Placing Catholic icons in office

[DChern]

I am a Catholic Chiropractor and I want to place crucifixes, statues etc., in and around the office but I am afraid that I would offend different denominations of Protestants, Evangelicals and JW’s that are a good population of my patient’s. Should I do it anyway and possibly lose patients because of my Catholic beliefs?

 

[freudmacher]

As the co owner of my company…I do, but only in my office. I don’t put them out in te waiting area nor where others work. But everyone that comes into my office sees them and no ones ever said anying bad. I don’t put them in other places because that is not ‘my’ space. My business partner is Catholic, but he only leaves his rosary laying around, but he’ll leave it anywhere.

Just my thoughts because when we first got the place we had to discuss it.

 

[JohnDamian]

I can’t see any objection to having them in your office; many people have pictures of their families in their offices, and the Church is also your family; and it is good to be proud of it.

However, leaving them all over the waiting rooms or placing them in an obstructive way might be a bit tasteless, but no one can object to a cross on the wall, and perhaps some small statues on shelves.

 

[RobNY]

A crucifix in every room is more or less a must. That way our Lord in His passion is there for your to raise your heart to throughout your work.

I think JohnDamian has it right with regard to the statues and the icons… be tasteful. If you make your office overwhelmingly stuffed with Catholic things, it might make some people uncomfortable. But if they are tastefully sprinkled about, it could add to your office and even unify it. Think of the icons and statues as little sacramentals… sensible signs meant to raise your mind to God. If you oversaturate, they’ll lose their effectiveness, just as one wouldn’t want to put too much salt on food.

An idea that passed through my mind… do you have any unused rooms in your office? Even if it’s small, a room dedicated to quiet for prayer would be something beautiful.

 

[poetic]

I don’t think you’ll offend many of a different faith if you hang a cross up in your office. If a client or two becomes offended, they’re not clients you want anyway. My dentist has a statue of Vishnu in the waiting area. It doesn’t stop me from going there, because he’s the best dentist I ever had. Sure he’s misguided in spiritual matters, but he knows how to fix teeth without causing me too much pain.

Relax. Don’t let the secular media fear you out of expressing your faith. You only get one earthly life to show Jesus how much you love him.

 

[Apollos]

I am a Catholic Chiropractor and I want to place crucifixes, statues etc., in and around the office but I am afraid that I would offend different denominations of Protestants, Evangelicals and JW’s that are a good population of my patient’s. Should I do it anyway and possibly lose patients because of my Catholic beliefs?

You are not the only chiropractor in town, and you can lose patients for the most frivolous of reasons.

You may want to upgrade your collection of religious art to include only the finest and most noteworthy examples you can find, and if someone has a problem with the religious significance then just call it decoration.

For example, I have a folk art icon from Poland that is made from thousands of bits of straw painstakingly glued to the backing. Because of the texture of the straw, it just glows gorgeously with every change of the light and shift of perspective. It has artistic merit and reflects my Polish heritage.

To highlight the the fact that your religious art has artistic merit, you can have small museum-style plaques for each piece inexpensively custom made for you at any office supply/service store. For example, for underneath my straw icon, I could have them print up a laminated business-sized card that reads:

Our Lady of of the Dawn (Ostra Brama)
Late 20th century, after 15th century original
Straw on cardboard

 

[AngloCatholic1]

One of the (if not THEE) most successful retail furniture companies here in Canada, called Leons, is owned by a Catholic family. I have been in many of their stores, and in each and every one of them you will find a large gold crucifix on the wall (usually around the order desk). Now most regions of Canada (except for Quebec) are not overwhelmingly Catholic, but it certainly seems to be working for Leons! (Come to think of it, I did plenty of business with them before I converted!).

My only advice would be to not go overboard. A single crucifix ought to be enough to get the message across without being overtly offensive.

 

[Rence]

I am a Catholic Chiropractor and I want to place crucifixes, statues etc., in and around the office but I am afraid that I would offend different denominations of Protestants, Evangelicals and JW’s that are a good population of my patient’s. Should I do it anyway and possibly lose patients because of my Catholic beliefs?

I would not hide my love for Christ and our Mother, but certainly you don’t want to push your religion on your patients. Patients come to you for chiropractic care, not conversion. There’s a time and a place for everything, and your office is where you take care of others. It’s not a Church or Chapel. I would hope that your patients would know you’re a Christian by your words and actions and not by happening to notice a Rosary on a hallway table, or a 4 foot statue of Our Lady in your reception area

I would put your crucifixes and statues in your office for sure. I’d probably put a crucifix over the front and back door, just like at home. But it’s not your home, it’s a place of business and I wouldn’t inundate the place with statues and crucifixes. But that’s up to you

Personally, when I go into a business or someone’s home, I am not offended by their religious pictures and statues. It would not hinder me at all. My favorite restaurant is Chinese, and it doesn’t offend me at all that they have a big huge altar to Budda. But I am not everyone, and you will definitely lose some, especially your JW patients.

