A Stone gift

[Kireina]

Here's the thing I bought a new house so my aunt sent me a "balikbayan box" full of things as a house warming gifr for me and inside the box she put a "virgin Mary figurine" I only found out about it when I called home and asked my mother about the things inside the box....

My mother showed me the figurine and "I said I don't want that in my house but my mother said "you don't want it but we want it for us" I don't want those figurines inside my house...but what should I do...? I don't want to disrespect them but I don't want the Mary figurine inside my house 😭


My parents are not born again Christians...

 

[Godsgirl83]

Hi Kireina.

I'm a little confused.
You bought the house, so it is your house?
Do your parents live with you?

 

[Kireina]

Hi Kireina.

I'm a little confused.
You bought the house, so it is your house?
Do your parents live with you?

Yes it is my house but I am currently not in the Philippines...my parents live with me...They are staying in the new house right now for how long already? 🤔 2 weeks if I can still remember...

 

[TheIndianGirl]

Here's the thing I bought a new house so my aunt sent me a "balikbayan box" full of things as a house warming gifr for me and inside the box she put a "virgin Mary figurine" I only found out about it when I called home and asked my mother about the things inside the box....

My mother showed me the figurine and "I said I don't want that in my house but my mother said "you don't want it but we want it for us" I don't want those figurines inside my house...but what should I do...? I don't want to disrespect them but I don't want the Mary figurine inside my house 😭

My parents are not born again Christians...

It is your house, so you make the rules including on this issue. But, there may be some tension in the house. Faith is something very personal so they may feel unwelcomed.

 

[Kireina]

It is your house, so you make the rules including on this issue. But, there may be some tension in the house. Faith is something very personal so they may feel unwelcomed.

This is what I'm thinking and you know.. old people are much more emotionally sensitives...😟

 

[JohnDB]

Throw the thing in the closet when they leave.
You wear clothes that express you to the outside world. You don't wear clothes to express your parents lives. That would be ridiculous.

So your house is a reflection on you...what you believe to be important. Now your parents are trying to help...they don't understand everything about you...so help them understand you.

But...you know how well not "honoring" your parents in the Philippines goes over with everyone. Family traditions and all that. So you are going to have to talk to them about difficult things. Be direct and blunt...don't be emotional. Don't add in a bunch of emotional baggage into the conversation either. And that they are trying to honor you and your beliefs in the house as best as they understand how to do so.

 

[ChristianTonyB]

Hi Kireina.

This is typical of dilemmas we Christians face when dealing with loved ones that are on the 'outside'.

I've had to draw the line with my family on a few things, and those plus other spiritual differences (they are Catholic, but non-practicing, they are more or less atheistic now) means I can't have the close association with them that I had in the past, before I became a Christian. We still get on well enough, and regularly check up on each other's welfare. Occasionally I visit them for a few days or so, any longer and the relationship starts to strain because of spiritual/moral differences.

As I understand it, the gift was sent to you, it's your gift! Therefore you have the right to deal with it as you see fit, including bundling it up and sending it back to your Aunt with a letter of apology and explanation. You don't need to clear that with anyone else.

Respect, and care of feelings go both ways in any relationship, parent to child, child to parent. Unless the home is a joint venture with your parents, the authority for it, what can be done or not done within its boundaries, rests in your hands.

For we Christians, the primary consideration we would have is, if this statue, or other religious statues and paraphernalia, were to be placed in my home, would they be offensive to God? And the short answer here of course is, yes, they would be.

But there seems other complications in your situation, which will need to be considered too.

The home you made, is it intended to be a permanent place of residence for your parents?

If you return to PH, are you intending to live with your parents in the home?

Shalom,

Tony

 

[JesusLives]

Is there a small place you could set it up out in your yard like a covered porch or a tree that is shady in the back yard where they could have a special place for their belief but it would be out of your house? Just a thought to try and keep peace on both sides.

 

[JohnDB]

It's just a little figurine...
I put up a nativity scene at Christmas...
It has all kinds of little statues of Joseph and shepherds and wise men. No one has ever accused me of being Catholic or praying to Mary. Ever!

Association with parents?
They are always the most annoying people who love you best.

Love is a wonderful and rare thing. It's not something that should be dismissed lightly. Sure, every young adult should find and establish their own path in life...including your own personal relationship with God.

