Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Garland's of Grace and Catholics... In Her Own Words...

Writing this post saddens me.  I remember the day my first snood arrived in the mail.  It was a Garland's of Grace Snood and it was beautiful.  I highly recommended them on my blog, repeatedly.  I loved my snood so much that I came up with my own design and basically taught myself to sew.  Sure the little packets of scripture that were included made me slightly uncomfortable, because I knew that they were verses that are frequently taken out of context and twisted so that they can be "used" against Catholics, but it wasn't blatant and I decided to ignore it.  Her products are good.  

Then I saw this, this morning.  I was reading my favorite Anglo-Catholic blog, and she pointed me over to this post on It's On My To Do List.  And I actually started shaking a little.  I had to see it for myself.  So I headed over to GoG's facebook page, hoping against hope that there was some mistake, or that maybe the owner had put it up in a heated moment and taken it down.  No such luck.  It's real.  It's there.  It's started a debate.  


As you all know I'm a Catholic small business owner.  I buy from Catholic businesses.  I buy from other non-Catholic Christian businesses.  I buy from non-Christian businesses.  I have a problem buying anything from a business that thinks I'm a burden.

In light of all the reviews and glowing praise I've given Garland's of Grace over the years, I had to post this.  Now you know and can make your own decision.  It's On My To Do List gives a list of businesses in the post I linked to above.

This just makes me kind of sad.  But I can't say I'm really surprised.

30 comments:

  1. quite a risk to take as a business owner. she feels this strongly and is compelled to set the record straight. Wonder what she'll think of the all comments on the FB page?

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  2. It is! I can understand setting the record straight... I just wish she'd done it in a way that didn't insult Catholics. I've had people write me and ask me what I am, and I just respond and say I'm Catholic, without slamming anyone else... Usually people who do feel the need to ask don't end up buying from me, I imagine because I am Catholic...

    The comments are interesting to say the least. I can imagine them being taken in a number of ways!

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  3. I am in shock by how rude it was. :( It is amazing the 'tone' that can be picked up in even a simple Facebook message. It was genuinely sad to read it. I have not bought from her site but thought it was lovely and very well done. I was very thankful to It's On My To Do List for giving a list of alternative places to shop. :)

    Sometimes I cannot believe the things that happen in what is supposed to be 2012. SIgh.

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  4. Cam,

    THANK YOU for bringing this to our attention. I am so saddened by this. I think she meant that her heart feels "burdened" for those of us who are Catholic and, in her opinion, so clearly ignorant of the truth and are most likely "unsaved." It sounds like some people asked her if they were Catholic or she saw Catholics recommending the shop and presumed that they believed it was a Catholic shop, and this is what set off the comment. I'm rather shocked that others believing that the shop may be Catholic bothered her so much. I didn't think they were Catholic. Like you, I wasn't altogether comfortable with the type of literature they include in their packages but I saw it as basically harmless. And since they seemed to be devout Christians generally, I had no problem buying from them. That isn't the case anymore.

    I just read the comments over on Facebook. I was pleased with the sheer volume of faithful Catholics that piped up, although there was some unpleasantness mixed in there as well. I contemplated posting a comment, but I don't know if that's what I really want to do. Others there said everything that's in my heart much more articulately than I could get it out right now.

    At any rate, I'm so glad that you drew this to my attention. I won't buy from them again. I too recommended them on my blog, and I'm very sorry that things ended with them this way. You have all of my headcovering business now. :)

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  5. The commentary is growing... wonder how long it'll take them to delete the entry or come out with an explanation.

    Humpf. What a horrible way to start my morning. :(

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  6. Given her (assumed) background it is not surprising. Many, probably a large majority (in my experience) headcovering, dresses only ladies (very conservative, many children, home educating) consider the Catholic church to be a cult because they were taught that way/ taught to interpret scripture that way when it reality it's the other way around. I know because that is my background. I am now in the Catholic church. If one accepts the RC claims (one, holy, catholic, apostolic) there is simply no other way, because historically, logically and Biblically the Catholic church makes sense. She deserves our prayer and pity. I know what it's like being trapped in that sort of cultish atmosphere. God preserve us all.

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  7. So, so sad how many ppl out there truly don't get it and still think this hatred is okay.

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  8. Even before I converted I never had the gall to tell someone I didn't think they were a real Christian because of their denomination.

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  9. I just don't get it. Assumably she believes she's right and that our souls are in eternal danger- but how many people did she push away from the "truth" she wants us to believe...?

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  10. I once bought a headcovering from GoG. I won't be buying anymore. On the brightside there are several Catholic women out there who are making great looking stuff.

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  11. Having a good bit of "Bible Church" in my background, I knew a LOT of people who were working hard to be good Christians but who fell into the error of accepting the lies taught by persons who hate the Catholic Church. The worst offenders are those who not only believe those slurs and slanders but teach them to other persons. I didn't like it when I was in that segment of Christianity, and like it even less now that I have come to the fullness of the Faith and a proper and correct understanding of the Bible.

