i dont know all the implications of wearing one im a christian but i like how they look.

i dont know all the implications of wearing one im a christian but i like how they look.

That's a good question.
The only advice I can offer is this: The rosary itself, in the application of Catholicism, is part of a ritualistic process. The intended purpose is to recite several things (Prayers, Hail Mary's, Announcing "mysteries"... etc..)
while meditating.

It's not a Biblical based ritual, other than they include the Lord's Prayer & the Apostle's Creed.

As far as wearing it a just a piece of jewelry? I really don't know how to answer that one.
Although personally, I would skip the whole idea altogether.

If you want to wear a cross necklace, as a statement or expression of being a Christian, that's one thing.
But to use a Catholic prop, (which they consider as Holy......) I wouldn't recommend that.

That's just my input for ya.

;)

Hi,
Are you going to use it as a prayer aid or just for decoration ?

djh22

Hi,
Are you going to use it as a prayer aid or just for decoration ?

djh22

lol i just like how it looks but i see that it does indeed represent a number of things that i dont agree with so i may just have to settle for the regular cross. what do you guys think about the eastern orthodox cross? would that be oK?

hears the question you need to ask yourself: Why wear an idol around your neck?

hears the question you need to ask yourself: Why wear an idol around your neck?

i dont know if i would consider it an idol. just something that constantly reminds me of an amzing event that took place. similar to the early church using an icthus or something to represent the faith.

I would consider it an idol and not a nice one at that .

djh.

i dont know if i would consider it an idol. just something that constantly reminds me of an amzing event that took place. similar to the early church using an icthus or something to represent the faith.Which event? the Crucification? Belief in all about Jesus, to include the Resurrection is what seals the deal for us all and then that would mean the crucifix is a symbol cutting us all short of that.

Crosses and Fish are of pagan origin and can be labeled as idols. Why would we then draw a line at a Crucifix? How can one be an idol and the others not?

Crosses and Fish are of pagan origin and can be labeled as idols. Why would we then draw a line at a Crucifix? How can one be an idol and the others not?

Actually, that's a misunderstood description.

The Cross was used by the Romans for punishment/execution, as being the most painful, suffering way to die. How they came up with the idea for a cross doesn't change the fact that Jesus hung on one....

Also, the Christian "fish" symbol is actually NOT of pagan origin.
That myth runs rampant of atheistic websites, but is inaccurate.

Here's a link to a GREAT article explaining it... http://www.tektonics.org/copycat/fishsymbol.html

How about a tattoo that says JOHN 3:16 on your forehead:

Advantages:
1. Can't wash off.
2. Can't lose it.
3. Avoids any problems with mark of the beast.
4. Avoids the temptation to sell additional ad space on your head.

How about a tattoo that says JOHN 3:16 on your forehead:

Advantages:
1. Can't wash off.
2. Can't lose it.
3. Avoids any problems with mark of the beast.
4. Avoids the temptation to sell additional ad space on your head.Or on your right shoulder :P

Then lets bring up this question, If someone you love is taken outside and stabbed to death would you wear a knife resembeling the one that was used to kill them around your neck? heres the real stumper the cross was actually in the shape of a T. The cross is a symbol of death and Messiah conquered death.

Also Exodus tells us not to worshipany image or idol in heaven above.

Conversely I wear a cross and a Shield of Faith tie tack.:eek:
Sometimes, I even carry a cross in my pocket attached to a leather strap. I hold it in my hands, when I talk to people about jesus.
Lately, I sometimes carry a smooth stone in my pocket to remind me of David picking out 5 small stones and placing them in his sling bag.
I suspect that the Lord will use me one of these days and I will give the stone to someone to remind them of the struggle ahead and the power of God in your life.
I have been asked many times and I have witnessed numerous people sitting in my office crying after I gave them one and prayed with them.
My Best friend and I started this ministry a year ago and we have given out somewhere around 200ish of the pins.
I wear a Cross because I like to be reminded of whose I am. I also wear it because of who my savior is and many times, I am asked and that witnessing has opened the door to many opportunities for prayer.

Then lets bring up this question, If someone you love is taken outside and stabbed to death would you wear a knife resembeling the one that was used to kill them around your neck? heres the real stumper the cross was actually in the shape of a T. The cross is a symbol of death and Messiah conquered death.

Also Exodus tells us not to worshipany image or idol in heaven above.

The Cross is a symbol of LIFE to me. It reminds me of who is no longer hanging on it. It reminds me of what didn't have the power to keep my savior in the ground. Most of all it reminds me of what I pick up daily.
I don't think of it as worship, any more than the red cross on the side of an ambulance indicates worship. It is simply identification.
I am aware you don't agree.

Then lets bring up this question, If someone you love is taken outside and stabbed to death would you wear a knife resembeling the one that was used to kill them around your neck? heres the real stumper the cross was actually in the shape of a T. The cross is a symbol of death and Messiah conquered death.

Also Exodus tells us not to worshipany image or idol in heaven above.


I agree that we're not to WORSHIP images..... but I don't think wearing a cross, or displaying a fish on your car, etc.... would be classified as worshiping it.

I have the fish on my car.... It's an outward statement to everyone else on the road that I am a Christian. I probably won't get a chance to talk to all of them personally.... but if they just look at my car & see the emblem, then I'm at least able to make them think about Jesus for a moment. ;)

Then lets bring up this question, If someone you love is taken outside and stabbed to death would you wear a knife resembeling the one that was used to kill them around your neck? heres the real stumper the cross was actually in the shape of a T. The cross is a symbol of death and Messiah conquered death.

Also Exodus tells us not to worshipany image or idol in heaven above.


What is an idol? are inanimate objects idols?

