Swiss “Catholic” Media Center promotes “Sin Disposal Container”

The fine line between garbage and “art”…

Swiss “Catholic” Media Center promotes “Sin Disposal Container”

On Friday, August 23, the official YouTube channel of the Novus Ordo Catholic Media Center in Switzerland released a video introducing people to the new “sin disposal container” in Zurich, an interactive “art” project that aims to make people think and smile. Chances are it will do neither — the reaction of a healthy human being will be a good eye-roll accompanied by a sigh, at best.

The odd box is a former recycling container. Outside it there is an opening through which materials can be placed into it. That opening has been retained and is now labeled “sins” and is used for throwing stones into the unit. Those are channeled through a transparent plastic tube and fall into a little bowl inside the container. Also inside is a stool, a mirror, and a 3-step instruction placard. The instructions read as follows:

1. Take a deep breath in, and out, 3 times.
2. Take a load off your mind — let the stone fall into the bowl.
3. Give yourself a smile and have a nice day.

In other words, the way to dispose of — or perhaps recycle? — one’s sins is by breathing, dropping a stone into a hole, and smiling at oneself in the mirror. Absolutely brilliant! No wonder the media portal of the Vatican II Sect in Switzerland thinks this is worth promoting.

But see for yourself. This is the video clip in question:

Here it should be noted that throwing the stone into the container is tied to the German idiomatic expression mir fällt ein Stein vom Herzen — literally, “a stone is falling off my heart”, used to express that a big load has been lifted off one’s mind or conscience. That puts the stone dropping into some context, but it certainly does not make this absurdity any less foolish. (We assume that the fact that stoning used to be a punishment for certain grave sins under the Old Law [e.g., see Lev 24:16] is a connection the creators of this “artwork” did not intend.)

Photos showing the process of putting this thing together can be found here. The Swiss blog BeatRichert.net explains the priceless result as follows:

The sin disposal unit promotes critical thinking and consciousness and puts a smile on your face.

The interactive art installation consists of a recycled Zurich recycling container (with 100% recycled materials) and is ready for sins in accordance with all religions, all sexes, and all ages.

(“Sünden-Entsorgungsstelle”, BeatRichert.net; our translation.)

This should be right up “Pope” Francis’ alley — especially considering the fact that they recycled a recycling container — that’s definitely Laudato Si’-friendly!

But seriously: It is works like this “sin disposal container” that display quite well the spiritual emptiness of modern man. There’s just nothing there — it’s all… garbage! And when any sane, thinking human being comes to associate that kind of foolishness with religion, with church, with God, he will run away screaming. And who could blame him?

Oh, by the way: The true Catholic Church does have a box where you can get the heavy load of all your sins taken off.

It’s called the confessional.

Image source: own composite using screenshots from youtube.com
License: fair use