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The Sacred Object Project

You needed something worthwhile to do with your children, didn't you?

By: The Sceptic | 08January2001

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Hey kids!

We have a fun project that you can do at home with your printer, crayons or water colors and a pair of scissors. We are going to show you how you can make your own sacred object. In fact, 'sacred' is your first vocabulary word.

Here's the definition, from dictionary.com:

  1. Dedicated to or set apart for the worship of a deity.
  2. Worthy of religious veneration.
  3. Made or declared holy.
  4. Dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose, or person.
  5. Worthy of respect; venerable.
  6. Of or relating to religious objects, rites, or practices.

Obviously, if something is sacred, it is very special. If somebody refers to an object as sacred, they usually mean it represents something that is holy or religious or that the object is worshipped. You might have a sacred object in your home right now. Is there a statue or picture of the Buddha, the Mother Goddess or Jesus in your house? If so, ask Mom or Dad if it is sacred. They'll probably say "Yes"!

If sacred is so special, can you -- by yourself -- make something that is sacred? As funny as it might seem, the answer is yes! A long time ago, a holy man named Isaiah was preaching about people who had sacred objects he didn't like, he said:

"Their land is also full of idols;
They worship the work of their own hands,
That which their own fingers have made."

So what sacred object can you make? How about a United States flag? Is a flag sacred?

statue of Jesus Of course. We know that a flag is sacred -- just like a statue of Jesus, the Mother Goddess or the Buddha -- because there are guidelines and even laws about how to take care of a flag and properly handle it to protect it from... well that's your second vocabulary word, 'desecration'.

Here's the definition of 'desecrate', from dictionary.com:
To violate the sacredness of; profane.

Now you see why you have to understand the word 'sacred' before learning 'desecrate'. If something is sacred, it should be treated like it is holy. 'Desecrate' is like 'de-sacred', to treat a holy thing with disrespect, as if it weren't holy. If you have sacred objects in your house, you don't spit on them, throw darts at them or put them in the toilet, right? That would be desecration.

None of the rules about how to handle and take care of a US flag say that they don't apply if the flag is hand-made, as opposed to being made in a factory. The first US flags with thirteen stars were made by hand. Flag factories don't have holy people around to bless them when they come off the assembly line, so we have to assume that the rules for US flags will apply to the one you are about to make. We'll talk about that word desecration a little more later.

When you click on this link -- DESIGN FOR A 2-SIDED FLAG -- a new browser page will pop up. Print that page and follow the directions to make your own sacred United States flag.

When you are finished, go to PAGE 2 and see how the flag we made turned out.

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