What did Christ bring to light when He Brought the Gospel of the Kingdom..?? What did Paul divulge as far as idol worship in Corinthians?

what did he reveal and What did Jesus reveal?


an idol is a devil.....

can devils possess inanimate objects? I don't see Jesus casting a devil out of a statue or some rock or stone...

No He cast them out of people.. and they have the ability to possess animals also..

Idols are 'devils'.....

Christ brought that to 'light' when He brought the Gospel of the Kingdom.. and Paul even divulges more in Corinthinians..

a rock , a wooden cross... a statue...... is just that.. inanimate...

idols are 'devils'.. evil spirits that are self proclaiming deities..'gods'..that possess and control the wicked and the tares....and they often possess animals..

i dont know all the implications of wearing one im a christian but i like how they look.

Most people don't "wear" them. The term "rosary" is a western term associated with the Catholic church.

In the "regular" church, they are just prayer beads. Orthodox use them, and the number of beads on them differ depending on personal preference. Originally they started out as ropes with nots tied in them. Generally they have 33 beads or knots (rope known as the "chotki"), representing the years of Christ's life, with three beads standing out from the others as a reference to the Trinity.

I've made the 33 bead ones with wooden beads for anyone at church who wants one, mine include a wooden three bar cross made of olive wood from Israel.

There are some which have as many as 100 beads. They are mainly to focus us in prayer. Since we are human our human inclination is to be active in mind body and soul. So the beads basically are keeping the body busy and in accord with the mind and soul.

Orthodox use simple prayers in repitition, such as "Lord have mercy" or the Jesus prayer, "Lord Jesus Son of God have mercy on me a sinner", with some "Our Father" prayers intermittently.
But it's really just a matter of your prayer rule for yourself.

Then lets bring up this question, If someone you love is taken outside and stabbed to death would you wear a knife resembeling the one that was used to kill them around your neck? heres the real stumper the cross was actually in the shape of a T. The cross is a symbol of death and Messiah conquered death.

Also Exodus tells us not to worshipany image or idol in heaven above.

to me it reminds me of the love my God showed to sinners by willingly bearing the horrors of the cross. to me it represents humility and love

Actually, that's a misunderstood description.

The Cross was used by the Romans for punishment/execution, as being the most painful, suffering way to die. How they came up with the idea for a cross doesn't change the fact that Jesus hung on one....

Also, the Christian "fish" symbol is actually NOT of pagan origin.
That myth runs rampant of atheistic websites, but is inaccurate.

Here's a link to a GREAT article explaining it... http://www.tektonics.org/copycat/fishsymbol.html


From its simplicity of form, the cross has been used both as a religious symbol and as an ornament, from the dawn of man's civilization. Various objects, dating from periods long anterior to the Christian era, have been found, marked with crosses of different designs, in almost every part of the old world. India, Syria, Persia and Egypt have all yielded numberless examples, while numerous instances, dating from the later Stone Age to Christian times, have been found in nearly every part of Europe. The use of the cross as a religious symbol in pre-Christian times, and among non-Christian peoples, may probably be regarded as almost universal, and in very many cases it was connected with some form of nature worship. (The Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., 1910, Vol. 7, pg. 506.)

I do not read atheistic websites, but I am sure they have their reasons for pointing out the pagan link.

Actually, the article you posted concludes that the fish is indeed of pagan origins. The article then goes on to state that despite that, what does it matter? It also suggests that despite the evidence to show that it came from paganism that Christianity's use of the Dagonian symbol had no borrowed ideas from paganism, which evidence appears to disagree with. So, per your site, the fish is indeed of pagan origins.

I agree that we're not to WORSHIP images..... but I don't think wearing a cross, or displaying a fish on your car, etc.... would be classified as worshiping it.


I will agree with this.



I have the fish on my car.... It's an outward statement to everyone else on the road that I am a Christian. I probably won't get a chance to talk to all of them personally.... but if they just look at my car & see the emblem, then I'm at least able to make them think about Jesus for a moment.

Wow, I thought it meant "I am not under traffic laws". Seriously, 8 out of 10 times I see the fish in a car they are either cutting me off or passing me like I am standing still.

This is not including what the law of the Torah tells us.

2 Kings 18:3-5

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called [b] Nehushtan. [c] )
Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.


Exodus 25:22
There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

This is not including what the law of the Torah tells us
Psalms 115:2

Why do the nations say,
"Where is their God?"

3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.

4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.

5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;

6 they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;

7 they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them

Acts 17:29-30

Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

i dont know all the implications of wearing one im a christian but i like how they look.

Hi reformedct!

Would it effect your conscience, and would it cause a brother to stumble?

This is not including what the law of the Torah tells us.

2 Kings 18:3-5

He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called [b] Nehushtan. [c] )
Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.


Exodus 25:22
There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

This is not including what the law of the Torah tells us
Psalms 115:2

Why do the nations say,
"Where is their God?"

3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.

4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.

5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;

6 they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;

7 they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them

Acts 17:29-30

Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

I think this is slightly out of context. Paul is referring to a specific situation involving a specific group of people and specific idolatry.

Blessings.


tt1106

to me it reminds me of the love my God showed to sinners by willingly bearing the horrors of the cross. to me it represents humility and love
Would the sight of a rosary cause confusion and distress to another Christian? Might they, perhaps, see it and assume that the wearer was into mariology and idolatry? If so, then wearing it as visual decoration would not be a Christian thing to do.

However, if you were genuinely wearing it not to shock, or to look cool, but honestly to remind you of the cross... why would you need to make it visible? Why could you not keep it in your pocket, or looped around a belt buckle? That would not necessarily be wrong... So long as you weren't tempted to use it for mariology, or other forms of idolatry. It would depend on your heart on this matter... and that is between you and God.

