For all Catholics...if God said...No Idolatry?

Question

Why do you pray to statues..Light candles..Have graven images to adorn your home...none of this is in the Bible...God said let No man Add to or Take away from his words...It seems to me you have added alot of things. Also the bowing down to these images and your priest. Holding a Simple man as someone of worship...the pope.

I myself was born and raised a Catholic...so don't presume I don't know exactly what and what not they believe in. Catholic school..CCD..and Sunday always in church. I left because they could not answer my questions...I was brought up to pray to saints..to consider a statue holy..to consider the host..holy...water..holy..priest , and also that confessing my sins to a priest would absolve me from my sins...But none of this was in the Bible...God did not say this.

Answer 1

No presumptions needed. It's clear tha, for whatever reason, you are grossly misinformed about Catholic beliefs and practices, even in spite of CCD, regular attendance at mass, and so forth.

Either you had bad teachers, or maybe you don't know as much as you think you know. If I were to guess, I would say you've been hanging around anti-Catholic dot.coms, maybe even attending a bible study with an underlying anti-Catholic tone?

So let's set the record straight, shall we?

For example; Catholics are not taught to pray to saints. We can and do offer them prayers of petition and veneration, but that is not the same as worship.

Next thing; statues; holy water; candles; relic; these things are called Sacramentals. Sacramentals are objects that are used to worship God, they are not the objects of worship.

Last, the Church has a hierarchy. The men who occupy the various positions in the hierarchy are not the subject of worship, they are leaders of worship to God.

And you back yourself up by claiming none of these practices have any biblical origin; veneration and petitioning of saints, sacramentals and their proper use, and the church hierarchy.

I apologize for the lengh of this response but, as it so happens, it is necessary:

Veneration / Honor of the Saints
Matt. 18:10 - the angels in heaven always behold the face of God. We venerate them for their great dignity and union with God.

Matt. 15:4; Luke 18:20; Eph. 6:2-3 Exodus 20:12; Lev. 19:3; Deut. 5:16 - we are instructed to honor our father and mother.

Luke 1:28 - the angel Gabriel venerates Mary by declaring to her "Hail, full of grace." The heavenly angel honors the human Mary, for her perfection of grace exceeds that of the angels.

Romans 13:7 - we are to give honor where honor is due. When we honor God's children, we honor God Himself, for He is the source of all honor.

1 Cor. 4:16 - the most important form of veneration of the saints is "imitating" the saints, as Paul commands us to do.

1 Cor. 11:1 - again, Paul says, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." The ultimate objective of veneration is imitation.

Phil. 2:25-29 - Paul teaches us to honor Epaprhoditus who almost died for the faith. How much more honor is owed to the saints that did die for the faith!

Phil. 3:17 - Paul says to imitate him and others, which is the goal of veneration. Veneration is not worship.

1 Thess. 1:6 – Paul says to the Thessalonians, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord.” This is the goal of veneration.

2 Thess. 3:7 - Paul says that the Thessalonians should imitate him and the other bishops.

Hebrews 3:3 - Jesus is worthy of "more" glory and honor than Moses. This does not mean that the saints are worthy of no glory and honor. Instead, it proves that saintly people are worthy of glory and honor out of God's goodness.

Heb. 6:12 – the author teaches us to be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Heb. 13:7 - we must imitate the faith of our faithful leaders. We ask for their intercession and venerate them for their holiness.

James 5:10-11 – James teaches us to take heart in the examples of the prophets and Job, who endured suffering.

1 Peter 2:17 - Peter teaches us to honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor. Don't those living with Christ in heaven deserve honor? Catholics believe they do, and honor them with special feast days, just as we honor those living by celebrating their birthdays.

Gen. 19:1 - Lot venerates the two angels in Sodom, bowing himself with his face to the ground.

Gen. 42:6 - Joseph's brothers bow before Joseph with the face to the ground. This is veneration, not worship.

