h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sam

I just thought I would ask your opinion on this. I am sure you are aware of Roman Catholic Rosary beads? And I am sure you are aware that one of the prayers is a prayer that most Protestant would not pray (Hail Mary-although some are now). So that stops most Protestants using rosary beads.

But what do you think of Anglican Rosary beads? As the name suggests, they came out of the Anglican Church but are now used by Christians in many Protestant denominations. These do not contain crucifixes, pictures of the Pope or Mary, have a different number of beads and are said with different prayers (only suggestions are given unlike Catholic beads where you have to say certain prayers on them-and there are no prayers to Mary or saints with these rosaries). You can look here http://www.kingofpeace.org/prayerbeads.htm

Now before you say it, this does not count as ‘vain repetions’. Praying set prayers can come from the heart and it is not vain as it is to the Lord God. Besides, you could accuse all Protestant Christians of breaking this rule by saying the Lords Prayer or the angels in Revelation 4:8. And the psalms are of course a collection of prayers (of which Jesus prayed). So it is only vain repletion if you don’t mean what you say (like the Pharisees).
And using rosary beads will help you to focus on prayers and meditating on God.

So anyway, what do you think of Protestant rosaries? And even if you dislike them, do you think they are heretical or a sign of being unsaved?

Thank you

Good News

Hi Good News,

I would not say categorically that those who use such things are unsaved, but they do certainly have the stench of catholicism (and you know my opinion on that!).

I cannot quite see the need for such a thing as an 'aid to prayer'. There is nothing like this referred to in scripture, and by using such things, my feeling is we would conferring that which is holy and sacrosanct (i.e. our relationship with Christ) unto an object.

Sam

Well I don't deny that they do seem quite Catholic. However, this could be a good thing. A lot of people seem attracted to Catholicism because of things like the Rosary. If we can take things like this and make them more Biblical sound, it might help more people come to Protestant Churches.

As for praying with to an object, I disagree. We pray with hymms but that does not mean we are conferring that which is holy and sacrosanct to a hymm book.

Anyway, I think we can agree that while it is not mentioned in Scripture, as long as the prayers are Biblical it is not actually against Scripture. And if they bring people to Protestant Churches, they can be used for good.

And I actually quite like them. I shall keep my eyes open for them.

>>And I actually quite like them. I shall keep my eyes open for them.<<

Good,

if you don't object to giving your hard-earned (or, in Sam's case, hard-scrounged) money to the (in Sam's opinion SATANIC (ohez noez)) catholic church (of, in Sam's opinion, Babylon), you could pick up some rosary beads at your local RC church or bookshop (the church, if they don't sell them, will be able to tell you where to buy some).

As a physical, material object, "catholic" rosary beads differ from "protestant" rosary beads in no respect whatsoever - it is only the use to which you put them that is different.

'As a physical, material object, "catholic" rosary beads differ from "protestant" rosary beads in no respect whatsoever - it is only the use to which you put them that is different.'

Actually there is. I know some Protestants do use Catholic rosary beads but there is a difference.

These are Protestant Rosary beads:

http://www.saintgabriels.org/rosary%20order.html

And these are Catholic rosary beads:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rosary.jpeg

I don't have much of a problem with Protestants using either ones but I think I would get a few funny looks using Protestant rosaries at my Baptist Church, never mind Catholic rosaries!

Thanks for the info, Good. I'm a recovering catholic (there are no ex-catholics, just recovering ones...), and was completely unaware of the difference in design. I can now add one to my "big list of differences between episcopacy and catholicism". It now runs:

1. The pope.

2. The spelling.

3. They call it "service" instead of "mass"

4. *New Entry!* Their rosaries have fewer mysteries.

(I apologise if I have caused you any offence, btw , but I will not be shaken from my position that if god exists, he created humour along with everything else. After all, what rational response is there to the absurdity of the universerse but laughter?)

TheKnightGerund

No it doesn't cause me any offense. I'm pretty sure God does have a sense of humour (although probably not much like ours!). As for your list, it is very true of some Anglicans who really are just Roman Catholics with one or two differences (as you pointed out). Still, their are some Anglicans who are very much Protestant. It's a strange Church...

What if a Baptist said "Ugh, I smell the stench of a Baptist!"? What would be your response?

Nevermind, I spoilt it.

what if a Catholic said "Ugh, I smell the stench of a Baptist."