I know a very sound Christian, who loves Christ alone, who wears a rosary on her belt buckle, because she needs something to fiddle with in her hands when she prays. I only noticed the rosary by accident when her son mentioned it to me - it wasn't ostentatious or showing off at all.

When I see folks wearing rosaries as jewelry, I tend to think that they are either ostentatious, trying to look religious when they aren't, or that they simply don't understand what the rosary means to Catholics. And when protestants wear them, I feel very confused. It is between each person and God, of course, but the rosary is primarily associated with praying to Mary, so I don't understand how a Christian could be induced to wear such a thing publically.

Let's face it... it could cause your brother (or sister) to stumble... and that's not a very Christian thing to do, is it?

I should point out that I'm not saying a Christian having some form of beaded mnemonic for prayer is a bad thing, nor a good thing... just that the specific "rosary" can be problematic, particularly if rubbed in someone's face. And that most people wear or use rosaries for societal reasons... to identify with a people group, to look cool, or to shock.

None of these reasons would be God centred. Therefore, any of these would be sins.

I think this is slightly out of context. Paul is referring to a specific situation involving a specific group of people and specific idolatry.

Blessings.


tt1106

Your mostly right, Paul was talking about believers in Christ and also those Jews that began to follow Idolatry. One example would be a golden calf that was created not to worship the devil, but it was to be and image of the Lord (as they claimed) it was to be the reminder of the God that brought them out of Egypt. As we know the Lord was not happy about that.

I do find it interesting that you put "a specific idolatry" because all idolatry is bad.

We must believe as they did to accomplish what they did.

What I meant was, the situation Paul was speaking out against was the unknown God.
Paul is convicting them for worshipping an unknown god while they can have the God of the Universe within them.
I believe all idolatry is wrong. While you can apply Paul's lesson to all idolatry, that is not what he was referring to.

Blessings FTW

tt1106

I should point out that I'm not saying a Christian having some form of beaded mnemonic for prayer is a bad thing, nor a good thing... just that the specific "rosary" can be problematic, particularly if rubbed in someone's face. And that most people wear or use rosaries for societal reasons... to identify with a people group, to look cool, or to shock.

None of these reasons would be God centred. Therefore, any of these would be sins.

I'm not certain that wearing anything to identify with a people group, to look cool, or to shock is necessarily sinful.

A true born again believer has Christ's Holy Spirit dwelling in them and in conjunction with that the believer has constant joy, peace, assurance of salvation, brotherly love, a close relationship with the Lord and his love in their hearts, as reminders as of who they are. A mere trinket is only that a lifeless object that does nothing. If a person has the above they will not consider something made with the hands. We also worship God in spirit and truth through faith, Hebrews 11:1

Tomlane

I'm not certain that wearing anything to identify with a people group, to look cool, or to shock is necessarily sinful.
Perhaps self identifying with a people group is fine, if vanity is not involved. I can think of many occasions when wearing something to associate with a group could be a sin... if for example, some found the group intimidating, and saw your attire as threatening. For example, I used to attend demonstrations dressed up to look like a big scary activist, and this was deliberately done on my part to maximise the alarm felt by the people we were protesting against. I now think that was a sin. I used to wear a pentagram, to demonstrate allegiance to witchcraft, and it tickled me no end that it upset some elderly Christians I knew. That was a sin.

However, wearing an item of jewelry to demonstrate a love for Christ is not a sin. Wearing a badge or teeshirt to demonstrate allegiance or support for a persecuted people group is not necessarily a sin.

Trying to "look cool" is a sin, simply because it's vanity. I know it's not the "worst" sin, but I can't see how it can be seen as anything other than sin, to obsess about one's appearance, spend time, money, or energy on it. But then, I'm still a fundementalist (as I obviously was before I was Christian.) Others may well see this differently. I can certainly see that some people will want to look their best because it honours Jesus - Christians shouldn't all be walking around in hair shirts. So, smart, presentable, etc... cool seems a tad too far though.

Trying to shock someone would almost always be a sin, I would imagine. Why would you want to provoke a reaction? Unless there was some legitimate reason, why, in the name of Christ, someone might want to shock someone by means of attire. Can't think of one off the top of my head. There probably are scenarios when it's necessary.

But for the most part, it would be a sin.

You see... I'm one of those who has to overthink everything!!!

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I sincerely believe the above two verses tell us that God has given complete instructions from how and with what he wants us to obey him as faithful servants and to show our love to Him on his terms and not on ours.

Invariably when we go outside His word to show our love; it then becomes misguided and becomes sin for then we are not walking by faith.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Tomlane

1 Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Most people don't "wear" them. The term "rosary" is a western term associated with the Catholic church.

In the "regular" church, they are just prayer beads. Orthodox use them, and the number of beads on them differ depending on personal preference. Originally they started out as ropes with nots tied in them. Generally they have 33 beads or knots (rope known as the "chotki"), representing the years of Christ's life, with three beads standing out from the others as a reference to the Trinity.

I've made the 33 bead ones with wooden beads for anyone at church who wants one, mine include a wooden three bar cross made of olive wood from Israel.

There are some which have as many as 100 beads. They are mainly to focus us in prayer. Since we are human our human inclination is to be active in mind body and soul. So the beads basically are keeping the body busy and in accord with the mind and soul.

Orthodox use simple prayers in repitition, such as "Lord have mercy" or the Jesus prayer, "Lord Jesus Son of God have mercy on me a sinner", with some "Our Father" prayers intermittently.
But it's really just a matter of your prayer rule for yourself.

Matthew 6:7
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

I beg to differ. We're specifically instructed by Jesus NOT to pray in this fashion.

Prayer beads (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads) "are used by members of various religions such as Islam, Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Bahá'í to count the repetitions of prayers, chants or devotions. They may also be used for meditation, protection from negative energy, or for relaxation."