Exodus 28:2 - it is especially important to honor religious leaders. Sacred garments for Aaron give him dignity and honor.

Lev. 19:32- we should also honor "the face of an old man." When the elderly die in Christ, we should continue honoring them, because death does not separate them from us or the love of Christ.

1 Sam. 28:14 - Saul bows down before Samuel with his face to the ground in veneration.

2 Chron. 32:33 - Hezekiah was honored at his death. We honor our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Sir. 44:1-2 - we should praise and give honor to those who the Lord apportioned great glory. It is our family in Christ.

Posture in Prayer, Veneration and Worship
Deut. 5:9 - God's command, "you shall not bow down to them" means "do not worship them." But not all bowing is worship. Here God's command is connected to false worship.

Rev. 3:9 - Jesus said people would bow down before the faithful members of the church of Philadelphia. This bowing before the faithful is not worship, just as kissing a picture of a family member is not worship.

Gen. 19:1 - Lot bowed down to the ground in veneration before two angels in Sodom.

Gen. 24:52 - Abraham's servant bowed himself to the earth before the Lord.

Gen. 42:6 - Joseph's brothers bow before Joseph with the face to the ground.

Jos. 5:14 - Joshua fell to the ground prostrate in veneration before an angel.

1 Sam. 28:14 - Saul bows down before Samuel with his face to the ground in honor and veneration.

1 Kings 1:23 - the prophet Nathan bows down before King David.

2 Kings 2:15 - the sons of the prophets bow down to Elisha at Jericho.

1 Chron. 21:21 - Ornan the Jebusite did obeisance to king David with his face to the ground.

1 Chron. 29:20 - Israelites bowed down to worship God and give honor to the king.

2 Chron. 29:29-30 - King Hezekiah and the assembly venerate the altar by bowing down in worship before the sin offerings.

Tobit 12:16 - Tobiah and Tobit fell down to the ground in veneration before the angel Raphael.

Judith 14:7 - Achior the Ammonite kneels before Judith venerating her and praising God.

Psalm 138:2 - David bows down before God's Holy Temple.

Dan. 2:46 - the king fell down on his face paying homage to Daniel and commands that an offering be made to him.

Dan. 8:17 - Daniel fell down prostrate in veneration before the angel Gabriel.

1 Macc. 4:40,55 - Judas and the faithful fell face down to the ground to praise heaven and worship God.

2 Macc. 10:4,26; 13:12 - Maccabeus and his followers fall down prostrate praying to God.

Images and Statues
Deut. 4:15 - from this verse, Protestants say that since we saw "no form" of the Lord, we should not make graven images of Him.

Deut. 4:16 - of course, in early history Israel was forbidden to make images of God because God didn't yet reveal himself visibly "in the form of any figure."

Deut. 4:17-19 - hence, had the Israelites depicted God not yet revealed, they might be tempted to worship Him in the form of a beast, bird, reptile or fish, which was a common error of the times.

Exodus 3:2-3; Dan 7:9; Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32; Acts 2:3- later on, however, we see that God did reveal himself in visible form (as a dove, fire, etc).

Deut. 5:8 - God's commandment "thou shall not make a graven image" is entirely connected to the worship of false gods. God does not prohibit images to be used in worship, but He prohibits the images themselves to be worshiped.

Exodus 25:18-22; 26:1,31 - for example, God commands the making of the image of a golden cherubim. This heavenly image, of course, is not worshiped by the Israelites. Instead, the image disposes their minds to the supernatural and draws them to God.

Num. 21:8-9 - God also commands the making of the bronze serpent. The image of the bronze serpent is not an idol to be worshiped, but an article that lifts the mind to the supernatural.

I Kings 6:23-36; 7:27-39; 8:6-67 - Solomon's temple contains statues of cherubim and images of cherubim, oxen and lions. God did not condemn these images that were used in worship.

