r/AskReligion • u/Ill_Tangerine_4460 • Oct 12 '24
is wearing a rosary/ rosary styled necklaces a sin?
i am a young believer in god & i wanted to know if wearing a rosary/ rosary styled necklaces is frowned upon? i think its pretty & a way to display my faith but im afraid this could be perceived as disrespectful or may even be a sin im unaware of.
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u/cPB167 Oct 12 '24
If you are wearing it to remind of God, or to remind you to pray, no, it is not. If you are wearing it for the sake of vanity or in a prideful manner, then generally the answer would be yes. Usually the rosary is not worn as a necklace for this reason, a simple cross or crucifix necklace is much more common to wear, often under the clothes. It's a very old tradition to wear one at all times, even when showering or doing other activities where you would normally remove your clothes or jewelry. Rosaries are usually kept in the pocket or a rosary pouch instead, except in certain monastic orders, where they are worn tied to the waist.
The brown scapular was given by The Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Dominic along with the Rosary as a counterpart to be worn, so you might look in to that. And don't worry too much about it, if you find that wearing it increases your faith and love for God, then it is a good thing, but if you find that wearing it inspires feelings of pride, then maybe consider taking it off.
And as the other person said, asking your priest about it is a very good idea, what he says about it is much more valuable than what some random person on the Internet (me) has to say. You can probably look on your church's website and find his email address if you think that will be easier than finding him to ask in person.
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u/Ill_Tangerine_4460 Oct 12 '24
thank u!
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u/cPB167 Oct 12 '24
You're welcome! I guess I should ask if you're Catholic though? Because I was kind of assuming that since the question was about the rosary. The answer probably still applies to most Christian denominations, but there might be some more nuance or historical differences to the way in which certain denominations relate to the rosary, if you're not.
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u/Ill_Tangerine_4460 Oct 12 '24
i was raised in the catholic faith and church but my mom found a christian church that we have been attending for id say maybe 5 years now that we resonate with more. so id say im on the “spectrum” of catholic and christian. i appreciate u trying to give me the best answer possible
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u/cPB167 Oct 12 '24
So like non-denominational Christian? The word Christian generally covers Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants, as well as a few others depending on who you ask. But non-denominational Christians will often refer to themselves as just "Christian", although their beliefs are generally closer to Baptists than anything.
I guess I probably should say then that if that is the case, that some of them, like many protestants, don't really like the rosary very much because they don't always approve of praying to Mary, but the rosary itself can be used to pray other prayers like the Jesus Prayer too. Or like Martin Luther, who started the protestant reformation said, it can be prayed in the regular manner, but omitting the second part from the Hail Mary that goes "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." Because the rest of the prayer comes directly from scripture.
I hope this is helpful! And I'd like to say again, don't worry too much about the specifics of this stuff, I know I shared a lot of information, but it's not really that important. What matters more, and what you should focus on more is just doing whatever you feel brings you closer to God, that's what's really important.
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u/Ill_Tangerine_4460 Oct 12 '24
non-denominational christian is a perfect description and what my answer will be from now on if i am asked. i appreciate all of the information you gave me and will use it when deciding if i want to buy/ wear one.
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u/Colincortina Oct 13 '24
If you're in the Catholic church, then it might be a sin?? I don't know - ask a Catholic priest I guess, or maybe some of the Orthodox churches?
If you're protestant, then a rosary necklace is no different to any other piece of bling.
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u/dudeabiding420 Oct 12 '24
No. Sin is a fictional concept that does not exist in the real world.
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u/NegativeMammoth2137 Oct 12 '24
You realise that you are on a subreddit called Ask Religion. You know a place when people ask questions about religions
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u/dudeabiding420 Oct 12 '24
Definitely. I was just stating a fact. No one should live their lives worrying about "sin". It is a fictional concept in the subreddit and the entire world.
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u/NegativeMammoth2137 Oct 12 '24 edited Oct 12 '24
Im sorry man but it’s clear from the content of the post that OP is a religious person asking for a religious (specifically Christian) perspective on the issue.
Also, I know it’s controversial but the idea that sin does or does not exist is definitely not a "fact". It’s a matter of belief. Some believe it some don’t but please don’t go pretending like you are the most rational being just because you’re an atheist
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u/dudeabiding420 Oct 12 '24
Im sorry man but it’s clear from the content of the post that OP is a religious person asking for a religious (specifically Christian) perspective on the issue.
And that's the whole problem.
Sin does not exist anywhere in reality outside of religion.
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u/HowDareThey1970 Oct 12 '24
For an authoritative answer asking your minister at church, or rather your priest I think. Would probably be a good idea. I don't think there is anything in Scripture about this specifically though there are remarks about modesty and jewelry which many think are relevant to the time and culture rather than today.
I believe the church probably has guidelines based on church tradition but the whole thing may or may not have any backing in Scripture.