Why do people keep religous items around their homes?How can an item protect you.I know people who have a wooden cross in every room of their house.How does a piece of wood have any powers even if it is in the shape of a cross.Do you believe an item with a religous symbol on it has that sort of power.I have never understood why people rely on an item to keep their homes safe and blessed.I dont think they make any difference.What do you think?

I think if they believe in the symbolism enough then it can make a difference. Not always though but sometimes.

The power of believing warrants merit. Many times when an Ill person is given a "Placebo" and are told it is the best medicine available, they have significant improvement, when in reality they were given a sugar pill. I personally do not place much merit in objects or relics to have "power". There is a record in the gospel, where a very sick woman said within herself that if she were able to touch the hem of Jesus' garment she would be healed. Reportedly she did just that and received healing. Jesus said to her that her faith made her well. Not the garment. But all too often people will place the emphasis on something material rather than in what they believe.

So,if an item does make a difference its most likely to be the power of the mind or the power of belief.

Ya you got it!

Brave new world would you say prayers need belief to work too.

Ya jesus says so himself. He says that if you pray without any doubt whatsoever you can move mountians. I believe he is literally correct there. But it takes alot of practice (like at least a lifetime of work) to achieve that level (something i am not even close to).

But yes the more faith you have in your prays the more they are inclined to work. But be careful what you wish for. In the folklore of the three wishes stories when a mortal human gets what he wants it usually turns out anything but good for the wisher.

I'm a christian and don't believe in displaying any icons at all. It's a sticky subject--but my belief is that icons or imagry of any kind has the potential to confuse a person about who and what they're really worshipping... which is God. I'm not saying it's wrong to display icons, it most surely is not... I just find it difficult to concentrate when I'm distracted by them. I suppose some would argue that icons give them focus.

If you look at Christianity you see a wide range of beliefs regarding icons. The Catholic church is the example of icons gone crazy (love you guys!) and the Anabaptists and Quakers are the exact opposite of the spectrum and they don't even so much as display a cross. Everyone else falls somewhere in the middle.

I suppose it depends on what you are protecting yourself against. Rosaries sting a bit and bronze Buddhas can cause some serious blunt force trauma. Otherwise the object is just an object.

It's the belief in what the object represents and the intent provided by the user that provides any kind of power. Or so I hear.

I think some people i know are confused when it comes to this.A friend of mine wont pray without his rosary beads because he thinks the power comes from the beads.He needs them to believe his prayer is making any difference!How many people might feel the same way?Worries me.missmelswell your right.They can be a distraction from who you are praying to,so people are praying to an item rather than to god.

I think that can be a perception and I have seen people say and do some things that are perplexing regarding icons, in my opinion. However, I'll never tell a Catholic that it's wrong for them to use their Rosary, that would be insanity on my part. And in fact, as a Quaker who is careful about iconery to the point where we don't even build churches, I can still say that if Rosaries work for my Catholic brothers, they should use it, BUT it should be used according to their training, their confirmation, and what is acceptable within the confines of their church.

Your friend isn't wrong, not at all, it's simply his way and that's ok for him, but it might not be right for you. If you are both Catholic, and have differing thoughts on the Rosary, you should speak to the Priest, he'd be happy to help!

But souldnt a person be able to pray without an item.I have no problem with people using beads.I have a collection of beads myself but i dont worry that without the aid of my beads god wont hear me.My friend believes god only answers prayers that are said with the aid of the beads.

They are amulets which have been charged first by blessing then by use. They become spiritual items as well as physical items.

Peace,

RadicalGnostic

I don't think you can judge him on this, nor tell him he is right or wrong. If that's what he believes, then he needs to be free to do that. Now, I'll say, I don't know enough about Catholism to know what is acceptable for using a Rosary. If you are both Catholic, you should talk to your priest to help you understand what might be nor not be going on--that's the only way I know of that you'll find the answer to the question. If you're not Catholic, I think you have to leave well enough alone.

As a Quaker, I'd say you don't need icons at all afterall we don't even build churches, or practice baptism, sacrements or anything... but most Christians find that to be pretty darn wonky. I don't want them to tell me how to practice, and in order to gain mutual respect, I can't tell others how to pray either.

I am catholic.My freind was an athiest up until recently when he found god.

Please remember that it was her faith in Him that made her well, not her faith in touching the garment. Her faith in Him was so strong that she thought that as long as she could get close enough to even just touch His robe, she would be healed.

Radicalgnostic i agree that in time the beads become blessed themselves are are beneficial in prayer.Missmelswell i dont judge him because of this.I havnt mentioned to him my thoughts on this.I just wanted others thoughts to see if they are many people agreeing with my friends views on prayer.

