Denyoz Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 As a good little Catholic boy, there were many stupid things we had to do at church. The worst thing to me was The Kissing of the Cross Ceremony on Good Friday. They would bring this big, life-size wooden cross in the church, and we would have to line up and kiss it. I hated the cross, it was an instrument of torture, I could not understand why we had to kiss it. Plus all the germs from other people kissing it, yuck! gross! And they would sing this creepy song that would send shivers down my spine: "Here is the wood of the cross Which holds the joy of the world Here is the wood of the cross Where stems the life of man God is planted in the earth Come closer and see On the dead wood hangs God's body Come closer and adore" Horrifying memories, worthy of a Halloween film, I don't know if they still do this, it's completely sadistic. So if Jesus had died from a gunshot we would have to kiss the bullet? What if he had been raped to death? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyanaprajna0 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 In the Eastern Orthodox church, the cross had a different meaning than in western xtianity. It wasn't a sign of torture, but of freedom. I don't really see how they got the differences, but that's what they said. Which is why, in orthodox iconography, jesus was never pictured bloody and battered while on the cross, but was always smiling. It was creepy. But, as for the germs thing, we had communion given to us on a spoon, same spoon for everyone. They're big thing on this was that it was a miracle, because no one had ever been reported sick from this practice. It's still gross though, regardless, not to mention unsanitary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Ew! The first thought that crosses my mind is fomite transmission of viruses and bacteria! For example, people that get cold sores (herpes simplex I) are shedding live viruses before they even develop a sore. I attended an Anglican church for a short time, just a few years ago. They still practiced the "common cup". That was my year without communion. Yuck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will02 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Kissing the cross is just repulsive. It's only fitting that an organization that has caused unfathomable human suffering over the last 2,000 years or so should use another object of suffering as it's symbol. Asking people to adore that symbol of suffering is just plain sick. Back when I took communion, (ex-Baptist) they always used those little plastic cups. It wasn't real wine, but it wasn’t grape juice either. (it tasted like it had just started to ferment and the bread was almost always stale) Even the little mini-cup was enough to make me gag at times, I couldn't imagine drinking a full glass of that stuff. Churches that use the common cup should at least have the decency to put a little bit of everclear into the mix to kill bacteria. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thackerie Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 In the Eastern Orthodox church, the cross had a different meaning than in western xtianity. It wasn't a sign of torture, but of freedom. I don't really see how they got the differences, but that's what they said. Which is why, in orthodox iconography, jesus was never pictured bloody and battered while on the cross, but was always smiling. It was creepy. But, as for the germs thing, we had communion given to us on a spoon, same spoon for everyone. They're big thing on this was that it was a miracle, because no one had ever been reported sick from this practice. It's still gross though, regardless, not to mention unsanitary. Poor hygiene and unhealthy practices have been part of Christianity for well over 2000 years. Luke 11:37-38 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. Oh well, just because God/Jesus are "all-knowing" doesn't mean they know shit-all about germs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephie Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Ewww! I could read all sorts of perverted things into that song they made you sing. Sorry you had to go through that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholiKitty Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I had to do the ashes on Wednesday and the stations of the cross at school, but I've never heard about kissing the cross before. It sounds like it's rather disturbing. Did you go to a traditionalist church/school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ ficino ♦ Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 In the Eastern Orthodox church, the cross had a different meaning than in western xtianity. It wasn't a sign of torture, but of freedom. I don't really see how they got the differences, but that's what they said. Which is why, in orthodox iconography, jesus was never pictured bloody and battered while on the cross, but was always smiling. It was creepy. But, as for the germs thing, we had communion given to us on a spoon, same spoon for everyone. They're big thing on this was that it was a miracle, because no one had ever been reported sick from this practice. It's still gross though, regardless, not to mention unsanitary. dyanaprajna0, you're ex-Orthodox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ro-bear Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 As a good little Catholic boy, there were many stupid things we had to do at church. The worst thing to me was The Kissing of the Cross Ceremony on Good Friday. They would bring this big, life-size wooden cross in the church, and we would have to line up and kiss it. I hated the cross, it was an instrument of torture, I could not understand why we had to kiss it. Plus all the germs from other people kissing it, yuck! gross! And they would sing this creepy song that would send shivers down my spine: "Here is the wood of the cross Which holds the joy of the world Here is the wood of the cross Where stems the life of man God is planted in the earth Come closer and see On the dead wood hangs God's body Come closer and adore" Horrifying memories, worthy of a Halloween film, I don't know if they still do this, it's completely sadistic. So if Jesus had died from a gunshot we would have to kiss the bullet? What if he had been raped to death? Yeah, good thing Jesus wasn't nailed to a giant dildo. People might make fun of the ceremony then. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I have been out of Christianity long enough to find all this elevation of suffering wrong and creepy. This is really twisted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 we had communion given to us on a spoon, same spoon for everyone. Really, same spoon? I did the drinking from the same cup thing but not the spoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Ew! The first thought that crosses my mind is fomite transmission of viruses and bacteria! For example, people that get cold sores (herpes simplex I) are shedding live viruses before they even develop a sore. I attended an Anglican church for a short time, just a few years ago. They still practiced the "common cup". That was my year without communion. Yuck! The priest would wipe the edge of the cup with a cloth (same cloth used for every wipe) between each drinker. Do you think this would this take care of the fomite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Ewww! I could read all sorts of perverted things into that song they made you sing. Sorry you had to go through that. I will always remember the last time we attended this ceremony, I was a teen. My father got upset and said: "This makes no sense, let's get out of here." And all seven of us walked out of the church when the time came to kiss the cross. I was so proud of my Dad. We walked away laughing at the church and he said "I'll never attend this ceremony again." One small step for man,... still waiting for the one giant leap for mankind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 OP, fellow ex-Catholic here; want to talk sometime? Sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 The priest would wipe the edge of the cup with a cloth (same cloth used for every wipe) between each drinker. Do you think this would this take care of the fomite? Depends on the bug! Some bugs are spread by saliva or in shed cells onto inanimate objects (fomites), and some would survive The Wipe. Herpes is probably the worst you'd have to worry about. Not HIV. Biggest thing is it's gross and you don't know what kind of bacteria (and viruses) people are sharing. The human mouth is a sewer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 I had to do the ashes on Wednesday and the stations of the cross at school, but I've never heard about kissing the cross before. It sounds like it's rather disturbing. Did you go to a traditionalist church/school? A French Canadian Roman Catholic Church, which is traditionalist in essence, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMneg Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I hated the cross, it was an instrument of torture Such a sick and twisted thing to take an instrument of torture and make it into a symbol of hope. I hate to see crosses. It's so disgusting to me that people think it's a positive symbol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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