1 Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Read that in the original...

Has nothing to do with "appearance" as in "how something looks."

Has to do with "kind" or "type."

"Abstain from every kind or type of evil."

Also the Word has made it clear we are not to worship in the physical realm, because our worship is spiritual with spiritual blessings.
When God dealt with Israel as His chosen nation before He set them aside for the time of the Gentiles, worship was of a physical nature with physical blessings. Today the Holy Spirit dwells in believers and back when God dealt with Israel with physical blessings and curses the holy spirit came upon men and moved them to do His will. Its all so simple that worshiping God just in the spiritual realm through His word is a stumbling block for most people and they worship God just the opposite of what he has instructed us to do by putting confidence in their flesh.

Philippians 3:3 *For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Modern Christianity as a whole is not aware of this contrast of the spiritual and the physical, so modern religion combines religious symbolism; such as wearing beads, crosses; hot cross buns, water baptism, tithing, holy days etc. All of this has to do just the opposite of worshiping God in the simplicity of grace. I believe the meaning of grace was Christ keeping the law for us {because no one is capable of doing so} and became guilty for our sins when He who was sinless. We get it all for free just for asking for it. Then Christ becomes our Sabbath for then we can rest from our own and everyday for a believer is the Sabbath and our good works is resting in Chris'ts promises and walking in them as Paul instructed the Church.

Living simply by faith, by the substance of things not seen but from the instructions we find in Paul's writings as heis the Apostle to the Gentiles. Whereas todays' religions combine the fleshly works that heralded the coming of Israel's promised Kingdom Messiah, while we are under grace in the Church that is Christ's body. Indeed, the church still is a great mystery to most today as it was when Paul revealed it over 2000 years ago.

Ephesians 2:15 *Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Tomlane

We are urged to worship God in spirit and in truth, all of which occurs in a physical body.

There is absolutely nothing wrong, and in fact every thing perfectly right, in physical expressions of worship.

Gnosticism says that my flesh must be cut off from the act of worship. Christianity recognizes the unity of man in both his corporeal and incorporeal components.

How about a tattoo that says JOHN 3:16 on your forehead:

Advantages:
1. Can't wash off.
2. Can't lose it.
3. Avoids any problems with mark of the beast.
4. Avoids the temptation to sell additional ad space on your head.
:rofl::rofl: LOL LOL!!! I couldn't quite laughing!

We are, no doubt, all in agreement that symbols can be very powerful tools.

I remember watching the first part of The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks (I never read the book), where his character, symbologist Robert Langdon, in one of the many errant departures from the book, relates the German Nazi logo to the Buddhist Swastika symbol after saying, “Symbols are a language that can help us understand our past.As the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words, but... which words?” And one of the trailers to the film dramatically accentuates, “What if the world’s greatest works of art held a secret that could change the course of mankind forever?” Symbols can do just that.

The Christian Iconodule/Iconolater/Iconoclast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconoclasm) debate is one of the oldest and most dramatic in Christendom, perhaps beginning with periods of Jewish destruction of idols and constructions of a Tabernacle and Temples , and continuing through the struggle among Christian groups to one day accept and then reject and then accept various icons in what seems a never ending cycle of just where and how to draw the line on this passage from Exodus 20 (KJV):

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
My own Christian tradition follows the heritage of protestant reformers who encouraged the removal of religious images, and particularly that of statues and pictures of Jesus, which are still forbidden in many of our churches (unless relegated to cartoon imagery for use in teaching children the Gospel). It was even thought at the time of the Reformation that there were too many crosses in the churches, which too easily led to idolatry – making an idol of what was intended to be a holy image – crossing some indiscernibly grayish line between veneration, adoration, worship, and idolatry. There aren’t many Reformed churches today which frown on use of the cross as a Christian symbol, but having had the opportunity to decorate one of these churches I can tell you I tried to be sensitive to acceptable symbols and was very careful about not using paintings of Jesus for the church.

Now, the OP mentions “implications” in his query of whether or not it ought to be considered bad to wear a rosary despite enjoying how they appear. Our members have thus far done an admirable job of covering the bases, so to speak. I likewise find it interesting that we’ve got a few other present threads on Christianity and the arts, with both music and literature (the Bible is, after all, a book) coming under the scrutiny of Christian safeguards in purity of worship and the society of Christian culture.

Certainly Christians are a creative bunch, in a worshipful image of their Creator. Few of us would want to dishonour God in any blatant disregard of the First Commandment, and few of us would want to mock a fellow Christian’s devout worship, even if those forms of worship are not what we ourselves find comfortable and/or acceptable. I don’t find it idolatrous to make use of a cross as a Christian symbol, any more than it was idolatrous to have angels on the Ark of the Covenant, but there are dangers nonetheless. The two most obvious being making more of a cross than the First Commandment allows, and using the cross in some mockery of Christianity.

Now, the OP more specifically has to do with the rosary, and I think it’s important for us to understand what the term means in light of its Christian origins. Here’s what Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary) has to say:

The term denotes both a set of prayer beads and the devotional prayer itself, which combines vocal (or silent) prayer and meditation. The prayers consist of repeated sequences of the Lord's Prayer followed by ten prayings of the Hail Mary and a single praying of "Glory Be to the Father"; each of these sequences is known as a decade. The praying of each decade is accompanied by meditation on one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, which are events in the lives of Jesus Christ and his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Roman Catholics have certain understandings of rosary which are offensive to many non-Catholics, and especially to Reformation Protestants of an iconoclastic tradition. As our member daughter has pointed out, a mocking misuse of such a symbol is to be cautioned against. It ought only to be carried out with the same devout intensity which led Christians to transform the cross itself from an object of shame and reticule into a thing of veneration – from something associated with criminals and the horrors of crucifixion to that of sacrifice, salvation, and a Christian triumph over death.

