Lit from underneath is always bad. Reminds me of those campfire ghost stories . . . .
Posted on 01/08/2009 11:46:31 AM PST by NYer
A large sculpture of Christ on the cross has been removed from outside a church in West Sussex after its vicar said it was "scaring young children".
The Reverend Ewen Souter said the 10ft crucifix was "a horrifying depiction of pain and suffering" which was also "putting people off".
The sculpture, located at the side of St John's Church in Broadbridge Heath, has now been given to Horsham Museum. It will be replaced with a new stainless steel cross. In a survey carried out by the church, every comment about the sculpture was negative.
'Sense of hope'
Mr Souter said: "Children have commented on how scary they find it and how off-putting they find it as a symbol outside the church.
"As a key exterior symbol for us it was putting people off rather than having a sense of hope and life and the power of the resurrection."
He said rather than undermining the work of the cross, the church wanted to portray "an accurate biblical picture of the crucifixion as a moment of hopefulness for the world, and not one of despair".
The sculpture was designed in the 1960s by former Royal Society of British Sculptors president, Edward Bainbridge Copnall, and made out of coal dust and resin.
It was removed from the church just before Christmas and will be mounted on a large wall in the grounds of Horsham Museum.
Jeremy Knight, curator, said the powerful image portrayed by the figure was that of Christ in pain.
"That today isn't an image which a lot of churches want to follow. They'd much rather see an empty cross where Christ has risen," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Lit from underneath is always bad. Reminds me of those campfire ghost stories . . . .
You should see our wedding pictures . . . but you never will and neither will anybody else if I can help it. . . .
With the Mass centered around the Eucharist, there can be no greater gift that we receive. I assure you there will be a church that will satisfy your soul.
BTW... you may want to tune into Relevant Radio.com
A Catholic radio station that you will find very edifying. Drew Marioni is great, as are Morning Aire and Archbishop Sheen's, Life Is Worth Living.
God Bless!
OK, I'm sure there are exceptions...
There are entire albums of me in those wretched decades that I have consigned to the trash. My wedding pictures were actually ok. It went downhill from there.
Excellent point!! And what about those video games? Thanks for the post. What they truly fear is Christ on the Cross because that reminds them of their sins.
** the 10ft crucifix was “a horrifying depiction of pain and suffering” which was also “putting people off”. **
Revelations to saints have revealed that Christ bore over 5280 — or maybe it is 6820 wounds at the hands of the Roman soldiers.
Pain and suffering is what Christ went through to redeem us. They should be catechized about it and be glad they have it.
PS. Can you tell I hate sanitized crucifixes?
Please find another Catholic Church to your liking. The Lutheran Church doesn’t have all the truths that the Catholic Church does.
Sorry you have such a dud of a priest.
I’ll bet there are Masses in Latin in your area. Go searching!
I’ll bet there are Masses in Latin in your area. Go searching!
Related thread:
Vicar takes down crucifixion sculpture ‘because it’s a scary depiction of suffering’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2160051/posts
Plus the fact that Lutheran churches are trending toward the same end as the Episcopal Church.
Others on this thread have alluded to it, but really, this is hideous in an emaciated sort of way. Ick. As for the suffering, according to the writings of St. Brigid of Sweden, which I know are not ecclesiastically accepted at this point, Christ in an apparition spoke of having over 5400 wounds when they were all counted - scourging, Crown of Thorns, nails, etc. If that's not suffering, what is? And without that reminder, what's the point of the beauty of Christ's Sacrifice?
Most motion picture versions of the crucifixion show Jesus on the cross with a little “blood: smeared here and their.
Many, many Catholics were offended by Mel Gibson’s depiction of the brutality of a Roman scourging. It is a rare crucifix that gives one any real notion of what a crucified person looked like in the agony of death. That Jesus died so soon is proof that he suffered greatly before he was nailed to the cross. Most victims lingered for days, which was why they went about breaking his legs, and thrust a lance into his side, surpised that he was already dead.
And Mel went easy on the scourging. He did use the Shroud as a reference and admitted that they didn't come close to as brutal as it really was.
That Jesus died so soon is proof that he suffered greatly before he was nailed to the cross. Most victims lingered for days, which was why they went about breaking his legs, and thrust a lance into his side, surpised that he was already dead.
According to MEs and other physicians, Jesus actually probably died due to shock from the scourging. Still, a horrid way to be killed and the Crucifixion...proof that man can be unbelievably brutal.
Come to our Catholic church. We are in Los Angeles, have a Latin Mass, 5 others of all varieties, humble and Christ-loving Carmelite priests, 24/7 Adoration, and fiery priests who dare to stand front and center for the Truth of God. We couldn’t be happier.
that’s far more orthodox (and less frightening, imho) than that other figment of someone’s troubled imagination.
Is it Spanish, or Southern Italian? It's really too well done to be one of the old Latin American santos.
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