Complex RePost: Heathens and Jezebels

While at work yesterday, I noticed a coworker wearing a Rosary. Me being a devout Catholic, I immediately questioned "Is your rosary blessed?". My response was just a head nod. Cool. I do not know the religious background of this character, nor did I care to ask at that time, but it did get my wheels spinning.

I have been noticing many jewelry pieces being worn by many, many people and I'm like, "Damn, I aint seen all these black people in a Catholic church all my life." Damn shame, I know. And half of them can't even tell you 1 of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary.

Now, I do not at all claim to be a Saint nor "Holy than Thou", but I do believe strongly in my Catholic devotions and sacrements. I have worn a scalpular since December 2007, when my mother fell ill and out entire family got them blessed by Father Joseph of Sacred Heart in Lake Charles, La. I wear this 24/7, even when it does not "match" anything that I am wearing. It is not meant to match your garments, its meant for worship. I firmly stand on my opinion that if you do not believe in the Prayer of the Rosary you shouldnt be donning rosary beads or a scalpular. I see this as being disrespectful.

I hate even discussing religion because there are so many views and honestly I find it dispectful and tasteless to question someone elses religious beliefs, so understand I am not arguing, I am stating my opinion.

This is an article I picked up over at wikipedia:

"Wearing of a Rosary that one actually uses to pray is neither uncommon nor sacrilegious in various Roman Catholic-adherent cultures and was a common practice in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, particularly among religious (monks, nuns, and friars). Rosaries are also worn hanging from or looped over a belt, particularly with some religious habits, pinned to and hanging from a shoulder or neckline, or wrapped around a wrist or arm as a bracelet. Some Christians feel that it is sacrilegious for a non-believer to wear a rosary around the neck. This is particularly true in Roman Catholic cultures that have histories of persecution, particularly among the Irish and English Catholics. Because Irish Catholic tradition is often seen as normative in the United States and Canada, this has been the source of some conflict in the past. The Roman Catholic Church states: "Sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons".[55] Thus it is acceptable to wear a rosary if one is doing so to show veneration, however it is not acceptable if one is wearing the rosary irreverently, such as wearing it as a piece of jewelry. Many saints have worn their rosary around the neck, and in the Secret of the Rosary, it is mentioned that a person put his rosary around his neck to keep devils away from him.

Rosaries or rosary-like necklaces are often worn for non-religious purposes as a fashion or jewelry item, and are sold in different variations in popular jewelry and clothing stores. Such ornamental use, especially the wearing of a rosary around the neck, was heavily popularized by singer Madonna in the early 1980s and has experienced a come-back in recent years. Wearing a rosary around the neck can be considered disrespectful if the person wearing it does not affiliate with the Christian religion. Ornate or medieval-style rosary sets are occasionally featured in goth fashion."

What do you think?