If for a non-Catholic, like myself, the wonderment of “I like how they look” has indeed made it into the transformation of ones perspective on Roman Catholicism - in much the same way as a transformation of Christmas celebration from Roman and pagan Sol Invictus and Saturnalia to Christ’s Mass to widespread Protestant and secular enjoyment today - then I say, “Praise God for such redemption to His glory”.

One ought still to be careful of misperceptions, just as one ought to of all non-Christians who sport a cross as simple jewelry; but as long as one guards their heart and that of any Christian brother or sister who might stumble over such usage, then at least one "implication" is that Christ has triumphed yet again in the redemption of another symbol to his glory.

I’m personally very proud of the Confederate battle flag in much the same way.

Matthew 6:7
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

I beg to differ. We're specifically instructed by Jesus NOT to pray in this fashion.

Prayer beads (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads) "are used by members of various religions such as Islam, Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Bahá'í to count the repetitions of prayers, chants or devotions. They may also be used for meditation, protection from negative energy, or for relaxation."

What Jesus was speaking of here was calling out to many different gods saying the same prayer. Don't pray to Zues then to Apollos then Hades then some other god all asking for the same thing.

Jesus also told us to pray with out ceasing the best way to do this is to constantly be repeating a prayer, such as the Jesus prayer or the Lord's prayer.

What Jesus was speaking of here was calling out to many different gods saying the same prayer. Don't pray to Zues then to Apollos then Hades then some other god all asking for the same thing.

Jesus also told us to pray with out ceasing the best way to do this is to constantly be repeating a prayer, such as the Jesus prayer or the Lord's prayer.

Skubalon. Skubalon. Skubalon.

I would suggest not wearing a rosary, but wear a cross. Find one that you like and wear it after you learn about the background and meaning of that cross. For example I wear a cletic cross. The rosary is not meant to be worn as Teke pointed out, also because they are very long. If I put on some of the rosaries that I have they come down almost to my belly button or my belt. So really it would be akward to wear. Now if you wanted to use a rosary in your prayer time that can be a good thing don't have to say the Hail Mary on it can use any prayer. The Anglican church has it's own rosary, much smaller and less beads. The Orthodox church also has their own form as Teke mentioned. So it is and was a very common act in the church, the Reformers dropped it for some reason.

Skubalon. Skubalon. Skubalon.

Well then may I please hear your exegsis of the passage?

Well, let's see.

7"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their (J (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%206#cen-NASB-23290J))many words.
8"So do not be like them; for (K (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%206#cen-NASB-23291K))your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.



Don't think "do not use meaningless repetition" requires a lot of exegesis.


Jesus didn't say "Don't make the same requests to a bunch of different gods, like the Gentiles do." He say, "don't make the same request in a meaningless repetition over and over like the Gentiles do."


Nothing in the passage gets close to what you are proposing.

However, people praying using beads are not making requests. They are meditating on the life and death of Jesus. Even the Catholics, though I can't for the life of me understand how they can be focussing on Jesus when repeating the hail Mary, claim to be thinking about Christ.

There is a difference between petitionary prayer, and praise prayer. Jesus was clearly speaking about petitionary prayer in His caution not to use vain repetition.

How this relates to contemplative or praise prayer, I'm not so sure. Probably many of us have prayed through psalms... that's surely not vain repetition?

However, people praying using beads are not making requests. They are meditating on the life and death of Jesus. Even the Catholics, though I can't for the life of me understand how they can be focussing on Jesus when repeating the hail Mary, claim to be thinking about Christ.

There is a difference between petitionary prayer, and praise prayer. Jesus was clearly speaking about petitionary prayer in His caution not to use vain repetition.

How this relates to contemplative or praise prayer, I'm not so sure. Probably many of us have prayed through psalms... that's surely not vain repetition?

If you "pray" the 23rd Psalm, of the 150th Psalm, or the 37th psalm, or whatever # Psalm 33 times in a row, then yeah, that's vain repetition.

My Friend,

Hear Jesus words...

Luke 9:23 - And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and FOLLOW ME.

The rosary represents death and destruction from satan. The piece of jewelry itself is nothing, but because of it's intended meaning, if you wear it, you'll be saying to all men... I represent idol worship.

As a christian you want to represent Jesus Christ and Him crucified in death, then Resurrected in to life and victory and power.

So, in the end, you must decide, as no one can choose for you.

May I suggest, first, asking God with your precious KJV Bible open. Just read your Bible and pray and listen for the answer... it will come.

God bless you - will be praying for you.

Sam

I didn't mean repeating them, I meant praying them - praying each verse, with deep contemplative attention, listening to what God is saying in them, letting them speak to you.

Example, when you're learning Scripture off by heart, have you ever found that the depths and resonances of the verses become increasingly revealed? For example, when I was learning the first letter of John, I found in the first line alone enough wisdom and depth that if I'd been a man I could have given sermons on it for hours.

Sure, if someone just parrots the words, yes, it's vain repetion. But to seek to understand them... that's radically different from vain repetition. Someone who seeks to understand the depths of "Lord Jesus Christ," to contemplate His lordship, His humanity, His annointing as Messiah, in those three words... how are they being vain in their repetition?

I know many people just parrot words, but that doesn't mean that the practise of contemplative prayer is always vain repetition. It can be... but doesn't have to be.

I'm not advocating the practise instead of studying Scripture, instead of more free form prayer... I'm saying that for some it can be a part of a rich Christian life. And contemplative prayer is NOT what Jesus was talking about when He cautioned against vain repetition. He was cautioning against petitionary prayer becoming ritualised and empty... because God knows what we need.

This is clearly different from someone who loves Him contemplating His beauties and perfections.