Huh, wasn't aware God was lost (I'm teasing of course, that's always just been a funny saying to me)

If he's new to the Catholic faith, then he might not yet understand all the Catholic rituals and doctrine (and there's SO much of it! I find Catholism to be very confusing at best). Give him time to grow, invite him to a Bible study, be gentle, be kind, help guide him on his journey without alienating him.

Editied to say: I agree with IamsSon on this one, if icons help you in some way, then by all means do it. Does God live in and bless icons? That's where I'd say you're walking a fine and dangerous line. But that's only my opinion.

I think you might be right,well hope you are.As he learns more about the faith he might realise that the church see's items like the beads purely as aids and they are not needed for an answered prayer.He is very new to this and is still learning.I am trying to involve him in local prayer groups but im finding it hard to convince him as he isnt confident yet discussing religous matters and insists he wont understand or be able to take part in conversations.

Yes, just be gentle, he's new, like a child in many respects and his sense of faith won't be nearly as developed as yours. So, assuming he's an adult, you can help boost his confidence like you would with a child, but be really really careful not to patronize him. He'll thank you for gently guiding him in the right direction.

I don't think items or any physical things are powerful or holy. I think it's just the placebo effect.

Edit: also, when I was a christian I was taught that items (pictures of jesus for example) are bad because you worship the image more than jesus and I personally think a dead guy on a cross is a bit of a mockery. Also, I remember something in the old testament where it said we are not supposed to make any graven images of heaven. To each their own though. I believe I've carried some of those thoughts with me even though I am not christian anymore. Also, none of that was to start any wars. I'm not religious so I don't care what people do, I was simply explaining what I was taught at one point.

We are also taught not to worship material things.Rougerat i have wondered about that aswell,showing jesus on the cross shows that he died for our sins but why hang that in your house to look at.Seems a bit insensitive.

All scriptures and sanctified objects are always symbolic and are used as a means to and end and are never intrinsically sacred in themselves but by the power that made them sacred which is the "Kingdom of God within".

Oh I don't know about insensitive, for some it serves the purpose of reminding them what their mission is.

I used to realy be adamant against religous pictures and jewelry etc... Because of the whole "graven image" thing. But I realized that many people were not "worshipping" these items at all, but rather they like a family portrait was a reminder of something dear to them and very important to them. I believe that he OT record of graven images in context was in reference to things like the cow that they made of gold when Moses was on the mountain.

i agree with this.what can any material object hold of any power? iv seen ppl who are all strung out on cross pictures the whole material symoblic bit..imo id call it a graven image. if your faith is in that object .then your faith is not in god as much as that particular item..if your faith is in god why would the object be of such great importance.how could it be of any protectence it is made by man not god so it has no power.

For you it would be 11:11, it symbolizes something (aliens maybe ), with a bit of superstition involved too.

Thats a bit off topic artymoon.I dont think 11:11 has any power.I just see it alot.There is no need to add any meaning to that.I have read loads of theories on 11;11 but i dont read too deep into it.

I apologize for getting off topic, I agree though that items themselves don't hold any more power than what we ascribe to them. If they are perceived helpful, then they are helpful to the perceiver.

Symbolism has been part of human religious culture since we were still painting on cave walls. Crosses, pentagrams, hexagrams, the all seeing eye... the list goes on.

Thats ok artymoon .Leviathan113 i had never thought about that.Good point!when you look at cave paintings they are the same as us using beads.We have been using symbols for thousands of years.

This very thread uses a variety of symbols.

These are called Sacramentals, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13292d.htm

Remission of venial sins and temporal favours are the typical usage.

p.s. you cannot buy blessed objects.

What about all that pope water?

You cannot buy Holy water either.

Here's another explanation on Sacramentals http://adorotedevote.blogspot.com/2007/01/...cramentals.html

We really don't know what ancient human made cave painting for all we know they were decorations like art over the sofa. We assume they made them as religious symbols of some kind.
I have many objects of of faith and magick about my house, but I am a Pagan and I use them in ritual. I have a ring I wear not to show off my faith but as protection. I bless it each morning with power as part of my morning ritual. It is like putting on a suit of armor. It is not the ring which has the power it is the energy I put in it with names of my Gods that gives it power. Everything I use from my idols of my God and Goddess to my swords, wands, crystals, candles, even a simple piece paper have power I have placed there with my energies. I don't really need them because the power comes from me, but it makes it easier to have some object of focus on. Weather it is beads or an idol the energy comes from within person using the item that is all one must remember.

Faith is a very good weapon and belief but the best weapon for fending off evil is knowledge

Holy water always seemed ridiculous to me. But then again, the whole concept of the pope just seems insane, but I won't get into that.