CROSSES?

One of my rentors collects crosses. I asked her why. She said "well look at the art work in them, they're so beautiful."

Two iron swirly things, one with wire vines and roses, ceramic one, wooded ones, carved and glass. And, actually, some are very artistically done. Ok, so for her it's a decoration. She does call herself a Christian, and she says the cross has the traditional meaning for her, but she JUST happens to like the artistic shape and designes of a cross.

How many people use religious icons "of any kind" to decorate with?

Don't forget jewelry?

Do you have any religiuos icons on display, and are they for decoration or to stand as a statement or declaration to guests about your religious conviction?

I have nothng. no hangings no jewelry or anything

I love the aesthetics AND the meaning of crosses. I have a few that are just beautiful, as decor and in jewelry. But sometimes, the most simple are the most meaningful as Jesus was stripped of his humanity and represented the most simple in love.
A friend has TONS of crosses of every kind in every medium she can find.

Hiya Di...

Referring to the cross, George Carlin once said, symbols are for symbol-minded people.

Creative, thanks for the light humor. I adore George Carlin.

I had several cross necklaces. Over the years people gave them to me. But like most of my other jewelry they only had sentimental value. I realize NOW that wearing them depicted another value. Sometimes we give conflicting messages and don't even know it.

I don't think I have any of those crosses left. I put them in my estate auction, figured this way. If the people who gave them to me, meant them to have a meaning JUST for me, it would not have been a cross they gave.

Things - it's all just things in the end, unless you worship them, venerate them. Can a thing of beauty be worshipped? Is that why we seek to OWN them?

What kind of statment is one making when they collect and display such ART as depicted in religious icons?

The only thing on my walls is the 10 commandments by my door.

i was watching a channel that shows u stuff from finds in jerusalem one day. They showed the house that they said was from a priest in the 1st century.

he had his own bath so they said he may of been a High priest.

What i did notice was what was on the walls.

It actually looked like a design that we see at times. I know i have but can not remember where.

It was a continuing line about 3 inches wide maybe.

It just made a equal measure design that went like 6 inches across down 6 inches across 6 inches and back up and started over again. It was at about the hight of say when you see someone with a room that has grooved paneling going up 4 ft and then wallpaper on up.

u could tell attention to detail was done but all it really was , was a continuoos line.

I just found it interesting.... Shalom....Miles

Tapestries from the far east include gods and are very beautiful I've been known to use them as backdrops. I spent a lot of time looking to make sure I liked the items, but I bought them for what they represent.

Jewelry and clothes are meant for display, my statutes and reliefs are for display.

Many of my spiritual items are on display on the walls, on shelves. Almost everrything is in it's place of storage as a working item or religious prop rather than existing only as a display.

So BB - why do you want these kind of reminders? It seems to me that paying for such items is a strange kind of ownership psyche. Why do you feel the need to own such things?

Not trying to be argumentative, I just don't understand.

What I can understand is enjoying the beauty of art by a skilled and inspired mind and hand. But again there is a point at which OWNERSHIP seems selfish, an ego reinforcer and a waste of resouces. A gift, on the other hand, is most certainly a welcome part of my decor.

Well so far as the statues and reliefs....if I look up at one of them I am reminded of what they represent. It is a reminder for myself, and a hint to those that visit my home and see them as to what I believe, of what is important in my mind. So far as the ego question I hold the items without claim to ownership of concept but they are indeed actual pieces of art even if mass produced rather than one of a kind items.

So far as the tapestries I obviously use a number of tapestries, but I have two that are only accepted by some people so out of four tapestries I use two more than the other two, because they are more widely accepted.

So far as clothes it can be an indication to those that understand symbology of what my leanings are for those who share some of the same thoughts so they might know we have something in common.

So far as the rest...I had dubious feelings about some of the decorations in my house. I took down some of the framed art I had up at one point, and replaced it with the ceremonial pipes and drums that are too small for me to play because I simply thought they match my style better, and speak more to who I am than the artwork that was there previously. At one time all of my ceremonial or religious items were all on two shelves packed in tightly. I simply started spreading them out more rather than buy more items without significance to decorate with.

I adore tapastries, actually any kind of woodworking as well. I imagine your realm to be quite inspirational.

I also agree with how you have determined what fits with your 'style' and what doesn't. I think, it's not so much that you are a collector as you wish to surround yourself with the sentiments of your beliefs. Beliefs that that seem to allow you to enjoy and recieve somthing of value from the inpired art works of others.

Thanks for the reply. How enjoyable it is to have a discussion, without offense being taken at every word.

I have lots of stuff on my walls....


errr.... any reference to religious groups would only be the buddhas I have, cause people give them to me...

Thank you for the compliment! In truth although I believe my home has much beauty in it i'm unsure how many would find it inspirational. Rather than bold statements of belief I just have a few items that give things away. So far as the cermonial pipes one has to know what they are to even know they are significant.

