Protestants: How do you feel when you see Catholic sacramentals?

[CarlosBarrera]

If any Protestants have ever been to a lecture by a Catholic priest, or to an event at a Catholic Church, how do you feel when you see Marian statues, statues in general, icons, rosaries, etc. What crosses your mind when you see these things?

 

[masuwerte]

I’m very comfortable seeing those things. Most of them are present in my Episcopal parish, as well.

 

[JonNC]

If any Protestants have ever been to a lecture by a Catholic priest, or to an event at a Catholic Church, how do you feel when you see Marian statues, statues in general, icons, rosaries, etc. What crosses your mind when you see these things?

Let’s see.
At the college I attended, there is a statue of Martin Luther in front of the admin buidling.
The Lutheran reformers rejected iconoclasm.
The painting is of Martin Chemnitz, the second generation Lutheran reformer, holding his rosary beads.

To the extent these things point to Christ, there is simply nothing wrong with them.

Jon

 

[SteveVH]

If any Protestants have ever been to a lecture by a Catholic priest, or to an event at a Catholic Church, how do you feel when you see Marian statues, statues in general, icons, rosaries, etc. What crosses your mind when you see these things?

The stained glass windows in the churches in the former Soviet Union are what kept the underground Church alive. They told the stories of salvation history. Every morning when I get dressed and reach for the cross I wear around my neck, I am reminded of who I am. Is there power in sacramentals? Most definitely.

 

[Cat]

It’s a good question. Thank you for asking. It is good to try to understand others.

I converted to Catholicism after 47 years of evangelical Protestantism. The denominations that I was part of included Conference Baptist, Southern Baptist, Christian church, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Assemblies of God, and the Evangelical Free Church in America. These are all “evangelical” denominations.

When I was growing up, evangelicals would have condemned the sacramentals as unnecessary. You see, evangelicals believe that tangible “things” are not of use in knowing God. God is spirit, and those who worship Him worship in spirit and truth.

Yes, I know, it’s a heresy. But at that time, I didn’t know that. It just made sense to me that this world and our bodies are not significant, while the soul and the world that we cannot see are significant. This teaching helped us to bear physical suffering, as we knew that our bodies would pass, but our souls would live forever.

But that was 40 years ago.

In recent years, there has been an increase of interest among evangelicals in sacramentals. So many evangelical churches are plain and frankly ugly. Many evangelicals meet in gymnasiums or old retail stores, and these Christians are starved for beauty. So when they see beautiful icons, stained glass windows, etc., they respond emotionally and enjoy the experience. I think a lot of evangelicals enjoy visiting Catholic churches, as well as old Protestant churches, because they are so beautiful.

I think that the “emergent church” movement has helped educate many evangelicals that the sacramentals are part of Christian tradition and helpful for keeping our faith centered on Jesus.

After all, even evangelicals wear cross necklaces, and their children make Good News bracelets!

The statues and images are different, though. There are some very influential evangelical denominations that do not believe in making ANY images of Jesus, including pictures in Sunday school books. J.I. Packer is a respected and beloved evangelical teacher and author who teaches this point of view.

And even evangelicals who allow pictures of Jesus usually do not allow statues of Jesus or other Biblical figures. They are very uncomfortable with “graven images.” I think many evangelicals would not feel comfortable with the statuary because they think it might be idolatrous. If they see someone kneeling in front of a statue or picture, this would make them feel that the person is worshiping a graven image, which is a practice that the Bible condemns.

Yes, I know, the Catholic is not worshiping the image. I’m only telling you how the evangelical Protestant FEELS. That’s the OP’s question after all.

As for statues of the Catholic saints, I think it is safe to say that other than St. Valentine, St. Patrick, St. Nicholas, and St. Francis (because of pet cemeteries), most evangelicals have no idea who any of the Catholic saints are and have never heard their names mentioned. Honest, before I started attending a Catholic church, I had never heard of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Anthony of Padua, or most of the saints. I had two Catholic elementary school reading textbooks from the old country schools, and these textbooks contained the stories of St. Catherine (of Siena), St. John Bosco, St. Stanislaus, St. Brigid, and St. Rose of Lima. It was funny to Catholics that I knew these stories in detail, but had never heard of so many of the other saints!

I want to mention that the fundamentalist Protestant denominations will utterly condemn all sacramental as idolatrous. However, it is unlikely that any of the Christians from these denominations will “mix” with Catholics, as most fundamentalists practice “separatism.” They don’t even mix with other Protestants!

