Question for Church History Experts

[Tamara224]

Did the Church ever teach that being left-handed is a sin?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from RCC and EO on this.

I ran across a claim recently that once upon a time, left-handed people were condemned by the Church.

 

[BrendanMark]

Do you mean Dextera Domini? (Dextera Domini: The Declaration on the Pastoral Care of Left-Handed Persons)

Left-handed is "sinister" quite literally in Latin, the opposite of "dexter" (cue the TV jokes).

At least we do (and did) not amputate right hands (the clean hand in most religions) as routine punishment.

In many religions, eating with one's left hand is a sign of ritual uncleanliness as well as poor hygiene.

Somehow the notion of Jesus sitting at God's right hand got mixed up in there as well.

 

[Tamara224]

No, "Dextera Domini" is clearly satire. I saw that when I did my own Google search before I posted this.


I'm looking for actual history.


P.S. Eating with the left hand is considered unclean because that's the hand people wipe with. It actually is unclean.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Never heard of it.

Forgive me...

 

[lovernotafighter]

I know my uncle is about 50ish, and was forced to learn to use his right hand for writing at Catholic school, I don't know why though. Thankfully they stopped doing it because I am a lefty myself

 

[BrendanMark]

If it isn't that, then I have never heard of it. It certainly does not feature in the theology and doctrines of RCC or EO that I know or. All I can see is the accusation against the Church, not any source for such a claim.

Most reference Matthew 25, where those of the devil are put to the left and those righteous folk put to the right, of course.

That the left hand is ritually unclean is to be found in Judaism and in Jesus' words (one accepts a slap from the left hand and offers the assailant to try the same blow with his right. Turning the other cheek is a provocative, not passive, response to violence) and Islam, and many other religions throughout the world and history.

 

[Thekla]

My brother was a "lefty"; at public school (Md.) they made him switch (he's 53 now).
I had a friend whose employer felt the left hand was evil; my friend was discouraged from using her left as the primary hand at work (this was the late 70s).

I honestly don't know of any Church history on this, but it does seem to have been a matter of "tradition" and educational practice.

 

[Dark_Lite]

It actually is rather amazing that such discrimination persisted all the way up into the upper ends of the 20th century.

Left handedness all the way! It makes me feel like a special snowflake.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

My brother was a "lefty"; at public school (Md.) they made him switch (he's 53 now).
I had a friend whose employer felt the left hand was evil; my friend was discouraged from using her left as the primary hand at work (this was the late 70s).

I honestly don't know of any Church history on this, but it does seem to have been a matter of "tradition" and educational practice.

I wonder where his employer got that idea

Scripture4All - Greek/Hebrew interlinear Bible software

Psalm 110:1 To David a psalm. Declaration of YHWH to my-Lord/0113 'adown "sit thou! to right/03225 yamiyn of Me until I shall set thy enemies of thee a stool for thy feet"
[Matt 22:44]

Matt 22:44 "Said the LORD to the Lord of Me 'be sitting from out of rights/dexiwn <1188> of Me until ever I may be placing the enemies of Thee a footstool to Thy feet'.
[Psalm 119:1]

This commentator I like a lot had an interesting write up of that [not sure how other religions/cultures view it tho]

http://www.kingdombiblestudies.org/2hands/2hands1.htm
THE TWO HANDS OF GOD

*snip*

First, let us look at the meaning of these two words, right and left. The word "right" as used with "hand" is generally the Hebrew word "yamiym" meaning STRONGER, MORE DEXTEROUS.
The word for "left" is "smowl" meaning DARK. From the meaning of these two words it is very easy to understand that God's right hand is His strength and dexterity, or His wonderful ability to do all things.

The implication is that the right hand of God is the GOOD HAND of God, doing GOOD things. The Psalmist confirms this when he says, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your RIGHT HAND are PLEASURES for evermore" (Ps. 16:11). Again, "The voice of REJOICING and SALVATION in the tabernacles of the righteous: the RIGHT HAND of the Lord does valiantly. The RIGHT HAND of the Lord is exalted" (Ps. 118:15-16).. To which the prophet Isaiah adds his inspired testimony, "Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will STRENGTHEN you; yea, I will HELP you; yea, I will UPHOLD you with the RIGHT HAND of My righteousness" (Isa. 41:10).

 

[Tamara224]

It actually is rather amazing that such discrimination persisted all the way up into the upper ends of the 20th century.