To be honest, rather than wish to surround myself with as decorations it is more accurate to explain the situation. My home was without any real decoration for a very long time. the reason is that I wanted to wait until I could find the exact items that moved me. My ex decided it was too bare and with great skill in some things pushed to start decorating. In many cases I made choices but it was with her guidance. Some of this I did on my own afterwards if I found something I liked.

At one point I was looking at the mass produced art on the walls in my living room and simply felt I disliked it or what it represented. I took them down and when I searched the house for replacemtents my pipes that were on a crowded shelf, and my drums that were too small to play were obvious choices. It is from that point that I started using items of spiritual significance as decor by simply spreading it all out.

Yes, it is rather nice to simply discuss things. It's by far better than arguing!!!

My house is full of angels. Angel pictures, figurines and crystal sun catchers. I do not worship them. They are there as a simple reminder to me of a times were really tough and God answered my prayer. Wouldn't consider myself to have been a Christian at the time but I was hoping there was a God when I sent out a deperate prayer. I was alone at my Aunt's house and had been leafing through a coffee table book that had stories about how angels intervined in peoples lives to save them from danger. As I read the stories I scoffed at them and thought these people were delusional. I layed down on the couch and closed my eyes and sent out a VERY sarcastic and angry prayer to God. I told him that I was angry with him for allowing me to be in the position that I was in at the time. I proceeded to use some very colorful language with him and told him that it would take 10,000 of his precious "angels" to get me out of the mess I was in and challenge him to go ahead and send them if He was so MIGHTY. I instantly heard what sounded like a million birds flying around the room, I could feel the wind from their wings. It scared the crap out of me. I shot my eyes open and the sound disappeared but the drapes and papers on the counter were still fluttering as though a strong breeze had gone through the place and abruptly stopped. About that time the phone rang and I ran to catch it but missed the call. My heart was pounding and I am pretty sure I peed my pants. My 4 year old son called from the bedroom he was napping in and said "Don't worry mom, that was just God calling to tell you he heard your prayer." I heard his voice as though it he was standing right next to me. I went trembling to his room to find him fast asleep. Now it is entirely possible that I was dilussional even though I was not drinking or taking drugs at the time. BUT I did get through my rough time, through a series of very "lucky coincedences".

I could be wrong. Maybe it was all a dream and everything that happened was just dumb luck but I like to think that God rose to my challenge and helped me regardless of what I thought about him at the time and regardless of the very disrespectful way I chose to ask for his help. So as a reminder, I have promised myself I am going to collect angels until I have all 10,000 that I believe God sent me. They are there to remind me that all of us in this world need help and even though we aren't alway nice about how we ask, we still need it. A starving tiger that has been backed into a corner is not about to "be nice" if you are standing in front of it holding a tbone but you should give it to him anyway.

I also were a cross necklace to remind me of the day that I got "saved". That is another pretty emotional story for me. I will save that one for another time. One is enough for one night.

That is actually a spectacular story, and a great explaination illustrating why many of us might keep reminders of particularly moving times in our lives.

This is a very nice story defining your experience in finding faith. Faith is what religion is all about after all, isn't it?

Yeah it is. That day and the series of events that followed is what convinced me that there IS a God. He proved himself to me. He didn't have to but he did. I may not know the Bible like other Christians, I may not be able to argue the samantics and the logic and give someone "proof" that God exsists but I know that he does. He proved himself to ME. I was given a gift. I don't know why. I certainly didn't DESERVE it. I don't blame people for not believing. I wouldn't believe either if I hadn't experienced it myself. The God that I believe in is FAR more loving and compasionate that people give him credit for. I HATED him and was very vocal about it. Guess he knew how to shut me up.

But I want to clearify something. I don't believe in "religion". I think they ALL have it wrong and are in for a rude awakening when they see Heaven is FULL. Yes I say that I am a "Christian" because I believe that Jesus is my savior. BUT I use that term very loosly because MY experience of God is very differant than the average Christian. For the most part, "Faith" didn't get me where I am today. God proved himself to me and based on THAT I have "Faith".

You know somethin cherub, I like angels - a lot. As far as art goes I've seen some absoluetley beautiful angels. I especially like the cinnamatic, or maybe it's computer generated, art that shows wings attached so perfectly to humans that you could swear they would fly. It just looks natural.

I began a tradition of making/creating most of my gifts to people when I was a teenager. I've done it all these years. My family was big on Christmans and one year I made angel dolls out of paper, they were beautiful. The next year I crochetted angel tree toppers, like 20 of them.

Anyway, I have one left, it was an extra, one of the paper dolls. It's packed away, for when I move. If I could, I would send it to you. But maybe you can consider it one of your 10,000. Even though you don't have it, you know where it is.

I don't keep all my angels. Even though I collect them and they only serve as a reminder to me, I don't consider them mine to keep. I display all of my angels. When someone visits, if they are particularly fond on one of my angels, I will give it to them and silently pray that God will grant them a miracle like he did me. So, if you are giving it to me, please disply your artwork proudly when you get to your new home (it should be displayed proudly anyway) and if someone marvals over it, please give it to them because that is what I would do if I had it. In the mean time, I would LOVE to see a picture of it!!