| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
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| Left hand history??? | Mark | Tuesday, November 2, 2004 |
Question: Hello Brother, Thank you for this wonderful forum. I have learned a lot and have found many things useful. I have a question about people who are left handed. I picked this forum because I need to use your answer to defend the faith. My mother and father in law said that left handed people were always considered to have a "sinister" hand and that being left handed was bad (according to Catholics). They are not catholic but grew up around other catholic children who went to catholic school. These kids said that certain nuns would tie their hands and even use a ruler to discourage being left handed. My question is, did the church ever teach that being left handed was bad? 2 of my 3 kids are left handed so I wonder. Do you know why people would have thought this? Thanks and God Bless, |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+
Dear Mark: The Church does NOT teach that being left handed is bad. Society, however, use to consider left-handedness an abnormal thing even up into the twentieth century. My mother, who grew up in the 1930's was forced by the Public School to be right handed. She was born left handed. This was a common practice back in those days. I imagine Nuns did the same thing in Catholic schools, since it was a common practice but it has nothing to do with being Catholic. Most creative people are left-handed. Those of us who are left-handed, which I am too, are in great company that includes Joan of Arc, Charlemagne, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Albrecht Dürer, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and many others. Without left-handers the Sistine Chapel would not have its great murals! God bless, |
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