2 Kings 18:4 - it was only when the people began to worship the statue did they incur God's wrath, and the king destroyed it. The command prohibiting the use of graven images deals exclusively with the false worship of those images.

1 Chron. 28:18-19 - David gives Solomon the plan for the altar made of refined gold with a golden cherubim images. These images were used in the Jews' most solemn place of worship.

2 Chron. 3:7-14 - the house was lined with gold with elaborate cherubim carved in wood and overlaid with gold.

Ezek. 41:15 - Ezekiel describes graven images in the temple consisting of carved likenesses of cherubim. These are similar to the images of the angels and saints in many Catholic churches.

Col. 1:15 - the only image of God that Catholics worship is Jesus Christ, who is the "image" (Greek "eikon") of the invisible God.

Ordained Leaders Share in Jesus' Ministry and Authority
Matt. 10:1,40 - Jesus declares to His apostles, "he who receives you, receives Me, and he who rejects you, rejects Me and the One who sent Me." Jesus freely gives His authority to the apostles in order for them to effectively convert the world.

Matt. 16:19; 18:18 - the apostles are given Christ's authority to make visible decisions on earth that will be ratified in heaven. God raises up humanity in Christ by exalting his chosen leaders and endowing them with the authority and grace they need to bring about the conversion of all. Without a central authority in the Church, there would be chaos (as there is in Protestantism).

Luke 9:1; 10:19 - Jesus gives the apostles authority over the natural and the supernatural (diseases, demons, serpents, and scorpions).

Luke 10:16 - Jesus tells His apostles, "he who hears you, hears Me." When we hear the bishops' teaching on the faith, we hear Christ Himself.

Luke 22:29 - the Father gives the kingdom to the Son, and the Son gives the kingdom to the apostles. The gift is transferred from the Father to the Son to the apostles.

Num 16:28 - the Father's authority is transferred to Moses. Moses does not speak on his own. This is a real transfer of authority.

John 5:30 - similarly, Jesus as man does nothing of His own authority, but He acts under the authority of the Father.

John 7:16-17 - Jesus as man states that His authority is not His own, but from God. He will transfer this authority to other men.

John 8:28 - Jesus says He does nothing on His own authority. Similarly, the apostles will do nothing on their own authority. Their authority comes from God.

John 12:49 - The father's authority is transferred to the Son. The Son does not speak on his own. This is a transfer of divine authority.

John 13:20 - Jesus says, "he who receives anyone who I send, receives Me." He who receives the apostles, receives Christ Himself. He who rejects the apostles and their successors, rejects Christ.

John 14:10 - Jesus says the Word He speaks is not His own authority, but from the Father. The gift is from the Father to Jesus to the apostles.

John 16:14-15 - what the Father has, the Son has, and the Son gives it to the apostles. The authority is not lessened or mitigated.

John 17:18; 20:21 - as the Father sends the Son, the Son sends the apostles. The apostles have divinely appointed authority.

Acts 20:28 - the apostles are shepherds and guardians appointed by the Holy Spirit / 1 Peter 2:25 - Jesus is the Shepherd and Guardian. The apostles, by the power of the Spirit, share Christ's ministry and authority.

Jer. 23:1-8; Ezek. 34:1-10 - the shepherds must shepherd the sheep, or they will be held accountable by God.

Eph. 2:20 - the Christian faith is built upon the foundation of the apostles. The word "foundation" proves that it does not die with apostles, but carries on through succession.

Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:9,14 - the words "household," "Bride of the Lamb," the "new Jerusalem" are all metaphors for the Church whose foundation is the apostles.

Answer 2

Do you have pictures of your loved ones?

Statues and pictures of people we love are not idols.

Statues and paintings of Jesus and the saints are just like pictures of the people we love and respect.

The King James version of the Bible states in Exodus 20:4: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth"

Why were the Jews commanded not to make graven images? Graven images were the standard method of pagan worship. They were representations of false gods.

