Careful there - there is no evidence the original poster is or is not in the United States. The right to public exercise your faith is not uniform around the world.
I happen to know the OP an American citizen, a young man in school, as I recall. I think he is worried about his fellow classmates reactions, more than anything else. And of course, the sign of the cross is only devotional outside the rubrics of the Mass, but it’s still a good thing to do before and after prayer at home, at school, in the work place, in the public square as a sign of faith to the world, and because in the US, it’s a protected right. Sure, there can be consequences, but merely making fellow teens upset isn’t really a good reason to forego showing respect for God in the world.
What I would strive to do is to treat this as a mortification. Don’t feel like being embarrassed, laughed at, shamed? Good! Do it anyway and offer up the action out of love for Jesus—who Himself was embarrassed, laughed at, shamed, and many other things just because of His love for you.
What kind of repercussions? How serious do you think they would be? Be sure you aren’t merely projecting trouble where there really isn’t any. Oftentimes our fears are unfounded, but we let them rule our lives just the same. You may want to consult a reliable person, such as a parent or counselor about your fears.Thanks for the replies!
Yes, I am an American (it says your location on the top right of everyone’s posts). I am mostly afraid of angering non Christians. It’s not that I’m afraid of hurting their feelings, but rather that there might be repercussions.
These fears are silly, but I have a mental block. The only way to stop it is by actually making the SOTC in public. My fears are that someone might get mad, and punch me, but I highly doubt that would happen.
If they do punch you, they’ll have to answer to the police.
Don’t let fear dictate what you want to do that you know is perfectly all right to do. By making the sign of the cross, you may encourage others to practice their faith, as well. It’s called being a witness for Christ. Still, the decision is yours to make since it’s a devotion, not mandatory, as the good deacon wrote. As long as you are not going over to those you think may get angry and telling them that they must make the sign of the cross, then you have nothing to fear.
I actually doesn’t say everyone’s location on the top right of their posts (at least not on my screen). Some do, some do not depending on the person’s profile settings.Thanks for the replies!
Yes, I am an American (it says your location on the top right of everyone’s posts). I am mostly afraid of angering non Christians. It’s not that I’m afraid of hurting their feelings, but rather that there might be repercussions.
Ummm… I think you’ll find that Muslims prefer to be called Muslims, not Mohammedans. They don’t worship Mohammed, and can be offended at the implication that they do.
I asked my Mohammedan friend if she thought the term Mohammedan was offensive since some people said that it was, and she laughed and said no.