Blessing yourself passing a graveyard / church

Neewbie_noob

Do you do it? As a child, it was practically beaten into me by my parents / grandparents, and as a 21 year old I still do it. It's only a thing I see elderly people and a few middle agers doing, and rarely see young people doing it.

Intensive Care Bear

Of course i don't, that would be silly.

El Weirdo

Why would an atheist do it?

MadsL

Where's the option for standing still and looking at the sky when hearing the Angelus?

My name is URL

I believe in God and I do

Is it supposed to bring the people back to life or something.. or is it just a sign of respect for the dead as you drive by in a hurry to go shopping?

zenno

Why would i bless myself to a concrete and mortar building ? i know some buildings are nice and well constructed with a splash of pan-ash but to bless myself to it just makes no sense to me, i don't see the reason to do so. Never walk through a graveyard at night, run through it if need be you don't have time to bless yourself your running so fast.

Ellis Dee

I notice my 64-year-old, fairly religious sister does it and just wish she wouldn't take her hand off the steering wheel so often, but it's something that we all learned from interminably repeated example when we were children. Some would call it "conditioning", others "brainwashing".:)

Having lived abroad for so long, I'm still vaguely amused at the expression "blessing themselves". It's called "making the sign of the cross" in most other places.:D

Anyway, how can people bless themselves? Pretty egocentric if you ask me.

eth0

My name is URL wrote: »

Is it supposed to bring the people back to life or something.. or is it just a sign of respect for the dead as you drive by in a hurry to go shopping?

It's like giving a 'thanks' to the people who are buried in that graveyard. Inside in the pub in heaven (or even hell, pubs there too but they'd be dodgy) one lad would say to another 'got 50 blesses today lad, ploughing match on this year by where I'm buried, even got one from one of my cousin's descendents.

but they wouldn't boast about it too loudly, mostly just something that puts a gentle smile on their face when they'd be in their arm chair sitting by the fire

Galwayguy35

I believe in God but I still don't do it

I remember my mother used to always bless herself passing a graveyard.

I would imagine only the older generation would do it now.

eth0

eth0 wrote: »

It's like giving a 'thanks' to the people who are buried in that graveyard.

I had the opposite impression. It was a protective gesture (in case anything was stirring there)

zenno

I wonder how many vehicle accidents are related to people looking at and blessing themselves at a church or graveyard while driving by on a narrow road or any road for that matter. I think the art of blessing oneself while driving should be banned in the up-coming traffic law. :pac::pac:

gbee

I object to the poll, religion or not has no place in this subject matter.

eth0

zenno wrote: »

I wonder how many vehicle accidents are related to people looking at and blessing themselves at a church or graveyard while driving by on a narrow road or any road for that matter. I think the art of blessing oneself while driving should be banned in the up-coming traffic law. :pac::pac:

The people who do, do it instinctively. A lot even slow down a bit for the graveyard. Doesn't really cause a problem I'd say

Knasher

I believe in God and I do

Deleted User wrote: »

I had the opposite impression. It was a protective gesture (in case anything was stirring there)

Doubly so when passing the church.

seven_eleven

Where the "I dont give a crap-theist" and I dont have time to be thinking about such matters option?

ejmaztec

El Weirdo wrote: »

Why would an atheist do it?

So they don't get spotted by the mob and burned at the stake.

4zn76tysfajdxp

El Weirdo wrote: »

Why would an atheist do it?

Lifelong habit.

darlett

Im a prod in my twenties. I distinctly remember thinking 'what is THIS sorcery?' when our under age team travelling on a mini-bus would pass a chapel and the Roman Cats on the bus (that'd be everyone else) would be crossing themselves quite aggressively. Anecdotal but crossing themselves isnt just for the old.

Watch me doing the same to try and fit in, even though I didnt even grasp the correct movements naturally

Not all theists would do it either

mauzo

I do it....my grandmother does it 3 times.

I also do it when an ambulance goes by, I have no idea why, been doing it for years.

Meh on one hand I know its pointless and makes me look a bit crazy but it makes me feel a little better.

I touch wood a lot, yet I'd walk under a ladder.

meoklmrk91

El Weirdo wrote: »

Why would an atheist do it?

I am an atheist and have done of occasionally put of habit, only when passing a funeral/accident/ambulance, I think it's a shock/sympathy reaction for me.

9959

I believe in God and I do

gbee wrote: »

I object to the poll, religion or not has no place in this subject matter.

Your objection has been noted and ignored, not unlike my (and some of my fellow atheists') objection to the 'The Angelus' being broadcast daily on national TV and radio in a supposed pluralist country.

