Faith or fashion?

And now for a little rant.

My faith is an integral part of who I am, guides me in raising my daughters and the way I wish to live my daily life.  It is mine - I have never imposed by belief system on anyone and I never will. I respect everyone's choices and, while I do not have to agree with other people's views, I will always listen and will only offer my opinion if asked. I am fortunate I have friends from all creeds and religions. My best friend is an Atheist.

Ok, so I now feel comfortable enough to proceed having stated my views.

Ever since Madonna decided to wear rosary beads as an accessory, fans have emulated this and followed suit. As I grew up in the 80s, I remember the uproar it caused and the media coverage it generated.
As all fads, this one subsided and people soon forgot.

A few years ago, I noticed a resurgence of the rosary bead necklace. At first, I'd see it worn by middle-aged women, like my mum, during and after World Youth Day in Sydney. This seemed acceptable by the general public and most never batted an eye.

As the religious fervour wound down, I then started to notice young guys around 15-25 years-old wearing them with pride and happy to tell you, if you asked (which I did) that they wore these to tell the world they were Catholics.


Soon after, I noticed jewellery shops jump on this trend and stock every kind of rosary bead imaginable - gold, silver, precious stones from baby to adult sizes.
None of this bothered me in the slightest. I loved seeing people proud to display their faith in such a public and beautiful way.

But, and this is where my anger begins to bubble up.

I'm no fashionista, but I clearly remember the night Aussie singer Delta Goodrem - during her battle with cancer - wore a set of rosary beads around her hand when she won an Aria. I saw this as a symbol of her faith or an amulet for protection during her illness.
What soon followed was a flooding of wannabees adoring themselves with rosary beads as fashion items.
Wear it if it MEANS something to you, but as pretty trinket? You really have no right, in my eyes.

Now, for those of you who think I'm just being hyper-sensitive, let me relay a conversation to you. A very close friend of mine lives in the same building as one of Australia's most respected, most popular  designers. His name is synonymous with the latest trend, his clothing is worn by only the rich, and very rich.

Let's call him Bob.

One morning, Bob was leaving his trendy East Sydney apartment wearing a beautiful set of rosary beads around his neck, clearly visible upon his designer shirt. My friend, a photographer, was delighted to see this, but cynical at the same time. He asked Bob,

"Faith or Fashion?"

Incredulously Bob answered, "Fashion, darrrrrrling."

Recently, I had a similar exchange with a well-known and much loved Aussie musician. His answer, when I asked him, was also, "Fashion". 

Why wear a sacred symbol and flaunt it so irreverantly? I would never wear a Hijab as a fashion item or a Yamaka to make a statement. I wouldn't dot my forehead with red dye or wear Buddhist prayer beads as bracelets.

A few years ago, I worked for a Catholic religious Order. Their symbol was a simple wooden Tau - a variation of a crucifix which represents St Francis of Assisi and the Order he founded. I was gifted one and wore it with pride. But, one individual who was associated with the Order, took offence to my wearing it. I stopped wearing it out of respect.

I'll end my rant here, but I'd just like to conclude by saying that symbols are important. Not only do they give one a sense of belonging, but they are sacred and represent something which goes deeper than just an adornment.

What do you all think?