So... blasphemy is now fashionable

[vera_dicere]

I was at work the other day when another health care professional noticed my crucifix, miraculous and St. Benedict medals. She was really impressed, said they were “cool” and asked where I got them. I told her the crucifix came from a jeweller and the medals came from the local church. Her reply “Oh, so that’s where people are getting them now, the church”.

She then explained to me while flicking through a magazine that she’d noticed people wearing medals with the cross and how its now “fashionable” and “everyone and their dog” is doing it. Well I can tell you I felt like throwing up. I knew about the rosary beads being worn as necklaces - but they’re usually made in some sweat shop and are never blest, but too imagine people actually acuqiring Catholic, blest medals from church and christain family members and wearing them for fashion… well, that just burned my potatoes!

She then pointed out “Well, I guess you wear them for beleif, right?”

Ah… yeah!

As a joke I pointed out that the Marifa often wore them - like on Sophranoes and she followed up with the comment “yeah, hahah, I guess they just go to that thing you catholics have, confession and the slate is clean”. I had to explain that to be truely sorry you have to take the civil punishment and turn yourself in else confession is negated!

But holy moly, people wearing blest medals as a fashion accessory? Unbeleivable. The way the secular world acts towards Catholics you’d think the last thign they’d want is to wear something that might ID them as such. Of course, like those like madonna who wears our jewellery to offend us, maybe blasphemy has become just another disgusting fashion trend.

God have mercy on them, each and every blasphemer!

 

[Trishie]

I’ve noticed and agree.
However, it does seem to be the case that things associated with Catholics, and Christianity, seem to evoke this kind of subversion and blasphemy.

It’s strange that so often in this world and in movies and books, it is the Names of Jesus and of God that are chosen as expletives, even by unbelievers.
2146 The second commandment forbids the abuse of God’s name, i.e., every improper use of the names of God, Jesus Christ…
2155 The holiness of the divine name demands that we neither use it for trivial matters, nor take an oath which on the basis of the circumstances could be interpreted as approval of an authority unjustly requiring it. [The Catholic Catechism]

 

[Trishie]

The Church sees misuse of sacramentals as “scandal”. Sacramentals such as rosaries and crosses are intended to evoke religious practice and fervour.

1. Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion. Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to ‘social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible.’[Pius XII, Discourse, June 1, 1941.]
   This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger, Ephesians 6:4 ; Colossians. 3:21.] or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.[Pius XII, Discourse, June 1, 1941.]

 

[Caesar517]

A few years ago, my family was at Wal-Mart and noticed that the checker was wearing an ornate rosary around her neck.
My mother asked her if she was Catholic. She said she wasn’t, but her boyfriend was and he liked when she wore it.
She obviously didn’t know much about Catholicism and it seemed like her boyfriend didn’t either. I’m fairly certain it wasn’t blessed, at least.

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

Yeah, I see them being worn at school all the time. I’ll admit I wear crosses for show, for the most part, but I would never wear a rosary around my neck. It’s tacky.

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood

 

[Baloo]

Yeah, I see them being worn at school all the time. I’ll admit I wear crosses for show, for the most part, but I would never wear a rosary around my neck. It’s tacky.

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood

Wouldn’t wearing crosses for show be just as tacky as wearing a rosary, due to the fact that your using them for vain purposes, not the ones intended of the crucifix?

I don’t quite understand your logic there.

 

[Dtmccameron]

A few years ago, my family was at Wal-Mart and noticed that the checker was wearing an ornate rosary around her neck.
My mother asked her if she was Catholic. She said she wasn’t, but her boyfriend was and he liked when she wore it.
She obviously didn’t know much about Catholicism and it seemed like her boyfriend didn’t either. I’m fairly certain it wasn’t blessed, at least.

I’ve read of cases where an ubeliever is given a rosary, and over the course of time, undoubtably with the prayers of the faithful and intercession of Our Lady, they come to conversion. This probobly isn’t such a case, but, it’s good to keep in mind.

As is, I myself rather dislike the especially ornate rosaries, or crucafixes. A bit too gaudy, and too little Godly.