I have a JW friend who didn’t visit during Advent because of all my Christmas decorations, and I didn’t even have a tree And I don’t know exactly what kept her away because all year, there are crucifixes in each room, along with many pictures and statues. Maybe if I put some of it out on the front porch her friends would stop bringing the Watchtower but as you notice, it would be my intention to keep some people OUT by doing so.

 

[VeroNihilVerius]

The most important thing is to do what pleases God the most. If you feel that you need to share your faith through icons, then do it. Pragmatism is not a good excuse to disguise faith. Granted, you may wish to be more subtle, but definitely do not do anything that would deny your affiliation with the Church.

Perhaps as previous posters have suggested, you could have some moderate sort of decorations. Keep in mind, just because our society teaches us that every idea of religion offends does not make it so! Many people find solace and peace in the faith of others, and we are all looking to fill that God-shaped hole. You may never know in this life how your faith will touch the lives of others.

God Bless.

VNV

 

[RobNY]

You may want to upgrade your collection of religious art to include only the finest and most noteworthy examples you can find, and if someone has a problem with the religious significance then just call it decoration…

Our Lady of of the Dawn (Ostra Brama)
Late 20th century, after 15th century original
Straw on cardboard

Clever, clever!

The Lord warned us to be innocent but clever.

It is good to remember that any given action can have several motivating reasons.

For instance, a man might marry his wife because:

1. She is a virtuous Catholic woman, who will raise his children well.
2. She shares common interests with him.
3. She is beautiful.

Granted, not all of the reasons, 1-3, are of equal value. And some of them (2-3) are insufficient by themselves to to ‘the reason’ why he married her. Nevertheless, they are true reasons why he married her.

So if someone asks you why you did something… you can be clever if you need to avoid offense. If they say, is that the only reason, you can’t lie and say no.

I also really like the labeling idea. Some people love religious art but wouldn’t know what it was or how to find it… and you never know when beauty will convert someone.

-Rob

 

[LilyM]

A crucifix in every room is more or less a must. That way our Lord in His passion is there for your to raise your heart to throughout your work.

I think JohnDamian has it right with regard to the statues and the icons… be tasteful. If you make your office overwhelmingly stuffed with Catholic things, it might make some people uncomfortable. But if they are tastefully sprinkled about, it could add to your office and even unify it. Think of the icons and statues as little sacramentals… sensible signs meant to raise your mind to God. If you oversaturate, they’ll lose their effectiveness, just as one wouldn’t want to put too much salt on food.

An idea that passed through my mind… do you have any unused rooms in your office? Even if it’s small, a room dedicated to quiet for prayer would be something beautiful.

I love my earthly parents and siblings a great deal, and think of them often. I’d hardly say that I find it a ‘must’ to put pictures of them in every room of my office for me to think of them. And I don’t. The thinking of them comes naturally out of my love for them, regardless of presence or absence of external aids.

Same with my Lord. Yes, I do have crucifixes and religious images in my home. I also wear a cross and a rosary bracelet. None of these are ‘more or less a must’ for someone who loves God as they ought.

On the contrary, the love of God came well before I purchased any of them. And I can assure you I love God and think of Him every bit as much on the days I forget to wear my bracelet or cross.

 

[RobNY]

Lily,

I suppose it all comes down to the ‘more or less.’ Considered in itself, according to the necessities which being a bodily creature entail, sensible signs are normally necessary for us because they are signs which are accessible to us by our primary means of knowing, i.e. the senses.

In particular there is nothing which necessitates that one have this sign or that, in this place or that… and I assume that what is necessary varies from person to person. “Necessary” may even need to be taken in the extended Thomistic sense as what is best. St. Thomas says that we sometimes speak of something as “necessary” and what we mean is that for something to be obtained in the best way, this is what must happen. Hence, it is said that the Incarnation was “necessary,” but Thomas affirms that it is not strictly necessary, that is, God in His omnipotence could have saved us in any way He wanted, but necessary in the sense that it is the best way.

Thus there need be no contradiction in my general principle and what you find to be the case in your specific circumstances. God bless you,

Rob

I love my earthly parents and siblings a great deal, and think of them often. I’d hardly say that I find it a ‘must’ to put pictures of them in every room of my office for me to think of them. And I don’t. The thinking of them comes naturally out of my love for them, regardless of presence or absence of external aids.

Same with my Lord. Yes, I do have crucifixes and religious images in my home. I also wear a cross and a rosary bracelet. None of these are ‘more or less a must’ for someone who loves God as they ought.

On the contrary, the love of God came well before I purchased any of them. And I can assure you I love God and think of Him every bit as much on the days I forget to wear my bracelet or cross.