Zebra3

I believe in God and I do

Neewbie_noob wrote: »

Do you do it? As a child, it was practically beaten into me by my parents / grandparents,

Sums up a lot of so-called religious people. :rolleyes:

4zn76tysfajdxp

darlett wrote: »

Im a prod in my twenties. I distinctly remember thinking 'what is THIS sorcery?' when our under age team travelling on a mini-bus would pass a chapel and the Roman Cats on the bus (that'd be everyone else) would be crossing themselves quite aggressively. Anecdotal but crossing themselves isnt just for the old.

I remember being in a mini-bus myself with my chums at ten (I'm 24 now) and I was the only one who didn't bless himself. All of my pals were really shocked and offended I didn't do it. "Aren't you a real catholic" etc etc.

My mother always did it but I just never picked up the habit.

candy-gal1

Tbh I only do this and only see the significance in doing that or at least turning down any headphones/car radio or staying silent as you pass by the graveyard when its a graveyyard that someone i know/was related to was laid to rest there, it just seems approprate in that circumstance but other than that i dont.

Princess Peach

I believe in God but I still don't do it

I usually do, just out of respect. And most often when I hear ambulance or fire brigade sirens, thinking of who they are for.

Abi

El Weirdo wrote: »

Why would an atheist do it?

Bear with me on this one..

I don't believe in God myself, but I attend weddings, christenings and what not in a catholic church for people who want to do all this in a catholic church. I don't believe most of them are god fearing people themselves.

I got married myself in a catholic church, purely to satisfy older relations objections to a registry office job. During the initial meeting with the priest I told him I'd have a short service, and he asked me why. I asked him, "when have you ever seen me before?" He said he hadn't, and I explained that I was going ahead with it because it was unheard of in the family. He didn't try to debate it out with me, but allowed me a shorter service.


Going back to the point I was originally trying to make, and while it may seem hypocritical, we still have living relatives that were very much so catholic in their ways. I also drove my grandmother about before she died when she needed me, and straight away she was blessing herself if she passed a church - she scowled unless I did it too. Now my grandmother is gone, I don't bless myself passing the church every time I pass, but I always do at a funeral, and I slow down out of respect while the hearse drives passed my car.

It's nothing to do with my OWN beliefs, it's moreso of a respect for others.

krudler

I believe in God and I do

a lot of people probably just do it out of habit, like those holy water dishes you see beside peoples front door, or throwing holy water on a new car (yeah that'll help), quirky traditions that you're not sure why you do them.

RhubarbCrumble

I don't bless myself passing a graveyard or church, but strangely enough I do if I pass a hearse.

herisson

I'm atheist and I don't

El Weirdo wrote: »

Why would an atheist do it?

Force of habit i got into when i was younger from my parents. I dont know why i still do it, it just seems to be an automatic response for me

say_who_now?

I believe in God but I still don't do it

mauzo wrote: »

I touch wood a lot, yet I'd walk under a ladder.

I touch wood a lot too, sometimes I even stroke it

jd007

I believe in God and I do

mauzo wrote: »

I touch wood a lot, yet I'd walk under a ladder.

hehe :P


edit: damn you say who now!

Spook_ie

As a non catholic it really threw me when I arrived in Ireland 20 odd years ago.

I really had worries that my driving was so bad whenever someone in the car crossed themselves

As an aside though since starting to drive a taxi I have noticed the number of people who will ask for me to slow down and honk the horn outside a graveyard as an acknowledgement to someone they knew who's buried there

getzls

Don't think many people would bless them selves these days though i stop if i see a hearse going past as respect.

Iancar29

I do only for Graveyards , more out of respect tbh.

SusieBlue

I do it for graveyards, churches and ambulance/fire brigade sirens. Mainly out of habit but I don't think its a bad habit to have either.

Teyla Emmagan

I bless myself when an ambulance passes. When I remember to. It's more of a 'will anyone who might be ouot there please help those who pass within' than anything else.

Seanchai

I used to. Now I just say "God love them" when I pass a cross at the side of a road or whatever. Also, when an ambulance passes.

I'm generally disgusted at the way the inside of churches have seats, walls and the like requesting you to pray for deceased people who only have the request there because they/their relatives had the money to pay for it. If you haven't the money, forget about having such a memorial in "God's church".

Deeply disgusting, actually. Not much has changed since Wittenberg.

Corkfeen

I believe in God and I do

MadsL wrote: »

Where's the option for standing still and looking at the sky when hearing the Angelus?

I simulate ringing a bell for added realism... :pac:

Vicar in a tutu

I believe in God but I still don't do it

I always do it! to both graveyards and churches, it gets real awkward when the person beside you on the bus / taxi man does it too and we keep driving in awkward silence... its like I see what you did there:pac:

GoldenLight

My name is URL wrote: »

Is it supposed to bring the people back to life or something.. or is it just a sign of respect for the dead as you drive by in a hurry to go shopping?