When you first married, did you and your wife have a song? I know that when my husband and I "sang our song", we weren't petitioning each other for anything, we were just remembering and celebrating our love.

It can be the same thing to lovingly read or speak Scripture that turns our mind to the love of Christ. I'd not condemn a brother or sister for that kind of prayer. I mightn't understand their experience, but I can certainly appreciate that it's Christ centred.

what do you guys think about the eastern orthodox cross? would that be oK?

The Eastern Orthodox Cross, the Crux Orthodoxa

also known as the Russian, Ukraine, Slavic, Slavonic and Byzantine Cross

The Eastern Orthodox Cross is a Latin Cross with two additional cross beams. It’s a modification of the Patriarchal cross.
The top beam, also seen on the Patriarchal cross, represents the plaque bearing Pontius Pilate's inscription "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews" (often seen as INRI).
The lower beam slants, and represents a footrest. The purpose was to support the weight of the body during crucifixion, prolonging the agony of the victim. Without such a device, the nails could tear through the flesh or the ropes could dislodge the arms. We don’t know whether such a device existed on Jesus' cross.

A popular interpretation is that the slanted suppedaneum symbolizes a balance-scale showing the good thief, having accepted Christ, would ascend to heaven, while the thief who mocked Jesus would descend to hell. With this, the Cross is a balance-scale of justice.
I think it would be fine, but again for many it conveys something special representing Eastern or Russian Orthodox Christians. If I were going to wear it I'd be sure I could answer questions about it both intellegently and with a spiritual wisdom of apologetic defense. You're bound to be identified with those Christian beliefs and practices attached to that symbol.

Knowing that God is all knowing and has a mind of his own, and knows our request before we ask Him, why would anyone think the continuous repeating a prayer is going to move or sway God other then be disgusting to him for it shows our lack of faith and illuminates our ignorance. I do believe has a mind and will that can only be swayed by our walk in his word and not what we think but what we can prove. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

1 John 5:14 *¶And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

James 1:5 *If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:6 *But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

I couldn't find anything about prayer beads so I guess God went out of that business or He never was in it to start with. Perhaps that is why if we don't ask according to His word we don't get a reply. Perhaps God is not listening at all.

James 4:3 *Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Then again if we have hidden sins in our life we won't prosper and that includes prayer being heard unless it's a prayer of repentance and forgiveness.

Proverbs 28:13 *¶He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

This next verse tell us the effects of being honest before God and that is by using his word honestly and not with our opinions but by proving all things and holding fast to that which is good.

2 Corinthians 4:2 *But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Tomlane

Read that in the original...

Has nothing to do with "appearance" as in "how something looks."

Has to do with "kind" or "type."

"Abstain from every kind or type of evil."

απο παντος ειδους πονηρου απεχεσθε

Abstain from all appearance of evil
απο preposition
apo apo': off, i.e. away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)
παντος adjective - genitive singular neuter
pas pas: apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole
ειδους noun - genitive singular neuter
eidos i'-dos: a view, i.e. form -- appearance, fashion, shape, sight.
πονηρου adjective - genitive singular neuter
poneros pon-ay-ros': hurtful, i.e. evil; figuratively, calamitous; also (passively) ill, i.e. diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt;
απεχεσθε verb - present middle imperative - second person
apechomai ap-ekh'-om-ahee: to hold oneself off, i.e. refrain -- abstain.

I recommend not wearing a cross or rosary as some might construe it to be an idol, whether the wearer believes so or not.

Matthew 6:7
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

I beg to differ. We're specifically instructed by Jesus NOT to pray in this fashion.

Prayer beads (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads) "are used by members of various religions such as Islam, Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Bahá'í to count the repetitions of prayers, chants or devotions. They may also be used for meditation, protection from negative energy, or for relaxation."

Personally, I've never met anyone who does this, that is, prays out loud the same thing over and over. Only thing that might come close is the way that certain verses of scripture are repeatedly thrown around. As if one is to HEAR the particular words thereby effecting some reaction from others.

Just as you likely have certain scriptures which appeal to you and thereby you never forget them, so do prayers. Whether it be a verse from scripture or a prayer, I do not stand and voice them repeatedly. That is a form of legalism.

The Jesus prayer came about from pilgrims asking monastics about rules of prayer. In ancient times people were not very well educated, and so a simple prayer was given them, by their request I might add.

A better description would be posture in prayer. And since in eastern Christianity glorification is central in theology, a simple prayer is sufficient to center and quiet the mind, and open the heart to the Spirit.

As scripture says, "be still and know I Am", "worship in spirit and truth". Thus does contemplative praying as our nous awaits illumination in such "stillness".

God's revelation is to the human heart, not the human eyes and ears.

And as consistent commentary of understanding the Lord's intention of meaning in this passage in Matthew 6:7-8, NASB:

And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Let me just direct some attention to the following;

Revelations 4:8-11, NASB:

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."
And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

Now, we might differ on comparisions of these passages with how they relate to Christian prayer as expressed in specific uses of prayer beads and rosaries, but I find that it's more the "meaningless" part of the first verse that our Lord is stressing rather than the "repitition", even though he goes on to stress that the Father is well aware of our needs prior to our mention of them to him, and that the Father's hearing of our status is not affected by the many words sent his way in prayer. He's certainly emphasizing the vainity of supposing that repitition or constant elaboration of our condition will gain any more attention or awareness from him than he's already supplying, but I find that's exactly what is meant by "meaningless".

Further, Paul relates in Romans 8:25-27, NASB:

But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

One can't get better or further enhance prayerful communication than the Spirit himself interceding on our behalf, so I think it's fair to say that the rosary is generally meant as more consistent with the above passage in Revelation, in that it is a worshipful pnemonic praise device.

