What do people do when there’s no more room for their god?
There’s a refuge for discarded deities in Hong Kong:
Guardian of the Gods (BBC)
“It’s quite common for locals to run out of room to keep their idols. But rather than throw them away when they get old or damaged, which is considered bad luck, people in Hong Kong often leave their chipped or faded gods on street corners. These abandoned gods often attract others, creating small, impromptu shrines across the city. Over the decades, Wong’s hillside idol orphanage has easily become the largest outdoor collection of deities in Hong Kong.”
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“The purpose of buying a statue of a god is to bring you and your family good luck, good health and prosperity,” said Wong. “If you just abandon them, it means you will no longer get the blessings. It’s not good for the conscience or your luck to just throw them away.”
And these remarkable statements:
“You could say I am the caretaker of all the gods. They all have equal value to me,” he said.”
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“We accept not just Buddhist statues but gods and deities from all religions. I welcome them all,” said Wong. “This is the only place in Hong Kong to take all these statues, no matter the religion.”
“Caretaker of all the gods.” Great statement!
I wonder, would those gods accept all deities “no matter the religion”?
In America, what do we do with our old gods?
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