This is a very clear command. However God commanded the Jews in Exodus 25:18, "And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them" and in 1 Kings chapter 7 Solomon made bulls and other images out of precious metals.

It seems obvious that the Jews did not worship the cherubims and Solomon did not worship the bulls he had made. These images did not violate the command of God. Therefore, an image not made for worship is acceptable.

How can a statue of our Lord Jesus Christ dead on the cross be considered an idol to a false god? A crucifix is the message of the Gospel without words held up for all to see. A visual reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus, no different from a painting, a play, or a movie.

Catholics do not worship statues but the almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

Maybe you should actually learn about Catholicism before you attempt to criticize it. That being said, here are some answers to your "questions."

Catholics traditionally have "added" less to the Bible than most other religions, in fact most diocese have Latin within their Sunday Mass. And up until 30 years ago most masses were conducted exclusively in Latin. Latin being one of the original translated versions of the bible dating back to the time of the Romans and the Creation of the Catholic Church.
It is no stretch to say that Since Catholicism was one of the original forms of Christianity it has added far less than many other religious sects. Consider the Mormons, who added a whole other testament.

Secondly, during the ceremony the Priest acts as a representative of God, and each Church is considered to be the "House of God" as such it is no wonder that when at prayer Catholics bow down in the presence of God.
Not only that, but during the Communion Catholics believe that the bread and wine actually become a part of Jesus, therefore when Catholics Bow down during this part of the ceremony they are literally bowing before Jesus Christ.

Third, the pope is considered among Catholics as the living liaison of God. He speaks the word of God and thus any decree given on Earth by the Pope will be upheld in Heaven by God.

Not to mention the fact that many other religions Christian and otherwise pray to statues, light candles and have "graven images to adorn" their homes.

For example, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and many others. Hinduism is renowned for their shrines and statues, as is Buddhism.

Answer 4

>>>Why do you pray to statues<<<

We don't.

>>>Light candles<<<

Because the Jews did, as did the earliest Christians. Simply lighting a candle is not a form of idol worship.

When your pastor turns on the lights in your church, does that mean you guys are worshipping the lights?

>>>Have graven images to adorn your home<<<

Read Exodus 25 and 26. There are LOTS of graven images in there that God commands the Israelites to use as aids in worship. That's perfectly fine as long as the images are not being worshipped -- and we Catholics do not worship images.

>>>none of this is in the Bible<<<

Your Bible must be missing a few pages, then. Especially the pages that contain Exodus 25 and 26, among others.

Answer 5

You know, when I see Catholics kneeling in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary and muttering prayers at it, it looks absolutely NO different than a Hindu kneeling in front of a statue of Ganesha or Shiva. Now, I'm sure those Catholics will say that the Hindu is worshipping a graven image, yet they do the SAME THING, and claim they are NOT worshipping a graven image! It is the height of arrogance to claim that someone else's religion is false and based on idol worship but yours is not, especially when your behavior exactly mimics theirs.

Answer 6

Because that is the soup of the Catholic Church, paganism and religion.
Did you know that the Patron of the Alps Victoria, was the Roman Goddess of the Alps?

Answer 7

Why just pick on Catholics? Protestants are just as guilty of raising their bibles, preachers, political views, ten commandment statues, etc as objects of veneration and at times obession (by the way, catholics venerate the items you mentioned...not worship).

Answer 8

Catholics worship no one but God. Anything else would be heresy.
Go to www.catholic.org and find out that what you're told are myths. There's a question and answer forum. Don't worry, you won't be brainwashed.

Answer 9

I totally agree with this, coming from a Catholic family myself. Sadly, it's one of the things that most Catholics overlook.

Answer 10

you forgot praying to the saints.... ok all of us Catholics are going to Hell.... but let me remind ya lass or laddie, that judgement is reserved for the Lord, and I shall see you there!

Answer 11

you are correct sir!! That is why I am no longer a Catholic