One can't get better or further enhance prayerful communication than the Spirit himself interceding on our behalf, ...

Prayer isn't the subject of this thread, but rather ornamentation. In which case it is the church as the bride which is adorned rather than ourselves. Which is another subject.

But I wanted to respond to this quote above. I think we all know the Spirit intercedes for us. That is the easy part. The hard part is in our hearing the response. That's were hesychasm comes in. ;)

One can't get better or further enhance prayerful communication than the Spirit himself interceding on our behalf, so I think it's fair to say that the rosary is generally meant as more consistent with the above passage in Revelation, in that it is a worshipful pnemonic praise device.

Not really what the Catholic Church has to say about it. What follows is quotes from Pope John Paul II in his "APOSTOLIC LETTER ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY" (Bolded emphasis mine).

“The Rosary is my favourite prayer. A marvellous prayer! Marvellous in its simplicity and its depth. [...]. It can be said that the Rosary is, in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution Lumen Gentium, a chapter which discusses the wondrous presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church. Against the background of the words Ave Maria the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul. They take shape in the complete series of the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries, and they put us in living communion with Jesus through – we might say – the heart of his Mother. At the same time our heart can embrace in the decades of the Rosary all the events that make up the lives of individuals, families, nations, the Church, and all mankind. Our personal concerns and those of our neighbour, especially those who are closest to us, who are dearest to us. Thus the simple prayer of the Rosary marks the rhythm of human life”.

"To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ."

"Perhaps too, there are some who fear that the Rosary is somehow unecumenical because of its distinctly Marian character. Yet the Rosary clearly belongs to the kind of veneration of the Mother of God described by the Council: a devotion directed to the Christological centre of the Christian faith, in such a way that “when the Mother is honoured, the Son ... is duly known, loved and glorified”.(8) If properly revitalized, the Rosary is an aid and certainly not a hindrance to ecumenism!"

"But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the Rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte as a genuine “training in holiness”: “What is needed is a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer”.(9) Inasmuch as contemporary culture, even amid so many indications to the contrary, has witnessed the flowering of a new call for spirituality, due also to the influence of other religions, it is more urgent than ever that our Christian communities should become “genuine schools of prayer”.

"A number of historical circumstances also make a revival of the Rosary quite timely. First of all, the need to implore from God the gift of peace. The Rosary has many times been proposed by my predecessors and myself as a prayer for peace. At the start of a millennium which began with the terrifying attacks of 11 September 2001, a millennium which witnesses every day innumerous parts of the world fresh scenes of bloodshed and violence, to rediscover the Rosary means to immerse oneself in contemplation of the mystery of Christ who “is our peace”, since he made “the two of us one, and broke down the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:14). Consequently, one cannot recite the Rosary without feeling caught up in a clear commitment to advancing peace, especially in the land of Jesus, still so sorely afflicted and so close to the heart of every Christian."

"It would be impossible to name all the many Saints who discovered in the Rosary a genuine path to growth in holiness. We need but mention Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, the author of an excellent work on the Rosary,(12) and, closer to ourselves, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, whom I recently had the joy of canonizing. As a true apostle of the Rosary, Blessed Bartolo Longo had a special charism. His path to holiness rested on an inspiration heard in the depths of his heart: “Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved!”."

"The contemplation of Christ has an incomparable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving from her a human resemblance which points to an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary. The eyes of her heart already turned to him at the Annunciation, when she conceived him by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the months that followed she began to sense his presence and to picture his features. When at last she gave birth to him in Bethlehem, her eyes were able to gaze tenderly on the face of her Son, as she “wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger” (Lk2:7).

Thereafter Mary's gaze, ever filled with adoration and wonder, would never leave him. At times it would be a questioning look, as in the episode of the finding in the Temple: “Son, why have you treated us so?” (Lk 2:48); it would always be a penetrating gaze, one capable of deeply understanding Jesus, even to the point of perceiving his hidden feelings and anticipating his decisions, as at Cana (cf. Jn 2:5). At other times it would be a look of sorrow, especially beneath the Cross, where her vision would still be that of a mother giving birth, for Mary not only shared the passion and death of her Son, she also received the new son given to her in the beloved disciple (cf. Jn 19:26-27). On the morning of Easter hers would be a gaze radiant with the joy of the Resurrection, and finally, on the day of Pentecost, a gaze afire with the outpouring of the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14)."

"The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary's own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer. Without this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: “Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: 'In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words' (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed”.

"Christ is the supreme Teacher, the revealer and the one revealed. It is not just a question of learning what he taught but of “learning him”. In this regard could we have any better teacher than Mary? From the divine standpoint, the Spirit is the interior teacher who leads us to the full truth of Christ (cf. Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:13). But among creatures no one knows Christ better than Mary; no one can introduce us to a profound knowledge of his mystery better than his Mother."

"The Rosary is both meditation and supplication. Insistent prayer to the Mother of God is based on confidence that her maternal intercession can obtain all things from the heart of her Son. She is “all-powerful by grace”, to use the bold expression, which needs to be properly understood, of Blessed Bartolo Longo in his Supplication to Our Lady.(25) This is a conviction which, beginning with the Gospel, has grown ever more firm in the experience of the Christian people. The supreme poet Dante expresses it marvellously in the lines sung by Saint Bernard: “Lady, thou art so great and so powerful, that whoever desires grace yet does not turn to thee, would have his desire fly without wings”.(26) When in the Rosary we plead with Mary, the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 1:35), she intercedes for us before the Father who filled her with grace and before the Son born of her womb, praying with us and for us."