Mainline Protestants (Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Reformed, United Church of Christ, United Methodists, etc.) will generally have no problem with sacramentals. Indeed, praying with beads has become a “fad” in some of these denominations. In fact, even some evangelicals pray with beads. My husband became interested in the “ecumenical Rosary” long before we even thought about visiting Catholic churches, and he started studying the Rosary and making beautiful Rosaries. Eventually he became convinced of the value of the Catholic Rosary. Our diocescan newspaper actually did an article about him, the Protestant who makes Rosaries! It got us in trouble with our EFree Church, as they are one of the denominations that tends to condemn sacramentals as “idolatrous.”

I hope this information is helpful to the OP and others.

 

[Lutheranteach]

I generally don’t give them a second thought but also do not have, or make use of them either.

 

[LatterDayLady]

I attended Catholic Mass for 7-8 years, and I remember how beautiful all the windows and decorations were. You definitely knew you were in church and not anywhere else! I knew every object and color were deliberately selected and were symbolic.

I never really believed about how the sacrament turned into Jesus, but I liked the routine of getting up each time and seeing my friends in line. I knew I was looking into history when I saw the different objects around the room (I don’t remember their names – the box where the leftover communion wafers go…). Catholic furnishing are very beautiful, and I used to imagine that I could go to any Catholic church from Maine to Mexico and see a very similar layout.

Although I’m happy LDS now, it was quite the culture shock to enter the simple Meeting House for the first time!

 

[tradconvert]

If any Protestants have ever been to a lecture by a Catholic priest, or to an event at a Catholic Church, how do you feel when you see Marian statues, statues in general, icons, rosaries, etc. What crosses your mind when you see these things?

The sacramentals were actually what first aroused my curiosity in the Catholic faith as a boy brought up in a strict protestant family in a small town. They distinguished Catholics from the rest of us and I was pretty envious when one compared them with the sterility of our simple churches and practices as protestants. This I might add was in the late 1950s-60s when every Catholic seemed to wear a brown scapular or a crucifix or a miraculous medal which always seemed to be sticking out from under a shirt or even more obvious at a swimming pool. Then the Catholic churches into which I snuck at my tender age because I was curious, blew me away with their beautiful statues, the stations of the cross and magnificent altars. Even though I did not really fully understand everything I absorbed the spiritual atmosphere and wished I could be Catholic. The rest was history - even though it took much longer than it should have done for me to be received into the Catholic Church, once I did fully understand the inexorable logic of why I must be Catholic.

 

[Publisher]

If any Protestants have ever been to a lecture by a Catholic priest, or to an event at a Catholic Church, how do you feel when you see Marian statues, statues in general, icons, rosaries, etc. What crosses your mind when you see these things?

I see the statues and icons as objects of art and beauty…but not worthy of any veneration on my part. While I may not “revere” these objects in the same way my Catholic or Episcopalian friends do…I do not “disparage” them either…they must “work out their own salvation…” as they are led to do so.

I am not uncomfortable when I have attended a mass or benediction with Catholic friends…I “translate” the experience into “Quaker thought” and seek to find the things in common that I do share.

When the host is elevated during mass I acknowledge the Real Presence that has been present throughout the “meeting for worship” as the people gathered and began to “center down”…one Catholic practice…and I’ve seen this in Episcopal meetings for worship as well…when a worshipper enters the “meeting room” they genuflect before sitting and usually kneel to pray…Friends don’t genuflect…but as soon as we are seated…we begin to “center down” and prepare for worship.

The same experience of worship I find in Meeting I equate with Catholic worship or Episcopalian worship or Methodist worship or RLDS worship…“where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst.”

I simply believe the “trappings” and “dressings” are unnecessary but if they assist those gathered for worship to have a deeper experience with the Presence, I’m comfortable enough as long as I am not required to participate or affrim it’s efficacy toward “salvation”…rite and rituals…“sacramentals” and images that assist with bringing one into Communion with the Presence are “tools” and in themselves have no “grace” or “power” to work toward my “salvation”…but if they assist others…I’m comfortable.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I see the statues and icons as objects of art and beauty…but not worthy of any veneration on my part. While I may not “revere” these objects in the same way my Catholic or Episcopalian friends do…I do not “disparage” them either…they must “work out their own salvation…” as they are led to do so.

I am not uncomfortable when I have attended a mass or benediction with Catholic friends…I “translate” the experience into “Quaker thought” and seek to find the things in common that I do share.

When the host is elevated during mass I acknowledge the Real Presence that has been present throughout the “meeting for worship” as the people gathered and began to “center down”…one Catholic practice…and I’ve seen this in Episcopal meetings for worship as well…when a worshipper enters the “meeting room” they genuflect before sitting and usually kneel to pray…Friends don’t genuflect…but as soon as we are seated…we begin to “center down” and prepare for worship.

