Nothing says "I have faith in an all powerful God" like a church removing the "holy" water.

[ancianita]

[eleny]

1. .

[stopbush]

2. Religion is so stupid.

[gratuitous]

3. Matthew 4 verse 7 would disagree

Having faith doesn't necessarily mean turning off your brain or any other bodily organ.

[ancianita]

4. So "holy" water is subject to science? Okay, then. Could they put "holy" alcohol in the vessels?

[leftieNanner]

7. A nice holy single malt would work for me

[ancianita]

8. That altar wine would work for me.

[leftieNanner]

9. I attend an Episcopal Church

And this past week, the Rector changed the way we take communion so fewer hands touch anything. He also brought in fortified wine! Party in the Parish Hall!!

[ancianita]

12. But holy fortified wine, right? Cuz, come on, God can only bless you if it's blessed, amirite?

[leftieNanner]

18. Wahoo!

Just FYI Episcopalians (not the conservative southern kind) are fun people. Good, generous, and inclusive too.

[YOHABLO]

5. I always thought dipping your hand in the holy water at church was nasty.

[ancianita]

6. Oh ye of little faith! It's holy.

I shouldn't laugh. I was an observant Catholic once.

[badhair77]

10. Sometimes you just have to go with science and facts

and step away from symbolic acts. But that sign does bring a laugh.

[ancianita]

11. But what about the leaps of faith? Jesus let God The Father get him tortured and hanged. Just sayin

[Karadeniz]

13. Mohammed: trust in Allah, but tie your camel down.

[Initech]

14. But I thought the power of prayer was supposed to solve everything!

Last edited Thu Mar 5, 2020, 10:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Oh highest of high gods, you have besmirched me!!!!

Also:

[virgogal]

27. Prayer can help people cope and I have no problem with that.

[Eugene]

15. Alternate guidance says don't test the Lord.

Be faithful, not stupid. This all happened before back in 2009. Install a holy water dispenser, forego the wine and stop the handshakes.

[struggle4progress]

16. The devil took him to the top of the temple, saying "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself off,

for it is written, 'He will command his angels to protect you' and ‘They will carry you so that you do not even bruise your foot on a stone.'" But Jesus answered him, “It is also written, 'Do not tempt the Lord your God'"

Luke 4

[leftieNanner]

19. We heard that Gospel

Just a few weeks ago.

[ancianita]

21. So using holy water is the same thing? Tempting God? By a church -- not the devil?

I can see the devil's agenda, but the church's agenda is to encourage faithful acts, yes?

If the behaviors one uses in church are not shows of faith, what are they for? Public show?

[struggle4progress]

34. I have no idea what you are trying to say or how it relates to my prior post

[ancianita]

35. I have no idea what "tempting God" has to do with any of this, either.

[gratuitous]

36. You and me both

It seems that some people just like to caricature others. If the church hadn't taken any steps to inhibit the spread of the contagion, there would be posts ridiculing that, too.

[smirkymonkey]

17. Just fill it up with bleach.

Problem solved!

[dalton99a]

40. Some people drink holy water

especially Eastern Orthodox folks

[GeorgeGist]

20. The STUPID runs deep.

[Mosby]

22. A few drops of bleach would do the trick.

[ancianita]

24. Then why don't priests do that? No faith in science, either?

It's not just happening in one church.

[Mosby]

26. They probably don't have access to test strips

Or someone like me that can tell the right amount from a whiff (50-200 ppm).

[OhioChick]

23. They always removed Holy water from the fonts during Lent

until Easter Sunday.

I guess that's changed?

[moriah]

28. Per this source it was never a Canonical thing.

https://www.catholic.com/qa/is-it-appropriate-to-empty-the-holy-water-fonts-during-lent

Emptying or covering holy water fonts during Lent is a modern innovation not found in the Church’s directives. Water is always kept in the holy water fonts until after Mass on Holy Thursday, when they are emptied of holy water and later refilled with the water blessed at the Easter Vigil (Paschales Solemnitatis 97).

Lent is a time when we need the spiritual benefits of holy water. Holy water is a protection from evil, a reminder of our baptism and of our commitment to live a Christ-centered life. Empty holy water fonts during Lent only deprive the faithful of spiritual benefits that are theirs by right.

[OhioChick]

31. Thanks for the Information n/t

[moriah]

25. Maybe "I have faith in an all-powerful God who gave us brains to develop science...

... and so I will do what is smart to protect my people" is the deep thought here? (Hint: not that deep.)

After discussion, the sense of my local Friends Meeting was that despite our strong-held beliefs about handshakes showing equality compared to prior generations bows or hat-tips in greeting, that a gesture toward ones heart, in reference to the Inner Light in us all, was more than sufficient for any members concerned about colds or flus in our Meeting, whether or not a pandemic is in progress.

But I guess some people think all people of faith must all be dumb bigoted idiots.

[ancianita]

32. Fair point. But God told me I'm a person of faith who doesn't have to prove it by going to church

every Sunday, just like his Son, Jesus, didn't go to temple on Sabbath, either.

If Catholics want to publicly profess without holy water, and with the brains their God gave them, fine.

Today, it's holy water.
Tomorrow, what if churches, as risky gathering places, get shut down?
Is God then having the church use its brains, then, at the expense of the faithful who seek comfort there?

I wonder because, like Jesus, I haven't been a church attender since age 30. I try to live like Him. He himself might even have a chuckle over this.

Beyond the confines of church, do priests not minister to those Catholics sick with coronavirus? In these circumstances, is there a policy or edict change in their pastoral duties?

[Siwsan]

29. Perhaps they can set up a sprinkler for a light spritzing, on the way into the building

[ooky]

30. They aren't going to be able to take communion either.

Not sure what they are going to do when they get there. Can't turn around and shake hands with the folks behind them. They really shouldn't sit very close to each other. Perhaps they could sit in every third chair and omit religious sounding humming together.

[Ferrets are Cool]

33. LMAO

[Goodheart]

37. Our Catholic gimmick might make you sick!

But by all means please continue to buy our holy candles to help your loved ones escape Purgatory.

[sl8]

38. Wouldn't holy H2O2 be even more effective against the spread of viruses? n/t

[ancianita]

39. I was kinda going for the irony of the photo; but yeah, sure, good, stingy solution.

[Archae]

41. I'm an atheist...

But my ex-girlfriend (we were on friendly terms in the last few years before she died,) gave me a plastic bottle, a small one full of holy water.

I still have it, never opened it, and have kept it as one of the ways I remember her.

In fact it's in front of me on my desk as I'm typing.