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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.

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jd007

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

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 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 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'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

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?

senorwipesalot

You may as well be Breakdancing going past a graveyard ffs,sure they"re rotting in the ground and not caring about anything.

Spread

nbar12 wrote: »

holy water?

Up there to the top of the class, young fellow

say_who_now?

Spread wrote: »

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

The car horn?

GoldenLight

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

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

I read your post, thank you.

I appear to be able to explain myself better than you though.

Sorry about that

Mind you I suspect I could be wrong:D

Go on prove me wrong, cause I know I'm right

Adyx

Meh, I don't even say bless you when someone sneezes. How stupid a tradition is that? Despite an extremely catholic mother, that kind of thing was never enforced on us.

JustAThought

I usually do - but most consistently for my " local" graveyard where people I know are buried. Mark of respect & to speed them on their way. In " other" graveyards, particularly driving alone in the dark down lonely roads I tend more to doit tokeep ME from harm... In case anything is lurking that might get me, on my way...

Zebra3

Adyx wrote: »

Meh, I don't even say bless you when someone sneezes. How stupid a tradition is that?

I f***ing hate when I sneeze and some says "God bless you".

F*** you and your fictional cloud bloke.

say_who_now?

Zebra3 wrote: »

Adyx wrote: »

Meh, I don't even say bless you when someone sneezes. How stupid a tradition is that?

I f***ing hate when I sneeze and some says "God bless you".

F*** you and your fictional cloud bloke.

Awh, bless...

yore

Zebra3 wrote: »

I f***ing hate when I sneeze and some says "God bless you".

F*** you and your fictional cloud bloke.

You're so cool and smart and original man. Did you think that up all by yourself? Fair play

Do you give a similar response if you're walking through Dublin and you hear a "ah heyorrrr, jayyyysuuuus christtt, learvve irh fuuuukin ouh"

yore

9959 wrote: »

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.

I can't stand this self-righteous crap to be honest. What's the problem? I object to the feckin X-factor or similar shite you see on the telly these days. doesn't mean I go and get all high and mighty wanting it to be taken down especially for me.

Watch another station you heathen. One with lots about hell and all that. It'll help you for when you get there.