Idol-Tossing, Yay or Nay? It’s Not that Complicated, Sheesh.

Last updated on: October 21, 2019 at 1:45 pm by Jennifer Fitz

Idol-Tossing, Yay or Nay? It’s Not that Complicated, Sheesh. 2019-10-21T13:45:15-05:00 Jennifer Fitz

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Let’s see:

There might or might not have been a pagan idol given a place of honor in a Catholic church.

Someone stole the idol and tossed it in the Tiber.

Video’s been released, and thus half of St. Twitter is cheering in victory, while the other half is scandalized by the theft and destruction of property.

Which side to take, if any?

Hmmn . . . How about siding with the truth?

If it is in fact a pagan idol, we’re all being far too tolerant. If it’s not one, then let someone with teaching authority (I understand there are some possible candidates for that title milling around the Vatican) say so clearly. And if we are unable to have clear, authoritative teaching on the question of whether the thing is an idol . . . no wonder the Church is such a mess.

***

Meanwhile, for your edification:

This is not about being paranoid. This is not about seeing spooks behind every corner. I am speaking as a mom and teacher-of-religion who took my own kid, with two others from her Christian school, to a massive haunted house last night for good clean terrifying fun, and without the least concern that there be something demonic in it. As the eve of All Saints rolls around, Chesterton’s advice on fairy tales is as apt as ever. But quoting myself from the Ouija link in the list above:

Here’s the thing your children need to know: If you ask for supernatural assistance, you may well get it.

Supernatural can be good. You can ask your guardian angel to watch over you in a particular way (“Keep me from spending too much time on Facebook, please!”). You can ask saints to pray for you. You can of course ask God for everything you need — something you’ve been specifically instructed to do.

But the idea that there are only good supernatural beings is foolish.

. . . If you want only good in your life, skip the [ouija] board. Ask for what you really want, don’t send out the “Hey, whatever you want to do to me is just fine, you unknown mixed bag of good and evil supernatural persons!” Would you make that offer to total strangers on the subway? No you wouldn’t. Don’t make that offer to the supernatural world either.

Photo by Bernard Gagnon: Pachamama Museum, Amaicha del Valle, Argentina, courtesy of Wikimedia, CC 1.0.

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