I'm sorry but I won't kiss that cross

Hi VernaC I am glad to read this. I love people who kind of break trends and grow beyond the orthodox nature of the religion. I am happy that you married someone who is not from your religion and again, you are allowed to practice your own faith and religion. All religions do preach love and harmony and I am sure no God says or lays down rules that you should do this or that like kissing cross or anything like that out of compulsion. The feeling should come from within and if your heart doesnt approve of it, it nowhere means that you are not God's Loved one. The Lord is much bigger and does have a Bigger heart that anyone can imagine.

I think you have full liberty to kiss or not, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am confused with your line, are you married to a different religion or something? I take it as if you have not married to a different religion person. It is okay to marry to a different religion person, all that is needed is the respect for each other.

Hi friend, good to know that the priest understand your feelings and don't compel you for the religious activity. As you mentioned you are from different religion and have faith with it. No one can force us to change our opinion, we have the rights to do a thing or refuse it

I do think it is not advisable to kiss the crucifix of that priest. Kissing the cross is an old tradition way of showing respect to God. Though it is not visible for some priest to do the gestures.

thats your choice, you have to do what you want to do.. not what you are told to do. Take care there... see you soon...

Perhaps if you married a man from a different religion, you both need to sit down and have a deep and serious talk about your religions. Perhaps, you both need to talk to the religious leaders of both your religions. If you and your husband don't deeply understand each others' religions, then this could cause a disharmony and misunderstandings in your relationships. Pray and seek God's wisdom and guidance. He wants you to be happy and fulfilled. So, it sounds like you and your husband need to have a deep talk about religion. It may not change either of your minds, but it may help each other to understand and appreciate each other better. And to understand the deep meaning of each others' religions and practices of each others' religions.

Well beyond the spiritual differences, if you had kissed that cross you'd be kissing every other person that cross had been with. Gross and unhygienic, dude. You made the right choice.

My belief is up to a particular age we need guidance and we go by the route our parents take. But once we know what is right and wrong, it should be left to the individual to decide on which course to take. As long as you are at peace with your self there is nothing wrong in the direction you have chosen.

That is a very common practice in our country. Religious people would kiss the cross and other images. I used to do that as a kid, but when I went to one Catholic school which had Jesuit priest in it, he told us not to do it because we could contract illnesses from that practice. I stopped doing that after Fr. Paul, a devout Catholic priest told us not to do it for sanitary reasons.

Every thing in some Christian Churches such as Catholic, Anglican, Aglipayan etc is a just representation of someone. Representations of the different faces of God. This should just help us picture how he could look like. It is like having a photograph of someone you love so much. You kiss and embrace it while crying when you miss this person. It is the same thing with the images and statues inside the church. To me, I go to church when it is empty. I stare at the beautifully carved images on the walls. Not only the statues are well done, showing real human emotions and charisma but also the adornments painted on the frames. Looking at them, I am awed to how great this God- given talent to man. This beauty, has been the way for this artist to express his or her faith to God. But, yeah, neither would I even dip my finger on that holy water in the entrance. Never would I also kiss a priest's hand or ring. If your faith is strong, simple praying and being good to others is more than enough to be a good Christian.

Hi understand you completely , G-D has a way of Leting know what to do and not to do. If you want to get back involved with Your reglious community. Visit a reform Temple.they have a lot mix interfaith. All vista a Chabad and talk to there Sister Hood.for me I call myself Reformdox. I go to the reform On Friday night and the Chabad On Saturday morning. I'm a koheing and I enjoy Doing that. I might of spell it wrong. OK Have a good day.may Hashem show you The way

The first time I saw people kissing icons and crawling underneath them I was quite horrified. My background was not orthodox and I have never understood why priests encourage this kind of thing. On holiday some time ago my husband and I visited a monastery in which there was a mummified saint. The priest expected visitors to kiss the mummy, otherwise he said it was just a side show! I stood back when I realised what was about to happen and fortunately I escaped. The priest was encouraging the others in a rather forthright way but I think I looked so light skinned that he realised I was an alien and left me in peace. We have to be true to what we believe, I would resist kissing a cross too, but it isn't easy to behave differently to others around. If our conscience holds us back we should be strong, as you were, and resist.

I understand your reasons for some point, I am a bit like you. I married a man with different religion and beliefs with mine too. I hope too that one day, God will make His way to lead us what are the good for the both of us...

I admire you that your belief is unwavering. You didn't kiss the cross even if you are in front of people who are asking you to do so. I myself do not also believe in images but there was a point when I did kiss the cross because I was ashamed that other people might look at me suspiciously. I regret doing that and I promise I won't do that again just to please other people.

You should practice and hold to your own religious convictions. It's not unreasonable that you would feel uncomfortable doing a practice that belongs specifically to another religion than your own. Certainly you are under no obligation to submit to a religious authority that doesn't follow or honor your own beliefs. God will always welcome you to return to his flock. He is merciful and will in no way cast us out.

That is a very common practice in our country. Religious people would kiss the cross and other images. I used to do that as a kid, but when I went to one Catholic school which had Jesuit priest in it, he told us not to do it because we could contract illnesses from that practice. I stopped doing that after Fr. Paul, a devout Catholic priest told us not to do it for sanitary reasons.

I am romanian too, and a christian orthodox, even if i`m not a practicing christian i was baptized and probably i will die inside the orthodox church. It is a common practice for the orthodox christians to kiss the cross, or the icons, or even the remains of a holy person.Probably the priest thought you are one of them, but as you saw, no one is forced to do anything, this is the way eastern orthodox church is, they will never come to knock at your door 100 times trying to get you converted. I`m not sure i understand what is your religion, i think we have almost all the churches here now, so how come your religion doesn`t have one ?