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

Wouldn’t wearing crosses for show be just as tacky as wearing a rosary, due to the fact that your using them for vain purposes, not the ones intended of the crucifix?

I don’t quite understand your logic there.

Mind the phrase “for the most part.” Don’t think it’s completely meaningless to me.

The crucifixes I wear are “darker;” One looks like a dagger with a skull in the middle; another one is the shape of a dragon; etc. I remember mentioning in another thread that I was a Goth.

Ironically Yours.

 

[monicatholic]

blade,

crucifixes have the Corpus on them-- Christ Crucified. are you meaning that your crosses shaped from dragons and daggers have Christ crucified on them?

or are they elaborate crosses with skulls and other stuff, no Corpus?

finally, b+b, just thinking about irony from a Thomistic perspective. here, summa theologica, questiion 113; irony:

… for the most part boasting proceeds from a viler motive, namely, the desire of gain or honor: whereas irony arises from a man’s averseness, albeit inordinate, to be disagreeable to others by uplifting himself: and in this respect the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 7) that “boasting is a more grievous sin than irony.”

Sometimes, however, it happens that a man belittles himself for some other motive, for instance that he may deceive cunningly: and then irony is more grievous.

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

blade,

crucifixes have the Corpus on them-- Christ Crucified. are you meaning that your crosses shaped from dragons and daggers have Christ crucified on them?

or are they elaborate crosses with skulls and other stuff, no Corpus?

finally, b+b, just thinking about irony from a Thomistic perspective. here, summa theologica, questiion 113; irony:

Only one of them has Christ’s body on it, and it’s a very nice crucifix I might add. That’s the one I usually wear every day. The one with the skull is one I wear on only special occasions. :yup:

 

[TLM08]

Anyone who has had struggles with pornography can tell you that it’s not unusual to see porn actresses wearing a cross. I will say one thing about that. It’s a big wake up call that snaps you out of the fantasy and back to reality. God help us all.

 

[JJJ4Eva]

People have Rosaries dangling on mirrors in cars, they have statues and St Christopher’s too, some even have little prayers laminated and stuck to their computer monitors. I once looked at it and said to myself; if only all these people who have all these icons went to church on Sunday. But I’ve changed my mind… The visibility of religious symbols is so important in today’s society. Everywhere you look there are posters advertising sex, horned cupids for Valentines, advertising satan, size zero models advertising ill-health through bulimia. God needs a foot in somewhere, allow Him to make His billboard around the necks of protestants, they may soon start asking what the meaning behind all these medals means. There’s a chance that God may be doing this, for He does work in mysterious ways.

 

[Baloo]

Anyone who has had struggles with pornography can tell you that it’s not unusual to see porn actresses wearing a cross. I will say one thing about that. It’s a big wake up call that snaps you out of the fantasy and back to reality. God help us all.

Heh, I was thinking something along the same extent, as I just watched the movie Clockers directed by Spike Lee. Most of the drug dealers and murderers in that movie wear crosses, the main drug lord even has one dangling from the mirror in his car.

I thought it was sickening.

 

[Nepenthe]

Far as I know, blasphemy has always been fashionable, including among the Greeks and Romans. Check out Chaucer and Shakespeare for English -language examples.

We’re hardly talking about some new trend here, people.

 

[Just_wondering]

A few years ago, my family was at Wal-Mart and noticed that the checker was wearing an ornate rosary around her neck.
My mother asked her if she was Catholic. She said she wasn’t, but her boyfriend was and he liked when she wore it.
She obviously didn’t know much about Catholicism and it seemed like her boyfriend didn’t either. I’m fairly certain it wasn’t blessed, at least.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is it specifically that makes this blasphemy? Is it that she’s a non-Catholic? The fact that the rosary is ornate? The fact that she’s presumably wearing it for sentimental value because it’s a gift from her boyfriend? The fact that she’s presumably wearing it for decorative purposes? The fact that it’s a rosary, and rosaries aren’t meant to be worn at all? She seems to have nothing against the Church, because she’s dating a Catholic. I can’t imagine she’s wearing it with the intention of being disrespectful.

