a question about icons?

[kamikat]

Are icons sacred, in and of themselves? Meaning, would it be sacreligious to have icons on coffee mugs, t-shirts, ect? I have seen these things, and my gut feeling is that it's not quite right, somewhat like the plastic Jesus' that you sometimes see on car dashboards. I've also seen things like icon needlepoint or embroidery patterns, I guess for home display. Are these things ok?
kamikat

[gzt]

I don't see anything wrong with needlepoint or embroidery, but mugs, t-shirts, etc don't sit right with me. It turns an image of the Mother of God into just another decoration on another trinket. And who venerates a coffee mug? I also don't like putting icons on the fronts of church bulletins, because they get thrown out and then covered in like tomato sauce or something.

[Happy Orthodox]

Well, one of the commandmends' message "Do not pronounce the name of God without necessity" can also be transfered on images as well. Images of God are like the name of the Lord holy, and therefore should not be pun in inappropriate places, or used without reverance and honor. This is also true about the HOLY Bible, the holy relics, the Temples and other holy things.

[Michael the Iconographer]

I don't see anything wrong with needlepoint or embroidery, but mugs, t-shirts, etc don't sit right with me. It turns an image of the Mother of God into just another decoration on another trinket. And who venerates a coffee mug? I also don't like putting icons on the fronts of church bulletins, because they get thrown out and then covered in like tomato sauce or something.

Embroidery is fine, as with needlepoint, as long as you are not just using it as a throw rug or something like that. My sister is cross stiching me an icon of the Face of Christ not Made by Hands, based on a pattern that I gave her. I have a serious problem with icons being on coffee mugs and t-shirts, etc. I have a few t-shirts from a pro-life group from before I was Orthodox that have icons of the Theotokos on them, and these will need burned. I do not wear them. Icons on the front of bulletins are fine, as they are often used to tell about the feast of the day. There are canons about this stuff, but I do not recall what they are off the top of my head.

[Jacob4707]

The wife of the priest at the church we've been attending says that Father does not like to send or use icon Christmas cards because he knows they get thrown away, and he doesn't think that's how icons should be treated. I don't know what he does with the ones he receives.

I guess if you get an icon Christmas card, you need to save it, or - what? - burn it if you are going to discard it?

Examples: http://www.apicons.com/Cards.htm

[Oblio]

And who venerates a coffee mug?

:sorry:


Seriously, it is common in Belorussia to have tapestry icons, hung on the wall of course. We have one in our parish singlewide trailer down here in Ga.

[Michael the Iconographer]

This whole discussing really gets into the age old debate about what exactly constitutes an icon.

[moses916]

I don't see anything wrong with needlepoint or embroidery, but mugs, t-shirts, etc don't sit right with me. It turns an image of the Mother of God into just another decoration on another trinket. And who venerates a coffee mug? I also don't like putting icons on the fronts of church bulletins, because they get thrown out and then covered in like tomato sauce or something.

I agree with everything you have said except for the bulletins, after our bulletins are used and left at church we collect them and tear off the page with the icon of the Saints to burn them. I would agree with you about the bulletins if our Church just threw them away. :)

[HandmaidenOfGod]

In our Church once a year we have an "icon collection" of old calendars, Christmas cards, and other prints people may have received with icons on them throughout the year, but no longer want. The Church then disposes of them appropriately.

[Greg the byzantine]

In our Church once a year we have an "icon collection" of old calendars, Christmas cards, and other prints people may have received with icons on them throughout the year, but no longer want. The Church then disposes of them appropriately.
That's a good idea. We never know what to do with all the Orthodox Observer's we get

[HandmaidenOfGod]

That's a good idea. We never know what to do with all the Orthodox Observer's we get

Suggest it to your priest, maybe he'll go for it. :thumbsup:

[Michael the Iconographer]

In our Church once a year we have an "icon collection" of old calendars, Christmas cards, and other prints people may have received with icons on them throughout the year, but no longer want. The Church then disposes of them appropriately.

You could always just send them to me, lol. You would not believe the collection I have on file to use for patterns for icons.