Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: llo@nuchat.sccsi.com (Larry Overacker) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The Shroud of Turin Message-ID: Date: 17 Apr 91 06:50:25 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Houston Public Access UNIX Lines: 47 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article davidh@cascade.ens.tek.com (David L Hatcher) writes: >In article ok@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au (Richard A. O'Keefe) writes: >>Now "fundamentalists" and "evangelicals" are heirs to the iconoclasts. >>They would be shocked (at least, I hope they would) to see a crucifix >>displayed in one of their churches with a statue of Jesus on it. > > > Yes, icon worship is not such a hot thing to be doing...But, the The Orthodox view is that icons are windows on the infinite. Through meditation on the subject of the icon, we become closer to God. It is one of many tools. > >[Just as I have to ask Protestants to have respect for what Charles >Williams call "the way of affirmation of images", I'd like to say that >I find "the way of rejection of images" to be valuable as well. I >guess it's an emphasis on ear rather than eye: the church with nothing >in it that might distract from the proclamation of the Word, that >allows no images (except on Sunday School walls, for some odd reason) >so that the worshipper talks directly with God in prayer. I >udnerstand that this is a vision that is repellent to those accustomed >to visual cues, but for those raised in the tradition, the simple >Colonial church, with no ornamentation or pictures, evokes God's >presence. --clh] I have a great deal of respect for those people who, in good conscience, choose to avoid images. My view is that worship is to be a total human experience in which the whole of our being is involved. As such, all our senses are involved. We see our fellows and the sacred images of the Church. We hear the music, liturgy and souunds of voices raised in praise to God. We taste through the Eucharist of the incredible mercy, power and love of God. We touch one another and raise our hands in praise to God. We smell the sweet incense that reminds us of the sweetness of the sacrifice God made for us. This is valuable to me. I understand others may feel differently. I get really annoyed with people who contend that this practice isn't Christian. It is and it works for me and for millions over the last 2000 years. Other paths to Jesus work for other people. We should not force specific roads to Jesus on anyone. Thomas needed to touch Jesus. Others did not. The other were not better or worse believers because the did not touch Jesus. -- ============================================================================ Larry Overacker Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it. bertolt brecht