"The Rosary is one of the traditional paths of Christian prayer directed to the contemplation of Christ's face. Pope Paul VI described it in these words: “As a Gospel prayer, centred on the mystery of the redemptive Incarnation, the Rosary is a prayer with a clearly Christological orientation. Its most characteristic element, in fact, the litany- like succession of Hail Marys, becomes in itself an unceasing praise of Christ, who is the ultimate object both of the Angel's announcement and of the greeting of the Mother of John the Baptist: 'Blessed is the fruit of your womb' (Lk 1:42). We would go further and say that the succession of Hail Marys constitutes the warp on which is woven the contemplation of the mysteries. The Jesus that each Hail Mary recalls is the same Jesus whom the succession of mysteries proposes to us now as the Son of God, now as the Son of the Virgin”."

"One thing is clear: although the repeated Hail Mary is addressed directly to Mary, it is to Jesus that the act of love is ultimately directed, with her and through her. The repetition is nourished by the desire to be conformed ever more completely to Christ, the true programme of the Christian life. Saint Paul expressed this project with words of fire: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). And again: “It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). The Rosary helps us to be conformed ever more closely to Christ until we attain true holiness.

A valid method..."

"We should not be surprised that our relationship with Christ makes use of a method. God communicates himself to us respecting our human nature and its vital rhythms. Hence, while Christian spirituality is familiar with the most sublime forms of mystical silence in which images, words and gestures are all, so to speak, superseded by an intense and ineffable union with God, it normally engages the whole person in all his complex psychological, physical and relational reality."

"I mentioned in my Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte that the West is now experiencing a renewed demand for meditation, which at times leads to a keen interest in aspects of other religions.(35) Some Christians, limited in their knowledge of the Christian contemplative tradition, are attracted by those forms of prayer. While the latter contain many elements which are positive and at times compatible with Christian experience, they are often based on ultimately unacceptable premises. Much in vogue among these approaches are methods aimed at attaining a high level of spiritual concentration by using techniques of a psychophysical, repetitive and symbolic nature. The Rosary is situated within this broad gamut of religious phenomena, but it is distinguished by characteristics of its own which correspond to specifically Christian requirements.

"In effect, the Rosary is simply a method of contemplation. As a method, it serves as a means to an end and cannot become an end in itself. All the same, as the fruit of centuries of experience, this method should not be undervalued. In its favour one could cite the experience of countless Saints. This is not to say, however, that the method cannot be improved. Such is the intent of the addition of the new series of mysteria lucis to the overall cycle of mysteries and of the few suggestions which I am proposing in this Letter regarding its manner of recitation. These suggestions, while respecting the well-established structure of this prayer, are intended to help the faithful to understand it in the richness of its symbolism and in harmony with the demands of daily life. Otherwise there is a risk that the Rosary would not only fail to produce the intended spiritual effects, but even that the beads, with which it is usually said, could come to be regarded as some kind of amulet or magic object, thereby radically distorting their meaning and function."

Source- http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html

Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved?

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

The Rosary is a prayer for peace?

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Insistent prayer to the Mother of God is based on confidence that her maternal intercession can obtain all things from the heart of her Son?

John 16:23
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Our relationship with Christ makes use of a method (i.e. the Rosary)?

John 10:1
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Prayer isn't the subject of this thread, but rather ornamentation. In which case it is the church as the bride which is adorned rather than ourselves. Which is another subject.

But I wanted to respond to this quote above. I think we all know the Spirit intercedes for us. That is the easy part. The hard part is in our hearing the response. That's were hesychasm comes in. ;)
:hug: That's certainly one take on the thread, but I find that in our present state and even in a glorified one, ornamentaion can indeed be an "implication" of what is worn and what is seen (even with spiritual eyes) in prayer, whether it be a rosary or our flesh or some wafting of a burnt offering of acceptable smoke and aroma before God (like say, on an altar or with a censer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censer), also popular in Christian 'high worship' among Roman Catholics and others).

I think Jesus and the Spirit and the spirits are certainly communicating that ornamentation in prayer may be superfluous, but prayer through ornamentation is our created state, even as a new creation, and even with a glorified incorruptible body. I find use of a rosary as a worshipful adornment in prayer, whether around ones neck as a constant pneumonic reminder or in ones hands through a sequence of prayers and meditations, can be found consistent with Christian comportment and worship, even if it's somehow reduced to liking how it looks.

You are wise in establishing for the thread that in our communion with God, as in our communion with one another, having ears to hear (and eyes to see) is both more difficult and more important than anything we might say or wear or use, and often best tuned and atoned by our stillness and deprivation of the physical senses. I wonder how many of us even have such a prayer closet when we regularly pray?

Not really what the Catholic Church has to say about it.
:hug: I'm sorry, Scar, I appreciate your kind cautionary words, but I fail to see any dichotomy in our posts; but I perhaps should have continued to pointed out that the OP is indeed addressing the beaded object of a rosary rather than the prayer of the rosary.

Certainly Roman Catholics and other Christians who regularly use a beaded prayer chain have differing theologies which any of us, whether individual or in concert, may find inconsistent with our understandings of Christian Scripture or church traditions. I myself am of what is usually termed a Reformed understanding of Christian Scripture and church tradition, which has often been emphasized as very strongly at variance with Roman Catholicism.

But I can see that I've perhaps moved the discussion from where the OP intended it to be, so I'll leave off.

Heres a link about some of the origins of crucifixes: http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:8-76rcZnmiIJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Fuzzypeg/Mithraism_and_Christianity+mithras+crucifix&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Even before this it started from the Indian swaztika

and to and earlier post - the Lord tells us to pray without ceasing, meaning pray all day, pray about all things.

i dont know all the implications of wearing one im a christian but i like how they look.

It is not jewelry to be worn although I don't have a problem with prayer beads as long as you're using it to pray to the ONE and only Father. Many people use them to keep track of time (one hour etc.)