Apparently the fairly graphic representation of the agonies of the cross were “upsetting the children” and was, in their words, a “put-off.” Now, I’ll admit I’ve been away from Mother Church for awhile, but as an erstwhile good Irish Catholic boy, I seem to recall being told over and over again that the unimaginable agonies of Jesus on the cross were the point of Christianity; his agonies and suffering were what redeemed humanity. Silly little bake-sale Christians; when they say things like “we need a more uplifting and inspiring symbol than execution on a cross,” we realize that they’ve lost any reverence for—hell, any understanding of —the broken, tortured body that for 2000 years was the central tenet of their faith.
A statue of the crucifixion has been taken down from its perch on a church in Sussex because it was scaring local children and deterring worshippers, a vicar admitted today.
...snip…
Souter, formerly a cell biologist, said: “The crucifix expressed suffering, torment, pain and anguish. It was a scary image, particularly for children. Parents didn’t want to walk past it with their kids, because they found it so horrifying.
“It wasn’t a suitable image for the outside of a church wanting to welcome worshippers. In fact, it was a real put-off.
“We’re all about hope, encouragement and the joy of the Christian faith. We want to communicate good news, not bad news, so we need a more uplifting and inspiring symbol than execution on a cross.”
This old altar boy thinks you are quite right. And, although I too have been away from the Church for some time, I also feel there is something unfortunate about the tendency to ignore the suffering of Jesus in modern Christianity—it seems as if there is something dishonest about it, and indeed it can be taken to absurd lengths (as parodied by “Buddy Jesus” in that film, I forget its name—“Dogma” perhaps).
Another altar boy? I too rang the bells, transferred the bible from one side of the altar to another, held the little paddle underneath the host, and all that other stuff. It still didn’t save my soul.
Yes, if we’re going to get all feel-good about this, why not change the movie “The Passion of the Christ” to “The Spanking of the Christ”? How about “Jesus did 30 days of community service work to save your soul”?
Well, you see what happens to all the good alter boys? They end up on CFI! Perhaps I should send my boy to church, to ensure a healthy skeptic outcome.
Yeah, Jules, and he could quite possibly be introduced to other interesting experiences by a “loving” priest.
If you recall the old film, “The Falcon and the Snowman”, the falconer was Chris Boyce, a one house away neighbor of mine many years ago. A great kid, a devout altar boy, and arrested for trying to sell government secrets to the Russians.
Well, you see what happens to all the good alter boys? They end up on CFI! Perhaps I should send my boy to church, to ensure a healthy skeptic outcome.
I think that establishing the current religious/nonreligious beliefs of former altar boys would make an interesting study.
This old altar boy thinks you are quite right. And, although I too have been away from the Church for some time, I also feel there is something unfortunate about the tendency to ignore the suffering of Jesus in modern Christianity—it seems as if there is something dishonest about it, and indeed it can be taken to absurd lengths (as parodied by “Buddy Jesus” in that film, I forget its name—“Dogma” perhaps).
So….what do you think of the dogmatic torturefest that went by the screen name of Passion of the Christ? Has anyone been able to pull up a picture of the ‘offensive’ cross?
Oooookkkkkkaaaaaayyyyyy! I don’t get it. It looks like the crucifix on the church I attended as a child.And the one at our church had blood running down the face and a bloody gash on ‘his’ side. Come to think of it, most churches I see display only a cross—-without the body on it.
Yeah, I agree, Asanta. When I was a kid I was always fascinated by all the blood on his face and where the Roman soldiers speared him in his side. Disgusting that even the churches are becoming politically correct. Gimme that old time religion.
Yeah, I agree, Asanta. When I was a kid I was always fascinated by all the blood on his face and where the Roman soldiers speared him in his side. Disgusting that even the churches are becoming politically correct. Gimme that old time religion.
Occam
I hear what you’re saying. And in an odd way, I agree. If you’re going to be Christian, then at least have the moral courage to step up and admit
that the central mythological symbol of your faith is a tortured, brutalized human body, ignominiously executed as a criminal. If not, then become, oh,
I don’t know, a Unitarian or something.
And I agree with the other poster: that “horrifying” crucifix is a joke. The one hanging next to the pulpit in Saint Patrick’s Church in Jersey City was
a Grand Guignol horrorshow next to that little inoffensive crucifix they found so upsetting.
This would NEVER happen in America. Violence is no big deal. Bloody bodies, gore— we see it every day on television, and they’re getting really creepy these days.
Of course, if his loin cloth were removed, that crucifix would be gone in a minute.
This would NEVER happen in America. Violence is no big deal. Bloody bodies, gore— we see it every day on television, and they’re getting really creepy these days.
Of course, if his loin cloth were removed, that crucifix would be gone in a minute.
That’s America for you. A gorefest like “The Passion of the Christ” is all the rage. But show just one lousy little peenie,
and WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP! Puritan Police! FREEZE, sucker!!!
You raise a good point, Steveg. I doubt that the Roman soldiers who drove stakes through his hands and feet, stabbed him with spears, and poured salt in his wounds would have been concerned to have carefully put a loin cloth around his waist. In the interests of historical accuracy shouldn’t all these depictions of the crucifiction (I know, it should be an x, but like this more) show Jesus as naked?
And in an odd way, I agree. If you’re going to be Christian, then at least have the moral courage to step up and admit
