Blessing yourself passing a graveyard / church

Neewbie_noob · 12-10-2012 06:32PM #1

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 · 12-10-2012 06:34PM

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

El Weirdo · 12-10-2012 06:36PM

Why would an atheist do it?

MadsL · 12-10-2012 06:36PM

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

My name is URL · 12-10-2012 06:36PM

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 · 12-10-2012 06:37PM

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 · 12-10-2012 06:42PM

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 · 12-10-2012 06:42PM

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 · 12-10-2012 06:42PM

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.

12-10-2012 06:45PM

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 · 12-10-2012 06:48PM

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 · 12-10-2012 06:50PM

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

eth0 · 12-10-2012 06:51PM

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 · 12-10-2012 06:54PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:01PM

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

ejmaztec · 12-10-2012 07:06PM

El Weirdo wrote: »

Why would an atheist do it?

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

4zn76tysfajdxp · 12-10-2012 07:08PM

El Weirdo wrote: »

Why would an atheist do it?

Lifelong habit.

darlett · 12-10-2012 07:09PM

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

12-10-2012 07:09PM

Not all theists would do it either

mauzo · 12-10-2012 07:10PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:11PM

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.

12-10-2012 07:11PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:13PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:14PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:14PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:18PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:26PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:33PM

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 · 12-10-2012 07:35PM

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

herisson · 12-10-2012 07:39PM

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? · 12-10-2012 07:43PM

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

Blessing yourself passing a graveyard / church

Do you bless yourself passing the church / graveyard / hearing the angelus? 159 votes

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