The point of this thread is to find some historical documentation for the alleged persecution.

Do you know of any?

Making kids learn to write with their right hands does not equate to left-handedness being thought of as evil/sinful.

 

[BrendanMark]

Before toilet paper, what did one use to wipe? One's left hand (one ate with the right) which was then cleaned as well as possible. Before the invention of bathroom hygiene, "snowflake" was not what came to mind with the left hand.

 

[Tamara224]

I wonder where his employer got that idea

Scripture4All - Greek/Hebrew interlinear Bible software

Psalm 110:1 To David a psalm. Declaration of YHWH to my-Lord/0113 'adown "sit thou! to right/03225 yamiyn of Me until I shall set thy enemies of thee a stool for thy feet"
[Matt 22:44]

Matt 22:44 "Said the LORD to the Lord of Me 'be sitting from out of rights/dexiwn <1188> of Me until ever I may be placing the enemies of Thee a footstool to Thy feet'.
[Psalm 119:1]

This commentator I like a lot had an interesting write up of that [not sure how other religions/cultures view it tho]

http://www.kingdombiblestudies.org/2hands/2hands1.htm
THE TWO HANDS OF GOD

*snip*

First, let us look at the meaning of these two words, right and left. The word "right" as used with "hand" is generally the Hebrew word "yamiym" meaning STRONGER, MORE DEXTEROUS.
The word for "left" is "smowl" meaning DARK. From the meaning of these two words it is very easy to understand that God's right hand is His strength and dexterity, or His wonderful ability to do all things.

The implication is that the right hand of God is the GOOD HAND of God, doing GOOD things. The Psalmist confirms this when he says, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your RIGHT HAND are PLEASURES for evermore" (Ps. 16:11). Again, "The voice of REJOICING and SALVATION in the tabernacles of the righteous: the RIGHT HAND of the Lord does valiantly. The RIGHT HAND of the Lord is exalted" (Ps. 118:15-16).. To which the prophet Isaiah adds his inspired testimony, "Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will STRENGTHEN you; yea, I will HELP you; yea, I will UPHOLD you with the RIGHT HAND of My righteousness" (Isa. 41:10).

So... the left hand of God does evil things?

 

[Chesterton]

The point of this thread is to find some historical documentation for the alleged persecution.

Do you know of any?

Making kids learn to write with their right hands does not equate to left-handedness being thought of as evil/sinful.

Muslims have a lot to say about preferring the right hand. I've never heard anything like that from a Christian source.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Before toilet paper, what did one use to wipe? One's left hand (one ate with the right) which was then cleaned as well as possible. Before the invention of bathroom hygiene, "snowflake" was not what came to mind with the left hand.

Another question would be...what did they use for a tooth brush
I for one am glad I am neither one of those

 

[Gnarwhal]

From the looks of things, in biblical times and probably throughout most of modern history, people considered lefties to be the servant of the devil. I can testify that that is indeed false.

I've been doing a bit of web research, I came across this research paper. I don't know it's credibility nor if it will answer your question... my search continues...

 

[Gregory Thompson]

i'm slightly ambidextrous because i was forced to use my right hand when learning to write .

 

[Standing Up]

Did the Church ever teach that being left-handed is a sin?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from RCC and EO on this.

I ran across a claim recently that once upon a time, left-handed people were condemned by the Church.

Try the following link to search. For example, just generally, but probably no doctrinal thing:

For He only, destroying with His left hand, can quicken with His right; He only can both smite and raise the fallen.
ANF08. The Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, The Clementia, Apocrypha, Decretals, Memoirs of Edessa and Syriac Documents, Remains of the First | Christian Classics Ethereal Library

 

[Melethiel]

Both my fiance and I are left handed. I'm somewhat ambidextrous, he's completely left-dominant. Our children are obviously going to be children of the devil.

 

[ebia]

I know my uncle is about 50ish, and was forced to learn to use his right hand for writing at Catholic school, I don't know why though. Thankfully they stopped doing it because I am a lefty myself

I don't know that had much to do with the church. Some government school teachers used to do that in England.

 

[Optimax]

There is scriptural proof that the use of the left hand is acceptable before God.

God allows us to do what he does!

God uses His left hand much more than His right hand.

He has to!

Jesus has been sitting on His right hand for about 2,000 years now.
Heb 1:3

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
KJV