The same experience of worship I find in Meeting I equate with Catholic worship or Episcopalian worship or Methodist worship or RLDS worship…“where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst.”

I simply believe the “trappings” and “dressings” are unnecessary but if they assist those gathered for worship to have a deeper experience with the Presence, I’m comfortable enough as long as I am not required to participate or affrim it’s efficacy toward “salvation”…rite and rituals…“sacramentals” and images that assist with bringing one into Communion with the Presence are “tools” and in themselves have no “grace” or “power” to work toward my “salvation”…but if they assist others…I’m comfortable.

We Catholics do not venerate any statue. We do not revere a statue. We merely use them as visual aids to talk to Jesus, Mary or any of the communion of saints. The objects are not more important than the prayer to whomever we are addressing. People who think the statues and other images in the Catholic Church are idols are mistaken. They are like the photograph of your family members that you carry in your wallet - a reminder of the person. Of course we don’t always have a depiction of what that person looked like, since there wasn’t any photography in Jesus’ time, but artists have interpreted what Jesus looked like as well as Mary, Joseph, etc.

Now if we are talking about the Eucharist itself, that is different. That’s a sacrament, not a sacramental.

 

[Publisher]

We Catholics do not venerate any statue. We do not revere a statue. We merely use them as visual aids to talk to Jesus, Mary or any of the communion of saints. The objects are not more important than the prayer to whomever we are addressing. People who think the statues and other images in the Catholic Church are idols are mistaken. **They are like the photograph of your family members **that you carry in your wallet - a reminder of the person. Of course we don’t always have a depiction of what that person looked like, since there wasn’t any photography in Jesus’ time, but artists have interpreted what Jesus looked like as well as Mary, Joseph, etc.

Now if we are talking about the Eucharist itself, that is different. That’s a sacrament, not a sacramental.

This reminds me of a point one Friend made when trying to explain the Quaker understanding of ordinances and sacraments concerning those who believe them to be “symbols”…“Why have a “symbol” when the Reality is present? One only needs a picture as a reminder of a loved one not present…when the object of our affection is present with us…a “picture” is not required.”

While I understand that the statues and icons are not “worshipped” or “venerated” in the same way God or the saints are…they “appear” to be revered and venerated to “outsiders”…and the distinction Catholics make between the two are often lost to those of us who merely “observe” the genuflecting, crossing, kneeling, lighiting candles and prayers uttered before them and the place of honor these statues and icons are given in your respective houses of worship.

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

This reminds me of a point one Friend made when trying to explain the Quaker understanding of ordinances and sacraments concerning those who believe them to be “symbols”…“Why have a “symbol” when the Reality is present? One only needs a picture as a reminder of a loved one not present…when the object of our affection is present with us…a “picture” is not required.”

While I understand that the statues and icons are not “worshipped” or “venerated” in the same way God or the saints are…they “appear” to be revered and venerated to “outsiders”…and the distinction Catholics make between the two are often lost to those of us who merely “observe” the genuflecting, crossing, kneeling, lighiting candles and prayers uttered before them and the place of honor these statues and icons are given in your respective houses of worship.

Is it your suggestion that we remove things because of a viewer’s perception? If so, we will have to remove the Bible, normal prayer, worship services in general and anything else non-believers view as ‘strange’, including ALL Churches.

 

[Publisher]

Is it your suggestion that we remove things because of a viewer’s perception? If so, we will have to remove the Bible, normal prayer, worship services in general and anything else non-believers view as ‘strange’.

I intimated no such thing…how you choose to worship is your decision.

I believe the question posed in this thread was to “Protestants: How do you feel when you see…” I have provided an answer. Did the answer not meet your satisfaction?

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

I intimated no such thing…how you choose to worship is your decision.

I believe the question posed in this thread was to “Protestants: How do you feel when you see…” I have provided an answer. Did the answer not meet your satisfaction?

Go back and read your post. Can you not see the suggestions?

Why have pictures, when you have the real thing? This sounds as if someone is questioning a Catholics faith. Why have a Bible, since we know the ‘gist’ of what it says?

Publisher posted: While I understand that the statues and icons are not “worshipped” or “venerated” in the same way God or the saints are…*they “appear” to be revered and venerated to “outsiders”…and the distinction Catholics make between the two are often lost to those of us who merely “observe” the genuflecting, crossing, kneeling, lighiting candles and prayers uttered before them and the place of honor these statues and icons are given in your respective houses of worship. *

There certainly appears to be a suggestion that these things might should be reconsidered since the distinction is 'often lost to those…who merely observe"

If there’s no intended ‘tone’ to your post, I apologize, but want you to realize how it reads to those of us who merely observe…

 

[Barbkw]

I knew I was looking into history when I saw the different objects around the room (I don’t remember their names – the box where the leftover communion wafers go…).