It a respect to the dead, likewise when people pass a funeral, it just a respect thing, really nothing to do with the catholic church, it's like a minute's silence, nothing to do with faith, more to do with the extraordinaire power that death has on all of us.

I don't sign of the cross mostly, but I would if I believed the person who died would have felt comfort from it (this includes their family)

I believe that is a way I can show respect without challenge someone who is already being extremely hurt.

So every time I pass by a grave yard or a funeral , I say a little to my God.

Cause people deserve that, regardless of who they are.

Aren't we all built in gods image, so therefore no faith or believe is wrong, until bastardis it and make are faith or religion the only right.

DEFTLEFTHAND

My mother would say God rest their souls when we passed a graveyard in the car. I do this also, although if I've company I say it in my head instead. I'm ashamed of that really, after many years as a lapsed Christian I have once again become interested in my inherited faith. I should really be comfortable with that, but yet I fear ridicule from my peers.

Morag

Where's the option for I am not an atheist or a christian and don't?

Dave147

I believe in God and I do

I just bless myself when I sneeze.

B.A._Baracus

How about ... who gives a fuck?
and let people do or believe what they want to.

GoldenLight

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

How about ... who gives a fuck?
and let people do or believe what they want to.

Why the **** not, now think about what you said, really think about it, a life without morals, how do you think it would work for you???

Most mainstream religions have a bases of "social" morals, which means society doesn't break down. I'm not saying their right I just saying they help society for that moment in time. And we can disagree to the cows do or don't come home, that is faith and believe.

My point is and was that, if I pass by a funeral or a grave yard, I will pay respect towards the people that are buried or about to be buried in that grave yard. (no harm done it's in respect to them and their family, and believes)

One thing we all our sure of is dieing, regardless of what you believe

mrsdewinter

Just no.... I'm a Catholic who grew up in the 80s and I've never felt pressurised into making the sign of the Cross. My parents, who are as observant as most Catholics their age, don't take part in the ritual, so it wasn't 'bet into' me - unlike, apparently, lots of much younger posters.
It's not like I stick 2 fingers up at the headstones - I just treat church property in the same way I treat, say, state or community property. Anything wrong with that?

Spread

I believe in God and I do

I'm amazed that nobody has suggested blasting them with youknowwhat

B.A._Baracus

GoldenLight wrote: »

Why the **** not, now think about what you said, really think about it, a life without morals, how do you think it would work for you???

Most mainstream religions have a bases of "social" morals, which means society doesn't break down. I'm not saying their right I just saying they help society for that moment in time. And we can disagree to the cows do or don't come home, that is faith and believe.

My point is and was that, if I pass by a funeral or a grave yard, I will pay respect towards the people that are buried or about to be buried in that grave yard. (no harm done it's in respect to them and their family, and believes)

One thing we all our sure of is dieing, regardless of what you believe

Did you not read my post .. and just pull that out of your ass?

Zebra3

I believe in God and I do

Abi wrote: »

Bear with me on this one..

I don't believe in God myself, but I attend weddings, christenings and what not in a catholic church for people who want to do all this in a catholic church. I don't believe most of them are god fearing people themselves.

I got married myself in a catholic church, purely to satisfy older relations objections to a registry office job. During the initial meeting with the priest I told him I'd have a short service, and he asked me why. I asked him, "when have you ever seen me before?" He said he hadn't, and I explained that I was going ahead with it because it was unheard of in the family. He didn't try to debate it out with me, but allowed me a shorter service.


Going back to the point I was originally trying to make, and while it may seem hypocritical, we still have living relatives that were very much so catholic in their ways. I also drove my grandmother about before she died when she needed me, and straight away she was blessing herself if she passed a church - she scowled unless I did it too. Now my grandmother is gone, I don't bless myself passing the church every time I pass, but I always do at a funeral, and I slow down out of respect while the hearse drives passed my car.

It's nothing to do with my OWN beliefs, it's moreso of a respect for others.

I find your post really sad that you felt the most important day of your life should be dictated and hijacked by others who had no respect for your beliefs (or lack of). It also says a lot about the Roman church that they were desperate enough for the few quid (no doubt an undeclared "donation") that they granted you a false wedding (not false civil, but fake religious ceremony).

Your grandmother also sounds like a bully, and if you were old enough to be driving her around, you should have stood up to her.

nbar12

Spread wrote: »

I'm amazed that nobody has suggested blasting them with youknowwhat

holy water?