I’m just wondering, because I’m still not “officially” Catholic. I guess maybe I am - I was baptized Catholic as an infant - but I wasn’t raised Catholic and was never confirmed. I’ve never been to confession or received communion, so I don’t feel Catholic yet. However, I do wear a miraculous medal that my Catholic boyfriend gave me. Is that blasphemy? Is it disrespectful? The reason I wear it is not because he gave it to me, but because on days when I feel vulnerable, it reminds me of the Blessed Mother’s protection. I’d hate to think that I’m offending Catholics by wearing it.

 

[Jay53]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is it specifically that makes this blasphemy? Is it that she’s a non-Catholic? The fact that the rosary is ornate? The fact that she’s presumably wearing it for sentimental value because it’s a gift from her boyfriend? The fact that she’s presumably wearing it for decorative purposes? The fact that it’s a rosary, and rosaries aren’t meant to be worn at all? She seems to have nothing against the Church, because she’s dating a Catholic. I can’t imagine she’s wearing it with the intention of being disrespectful.

I’m just wondering, because I’m still not “officially” Catholic. I guess maybe I am - I was baptized Catholic as an infant - but I wasn’t raised Catholic and was never confirmed. I’ve never been to confession or received communion, so I don’t feel Catholic yet. However, I do wear a miraculous medal that my Catholic boyfriend gave me. Is that blasphemy? Is it disrespectful? The reason I wear it is not because he gave it to me, but because on days when I feel vulnerable, it reminds me of the Blessed Mother’s protection. I’d hate to think that I’m offending Catholics by wearing it.

Trust me, you are not offending Catholics. I’m sure others can speak better to this, but I think it’s referred to as blasphemy because it is irreverence to that which is sacred. What makes it offensive is the fact that the wearer allegedly (I don’t know this for fact) does not believe in the Church or her teachings, but is wearing something that would be a sign of that belief.

I’m not sure about the whole wearing rosaries as a necklace thing. I’ve never seen that done and would never do it. There are rosary rings, though that are supposed to make it easier to say the rosary when carrying an actual rosary is impractical. I would love to get one.

 

[Newbie2]

I don’t know if all such things should be called “blasphemy”…maybe ignorance might be a better term. Certainly if someone knows the significance of wearing a cross or rosary and chooses to do so in an imprudent manner…sure.

Like a porn actor/actress wearing a cross…definitely.

When ever a…um…buxom lady who is “showing off” wears a cross and it’s stuck down in her cleavage, I often wonder if she really gets it.

I’d have to say that a disregard for the significance of the cross or rosary is a big deal. Consider the bible; how does Satan make it less special, less reverent, just “commonplace”? By making them readily available, or at least not opposing the making and distribution of them. How many bibles sit unread in the homes of Christians? My goal is to someday “wear out” a bible.

Anyway, I see a parallel with wearing crosses, etc. Make them part of the scenery. Dissociate them with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Make them just another piece of jewelry. Satan’s plan?

 

[ericka1701]

I also wouldn’t call all cases of a non-Catholic wearing a crucifix or something that is unique to Catholicism as blasphemy… but in some cases, I could see where it could be bearing false witness… I would never wear the PC(USA) cross again as it would “identify” me to those who belong to the PC(USA) as Presbyterian, when I am not. In the same vein, a non-Catholic or non-Orthodox wearing something that specifically is “Catholic” (or Orthodox) that might identify the person eroniously as such would be in effect lying.

http://www.sanjosepby.org/images/PCUSALogo.gif

 

[Caesar517]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is it specifically that makes this blasphemy?

I think your question has been answered, but here’s the short version:

I don’t consider it blasphemy per se, but it is seriously disrespectful to misuse religious objects.

What you described is not disrespectful at all.

 

[Appleby]

I wear a crucifix every day that I received at the end of cursillo. A large number of people, including my cardiologist have asked me if I am a Nun! (God gets a chuckl out of that, I am sure.) I wear it because I am proud to be identified as Catholic and (along with my pin depicting an elephant holding aloft a jeweled American flag) testimony that I have nothing whatsoever to do with King O and his satanic policies.