with no faith is to talk about God in general terms and I really don’t even mention Jesus at first. I find that everyone, well almost everyone, at least believes in God, and it is just easier to ease into a conversation about faith when talking in broad terms about God.

All IMHO of course…🙂
 
I think you would be just fine posting that picture as your profile picture. Though the poster above me has a point; some people may misunderstand it, then anyone who misunderstands why you would post such a picture might possibly ask you, and start a very good conversation with them.

If you do make it your picture, you’ll probably have to resize it down, though.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=323511
 
View attachment 17062

I strive to evangelize my faith and want to be a witness of God to all I encounter, either directly or indirectly. I am most drawn to this profile picture, but fear I may send a wrong message. (I have chosen this image as an email profile picture, as well). When I see this image, I am constantly reminded of Our Lord’s suffering in the most impactful way. The message to me is as if Mother Mary saying 1) “Look what your sins have done” and 2) “He loves you so much that He died the most frightful death just for you.”

I really feel a deep connection to this image, but don’t want to be offensive to God or the Church in any way. I see it as when we as Catholics wear a crucifix to be reminded of His sufferings and death on the cross. But, I also realize it is a very bloody and graphic image.

What are your thoughts?

+JMJ+
I had that picture on my profile for a time. I switch every so often. I do not find it the least bit offensive. That is probably how it really looked and we should be reminded that often of the pain he suffered on our behalf. Imagine a mother having to hold her son like that. It is actually a very humbling picture! 👍
 
Are you trying to attract people or repulse them? That picture would get me to stay as far away from you as possible.
 
I think that if you know why you have chosen it then you should keep it as a porfile picture and if anyone challenges it then it be an opportunity for you to evangelise why you have used it. I don’t think it will offend God but possibly the Church. God will see that the intentions you have are honerable and indeed sometimes we have to step outside the norm to get people to sit up and listen, to pay attention, to ask questions about their faith, to ask questions about their religion too. We go along nicely at times without thinking much and the first straw that breaks the camals back then we are off and fallen out with religion/Church and God. Hopefully, if you think that the profile picture is offensive to some then use it in hoping to get them to respond to work out what is offensive about it. I personally can’t see anything offensive about it but shamefully that could be my ignorance showing there. It isn’t offending me. I hope anyone who is offended will speak up and use this time to evaluate their thoughts rather than run away from their thoughts. It that what makes us grow stronger and strengthen our Faith in God.

I would say, Go ahead and use it and be ready to patiently explain if it really offends anyone. Of course there are people who are looking to be offended, something will offend them anyway and they are needing a different kind of response and probably, sadly, be the ones who do challenge the useage. The silently offended will possibly never speak up so may be it be good to have a throughly well thought out little presentation so they can read it and decide for themselves.
 
I absolutely love it! My phone screen saver is Jesus looking into the eyes of Veronica, also from the Passion of the Christ. A co-worker who is also Catholic saw it and didn’t like it, but I asked her, “What is offensive? What our sins did to Him?”
 
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