What about luck?

[AlNg]

This is a ridiculous line of reasoning. “One Catholic priest somewhere did this one thing, therefore Catholics believe this.”

The conclusion was that some (not all) Catholics believe in luck. No one objected to the announcement that you would have good luck if you touched the dragon during the Chinese New Year period. Many people reached out to touch the dragon and get their share of good luck.

 

[HopkinsReb]

HopkinsReb:

This is a ridiculous line of reasoning. “One Catholic priest somewhere did this one thing, therefore Catholics believe this.”

The conclusion was that some (not all) Catholics believe in luck. No one objected to the announcement that you would have good luck if you touched the dragon. Many people reached out to touch the dragon and get their share of good luck.

Sounds like they were poorly catechized. This is a silly superstition that contradicts not only Catholic teaching but Christian teaching in general.

Saying “some Catholics believe X” is pointless. Some Catholics support abortion. Some Catholics believe in syncretism. But Catholics, qua Catholics, do not believe in those things, or in luck.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I don’t know if I’ve ever wished anyone “good luck” except in a sarcastic manner.

 

[AlNg]

Saying “some Catholics believe X” is pointless. Some Catholics support abortion.

There is a huge difference between approving abortion and approving touching the Chinese dragon for good luck. My guess is that if a Catholic were to speak from the altar that abortion is acceptable, there would be serious repercussions, including public statements condemning this. However, I know of no repercussions which occurred when Catholics were told that they would get good luck if they touched the Chinese dragon during this festival celebrated inside the church.

 

[TULIPed]

It’s interesting how many times in the Bible issues are resolved, people/animals are chosen, transactions are made - using “lots” - From Leviticus 16:

“Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.”

And other times, the Lord simply instructs directly, or uses other methods - from Judges 7:

“So he brought his soldiers down to the water, and the Lord told Gideon, “You are to cull out everyone who laps up water with his tongue like a dog from everyone who kneels to drink.” The contingent of soldiers who lapped water with their hands to their mouths numbered 300 men, but everyone else kneeled to drink water.”

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Irish-Americans like me talk a lot about “the luck o’ the Irish” but half the time that’s a sarcastic black-humor joke referring to having bad or questionable things happen. The rest of the time it’s about on the level of Lucky Charms cereal with the cartoon leprechaun. We might have some wee superstitions but a quick Hail Mary is advised for anyone taking them seriously.

 

[TULIPed]

The rest of the time it’s about on the level of Lucky Charms cereal with the cartoon leprechaun.

Ok. Now you’ve gone too far. Dragging Lucky Charms cereal through the mud? I must rebuke you. Repent and have a bowl.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

They’re magically delicious!

 

[Canvas]

Can a Catholic wish people “Good Luck” ?

I say “good luck” to people all the time. It isn’t a sin. Saying it does not even imply pagan belief because it is such a common phrase. It isn’t like I am performing magic incantations to help myself and others succeed materially by invoking evil spirits. It is just a way of saying “best wishes”, only more casually.

 

[laylow]

There is no such thing as “luck”, only Divine Providence.

It is ironic that the only time you hear someone say “we were blessed” is when their house was spared from a hurricane, but not when it was ripped down. If there is no “luck,” then having the house ripped apart was part of the divine plan and the victims should proclaim that they were equally “blessed” as the ones whose house was spared.

 

[Genesis315]

The ideas of luck or chance are not contrary to divine providence, so long as we understand them with relation to their proximate cause, and not their ultimate cause.

St. Thomas addresses this in depth in a couple places in the Summa on fate and providence respectively:

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1116.htm#article1

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1022.htm#article2

So, when we wish someone good luck, as long as we understand the ultimate cause, it’s fine IMO.

 

[Beryllos]

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It is ironic that the only time you hear someone say “we were blessed” is when their house was spared from a hurricane, but not when it was ripped down.

Oh, I don’t know about that. People might say they were “blessed” if the house was destroyed, but everyone who lived there was safe. The only time they don’t feel “blessed” is when people get killed or badly maimed, but even then if their life was spared they might feel “blessed”. Blessedness is all relative.

 

[Beryllos]

It is ironic that the only time you hear someone say “we were blessed” is when their house was spared from a hurricane, but not when it was ripped down. If there is no “luck,” then having the house ripped apart was part of the divine plan and the victims should proclaim that they were equally “blessed” as the ones whose house was spared.

At the beginning of this video, I can hear someone saying “Thank you, God,” and after a while the man eloquently proclaims his faith in God’s divine plan and providence.

 

[laylow]

Oh, I don’t know about that. People might say they were “blessed” if the house was destroyed, but everyone who lived there was safe. The only time they don’t feel “blessed” is when people get killed or badly maimed, but even then if their life was spared they might feel “blessed”. Blessedness is all relative.

If I place the over/under figure at 1000/1 for favorable/unfavorable outcome (stating their blessedness), I will gladly take the over on the 1000 figure.

 

[meltzerboy2]

Judaism too has a folksy attitude toward luck as part of the culture though not the religion, including the evil eye. “Beshert” is a Yiddish word meaning “destiny,” which is a little different from luck of course, but at odds with free will.