    Once a person realizes that Jesus is IN the Catholic Church in a full and unique way and that to follow Him is to enter into communion with the Catholic Church, well, it is were we end up!

    It does require that we stop assuming those who told us what certain difficult to understand scripture passages meant were correct and begin to ask, "taking the Bible as a whole, what does this passage, in context, tell me it says?" The day I discovered that Catholic understanding was the ONLY one that made total sense was a very very hard day for me since I did NOT want to be Catholic, nor did I want to lose all my friends.

    In the end it was either follow Jesus into His Church or abandon Christ, so I became Catholic and as I expected I was abandoned by the majority of the people I had long considered friends and it got very unpleasant with certain close relatives.

    Her attitude is not unique, at least she is honest enough to say it publicly, many people I knew who thought that way would hide it because they were trying to be friends with Catholics so as to gradually convert them out of the Catholic Church.

    Pray for her and buy elsewhere.

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  12. I did a little research, and the Garlands of Grace website links to another website which is affiliated with something called Living Waters ministry. A quote from their site: "We may shake our heads when we think of the oxymoron of monks with a lifetime vow of silence. They profess to know God, but never preach the Gospel to the unsaved. They are dead to the world. Many in the Church are like that. Like four days dead Lazarus, they have nothing to do with the outside world. They have been scared to death by the very thought of "evangelism." They sit paralyzed on the pew, wrapped in the shroud of the fear of man. Therefore, we must groan in prayer for them, and like Jesus outside the tomb of Lazarus, lift up our voices and call the dead Church to come out of the grave. There is great joy among laborers when a cold and lifeless corpse comes out of the tomb of inactivity to be a living witness of Him Who is the resurrection and the life. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time."

    The video GofG links to is endorsed (surprise surprise, sorry, I wasn't surprised) by John Piper.

    So many believe the RC church is a dead church, filled with dry wood. Which technically would be Biblically accurate "if they do these things while the wood is green, what will they do when it's dry?" The RC church is certainly well-seasoned! Praise God I'm in it now!

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  13. At least she's honest about it. I've often contemplated buying head coverings from GoG (their snoods are very pretty) but no more. Sad, really.

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  14. I've often been tempted to buy a headcovering or two from them...not now.

    I really pity them and all who think that Catholics need to "see the light", "find the truth", etc. They truly are confused themselves, but they just don't realize it. They do need our prayers.

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  15. Wow!!

    I used to advertise for them on my previous blog.

    I'm in complete shock, especially over what Sarah quoted at 7:28.

    When lent is over and I can get on Etsy, I will put your shop on my sidebar!!

    What a rude way to get her point across.

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  16. thank you for sharing this. I'm so stunned!

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  17. What the...? I wonder if she realizes how many Catholics (and non-Catholics, and non-Christians) she's offended by that post. I had actually been considering buying from them. In fact, Cam, searching for reviews of their product is what brought me to your blog in the first place!

    I certainly will NOT be buying from them now!

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  18. I was this close to buy from them. I'm a born-Catholic now Anglican, and can only be dissapointed by this kind of comments. She can quote the bible as much as she wants, it's her attitude that defines who she is and this kind of attitude is definately not a Christian one. I'm not buying from them that's for shure!

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  19. Quit whining, would you? If you don't want to buy from them, don't, but there's a strong scriptural basis for their views.

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  20. Actually there's really not. I was raised Southern Baptist. Scripture is exactly what led me to the Church established by Christ when he said "You are Peter and upon this rock I built my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." It is what he meant when he said that we are to be a city on a hill for the world to see. Do you really think that city was hidden for the first 15 centuries following his death and resurrection? And it is in the Church that we can receive the Eucharist which he so clearly spoke of as very much real in John chapter 6, leaving absolutely no room for doubt as to what he meant.

    People can shop wherever they want. But I think that people should know what the people they're spending their money with actually think of them, if they've issued insulting statements. My readers clearly did want to know about this.

    I'm not sure when defending the Church Christ founded became "whining."

    If you don't want to visit my blog you don't have to. But if you really want to know what Christ taught, you might want to search for where he said that all his teachings would be found in the Bible alone (you won't find it, because it's not there). Then you might want to take a second look at the Church he entrusted with guiding his flock.

    Prayers.

    You can twist scripture to say anything. Many misguided people have done just that. That's why Christ left us a Church to guide us.

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  21. Sisters, thank you for allowing me to comment on this forum and for opening up this discussion.

    Shall we not cultivate hearts full of love for those who oppose us -- is this not the command of the Lord of us all?