The box, where the consecrated Hosts reside - the Eucharist - is called the Tabernacle.
Easy to remember for you - Mormon Tabernacle Choir - .

For multiple mentions of Tabernacle & it’s relationship to life both in the Old and the New Testaments: google.com/search?q=tabernacle+in+bible+verse+&rlz=1I7ADBR_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7

 

[Publisher]

Go back and read your post. Can you not see the suggestions?

Why have pictures, when you have the real thing? This sounds as if someone is questioning a Catholics faith. Why have a Bible, since we know the ‘gist’ of what it says?

Publisher posted: While I understand that the statues and icons are not “worshipped” or “venerated” in the same way God or the saints are…*they “appear” to be revered and venerated to “outsiders”…and the distinction Catholics make between the two are often lost to those of us who merely “observe” the genuflecting, crossing, kneeling, lighiting candles and prayers uttered before them and the place of honor these statues and icons are given in your respective houses of worship. *

There certainly appears to be a suggestion that these things might should be reconsidered since the distinction is 'often lost to those…who merely observe"

If there’s no intended ‘tone’ to your post, I apologize, but want you to realize how it reads to those of us who merely observe…

I do question the Catholic faith…I do not believe the things it teaches…that’s why I’m not Catholic.

Friend, I have no wish to change how you worship or what tools you use to do so…you asserting that I “certainly appeared to suggest…” sounds quite similar to my Quaker ears to when Protestants claim that Catholics worship statues…it is a mistaken perception on both parts.

Please, take no offense where no offense was given…I answered the question from my perspective as a Protestant…how else was I to answer the question?

That you take issue with my answer and make assertions not intended is baffling to me…but then…I have seen many baffling responses to others answering questions on this forum before…I don’t thin that will change anytime soon in the near future.

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

I do question the Catholic faith…I do not believe the things it teaches…that’s why I’m not Catholic.

That you take issue with my answer and make assertions not intended is baffling to me…but then…I have seen many baffling responses to others answering questions on this forum before…I don’t thin that will change anytime soon in the near future.

You have to understand, there are those who are on these forums 7 days a week ‘questioning the Catholic faith’ and stating ‘I do not believe the things it teaches…’

Imagine a lot of these type posters going to a Quaker forum and posting against that faith, repeatedly, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. After awhile one has to wonder what the ‘agenda’ is behind that?

 

[Publisher]

You have to understand, there are those who are on these forums 7 days a week ‘questioning the Catholic faith’ and stating ‘I do not believe the things it teaches…’

Imagine a lot of these type posters going to a Quaker forum and posting against that faith, repeatedly, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. After awhile one has to wonder what the ‘agenda’ is behind that?

The “agenda” in this case was to answer the question posed…honestly and truthfully as I could…I provided MY perspective based on MY beliefs concerning how I view Catholic sacraments…to me they are unnecessary rituals…but if I believed them necessary…I’d be Catholic. If I offended you…I apologize…there was no offense intended…nor will you find any of my posts intentionally seeking to offend…but in the future I will seek to make sure my stated opinions and beliefs concerning how I understand Catholic practices are tempered to not cause offense if at all possible.

While there may be those “on these forums 7 days a week 'questioning the Catholic faith” and stating “I do not believe the things it teaches…”…being in a “Non-Catholic Religious” section…one would expect that…it is no surprise to me…but then a lot goes over my head.

To respond to the question posed does not equate a hidden “agenda”…it is simply an answer to the question.

I try to always err on the side of “mercy” and not look for “agendas” not held in the first place…the “benefit of the doubt” if you please. That is a “Quaker trait” I seek to cultivate…it sure cuts down on the “offense” in reading posts…I try to read the responses without “hidden agenda glasses” clouding my perception…I come here to understand…not to convert nor proselytize…I cannot speak to other’s motives through a medium such as a web board…I don’t think it lends itself to such scrutiny of motives…nor do posts have a “tone”…I seek to take the questions and responses at face value…unless indicated by harsh words or insults…but that’s just the way I roll

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

I come here to understand…

I didn’t know that spending so much time stating ‘I do not believe the things it teaches…’, or never missing an opportunity to disagree with Catholicism in general, was a part of ‘understanding’.

 

[Publisher]

I didn’t know that spending so much time stating ‘I do not believe the things it teaches…’, or never missing an opportunity to disagree with Catholicism in general, was a part of ‘understanding’.

Peace to you friend.