Posted on 04/07/2012 9:46:44 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Head of the Scottish Catholic church, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, says symbol shows you 'live by Christ's standards in daily life'
Britain's most senior Catholic cleric has called on Christians to wear a cross every day as "a symbol of their beliefs" and to combat the marginalisation of religion in modern society.
The plea by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, head of the Catholic church in Scotland, to be made in his Easter sermon, comes as the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, appealed for more people to attend church this Sunday – even if they are "a bit vague" about religion.
Williams, who is marking his final Easter as leader of the Church of England, said he does not "lose sleep" over the fact many people only attend church at Easter and Christmas.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, he said that he welcomed those with little connection to Christianity who just wanted to "let the story wash over them" knowing that they would not face a "doctrine examination".
But O'Brien will call on Christians to make the cross "more prominent in their lives". Due to speak at Edinburgh's St Mary's Cathedral on Sunday, he will tell them to "wear proudly a symbol of the cross of Christ on their garments each and every day of their lives".
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Sign of the Cross ping
As much as Christians should be proud to display their cross,living and practicing as a Christian is what is needed. The cross is a reminder of our Redeemer and the price he paid for our sins, not an advertisement. Actions always speak louder than words. Walk the walk and talk the talk and the rest who truly believe, will follow.
While I don't think images of Jesus are proper, I wouldn't wear one, but crucifixes, on others, don't bother me. I would not have a picture of Jesus, (since none exist, except for maybe the shroud), in my house. I wouldn't want one in my church, yet I have attended churches where they did have them.
I wear a St. Christopher. Yeah, I KNOW he isn’t a saint, and I should wear a cross instead, but it was a present from my (very Protestant) Mother when I got my first motorbike.
Worn it ever since, 24/7/365 and only taken it off once for a week in 43 years to have it cleaned and the clasp repaired.
It stayed on through two deployments, hospital stays, the works.
It is there. I look at it from time to time and think of my parents. Then I phone them. But most of the time it is simply there, on my neck.
Not really thought about.
You are wise - our faith, whether you are Catholic, Protestant, primitive church, Orthodox requires us to live our faith.
Sometimes that does mean talking about it or displaying it. There are powerful witnesses to the Lord on here. People who have made this newbie feel at home and who discuss our different takes on religion gracefully. A couple who have taken me to the woodshed, in the nicest possible way. A couple who, while we disagree about our methods of worship, are people I am fast considering firm friends.
I have often thought that one of the reasons the Church commanded us to do good works, to our abilities, is to remind us that faith is not something you put on on Sunday (or Saturday, or Friday, or for bible study Wednesday night in a drafty church hall). It is a constant way to remind us to live our faith.
Not just pull it out and look at it sometimes, like my poor but beloved medallion.
I used to wear one that was made of antique nails lashed into a cross. Rustic. Got lots of comments. Wore it until the day I helped move a dresser upstairs, I was on the bottom and the top guy lost his grip. The weight of the dresser pressed that cross into my chest and bloodied me up some. I sort of wish it had left a scar. Anyway, a word to the wise - don’t wear a cross made of nails unless adhoc piercing is on your mind.
This has a much more secular purpose. That Christians behave in a Christian manner is often too invisible to be noticed by others. And this has paved the way for the government to oppress those who are visibly Christians by denying them the “right” to wear a symbol or express their faith in the secular society.
The government is more than happy to proclaim that “Christianity is dying”, so no longer deserves respect or accommodation. But even if on just one day out of the year, many Christians are identifiable, this will collapse that proclamation.
And to do it on a regular basis will change the perspective of the entire nation.
He has been removed from the universal calendar but not from the martyrology—so the Church still holds that he existed.
Still a great story no matter how “strong” we think ourselves, how mighty our weights, he bore them all without complaint, do that we might be delivered from death.
Still a great story no matter how “strong” we think ourselves, how mighty our weights, he bore them all without complaint, do that we might be delivered from death.
Let’s all say the Sign of the Cross prayer, hopefully each day, for Religious Liberty. We can say this prayer, even if we only have less than a minute, and it is such a powerful prayer.
More pathetic, wishy-washy crap from the outgoing Archdruid of Canterbury. GTFO soon so we can get Dr John Semantu in please...
No wonder the Episcopalians are on life support.
I started wearing a cross when on combat missions in Iraq and I still wear it daily as a reminder of my faith.
Thank God Rowan Williams is departing. He is a useless dhimmi. This Cardinal is more what Christians need.
“As much as Christians should be proud to display their cross,living and practicing as a Christian is what is needed. “
One small step at a time good John. We need both, and wearing a cross is the least we can do. The more of us do it on a regular basis the more culturally standard it will become.
Sooner or later folk will start to wonder about the meaning of that little cross, then they will consult the bible.
For now we have the power to influence fashion with our actions and irritate leftist.
I’m Jewish...As an outsider....back in my schooldays it seemed to me the girls wore crosses more than the boys. This would be a good thing to bring back particularly for the females. With a cross on the neck a boy will treat her with more respect sexually. Will not think she is easy. Plus she will feel she has to live up to certain ideals and not have sex. My 2¢ worth
St.Christopher still is a Saint, a martyr of 3rd century:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03728a.htm
I thought Catholics wore a crucifix with a corpus on it while the other denominations wore crosses.
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