But we, as Christians, value and promote love. Parents love their children. No commandment about that because it's inherent. That's not the case the other way around. Sure, sometimes it is difficult to love your parents. They can be very annoying. If a Christian can't love them (I didn't say like) then you fail the first test.(of the many)

God gave us those parents knowing that they would ultimately drive us to Himself. That's an important thing to remember.

 

[ChristianTonyB]

It's just a little figurine...
I put up a nativity scene at Christmas...
It has all kinds of little statues of Joseph and shepherds and wise men. No one has ever accused me of being Catholic or praying to Mary. Ever!

Association with parents?
They are always the most annoying people who love you best.

Love is a wonderful and rare thing. It's not something that should be dismissed lightly. Sure, every young adult should find and establish their own path in life...including your own personal relationship with God.

But we, as Christians, value and promote love. Parents love their children. No commandment about that because it's inherent. That's not the case the other way around. Sure, sometimes it is difficult to love your parents. They can be very annoying. If a Christian can't love them (I didn't say like) then you fail the first test.(of the many)

God gave us those parents knowing that they would ultimately drive us to Himself. That's an important thing to remember.

It's not merely a figurine unfortunately, it's an idol in a way. One of many religious symbols and so-called sacred items that we Catholics use to gain favour with God, as well as believing that they have power to fend off evil. It's superstitious behaviour, and I'm careful to discourage anyone from using them because it is a deception/stumbling block to their salvation. I won't have any in my home, in case a weak Christian mistakenly thinks I believe in their power. Christians don't need outward symbols to remind them of God and the Lordship of Jesus, the Holy Spirit reminds them of that.

The first commandment is not to please man, but to please God. We are not loving God by supporting the use of superstition, and we are not loving our neighbour either, so we are failing on both of the Lord's commandments.

The statue in question here is an apparent impression of Mary. A Catholic prays to her, because they believe her to be the mother of God, our Creator. That is a contradiction in terms, and just plainly evil. People may think it's an innocuous thing to do, to have religious images in our homes, but it isn't, it's supporting satanic deception.

Not sure where you get the idea that all parents drive/direct their children towards God. Not that it can't happen, and we Christians are supposed to do that, but the OP implied that the relatives in question are not Christian. I have never experienced where unbelieving parents have steered their children towards God, and I've known a lot of unbelieving families in my life.

I realise you are well meaning, and peace loving, but we have to check that whatever we are advocating as being OK, will be honourable to God first and foremost. Religious symbols and observances (except that preached by James/his description of pure religion) distract people's minds away from God, therefore they certainly don't honour Him.

 

[JohnDB]

It's not merely a figurine unfortunately, it's an idol in a way. One of many religious symbols and so-called sacred items that we Catholics use to gain favour with God, as well as believing that they have power to fend off evil. It's superstitious behaviour, and I'm careful to discourage anyone from using them because it is a deception/stumbling block to their salvation. I won't have any in my home, in case a weak Christian mistakenly thinks I believe in their power. Christians don't need outward symbols to remind them of God and the Lordship of Jesus, the Holy Spirit reminds them of that.

The first commandment is not to please man, but to please God. We are not loving God by supporting the use of superstition, and we are not loving our neighbour either, so we are failing on both of the Lord's commandments.

The statue in question here is an apparent impression of Mary. A Catholic prays to her, because they believe her to be the mother of God, our Creator. That is a contradiction in terms, and just plainly evil. People may think it's an innocuous thing to do, to have religious images in our homes, but it isn't, it's supporting satanic deception.

Not sure where you get the idea that all parents drive/direct their children towards God. Not that it can't happen, and we Christians are supposed to do that, but the OP implied that the relatives in question are not Christian. I have never experienced where unbelieving parents have steered their children towards God, and I've known a lot of unbelieving families in my life.

I realise you are well meaning, and peace loving, but we have to check that whatever we are advocating as being OK, will be honourable to God first and foremost. Religious symbols and observances (except that preached by James/his description of pure religion) distract people's minds away from God, therefore they certainly don't honour Him.

I like the story of Billy Graham...
His father was the town drunk.

But that misbehavior on his father's part actually drove Billy harder to God.

Sounds very confusing but it was a form of rebellion on Billy's part.

People are complicated and simple all at the same time.

And where a nativity scene is good a single statue out of the set is bad?

Talismans are junk...junk we like but there is no such thing as a good luck charm.

And if you live the kind of life you are supposed to...nobody will accuse you of idol worship.

 

[A-Sword-Cometh]

God has said that you are to smash the idols to pieces, and you will not keep the accursed thing in your possession for any reason.