    It seems to me that the comment from Garlands of Grace, that is regarding their perception of being burdened by a deep concern for their Catholic brethren, must only sting insofar as it strikes at one's pride. It is not elevating to be thought a terrible spiritual burden. It is, in fact, humbling. Yet the author has made no ugly accusation or evil slander but shared what is on her heart. Boycott if you will, but acknowledge the shared concern for the gravity of the human condition and the urgent need for redemption. Shall we not be glad of the prayers of another, which if lifted from a sincere heart must gladden our Father above who commanded us to love one another and who so cherishes the wandering sheep of His fold? Let us not fret that one considers us wanderers when we feel ourselves safe and secure in the Shepherd's arms. Let us bless her and pray for her and work to increase her understanding.

    Now, this is hard to hear, but judge it by its truth and not its comfort: can anyone wonder that a person would be so disgusted by some of the institutional Church's actions, and those of her representatives who claim to mediate Christ's communications to His people, as to feel burdened on behalf of those under the Catholic umbrella? Many educated and serious Christians were swayed by Martin Luther's critiques of the corruptions in his time; it is no surprise if the corruptions of the modern Catholic Church have tainted the whole institution in the mind of many. To such critiques let us look to the motes in our eyes and reaffirm our dedication to compassion, to truth, and to the unwearying defense of the vulnerable and the weak.

    Sisters, you may believe that the Garlands of Grace "burden" lies more in a rejection of basic Catholic theology and Scriptural basis than in a moral repugnance related to the behavior of the institutional Church and some of her members. Well, quite naturally anyone not Catholic believes differently. Are you not burdened with concern for those fellows you believe outside of grace? Are you not burdened for Garlands of Grace?

    A disagreement with Catholic theology does not of necessity arise from ignorance. Naturally many Protestants are ignorant of Catholic theology, and many Catholics are ignorant of Protestant theology. The difference between the most righteous Catholics and the most righteous Protestants is not one of knowledge of the Scripture. It takes a great deal of theologizing to get from the Scripture and the early Christian Church to celibate priests (the apostles were all married), infant baptism, the Rosary, the hierarchy of the modern Church and the centrality of mediated Sacraments. It takes a great deal of theologizing to get to Calvin or Luther, too, or to George Fox. But it is foolish to believe that non-Catholics necessarily lack education. What they lack is faith in the Catholic Church.

    The above poster and I have different readings of John 6 and the call to partake of Christ's flesh. But regarding the latter half of John, are we not in accord? We are most clearly called to love our enemies, to do good to those that hate us hoping for nothing in return. We must judge not lest we be judged; we must not condemn; we must cast out the motes that obscure our view of the truth; and if we hear these commands and do them not we shall be like a house built on sand whose ruin is great. But if we hear and we do these things we shall build on firm rock and what we build shall not be shaken.

    Blessings.

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    Replies
    1. I really appreciate what you have shared- your last paragragh is the way of Jesus.

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  22. Well, Sisters, in my misguided enthusiasm I placed Luke's words in John's mouth! and am grateful for this humbling instance. Scripture is Scripture, but Luke is not John.

    Blessings, and thank you for a gracious hearing.

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  23. Does anyone know if they ever retracted their statement, or softened their views or anything?

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  24. Well I just asked them, and this what she sent me:
    Hello Alix!
    "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Prov 27:6

    Though we will miss your business and truly do not mean to belittle you, we still stand firm on our original statement and, as long as The Lord gives us breath, will to continue to speak the truth of His Word in love. Salvation is found in Christ alone. He offers liberty to the captive & sight to the blind. We say what we do because we care about your soul! I will be praying that The Lord opens your eyes to His truth!

    In Christ's unfailing love,
    Rachel

    "“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ” 1 Timothy 2:5

    "“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12

    " Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Gal 2:16

    “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ” 1 John 1:9

    “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2:7

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  25. Dear Cammie Diane,

    I have a question:

    I have found a site called "snugars.com" with quite appealingly designed childrens headbands, legwarmers, shoes, etc.
    As I read your article and researched the shop mentioned in it I discovered that the contact information of snugars is exactly the same as the one of garlands of grace (same town, same postbox). Now I do not wish to support anyone who is openly hostile to Catholics.

    So here is my question: Is Snugars just another name for garlands of grace? Do they have the same owner?
    Thank you in advance!
    Blessings, Sarah

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  26. Thank you for posting this. I had a $90 order for Garlands of Grace and was googling to see if I could find a coupon when I came upon your blog entry. I am Catholic who chooses to cover her head and dress modestly. Because of this, I am often mistaken for Pentecostal and shop at the same stores they do. It has become rarer over the last ten years that I meet people who discriminate against Catholics, but it still does happen. I figure if my Catholic denomination is offensive then so is my Catholic money. Thank you and I will shop elsewhere.

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  27. I was considering buying from them over the summer when I came across the statement of their burden for Catholicism. I also don't want to burden them with my money. Are there any comparable vendors?

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  28. There are quite a few headcovering makers out there that are friendly to Catholics depending on what you're looking for. I make snoods and headbands and eternity veils (my shop, A Snood for All Seasons, is in the sidebar at the top of the page). By searching for Catholic head covering on Etsy you can find quite a few other shops too!

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  29. Do you have links to Catholic head covering businesses?

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